Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:
Is Community the Most Overlooked Edge in Venture Capital?
But now a new paradigm is emerging: the question is no longer how to nurture the network you already have — it’s how to develop the network you don’t yet have.
The Efficiency Paradox: Why Making Software Easier to Write Means We’ll Write Exponentially More
When high-level languages replaced assembly, programmers didn’t write less code – they wrote orders of magnitude more, tackling problems that would have been economically impossible before. When frameworks abstracted away the plumbing, we didn’t reduce our output – we built more ambitious applications. When cloud platforms eliminated infrastructure management, we didn’t scale back – we spun up services for use cases that never would have justified a server room.
Five Takes to End 2025 | Parker Ortolani
2025 was a year where a lot of assumptions across the tech industry were seriously put to the test. Instead of simply making predictions or tallying wins and losses, I wanted to write out a handful of takes on what actually happened and what it says about where things are headed next.
🎧 Four Predictions for How AI Will Change Software in 2026
Tomorrow is the first day of 2026, and to give our listeners a view of the trends that’ll shape the year ahead, Dan Shipper had Every COO Brandon Gell on AI & I to discuss their predictions for what’s next. They discussed how software will be built, who will build it, and what it will take for truly autonomous AI agents to become a reality.
Here are The Oregonian/OregonLive’s 10 most read news stories of 2025 – oregonlive.com
When it comes to the top news stories of the year, one subject ruled them all: President Donald Trump’s declaration that he would deploy troops to Portland and the chaos that followed.
I should’ve quit…sooner – by Harold Hughes
Entrepreneurs are taught about the value of grit, and the “never give up” mantra is preached from every incubator to accelerator. But after nearly a decade of building it, raising more than $5M, and securing partners like the NBA, LIFEWTR, and Trioscope, I made the difficult decision to call it quits. Despite wrestling with options and alternatives for months, I wish I had quit sooner.
Meet the new tech laws of 2026 | The Verge
HB 2299 adds AI-generated (or otherwise digitally manipulated) imagery to its ban on nonconsensual sexual imagery — a move seen in nearly every state since 2019. HB 2008 bans data collectors from selling personal information and targeting ads using data from users they know are under 16, while adding a similar all-ages ban for precise geolocation data. And HB 3167 bans the sale of software designed to facilitate ticket-scalping bots, addressing a maddening problem the Federal Trade Commission focused on in 2025 as well.
Is there an AI bubble? Investors sound off on risks and opportunities for tech startups in 2026 – GeekWire
GeekWire polled a handful of Seattle-area venture capitalists about whether they think an AI bubble exists, and how startups should prepare as they plan for 2026.
AI Startups Raise Record $150B in 2025, Redefining Venture Capital | eWEEK
But the most striking shift isn’t just the headline number. AI companies now account for nearly 50% of all global startup funding, up from just 34% in 2024. This isn’t gradual growth — it’s a structural realignment of venture capital, with artificial intelligence absorbing capital at a pace never before seen in the tech industry.
Where AI is headed in 2026 – Foundation Capital
Last year, I published my first set of AI predictions. Now it’s time to see how they held up, and to make a fresh set for 2026.
Deadstock Coffee will reopen in Hoxton Hotel – Portland Business Journal
Less than two weeks after announcing the closing of Deadstock Coffee’s Old Town location, owner Ian Williams said the business is moving into the Hoxton Hotel’s cafe space this spring.
These Were The Largest Funding Rounds Of 2025
A total of 15 companies secured venture funding rounds of $2 billion or more last year, per Crunchbase data. Among them, they amassed more than $100 billion from those financings.
Khosla-Backed Geothermal Startup Taps ‘Superhot’ Rocks for Energy
Mazama’s demonstration system near Newberry Volcano in Oregon has accessed an area underground using a proprietary hydraulic fracturing technique. It created an enhanced geothermal reservoir to tap the Earth’s heat that hit a temperature of 331C (628F). Other enhanced systems usually maintain reservoirs that are under 300C.
Startup employee wellbeing – Startup Snapshot
Startups are fueled by ambition, speed, and vision. But behind the energy lies a harsher reality—employees are paying a steep emotional price. Long hours, relentless pressure, and the ripple effects of founder stress are taking their toll on wellbeing and resilience across teams.
2025 letter | Dan Wang
The Communist Party and Silicon Valley are two of the most powerful forces shaping our world today. Their initiatives increase their own centrality while weakening the agency of whole nation states. Perhaps they are successful because they are remorseless.
AI Shifts Expectations for Entry Level Jobs – IEEE Spectrum
Early reports have borne out some of these anxieties in employment data. For example, entry-level hiring at the 15 biggest tech firms fell 25 percent from 2023 to 2024, according to a report from SignalFire last May. Still, it’s unclear what the long-term effects will be, or whether hiring cuts are actually a result of AI.
