Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:
Can Portland, Oregon Rebuild Its Business District?
Cities depend heavily on the success of local businesses to keep them afloat fiscally. In addition to paying taxes, businesses also create foot traffic—in the form of their employees—for other local businesses like delis, lunch spots, and parking garages. If big businesses leave or shift to remote work, those smaller businesses also take a hit. Without compelling reasons to be in the city, talent also leaves. It’s a vicious cycle.
Prosper Portland to name new interim executive director – Portland Business Journal
Shea Flaherty Betin will step down from the interim executive director role less than a year after his appointment, the agency said Wednesday. Director of Development and Investment Lisa Abuaf has been named to take over the job, according to a meeting agenda.
RECAP: “Product and User Experience, how to make a cure and not a vitamin” webinar – Incisive Ventures
We both agreed: most great companies don’t have product-market fit at pre-seed. And that’s okay. What matters is speed of learning, quality of insight, and a deep understanding of the domain. The strongest founders we back are more obsessed with the problem than the solution. They’re former operators who lived the pain and are now hell-bent on removing it. They don’t need to convince us with a polished pitch—they pull us in with their clarity, urgency, and command of the space.
Seattle doesn’t have many unicorns. Does it matter? – GeekWire
Out of more than 1,200 startups on the list (as of January 2025), there are fewer than 20 active companies from the Seattle region that reached a $1 billion valuation in recent years. That’s about 1.5% of all global unicorns.
Naval Ravikant’s checklist for starting a company
“The most important thing is there are no formulas. At the end of the day, you have to do what you love, and you have to do it even though people tell you it’ll never work. But that being said, if there was a formula [for starting a company], I would put it something like this.”
One Year Back as CEO: What We’ve Built, and Where We’re Headed
One year ago, I stepped back into the CEO role at Techstars after a 3 ½ year stint as Chairman. It’s been a big year full of tough conversations, hard decisions, and meaningful progress.
Oregon State releases economic impact report | OSU Today | Oregon State University
“The vast majority of our startups have stayed in Oregon. They’re hiring our students as full-time employees and interns. These startups are also collaborating with us to test their technology and research alongside our faculty,” said Brian Wall, OSU associate vice president of research innovation for economic impact. “When you think about innovation, entrepreneurship, research and development — that’s the backbone of the Oregon economy, and that’s what we do here at OSU.”
More Portland startup news
