✨Some good news, cats, no more waiting in line, haircuts, standing desks + exercising, money, jobs
This is a bi-weekly newsletter offering helpful life and work updates/resources for founders, funders, family, and friends.
We’re going to get through this. In the last 4 weeks, COVID-19 has led to 32K deaths, 701K diagnosed cases, and 22M unemployed people.
Amid these heartwrenching stats, there is a silver lining. Thanks to physical distancing, some states are seeing COVID-19 cases plateau and planning on reopening. The government is sending out stimulus checks (check your status). Bill Gates is funding 7 vaccines. Orgs like Alex Iskold’s 1K Project are lending recurring financial support. Individuals, like Yashar Ali, are giving cash on the spot online. Both, orgs and individuals, are creating positive online content in social media threads, (Leyla’s cat) pics, and on video channels like John Krasinski’s Some Good News. On the job front, companies, like Candor, are keeping track of those laid off and helping them get jobs. OpenTable is helping us avoid grocery lines. And people in love are breaking city marriage apps from such high demand!
As the world comes into the next normal, I’m taking deep breaths, giving Josh haircuts, and celebrating small wins - stoked that I was able to find a cool standing desk and elliptical to help me both work and exercise!
Remember to take the time to do things that make you smile, wash your hands, and mask up.
✨Lolita Taub
lolitataub.co | twitter
Reach out with requests here.
ICYMI: Check-out my StartupGrind panel on Leveraging Technology to Weather the Storm and my feature on @Pinverrr's Mapping the Future of Work.Shoutouts
Congrats! Jenny Lee, Theresia Gouw, Aileen Lee, Sonali De Rycker, Kirsten Green, Anna Fang Hamm, and Ann Miura-Ko made the Forbes’ Midas List. Ivan Zhao raised $50 million at a $2 billion valuation for Notion. Pam Kostka celebrated AllRaise’s 2-year anniversary and released AR’s annual report. Riana Lynn won $100,000 at Capital Factory's Black in Tech Summit Pitch Competition. Lisa Frame’s Bippy received the Good Health Award. Miki Reynolds kicked-off the latest Grid110 cohorts. Aubrie Pagano joined Corigin Ventures as a Partner!
Work
Funders
Investors are keeping an eye out for companies in areas that will succeed during and post-COVID-19. And emerging fund managers continue to raise and keep an eye on the market.
Founders
Overall, investment numbers are down but active investors still exist. I recommend you can pitch investors via cold-email or DM.
Also, check-out NFX. They’re making 9-day investment decisions.
For angel and venture capital alternatives, you can find some here. If you’re raising your Series A, read up on what VCs are looking for here.
Operators
If you're like me, you're looking for insight on how to operate our businesses in a downturn.
Friends
Funny friends are must-haves to make light of WFH.
Reads
Mary Meeker just dropped a Coronavirus Trends Report! Reading it now.
If you’re looking for something non-COVID-19 related, here are 4 books to read.
Opportunities
Resources
Considering the millions of layoffs, I’m sharing unemployment resources. Share this post on coping with job loss and the unemployment Q&A below. Check-out a list of companies that are still hiring at Layoffs.fyi and Pangian. To find a job, in addition to checking LinkedIn, Angel.co, and other job boards, check-out Y Combinator.
