Thursdays at Abnormal Returns are all about startup and venture capital links. You can check out last week’s links including a look at a couple of failed unicorns.
Quote of the Day
"Where we work and the nature of our work greatly impacts our life satisfaction. We owe it to ourselves to find a startup that aligns with our values and will enable us to produce our best work."
(Sarah E. Brown)
Chart of the Day

Acquiring talent is at the top of the list of challenges for startups these days.
Founders
- Why board feedback is crucial to a startup CEO. (avc.com)
- Co-founder conflict is inevitable. (avc.com)
- Evidence that entrepreneurs who go into the same industry as their fathers have a leg up. (papers.ssrn.com)
Venture
- USV Manager Bootcamp is an example of how larger VCs can benefit their portfolio companies. (usv.com)
- Only 2% of venture capital in 2017 went into female-led companies. (fortune.com)
- The new tax law makes "Opportunity Zones" an intriguing opportunity for VCs. (nytimes.com)
Companies
- Softbank's Vision Fund is investing $300 million in Wag. (nytimes.com)
- There is a lot of room (and need) for innovation in agriculture under changing climate conditions. (hunterwalk.com)
- WeWork and SoFi have struck a deal to offer discounts to members on student loans. (tearsheet.co)
- Goldman Sachs ($GS) invested in pea protein startup Ripple Foods. (bloomberg.com)
Strategy
- Why startups should want a "a low-volume, high-conviction, high-support investor" in their corner. (avc.com)
- A few things that differentiate successful SaaS companies from the also-rans. (saastr.com)
- Before you join a startup as one of the first 20 employees, read this first. (firstround.com)
- There is a big difference between a legal problem and a strategy problem. (thinkgrowth.org)
- It isn't easy but here are some ways to beat Amazon ($AMZN). (collaborativefund.com)