2022 is going to be a very exciting year for LATAM startups. The region has rapidly grown and matured so much over the past decade that we’re on the cusp of the “year of the IPO” for the continent. It was a lot of fun putting together this year’s list. Like always, you may recognize a name or two, but hopefully, you’ll also learn about a few great startups that have mostly flown under the radar to date.  Let’s dive in!  Other Startups to Watch: Top 10 Pakistani Startups to Watch Top 10 African Startups to Watch Top 10 Middle East Startups to Watch Top 10 European Startups to Watch T ..read more

Do you work with Product Managers in your current job and want to land your first Product role?  If that sounds like you, you’re not alone.  According to product leader Josh Herzig-Marx: “There’s no degree, certification, or other credential for Product Managers which can be tricky for someone who wants to pursue a career in Product Management! While it’s true that FAANG companies (Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Netflix, Google) have been favoring candidates with computer science or other technical backgrounds, that’s far from universal.  Product Managers are equally likely to come ..read more

4 years is (still) a long time horizon for technology Nearly 6 years ago, I made 10 bold tech predictions for the next 10 years. Let’s check in and see how I’m doing more than halfway to the end date! My original post for reference (4/3/2016) and my 5/11/20 update: 10 Bold Technology Predictions for the Next 10 Years NOTE: These predictions are over 2 years old! Author: Alex Mitchellmedium.com 4 Years Later… “10 Bold Technology Predictions for the Next 10 Years” 4 years ago, I made 10 bold technology predictions for the next 10 years. Let’s see how things stand today! Author…amitch5903.medium ..read more

It’s Demo Day (again)! But first, here are my past YC posts if you want to check how my older picks have done. If you want to skip to the bottom, you can also see my own evaluation of my past picks for S17 — S21 (I’ve been doing this for a while!) The 10 YC Companies (S21) I’d Invest In The S21 class included 377 startups, representing 47 different countries! Here are the 10 I would (and did) invest in…amitch5903.medium.com The 10 YC Companies (W21) I’d Invest In YC’s Winter 2021 class set a new record for HUGE! 319 startups, representing 41 (!) different countries. Author: Alex…amitch5903.med ..read more

With the explosion of funding and the 11 public market exits for Indian startups in 2021, 2022 is poised to be one of the most exciting years to date for the ecosystem! I’ve dug deep to pull together this year’s list. You’ll likely find a name or two you recognize, but I can guarantee you haven’t (yet) heard of a few of these startups to watch.  Now is the time to change that. Keep an eye on these companies in 2022 and beyond!  Other Startups to Watch: Top 10 Pakistani Startups to Watch Top 10 African Startups to Watch Top 10 Middle East Startups to Watch Top 10 Latin American Start ..read more

For the past 5 years, I’ve written about my favorite Product podcasts and it’s that magical time of year again! While I’m (still) not commuting to Kin Insurance, I’m able to log about 1 hour of podcast listening time on my walks every day.  P.S. I highly recommend walks both as a very effective way to recharge both your brain and your body. Get moving! Here is this year’s list of my favorites for Product Managers looking to level up in 2022. Note: There are a few duplicates from 2017–2021, but that’s because they are still great! Top 10 Podcasts for Product Managers Honorable Mentio ..read more

Over the past several weeks, I’ve written about two of the fastest-growing startup ecosystems: Pakistan and Africa. In this post, I cover the equally exciting and rapidly maturing MENA (Middle East and North Africa) market.  As you’ll see in my list below, MENA has had many interesting startup developments as it strives to transition from a fossil fuel-funded region to one that exports technology and also provides home-grown tech solutions to its people.  In this region especially, it’s been interesting to see how entrepreneurs mix successful startup ideas from other parts of the wor ..read more

As we near the end of 2021, it’s absolutely incredible to me how quickly some startup ecosystems have grown over the past 3 years.  And, even more incredible to me is how much they’ve grown in spite of (or in some cases, because of) the pandemic.  Africa is certainly no exception. This is my 3rd edition of the Top 10 African Startups to Watch and 2021 was the year the region truly caught for both startups and VCs.  It’s about time. Other Startups to Watch: Top 10 Pakistani Startups to Watch Top 10 Middle East Startups to Watch Top 10 Latin American Startups to Watch Top 10 Eur ..read more

When I began writing my “Startups to Watch” posts several years ago, I started with China and India, uncovering many startups that have now gone on to become unicorns (and, in the near future, some likely decacorns). As I continued my writing on startups, I expanded my view to Latin America and Africa, which today are among the fastest-growing regions for startups. Africa, especially, is having an incredible 2021, with multiple companies reaching unicorn valuations and many >$100MM rounds of funding. This is a continent that in 2015 was eclipsed in total funding by 1 round of Snapchat’s fun ..read more

It’s Demo Day (again)! But first, here are my past YC posts if you want to check how my older picks have done. If you want to skip to the bottom, you can also see my own evaluation of my past picks for W21, S20, W20, S19, W19, S18, W18, and S17 (phew, that’s a LOT!) The 10 YC Companies (W21) I’d Invest In YC’s Winter 2021 class set a new record for HUGE! 319 startups, representing 41 (!) different countries. Author: Alex…amitch5903.medium.com The 10 YC Companies (S20) I’d Invest In India, Pakistan, and SE Asia are startup economies to watch closely over the next few years. Author: Alex Mitchel ..read more