About
With over 25 years of experience in the digital media industry, I am the founder of Horan…
Articles by Peter
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Who Tells You the Truth About Your Customers?
Who Tells You the Truth About Your Customers?
I have long been fascinated by how good, maybe even great companies can fall flat on their face. In spite of a strong…
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Days of Reckoning for The Media Economy
Days of Reckoning for The Media Economy
I am pleased and honored to have been included in this article about the struggles of venture-backed media startups to…
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Tool Kit for Profitable Publishing
Tool Kit for Profitable Publishing
Most publishers realized several years ago that business as usual doesn't work any more. However that realization…
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Why HMTA Is Investing in Local News Now
Why HMTA Is Investing in Local News Now
Horan MediaTech Advisors is excited to announce that we have invested in local news startup, Spirited Media, and that…
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The Meteor That Hit Canon and Nikon
The Meteor That Hit Canon and Nikon
I have recently believed that executives should watch more disaster movies and read fewer business books. Granted, I…
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Don't Get Ulcers over $20 Problems
Don't Get Ulcers over $20 Problems
My youngest daughter, Laura, and I were in Las Vegas last week and on our way to a Cirque du Soleil show that we were…
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Performance Marketing Reality Check
Performance Marketing Reality Check
Is it the best of times? Or the worst of times? Are ad tech and performance marketing companies crushing it? Or are the…
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Ridiculous Dreams. Obsessive Execution. From Prunes to Petabytes. The Rise of Silicon Valley.
Ridiculous Dreams. Obsessive Execution. From Prunes to Petabytes. The Rise of Silicon Valley.
Today, Silicon Valley is a global icon. The center of wealth creation and an engine for growth and change.
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AdTech: The March From Point to Platform
AdTech: The March From Point to Platform
One of the most compelling questions right now is whether ad technology and marketing technology are about to converge…
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Three Warning Signs of a VC Bubble About to Burst
Three Warning Signs of a VC Bubble About to Burst
There's a rule of thumb that three points make a trend. I realized this morning, as I was talking to a private equity…
23 Comments
Activity
5K followers
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Peter Horan shared thisThis truly taps the power of retail media.Peter Horan shared thisThe bridge between offsite intent and onsite conversion is officially here. 🚀 We’re excited to announce that Kevel is partnering with DG Media Network and The Trade Desk to launch a first-of-its-kind unified media solution. By leveraging Kevel’s onsite infrastructure, advertisers can now plan, execute and measure full-funnel journeys across a single ecosystem: 📺 Offsite: CTV, Digital Audio, and Display. 🛒 Onsite: High-conversion retail media placements. We’re giving retailers the tools to own their platforms while unlocking the interoperability needed to capture massive advertiser demand. Link in comments 👇 #RetailMedia #AdTech #Kevel #TheTradeDesk #DGMN #Innovation James Avery Austin Leonard Matthew Fantazier
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Peter Horan reposted thisIf you're interested in private credit (either as an investor, or how it has recently become such a major asset class, you should check this out. Big thanks to Deciens Capital for putting Michael Brawer in front of their ecosystem. #privatecreditPeter Horan reposted thisFor the first time, we're opening a Deciens conversation to the public. On Wednesday, May 13, our General Partner Ishan Sachdev will sit down with Michael Brawer, CEO & Co-founder of Transparency Analytics, for a candid hour on private credit's credibility problem — and what it will take to fix it. We'll go behind the headlines on: → Why "mark to myth" valuations are eroding trust in the asset class → How U.S. life and annuity insurers — private credit's largest buyers — are navigating asset/liability matching and regulator scrutiny → What it would actually take for private assets to reach the $49T U.S. retirement market If you want to understand how the sausage is made — not just what the headlines print — this one is for you. 🗓 Wednesday, May 13 · 9:00 AM PT / 12:00 PM ET · 1 hour 🔗 Learn more + register: https://lnkd.in/gyy2EkcS
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Peter Horan reposted thisPeter Horan reposted thisMore than $166 billion in tariffs is now being refunded to U.S. businesses following a Supreme Court ruling, but for many founders, the uncertainty isn’t over. In a recent The New York Times article, 2020 Tory Burch Fellow and Wild Rye founder Cassie Abel shared that her company is expecting about $250,000 in refunds, plus interest. Though the government told business owners to expect refunds within 60 to 90 days of their requests’ approval, Abel remains cautious about how quickly, or easily, that relief will arrive. She’s one of thousands of founders navigating shifting policies while running and growing their businesses. Read the full article to learn more about how founders are handling refunds: https://lnkd.in/eE-PJaUp And click the link in our comments for the latest updates on the CAPE portal. ⬇️ Image description: The New York Times. Trump Administration Takes Steps to Refund $166 Billion in Tariffs. April 21, 2026. Photo of Cassie Abel working with her team. #ToryBurchFellows
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Peter Horan shared thisInteresting look at the retro future of Sneakers. Even on a tactical level (say last quarter’s sales forecast), it’s useful to look back and compare what you expected to happen with what actually did occur. I will also enjoy looking back at the picks and pans from this week’s NFL draft. Pundits announce heroes and busts for players who haven’t heard a whistle in the NFL. Everyone should have the intllectual honesty to see how their punditry holds up,Retro Futures: “Sneakers” (1992) and Anthropic’s Mythos (2026)Retro Futures: “Sneakers” (1992) and Anthropic’s Mythos (2026)
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Peter Horan shared thisHere is a great event in Portland next Tuesday 4/30. Women. Money. Power. Any event that involves Caroline Lewis Melanie (Mel) Strong and Paige Hendrix Buckner is definitely a don’t miss.
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Peter Horan reposted thisPeter Horan reposted thisWe are SO proud to announce the launch of Juliette Lewis x Wildfang: a ten-piece collection, offered in XS to 4X and designed by the one and only, Juliette Lewis. Juliette Lewis has built a career defined by fearless expression and an unwavering sense of self. Now, the actor, musician, and cultural force brings that uncompromising sensibility to Wildfang. “This line feels equal parts outlaw, wild west, and fun city-chic…everything I’d want to wear in my daily life,” says Lewis. “It’s so rare to get to collaborate with a designer where we complete each other’s visual and aesthetic sentences! I love that Wildfang wanted to use my teenage mug shot that I made T-shirts out of to fund my early rock-n-roll days of touring. This line fits my mantra: ‘Own all that you are and wear it loosely.” Launching March 11, the Juliette Lewis x Wildfang Collection reflects Lewis’s distinctive point of view through a tightly edited capsule spanning suiting, workwear, and accessories. Grounded in Western and Americana references, the designs draw from Lewis’s cultural imprint and early influences, including her formative years in Los Angeles, with her teenage mugshot appearing on a graphic tee and on the exterior woven label as a distinctly personal touch. Sharp tailoring meets softened textures and graphic elements, resulting in pieces that feel confident, slightly cheeky, and designed to stand on their own. Check out the collection here: https://www.wildfang.com/
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Peter Horan reposted thisPeter Horan reposted thisPrivate credit ratings seem to be on everyone's mind. Here's an excerpt from Jamie Dimon's annual letter to shareholders today, April 6, 2026. "However this plays out, it should be expected that at some point insurance regulators will insist on more rigorous ratings or markdowns, which will likely lead to demands for more capital." See how Transparency Analytics brings a better standard to this opaque industry. Wall Street analytics meets Silicon Valley engineering. https://lnkd.in/ecgM8RkBJamie Dimon's Letter to Shareholders, Annual Report 2025 | JPMorganChaseJamie Dimon's Letter to Shareholders, Annual Report 2025 | JPMorganChase
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Peter Horan shared thisGreg Sands is and has been one of the best early stage investors. Always worth listening to his thoughtsPeter Horan shared thisThere are many ways to do Seed stage venture capital. Skill in attracting and picking founders is job 1. As Yuliya Chernova reports, firms with broadly diversified strategies can and have delivered excellent returns. That said, we built Costanoa Ventures around a value proposition to founders to be the "most useful venture firm they've ever laid eyes on." Every part of our firm, including portfolio construction, is optimized to deliver on that. Investing in ~30 companies per fund with six partners lets us concentrate our time and resources. It's not the only way to do Seed stage venture, but it works for us.
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Peter Horan shared thisWhat is the modern-day 'Solitaire' for AI? Is it ChatGPT's chat interface, or is it something we have yet to build? As we navigate the complexities of AI, it's essential to consider how we can introduce users to these advanced technologies in manageable portions. The challenge lies in making these elephant-sized innovations accessible and user-friendly. For insights on how Solitaire played a crucial role in Microsoft’s Windows success, you can explore this link: https://lnkd.in/gqTfQmMMThe Best Onboarding Tool in Tech History Was a Card Game - Horan MediaTech AdvisorsThe Best Onboarding Tool in Tech History Was a Card Game - Horan MediaTech Advisors
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Peter Horan liked thisPeter Horan liked thisOVF Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Eric Rosenfeld, has been in vc for literally decades. In this month's newsletter he provided "10 Questions to Ask Your VC... Before You Invest" It's a quick read full of experienced thought leadership. You can find it here: https://lnkd.in/gedFi6gh If you're on our newsletter distribution, then you may have already seen the perspective a couple of weeks ago in the newsletter. If you would also like to be one of the first to get updates and industry expertise, you can sign up for our monthly newsletter here: https://lnkd.in/g_j42eZp Your OVF Management Team: Lynn Fletcher, Matt Compton, Alline K Akintore, Deepthi Madhava, Gloria Zabel, Melissa (Durham) Freeman, Mary Geyer
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Peter Horan liked thisPeter Horan liked thisI'm working with a founder whose certainty-to-knowledge ratio is wildly out of whack. He's sure about everything. What customers want. How they'll buy. How the product should work. Push back and you get the same refrain: "But I've built companies like this before!" He has. I respect the scar tissue. But his certainty is getting in the way of meeting the market as it actually is today. He reminds me a little of people from high school for whom senior prom is still the highest point of their lives. Let it go, homie. Nobody gives a s#^t. I'm just as guilty. When I walk into a room leading with "30 years building tech companies," it's my version of "but I dated the prom queen!" Nobody's impressed. And worse, it signals I'm living in a highlight reel that already expired. What you're actually advertising when you lead with 25 years of experience is 25 years of habits you haven't stress-tested against a world that changed six months ago. And, in many ways, that's more dangerous than having no experience at all. A novice would never have the confidence to be wrong at speed. Your prom queen days are over. Mine too.
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Peter Horan reacted on thisPeter Horan reacted on thisKicking off Wild Rye's SS27 sell-in this morning gave me all the feels. Building an all women sales team like this isn’t easy. It’s no secret that women in sales are hard to come by, especially in this industry and ESPECIALLY within Wild Rye's core sports of ski and cycle. We hit the jackpot with this group. They show up prepared, thoughtful, and ready to hustle to move the business forward. No ego… just a team that believes in Wild Rye and works their tails off. Grateful for and proud of this crew and excited to see what we build this season. SS27 (our best spring line yet), let’s go. cc our stars ⭐ : Megan O. Stephanie Anne McCarthy Karina Schwartznau Jamie Sewell (Normandin) Lisa Terrell Dana Caraway Abigail Adams Shannon Allen Stephanie Simms Jaque Klaseus Heather Raney
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Peter Horan liked thisPeter Horan liked thisThis graph shows why it’s so hard to predict what a new technology will mean for jobs. It would've been natural to predict the decline of bank teller jobs when ATMs came out—which didn’t happen. It would’ve required a larger leap to do so when Apple released the iPhone—which did. https://lnkd.in/g3Ys7pRM
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Education
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Santa Clara University
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Classic liberal arts education. Read history, philosophy, theology and literature. Think, write, argue about ideas. Repeat.
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Publications
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Changing with Technology
Outlier Magazine-- Ever Gonzalez
See publicationVideo interview with my friends from Outier from the streets of Palo Alto. Talking about technology and how it does--and doesn't--change society.
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Answers and AdSense--10th Anniversary Video
YouTube
See publicationA video celebrating the 10th anniversary of Google's AdSense products. I've been a partner since the very earliest days.
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New and Native: Answers Mobile Experience
Google Think DoubleClick
See publicationAt the Google DoubleClick event in Laguna Niguel, showcased the stellar mobile experience on Answers.com
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Brand Demise In The Digital Era
Digiday
See publicationIt is possible for brands to fall from great to gone in one generation. How did Kodak, Circuit City and others go from iconic brands to obscurity in just one generation? Why this happens and how can you avoid it.
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Better Agile Than Smart
Digiday
See publicationOne of the keys to survival and success in the evolving internet business is the ability and willingness to adapt and change.
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Media Must Gird For Automation Fallout
Digiday
See publicationThe critical skills for success in the media business are changing. Going forward, media companies need to increase their strength in quantitative analysis, technology and pure marketing.
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How To Compete Against Industry Titans
iMedia Connection
See publicationEveryone competes with Google, Apple, Facebook and Amazon. They are transforming many business with their access to cash, customer data and at-scale logistics.
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Who Rules The Web Now?
HBR.org
Detailed analysis of the competitive influence of Apple, Amazon, Facebook and Google.
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What 5 Tech Revolutions Have Taught Us
http://www.outliermagazine.co/
See publicationAdvice on how to succeed in a venture-backed startup
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Neal Ghosh
Trying something new this week - a studio industry roundup with my take on what matters. The studio model is no longer an experiment being run in a handful of places. It is infrastructure being built across geographies, sectors, and institutional types. 5️⃣ stories from the past seven days: 1️⃣ OSS Ventures hit a EUR 40M first close on a EUR 75M follow-on fund -- capital raised specifically to back the 30 companies their studio created since 2019. The "build then fund" lifecycle is maturing. B'More Venture Studio with a similar thesis: studio operations first, then dedicated capital to scale what's working. 2️⃣ Delta40 raised $20M from 54 investors across 13 countries to launch Africa's first integrated venture studio and fund. The LP base is almost entirely DFIs and foundations. Impact capital is discovering the studio model as a deployment vehicle, something I seeing across geographies (conversations with Michael Bob Starr and Damias McDonald this week alone) 3️⃣ Start Holdings launched Start.vc out of NYC and Barcelona after a $200M EV infrastructure exit. Another operator-turned-studio-founder. This is the pattern we see quite often in our work at 9point8 -- experienced operators like Jason Goldsmith who've built and exited deciding the studio model is how they want to build next. 4️⃣ UBC HATCH admitted 10 new deep-tech spinouts for Winter 2026 -- mostly climate tech. University venture builders are quietly becoming one of the fastest-growing segments. Follow Evan Allen and Jaimie Testai to keep track of its rapid evolution. 5️⃣ The INVEST Act is advancing through the Senate. If passed, it expands qualifying VC fund size from $10M to $50M and loosens general solicitation rules for accelerator and university events. For studio-funds -- and for folks in the The Venture Studio Forum community tracking policy -- this could be the most significant capital formation legislation since the JOBS Act. If this roundup format is useful, I'll keep it going. What other noteworthy news hit your desk this week, and what stood out to you?
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Alice Bentinck
Check out the latest from Limbic - their breakthrough study in Nature Portfolio, shows how Limbic turns frontier language models into behavioral health specialists. In their pre-registered, double-blind randomized trial they showed that: 1️⃣ Adding the Limbic Layer improves AI-led therapy performance by 43% 2️⃣ Clinicians preferred Limbic over general-purpose LLMs 83% of the time 3️⃣ 74% of Limbic's AI sessions ranked among the top 10% of therapists 4️⃣ Patients rate the Limbic experience as comparable to clinician-led sessions Amazing stuff from Ross Harper and Sebastiaan de Vries - delighted to have them in the Entrepreneurs First portfolio.
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Will Price
mpathic is becoming THE partner to the AI industry as they work to safeguard users from adverse mental health and safety outcomes As millions of users — including large numbers of young people — increasingly turn to AI chatbots as their first-line “counselors” and confidants, Seattle-based startup mpathic is stepping in to ensure those digital agents don’t provide dangerous advice when it matters most.
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StartUp Health
📢 How can digital health startups thrive in a market marked by IPO slowdowns and tighter funding? In this week's new episode of StartUp Health NOW, Lee Shapiro, Managing Partner at 7wire Ventures, joins Steven Krein for a live Fireside Chat with the StartUp Health community to share hard-won lessons on what it takes to succeed today. 🎯 Key takeaways: – Why ROI and evidence are non-negotiable – How to find and work with the right strategic investors – The value of long-term thinking in health innovation Whether you're fundraising or scaling, this conversation is packed with actionable insights from one of health tech’s most seasoned investors. 🎧 Listen on StartUp Health NOW ⤵️ https://lnkd.in/dry2Xntg #DigitalHealth #HealthTech #StartUpHealth #HealthcareInnovation #VentureCapital #Founders #HealthMoonshot
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Sas Ponnapalli
A recent Becker's Healthcare article talked about AI becoming a real growth driver for health systems. 🔗 bit.ly/3NLQAKr What stood out is where that growth is actually happening, in everyday workflows like scheduling, intake, and coordination. That’s where we’re focused at Beam, and why we just introduced AI Caller, a voice-based AI Agent that handles scheduling from start to finish, verifies insurance, and captures clean intake from the very first interaction. For teams, it means fewer interruptions and less manual back and forth. For patients, it’s faster, simpler, and feels more natural with voice options that sound like a real person. Nothing complicated. Just a better way to keep things moving. #BeamHealth #AIinHealthcare #PatientAccess #HealthcareOperations
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Benjamin Gordon
AI isn't just powering software. BrightAI just raised $51 million to automate inspection and other hardware-based AI capabilities. As Alexa von Tobel, co-founder of Inspired Capital put it: “So many people are so focused on the future of digital AI, but we’re excited about this new layer of AI: the physical world AI.” We are in the early innings of a series of AI-fueled innovations! https://lnkd.in/enhmafvH
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