Mark Gilbreath

🏢 Big Moves in SF Commercial Real Estate! Intuit & Capital One 🏢 Two major financial firms are making strategic relocations within San Francisco: - Capital One is reducing its office space by two-thirds, moving from 201 3rd St. to 40,000 sq. ft. at 100 California St. This deal includes significant improvements to the new location, enhancing tenant experiences with new outdoor spaces and on-site amenities. - Intuit is downsizing from 200,000 sq. ft. at 22 4th St. to 36,500 sq. ft. at 505 Howard St. The move aims to leverage San Francisco's diverse talent pool while optimizing their workspace for future growth. These moves highlight the dynamic nature of SF's commercial real estate market and the need for adaptable, strategic office solutions. At Resource, we specialize in guiding companies through such transitions, ensuring seamless relocations and optimized space utilization. 🔗 Discover more about our tailored real estate services: yourresource.com #SFRealEstate #CommercialRealEstate #CapitalOne #Intuit #OfficeRelocation #RealEstateStrategy #ResourceCRE

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An interesting article below, that demonstrates out how San Diego is punching above its weight.  And how Connect's strategy and execution over time, contintues to be central to that success. The article describes the current state of the market in Seattle.  (And i love Seattle.) It's a market that we tend to track with relative to venture fundings.  They used to kick our butts, we outraised them each of the last three years.  This despite the fact they have 3x as many funds there, and 9x the amount of resident capital there. (per pitchbook) Some key takeaways:  * They continue to compare themselves to SIlicon Valley. Instead, we leverage our proximity. *They whine there's not enough local investors (see note above - they have more than us). We bring over 200 VCs to SD annually! * They say founders are not connected with one another. We bring CEOs together regularly, in a variety of ways - private dinners and through our Springboard program. * They say they need to elevate their image on a national & international stage. Why we created and continue to build Five.Ten.Thirty (aka Inno Day).  * And the last paragraph - they need to concentrate on making their region a great place to live. Our mantra: "It's about Better, not Bigger." (See XEO, TL Fund). THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT. WE ARE ON A MISSION TOGETHER!!!  (Comments, whining, suggestions on SD always welcome.) https://lnkd.in/g6Rq_f2Y

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In last week’s radical Briefing, Jeffrey made a strong argument that we explore (and embrace) the “messy middle” in our endeavors to shape the future. His remarks hit a nerve with our community—we had lots of good conversations both on Substack and in our WhatsApp channel. Building on Jeffrey’s insight, I believe for organizations of all kinds to successfully navigate the ambiguity (and thus “messiness”) of our world, it is paramount to have clarity on their North Star. German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche once observed that “if you know the why, you can live any how.” And, of course, American author Simon Sinek, in his famous TED talk, urged leaders to “start with why.” If this sounds familiar, and you count yourself lucky to work for (or run) an organization that has done the work of creating and communicating a good mission statement, consider this wrinkle: Is your mission statement, your North Star, your why clear, concise, and memorable? Can your people recite it by heart and do they truly understand your organization’s direction? Does it work not only as an aspirational tagline but as the ultimate clarifying device it ought to be? All too often, when I look up a company’s mission statement, it reads something like this: …blah blah blah blah innovation blah blah blah culture blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah market leader blah blah blah blah blah blah honesty blah blah blah blah excellence blah blah integrity blah blah blah blah strategies blah blah blah blah… To make sure your mission statement is not just a fancy marketing slogan but truly operates as your organization’s North Star, Kevin Starr, CEO of the Mulago Foundation, created the Eight-Word-Mission-Statement: Formulate your mission statement in the form of Verb – Target – Outcome—using eight words or less. In more detail: What are you doing (verb), for whose benefit (target), to what end (outcome). It is a powerful method to clarify and create a yardstick to measure whether any activity is inside or outside your scope. Want an example? Be radical’s mission statement is “Enable leaders and learners to seize the future.” We enable by teaching tools and frameworks, focusing on leaders inside organizations, not frontline employees, to build the future, which means we don’t work on day-to-day strategy. Your Eight-Word-Mission-Statement might not be suitable for marketing materials, but it will become the guiding star for you and your team, helping you clearly understand your activities (and, equally as important, what you don’t do). It is the sentence your people can recite even at 2am if asked: What does your company (and you) do? And it provides the clarity you and your organization need to navigate the messy middle, ambiguity, and uncertainty. Lastly, you can create Eight-Word-Mission-Statements not only for the company but also for business or organizational units, teams, and even for yourself. Give it a try—and if you like, share it here. #strategy #missionstatement

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Today, I was reminded of two remarkably prescient 1997 ACM, Association for Computing Machinery presentations: the first by Nathan Myhrvold and the second by Bran Ferran. If you are not a member of the ACM - I highly recommend joining. Nathan Myhrvold The future of software, the software industry, and Windows '47 https://lnkd.in/egMwYty Bran Ferran How IT will transform the experience of telling and listening to stories https://lnkd.in/gqF7C7TK

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Whether I am on a sales call, at a party, or just speaking with friends, explaining the breadth of Viam’s capabilities in words has been difficult. I have, however, found that once I show the platform at work, eyes light up and ideas about the different devices that could benefit from Viam begin flowing. Here are some of my favorite projects to “show off” when I am giving a demo of Viam. What devices in your life would you hack to do the same? https://lnkd.in/eFn6eD52 #software #robotics #opensource

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The article covers 5 popular SF #coworking spaces/social clubs with workspaces. Key quote: "As the city embraces a more in-person culture, techies are gravitating to "third places" to meet like-minded people, exchange ideas, and build community." Interestingly, the article makes it sound like "third places" are a new thing in SF. The city, of course, has had many coworking spaces and third places for a very long time. But the Covid years have fogged our memories of the lively SF pre-Covid coworking scene. #remotework

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In this exciting episode of the Duran Inci Podcast—where innovation meets deep insight—I am thrilled to host Alex Berg, a pioneering entrepreneur who is revolutionizing industries with his innovative approach at Cratos Equipment, often dubbed "The Tesla of Construction." Visionary Insights: Dive into the motivations that drive top entrepreneurs beyond mere profit. Learn about Alex's passion for transforming the status quo and how it leads to groundbreaking results. The Power of 'WHY': Discover how aligning business operations with core values can shape the future of an industry and forge unstoppable teams. Challenging the Norms: Unpack why tackling complex challenges is essential for creating a fulfilling and impactful future. This episode is a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs and anyone eager to explore the limits of what's possible in business innovation. Tune in and be inspired to think differently and act boldly. #EntrepreneurialSpirit #InnovativeLeadership #VisionaryThinking #BusinessTransformation #CratosEquipment #DisruptTheStatusQuo #FutureOfBusiness #PodcastForChange #DuranInciPodcast #ChallengeConvention

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Fun to see some insights appear in Rachel Feintzeig’s fantastic The Wall Street Journal piece over the weekend! 👏🏼👏🏼 “To get to your next big idea, you have to be OK with bombing a bit, says Jeremy Utley, a general partner at a venture-capital firm who teaches at Stanford’s design school, known as the Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford ( d.school ). “Most of life is not punctuated by win after win after win. Most of the time, it’s kind of painful,” he says. Brainstorm 10 possible answers to a question or dilemma at a time, he advises. Focusing on quantity over quality takes off the pressure. Use a bad idea as a jumping–off point. What else does it make you think of? Or try taking what Utley calls a “wonder wander.” Head off with your problem in mind, and relate everything you see to the problem. Spot an Amazon truck? Consider how Jeff Bezos might solve your quandary. Walk past a playground? Imagine the connection between your issue and play. ChatGPT could help too, if you use it right. It isn’t going to pop out the perfect answer on the first try, Utley says. Kick off the conversation by describing the boss you want to impress. Then ask: What are three projects that could blow that boss’s mind? Keep chatting with it until you spark something great…” Link in comments …

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A good case of glass half full or half empty. The $2tn investment is way short of what is needed to be net zero in coming decades. But, some of the categories like battery storage capacity or solar generation have been growing 100% or more annually for the last 10 year or so. Interesting short read. #Cleanteach #Climatecrisis #Energytransition https://lnkd.in/dAy9P3Jn

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What if mining for valuable minerals could be done in space with a smaller environmental impact and at a lower cost? 🚀 Matthew Gialich, CEO of AstroForge, believes it's possible. In our latest episode of The Lobster Talks, Matt shares how AstroForge is revolutionizing the mining industry by extracting precious metals from asteroids. Key takeaways from our conversation: - The inspiration behind AstroForge: Learn about Matt's journey from Bird Rides and the Jet Propulsion Lab to founding a company with the goal of mining asteroids. - Y Combinator's impact: Discover how the support and guidance from YC helped shape AstroForge's vision and accelerate their progress. - The upcoming launch: Get an exclusive look at AstroForge's groundbreaking mission to identify a metallic asteroid this November, a major step towards sustainable space resource utilization. - Low-cost and sustainable mining: Understand how AstroForge's innovative technology is making asteroid mining more affordable and environmentally friendly than traditional methods. If you're interested in the future of mining, space exploration, or groundbreaking technology, this episode is a must-listen! 🎧 Check out the full episode here - https://lnkd.in/e6-49bZ9 #AsteroidMining #SpaceResources #SustainableMining #AstroForge #TheLobsterTalks #YCombinator #Podcast

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It was a real honor to interview Brad Burnham co-founder of Union Square Ventures and partner Placeholder on the history of hype cycles in technology and the value they bring to capital and market formation. Brad has had tremendous success across decades investing at the frontier - when it was the frontier/ before it was obvious. Crypto is still the underdog and his views on the opportunity and its nuances are prescient. Specifically it is both a technical and financial innovation which can lead to excess volatility and a unique muscle as it relates to being a venture manager. But the returns are real. And the innovation is real despite some of the the common narratives. No one debates the breakthrough applications in AI at M13 we have been very active. It is also very clear that incumbents have massive data and distribution advantages which can make it challenging to find the right pockets to invest. AI is on its own hype cycle and as always the best teams (typically with contrarian takes) win. Very exciting times to be a venture investor.

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When we made the decision to leave the Bay Area at the end of 2019, the key enabler of our move was the the belief that Denver was on its way to becoming one of the next biggest tech ecosystems in the US. There are many data points that capture the growth, but this article brings together so many of the quantitative and qualitative reasons why I believe more strongly than ever that Denver is the next great tech hub in America. https://lnkd.in/gT5qWS-c

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“I'm 70% sure that we will get to the simulation point, which means I think there's a 70% chance we're living inside a simulation.” - Riz Virk If you are interested in the intersection of science fiction, philosophy, and reality, I highly recommend this interview with Riz Virk. Virk has thought deeply about simulation theory and does an excellent job explaining it in simple terms while including several important historical references from quantum physics, science fiction, and world religions to back up his theory. He explains that IF civilizations that are 50 or more years ahead of us already got to where we are now, they could have created a whole bunch of simulations. If you can't tell the difference whether you're in the real world or a simulated world, statistically speaking, it's more likely you're in a simulation than in the real world because there are likely so many more of them. #SimulationHypothesis #FrontierTech #RizVirk #PhilipKDick #AI #FutureTech #SciFiReality #SchrodingersCat #Multiverse #JohnWheeler #DavidDeutsch #ObserverEffect #Consiousness #digitalphysics #Maya #Rumi #Yogananda #Ignoretheconfusion

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His career started when someone said to him, “well, have you thought about venture capital? We don’t think that you’d be any good at it.” The rest is history. Today’s Alt Goes Mainstream episode features one of the legends of the venture capital industry. Peter Barris joined New Enterprise Associates (NEA) in 1992 after a storied operating career as President and COO at Legent Corporation and an executive at GE Information Services. He served as Managing General Partner and Chairman of NEA from 1999 to March 2024. Under Peter's leadership, NEA saw tremendous success, growing into one of the world's largest venture capital firms and raising the largest-ever venture capital fund a number of times. Today, NEA's AUM stands over $25B. Peter was responsible for investing in a number of foundational and industry-transforming technology companies, including Salesforce, UUNET, Groupon, WebMD, Workday, CareerBuilder, Tempus AI, and more. We had a fascinating discussion about the early days of venture capital and how the industry has evolved. We covered: * The inside story of how almost every other Partner said no but Peter's investment turned out to be a 75x return. * What's the “best characteristic and the death characteristic” of an entrepreneur? * In today's hypercompetitive market do VCs have enough time to make good decisions? * Why the world of venture capital is about influence. * What does it mean to earn an entrepreneur’s trust as a VC? * Why VCs with operating backgrounds can bring unique value to startups. * How NEA came up with the term "Venture Growth Equity." * How can a VC tell that a founder is good at experimentation and that they have the good judgment? * Why specialization and domain expertise are prerequisites in today’s venture industry. Thanks to Ultimus Fund Solutions for sponsoring this episode of the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast. Thanks Peter for coming on the show. It was an honor and a pleasure to hear your views on the evolution of an industry and for you to share your wisdom and experiences. https://lnkd.in/eEJGEFWe

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What do you do when a radical new technology puts your main product right in the crosshairs of disruption? Listen to David Okuniev — co-founder of Typeform | Ask awesomely — discuss the challenges of innovation within existing structures. David shared a game-changing insight: Radical innovation is really, really difficult to do inside your own product. He emphasized the need to break free from the constraints of familiarity and embrace change from outside the box. Henrik Werdelin and I have both seen our fair share of this in our respective careers. What struck us most was how David leveraged structure to overcome the innovator’s dilemma. By creating a culture of experimentation and providing space for bold ideas, he propelled Typeform beyond incremental improvements. What other hacks have you seen or employed to help your organization overcome the innovator’s dilemma? Share your stories below! 👇 And if you want to dive deeper into our conversation, click the link in the comments to catch the full podcast episode!

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If you're doing small scale bitcoin mining, and want to hitch a ride on a Maserati, this post if for you. It's also for you if you're interested in my research-based assessment of where I see the future of Bitcoin mining going. First, what do big bitcoin mining companies have that smaller ones usually lack? - access to capital markets,  - networks and  - bulk purchasing power and - process/technical innovation. But what do small bitcoin mining companies, that is scarcer for big companies?  - Geographically dispersed sites - local jurisdictional knowledge, - direct relationships with power providers,  - domain knowledge, eg: niche energy-harvesting applications So it makes sense to cooperate, as Marathon and Nodalpower recently discovered when they combined their relative strengths to move each company ahead in a way they could not have easily achieved alone. Each partnership like this also helps the whole Bitcoin ecosystem - get more geographically decentralized - Change its narrative around bitcoin and the environment (these projects are almost always renewable) Outside the bitcoin ecosystem, large companies normally thinks they can do it all themselves. In bitcoin tho, everyone thinks like a startup disrupter As such, larger Bitcoin mining companies cooperate with other large companies that another industry would deem a competitor; small companies that another industry would deem irrelevant. There are already many more of these collaborations in the wings, and its my mission to help more of these types of collaborations get off the ground. If you’re a small mining company, reach out, and I'll see if you could be solving some problems for a bigger player, while gaining access to some of their valuable resources. And well done again to NodalPower and MARA for providing a solid example of how this type of collaboration can work

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We can learn a lot about the "death of office" from the "death of retail." Remember that frenzy from about a decade ago? The rise of e-commerce was the Grim Reaper for retail... Of course retail faced challenges from e-commerce, but retail as a major real estate asset class didn't completely die out. The reality was a lot more nuanced: It turns out, there's still immense value in brick-and-mortar for brands insofar as providing showrooms or experiences to consumers. The "omni-channel" approach. Retail did not die, though it did evolve. (Look at this article!) I think the same story will ring true for office: Yes, we're oversupplied Class B office. Suburban office park real estate very well may have a better use as something else for the community. But what else are we seeing? A shortage of modern, premium Class A office properties. Like e-commerce forced retail to imagine itself, so too will hybrid work force the office to reimagine itself. Real estate is ultimately the use of space to create civilization and the economy, and right now—more than ever—the industry is being asked to be sociologists and philosophers about how we use that space. It's a challenging time, but it's also an exciting one. #realestate #office

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This analysis, at least anecdotally makes sense to me. In many situations, infringe and holdout is the least painful option for large infringers. The system enables it. - The plaintiff must allocate the time and $$ to assert, taking time and $$ away from selling and developing products. Even if they engage litigation financiers they are limiting their upside potential. - The infringer continues to infringe while employing stall tactics or simply relying on the painfully slow, overburdened legal system. - The cost benefit analysis for infringers - "infringe and pay lawyers" typically outweighs the cost of design around or license. - Enhanced damages and injunctions are rare. - Litigation insurance products reduce risk all around. "The Marcum report shows that there is indeed something wrong with the patent system in the United States but it’s not excessive litigation or patent trolls. The real problem is the inability of patent owners to enforce their rights against infringers. Given the difficulty of obtaining injunctive relief and the limited enhancement of damages, it is unsurprising that predatory infringement has become a standard business practice when, at worst, all an infringer can be expected to pay is a reasonable royalty and, at best, nothing at all."

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