E8 Newsletter
Stay Sharp
and start-up news, resources for entrepreneurs,
job/internship postings and noteworthy trends
that are happening this week!
The Summer Olympics Are Coming But You Can’t Go
March 21, 2021
🏊♀️ The Summer Olympics Are Coming But You Can’t Go.
In the past year, sporting event organizers have faced hard decisions on giving spectators the opportunity to come watch their events in person, and those decisions haven’t escaped the 2020 Tokyo Olympic games. After a year of delay, the organizers of the games have decided to…
Squaring up for a Tidal purchase?
March 14, 2021
🎷Squaring up for a Tidal purchase?
When’s the last time you handed your friend the AUX and they started playing a song through Tidal? Honestly, I can’t remember and the only memorable thing about the streaming service is that Jay Z wouldn’t let me listen to his 4:44 album unless I signed up. Well, Tidal is back in the news but this time because….
NFTs, what in tarnation? Is this the future of art collecting?|No beef between McDonalds, KFC, and Pizza Hut as they all partner with Beyond Meat?
March 7, 2021
🖼️NFTs, what in tarnation? Is this the future of art collecting?
Alright, so unless you haven’t been on the internet in the past couple weeks, you’ve probably heard about people selling their art, video clips, Pokémon cards, music, etc. for Ethereum tokens. This is all through the selling of NFTs, aka Non-Fungible Tokens. These new tokens live on…
Hop in the Clubhouse! Wait… Which One?
February 21, 2021
🎧 Hop in the Clubhouse! Wait… Which One?
Alright… by now we’ve all become accustomed to the social trends that form our view of social media, and determine which social media holds “The Spotlight”. For example… 2020 was the year of Tik Tok, which was massively sweeping in downloads across the globe as a getaway from the horrendous pandemic environments popping up around the world. Now, as people are starting to….
Bumble’s Buzzin’ Hot into Their IPO! Amazon Bets Big on Electric Truck Startup Rivian!
February 7, 2021
🧑🏿🤝🧑🏼 Bumble’s Buzzin’ Hot into Their IPO
I think by now almost every young adult has tried a dating app. From older platforms such as Hot or Not, OkCupid, and Plenty of Fish to more recent ones such as Tinder, Bumble, and Hinge – they all basically work on the same premise… Swiping right to match with an “algorithmically selected person.” Now I know most of y’all are familiar, but for the ones that don’t know, this is where Bumble distinguishes itself from the rest of the pack. The app aims to…
Robinhood: Get Ya Money Up, Don’t Get Ya Funny Up
January 31, 2021
🤡 Robinhood: Get ya money up, don’t get ya funny up
Robinhood: A fictional character who steals from the rich and gives to the poor. Fast forward to 2021 and we have an app that’s trying to live up to its namesake. But, is it? I remember being excited to sign up for the first fee-free brokerage six or seven years ago, waiting for my email to get into their beta. I had thought, “Finally! a way to bypass my $9 TD Ameritrade trade fee!” Of course, however, in life, there really is no free lunch…
You Want The News? You’re Going To Have To Pay!
January 24, 2021
💰 You Want The News? You’re Going To Have To Pay!
Remember when people would get their daily news by way of a local newspaper stand or a little box requiring a 50 cent deposit? Oh, the good ol’ times. I can’t even remember the last time I saw someone reading their morning post at the coffee shop. (Well, hopefully it’s because now they just reading that e8 ;)) With the Fourth Industrial Revolution, it’s become common place to get our news and magazines delivered straight to our devices. There’s almost always a free way to read something off Google. But, if you’re living in Australia…
Public Woof, Private Woof, Public Woof!? How Does The Public Become a Whale?
January 17, 2021
🐕 Public Woof, Private Woof, Public Woof!?
It isn’t a secret that people are willing to splurge on their pet, and while the pandemic has left many of us isolating, our pets are the only living things some people get to interact with on a daily basis. Pet companies have been thriving off this trend so much that this past week, Petco decided to make their company public and their stock has been reaping the benefit…
A Look Back at 2020
January 10, 2021
Airbnb Comeback
Wow, how do we even start here. At the start, the pandemic seemed as though it would end the top vacation rental site, Airbnb. The company was forced to lay off 25% of its workforce, slash marketing budgets, and take on a staggering $2 billion in debt…
Intel’s Got A Chip On Its Shoulder
December 20, 2020
😪 Intel’s Got A Chip On Its Shoulder
For computer and phone chip manufacturers, speed and being at the forefront of the industry is everything. From securing partnerships to touting their chips in the latest and greatest tech devices, having the chip crown proves very lucrative for the business that has it. In 2006, Intel stole the crown from IBM as they secured their partnership with Apple, spanning multiple generations of Macintosh computers. Unfortunately, fast forward to 2020…
Lawsuit for you! Lawsuit for you! Lawsuit for you!
December 13, 2020
📝 Lawsuit for you! Lawsuit for you! Lawsuit for you! Man, the tech giants have been feeling the heat lately! Back in October, Google got slapped with a big antitrust case by the Justice Department, and just this past week Facebook was bing sued again by the FTC, as well as by 46 other states… Get it together, guys!
E-commerce is King as Last-Mile Delivery Companies Struggle to Keep Up! | Is the Autonomous Driving Competition Heating Up for Tesla?
December 6, 2020
📦 E-commerce is King as Last-Mile Delivery Companies Struggle to Keep Up! Between the salefest that kicked off after Turkey day to the Christmas extravaganza of Holiday sales, there’s a 99% chance that you’ll be ordering an item online this year… As such, e-commerce has experienced a boom in Q3, jumping up 37% and accounting for $1 out of every $5 spent by consumers this year. This means…
Salesforce v. Microsoft: A Tale of Acquisitions and Heartbreak! | Facebook calls it Libra, but is it Equal?
November 29, 2020
👔 Salesforce v. Microsoft: A Tale of Acquisitions and Heartbreaks! The Microsoft-Salesforce rivalry began five long, long years ago when Microsoft, out in the market searching for a target, happened to land on Salesforce. The deal between the two fell through due to price negotiations. No hard feelings arose from the failed deal, but a year later, things turned sour when the companies showed down on a bid to buy…
Holiday Razzle Dazzle Edition! | Vaccine?! Vaccine?! Vaccine?!
November 22, 2020
🦃 Holiday Razzle Dazzle Edition! Wait, they’re saying I have to cook my OWN turkey this year?! The CDC has issued new recommendations for this holiday season which include bringing your own food and drinks when attending a gathering. As we get closer to the winter festivities and regulations seem far from loosening up, this holiday season is…
Some T-Shirts n A Dream | You Been MOOCn Lately?
November 15, 2020
👕 Some T-Shirts n A Dream! Almost 30 years ago, James Jebbia opened his first skate shop selling t-shirts in SoHo, New York. It’s 2020 now, and his brand “Supreme” has come to a $2.1B agreement with VF Corp. But for many fashion aficionados this came as…
2 Lazy 2 Get Drinks, Let Drinks Come 2 U!
November 8, 2020
🥂 2 Lazy 2 Get Drinks, Let Drinks Come 2 U! History was made this week even though states held us in suspense as they counted their ballots extremely slowly. I know that got me drinking. Philadelphia-headquartered delivery player goPuff hopes this drinking trend carries on as they announced they have set terms to acquire BevMo! for $350 million…
Yum yum, eating at home is a fun rite?
November 1, 2020
🍲 Yum yum, eating at home is a fun rite?It’s another day at the office (home). You’re tired and even though your new hobby during quarantine was cooking new meals, you’re taking the night off. Plans? Simple – you’re microwaving your favorite chef-prepared meal and curling up on the couch to binge Emily in Paris. Ready-to-go meals and meal kits have been one of the few industries that experienced…
Paypal, Now With Crypto? More of a Trick NOT Treat!
October 25, 2020
💸Paypal, Now With Crypto? Which exec at Paypal is trying to pump Bitcoin? 🤔 Is it Elon? Nah, I’m just playing. But this past week the company did announce that they will allow their users to buy and sell Bitcoin through their platform! To the ordinary investor this may not seem like a big deal, but perhaps there is a spookier plot behind the scenes…
Warranty… for anything? Cruisin With No Pedals Or Steering Wheel?
October 18, 2020
🔥 Warranty… for anything? Crash! Boom! Your favorite pair of headphones just fell on the ground and now one ear cup doesn’t make sound. Normally, you’d be sad, but then you remember you spent that extra $25 on the extended warranty! That is the kind of mentality Extend wants you to implement into your shopping experience. The company was able to secure $40M from Paypal and other investors…
Internet to the Stars? Yippie Yi Yo No Mo IPO!
October 11, 2020
🛰️ Internet to the Stars? Ah the internet, one of human kind’s most marvelous adventures. Over 50 years since its creation and yet it remains inaccessible to almost half the Earth’s population…
Don't let Asana Heat Up!
October 5, 2020
👨💻 Don’t Let Asana Heat Up! With contactless solutions and remote work becoming the new normal, many SaaS companies are looking to use this opportune time to push their companies to the next level. This past week we saw Asana go public with their direct IPO listing, generating…
Linkedin For The Cool Kids Now
September 27, 2020
💼 Linkedin For The Cool Kids Now! Well, first and foremost I owe it all to Linkedin! I love the platform so much. Each week, I find new motivating and inspiring voices in business, glean invaluable lessons from others, and most importantly, network and meet with all of you guys. It took four years to…
21st Century Gold Rush!!
September 20, 2020
💾 21st Century Gold Rush!! Boom, Bam, Bop, the Snowflake IPO has caused all the rage this past week as the Cloud Data Warehousing company almost tripled its initial IPO price in the first 24 hours. Why was it so popping? Well, for starters…
SPAC Is BACK And Should You Care?
September 13, 2020
📈 SPAC Is BACK And Should You Care? SPACs (“Special Purpose Acquisition Companies”) have been around since the 1980’s, but have only been gaining a lot of attention recently because of high-profile individuals such as Bill Ackman proving an easier way to…
Are We Living In A Black Mirror Episode?
August 30, 2020
🧠 Are We Living In A Black Mirror Episode? Elon is back again, and no I’m not discussing his $2000 stock price, but rather his other venture, Neuralink! (Yeah, no clue how he has the time for all dat either.) You probably heard…
Airbnb is Savage!
August 23, 2020
📈 Airbnb is Savage! Airbnb has arguably had one of the most astounding comebacks of 2020. At the beginning of the pandemic, the company looked like it was heading for a crash and burn as they were forced to lay off around 25% of their workforce (nearly 2k people), slashing marketing budgets, and taking on a whopping $2 billion in debt. As one could expect…
Toss Me The Natty…Wait?
August 16, 2020
🏈 🍺 Toss Me The Natty…Wait? Nothing like a cold Natty at 7am on game day. But this year, college students might not have the luxury of experiencing such a beautiful thing. As U.S. cases rise to 70,000 per day, an increasing number of notable athletic departments, including Ohio State, Clemson, and Oklahoma, report positive tests among student athletes…
Don’t Get Confused With Private Equity Being So Private!
August 9, 2020
🤔 Don’t Get Confused With Private Equity Being So Private! Blackstone, the largest private equity firm with $564 billion AUM, recently announced that it would be acquiring Ancestry.com for $4.7 billion! Ancestry.com is the world’s largest provider of DNA services, offering…
If You Like It Then Should Put A RING On It....Maybe!?
August 2, 2020
💍 If You Like It Then Should Should Put A RING On It…Maybe! Of all the different wearable technology available, the one category that sparks my interest the most are Smart Rings. Simply put, these devices are built with some kind of tech, whether an accelerometer, optical heart rate monitor, or NFC chip/sensor, which allows users to…
House on Fire? Throw Some Lemonade On It!
July 26, 2020
House on Fire? Throw Some Lemonade On It! 
Though the concept of financially protecting people and possessions is centuries old, modern insurance was popularized in America by the face of our $100 bill, Benjamin Franklin. Jumping forward to present day, the U.S. insurance industry alone is valued at…
If You’ve Stolen A Lambo, Why Just Drive it Around The Block?
July 19, 2020
⚠️ If You’ve Stolen A Lambo, Why Just Drive it Around The Block? Twitter on Wednesday experienced one of the the biggest cybersecurity attacks the social media company has ever witnessed, tumbling the stock 3% after hackers targeted many high-profile accounts all for one stupid bitcoin scam…
Tick Tock For TikTok... Uber's Hangry To Take Over Food Delivery! Take Notes,This Is How You Adapt
July 12 2020
🚚 If You Want A Rainbow, You Gotta Put Up With The Rain. It’s clear that Uber’s been hangry – trying to enter into the food delivery space as consolidation is the key ingredient to…
Lululemon Really Be Checking Themselves Out! Microsoft Says GoodBye To Their Retail Stores, And Hello To Digital!
July 5, 2020
💪 Lululemon Really Be Checking Themselves Out! Let’s be real, who doesn’t check themselves out in the mirror at least once a day? Lululemon announced Monday that the athleisure brand will be…
Quibi Tried, But Not Enough! Apple Making Some Serious Moves! Kanye Here To Save The Day!
June 28, 2020
📺 Quibi Tried, But Not Enough! Have you ever used Quibi? My guess…probably not. Quibi is a subscription-based streaming platform designed to showcase short-form content…
SpaceTech Is On The Horizon and VC’s Have Been Speculating What The Next Big Unicorn Will Be! The Tech Police Use Against The Public!
June 21, 2020
🛰️ SpaceTech Is On The Horizon and VC’s Have Been Speculating What The Next Big Unicorn Will Be! Never-mind trying to find specific earthly niches to invest in, Space has become a significant and growing area of government and defense spending, creating…
Could Virtual Reality Concerts Be A Soon Reality? Facebook To Take Over Social Commerce? Apple Glasses Might Be Here Soon!
June 14, 2020
🎶 Could VR Concerts Be A Soon Reality? As millions of Americans have been “quarantine clean so relaxed”, the music industry has been trying to combat the profound impact that COVID-19 had on performers and their audiences…
Future of Shopping? Cybersecurity Is A MUST! What's Next For VC Deal-flow?
June 7, 2020
🛍 I’m Most Productive At Work When I’m Shopping Online! As post-COVID reopenings commence, technology to meet the health and safety expectations of consumers, as well as new trends, must be adopted by retailers. Retailers are rapidly implementing…
What Will Future Air Travel Look Like? What The Heck Is HBO MAX?
May 31, 2020
✈️ Pack The Bags, It’s CABO TIME…oh wait: Since the 9/11 attack nearly 19 years ago, in-air safety has changed dramatically. And with it, so has the pre-boarding experience. Terminals have undergone extraordinary transformations…
Spotify or Nothing! What Will New College Life Look Like?
May 24, 2020
🎙️Spotify or Nothing! With an increase in the audio leisure market, podcasting has sparked incredible popularity, accounting for nearly 100 million listeners per week, with over 850,000 active podcasts. This past Tuesday, Spotify shocked…
Sorry Boss, I’ll Be Working From Home…Forever!
May 17, 2020
Sorry Boss, I’ll Be Working From Home…Forever! Imagine waking up to an email from your boss telling you that you’re allowed to work from home permanently, even after the jobs start to resume and pandemic lockdown passes…
Businesses Start to Reopen! AirPods Would Be The 32nd Largest Company! Opportunity in Gaming Infrastructure?
May 10, 2020
🚪 Businesses Start to Reopen: As we approach our tenth week since the United States instituted the national stay-at-home orders, and implemented…
Tesla To The Moon, Or KABOOM? 100% Accurate Coronavirus Test! How Much Of The Internet Is Fake?
May 3, 2020
🕺 Classy Bougie Ratchet. If you’re not chopping your own bangs, chances are you’ve either mastered or at the very least heard of, “throwing it back”…
Are Internships Dead? Useful COVID-19 Tracker? Mining in Space?
Apr 26, 2020
❗College students and soon to be graduates are scrambling to discover their next move. As many students’ have learned that their summer plans are being affected due to COVID-19, employers must decide the fate…