Hi there, 
 

When I hear the words "It’s like working in a startup in a X0,000 person company," my reaction is 😂. This comment is almost always made by folks who really have no idea what a startup is like. (RIP my inbox.)

This brings me to a great essay recently penned by Noam Bardin entitled, “Why did I leave Google or, why did I stay so long?” (see The Blurb at the bottom of this NL for the link to his post).

Noam sold Waze (an awesome app btw) to Google for $1B in June 2013. He stayed for 7+ years before recently leaving. This is highly atypical. His post highlights the opportunities & challenges of building a startup in a big co. 

More on this below…

But first. ICYMI, we released a new tech trends report.  

Yes — we’ve heard remote work and telehealth are going to be big cuz of the pandemic. Blah blah blah. 

This report digs into under-the-radar technology trends.  

Using the CB Insights platform, we looked at a variety of signals ranging from patents, to investment activity, to executive chatter in earnings transcripts, to media mentions, and more to identify the top 12 tech trends to watch in 2021, including: 

• The race for post-quantum cryptography standards, as quantum computers become more powerful than ever
• The legalization of magic mushrooms, as regulations around psychedelic medicine relax

• The growth of exclusivity social networks as well as the moderation problems they'll have

• The emergence of a virtual universe that goes beyond selling digital goods to enabling full immersion

But wait, there’s more — download the full pdf for free here.

If you wanna chat about any of these trends, we’ll be hosting a live discussion as well. Submit your Qs here and sign up here.

Work it harder, make it better

Some of the biggest problems we face today include the climate change crisis, gaps in healthcare and education, and dwindling privacy, among others.

Here’s tech that could actually make the world a better place.

Do it faster, makes us stronger

For years, construction operators have been encumbered by legacy systems, high switching costs, and limited access to capital. 

But a digital overhaul is presenting new opportunities to transform the sector. From digital reporting to 3D modeling, check out 120+ companies digitizing the construction industry here.

Startup in a big co (continued)

Back to Noam’s post.  

First, it’s worth highlighting how much success he and the Waze team had at Google and that Google did a ton right in this acquisition.  

And it still was difficult. 

This part of his essay where he compares building out a startup in a big co to western brands entering China is particularly salient.

Noam actually spoke at a CB Insights event in 2018 on the topic of how not to mess up M&A. It’s worth a watch. While you’re there, be sure to smash the subscribe button on CBI’s YouTube channel and get us to 10K subscribers (we’re at 9,710).

Give life back to insurance

CB Insights Tech Market: Digitizing P&C Insurance (May 13-14) introduces heads of underwriting, claims, customer engagement, and other key business segments to leading tech companies that will help insurers modernize their businesses.
 

We’re doing this by having 25 innovative companies give rapid-fire demos showing how their tech solutions can drive cost savings, speed, and customer satisfaction.
 

Each demo will be enhanced with CB Insights market intelligence (think funding data, news signals, patents, & competition), and after each demo, you’ll have the chance to virtually meet with the company exec that presented.
 

Register today.

Modern Retail. Michael Waters (@michaelwwaters) discusses Amazon’s investments with CB Insights senior director Robin Sherk and references CBI research.

Becker’s Health IT. Jackie Drees (@JDrees_Beckers) outlines healthcare tech trends from the CB Insights Game-Changing Tech 2021 report. 

CO—. Barbara Thau (@bthau) digs into Noom’s rise and cites CB Insights research.

P.S. We’re looking for a VP of enablement to help us scale to $200M+. Sound like you? We’d love to chat.

The Blurb

Startup magic. Former Waze CEO Noam Bardin breaks down why he left Google and the difficulties of trying to maintain “startup magic” within a corporation.

PayGo

Merging right. Noam Bardin discusses “how not to screw up an M&A” at a CBI event in 2018.

YouTube 

Sass-as-a-Service. A cloud computing billing expert has gained a following online for his humorous takes on AWS. 

NYT

App heard round the world. Clubhouse is taking off in countries like Japan, India, and Nigeria.

Rest of World