A short update

TL;DR: Where's my Firehose? Coming back soon (hopefully).

Hello all,

The last newsletter I sent out was a few months ago. A number of you have reached out to ask when the next one is coming.

The short answer is: “hopefully, soon.” As some of you know, I write this newsletter predominately on Sundays — which are essentially a work day in venture capital. I’ve had childcare on Sundays for years now to enable me to have time to get work done. Unfortunately, towards the end of last year, we lost that childcare. As a result, I haven’t had time to write in the manner and depth that I’m used to.

At the same time, venture capital seems to have accelerated its intensity and pace, far beyond anything I’ve seen in my decade+ career. So I have intentionally focused on performing my day job in the more limited hours I have during the week.

Finding childcare during a pandemic is uniquely challenging. One reason I’ve gleaned from talking to various agencies is that, because international travel is restricted, fewer au pairs are coming into the US, and as a result there’s more demand for traditional nannies as a substitute. Marketplace aficionados might call it a “supply constrained” market. Moreover, there are unique, COVID-related considerations now. Does this person live a fairly contained lifestyle? Will they be a responsible member of your home “bubble”? Those concerns run in both directions, so it’s much harder to match with someone.

I’m sure many of you are going through similar circumstances now. I am optimistic that we’ll find reliable childcare again soon and that I can get back to writing for you all every week. Thanks for your patience during such an unusual time.

Grateful to all of you for subscribing, and hope to be back in your inboxes soon,

Alex