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Hi, I’m Sari Azout and this is a very special edition of Check your Pulse, a tech and startups newsletter designed to make you feel human. I try to make this one of the best emails you get every two weeks(ish).
Happy Wednesday, Friends.
This is a special issue.
In Issue #55, I wrote about the opportunity to build community-curated knowledge networks. About how social media feeds have made us obsessive consumers of the present, but indifferent to the archives of the past. About how we’ve gotten used to consuming information in environments that strip context and discourage reflection.
As someone obsessed with startups and ideas, this problem has felt especially personal when it comes to startup knowledge.
In my work with startups, one thing has become clear; the future is up for grabs. Every major industry will be upended in the coming decades, and change is going to come from the outside in – from access to healthcare, to improving education, to fighting climate change, and creating new forms of ownership.
There has never been a better time to start a company.
I started this newsletter because I craved a place on the Internet that made me feel alive, excited, human. A place that acknowledges the world is messy and complicated but also embodies an ethos of: “we don’t have a problem, we have a solution we’re not happy with”.
Today, we spend more time reading hit pieces that complain about the status quo than we do amplifying the voices of builders and operators who can see alternatives to how we live today.
All these thoughts I’ve been turning over (for years now) have finally led me here:
startupy.world
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WTFAQ???
So what is Startupy?
You’re in for a glorious 🐇 🕳️
Startupy is as if Roam, Wikipedia, Substack, and Product Hunt had a baby.
We – me initially, but an extended group of high caliber people soon – curate, organize, and interconnect the coolest, most valuable ideas and insights in one dynamic knowledge base designed to inspire the people building the future.
Startupy is a community-powered database of startup knowledge, organized “associatively”.
So, with Startupy, you flow between startups, content, people, and topics based on their connections, just like your mind works.
What problem does Startupy solve?
Startupy is the answer to a question that kept coming up in my work:
“How can I find what the most interesting minds are saying and reading about a space?”
The information is already here, it’s just not evenly distributed.
Whether it’s The Future of Work, Digital Wellness, Carbon Offsetting & Carbon Removal, or The Creator Economy, many times we’d like to:
Track down what the sharpest minds are saying and reading about the topic.
Discover the most interesting startups in the space.
Immerse ourselves in the topic in a digestible, organized way.
Find the people behind the scenes at up-and-coming startups — the studio that designed the site, the angel investor that wrote the check, the freelance copywriter, and others who are rarely showcased to the outside world.
At Startupy, we rely on trusted curators to unearth hidden gems, sparing you the impossible task of monitoring millions of things, and giving you a sane, organized way to stay up to speed on the pulse of startup culture.
Why am I building this?
In 2019, I was spending 60+ hours a week doing consulting for startups, reading too much Naval, and getting tired of renting my time.
Startupy began as a database I built to make my life easier.
Over time, it became obvious that this was not just a database for myself, but the foundation for something that would be far more powerful in a collaborative setting.
I’m building what I’ve always wanted; a digital playground to collect and connect the dots with other thinkers and creators.
Who is this for?
If you have a Startupy state of mind, you’ll love it.
Seriously, I’m building the curated information environment I wish I had as a founder, funder, creator, and creative.
When is Startupy launching?
If I can get myself to cut the scope creep, sometime in 2021 (hopefully first half).
There will be a special opportunity for you, my readers, to get involved before launch.
How am I feeling?
Anxious, nervous, excited. The truth is, I see myself when I read this, and it sucks 👇🏽
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If you’re in the arena and feeling this way, here I am locking eyes with you in silent recognition and determination to build calmly.
Self promotion makes me uncomfortable, but I’m just gonna say it.
This has been a true labor of love. If you like what you’ve seen in this newsletter, and are feeling the Startupy vibe, it would mean the world to me if you check out the landing page and share it with friends.
Stay real 🙏
Sari
P.S. Look out for an email where I’ll share a special opportunity to help me build and shape Startupy.
