Startup and tech news, jobs, and events in Portland and Oregon
Earlier this week, Puppet announced that they would be serving as the workspace for more than two dozen early stage Portland startups. For some, this might seem like a surprising move. But in actuality, it’s core to the culture of the company. And has been a hallmark of its existence, ever since Reductive Labs relocated to Portland.
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There used to be a time when the Portland startup community was awash in unconferences. Unconference here, unconference there. On a variety of interesting topics. And while those heady halcyon days of unconferencing may have passed, an interesting one rears its head every now and again. Like this weekend. When it’s the AI/ML Unconference.
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I’m always a fan of events that highlight more voices in our community. So it will come as no surprise that I’m psyched to see Black Women in STEM 2.0 being held in Portland, next week.
One of my concerns about the Portland startup community is that it often takes a significant amount of time for companies to find their way to an exit. And for venture funded companies, it’s all about the exit. So it was a pleasant surprise to see two Portland companies involved in an acquisition—especially when one of those companies was still on the earlier stages of growth. Puppet has acquired Reflect.
In the world of equity financing and startups, it’s not rare to see folks adding new board members when they announce funding rounds. Because it’s usually VCs who have invested who are getting those seats. So when Portland startup Sensu announced a new round of funding and new board members, it was a pleasant surprise to see that one of them was an independent, Luke Kanies, founder of Puppet.
In the startup world, there are some prevailing assumptions about venture capital and building companies. But just because those assumptions are prevailing doesn’t mean they’re correct. That’s why I always like resources that help demystify the world of venture capital and its impact on companies. Like Venture Deals by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson.
Not so long ago, banks were a viable means of financing business. But as the terms of that financing became more inaccessible and onerous, we saw new models arise. One of those models was venture capital. Now—thanks in part to efforts like the Zebra movement—the VC model is beginning to show its own imperfections, inadequacies, and inaccessibility. So it only makes sense that folks would start thinking about new models for financing. One of those folks is Portland’s Luke Kanies, founder and former CEO of Puppet.
I’ve had the pleasure of covering Puppet ever since they relocated to Portland. Back when they were called Reductive Labs. And throughout that time, founder Luke Kanies has been at the helm. But today, that all changed. Read More
It only stands to reason that a company that started its life as Reductive Labs would wind up reducing the complexity of their name. But that’s one of the many things that Puppet—yeah, it’s just Puppet now—announced today. Read More
Portland has no shortage of hackathons. But it’s always nice to see something with a particular focus or centered around a certain community. And what’s even nicer? When they happen on a regular basis. Which is why I’m psyched to see We Code—a women’s hackathon hosted by Nike and Puppet Labs—which is taking place for the second time. Read More