Walter Thompson

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Walter Thompson

Latest Articles

August 15, 2016
Hillary Clinton
August 15, 2016

How Might A Clinton Presidency Affect Silicon Valley?

Walter Thompson
Editor’s Note: Today’s post is Part 2 of a two-part series that examines how the U.S. presidential race could affect Silicon Valley innovation, an ecosystem that’s affected by economics, immigration policy, international relations, and other facto...
August 12, 2016
Donald Trump, September 2015
August 12, 2016

How Might A Trump Presidency Impact Silicon Valley?

Walter Thompson
Editor's Note: Today's post is Part 1 of a two part series examining how the U.S. presidential race could affect Silicon Valley innovation, an ecosystem that's affected by the United States' international relations, immigration policy, and other p...
August 03, 2016
August 03, 2016

Raising The Drawbridge? Brexit’s Implications For UK Startup Founders & Investors

Walter Thompson
In 2015, 500 Startups Partner Matt Lerner joined the firm so he could lead the London-based Distro Dojo, a growth marketing boot camp/think tank that helps early-stage startups scale up for their next round. When he took the reins, Lerner had many...
July 22, 2016
July 22, 2016

The Most Common Myths About Startup Accelerators — Busted

Walter Thompson
In most aspects of life, the gulf between expectation and reality is larger than expected, but that's where growth comes from. This principle also applies to startup accelerators, where founders fortunate enough to gain admission can access net...
July 15, 2016
July 15, 2016

Why Your Accelerator Rejected You

Walter Thompson
500 Startups Partners Marvin Liao and Elizabeth Yin are warm, friendly individuals, but they also break a lot of hearts. As gatekeepers for 500's San Francisco-based accelerator, Liao and Yin lead teams that review anywhere from 1,500 to 3,000 ...
July 13, 2016
July 13, 2016

The Best Startup Pitches Are Empathic, Not Egotistic

Walter Thompson
For entrepreneurs to pitch effectively, they must first free themselves of attachment -- the root of all suffering. Which makes 500 Startups Venture Partner, Entrepreneur-in-Residence and pitch coach Andrea Barrica a spiritual guru. "I f...
June 23, 2016
Fireside Chat with Dave McClure + Dave Morin
June 23, 2016

PreMoney 2016: The Global Investment Community Crosses Paths in San Francisco

Walter Thompson
PreMoney Brings Together US + International Angels, VCs, LPs Eric Osiakwan, Managing Partner with Chanzo Capital in Accra, Ghana, traveled more than 7,600 miles to attend PreMoney San Francisco. "The world is flat," he said, sipping a Coke imm...
June 17, 2016
June 17, 2016

LatAm Founders Are Hungrier for Success, Solving Big Problems Faster

Walter Thompson
Anyone who assumes Latin American founders are worse off than their amigos in Silicon Valley has it wrong. The region's ecosystem is growing rapidly to support entrepreneurs in every sector, said Didier Quiroz, a 500 Mexico City Associate who j...
June 09, 2016
Photo by Matthew Lynley, Venturebeat
June 09, 2016

500 Startups Batch 1 — 5 Years Later. Where Are They Now?

Walter Thompson
At 500 Startups, each group of founders that is accepted into the accelerator's four-month program is called a "Batch," an apt description, since participants receive a series of commands they'll later process and execute. The founders who pres...
June 01, 2016
June 01, 2016

Unconventional Investing Promotes Innovation & Empathy — Interview with 500 Startups EIR Tristan Pollock

Walter Thompson
500 Startups Venture Partner and Entrepreneur-in-Residence Tristan Pollock is open to new experiences, and he hopes you are, too. [caption id="attachment_10291" align="alignleft" width="2048"] 500 Startups Entrepreneur-in-Residence & Ventur...

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