Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:
Press Release: Human Intelligence – Human Creator
Today, HUMAN INTELLIGENCE® has been recognized as an official registered trademark by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Brought to the world by the HUMAN INTELLIGENCE® Institute, the mark further underscores the institute’s commitment to protecting the intellectual property of human creators against AI infringement and re-use of genuine human intellectual property.
A guide to difficult conversations, building high-trust teams, and designing a life you love | Rachel Lockett
In this episode, Rachel shares powerful frameworks for coaching reports, having difficult conversations, avoiding burnout, and strengthening co-founder relationships. She also demonstrates these techniques through a live coaching session with me.
A tsunami of COGS – Better than Random
Many things in the AI boom smell bad. The way money fuels the investment spree is quite questionable and it has become a meme, with the same $1T investment check moving hands among a small set of participants. We can call this “vendor financing”, but it is not a great look.
Is AI Really Eating the World? – philippdubach.com
Every 10-15 years, the industry reorganizes around a new platform: mainframes (1960s-70s), PCs (1980s), web (1990s), smartphones (2000s-2010s). Each shift pulls all innovation, investment, and company creation into its orbit. Generative AI appears to be the next platform shift, or it could break the cycle entirely.
Vibe Check: Opus 4.5 Is the Coding Model We’ve Been Waiting For
We’ve been testing Opus 4.5 over the last few days on everything from vibe coded iOS apps to production codebases. It manages to be both great at planning—producing readable, intuitive, and user-focused plans—and coding. It’s highly technical and also human. We haven’t been this enthusiastic about a coding model since Anthropic’s Sonnet 3.5 dropped in June 2024.
Pebble Watch Software Is Now 100% Open Source + Tick Talk #4 – PT2 Demos!
Yesterday, Pebble watch software was ~95% open source. Today, it’s 100% open source. You can download, compile and run all the software you need to use your Pebble. We just published the source code for the new Pebble mobile app!
‘Product won’t win. Distribution will.’ Tips for startup founders raising cash right now – GeekWire
If you’re building an early-stage startup and trying to raise venture capital dollars to fuel your big ideas — focus on solving a specific problem, make sure you have strong conviction, and think hard about distribution in the age of AI.
Progressive Mayors vs. Developers – The American Prospect
In New York, one of the toughest challenges that Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani faces will be preserving and increasing the supply of affordable housing. Same story in Boston, where I live and where our progressive mayor, Michelle Wu, is constrained by similar forces.
Portland, Seattle and other NW mayors talk economic development – Portland Business Journal
To get a sense of the unique strengths offered by communities in the region, we asked 10 Pacific Northwest city mayors the same question: What is your city’s greatest economic development strength?
Oregon Startup Center: November 2025 Holiday Update
Recently, there have been several corporate announcements regarding members of our tech and brand / product industries. If you are a member of our Intel or Nike communities who were impacted and are considering a startup venture of your own, please contact the OSC. We are the hub to connect with other founders and access startup resources to navigate the early stages of formation and development.
More Oregon startup stories
