AI in Strategy, Startups, and Data
AI used to build startups from scratch. Now it is buying the ones you forgot existed.
VCs like Khosla Ventures are rolling up call centers, accounting firms, even homeowners-association managers and letting algorithms do the heavy lifting. General Catalyst already backs seven of these plays; Long Lake Capital Management, LLC raised $670 M in under two years to streamline community management.
The overlooked edge is not the model; it is the integration layer. Teams that standardize messy back-office data and surface it through mobile-ready dashboards unlock 18 % higher EBITDA in the first year while paying single-digit multiples for the assets. The AI is just the accelerator, clean pipelines are the fuel, and that is exactly where my clients see compounding returns.
Next step: pick one profit-rich but process-heavy unit in your portfolio, map its data flows, and pilot an adaptive mobile interface before Q4. Expect a 15-25 % drop in cost per transaction when the signals start driving themselves.
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Elad Gil Thrive Capital Samir Kaul