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At ukbusinessupdates.com, we love being a channel for everything happening in the startup ecosystem. There have been a lot of layoffs this year, and we had to think, how can we help those who are struggling back into the saddle? Our events team had a great idea: if you’re fired, we’re offering a free Expo Pass to ukbusinessupdates.com Disrupt, with no strings attached. Drop by, stay up to date on what’s happening in startup land and say hello to some of the ukbusinessupdates.com crews. We’ll see you there! — Christine and hi
The ukbusinessupdates.com Top 3
- Arma get out of here: NASA successfully smashed a satellite into an asteroid, darrell reports. cool cool. Don’t worry, this is just in case real life tries to imitate “Armageddon” or “Deep Impact”.
- Something else you need to clean: Flatfile estimates that data scientists spend most of their work time cleaning data, i.e. preparing it for use in predictive analytics. It cost $50 million for his approach to automate this dirty task, Kylea reports.
- Here is my recruiting link: Ingrid reports that Calendly, the $3 billion scheduling startup, is stepping into the recruiting game with the acquisition of Prelude, a startup that automates job recruitment scheduling.
Startups and VC
If you’re reading this, you almost certainly have a complicated relationship with screens. With each passing year they grow bigger and more present in our lives, Brian writes. Meanwhile, we continue to embrace technology while bemoaning the grip it has on our lives. The Freewrite Alpha boldly asks: Can a small screen be too small?
We last profiled Cake in April, when the line of lubricants, condoms, toys and sexual hygiene products made its debut at Target. The company now has five products in retail locations, as well as Amazon, Thrive Marketplace, and UrbanOutfitters.com. Christine reports that the company’s well-oiled expansion continues this week, with placement in some major retailers, including new space in CVS stores, as it announces $8 million in new Series A financing.
A few more from across the ukbusinessupdates.com galaxy:
What can the dotcom crash in 2000 teach us about the tech downturn of 2022?
Image Credits: BobRiha Jr. (Opens in a new window) / Getty Images
Many entrepreneurs have been encouraged to believe that smooth storytelling and good interpersonal skills are enough to convince investors that things are going according to plan. They are wrong.
Rather than instinctively go into survival mode, M13 partner Anna Barber says founders should ask themselves existential questions, such as, “Why did you start this company? What are the foundations? Who are your customers? What problem are you solving?” ”
“At a time like this, trust is more important than ever,” she said, adding that she instructs entrepreneurs to stay in close contact, “especially with bad news.”
Before problems arise and between regularly scheduled meetings, entrepreneurs should become familiar with asking for help and advice. Reaching out to share an update or ask questions sends a strong signal that you don’t wait for someone to give you directions.
‘Tell them what you need. This is what we’re here for: to roll up our sleeves and solve problems with you. Nobody expects this to go smoothly,” Barber said.
Three more from the TC+ team:
ukbusinessupdates.com+ is our membership program that helps founders and startup teams stay ahead of the curve. You can register here. Use code “DC” for a 15% discount on an annual subscription!
Big Tech Inc.
Who would have thought that a Roomba would be so necessary to both vacuum and mop? Duh, iRobot did it, and Brian has the skinny on why it exists.
People are unhappy with the state of Instagram these days and the OG app is out to bring Instagram back to its glory days with features like realigning the feed to the user’s choice and being ad-free, Ivan reports.
And we have five more for you:
