StrictlyVC Returns to NYC: A Night of High-Stakes Tech Discourse
Save the date: Thursday, September 10, marks the highly anticipated return of StrictlyVC to New York City. TechCrunch’s premier evening event series is trading the West Coast for the historic charm of Manhattan’s West Village. While San Francisco’s Mission Bay-often jokingly dubbed the “Vest Village” due to the high concentration of fleece-wearing venture capitalists-has hosted us recently, we are thrilled to bring our boutique networking experience back to the brownstones and cobblestone streets of New York for the first time in two years.
Following a successful tour that spanned Los Angeles, Athens, and San Francisco, our New York comeback features a curated agenda designed to challenge the status quo of the venture capital landscape.
The Rabois Perspective: Challenging Venture Norms
The evening’s centerpiece features a candid conversation with Keith Rabois. Since his recent move from Silicon Valley to the East Coast, Rabois has continued his reputation as a disruptive force in the industry. His investment portfolio remains as eclectic as it is strategic; he has demonstrated significant conviction in companies like Ramp and State Affairs-a platform leveraging artificial intelligence and a network of local reporters to monitor legislative developments across all 50 states.
During our session, Rabois will dive into several contentious topics, including:
- Capital Efficiency: A critique of founders who prioritize massive fundraising rounds over sustainable growth, often securing capital simply because it is available rather than necessary.
- The OpenAI Legacy: A deep dive into the strategic foresight behind Khosla Ventures’ initial $50 million investment in OpenAI back in 2019-a time when the company lacked a defined commercial roadmap.
- Market Sentiment: An analysis of the current competitive landscape and whether the prevailing narrative regarding OpenAI’s recent challenges holds water compared to its industry peers.
As the venture ecosystem continues to evolve, with global VC funding reaching approximately $73 billion in Q2 2024, insights from industry veterans like Rabois are more critical than ever for founders and investors navigating this complex climate.
