startups - Justin Paterno

Web 3 is a Network of Formats and Formats will Build the World

Last week I wrote about NBA Top Shot and a format replacement cycle occurring between traditional cardboard cards and digital ones. While oversimplified and not the entire story, people are in essence taking their collection and "burning" it to the blockchain. It has sparked a new gold rush in people

startups

If You Were Starting from Scratch Today...

Note: Today's post is a bit of a ramble that I wrote in pieces as I got a free 10 minutes throughout the day. I could have sent it to the draft bin to live the rest of it's days next to such unfinished gems as "Web 2.0 Redux"

product

PM Software and Minimum Viable Process

I'm in the early days co-founding a new company and I've been very focused on early process, culture, and how things get built. While exciting at first over the years, I am now allergic to processes such as Agile and software that serves them. I love the concept of agile

product

What I've Learned so far in Product and Management Vol 2

Over the past year I've reflected a bunch on what I've learned, mistakes I've made, and slowly put together a long list of thoughts that I'm going to blog about in chunks. These are mostly about product management but many apply to all management. I published the first volume a

product

An Ode to No Code

One of the tech trends that excite me the most is No Code platforms, which allow those with little to no programming expertise to build applications. Perhaps the best example of a No Code platform is Shopify ($SHOP) - which has enabled entrepreneurs to quickly set up digital storefronts and

finance

The Billion Dollar Cartridge

Tomorrow a bunch of younger investors are going to put a quarter of a million dollars into a dinosaur. I'm not talking about GameStop, rather it's the latest offering on Rally Road - a platform that fractionalizes and securitizes ownership of collectibles. Here's a tweet from Rob, their founder (who

management

The First 100 Days

As Biden gets sworn in today, much of the conversation will now shift to his agenda for the "First 100 Days". The chyron will be on every cable news network and will be the subject of every political podcast. I've always been somewhat cynical of this conversation. I felt it

product

The Next Wave of Consumer Social Apps and Related Miscellany

A theme I've seen people getting behind is the idea that 2020 was the start of a new trend in social apps. As someone who spent most of his career building social products and really enjoy using them, it's been something on my mind. I coupled it with a couple

management

What the Best Golfers Know About Execution

Every now and then you come read something or come across an idea that is so obvious and simple that it haunts you. In a good way. I recently got back into golf, after years of dwindling rounds, and as I wrote earlier this year I was shocked by the

game design

Build the Toy First

Last week I wrote about how most teams build really bad MVP's. One alternative to Minimum Viable Product, I've heard mentioned by some people is Minimum Delightful Product. I don't hate that. Most teams when they set out to build an MVP forget that the goal is still to delight

management

What I've Learned So Far in Product and Management (Vol. 1)

Taking a break during the pandemic gave me plenty of time to clear my head and reflect. Over the past 9 months, I put together a running list of thoughts of things I've learned and/or mistakes I've made. Most of these are related to product management and startups, but

life

Write Every Day

It's the first (real) day of the new year, when everyone's resolutions are likely just starting and full of hope. I came across this on Twitter over the weekend which is especially important this time of year: Instead of "learn to code in 2021", code every day. Instead

finance

Coinbase, Facebook, and Why Values are What Really Matters

This week Coinbase CEO, Brian Armstrong, published a Medium post reaffirming its mission to "create an open financial system for the world" and announcing that Coinbase would not be a politically active company, except where it helped further this mission. He writes (emphasis his), Coinbase’s mission is to create

life

Bull City

Now that I've given props to the place I left, I wanted to write why I'm so excited about my new home, Durham, NC or as it's called - Bull City. Part of the reason I'm excited to move here is it just feels right. Coming from New York and

life

Unburnt Out and Back to work

Back in early March I left Stocktwits after nearly 11 years. My time at Stocktwits was an incredible experience. I joined a few months after the March 2009 bottom and was able to build one of the largest communication platforms for retail investors during one of the largest bull markets