Generative AI for proptech, cloud vendor purchases, cybersecurity fairy tales • TechCrunch

Generative AI reminds me of ball bearings: the technology is relatively inexpensive, highly adaptable, and a proven way to reduce friction.

Investors have taken notice: CB Insights reports that venture capital firms invested $49 billion in AI last year, a 40% jump from the previous year.

Much of the hype so far has focused on chatbots and avatars, but “the emergence of AI will reduce material use cases in real estate technology,” says Kunal Lunawat, co-founder and managing partner of Agya Ventures.

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For TC+, Lunawat explores several examples, including the potential for integrating AI into construction workflows, using ML data to optimize bidding and estimating, and automating processes such as obtaining insurance and underwriting mortgages.

“The opportunity for real estate technology entrepreneurs in search, listing, mortgage, insurance, construction and sustainability is the kind that comes along once in a generation.”

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Walter Thompson
Editorial Manager, TechCrunch+
@yourprotagonist

Choosing a Cloud Infrastructure Provider: A Beginner’s Guide

At the risk of being dogmatic: all non-technical founders must hire a CTO.

Most will eventually, but like many aspects of startup operations, this gap will only be closed when absolutely necessary.

Waiting for, someone must make fundamental decisions about cloud infrastructure and strategy.

“Analyzing the tools available before choosing a cloud infrastructure provider is critical to controlling application maturity and running costs,” said Sashank Purighalla, Founder and CEO of BOS Framework.

In a guide that dives deep into best practices for launching a cloud strategy, Purighalla examines the challenges and benefits of “cloud monogamy,” compares major vendors, and offers tactics that can help developers avoid “cloud monogamy.” ‘analysis”.

What do investors expect from your problem slide?

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Early-stage investors generally understand vertical markets better than the aspiring entrepreneurs who introduce them.

Typically, they’re looking for ideas that can scale and founders that can execute, so every pitch deck should describe “what could be better and how that gap in the market can be turned into opportunity,” Haje Jan Kamps writes. . .

Using sample presentations he’s analyzed in the past, Haje explains his framework for helping beginners articulate the value their startup creates and why it’s poised to grow:

• Who has this problem?
• How are they currently solving this problem?
• What are they willing to sacrifice for their current solution?
• What is wrong with how they are currently solving this problem?

Cybersecurity teams, beware: the defender’s dilemma is a lie

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The defender’s dilemma is one of the touchstones of cybersecurity: “Defenders have to be right every time. Attackers only need to be right once.

It may sound genuine, but David J. Bianco, a staff security strategist at Splunk, says it’s actually a false narrative that leaves systems less secure.

“Defenders rightly expect attackers to lie and cheat to achieve their goals, but sometimes we forget that lying and cheating can work both ways.”

To improve technical interview close rates, give candidates feedback (good or bad)

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“White coat syndrome” occurs when patients register artificially high blood pressure because they are anxious about seeing a doctor.

Technical interviews are similar: In a survey that analyzed data from 1,000 people who conducted 100,000 interviews, a quarter of candidates who received a passing grade initially thought they had failed.

“Our research shows that 43% of all candidates consistently underestimate their technical interview performance,” said Aline Lerner, Founder and CEO of interviewing.io.

In a comprehensive post on TC+, she offers a manual for collecting and sharing “honest (and sometimes harsh) feedback” and asking post-interview questions that create objective benchmarks.

“Only about 25% of candidates make regular interviews,” Lerner writes. “That means a candidate you reject today could be someone you want to hire six months from now.”