Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:
Seattle VCs: Startups must rethink defensibility in the fast-moving AI era – GeekWire
Gottesman noted that traditional defensibility based on ideas or basic IP is less reliable in this environment. “You have to think beyond where we typically thought about ways to build a moat,” he said. That includes exploring new pricing structures, delivery models, and user experiences — not just product features.
Mercury 25th Anniversary Issue – Portland Mercury, News. Entertainment. Trouble.
Celebrating 25 years of news, culture, and trouble.
When Swiping Supplants Scissors: The Hidden Cost of Touchscreens — and how Designers Can Help | by Amber Case | Jul, 2025 | Medium
It’s a keen irony that their work evolved into smartphones and tablets — devices that have inadvertently led to a whole generation whose primary mode of interaction is a flat glass touchscreen. I was shocked to to recently read how much a lack of physical tactility is affecting fine motor skills of kids
Why I believe in AGI (again) – Alexey Guzey
First, I’m now convinced that ChatGPT understands what it reads. Second, reasoning models persuade me that ChatGPT is creative. Third, ChatGPT summarizes texts extremely well, which I believe to be a robust measure of intelligence. At the same time, I don’t believe in “general intelligence” (I don’t consider myself one) and so I don’t believe the idea of “AGI” is very meaningful.
A short post on short trains – by Shaked Koplewitz
The basic idea is simple: The single biggest cost of any metro system is the stations, whose cost scales with size. Therefore, if we run a system for smaller trains, we can build smaller stations for these trains, saving a huge amount on station costs. This costs us in reduced total capacity, but this can easily be made up for by increasing train frequency.
Startup Couve Coffee: Downtown, Tue, Aug 5, 2025, 9:00 AM | Meetup
Whether you’re scoping your first MVP, scaling to new markets, or simply exploring the startup scene, Startup Couve Coffee offers a supportive tribe and practical next steps. Pull up a chair; your next breakthrough might be one sip away.
Meet Blurbs, The Latest Startup Trying To Actually Explain What Programmatic Vendors Do | AdExchanger
Blurbs is the latest startup to hopefully ameliorate this issue. The community management and discovery platform allows marketers to explore (and scrutinize) assorted ad tech vendors and point solutions. The company was founded by a trio of ad tech vets, Tom Gibbons, Tom Barbaro and Sean Simon, who worked together at PebblePost, a programmatic direct mail vendor.
More Portland startup news
