Vera

Earlier this month, we joined thousands of founders, builders, and investors TECH WEEK by a16z in SF—and what a week it was. I came back with sore feet (we averaged 6 events each every day) and a sleep schedule that now resembles a newborn's...but of course, it was so worth it. We had the privilege of meeting hundreds of amazing people, potential partners, and Beta customers for Vera. A special shoutout to everyone at Vera HQ for holding down the fort while we were away, to James Devlin for being the ultimate events wingman, and to everyone we connected with. Big thanks as well to all the fantastic hosts like Aravinda Seshadri (she/her), Dasha Shunina, Christelle Rohaut, Anna Hong, Julie Castro Abrams, Clara Ma, Sebastian Politi, Nazar Gulyk and Nuné Zadoyan, MBA plus the teams at Deel, Pilot.com, Inkle and Lazo for putting together events that sparked deep dives into AI, SMB tech, Women in AI, and startup growth. And the noteworthy speakers and community leaders like Dara C., Dorothy Kilroy (she/her), Stephanie Haven, Sylvia Kang and Atal Agarwal. We're heading back with a ton of new ideas and motivation to keep building our vision for a future with Vera, an AI Finance and Ops manager for startups and SMBs. #SFTechWeek #TechCommunity #HireVera #AI

Day 1 of Tech Week wrapped! Met some great folks, had great conversations, and drank way too much coffee. Here are the standout takeaways so far: 1. AI is everywhere. The phrase “Software is dead” popped up more than once, with plenty of mixed reactions. 2. LATAM developer talent is booming. LATAM has great developer firepower - lots of offshore teams in similar time zones with solid leadership and competitive margins. 3. The shift from AI copilots to AI agents is real. It’s where the interest is moving, and the potential is massive. Even saw a 3D AI agent company with spatial awareness. Just wow. 4. Starting an AI company? If you’re not building on OpenAI’s platform, people are seriously questioning your strategy. Who agrees? 5. Automate where humans touch workflows. But if you’re venturing into crowded fields like Healthcare, Sales, or Customer Service, you’ll need a true differentiator to stand out. 6. Platform vs. Vertical Play: Horizontal platforms can be big, defensible plays. Verticals might be easier to fund, but they come with lower valuations and fewer barriers to entry. 7. The bar for POCs is rising. Investors expect slick, interactive demos that showcase real-time value. The standard for “wow” is only getting higher. As always, thanks to the hosts for having us and for 8. Unicorns with lean teams. We’ll see more unicorns built with teams of 40 people or fewer—efficiency is the new scale. Looking forward to what the rest of the week brings. See you in SF, or in the Slack Community (link in comments). ✌ #TechWeek #AI #HireVera Thanks for hosting us: Deel. Nuné Zadoyan, MBA Felipe Collin UCLA Ventures Monta Vista Capital Cooley LLP Hustle Fund Alpha Partners Greenhouse Software Fusion Fund

Super excited to be sharing the first public demo of Vera. We will be releasing this to a select number of customers that have joined out waitlist. Our goal is make running your businesses G&A function as simple and cost effectively as possible, so you can focus time and resources on growing and improving your offering. To get early access go to hirevera.com #SMB #backoffice #AI

Planning our trip to SF for Tech Week this October made us stop and reflect on the things we wished we knew or did before leaving. Here are 8 things we're doing, that will help you make the most of it (without burning out)... 1. Plan your schedule. This is the first for a reason. There are 400+ events packed into just 7 days, which is amazing but overwhelming. We created a Google Sheet to see who's hosting, when, and where at a glance. Feel free to use it — link below. 2. Join a Slack. We didn't for NYC, but we came as a pair so could piggyback on each other's energy. Joining a community like Yorkseed or Lenny's Letter is a great way to find people on the ground quickly and do the same. We’ve set up a Slack Group so if you're riding solo or want community — jump in, we've got you. 3. Set a goal. It's obvious but it helps you stay focused when reserves are dwindling. For NYC we set a goal of meeting 100 founders to ask them about what made their back-office painful. We made it competitive so it kept us motivated all 7 days. The outcome? We spoke to over 200, learnt a huge amount and met great people we're still in touch with. 4. Make a QR code screensaver. A real winner - it saved us so much time and phone battery. If you don't know what it is, DM Vera and we can either show you or set it up. 5. Stay charged. And we mean electronically, physically, and emotionally. Events will be all over town and noisy — take care of yourself. 6. Polish your pitch. Did people get it? Does it resonate? Every blank face gives you a chance to write the new version of your value prop. If you're early-stage, it's a great place to try it out. 7. Connect before. Hosts have generously put these events on — sometimes at expense — because they too want to connect and learn from us, so don't be shy and give them a nudge on LinkedIn or X. It'll save you time at midnight each day too. 8. Download Luma and Partiful. This is where it all happens, so if you need to find the map or check the event time (they change!), then you'll thank yourself you did this before and not lost somewhere downtown with zero water. See you in SF (or Slack). ✌️ #SFTechWeek #Community #AI #Startup