# Top 10 in Tech - What to know for Week ending October 22, 2021

Published: 22 October 2021
Canonical: https://www.top10in.tech/posts/week-ending-october-22-2021

## 1. SaaS METRIC OF THE WEEK

[Net Dollar Retention](https://paykickstart.com/net-dollar-retention) is an important metric in the new world of Product Led Growth. It’s used to help answer the following: "*Does my startup need to increase customer acquisition/marketing spend*?" [Tomasz Tunguz writes in detail about this](https://tomtunguz.com/does-better-ndr-imply-greater-tolerance-for-higher-cac/) and Crunchbase does the work to calculate what [good NDR benchmarks should look like](https://about.crunchbase.com/blog/net-dollar-retention).

Link: https://paykickstart.com/net-dollar-retention

## 2. THE FUTURE (of the Internet

) **part 1**: Two significant reads this week (and one in 2 parts) - the first one is from a16z who are proposing an [agenda for the future of the Internet](https://a16z.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/How-to-Win-the-Future-1.pdf). The firm envisions a post Web 2.0 article and discusses "web3" (which is mainly all things crypto. blockchain, De-Fi (see below), NFTs, and DAOs). Their positioning is that this isn’t just a new wave of innovation — it’s an opportunity for a reset.

Link: https://a16z.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/10/How-to-Win-the-Future-1.pdf

## 3. THE FUTURE (of the Internet

) **part 2:** This two-part series goes beyond an agenda and describes what could await us in this more decentralized future. Change is coming! [Part 1 here](https://chrisrempel.com/part-1-the-internet-is-having-a-kodak-moment/) (taking us through Web 1.0 and 2.0, 2.5 and 3.0) and [Part 2 here](https://chrisrempel.com/part-2-creating-the-new-frontier/) on how to create that future.

Link: https://chrisrempel.com/part-1-the-internet-is-having-a-kodak-moment/

## 4. DEFI

Open source is [coming to the fintech world](https://future.a16z.com/open-source-financial-services), and a real possible future within that is leveraging blockchain ledger capabilities beyond cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin and Etherium via Decentralized Finance (Defi) - [here is a little 101 intro on what Defi Infrastructure is](https://medium.com/racecapital/defi-infrastructure-101-overview-market-landscape-78e096a85834).

Link: https://future.a16z.com/open-source-financial-services

## 5. CRYPTO CAP TABLES

While I'm in the crypto mood this week, have you ever wondered how the funding and cap-table of a crypto/token-based startup works? [Tomasz Tunguz explains how the equity and token cap tables work.](https://tomtunguz.com/equity-cap-table-vs-token-cap-table/)

Link: https://tomtunguz.com/equity-cap-table-vs-token-cap-table/

## 6. CHAOS THEORY

OK - hear me out on this one: There has never been a more significant time for a different way of thinking about change in modern organizations. Digital Transformations are important, strategically. But the mindset needed requires a certain kind of improv style to get there - as the systems in place that are needed to change or pivot are usually very complex - change IS chaos. So take some time to [read this article](https://think-boundless.com/chaos-theory/) to understand more of what this is about - I also aspire to have the title of "Chaos Manager" one day...

Link: https://think-boundless.com/chaos-theory/

## 7. AI

Now it's its fourth year (which is like 28 [Dog AI](https://www.wired.com/story/watch-a-robot-dog-learn-how-to-deftly-fend-off-a-human/) years) the [State of AI Report is out for 2021 and it's a 188 page Google Slide](https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1bwJDRC777rAf00Drthi9yT2c9b0MabWO5ZlksfvFzx8/edit#slide=id.gf171287819_0_173) deck! AI has been pretty clutch in the last year with faster simulations of human machinery such as proteins and RNA - starting at Slide 24; 88% of top AI educators/faculty have received funding from Big Tech (MSFT, APPL, IBM, et al); and a record amount of funding this year into AI startups with over USD $115B raised (slide 141)

Link: https://www.wired.com/story/watch-a-robot-dog-learn-how-to-deftly-fend-off-a-human/

## 8. IDEAS

This is a [framework for managing them](https://newsletter.sandhill.io/p/insights-that-drive-ideation) - I found this a really helpful article with a template that is now on my wall! An HD version of it is [here](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1qB_0Jspito7MRe6z2rOFCoFPlHeKLScH/view). A little bonus is [a compilation of mental models that entrepreneurs and investors leverage to develop new startup ideas](https://medium.com/@AliKAfridi/systematic-ideation-for-startups-venture-theses-77b672ac1ae1) & venture theses from the same author.

Link: https://newsletter.sandhill.io/p/insights-that-drive-ideation

## 9. MARKETING

Here is a list of [9 great marketing tips](https://foundationinc.co/lab/b2b-marketing-lessons/) for B2B SaaS businesses and BTW - 2022 is coming. It can't be worse than 2021 (can it??) so [here is a planning guide](https://www.thedrum.com/opinion/2021/10/12/2022-planning-guide-every-b2b-marketer) for all you B2B marketeers.

Link: https://foundationinc.co/lab/b2b-marketing-lessons/

## 10. CASE STUDY

Contrary to traditional startup lore, not every founder is a domain or industry expert (and I've got my hand up here). Here are 6 lessons from founders who (successfully) founded a startup in a space they are not an expert in.

## POD OF THE WEEK

From SaaStr to compliment #1 above: [Churn is dead. Long live Net Dollar Retention](https://www.saastr.com/churn-is-dead/) (NDR) with David Kellogg

**BONUS: [Here is a free online pass to TechCrunch's SaaS event](https://techcrunch.com/events/tc-sessions-saas-2021/?utm_medium=&utm_campaign=saas2021&utm_content=techstarsfree&utm_source=techstars&promo=techstarsfree&display=true)** next week (Oct. 27). Use the code "techstarsfree".

Link: https://www.saastr.com/churn-is-dead/