TikTok’s AI-powered Creative Assistant is now available in Adobe Express, Interactive Google Meet ‘Companion Mode’ rolls out to Android and iOS

Top News

TikTok’s AI-powered Creative Assistant is now available directly within Adobe Express, which will help businesses and creators create and market content more effectively. - Link

Google rolls out its Companion Mode to the Meet app on Android and iOS, letting users check-in, share emoji reaction and raise their hand. - Link

Salesforce co-CEO Bret Taylor is starting a new AI company called Sierra, which helps customers get answers and complete tasks automatically. - Link

Memorizer, a movie and book-tracking app that also helps users find inspiration, has attracted 700K monthly active users, with 50% continuing to use the app after three months. - Link

Shopify reports Q4 revenue up 24% YoY to $2.1B, above $2.08B est., and Gross Merchandise Volume up 23% YoY to $75.1B, above $71.6B est.; SHOP drops 10%+. - Link

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Advice of the Day

The RAPID Decision-Making Framework

The RAPID decision-making model, developed by Bain Consulting, facilitates informed decision-making when a team is too large for effective communication or consensus cannot be reached quickly. Here are the steps:

1. Issue Identification: The person identifying the issue (R - Recommend) writes down the issue, solution, and lists the people required for decision-making.

2. Roles in RAPID:

   1. R (Recommend): The individual proposing the issue and solution.

   2. A (Agree): Key colleagues whose agreement is crucial.

   3. P (Perform): Those who will implement the decision.

   4. I (Input): Individuals whose input is valuable.

   5. D (Decide): The final decision-maker.

3. Soliciting Input: The R reaches out to As, Ps, and Is for their input, which is compiled for D to review.

4. Decision Meeting: Organized by the R, involving all other roles. D reviews the document, asks questions, and seeks written responses if necessary. The D then decides.

5. Documentation and Communication: The decision and next actions (each with a directly responsible individual and due date) are documented and published to the company.

6. Tracking and Feedback:

   1. A tracking sheet is recommended to monitor ongoing RAPIDs, noting responsible Rs and Ds, decision meeting dates, and completion of actions.

   2. A separate document for feedback on the RAPID process helps refine and improve it over time.

This method ensures structured, efficient decision-making with input from relevant parties to create effective and timely resolutions in complex team environments. - Link

Startup Demo of the Day:

Superlist is an organizational app that lets users create to-do lists, capture thoughts or detailed notes, and assign tasks to teammates. The app integrates with existing workflows, making it user-friendly for teams and individuals.

Founder University is a 12-week pre-accelerator program run by Jason/LAUNCH for builder founders. We're investing $25k in 20-30 companies from Cohort 7. Apply at founder.university/letsbuild.

This Week in Startups

E1896: Brian Singerman of Founders Fund discusses strategic adaptation in venture capital, emphasizing the significance of founder dynamics and investment strategies while reflecting on personal and industry-wide challenges and insights. - Watch

E1895: David Weisburd, Grady Buchanan, Victor Gutwein, and Jason discuss dry powder levels, cash management by GPs, adjustments in investment pace, the importance of GP selection for LPs, VC firm ratings, the impact of relationships within the VC ecosystem, and strategies for performing due diligence on funds and assessing VC returns. The conversation concludes with a rapid-fire segment on the guests' top recent investments. - Watch

E1894: Sunny Madra and Jason go through AI demos, starting with Hume AI, a toolkit for improving technology's emotional impact on humans. They also discuss Eleven Labs ChatGPT and AI's ongoing evolution and application across different sectors. - Watch

E1893: Jason, Alexis Ohanian of Reddit and Ron Biscardi of iConnections, discuss Reddit's history, potential IPO, and insights into venture capital and the future of iConnections. Alexis shares his experiences and advice for startups, while Ron talks about market dynamics and globalization in VC, emphasizing the importance of relationships with LPs and GPs. - Watch

E1892: Eric Migicovsky, from Beeper, discusses the company's mission to provide a universal chat app, challenges with Apple's iMessage ecosystem, and his vision for open messaging protocols. The episode highlights Beeper Mini's release and blockage by Apple, Migicovsky's experiences with platform restrictions, and speculation on future tech development. - Watch

This Week in Startups Paid Partnerships

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