Month: August 2025

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Every Industry Is An Airport Lounge Now

I’m not being hyperbolic. Everywhere you go, everything you do, every service you pay for—it feels like customer service simply no longer exists. And even worse, most places you go actually make you feel like an asshole for daring to be a customer in the first place. I catch myself constantly asking, “Why am I putting up with this shit?” right before looking down at the Cheez-Doodles or baseball cap I’ve somehow convinced myself I can’t live without.

You may remember that I encouraged you to submit your application to participate in the TiE Women pitch competition a few months back. And why did I say you should do that…? That’s right. Because you could have the chance to be on a global stage. And apparently, some folks listened. Because Howl at the Spoon now has the opportunity to be on a global stage in India for the TiE Women finals.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

The startup bubble that no one is talking about

Above is a graph that displays the amount of Form Ds filed, where the entity (read: company/firm) name contains the phrases “fund I”, “fund II”, “fund III”, and “fund IV”. The x-axis is not the prettiest, but it is broken down by quarter. You can see that the line for “fund I” sees by far the greatest peak around quarter 3 of 2022, with a steep drop off immediately after. The other lines have a similar, but less pronounced trend.

Although the Portland Business Journal recently shared that coworking seems to be falling out of fashion in Portland, there are still some interesting and creative pursuits that continue to further the model around here. The longest running coworking space in town — NedSpace — just expanded its footprint. And now Kinship, a “fashion coworking studio” just opened its doors.

Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:

Inside Portland’s Most Unlikely Farm: Nexgarden Farms Grows Microgreens in the South Waterfront

As Nexgarden approaches its sixth year, Pearson is working toward a goal many small business owners share: creating systems robust enough to operate without her constant presence. “I’d like to get the farm operating and refined enough where I’ve got a handbook, and I’ve got a couple employees I trust, and it runs.”

You’ve been working on that game for a while. Spending your free time refining the artwork. Making sure the game dynamics make sense. Squashing bugs that threaten to shake players from suspended disbelief. Well done. But you know what would make that game even better…? Other people playing it. And that’s the opportunity that PIG Squad is offering during the Portland Retro Gaming Expo.

Technically, it’s not headquartered here. But Minimus — which boasts a bunch of Twistlock alums — has a Portland presence which includes Brian Lake, the COO of the startup. So it made sense for me to start tracking on them.