Layla Alexander

seed investor @fcubedvc | prev. @goldmansachs @harlemcapital @google | @columbia alum

[ruby justice thelot @being_on_line]

This obsession with productivity is notably American.

Tocqueville writes about this in Ch. 13. (1840)

"It is strange to see with what feverish ardor the Americans pursue their own welfare; and to watch the vague dread that constantly torments them lest they should not have chosen the shortest path which may lead to it."

I would add to this now that this applies to a narrow sub-segment of the American population.

The list of things people want to automate is short. Taxes and other admin tasks. Looking for a restaurant is fun! Shopping is fun! TJ Maxx has a phrase for the feeling of joy their shoppers get when they discover an amazing item: THE THRILL OF THE FIND

(Their stores are engineered to engender the thrill of the find)

[Willem @vanlancker]

Chatgpt memes like “roast me” “Create a CIA report” Ghibli filter, etc. feel very familiar… a throwback to Buzzfeed quizzes, Facebook personality tests.

Super intelligence or not, we just want to have fun and see ourselves in new ways .

[Chris Paik @cpaik]

Love this. Oddly enough, I think studying human information coordination from an organizational design perspective will lead to huge insights on agentic management. Things like "span of control" is a likely indicator that ~8 IC agents can roll up context to 1 manager agent, etc.

[Layla Alexander @layla__alex]

@loriberenberg emailed you!

[Layla Alexander @layla__alex]

@zehranaqvi @amankabeer @sesanaallen @marklxu1 @vaneezehs @besartcopa 😌🫶🏾

[Nicole DeTommaso 🪄 @nic_detommaso]

Getting to an A is harder now than it has been in 5+ years.

At the peak, Series A graduation rate was 37%. Now it's 12%.

Keep pushing. The best still make it through 🙌

[Layla Alexander @layla__alex]

@zehranaqvi @AllRaise hi :)

[Alex Heath @alexeheath]

🚨 Reddit IPO is here! S-1 just dropped. 🚨

$800m in rev last year with a net loss of $90.8m.

500m site visitors in Dec with 73m DAUs.

Also pulling a Robinhood by inviting power users (mods, those with high karma) to invest in the IPO...

https://t.co/Tt6zcFBZIe

[Rex Woodbury @rex_woodbury]

The Huberman-ization of America:

In 2020, Andrew Huberman was a little-known Stanford neuroscience professor. Fast forward a few years, and Huberman is a bona fide celebrity and one of the biggest podcasters in the world.

Huberman launched his Huberman Lab podcast in 2021. In episodes often reaching three hours in length, Huberman Lab digs into various health-related subjects. How does ketamine impact the brain? What are the effects of caffeine on our bodies? What’s the science behind hair loss and regrowth?

Last year, Huberman Lab was the 3rd most-popular podcast on Spotify. On Apple Podcasts, the podcast is the 7th most-popular, but ranks as the #1 most-followed and #4 most-shared.

Huberman’s rise is emblematic of a broader mega-shift: society’s growing emphasis on health. We care a lot more about our bodies & brains—and consequently, we’re willing to *spend* a lot more to make sure they’re in good shape.

I’d break this shift into three sub-categories:

1) PERFORMANCE

There's been a rise is performance-oriented startups. These typically include some combination of diagnostics, coaching, and supplements. Compound in Australia, for instance, or Function Health in the US. New-age GNCs are also popping up, like the e-comm retailer The Feed.

A big trend is increasing *personalization*: people are willing to pay for customized products & services. We see that here. The challenge will be market saturation & deteriorating unit economics. "DEXA Scan" & "lipoprotein" have entered the lexicon, but how many people are willing to shell out $500 for these offerings?

2) AESTHETIC

"The selfie thesis" holds that any product or service that makes you look better in a selfie is probably well-positioned in today's world.

We see this in skincare, a $150B market growing 7% YoY. Companies like GetHarley offer telehealth derm consultations, while tacking on a lucrative e-comm business to derm practices. We see this in med spas, a $15B US market growing 10% YoY. Companies like Moxie (vertical SaaS for med spas) & Persimmon (Botox at-home treatment) are riding this wave.

In an increasingly visual world, aesthetic-focused health startups aren’t going anywhere.

3) HEALTH

Health relates to Performance & Aesthetic, but it’s broader: it’s the category encompassing people who…well, people who want to be healthy. We’re paying more attention to our sleep, to our heart rate, to our blood sugar level.

Consumer hardware is the foundational layer: your ŌURA or WHOOP or Eight Sleep. Health is Apple Watch's killer feature.

And spaces like GLP-1s are skyrocketing, powered by companies like Nourish & Ro. Given that 40% of the world’s population is overweight or obese, there’s a lot of room for growth here. A recent KFF poll found that nearly half of adults (45%) say they would be interested in taking a safe and effective prescription weight loss drug. For perspective, Humira is the bestselling prescription drug of all time and is administered to 300,000 Americans each year (less than 1% of the population).

Broadly, health is becoming more measurable, more accessible, & more affordable.

--

There are a few groups willing to spend on health: insurers; employers; consumers. Each group will see increased spend this decade.

The companies that endure will find a way to nail B2B2C distribution through employers & payers, rather than relying on DTC.

[Partech @PartechPartners]

The news is out! 🗞️Our Africa Report 2023 is live, and it is nothing short of insightful, informative and extremely interesting! 🤩

The African Tech ecosystem raised a total of $3.5B, in line with the global VC downturn. 💸

Read the full report here: https://t.co/QJfEa0BylG

[Jillian Williams @Jillwillnyc]

Excited to finally unveil the updated Unicorn 🦄analysis from team @CowboyVC. Decade later SO much has changed - love the explosion of growth in fintech, ent Saas and VSaaS. Excited to back the next wave of generational founders across these sectors! https://t.co/6Tid46vX0G

[Layla Alexander @layla__alex]

@zehranaqvi @brettperl @marcthesharka @skbjml @N_Sportelli @marklxu1 @stephksong @katiekirsch 🫶🏾🫶🏾

[zehra @zehranaqvi]

If you’re an investor or founder who

1. likes basketball
2. likes concerts

interact with this tweet or dm me!

took 26 amazing builders & investors to two brooklyn nets games and a doja cat / ice spice concert across 3 nights this week ✨🧿

we love curated small events 🫶🏽

[Layla Alexander @layla__alex]

spent an incredible two days surrounded by powerhouse female founders & executives last week at the 3rd annual @fcubedvc #CampFFF. constantly blown away by what my team can accomplish + feeling so lucky to work with such phenomenal women! 🫶🏾

[Glamour @glamourmag]

The transformative two-day event celebrated the empowerment of women in business and beyond, with inspiring talks by iconic figures like @BrookeShields and @TaranaBurke, alongside a stellar lineup of successful female founders. @fcubedvc https://t.co/xApqGEpYHD

[Layla Alexander @layla__alex]

Cyberpunk (2023)

[Smoke-away @SmokeAwayyy]

I'm ready to upgrade my legs...

What's the first body part you're upgrading when the tech is good/affordable enough?

[Layla Alexander @layla__alex]

@zehranaqvi @joinrepublic time for us to schedule this overdue coffee

[Gaby Goldberg @gaby_goldberg]

summoning circle, hope this works

🕯
🕯 🕯
🕯 nyc 🕯

🕯 marathon   🕯

🕯 lottery 🕯
🕯 🕯
🕯

[Layla Alexander @layla__alex]

learning about all things creator economy tonight with @getvolv + @joinrepublic 🌟

[Layla Alexander @layla__alex]

Ticketmaster fits in somewhere here too - would be curious to see what buying beyoncé tickets in 2007-2010 was like v. now

[Layla Alexander @layla__alex]

can’t QT but between competitive food culture + @everydayppl tickets selling out in minutes this past summer it really feels like we’re in a spontaneity crisis !