Anna-Katrina Shedletsky

Launching a hardware product (and product development in general) isn't a "one size fits all" type of venture. Important decisions or directions, will impact the success of your company. One of these questions will be: should I hire a full, multi-disciplinary team in-house... or partner with outsourced engineering/product development firms? My (biased) take: Outsourcing offers more scalability and typically more flexibility compared to hiring which can be lengthy, cumbersome and more expensive in "hidden structural costs" (you have to take into account sourcing/hiring/onboarding time, benefits, cost of terminating if needed). As you all know: the clock is ticking when it comes to launching a hardware product. Outsourced engineering can yield great results in "flexing muscles where needed" to meet aggressive timelines and to "do it right the first time" as you're (supposedly) taping into a pool of experts who have brought many different products to market. The real beauty, though... is that You can do BOTH! You don't actually have to pick one vs the other. Not everything has to be done internally. Focus on the core IP/differentiator while some of the more traditional, detailed design is handed off to a team of capable folks who will gladly be helping in sprint mode (and fade away when the product hits the shelves). #Outsourcing #ProductDevelopment #ProductLaunch

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It was very fun to develop this AI judge for Climatech's Great Global Innovation Challenge and see it in action. Research has demonstrated that "Data-driven initiatives have been shown to help VC firms reduce gender bias and make better, fairer investment decisions" (https://lnkd.in/g2afQDnv / https://lnkd.in/gDnf4att). Additionally, "Machine learning models have already been proven to outperform human investors in deal screening" (https://lnkd.in/g2afQDnv / https://lnkd.in/gwGAmbET), helping to identify high-potential startups more effectively. By incorporating AI into our evaluation process, we aimed to ensure a more equitable and objective selection of startups. Thanks Tod Hynes Daniela G. Alejandro Sevilla Russ W. ClimaTech Live for the great collaboration. #climate #AI #climatechange #startups #startupcompetition

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Autonomous Vehicle (AV) funding is surging, according to PitchBook with Q2 2024 seeing $2.9 billion invested in AV startups - the highest since Q3 2021. While self-driving cars grab headlines, innovative startups are finding unique applications beyond passenger vehicles. Key developments: - Supply chain optimization: Outrider is revolutionizing yard operations with autonomous electric vehicles, addressing a $60 billion market. - Specialized transport: Pyka's autonomous planes for cargo and Gatik's local distribution trucks are gaining traction. - Safety & efficiency: Evitado Technologies automates airside operations, mitigating airport collision risks. Of course, more established companies such as Lyft & Uber are working on AV rideshare integration via partnerships with Waymo, BYD, Zoox, and others. The AV sector is focusing on gradual integration and specific use cases. While concerns about job displacement exist, proponents argue that automation could shift human capital to higher-value roles. What those roles are remains to be seen. As the AV landscape evolves, it's clear that the future of transportation extends far beyond just self-driving cars on city streets. Check out the full article by Nadine Manske here: https://lnkd.in/g3HJXZHc? And access the PitchBook Mobility Tech Report here: https://lnkd.in/g4_xP5pr #VentureCapital #AutonomousDriving #FrontierTech #FutureMobility

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For NY Tech Week we'll be demo-ing Substrate at the South Park Commons Science Faire on Thursday: https://lnkd.in/e5JwDKKX There are so many incubator-shaped things out there these days, but there's nothing quite like SPC. It's like a chill, small-batch, locally-sourced alternative to YC, where you can either hang out as a member forever - or choose the VC-funded adventure. The -1 to 0 phase [0] they talk about at SPC is real, and it made a real difference for us to have a home at SPC. It takes a lot to quit your job and do something new, especially when it isn't entirely clear what you're doing. (1) Do it – take the leap! and (2) consider joining SPC. Though the core vision has remained the same, many of the important turns in our squiggle at Substrate (including the graph framework) came from those early days at SPC. If you're here for tech week and can't catch us at SPC on Thursday, DM me if you want to meet up! [0] https://lnkd.in/e6KEMr9V

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