Davina Schonle

@bentossell @FactoryAI Congratulations on your next move! I love your newsletter and look forward to the next stage of your journey.

📣 Some news I’m excited to join @FactoryAI as Head of Dev Rel I shared the full story in bens bites this morning. Tldr; - Started in tech working at Product Hunt (2015) - Built stuff with no-code tools - No one signed up for any ‘startup’ I launched - Started Makerpad - a company to teach ‘no-code building’ (2018/2019) - Sold it to Zapier (2021) - Started (the first) daily AI newsletter (2023) - Started an AI fund I cannot code. My whole career was banging the drum that you don’t need to learn to code to start a company and make money. I proved that with Makerpad - the amount of people to this day that said it helped them start a business, make money or get a job is truly special. AI came along and I felt like I was right on my message, wrong on the format (not drag ’n’ drop tools). AI has changed a lot for me. I’ve become more technical by just being curious. Getting ahead of myself with AI coding tools then learning backwards (whats a dependency, wtf are linters, how do i use GitHub etc). I still can’t code, but I understand a lot of the stack now. So I’m coming out of retirement - an exited founder turned investor often stays there - the comfortable life. But I’m 35, not 75. I like testing myself, I like meaty challenges. It’s time for me to get back to operating and teaching again. You’ll notice I’ve been talking about Factory a bit (I invested back in 2023). It’s a team and mission that I’ve watched grow (tremendously) in that time and my conviction along with it. The team is doing incredible things with AI, they believe in an agent-native future with coding tools across the browser, cli, slack, linear and more. We have a BIG launch soon 👀. The newsletter will stay as is. I will cover the entire industry and I’ll share stuff I’m working on, just as before. If you want to be more technically-able, I want to talk with you, help you and learn from you. I will also still be investing from Ben’s Bites Fund II - I focus on AI developer tools and infrastructure - I’ll continue to invest in this community. If you’re an LP or founder - DM/email me! I want to thank Keshav, Shanice and Adam for sticking with me and helping this newsletter run. I couldn’t do everything I do without them. Looking back at my career all the dots make a beautiful connected arc. But from the start there’s not a chance I’d think I’d ever be here, shipping code, using a terminal, working closely with developers and now teaching others. From not technical at all, to technical non-technical member of technical staff.

Can finally share that I’m 1 of 100 that has been accepted on the Barclays Female Founders 2025 Accelerator. There is so much happening in the next 6 months that this is perfect timing. #womenintech #femalefounder #techaccelerator

I read this today from a CFO newsletter, yes I read CFO news as a Founder because: a) it's important - these are a key corporate stakeholders that says yes or no to your proposal b) i've built my own financial models But the purpose of this is to serve as a reminder... #Ai

🚨 Eruption has started NE of Grindavik in #Iceland 👀

@RolandFrasier AI

ChatGPT is going to revolutionize consulting businesses in 2023. But most people aren’t taking full advantage. I recorded a full masterclass explaining tons of ways I’m using ChatGPT and AI to grow my consulting biz. Comment "AI" & I’ll DM you the link. *Must be following*

I hope that even my worst critics remain on Twitter, because that is what free speech means

Just in case...

Happy New Year of the Ox!

On Clubhouse tonight at 10pm LA time

I'm discussing “Introverts and Building an Online Business”. Wednesday, 6 Jan at 11:00 am GMT on @joinclubhouse. Join us! joinclubhouse.com/event/VmJ5DQoM

Build a connection with your prospects. With people in general.

Nobody will buy from someone they don't like.

My Go-To for Industry Knowledge is Bloomberg. What is your go-to for your industry to keep up to date? #bloomberg #businessnews

Last week Alison Rose was announced as the first woman to become appointed CEO of a UK Bank. According to figures the UK banking industry is still behind the gender diversity progress made within American banks. #womeninpower #businessnews #bankingnews

A lot of people think corporate business has to be stuffy and formal. Not always. It’s like any business. It’s based on relationships. Relationships formed over time. It’s about getting to know the person and not just the suit. #WednesdayWisdom #businesstips #businesscoach

My Business Tip of the Week is don't get a midnight flight from Asia after back to back meetings all day and you get to the airport after most places close #BusinessTravel #businesstips #jetlag #businesswoman

@MartinSLewis Probably honey. Wouldn’t want ice cream...it’s cold! Baked beans would be ok. Honey is good for the skin though.

Today's FRI Twitter Poll: If you had to do 'sit in a bath of something' for charity - where you are in the bath for 10 hours. Which of the following would you choose for your bath to be filled with

In a meeting if you reach a bottleneck on a point move onto another point. and come back to it. #negotiation #businesstips #businessmeeting

keep the momentum going in a negotiation #negotiation #businessmeetings #businesstips #successtips

Negotiation is a process. #negotiation #businesscoaching #businesstips