🥒 Sam Altman’s World Orb

Hey Pickle Gang, it’s Rob.

Here's what's in today's issue:

• Sam Altman’s World Orb, & Rebranding his Worldcoin to “World”

• The App Changing Automation for Non-Technical Founders: TaskMagic

• $400M to “Make Europe Great Again” - 20VC Harry Stebbings

• And more…

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This Weeks Favourites

• Article: Meta is laying off employees at WhatsApp, Instagram, and more (link)

• Video: Every type of sales funnel explained in 19 minutes (link)

• Podcast: 20VC - Why ‘Founder Mode’ is the Most Dangerous Blog Post for Founders: Zach Perret (link)

• Fun Stuff: Backyard Squirrel Maze 1.0- Ninja Warrior Course (link)

Today’s Goodies

Valuing Investments in Start-Ups

What if you could peek inside the minds of top venture capitalists and learn their secrets for valuing high-potential startups?

Well, this guide can help you do just that!

Inside, you'll discover:

• 18 chapters covering every aspect of startup valuation

• Step-by-step explanations of popular valuation methods, including the Berkus Method, Scorecard Valuation, and Discounted Cash Flow Analysis

• Insights into stage-specific valuation techniques

News

Sam Altman’s Worldcoin Rebrands to “World” and Unveils New Iris-Scanning Tech

Sam Altman’s controversial “proof of personhood” crypto project, Worldcoin, has officially dropped the “coin” and is now simply “World.” The project, which scans people’s irises to verify their humanity, was showcased at a live event in San Francisco, where Tools for Humanity (the startup behind World) unveiled their new, faster, and more mass-producible Orb devices.

While the project’s cryptocurrency ambitions remain, CEO Alex Blania hinted that “World” could have broader applications beyond crypto, including combatting deepfakes. With global scrutiny and ongoing EU investigations, the project’s ambitious plans, including redistributing AI-generated wealth, are still up in the air.

Read more

Story

The App Changing Automation for Non-Technical Entrepreneurs: TaskMagic

TaskMagic turns recorded videos into automated workflows. You don't need to code.

Jeremy Redman had a dev agency and overtime realised that clients would just send him videos asking him to build stuff. He realised he could automate that, and so made TaskMagic.

But the key turning point was when he launched on AppSumo. He expected to do maybe $30K in sales (in the best case scenario) but he did a bonkers $1.8m. Clearly, there’s an appetite for this thing.

Read more about his launch, and how he grew TaskMagic.

Funding

$400M to “Make Europe Great Again” - 20VC Harry Stebbings

News: Harry Stebbings, the podcaster & venture capitalist, has just closed a massive $400 million fund under his firm, 20VC. Stebbings has been a vocal supporter of European startups and is using this new fund to elevate the continent’s tech scene. With $125 million earmarked for seed investments and $275 million for Series A rounds, the fund is set to inject much-needed capital into European startups. Stebbings, ever the media-savvy operator, told Tech Crunch his aim is to “Make Europe Great Again” – MEGA!

The fund was raised in a staggering four weeks, with much of the backing coming from U.S. investors, highlighting the growing interest in Europe’s tech potential. What makes 20VC stand out is Stebbings’ blend of media influence and venture capital savvy. Thanks to his connections and 20-minute interviews with tech giants like Sam Altman and Marc Benioff, Stebbings has built a network that gives him front-row access to top founders and investors alike.

Read more here

Growth

Small Experiments, Big Results: A/B Testing for Startups

If you're doing a startup, you need to be doing A/B testing in almost everything that you do. That's it, hands down, end of discussion.

But, why's it so important? Well, as a startup, you generally have three things you need to do:

1. Build your money-making machine

2. Learn

3. Grow

Now, obviously I've oversimplified it there for you, but that really is the main strategy of a startup.

And, to do that, you need to test hypotheses, then learn from your results. Well, that's where A/B testing comes in.

Recommendation

Learn how to convert leads into lasting clients in this HoneyBook webinar

You’ll learn how to:

• Attract your dream clients

• Keep the chemistry alive

• Close with confidence

Register Now

Meme of the Day

Hope you enjoyed today’s issue!

I won’t lie, it takes me a while to write, so I’d love it if you could give it a share! (just forward it to a friend if you’re lazy like me!)

Cheers,

Rob 🥒

Robert Benson-May, ACA

Get me a beer?