Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:
Oregon helmet maker Studson expands in Europe – Portland Business Journal
“Studson has built its reputation on reimagining industrial head protection for the modern workforce — professionals who demand advanced protection, performance, and comfort on par with premium sports and outdoor equipment,” said founder and CEO Ryan Barnes.
The State of AI: Global Survey 2025 | McKinsey
Almost all survey respondents say their organizations are using AI, and many have begun to use AI agents. But most are still in the early stages of scaling AI and capturing enterprise-level value.
Debt Has Entered the A.I. Boom – The New York Times
To fund heavy spending on infrastructure for artificial intelligence, companies have leveraged a growing list of complex debt-financing options.
How to Help Your Head of Marketing Win Early
Bringing on a Head of Marketing is a huge milestone, and also a big shift for the rest of the team. I can guarantee there is a whole host of pent up demands and a backlog of needs across the org. Suddenly you’ve got someone owning one of your most visible functions, and it’s tempting to try and solve everything right away.
Angel Investors, A Field Guide | Jean Yang
When I first became a founder, I had little idea how much working with the right angel investors could help. This post is everything I would tell a first-time founder (who is headed down the VC-funded) route about working angels.
How To Make Your Investors Fall In Love With You
We don’t want you to throw everything you’re doing at us. That isn’t going to make us like you more. We don’t care how much you get done. We care that you are taking care of the #1 problem in your area of the business—the thing that is keeping us from becoming the company we’re supposed to be.
You Need To Become A Full Stack Person · Den Delimarsky
The idea behind a career moat is simple – it’s a unique combination of hard-to-acquire skills and talents that set you up for long-term career security and growth. This combination does not answer the “How easy will it be for me to continuously keep my job?” question and instead focuses on “How easy will it be for me to find my next job?” The former can set up perverse incentives (“Nobody on the team knows how this works other than me.”) while the latter aligns them with the market (“Nobody in the world does this set of things better than me.”).
Oregon taxpayers will see a $1.4 billion kicker rebate next year. Here’s how much you can expect – oregonlive.com
Due to the state’s unique kicker law, which returns state dollars to taxpayers when state revenue comes in substantially higher than projected, Oregonians will either receive heftier tax refunds or owe less money to the government when they file their 2025 taxes.
Portland startup stories
