Dharmesh Thakker

2 months ago | battery.com | Ariana Pletta |Dharmesh Thakker

Former Intel CEO Andy Grove wrote a book more than two decades ago called “Only the Paranoid Survive.” Intel took that mantra to heart for many years, reinventing itself multiple times and pushing to stay ahead of technology trends. I had a front-row seat to Intel’s aggressiveness, working as an intern at the company 30 years ago and, later, as an investor with the company’s Intel Capital venture-capital unit.

Feb 3, 2025 | battery.com | Ariana Pletta |Dharmesh Thakker

Today’s financial advisors are operating in a dramatically shifting market. Consolidation and competition have changed firm dynamics as advisors try to provide more comprehensive wealth-management services to their clients, often leaving small advisors squeezed. At the same time, there’s huge promise and opportunity related to the fact that, over the next two decades, Baby Boomers are expected to pass down roughly $84 trillion to their heirs, who will presumably need help investing all that cash.

Feb 9, 2024 | batteryventures.substack.com | Dharmesh Thakker

Let's face it: Gone are the heady days of skyrocketing valuations and easy growth for software companies. Instead, a new, more volatile reality has emerged, shaped by rising interest rates, economic uncertainty and geopolitical tensions. While these forces have been distressing to many technology founders—and have forced operating adjustments for their companies—they also present a powerful opportunity to reignite the passion and commitment of your most valuable asset: your employees.

Dec 22, 2023 | batteryventures.substack.com | Dharmesh Thakker

As we head into 2024, it’s clear that generative AI remains the biggest trend in tech. ChatGPT racked up 100 million users in two months, while tech giants Amazon and Microsoft are focusing their product roadmaps—and their recent user conferences—squarely on AI. And the boardroom drama at high-profile startup OpenAI provided an early Christmas present for Silicon Valley journalists looking for juicy scoops.

Nov 9, 2023 | battery.com | Dharmesh Thakker

For years, enterprise-software and infrastructure companies relied on the same, tried-and-true metrics to measure success as they scaled: ARR (annual recurring revenue) growth, “magic number,” “Rule of 40,” etc. But what if the new, more-challenging macroeconomic environment, coupled with powerful new technologies like AI, means we should rethink the metrics we’ve all gotten used to – and encourage companies to reevaluate the right set of benchmarks to survive and thrive?