Requesting Nominations: Newcomer Silicon Valley Superlatives
Weigh in on the biggest highlights & lowlights of the year. Ears will be burning.
I’ve never lost the glow from getting voted most likely to succeed by my high school class. So it’s time to share the love.
We’re putting together a list of Newcomer Silicon Valley Superlatives and we’d love your input.
We’re taking them both extremely seriously and not seriously at all.
To be totally upfront, you’re not voting. Ultimately the selections will be at my discretion and entirely capricious.
But as always we believe in the wisdom of our readers — true Silicon Valley insiders all. Shoot me an email eric@newcomer.co (or reply to this newsletter) and weigh in. You can fill out this form anonymously. Your input will be off the record. Your snark will not get forwarded on. And even your praise will be kept in the highest of confidences.
Below are some of the categories we’re kicking around but by all means send in your own nominations with their own quirky custom categories.
Newcomer Silicon Valley Superlatives
The SoftBank/Tiger Global Capital Deployment Achievement Award. The venture capital firm most willing to pay high prices to stay in the zeitgeist.
The Stealth Mode Phantom Prize. The most successful startup doing their best to keep their heads down.
The Atlas Award. What executive put their startup on their back this year?
Venture Capital Associate MVP. The nameless associate landing generational wealth for their general partners.
Silicon Valley Politico of the Year. In a year where many in Silicon Valley flung themselves into politics, who did the best?
Early Stage Manager on a Hot Streak. Who is the most promising early stage investor with their own fund?
Best New Product. Let’s reward those who shipped greatness.
Most Helpful VC. The (actually) founder friendliest among us.
The Paper Unicorn Prize. What valuation has the farthest to fall?
Venture Capital Dysfunction Award. What venture capital firm is not so secretly unraveling behind the scenes?
Wackiest Startup Idea. Who had the kookiest startup idea that got investor attention this year?
Most Likely to Become a Decacorn. What startup worth less than $1 billion today is most likely to be a decacorn this decade?
Savviest Dealmaker. What executive, lawyer, or banker cut the best deal that involved a startup?
Board Asleep at the Wheel Prize. Who let their startup get away with bad acts or incompetence without stepping in?
The AI Everything Award. For the company most determined to slap “AI-powered” on every feature.
Wordcel of the Year. Who tweeted their heart out and won over ours?
Podcast Moment of the Year. Audio that decided the course of human history.
Post of the Year. The single best piece of thought leadership in Silicon Valley.
Scoop of the Year. Best exclusive tech news story of the year.
PR Whisperer Achievement Award. Who saved their client from near disaster?