The Next Next: Update #16

Patience is a virtue

For those of you tuning in for the first time, The Next Next is a ‘build in public’ type of journey from founder Jason Jacobs (me!) to explore 1) how I can build my next company differently (prioritizing health and family, not just work, while still building an ambitious and important company) and 2) how AI can help, and more broadly, how it will change how startups are built and funded.

There is this newsletter (subscribe here), which publishes weekly and chronicles the ground I covered that week, insights I’ve gleaned, topics I’m wrestling with, and where I plan to dig in the week following. And there’s also this podcast, which publishes twice a week, and explores these topics in-depth in a series of interview-style discussions with others who are well placed for me (and you!) to learn from.

The goal of this public learning journey is to have it evolve over time from a journey into a livelihood, to prove to myself and others that it is possible to ‘have your cake and eat it too’, and to help define a new playbook for how to build companies that inspires many other founders to follow suit and gives them a roadmap for how to get started.

If you want to catch up, the historical weekly updates are here:

Week 1, Week 2, Week 3, Week 4, Week 5, Week 6, Week 7, Week 8, Week 9, Week 10, Week 11, Week 12, Week 13, Week 14, Week 15

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Many of you probably know I founded Runkeeper, which was acquired by ASICS. Many of you probably also know that I founded and helped scale MCJ over the last 6.5 years, from a podcast/newsletter to a venture firm w/ ~$115m AUM. Two chapters of my career that I am very proud of.

What you may not know is that the 1.5 years or so between Runkeeper and MCJ were pretty torturous. I had a bunch of minor but anxiety-inducing health ailments pop up. I worried my best professional days were behind me. I felt great pressure to get back on the horse. I forced it with an idea that was a technology in search of places to apply it. I learned that becoming obsessed with the problem space needs to come first for me. And I made the difficult decision to return the small amount of investment capital we had raised (we still had most of it) soon after we got out of the gates. I wrote about the experience here (as it was happening).

I share this context now because, in some ways, I am in a similar spot. Starting to worry my best professional days are behind me. Starting to feel pressure to get back on the horse. Spending time uncovering how AI will change how startups are built and funded, which is fascinating and timely. But still without a problem space I am obsessed with, which as I learned, needs to come first. Tech in search of a place to apply it is not how I like to build.

But I know better this time. I know that these transitions are hard for almost every founder, almost every time we go through them, regardless of experience level. I know that we all inevitably get through it. And I know that my best professional days are in front of me. What I need to make sure of is that I remain patient, and resist the urge to lurch down a path for the wrong reasons.

These transitions are typically done in the shadows, and mine happens to be a public one. Probably a dumb idea, but hopefully if nothing else, it will help other founders who are going through it to know that you are not alone.

My friend Giuseppe, who I met with today, had some good advice for me. He said start with where you want to be in 10 years (personally and professionally) and work backwards, which should help inform how to spend the next 12 months. I like that, because while my personal and professional goals do seem at odds at the moment, they may not be if I extend my time horizons and realize that an interim step of some kind may not be derailing to achieving both directionally. I am going to give that exercise a try this week and see how it goes.

Other things on my mind (in no particular order)

AI coaching

I continue to be intrigued about using AI to analyze video of people doing activities to review their form and provide guidance for them on how to improve it. Could be for sports (I mentioned my virtual Topgolf idea last week). Could be for reskilling or learning new trades. Could be for a lot of things.

I have begun to schedule calls with people with various skillsets needed to bring this type of concept to life and will keep chipping away at it, and see where it goes.

Here are a few examples I found for inspiration:

• This project from an undergrad team at Georgia Tech

• This company built by my old fitness industry friends, Krishna and Gear

• This volleyball analysis platform that was acquired by Hudl

Potential collaborators

It is becoming more clear to me that the one man band path is not a likely one for me. I think the best work gets done with small teams with deep alignment on mission and working style. I have also come to believe that, rather than trying to do everything myself, I am better served by finding a technical co-founder for whatever it is I go on to build. No rush since I have no idea what I am building yet, but it’s something I will be keeping my eye out for as my journey progresses.

What’s happening in robotics

In addition to AI, I’d like to spend some time uncovering what is happening in robotics, as combining the two in some way is intriguing. And as my MCJ partner Cody told me, “hardware is hard” may be a good thing when it comes to carving out a defensible position in any market in the age of AI.

Here are a few links for inspiration:

• Here Unitree’s humanoid robot nail’s the world’s first kip-up

• Here is Boston Dynamics’ robot Atlas walking, running, and crawling

What’s happening in old, staid industries

I’d also like to spend some time understanding what’s happening in old, staid industries that are notoriously tech laggards. This could be SMB. Could be healthcare. Could be parking garages. Could be a lot of industries where there is low hanging fruit for how automation could help, and where obvious changes (to the trained eye) could make a big difference.

Sources of inspiration:

• A May 2024 Axios article on how AI is disrupting parking

SaaS consolidation

Relatedly, I keep finding more examples of companies that are building vertical SaaS platforms, with the help of open source and AI, that provide multiple offerings under one roof, for a specific niche, that used to be served by many different point tools from many different vendors. One example was enlightening, but several makes a trend, and it is an area I want to spend more time in.

Sources of inspiration:

• What Singular is doing for SMB

• What Vibrant Practice is doing for small personalized medicine practices

New podcasts this week

Two new episodes shipped!

One is with Jay Singh from Casper Studios. Jay is a former BD guy who went out on his own and started an AI agency that builds products for clients and themselves. Jay is a good example of how “you can just do things”, and should be inspiring for anyone who is trying to work up the courage to jump in the deep end. Episode can be found on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.

The other is with Reagan Bonlie from Nudge Money. This one was inspiring too, for very different reasons. Reagan works with credit unions as clients, who tend to move slowly and cautiously vs at the tip of the spear of new technology trends. It was suprising to me how little Reagan and his team are leaning into AI to build their product, but his rational made sense, both from a compliance standpoint and culturally with his clients. Reagan’s argument that being entrenched in local communities is of fundamental importance and that just because the tech is there doesn’t mean we should use it really made me think, and seemed especially timely as a counterpoint to the “AI is taking all of our jobs” fear mongering. Episode can be found on Spotify, Apple, and YouTube.

Homework for me this week

• Do that 10 yr planning exercise (thanks Giuseppe!)

• Start scheduling a bunch of IRL meetings w/ people I trust that know me well to seek advice and ideas

• Keep recording the pod, because it is fun and educational

• Keep moving along the AI/coaching idea, because it will help me get to know the tools better and I continue to be intrigued by it

• Continue to find other ways to manufacture serendipity while learning, experimenting, and meeting interesting people

• Stay patient and don’t get discouraged

Where I could use some help

• Feel free to send along any advice or words of encouragament

• Feel free to send along any companies or people doing interesting things in my areas of interest above

• Feel free to send along any strong tech co-founder types who seem to be interested in the areas and ways of building I have been articulating in these updates, especially if they are experienced founders

Until next week!