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Catch the podcast edition of this issue:
Meta is scaling back hundreds of planned jobs despite generous tax breaks, while Musk tightened his grip on space and internet access like it’s his personal empire. Japan, late to the party, is scrambling to sketch out an AI strategy, even as Estonia casually lets entrepreneurs launch companies online in 15 minutes. And in Washington, the TikTok tug-of-war over algorithms drags on—because nothing says “digital leadership” like squabbling over who owns your For You Page.
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Seven bullets of updates
🚗 A cyberattack halted production, with suppliers forced to lay off workers and JLR losing tens of millions of dollars.
🛰️ Musk now controls over 50% of global rocket launches, making his grip on space and internet access a geopolitical force.
📉 Meta projected 300–500 jobs for its Louisiana data center after winning tax breaks — but critics say the job guarantees are weak and not legally binding.
🛑 Bluesky pledges to step up enforcement of its moderation policies after reports of lax content controls.
🇯🇵 Japan readies first national AI strategy, spotlighting human-AI collaboration, risk management, and data quality.
🌐 Estonia’s e-governance lets entrepreneurs launch a company online in 15 minutes, showing how Europe could upgrade digital sovereignty and startup growth.
🤖 Tech’s Trump gamble backfires as 18% fewer execs now see policy wins—leaving Silicon Valley in turmoil.
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2025 tech sector layoffs and workforce reduction trends
Photo by Tanya Barrow on Unsplash
A full season recap of this year’s tech layoffs—spanning public giants and VC-fueled darlings—breaks down where, when, and how jobs have been trimmed month by month in 2025. A mix of cost “restructuring” PR tap dances and boards rethinking their pandemic-fueled hiring sprees has left a trail of pink slips from Seattle to Bangalore.
For founders, the carnage means talent is suddenly everywhere—if you can hire and not just “advise” in exchange for badges and startup swag. Investors are watching who keeps scaling responsibly and who’s just putting out fires with PowerPoint decks. With execs still prepping for “uncertain macro conditions,” winter might last longer than a Netflix docuseries arc.
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Quiet Quitting and Startups: a Paradox - Millennials Decoded
In the dynamic world of startups, success often hinges on passionate dedication. But what happens when team members silently disengage, effectively "quiet quitting"? And what exactly is Quiet Quitting anyway? Check out this video and find it out.
🕶️ More videos here 🕶️
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200+ AI Side Hustles to Start Right Now
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Each comes with realistic income projections and resource requirements. Join 1.5M professionals getting daily insights on emerging tech and business opportunities.
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🚀 Turns out that overnight success usually takes about 7 years—instant wins are mostly a myth.
💸 A founder shares how they lost $1.25M in a scam—and the brutal lessons learned that could save your startup’s skin.
🧳 Navan’s CEO reveals how streamlining business travel fueled 3x annual revenue growth and a leap to global scale.
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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Potential TikTok acquisition and algorithm ownership negotiations
Photo by Solen Feyissa on Unsplash
ByteDance is reportedly preparing to hand over its prized “special sauce”—the TikTok algorithm—to a U.S. buyer, with a deal close to the finish line as soon as this week.
Whoever lands this code isn’t just buying teenager attention spans; they’re snagging the heart of a user engagement engine that’s rewired the ad business and turbocharged content discovery. The rumored sale could set a wild precedent for how government pressure untangles global tech IP.
For U.S. competitors, this is like inheriting Willy Wonka’s golden ticket—if the U.S. ever decides how to run the factory. If China okays the transfer (a big if), the blueprint for social media’s most addictive mechanic might be unleashed stateside, raising questions about the future of algorithmic sovereignty and the fate of every copycat app in its path.
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Startup Events and Deadlines
Crash Course on Startup Fundraising with Caya (Slidebean CEO) l Sep 24 l Webinar
Slidebean’s Crash Course in Financial Modeling l Sep 25 l Webinar
Antler Canada | Deadline: Sept 29 | Canada
500 Startups Flagship Accelerator l Deadline: Oct 11 l USA
Mental Health Tech Summit 2025 l October 15 l NYC