Why Post-Exit Female Founders Are Choosing Harvard Over Their Next Startup

🌟 What’s new in Tech & Business

💋 Coldplay, a Kiss Cam, and a $740M Tech Scandal
Tech Twitter is spiraling over this one: Andy Byron, then-CEO of data startup Astronomer, was caught on a kiss cam snuggling with his company’s Head of People — at a Coldplay concert. He’s now the former CEO, and Astronomer is under formal investigation.

The company, valued at $740M, just got more press than any paid campaign could’ve bought.

💸 Nvidia Hits $4 Trillion — Yes, Trillion — in Market Value
Nvidia just made history. The AI chip giant became the first company ever to cross a $4 trillion valuation, dethroning Apple’s previous high of $3.9T.

🦄 8 Months to Unicorn: Lovable’s Wild Rise
AI startup Lovable just raised $200M at a jaw-dropping $1.8B valuation — and they’ve only been around for eight months. Yep, eight.

The platform helps non-coders build websites and apps using “vibe coding” (a very real term, we swear), and already boasts 2.3M+ users.

What’s the takeaway?
The line between builder and user is blurring — and founders solving for creativity + simplicity are raking in big checks.

🧠 ChatGPT Gets Superpowers: The New Web-Browsing Agent Is Live
OpenAI just launched something game-changing: a ChatGPT agent that doesn’t just talk — it acts. Think of it as your new virtual chief of staff. It can now browse the web, run code, plan events, analyze competitors, book appointments, and even generate editable slide decks — all in one go.

Need a weekly investor update? Research on competitors? A travel plan for your next offsite? ChatGPT can now complete these tasks using its own virtual computer — and even lets you interrupt or take over mid-task.

This is more than a feature. It’s a glimpse into a future where AI becomes an actual teammate — not just a chatbot.

🌟 Women Founders

Post-Exit Female Founders Are Choosing Classrooms Over Corner Offices

Here's a fascinating trend: after successful startup exits, more women founders are heading back to school rather than jumping into their next venture. The data tells the story: Only 36% of female tech founders in North America have advanced degrees, versus 41% of male founders.

Success Stories:

• Stella Garber (Founder of FeeFighters → acquired by Groupon): Used her Chicago MBA to "punch up" in fancy tech environments. When the startup she later worked at, Trello, was acquired by Atlassian, she found that the decision to attend business school at the University of Chicago played to her advantage.

• Hayley Leibson (Founder of Astrapilot → acquired by Blackhawk): Now at Harvard, saying a "brand name institution" would have made fundraising easier.

The insight: These founders aren't falling behind—they're strategically positioning for bigger wins and closing "perception gaps" where women are underestimated.

The $40 Billion "Boring Business" Opportunity

“Boring businesses" like laundromats haven't innovated in decades. As Boomers retire and sell their companies, there's a massive opportunity for Millennials and Gen Z entrepreneurs to modernize these essential services.

💡 WE Guide: From Obligations to Desires

The Strategic Woman's Guide to Following Your Wants (Not Just Your Shoulds)

Shannon Watts' insight about desires vs. obligations isn't just philosophical—it's strategic. Here's how to rewire your decision-making for exponential growth.

✅ Step 1: The Desire Audit

Question everything you're currently doing. For each major commitment, ask:

• Am I doing this because I want to?

• Am I doing this because I think I should?

• What would I choose if no one was watching?

Pro tip: Your "shoulds" often come from other people's expectations, not your strategic vision.

🎯 Step 2: Identify Your Permission-Free Dreams

List 5 things you want to do but haven't given yourself "permission" for:

• Start that "risky" business idea

• Pivot your company's direction

• Say no to that lucrative but soul-crushing client

• Go back to school (like those post-exit founders)

• Launch that creative side project

🔥 Step 3: The CMO Success Framework

Borrowing from multibillion-dollar tech CMOs: The most successful marketing leaders aren't just executing—they're defining positioning and vision. Apply this to your life:

Define Your Positioning: What problem do YOU specifically solve? Not why you're faster/cheaper, but what unique value you bring.

Align Your Team: Whether it's cofounders, employees, or even family—everyone needs to understand your vision.

Eliminate "Healthy Tension": Stop compartmentalizing your desires and obligations. Integrate them strategically.

💪 Step 4: The "Boring Business" Mindset

Look for overlooked opportunities in established industries. Ask:

• What basic service could use a millennial/Gen Z upgrade?

• What "boring" problem could I solve better?

• Where are Boomers retiring and leaving gaps?

✨ Step 5: Design Your Multiple-Chapter Life

Stop searching for one "true purpose." Instead:

• Plan for 3-5 distinct career chapters

• Each chapter can fulfill different desires

• Your obligations can become fuel for your desires (like Watts turning motherhood into activism)

Remember: The most successful women aren't just following their obligations—they're strategically designing lives around their deepest desires.

💌 From the Editor's Desk

This week’s newsletter reminded us of something revolutionary: we have permission to want things. Not just to achieve things, not just to fulfill expectations, but to actively pursue what lights us up.

The women heading back to school after exits aren't taking steps backward—they're taking strategic steps toward their next desires. The founders spotting opportunities in "boring" industries aren't settling—they're following their instinct that there's gold in overlooked places.

Your desires aren't frivolous. They're data. They're pointing you toward opportunities, innovations, and impact that only you can create.

So this week, I'm asking you one question: What do you want?

Not what you should want. Not what would look good on LinkedIn. Not what would make your parents proud (although it might).

What do YOU want?

The answer might just change everything.

With you,
Keren
Founder, WE – Women Entrepreneurship

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