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ChatGPT is morphing from a chatbot into a shopping and booking platform, AI startups are raising eye-watering rounds to automate everything from video sound effects to self-care, and SpaceX is out here floating IPO math that belongs in sci-fi.
At the same time, the web is drowning in AI “slop”, brands are scrambling to stay visible in AI-driven search, and platforms like Meta are being accused of looking the other way when scale meets revenue.
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Six bullets of updates
🛒 ChatGPT now lets users book hotels and shop in-app, opening a potential new channel for devs to reach 100M+ active users.
🤖 GenAI’s rise echoes the dot-com era—brands must adapt to new AI-driven search habits to capture today's $150B AI market.
📝 The word "slop" surged 500% in lookups as AI-generated content floods the web, earning Merriam-Webster's Word of the Year.
🎬 AI is now automating sound effects for video as Mirelo lands a $41M seed led by Index and a16z.
🚗 Driverless rides hit Austin as Tesla tests robotaxis with no safety driver for the first time.
🛡️ Meta reportedly slowed efforts against scam ads targeting users, with $7B in potential revenue at stake—prompting concern over policy trade-offs on the platform.
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Gamifying self-care, one virtual pet at a time
Photo by Rob Hampson on Unsplash
First Voyage just raised $2.5M in seed funding from a16z Speedrun, SignalFire, and True Global. The company is building Momo, a friendly virtual character that helps you build better habits using rewards, customization, and chat—basically a productivity pet that encourages you to stay on track.
So far, users have created about 2 million tasks, and the app is gaining traction on iOS. The new funding will go toward launching on Android and making Momo’s conversations smarter, with safety features built in from the start.
The space for AI companions is getting crowded, so success will come down to whether users stick around and whether the economics make sense. Apps like this usually make money through subscriptions or in-app purchases tied to daily habits and streaks. If Momo becomes a character people truly connect with, the real value could be in the brand itself—opening the door to partnerships and turning it into a hit-driven consumer product.
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The Biggest Telescope has an Impossible Problem
The biggest telescope on Earth me can see galaxies millions of light-years away — so why can’t it show us the flags we left on the Moon? This video explains the real, physical limits of cameras and telescopes, and why no amount of megapixels, AI, or money can solve this problem. From aperture and light diffraction to atmosphere distortion and scale, we break down the surprisingly brutal physics that makes the Moon flags effectively invisible from Earth.
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Find customers on Roku this holiday season
Now through the end of the year is prime streaming time on Roku, with viewers spending 3.5 hours each day streaming content and shopping online. Roku Ads Manager simplifies campaign setup, lets you segment audiences, and provides real-time reporting. And, you can test creative variants and run shoppable ads to drive purchases directly on-screen.
Bonus: we’re gifting you $5K in ad credits when you spend your first $5K on Roku Ads Manager. Just sign up and use code GET5K. Terms apply.
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🤝 Emmi AI spends €1,000 per employee monthly, to foster cohesion among its remote workforce — culture over commute.
🗓️ Make ownership explicit to shrink meetings and speed decisions; one team sped up in 2 weeks after 90‑min syncs.
SaaS Growth Calculator
A growth calculator that lets you forecast the impact of your ARPU (average revenue per user) and Churn Rate on the long-term potential of your subscription business.
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SpaceX’s IPO math is… Out of this world
Photo by Rob Hampson on Unsplash
SpaceX is reportedly talking to banks this week about a potential IPO and lining up a secondary share sale that could value the company around $800 billion. If true, that would put it far ahead of traditional aerospace players and closer to mega-cap tech territory.
The pitch is simple: Starlink’s growing scale, a relentless launch cadence, and steady revenue from government and enterprise customers. Together, they frame SpaceX as a durable, cash-generating business, not just a bold science project.
A move like this could reopen the IPO window for hard tech, give late-stage investors liquidity, and let employees cash out through tenders—though with lockups and tax complexity. Key things to watch: dual-class control, a possible Starlink spin-out, and how regulatory optics shape the deal.