Friends
Discovering the Meaning, Value, and Impact of Friendship on our Well-being.
Summary
Met with great entrepreneurs and an exceptional investor focused on efficiency and automation
Featured companies: Rentle.io, Silo Team, Hello Inside
Reading "Friends: Understanding the Power of our Most Important Relationships" by Robin Dunbar and shared newfound knowledge with family.
Source of motivation
“Anything is possible if you try.”
Startup Discovery Digest
Last week, I had the pleasure of meeting some great entrepreneurs. Each day, I wake up wondering what new adventure awaits me. Conversations with entrepreneurs feel like mini training sessions. By asking the right questions, I am able to learn something unique from each company.
During this time, I also had the opportunity to meet an exceptional investor named Yohei Nakajima. He is focused on efficiency and automation and shared how he accelerates his work with artificial intelligence. Since the summer of 2022, there have been significant developments in AI/ML, which is both thrilling and concerning. I believe we have reached a turning point, and in two years' time, nothing will be the same. Unfortunately, most people are not aware of this or do not seem to care about it. It makes me a little scared.
Rentle.io is a Finnish startup. In recent years, consumers have increasingly preferred renting over buying. The venture provides an easy-to-manage platform for those who rent all kinds of products.
Silo Team As it is difficult to find software developers, it is both challenging to get them to work in the company and to adapt to their work as soon as possible. "Silo Team" solves this with the platform they have developed.
Hello Inside The topic of healthy living and longevity has become even more popular after COVID-19. With the rapid development of technology, it has become easier to monitor not only heart rate but also glucose levels using continuous glucose monitoring technology. While it is estimated that Apple will be able to offer this technology in its watches in 3-4 years, Hello Inside already offers it to women and health enthusiasts through the software they have developed.
The Weekly Read
One of the last books I read was "Friends: Understanding the Power of our Most Important Relationships" by Robin Dunbar. I picked it up on the recommendation of a friend, not expecting much. As someone with very few friends, the topic of friendship has always been on my mind. While my wife easily maintains friendships from her primary school days and remains close with her friends, I often wondered if I was the problem.
Robin Dunbar's book, however, presented scientific articles and studies on the topic of friendship. Although there are ongoing debates surrounding the Dunbar number, the book provides insight on how men and women view and approach friendship differently. It also delves into how people build trust within a community and maintain relationships, and even touches on the role of hormones in this subject.
After reading the book, I shared my newfound knowledge with my wife. However, my family still thinks the issue lies with me, despite the scientific evidence presented in the book. If you're interested, you can watch a conversation with Robin Dunbar about his book or access the audiobook.
I have now moved on to reading and completed "The Key Man: How the Global Elite Was Duped by a Capitalist Fairy Tale" by Simon Clark and Will Louch, and will share my thoughts on it next week. In the meantime, I am currently listening to "Superintelligence: Paths, Dangers, Strategies" by Nick Bostrom during my daily walks.
What I'm Reading?
Finding Language/Market Fit: How to Make Customers Feel Like You’ve Read Their Minds
The New Gatekeepers - Benedict Evans
Visual Analytics
The Hardest Round to Raise in 2023 - This Analysis is from Tomasz Tunguz.
