As we wrap up a transformative year, we’re thrilled to share the articles that resonated with you the most in 2023. This year the topics that garnered the most excitement were: AI, Developer and Data Tools, and Founder Advice (both strategic and tactical). Below you will find some of your favorite reads of the year. Make sure to catch up on any that you missed

Artificial Intelligence

Generative AI Eight Months After the Launch of ChatGPT—Current Landscape, the Trajectory Forward, and Implications for the Enterprise by Debjit Mukerji and Ching-Yu Hu

“Developing a Gen AI strategy has become table stakes. Most enterprises are beginning to view it not just as a matter of competitive advantage but survival.”

 

Mimicking Humans: Using AI to Build a Better Workplace Search by Gaurav Kotak and Tariq Rauf

“There’s a much broader shift happening. With AI—we’re going from essentially inorganic software to organic software.” -Tariq Rauf

 

Relevant but Wrong: Using AI to Create Trick Questions by Gaurav Kotak, Jeroen Minnaert, and Bram De Geyter

“This is really our first step of getting AI into our product but in a responsible way. We don’t just want to bring AI for the sake of bringing AI. We want to really align it with the use cases that our customers are choosing Showpad for.” -Jeroen Minnaert

 

Developer and Data Tools

Platform Engineering: DevOps Rebrand or a Meaningful Step Forward? by Kate Reznykova and Colton Dempsey

“Platform Engineering done right means providing the ‘golden path’ to production for developers.”

 

Did HashiCorp Put the Final Nail in the Open Source Coffin? by T.J. Rylander and Kate Reznykova

“What’s the point of open source at all? Well, it comes down to the initial distribution advantage: users, especially individual developers, want easy adoption. And open source licenses deliver this free use and the potential for independent deployment and enhancement that many developers care about.”

 

The Data Orchestration Landscape and the Commercial Successor to Airflow by Colton Dempsey and Kate Reznykova

“Reliability is important. The right data orchestrator will build workflows that don’t break easily and fail gracefully.”

 

Strategic Advice for Founders

Tying Two Rocks Together: Why Venture-backed Startups Should Exercise Caution When Considering Acquisitions by Lak Ananth

“In a down cycle, the smart move for stronger, well-funded startups is to resist the temptation to acquire distressed venture-backed companies and instead focus on growing organically.”

 

Breaking Bad News: A Founder’s Guide by Lak Ananth and William Smith 

“Communicating bad news well requires delivering the message clearly and in a way that instills confidence, maintains trust, and gets you the help you need.”

 

Which Curve Are We On? [A User’s Guide To VC Meetings] by T.J. Rylander

“Our prize as investors is the chance to work with a relatively small number of great teams—often for many years. And to do that, we need to make quick decisions about the vast majority of the companies we meet with; applying our accumulated judgment while always leaving room for early misreads (we all have bad days).”

 

Tactical Advice for Founders

Covering Bases—The Buying Influences by Wikings Machado, Tomás Klausing, and Igor Marinelli

“As startups strive to move upmarket and convert enterprise customers, understanding buying influences is essential, as each person plays a pivotal role in the decision-making process.”

 

Your First Board (Part 1): Building a Foundation for Success by Lak Ananth and William Smith 

“A good board can be the catalyst that will spark your startup’s long-term success while providing you with the advice and connections you need to grow as a founder.”

 

The Power of Precision—Crafting Your Ideal Customer Profile by Wikings Machado, Greg Bruggeman, and Paul Williamson

“The best way to set yourself up for GTM success is through your ICP, but a lot can go wrong during your refining process.”

 

Conclusion

Thank you for being a part of our community. This has been a year full of deep insights and powerful personal stories. We’re looking forward to the stories that await us in 2024!