Highlights of the Week (January 7, 2022)

Anyone else missing the pre-pandemic salutation of "Happy New Year" and a smile disbursed to anyone you'd see on the street, at the Bodega, or at the gym? I'm taking walks in suburbia and navigating the awkward dance of who is going to step into the road to avoid proximity when passing on the sidewalk. It used to be the only awkward dance was deciding if February is too late to wish someone a happy new year. This phenomenon is called 'coronaphobia,' and it doesn't seem to be going anywhere. While public health officials sort out a new strategy, please stay safe and give a muffled, socially distant "Happy New Year" through your N95.

Here's what you might have missed while you were fulfilling New Year's resolutions:

• Monday, we looked at the booming early-stage investment landscape, seemingly unswayed by the latest variant and historical similarities to the dot com boom. With $93BN pumped into these seedling companies, where do we go from here? Learn more.

• With supply-chain crises grabbing all the headlines, supply chain solvers are becoming unicorns, left and right. Learn about three companies shipping their solutions here.

• D2C companies are making moves to hire the best tech talent, snatching up the resigners of the Great Resignation. We profiled some of the companies raising cash and relying on LinkedIn DMs. Check it out.

• Another year working from home. Are we more productive? Are we happier? What happened to work culture? We're looking at the rise of companies designing remote work. Read more.