Medable’s Co-founder/CEO on her father’s falconry, never listening to the no’s, and getting more molecules to market. —

As the rules of ESG in VC are being written, let’s focus on the metrics that matter. — The 2021 World Positive Report is here. We did it again, as you’ll see, for Obvious reasons: Every choice we make impacts out world. Plugging in our electric vehicles. Preparing dinner with plant-based butter. Setting down a LEED Platinum prefab. Proposing with an above-ground diamond. As the pace of…

A review and discussion guide for System Error, required reading for technologists and citizens alike. — In early 2014, the war was on for software engineering talent. I was Head of People at Medium, and we were losing the fight to Uber, Airbnb, and Big Tech incumbents. At first I thought this could only be due to compensation and/or our lack of aggressive language promising untold…

The economic, health, and social costs of megafires are a national threat. It’s time for swift, decisive action. — Dear Congresswomen and Congressmen, Wake up and smell the megafire smoke. Its effects have officially come for us all, whether you’re from Montana, Minnesota, or Maine. The West has been on fire every year for the past five years, all of which have burned on huge swaths of federal land…

SINAI Technology’s Founder & CEO on getting fired in Brazil, hiring herself in the Bay Area, and the climate tech revolution ahead. —

Obvious’ Kyle Taylor leads an admirable double life. — It’s Wednesday, September 1st, 2021. News reports of a fast-growing fire off Lucas Valley Road in Marin County, California flash across my screen. I call my friend and colleague Kyle Taylor — turns out his home in Nicasio is closest to the actual blaze. He picks up. The sound of…

The basics on how we got to now, why it matters for all Americans, and how we can fix it together. — It’s 10:30am on Monday, July 26th 2021. I step into an idyllic blueberry patch with my daughter, and it hits me: an unmistakable whiff of wildfire smoke. This would be expected out west. But I’m in Pittsfield, Massachusetts — and the Air Quality Index (AQI) is hovering around 160, a…

Upstream investment strategy remains the greatest lever for impact downstream. — “How does a venture firm ‘do’ ESG with early-stage startups?” This is a common question that comes our way — from venture firms, limited partners, academics, and the media — and the answer is, well, not so obvious despite a craving for simplicity. Environmental, Social, and Governance (“ESG”) standards are…

Introducing Obvious’ first ever World Positive Report — The field of impact measurement has evolved meaningfully over the past 20–30 years, most recently with PRI as an investor framework, UNSDGs as a general benchmark, and the B Labs BIA as an operator assessment. …