🌌Conscious Consumerism, Toilet Paper, Words
Glide, Q&A w/ Sangya Gyawali, AR Catan and more
It’s Friday, and this is the 13th edition of The Void. Luckily, there’s no misfortune, just a few awesome products, trends and companies to wrap your week 😊
Mobile apps are super hard to build, and as we discussed last week, even harder to launch on the App Store. For a non-technical maker like me, it’s almost impossible (and time-consuming) to build a functional mobile app with the skills I currently possess. That said, there are plenty of no-code tools popping up to put band-aids over tasks that can be simplified, or automated. None that quite solve this problem though.
Enter Glide. I use google sheets for most things when collaborating on projects. As I start to build a better flow for internal inventory management with my hot sauce co (self-plug, zero shame), why not turn scattered sheets into a central mobile app, accessible from anywhere?
I sat down with David Siegel, founder and CEO of Glide, to talk barriers to building, and future of software development.
His idea for Glide came from a need for individuals and companies of all sizes to build proprietary, customizable tech (and mobile apps) without having a background in software development. Some companies, he said, were paying exorbitant amounts of money for horribly built mobile apps that inevitably were retired shortly after their initial creation. While at Microsoft building VS Code plugins and working with tech for non-techs, David caught the startup bug and decided to build his own company.
One thing that really resonated with me is his mission to bring earthlings the functional tools necessary to “make software development a utility”, allowing people from all backgrounds to build and design their ideas.
@david thanks for taking the time to chat! ❤️ what your team is building and excited to see it take off in the future!
If you want to learn more, follow David on twitter @dvdsgl or check out his website :)
Intentional Consumption w/ Sangya Gyawali
Sangya is a product enthusiast, social entrepreneur and founder of blooh, an online marketplace on a mission to increase market access for artisans brands in emerging markets and the US. Previously she worked in financial services and with early and mid-stage startups around the world.
What experiences drew you to economic and product development?
My family moved to the US from Nepal when I was 9. I have been pulled into economic development work throughout my life and am constantly reminded of the massive gap in access to resources around the world. After working with incubators and non-profits for a few years in the US, I’ve recently become aware of the massive inequity in the funding space -- something funds are working to overcome with diverse datasets (including but not limited to the ESGs and data storytelling). Internationally, I've led projects in rural Uganda and Kenya for a few years to improve the capacity of education and health systems, and women's groups, both independently and as a consultant.
Using tech (and good products) to create change is my passion. Tech opens up novel ways to reimagine traditional solutions to poverty, financial access, etc. Diverse datasets are an area where tech can be a catalyst for innovation, but shouldn't compensate for effective programming and engagement with local leaders.
My lived experiences in different countries inform my understanding that there’s no one-size-fits-all solution, be it in business and/or tech. While I was living in Beijing a few months ago, I observed first-hand how emerging trends in technology, such as AI and big data, are altering our place in the environment. Every time I visit Nairobi, I get further clarity on why the same solutions that work in the US wouldn’t work the same in rural communities in Kenya. So, traveling and changing my environment inspires me to think a bit outside the box.
How can people adjust their habits to achieve sustainable consumption?
For me, I think we have an opportunity right now to evaluate a variety of different factors that inform our day-to-day purchasing decisions. Inclusive data use for a consumer can mean different things to different people. Although price and convenience are a determining factor for many of our purchases, we need to train ourselves to inquire about a company’s background like its supply chain, mission, and team before buying from them. If there’s anything I believe it’s that as individuals we can influence demand and therefore the market. If we make even a slight change by shopping more intentionally, companies will have to shift to a higher standard of production and transparency.
What are you working on right now that you're excited about?
I’m preparing to launch blooh in a few months. If you’re curious to learn more about our mission and ways to shift your spending habits intentionally, sign up for our newsletter! We’ll send you a short newsletter 1-2 times a month with insights, quick reads, and actionable tips to use your dollar more consciously. You can also stay updated on Instagram @helloblooh :)
*Thanks Sangya for taking the time. Conscious consumerism is a super interesting topic with tons of relevant social, economic and environmental implications. Excited for the launch!
Trends & Startups We’re Watching
Will live video shopping replace in-person retail experiences?
Gig economy workers could soon pilot last-mile drones, last-mile delivery market in North America poised to grow at CAGR of over 14% 2020-2024
Cloud Paper ($2.48M, Seed) 🧻 - reducing carbon footprints with ultra-soft bamboo paper towels and toilet paper
Flatfile ($9.66M, Seed) 💻 - database software to import, map, and normalize customer data from spreadsheets into software applications
Anvyl ($11.8M, Series A) 🚚 - supplier relationship management platform to simplify the process of manufacturing supply chain
Alloy ($15.8M, Series A) 🕵️♂️ - identity verification system to check frauds and make identity management effective and simple for banks and financial institutions
Our Light Bulbs 💡
-Amid TikTok uncertainty, Snapchat saw 28.5 million new downloads last month
-a16z’s take on the future of digital tabletop games
-A snapshot of the market for DTC CBD products
-Niantic is beta testing a Pokemon Go-like version of Settlers of Catan
-Neuralink demo happened. It was weird.
-OpenAI revealed its pricing plan for GPT-3
-Patreon raises $90M Series E, following COVID-19 hyper-adoption, bringing their valuation over $1B
Thing of the week
Words! Are powerful!
Toucan just launched a new campaign where you can claim a word for yourself or your business/brand. Why? Bragging rights and some clout? Maybe. They’re doing big things for increasing access to language education.
5,000+ people have already claimed words in 2 days - now’s the time to claim your word before they're all gone :) To claim a word, click the pic below! I claimed hot sauce already, sorry everyone.
Also, completely unrelated, a toddler literally flew through the air at a kite festival in Taiwan.
Fortunately, she’s alright. 2020 is wild.
That’s it for this week :)
If you missed the last newsletter, find it here! 📰
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