For years, I’d been encouraging entrepreneurs to take vacations from their business—for sanity, but also to create the systems needed so they can take a vacation from their business—and I’d seen a lot of vacation photos.
~Mike Michalowicz
Unexpected Articles from this Week
The Codex Atlanticus, a collection of Leonardo da Vinci’s drawings and writings, is a great challenge for scholars and researchers. A research team coordinated by Professor Lucia Toniolo of the Politecnico di Milano conducted a study to understand the origins of black stains that appeared on the modern passepartout that binds the original folios. Through a series of non-invasive and micro-invasive analysis techniques, the team identified the presence of starch glue, vinyl glue, and round inorganic nano-particles, which were associated with the addition of an anti-vegetative salt in the glue mixture used in the restoration process, as well as air pollution and additives used in the glue. Read more here.
AutoGPT is the latest innovation to come out of OpenAI’s API and it is gaining attention from hustlers and get-rich-quick schemers. It is designed to automate tasks that would have traditionally needed back-and-forth prompting from GPT-4, and it is being used for things like stock analysis and podcast creation. It requires some programming skills to use and it is still in its early stages. However, it is being praised for its ability to automate processes and help users maximize their output. Read more here.
The medtech industry is facing a downturn in VC funding due to the competitive nature of the tech industry shifting to AI projects and other macro-level trends. Medtech companies should look for alternative sources of funding and focus their efforts on projects that address common pain points in healthcare or utilize technological infrastructure from other industries to create innovative healthcare solutions. Despite the current situation, there are still opportunities for medtech entrepreneurs to stand out and make a positive impact in healthcare. Read more here.
Despite most housing analysts’ predictions of a national home price decline for 2023, the U.S. housing market has so far continued to show signs of stabilization, with home price increases reported in some ZIP codes. This is largely attributed to improved housing affordability due to lower mortgage rates, and a lack of homes for sale coupled with the market entering its busier spring period. However, the housing market is still quite divided, with some areas experiencing booming house prices while others are still going through a home price correction. Read more here.
What I am reading
•Graham & Dodd Annual Breakfast 2022 (Article)
•Should Your Portfolio Protection Work Fast or Slow? (Article)
•The Dictator’s Handbook (Book)
•The Star Principle (Book)
If you are looking for an investment in your startup, please tell me about your project.
As always – I would enjoy hearing from you (what you found interesting, the format of this email, notes from your own explorations, etc.), feel free to just respond to this email.
Until next week,
Ian Eliason