Reflections on CSX SF and Building Glider
— Brian Huang, Co-founder of Glider
Hard to believe CSX wrapped up just three weeks ago. Tonight, back in NYC, we hosted our intern dinner to close out Permissionless (a crypto conference in Brooklyn). Somehow, it feels like years have passed since then.
For those unfamiliar with CSX, it’s an accelerator with a16z Crypto. This year marked its fourth cohort—16 up-and-coming crypto startups, 10 weeks, and one 3-minute pitch (Demo Day) in front of a packed room of investors. Each week centered around a different pillar of building in this space.
How we got here
John and I were first introduced to a16z in January. Funny enough, we decided to approach them last on our fundraise roadshow. Our pitch by then had become second-nature: John and I could basically finish each other’s sentences. When he started his anecdotes, I knew exactly what he was about to say and where he was about to go and vice-versa. Most VCs also ask the same questions as well, so our answers had been both written many times in due diligence questionnaires and explained over calls. Fast forward a few weeks later, we had a term sheet in front of us and were asked to join CSX 04.
Suddenly, it’s early February. We’re told I need to be in SF in six(!) weeks. We quickly decide: I’ll go solo so John can stay focused on shipping and running Glider. That meant finding housing, rearranging flights to Paris Blockchain Week, and figuring out what to do with my dog, Spike. (Spoiler: he came too.)
I landed in SF on March 29. CSX started April 1.
It felt like the first day of school. What’s everyone going to wear? Who’s in my cohort? What’s the vibe? Any number of thoughts went through my head.
The experience
I walked into the a16z office, was escorted to the CSX floor, and immediately noticed the breakfast spread: green juice, fresh fruit, pastries, bacon, egg sandwiches, chia pudding. “We like to keep our founders healthy,” one of the partners said. Turns out we’d get a breakfast like this every week.
From there I entered the “big” room with a stage for speakers and rows of tables and chairs for all of us. Liz Harkavy, one of the partners, came up and greeted me–it was nice to see a friendly face. She had been in every a16z meeting with John and me.
Week 1 was what you would expect. We all gave intros about us and the companies we’ve started. I was blown away by the diversity of the group: AI x Crypto, Social Media x Crypto, Robotics x Crypto, Privacy, Ticketing, Stablecoins, and of course new Blockchains–Glider was one of just two DeFi companies. We were further divided into three sub-groups that would have small group meetings each Wednesday. We were part of a consumer group with Bob, KYD Labs, Launcher Capital, Mahojin, Oncade, and others led by none other than Daren Matsuoka, another partner at a16z.
These small groups were a really special part of the program. We all needed a soundboard to questions like: who should we use for onramping or what is the best embedded wallet solution? Even more company-related things: what’s the market rate for crypto lawyers or are you guys using a PR firm? a16z did a good job crafting the whole cohort, so that no one felt competitive with anyone else. Conversations were open and honest. All of us still chat on Telegram and hang out at conferences. I just saw Sam from Cambrian two days ago.
Tuesdays were masterclasses, Wednesdays small-group and 1-1 check-ins. Glider met with Liz, Darren, and Jay Drain each week. We talked about everything from token design to business models to partnerships. What doors can we help open for you? They were highly motivated to see us succeed. Here was our eight-week syllabus:
* Week 1: Finding PMF
* Week 2: Blockchain Research
* Week 3: Infrastructure Selection
* Week 4: Tokencraft and Security
* Week 5: Marketing + Community
* Week 6: Fundraising + Talent
* Week 7: Policy + Decentralization
* Week 8: U.S. Crypto Regulations
If I had to choose the most game-changing topics: tokenization, marketing, and policy. a16z has experts in all of these fields and has seen what has worked well for their portfolio companies. Many outside guests also came in to give perspective and war stories: founders of well-known companies like Phantom, LayerZero and Story Protocol, head of a16z Crypto, Chris Dixon, and a nice surprise was Marc Andreessen himself.
Demo day
We capped off CSX with Demo Day. Each of us prepared 3-minute pitches and went through many rehearsals beforehand. a16z chose a beautiful coworking venue for the event and brought a full production crew (pro tip: the clicker is just a prop; someone backstage advances your slides!). Glider was asked to present last–saving the best for last, you might say.
You can watch the pitch below:
CSX ran like a well-oiled machine. Every breakfast, speaker, and detail felt intentional. I walked away each day with a new insight, a new connection, or both.
And now? The real journey begins.
Seeing the strength of this cohort, what each team is building, what they stand for, I’m more bullish than ever. I am excited to see all of the success each of these unique companies will bring into the world.
— Brian 🦇♾️
