Sources

Last Updated: July 2026

Living bibliography of GTMSF’s projects, frameworks, editorial views, market context, and source material.

• Primack, Dan. “Axios Pro Rata.” Axios, 13 May 2025, axios.com/newsletters/axios-pro-rata-a68c1560-d690-4439-b7d7-8e1e4d8e8c2b.
• Hudson, Charles. “The Big Reset in Seed to Series A Graduation Rates Is Real and Permanent.” Venture Reflections, 25 Oct. 2023, chudson.substack.com/p/the-big-reset-in-seed-to-series-a.
• Thompson, Polly. “Bosses Don’t Think AI Is Paying Off Yet, a PwC Survey of 4,500 CEOs Found.” Business Insider, 19 Jan. 2026, businessinsider.com/pwc-global-ceo-survey-is-ai-investment-delivering-financial-returns-2026-1.
• Hutchinson, Alex. “Brain Stimulating Headphones May Work After All.” Outside, 25 Mar. 2019, outsideonline.com/outdoor-gear/tools/brain-stimulating-headphones-halo.
• Winfrey, Graham. “The ‘Brain-Hacking’ Wearable That Promises to Recharge Your Mind.” Inc., 30 Mar. 2016, inc.com/graham-winfrey/brain-hacking-wearables-now-can-recharge-your-mind.html.
• Knibbs, Kate. “The Brain-Zapping Olympians.” The Ringer, 4 Aug. 2016, theringer.com/2016/08/04/tech/halo-sport-olympics-neuroscience-353f7f0d9ffe.
• “Business of Home Acquired by Recurrent Ventures.” Business of Home, 22 Mar. 2022, businessofhome.com/articles/business-of-home-acquired-by-recurrent-ventures.
• Alsever, Jennifer. “Can Electric ‘Brain Training’ Devices Make You Smarter?” Fortune, 17 Nov. 2015, fortune.com/2015/11/17/electric-brain-training-devices-cognitive-enhancement.
• Rieland, Randy. “Can Headphones That Shock Your Brain Help You Run Faster and Jump Higher?” Smithsonian Magazine, 5 Apr. 2016, smithsonianmag.com/innovation/can-headphones-shock-your-brain-make-you-run-faster-and-jump-higher-180958632.
• Moore, Geoffrey A. Crossing the Chasm: Marketing and Selling High-Tech Products to Mainstream Customers. HarperBusiness, 1991, amazon.com/Crossing-Chasm-3rd-Disruptive-Mainstream/dp/0062292986.
• Rogers, Bruce. “Daniel Chao’s Halo Neuroscience Builds Headset to Train Your Brain.” Forbes, 29 Apr. 2016, updated 20 Oct. 2016, forbes.com/sites/brucerogers/2016/04/29/daniel-chaos-halo-neuroscience-builds-headset-to-train-your-brain.
• “Defense Department Creates Program to Tap Silicon Valley Talent.” CBS San Francisco, 9 Nov. 2017, cbsnews.com/sanfrancisco/news/defense-department-silicon-valley-technology.
• BOH Staff. “Dwell, Domino and Business of Home Are Acquired.” Business of Home, 1 May 2026, businessofhome.com/articles/dwell-domino-and-business-of-home-are-acquired.
• King, Matthew Wilburn. “Ecuador’s Kichwa Implement Innovative Approach to Rainforest Conservation.” Mongabay, 20 May 2020, news.mongabay.com/2020/05/ecuadors-kichwa-implement-innovative-approach-to-rainforest-conservation.
• “An Ecuadorian-American Beverage Company Regenerates the Amazon.” Amazon Investor Coalition, 2 Aug. 2021, amazoninvestor.org/an-ecuadorian-american-beverage-company-regenerates-the-amazon.
• Russell, Kane. “8 B2B Tips for Using Social Forums.” Social Media Examiner, 18 July 2012, socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-use-b2b-social-forums.
• Mondry, Myranda. “Entrepreneurship in 2026: Business Intent in the U.S. Is Up 94% Year over Year.” QuickBooks, 2026, quickbooks.intuit.com/r/small-business-data/entrepreneurship-in-2026.
• “Episode 203: Kane Russell - Using Neurostimulation to Boost Physical Performance and Learning.” Midlife, Together by Dr. Heidi, 11 Feb. 2020, forbesoste.substack.com/p/episode-203-kane-russell-using-neurostimulation-9ca.
• Fischer, Sara. “Exclusive: MEL Magazine Acquired from Dollar Shave Club by Recurrent Ventures.” Axios, 7 July 2021, axios.com/2021/07/07/mel-magazine-dollar-shave-club-recurrent.
• Fischer, Sara. “Exclusive: Recurrent Ventures Acquires Business of Home.” Axios, 22 Mar. 2022, axios.com/2022/03/22/recurrent-ventures-acquires-business-of-home.
• Russell, Kane. “Five Must-Have Elements of an Awesome Mobile Marketing Call to Action.” MarketingProfs, 2012, marketingprofs.com/articles/2012/7855/five-must-have-elements-of-an-awesome-mobile-marketing-call-to-action.
• “Flexpress Appoints CEO Ajay Rayasam to Double-Down on Growth, $10 Million Funding Secured.” Flexpress, 26 Sept. 2024, flexpressai.com/ajay-rayasam-ceo.
• “Flow Acquires Brain Stimulation Technology Developer Halo.” Medical Device Network, 5 Feb. 2021, medicaldevice-network.com/news/flow-stimulation-technology-halo.
• Hutchinson, Alex. “For the Golden State Warriors, Brain Zapping Could Provide an Edge.” The New Yorker, 15 June 2016, newyorker.com/tech/annals-of-technology/for-the-golden-state-warriors-brain-zapping-could-provide-an-edge.
• “Global Venture Funding in 2025 Surged as Startup Deals and Valuations Set All-Time Records.” Crunchbase News, 2026, news.crunchbase.com/venture/funding-data-third-largest-year-2025.
• Lomas, Natasha. “Halo Is Building a Wearable to Make Athletes Better, Stronger, Faster.” TechCrunch, 9 May 2016, techcrunch.com/2016/05/09/halo-is-building-a-wearable-to-make-athletes-better-stronger-faster.
• Heater, Brian. “Halo Neuroscience Makes Its Brain-Juicing Athletic Headphones Available to All.” TechCrunch, 16 Nov. 2016, techcrunch.com/2016/11/16/halo-neuroscience.
• Densford, Fink. “Halo Neuroscience Raises $13m in Series B.” MassDevice, 31 Jan. 2018, massdevice.com/halo-neuroscience-raises-13m-series-b.
• “Halo Neuroscience Raises $9M in Series A Funding.” FinSMEs, 12 Feb. 2016, finsmes.com/2016/02/halo-neuroscience-raises-9m-in-series-a-funding.html.
• Heater, Brian. “Halo’s Second-Gen Brain Stimulating Headphones Run $399.” TechCrunch, 9 Jan. 2019, techcrunch.com/2019/01/09/halos-second-gen-brain-stimulating-headphones-run-399.
• Gompers, Paul A., Will Gornall, Steven N. Kaplan, and Ilya A. Strebulaev. “How Do Venture Capitalists Make Decisions?” Journal of Financial Economics, vol. 135, no. 1, Jan. 2020, sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0304405X19301680.
• DocSend. “How DocSend Data Helps Founders Build Better Pitch Decks.” Dropbox, dropbox.com/resources/docsend-pitch-deck-research. Accessed 7 July 2026.
• Terdiman, Daniel. “How Neuroscience Might Help the San Francisco Giants Win the World Series.” Fast Company, 29 Mar. 2017, fastcompany.com/3069273/how-neuroscience-might-help-the-san-francisco-giants-win-the-world-series.
• Russell, Kane. “How to Combine QR Codes With the Power of Facebook.” Social Media Examiner, 18 Aug. 2011, socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-combine-qr-codes-with-the-power-of-facebook.
• Russell, Kane. “How to Create a Viral Sweepstakes With Social Media.” Social Media Examiner, 5 Jan. 2012, socialmediaexaminer.com/how-to-create-a-viral-sweepstakes-with-social-media.
• Russell, Kane. “How to Enhance Mobile Marketing With Personalization.” MarketingProfs, 2013, marketingprofs.com/articles/2013/12014/how-to-enhance-mobile-marketing-with-personalization.
• Spangler, Timothy. “Is Crowdfunding Good for Investors?” The New Yorker, 30 Oct. 2013, newyorker.com/business/currency/is-crowdfunding-good-for-investors.
• “It’s the Only Way Forward.” Media Makers Meet - MX3, 27 Aug. 2024, mediamakersmeet.substack.com/p/its-the-only-way-forward.
• “Kane Russell On How Giants Like Tyler Beede Use Neuroscience To Improve Training.” The Sports Virus by Joe Castellano, 24 Apr. 2017, thesportsvirus.com/kane-russell-on-how-the-giants-are-using-neuroscience-to-improve-training.
• King, Matthew Wilburn. “Kichwas de Ecuador desarrollan proyecto innovador para conservar bosque tropical.” IPS Agencia de Noticias, 29 July 2020, ipsnoticias.net/2020/07/kichwas-ecuador-desarrollan-proyecto-innovador-conservar-bosque-tropical.
• Ostwal, Trishla. “Koah Raises $20.5M to Build a AdSense for AI as Chatbots Scutter for Revenue.” Adweek, 24 Feb. 2026, adweek.com/media/koah-adsense-for-chatgpt-series-a.
• Ha, Anthony. “Koah Raises $5M to Bring Ads into AI Apps.” TechCrunch, 7 Sept. 2025, techcrunch.com/2025/09/07/koah-raises-5m-to-bring-ads-into-ai-apps.
• Perlberg, Steven, and Claire Atkinson. “Meet the 11 Private Equity Firms Including General Atlantic and North Equity That Are Betting Big on Digital Media.” Business Insider, 23 Nov. 2021, businessinsider.com/top-private-equity-investors-in-digital-media-2021-11.
• Fitzpatrick, Alex. “Meet the Entrepreneur Working to Reinvent How You Connect to the Internet.” Time, 26 May 2016, time.com/4348941/starry-chet-kanojia-aereo.
• Russell, Kane. “Meeting the Mobile Marketing Data Integration Challenge.” Destination CRM, 4 Apr. 2014, destinationcrm.com/Articles/Web-Exclusives/Viewpoints/Meeting-the-Mobile-Marketing-Data-Integration-Challenge-96035.aspx.
• “Neurotech Innovators Halo Neuroscience Raises $20M in Series B Funding Round.” Signalbase, 26 Aug. 2024, trysignalbase.com/news/funding/neurotech-innovators-halo-neuroscience-raises-20m-in-series-b-funding-round.
• “New G2 Research: Half of B2B Software Buyers Now Start Their Research With AI Chatbots.” PR Newswire, 15 Apr. 2026, prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-g2-research-half-of-b2b-software-buyers-now-start-their-research-with-ai-chatbots-302742807.html.
• “North Equity Announces Acquisition of Iconic Brands Including Popular Science, Saveur, Outdoor Life and Field & Stream.” PR Newswire, 6 Oct. 2020, prnewswire.com/news-releases/north-equity-announces-acquisition-of-iconic-brands-including-popular-science-saveur-outdoor-life-and-field--stream-301147027.html.
• Dunford, April. Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It. Ambient Press, 2019, aprildunford.com/books.
• Strickland, Eliza. “Olympic Athletes Are Electrifying Their Brains, and You Can Too.” IEEE Spectrum, 23 Aug. 2016, spectrum.ieee.org/olympic-athletes-are-electrifying-their-brains-and-you-can-too.
• Victoria Times-Colonist Staff. “Oscar-Winning Director Latest to Speak Out about Death of SeaWorld Trainer by Former Oak Bay Orca.” Times Colonist, 8 Mar. 2010, timescolonist.com/archive/oscar-winning-director-latest-to-speak-out-about-death-of-seaworld-trainer-by-former-oak-bay-orca-4569461.
• Koch, Therese. “Performance Enhancing...Headphones?” Office for Science and Society, McGill University, 24 Apr. 2018, mcgill.ca/oss/article/general-science/performance-enhancingheadphones.
• Stanley, T. L. “PETA Turns to Emoji for a Seriously Cartoony Take on Animal Abuse.” Adweek, 21 Mar. 2014, adweek.com/creativity/peta-turns-emojis-seriously-cartoony-take-animal-abuse-156447.
• Bruell, Alexandra. “Popular Science Owner Recurrent Ventures Raises $300 Million in Blackstone-Led Round.” The Wall Street Journal, 18 May 2022, wsj.com/business/media/popular-science-owner-recurrent-ventures-raises-300-million-in-blackstone-led-round-11652878801.
• “PwC 2026 Global CEO Survey.” PwC, Jan. 2026, pwc.com/gx/en/news-room/press-releases/2026/pwc-2026-global-ceo-survey.html.
• Barr, Alistair. “‘Q2T3’ Is the ‘Freakish’ New Growth Benchmark for AI Startups.” Business Insider, 13 Aug. 2025, businessinsider.com/q2t3-freakish-new-investor-growth-benchmark-ai-startups-bessemer-2025-8.
• Perlberg, Steven. “Recurrent Ventures Has Just Raised $75 Million. Here’s How the Little-Known but Highly Acquisitive Company Is Planning to Become the Next Digital-Media Empire.” Business Insider, 7 Oct. 2021, businessinsider.com/recurrent-ventures-raised-75-million-to-fuel-media-acquisitions-2021-10.
• Dahlberg, Nancy. “Recurrent Ventures Raises $300M in Blackstone-Led Round.” Refresh Miami, 19 May 2022, refreshmiami.com/news/recurrent-ventures-raises-300m-in-blackstone-led-round.
• Guaglione, Sara. “Recurrent Ventures – the Next Big Private Equity-Fueled Media Conglomerate?” Digiday, 18 Jan. 2022, digiday.com/media/recurrent-ventures-the-next-big-private-equity-fueled-media-conglomerate.
• “Runa Foundation.” Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Runa_Foundation. Accessed 29 June 2026.
• “Sequoia-Backed Thanx Launches to Fix Customer Loyalty.” PR Newswire, 4 Nov. 2014, prnewswire.com/news-releases/sequoia-backed-thanx-launches-to-fix-customer-loyalty-281476431.html.
• Boudreaux, Christopher, George Clarke, and Anand Jha. “Social Capital and Small Business Productivity: The Mediating Roles of Financing and Customer Relationships.” arXiv, 24 Apr. 2021, ideas.repec.org/p/arx/papers/2104.12004.html.
• Bessemer Venture Partners. “The State of AI 2025.” BVP Atlas, 13 Aug. 2025, bvp.com/atlas/the-state-of-ai-2025.
• Fulton Schools. “State of Mind: Startup Receives Funding for Brain-Optimizing Wearable Tech.” ASU Engineering News, 10 Oct. 2014, news.engineering.asu.edu/2014/10/state-of-mind-startup-receives-funding-for-brain-optimizing-wearable-tech.
• Carta. “State of Private Markets: 2025 in Review.” Carta Data, 2026, carta.com/data/state-of-private-markets-q4-2025.
• Buhr, Sarah. “Thanx Gets $4.7 Million From Sequoia, Partners With Visa and MasterCard.” TechCrunch, 4 Nov. 2014, techcrunch.com/2014/11/04/thanx-gets-4-7-million-from-sequoia-partners-with-visa-and-mastercard.
• Haggin, Patience. “Thanx Hauls in Backing for In-Store Customer Loyalty Software.” The Wall Street Journal, 8 Dec. 2016, wsj.com/articles/thanx-hauls-in-backing-for-in-store-customer-loyalty-software-1481200201.
• Maltby, Emily. “There Are No Easy A’s in Venture Capital These Days.” The Wall Street Journal, 15 Feb. 2024, wsj.com/articles/there-are-no-easy-as-in-venture-capital-these-days-a1c1b27a.
• Salmanowitz, Natalie. “Thync Piece: Do Mind-Altering Wearables Live Up to the Billing?” New Scientist, 5 Apr. 2016, newscientist.com/article/2083126-thync-piece-do-mind-altering-wearables-live-up-to-the-billing.
• Shanklin, Will. “Thync Relax: 10 Days with the New ‘Neuroscience’ Wearable.” New Atlas, 18 Jan. 2017, newatlas.com/thync-relax-review-beta/47438.
• Lamkin, Paul. “Thync’s New Wearable Is Mind Bending.” Wareable, 2 June 2015, wareable.com/wearable-tech/thyncs-new-wearable-is-mind-bending-1199.
• High Alpha. 2025 SaaS Benchmarks Report. High Alpha, 2025, highalpha.com/saas-benchmarks.
• Carta. “Typical Time Between VC Rounds Is Shrinking in SaaS, Rising in Fintech.” Carta Data, 2024, carta.com/data/time-between-VC-rounds-2024.
• Chouinard, Haley. “Under New Owners, Lonny Sets Its Sights on Gen Z.” Business of Home, 2 Feb. 2022, businessofhome.com/articles/lonny-acquired-by-recurrent-ventures.
• “Upland Software Acquires Waterfall.” Upland Software, info.uplandsoftware.com/upland-acquires-waterfall.html.
• “Upland Software Announces Acquisition of Waterfall International and Raises 2017 Guidance.” PR Newswire, 13 July 2017, prnewswire.com/news-releases/upland-software-announces-acquisition-of-waterfall-international-and-raises-2017-guidance-300487692.html.
• Primack, Dan. “Venture Capital Is Stalling at Seed.” Axios, 18 May 2025, axios.com/2025/05/18/venture-capital-stalling-seed.
• Gage, Deborah. “The Venture Capital Secret: 3 Out of 4 Start-Ups Fail.” The Wall Street Journal, 20 Sept. 2012.
• “Waterfall by Upland.” SoftwareOne Marketplace, platform.softwareone.com/product/waterfall/PCP-0867-5436.
• Dillow, Clay. “Wearable Technology That Controls Your Brain.” Fortune, 30 Jan. 2015, fortune.com/2015/01/30/wearable-technology-that-controls-your-brain.
• Russell, Kane. “What Are Mobile Marketing Opt-Ins and Why Are They Important?” Social Media Examiner, 18 Oct. 2011, socialmediaexaminer.com/what-are-mobile-marketing-opt-ins-and-why-are-they-important.
• Stenberg, Mark. “What to Know About Mel Magazine’s New Owners, Recurrent Ventures.” Adweek, 9 July 2021, adweek.com/media/mel-magazine-new-owners-recurrent-ventures.
• Nobel, Carmen. “Why Companies Fail—and How Their Founders Can Bounce Back.” HBS Working Knowledge, Harvard Business School, 7 Mar. 2011, library.hbs.edu/working-knowledge/why-companies-failand-how-their-founders-can-bounce-back.
• Russell, Kane. “Your Buyers Moved to AI. Why Hasn’t Your Ad Budget?” Topline, 31 Mar. 2026, topline.beehiiv.com/p/your-buyers-moved-to-ai-why-hasn-t-your-ad-budget.