https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog daily 0.75 2026-02-03 https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog/the-cultural-consequences-of-a-structural-shift monthly 0.5 2026-02-03 https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog/the-three-levels-of-ai-adoption monthly 0.5 2026-01-08 https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog/how-to-become-a-10x-executive monthly 0.5 2025-07-19 https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog/are-we-getting-too-soft monthly 0.5 2025-07-11 https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog/what-actually-makes-an-exceptional-founder monthly 0.5 2025-06-25 https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog/the-road-not-taken-how-a-historical-accident-shaped-our-understanding-of-gravity monthly 0.5 2025-06-13 https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog/the-service-as-software-gold-rush monthly 0.5 2026-01-23 https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog/the-ai-enabled-generalist-how-llms-are-democratizing-scientific-discovery monthly 0.5 2025-04-17 https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog/the-rise-of-service-as-software monthly 0.5 2026-01-15 https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog/would-einstein-succeed-in-modern-academia monthly 0.5 2024-11-19 https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog/the-other-side-is-the-problem monthly 0.5 2024-10-22 https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog/recommended-reading-for-first-time-founders monthly 0.5 2024-09-02 https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog/nyo1gbm3ys3z2i3d7c5xz25khfs4ma monthly 0.5 2024-09-02 https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog/the-3-essential-components-of-a-good-business-idea monthly 0.5 2024-09-02 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1725306388053-PMG795T590PA6F9Y8GXX/unsplash-image-vdhNO4mGQ14.jpg Blog - The 3 Essential Components of a Good Business Idea - Real Market Needs The first component of any good business idea is a well-defined need for the product or service. That seems obvious, but I’m constantly amazed at how often this doesn’t receive appropriate attention. Instead, all too often, people come up with ideas for things for which they are personally passionate. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1725306501033-JKHNU6HIFIGW2LTEHA6W/unsplash-image-mIsQRAOVAvM.jpg Blog - The 3 Essential Components of a Good Business Idea - Defensible Competitive Advantage Once you’ve established a real need for the product or service, the next component of a good idea is the ability to construct a defensible competitive advantage relative to satisfying that need. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1725306604660-BOBEZWOPH2E5D256T6T4/unsplash-image-maJDOJSmMoo.jpg Blog - The 3 Essential Components of a Good Business Idea - Sustainable Economics Alright, so you’ve determined a real need in the market for this product or service. You’ve also established a competitive strategy that is highly defensible and that you’re uniquely capable of executing. So what’s left to talk about? https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog/a-novel-solution-to-the-fermi-paradox monthly 0.5 2024-03-10 https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog/how-ai-will-reshape-startups-amp-vcs monthly 0.5 2025-07-28 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1697373930019-K3F8XG75KRBJQJI9MZUJ/image-asset.jpeg Blog - How AI Will Reshape Startups & VCs - Similarly, in the near future, chatbots and AI-driven help desks that autonomously manage the entire customer support function will become the norm. Not only are these tools cheaper, but they will end up being better too. AI support bots don’t get tired or mad. They scale instantly to meet customer needs (i.e. no more long wait times…which is a killer of customer satisfaction) and they are available 24/7/365. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1697374545315-9FFEZWXKR3C97IOUF2L2/image-asset.jpeg Blog - How AI Will Reshape Startups & VCs - For example, our tattoo shop product might track ink inventories, provide a database of cool designs from other shops, and allow artists to easily create and manage online portfolios. They could do all of this in addition to the basic scheduling and POS functionality of more generic platforms. This means their product better meets the needs of this very specific customer profile and will likely win market share from the larger generic solutions. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1697374767587-H40WAUQVXJLDF37I7ISW/image-asset.jpeg Blog - How AI Will Reshape Startups & VCs - Beyond summarization, AI's capabilities in data analytics and predictive modeling are groundbreaking. For instance, AI-enabled platforms can sift through massive datasets from complex experiments, identifying patterns or anomalies that would take human researchers an inordinate amount of time to discover. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/8a523494-b7c8-4c52-be1e-196c66d71483/deep+tech+layers.png Blog - How AI Will Reshape Startups & VCs - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog/economic-time-bomb monthly 0.5 2023-07-07 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/f1a02482-d183-4574-a9d1-43393d50bcf0/Screenshot+2023-07-03+at+9.51.25+AM.png Blog - Economic Time Bomb - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/596bf864-5212-4ca6-8faa-9457fbeebb2d/Screenshot+2023-07-03+at+9.53.51+AM.png Blog - Economic Time Bomb - Make it stand out This chart is an overly simplistic direct extrapolation of 2020 VC funding relative to employment by VC-backed companies. It is meant to be more illustrative than precise. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/dda38a2c-7534-44a8-97a5-3ad11e8399d0/Screenshot+2023-07-03+at+9.56.36+AM.png Blog - Economic Time Bomb - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/796189a3-364d-4ecf-916b-3d9ab6179ab1/fredgraph+%282%29.png Blog - Economic Time Bomb - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/229e6d95-7bae-4c96-884f-b8a1296807be/fredgraph+%283%29.png Blog - Economic Time Bomb - Make it stand out Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference. https://www.glennclayton.me/my-blog/harmonious-dance monthly 0.5 2023-04-27 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/9eabe90f-0653-4adf-9204-640472e56da8/ICONS%2C_Sinai%2C_Christ_Pantocrator%2C_6th_century.jpg Blog - A Harmonious Dance: Science, Technology, and Philosophy - Examining the history of our species, we find countless examples of how crucial the mutual development of science, technology, and philosophy are to one another. Often, this comes in the form of cautionary tales about the consequences of focusing on any one domain at the exclusion of others. One striking example is the period in Western Europe between the fall of the Roman Empire and the Renaissance, an era that some scholars of that time came to refer to as “the Dark Ages.” During this period, dogmatic religious doctrines and a lack of intellectual freedom led to social structures that suppressed scientific and technological development. This stagnation held back the progress of human society for centuries, as important advancements in medicine, agriculture, and infrastructure were stifled. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/36710f1a-0fc5-45af-a8c2-ee77c84c335c/Screenshot+2023-04-27+at+9.07.30+AM.png Blog - A Harmonious Dance: Science, Technology, and Philosophy - Computer scientists and mathematicians are actively engaged in developing new forms of intelligence. Indeed, some of our brightest minds and most influential organizations openly aspire to develop non-biological intelligence that rivals or surpasses our own. Topics such as artificial general intelligence, synthetic life, and conscious machines, once confined to the pages of science fiction, are now areas of active pursuit as well as the topics of fierce debates. https://www.glennclayton.me/contact daily 0.75 2025-12-24 https://www.glennclayton.me/about daily 1.0 2026-01-22 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/81030d37-1aca-4f64-987b-671eced766bb/Glenn+Pic.jpeg About - Investor. Founder. Science Nerd. Hi! I’m Glenn. I’m an unabashed nerd. I ended up dropping out of college to pursue the entrepreneurial path. So while I never got my physics degree, I still love nerding out. Today, I am primarily focused on helping other smart people solve hard problems that are worth solving and push humanity forward. My background is primarily in software and tech-enabled services, but I have a soft spot for deep tech and other hard scientific and engineering related problems. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1626267272028-UFGT8UB2XK3U8PV3ABSK/data-brain.jpeg About - Nerding Out I am trying to spend more of my time helping scientists, researchers, engineers, and technologists solve hard problems. I also spend a good bit of time helping business leaders and teams understand how to best apply AI and other advanced technologies within their companies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1609460630739-RFR2G0E864ALM0MALX3T/01-star-power-carl-sagan.jpg About “The cosmos is within us. We are made of star-stuff. We are a way for the universe to know itself.” - Carl Sagan https://www.glennclayton.me/startups daily 0.75 2025-12-24 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1635951730337-C1J89DG7L1GEIQFAVNXL/Gordon_Gekko_trans_NvBQzQNjv4BqDI1jieMJtrozPRHESlT58gqkqzNEgZXYHB65Bx-EYqw.jpg Startups - Investor Disclaimer: I’m not actually Gordon Gekko. However, I do actively invest in startups that are attempting to solve real problems and have the potential to make a positive impact on the world. Most of my personal investments focus on pre-seed and seed-stage opportunities. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1621358277288-41JP0CARL8TPR2ZREAX8/IMG_20180103_112624191.jpg Startups - Venture Studio I enjoy helping other founders navigate the complexities of launching a new startup. That’s why I co-founded Nashville-based Mark II Ventures, one of the first venture studios focused on building AI-enabled startups. In a couple of years, we launched multiple AI SaaS and AI-enabled service companies. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1609371838975-DSWZTSQ73SKZREBQP156/Spur+April+2019-28.jpg Startups - Board Member I serve on a small number of select Boards of companies and organizations that are attempting to solve hard problems that I think are interesting and important. Good governance is an under-appreciated, but incredibly important aspect of helping an organization achieve ambitious goals. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1609372610603-WTW1TPHQNMDDLLEW6Z9Q/spur_logo_white.png Startups I had the incredible experience of building a venture-backed startup that was a spin-out of my previous company. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1609373236364-0ILAPREFQUCBWQUXDDVU/Screen+Shot+2020-12-30+at+6.06.56+PM.png Startups - $18M Raised Raising capital is never an easy process. Spur gave me an opportunity to learn more about venture financing and structuring both equity and debt fundraising rounds. I was lucky enough to do this with some of the most talented and high-integrity investors around. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1609372959475-TQP0DCU9ZJBA78M7FIZF/20190312_110134.jpg Startups - HR Meets Fintech My team and I set out to solve an ambitious problem. Our goal was to use real-time employment data to help blue-collar workers get better access to financial services. We built an integrated HCM platform for hourly workforces with a highly structured data framework. This allowed better financial underwriting of people with fluid earnings and thin credit files. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1609373039325-Q73III5JBN1EETUVJG0N/20201112_181524-1.jpg Startups - Culture Building When you work 100 hours a week with amazing people, you learn a lot about high-performance cultures. This experience taught me how to build and foster a strong culture among true A Players. It’s a balance of working hard while not sacrificing personal connections. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1609373584461-C44TDUFQDP9SYSDNKQEJ/IMG_20190214_120957307+%283%29.jpg Startups - What A Ride I don’t believe in shying away from our failures. Failure is where most learning takes place. Unfortunately, we had to dramatically pivot in 2020 due to the impact of COVID on our target industries. We ended up re-merging with Spur Staffing, the company we had spun out of a couple of years earlier. But thanks to that move, we survived and the new combined Spur is now thriving like never before. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1609374166642-74AJHKHMPXCDXMESAVGM/spur-staffing_logo-PR.png Startups In 2012, the staffing industry was still fairly early in the use of software automation. I started Spur Staffing with the goal of using software and smart automation tools to drive down costs and improve the experience for both sides of the staffing marketplace (workers and businesses). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1609374654672-3WWXWQK8ATRO97SAVKSI/ed2bd741-bc5a-4c99-acd1-bbca34199036.png Startups - Marketplaces This was my first experience building a two-sided marketplace. Through this experience, I learned a lot about platform dynamics and the right way to scale a marketplace. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1609374821939-M57G79T28CLRAIMSIED8/Spur+April+2019-7.jpg Startups My team and I have grown the company into a successful industry leader that is still going strong today and employs thousands of people across the US. I stepped down from the CEO role in 2020 after successfully merging Spur Staffing with our HCM software spinout. Today, I’m able to support Spur’s continued growth as Chairman of the Board. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1609375107529-985HSL5MJYEU6TAOBRK6/AppletonLogo_PMS_Color.png Startups Imagine calling your mom and saying “I’m giving up my scholarship and dropping out of college… to start a tutoring company”. Yeah...it went about as well as you’d imagine. But it turned out okay in the end (told you, mom). https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1626269663239-1AH6ZGJMUI1UXCZLEH6V/our-corporate-office-in-huntsville-al.jpeg Startups - Learning the Ropes This was my first experience with developing algorithmic software automation tools. We built one of the earliest web-based platforms that automatically matched tutors and students based on a variety of preferences and attributes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1609375320023-H7WU5NOX62R7SBASZGQV/331407_642177669423_10842058_o.jpg Startups - Tutor What? What started as a side-hustle in college that my friends affectionately referred to as “tutor pimping” eventually became a multi-million dollar tech-enabled tutoring and test prep company that spanned from Austin, TX to Atlanta, GA. The company was eventually acquired by N’genius Tutoring & Test Prep. https://www.glennclayton.me/fun daily 0.75 2024-06-19 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1609444477094-0JLNQ9JMOV1ADTH0SH37/5951f874-8f8c-4c8e-b073-979924d742be_small.jpg Fun - Nerding Out I love to learn new things. I read over 60 books a year, follow a lot of science journals, and listen to podcasts. I'd describe my primary areas of interest as a mashup of physics, neuroscience, computer science, strategy, and finance…with some hard sci-fi sprinkled in for inspiration. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1609444540811-EL3BDH2YDWPL8ZIXKX2L/77044625_10100965594398663_4942535758784233472_o.jpg Fun - Seeing the World If I had my way, I’d spend more time traveling than at home. I’m always looking for new places, new cultures, and new experiences. I’m more of an “off the beaten path” sort of guy. For example, I once took a month-long road trip through Baja, Mexico to explore its many small beach towns and unique landscapes. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1609444621754-0XN3I49FILFTF2VFCP5A/77257390_10100966739593683_5712740467175587840_o.jpg Fun - Go Outside! I spend a lot of time in front of a computer. So when I am not working or researching, I love to be outdoors. Hiking, hanging out on the lake, running through the park…any excuse to get a little more sunshine in my life. https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1609444920373-57UJNZR7QLHRENNI0O3R/132926824_3605932946109702_4098308941193143231_o.jpg Fun - Crazy Friends I have a close group of very crazy friends. No better way to accumulate some great stories and memories than hanging out with a bunch of guys who dress up like Santa Claus to go eat Mexican food. Why not? https://www.glennclayton.me/torsion daily 0.75 2025-06-13 https://www.glennclayton.me/consulting daily 0.75 2026-01-20 https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/1532718f-80b0-435e-a141-88b1a8fe1aca/ai+recruiter+1.png Consulting - Automated Employee Recruitment, Hiring, and Support https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/34af0964-fcf4-4c87-bb9e-eb36d920153a/Screenshot+2026-01-06+at+9.12.09%E2%80%AFAM.png Consulting - AI Investment Analyst Agent https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/5fececa778965c3d27bd38a9/de3f8557-a408-4f86-908b-d684a6b65c7e/Screenshot+2026-01-06+at+9.31.43%E2%80%AFAM.png Consulting - Autonomous Proposal Generation in Response to RFPs