From the Investors

Elad Gil argues that from now through 2017, tech will see increased M&A activity. 2018 and beyond? Say hello to the IPO.

Brad Feld of Foundry Group writes about the importance of process simplicity, something that he calls “obvious” and also “f****** hard.”

Jeff Carter of Hyde Park Angels thinks that Chicago is on its way to becoming a technology hub, but that there is quite a lot of work left to do. His post is a list of things the city can work on to improve its chances.

Fred Wilson of Union Square Ventures has views on the Yahoo-Verizon deal, saying that as Yahoo is no longer a growth company, it was time to “extract profits [and] not revenue growth.”

#shade. Also, Wilson gets five points for use of the word “denouement.”

From the Operators

Jake Sion and the crew from Transit App published “Transit Maps: Apple vs. Google vs. Us,” a dive into how we might reimagine transit and better visualize the world around us.

José Ancer of Silicon Hills Lawyer has notes for every founder on why they should “not rush a term sheet.” Regardless of how many times it has been argued, Ancer makes an important point.

Robert Allen of Smart Insights released survey results of SaaS professionals that may surprise. According to Allen, only 80 percent track churn. That means that one in five do not.

Finally, Microsoft’s Tren Griffin tells a riveting startup story in “A Dozen Things I Learned Being Involved in one of the Most Ambitious Startups Ever Conceived (Teledesic).”

2016: Here’s What’s Next For VCs And Startups

After a lackluster second quarter, what’s next for venture capitalists is up for debate. According to David Blumberg of Blumberg Capital, you should expect “a reversion to the mean” and the “restoration of balance between fear and greed.”

Also new on Mattermark: How far Yahoo’s share price recovered during Marissa Mayer’s tenure as CEO.

That’s all for now. You are our favorite. Have an excellent rest of your day. – Alex