Sponsored by
✦
In 1,000 days, ChatGPT hit 180M users, reshaping industries and forcing companies to prioritize people over tools. China’s DeepSeek ditches Nvidia for Huawei chips, Europe rises as an innovation hub, and OpenAI quietly leans on Google’s data and cloud power to stay ahead. Meanwhile, tech layoffs, burnout, data breaches, and the AI wars make one thing clear: the future of tech is anything but predictable.
Video pick: America (accidentally) turned stocks into a casino
Aaaaand our amazing podcast 👆
-🕶️
✦
Six bullets of updates
🤖 ChatGPT's first 1,000 days: AI is reshaping industries, and thriving organizations are prioritizing people over tools.
🤖 China’s DeepSeek is shifting to Huawei AI chips for training, moving from Nvidia amid a surge in local chip demand .
🇺🇸 As US startup influence wanes, Europe’s culture-focused tech scene could gain the edge in shaping global innovation—thanks in part to tailored regulations.
🧘 Nearly 60% of workers report stress on the job; here’s how to reduce burnout with smarter workplace strategies.
💔 Over 100,000 tech jobs have vanished as layoffs swelled month after month in 2024, hitting giants and startups alike.
🕵️♂️ Personal data of over 200 million exposed in a breach—no credit info leaked, but birth dates and SSNs are out.
✦
The AI Wars: data, developers and the battle for market share
Photo by Gerard Siderius on Unsplash
AI’s Big Three are throwing elbows, with the latest scramble for dominance centering on who owns the world’s data and its top brains. The weapon of choice? Proprietary models, oceans of user data, and snapping up every ML PhD not already locked behind a noncompete.
VC wallets are wide open, but the arms race means only a few will get to build the “iPhone moment” of AI. Meanwhile, everyone from chipmakers to SaaS startups is caught between platform lock-in and playing kingmaker. Power goes to those who can stuff the most real-world use cases into their models—preferably without getting sued by every publisher with a website. Check just how frenetic the developer land grab is right now.
✦
America (Accidentally) Turned Stocks Into a Casino
61% of Americans invest in stocks, more than any other major country—but 70% of retail investors lose money. From 401(k)s to meme stocks, the U.S. stock market has become America’s favorite casino, where Wall Street, gambling, and the American Dream collide.
🕶️ More videos here 🕶️
✦
A New Way to Invest is Delivering Big Results
VCs back startups for outsized returns. Everyday investors wait. But rule changes fixed that. Take Revolut. In 2016, 433 people averaged a $2,370 stake. Today? Its valuation is up 89,900%. No wonder 10K+ people and the investors behind Uber and Venmo are taking the chance on Pacaso. Founded by a former Zillow exec, they’ve made $110M+ in gross profit to date.
Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.
✦
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.
✦
It’s go-time for holiday campaigns
Roku Ads Manager makes it easy to extend your Q4 campaign to performance CTV.
You can:
Easily launch self-serve CTV ads
Repurpose your social content for TV
Drive purchases directly on-screen with shoppable ads
A/B test to discover your most effective offers
The holidays only come once a year. Get started now with a $500 ad credit when you spend your first $500 today with code: ROKUADS500. Terms apply.
✦
OpenAI collaboration with Google data to enhance search accuracy
Photo by Firmbee.com on Unsplash
OpenAI execs admit they’re hitching a ride on Google’s data to keep their own search results sharp—because reinventing the wheel is way less efficient than copying your rival’s tire treads.
For anyone betting that search wars are all about custom LLMs and shiny algorithms, guess again: whoever controls the freshest training data still wins. As Google tightens its grip, expect licensing fees to go up and margins to shrink for AI upstarts. If this signals anything, it's that whoever masters data access is the real warlord in the race to search supremacy.
✦
Startup Events and Deadlines
Crash Course on Startup Fundraising with Caya (Slidebean CEO)| 10 Sept | Webinar
Crash Course in Financial Modeling | 11 Sept | Webinar
New York Venture Summit | 9, 10 Sept | NYC
Techstars Foundercon 2025 | 15-17 Sept | USA, Colorado
Antler Canada | Deadline: Sept 29 | Canada
500 Startups Flagship Accelerator l Deadline: Oct 11 l USA