Mike Blank

@ConnectVentures

[Melanie Uno @melanie_uno]

After a brief hiatus, the ICONS Communities + Podcast is back with one of the most iconic consumer investors, @Nik_Quinn

The celebrity brand whisperer & top consumer VC

Venture Partner at @lightspeedvp, now founder of @ConnectVentures

Her superpower: winning celebrities over and identifying consumer AI unicorns

We break down:
• The 4 hidden signals she looks for in billion-dollar brands
• What actually makes founders win
• How AI is reshaping consumer products
• Motherhood & how it changed her approach

Full episode here
https://t.co/sMJuz3yoNB

[Mike Blank @mblank]

Hey @natsturner - this card is on eBay at $2k with 5 days left, but as someone who has collected him for 30+ years, think you got this auto wrong. Lots of inconsistencies, even given the variance and style changes over the years. Especially the bottom part of the ‘T’ and ‘G’pp

[Nicole Quinn @Nik_Quinn]

Most products fight for 5 minutes of consumer attention. 📱

Sekai customers are spending well over an HOUR/day creating AI apps…. and 15 million apps have been created since they launched 5 months ago.

That's the signal we hunt for at @ConnectVentures. Thrilled to co-lead the Series A with Khosla. The future of joy. 🚀

h/t @kerrymflynn / Axios

[Mike Blank @mblank]

Dear @Fanatics - I’m once again asking you to create special draft day / day 1 fan patches for jerseys purchased of draft picks within 24 of the @nfl draft. Give super fans something to brag about.

[Mike Blank @mblank]

Dear @Fanatics @michaelrubin @alowahkeen - Please add special 'Day 1' Draft patches to all jerseys purchased on Fanatics within 24 hours of the @NFL Draft for new draft picks. Then release the print run (a la @Topps Now), and let fans show off as the "first fans" of a new player

[Mike Blank @mblank]

👏👏👏

[Nicole Quinn @Nik_Quinn]

This analysis on VC returns is missing the most important fact.

Yes, VC returns underperformed on a 2, 5 and 10 year view. They outperformed on a 15, 20, 25 and 30 year view. What’s the difference?

Innovation.

We had the internet wave 1993-2001
We had the cloud wave 2006-2014
We had the mobile wave 2007-2014
We had no commercial innovation for a decade so why are we surprised the returns were lower?
We have the AI wave now.

This will be the biggest value creation of any wave in history.

Love you @danprimack but VC didn’t underperform, innovation did. Now it’s back so I would not be underweight venture.

[Mike Blank @mblank]

Very well said by @Nik_Quinn

[Nicole Quinn @Nik_Quinn]

1/ The pullback in software is real.

Capital is rotating.

And it’s flowing to Consumer + AI.

After speaking with 20 public market investors this week, the message was consistent — and blunt.

[Mike Blank @mblank]

Finally land my first SSP @PSAcard Magazine cover and it looks like USPS ran over it before delivering it (another first as the are usually pristine). Anything to do @natsturner ?

[Mike Blank @mblank]

Dear @Fanatics @michaelrubin @alowahkeen - Please add special 'Day 1' Draft patches to all jerseys purchased on Fanatics within 24 hours of the @NFL Draft for new draft picks. Then release the print run (a la @Topps Now), and let fans show off as the "first fans" of a new player

[Mike Blank @mblank]

@MattStrahm @Topps @TheCardLifeTV 1/1 Flagship rookie black printing plate

[Mike Blank @mblank]

@MLB @HTTYDragon Toothless bat >>> pencil bat

[Mike Blank @mblank]

Toothless bat >>> Pencil bat

[MLB @MLB]

Want Bryce Harper’s autographed How To Train Your Dragon bat that he used in the commercial? 👀

Repost and reply for a chance to win it!

[Mike Blank @mblank]

@PootPoot Amazing art! Are they autographed by you, the mascots, or both? Kind of unclear in the listing. Thanks!

[Mike Blank @mblank]

@rogerclemens What if you just can’t use the Golden AB on a player that has already batted that inning? Seems reasonable

[Mike Blank @mblank]

@BlueJays @XboxCanada @Xbox @MLB @XboxGamePass @xboxuk @XboxFR @XboxWire @XboxGamePassPC @MLBGaming @MLBTheShow 🤘😍🤘

[Mike Blank @mblank]

@PadresSimp Anyone that wants to wear #21 for Roberto Clemente Day was allowed to do so, but their names are not on the jersey.

[Mike Blank @mblank]

@JomboyMedia Legendary Brave and Dodger, Babe Ruth

[Mike Blank @mblank]

@darrenrovell Except those aren’t the commemorative version. The commemorative ones say as much at the bottom and don’t have a barcode on the right.

[Mike Blank @mblank]

@MLB @Padres Great day in Padres history!

[Mike Blank @mblank]

@MLB @Nationals Miss him in a Padres uniform.

[Mike Blank @mblank]

@Neil_Long_ https://t.co/ZzCYq7BMC2