Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:
Seattle, we’ve got an image problem – GeekWire
You may disagree with those headlines. You may dislike the politics behind them. But rhetoric, image and storytelling matter — especially in a moment when cities are competing fiercely for talent, investment, startups and relevance in the AI era.
You’ll lose your job in 2027. – by Elena Verna
But even if you keep your seat, your actual job is going to change. A lot. The responsibilities, expectations, tools, scope of what you’re capable of accomplishing, bar for what ‘good’ looks like, and number of people needed to do the work are all being rewritten every day.
Governor Newsom signs first-of-its-kind executive order to prepare workers and businesses for potential AI disruption | Governor of California
Governor Newsom is signing a first-in-the-nation executive order to confront the economic impacts of artificial intelligence on workers and small businesses, support workers in sectors impacted by AI transition, and pursue new policies that ensure Californians — not just big tech companies — benefit from the wealth-generating opportunities of the future economy.
The elephant in the room • Josh W. Comeau
AI is a tool, and tools need to be wielded proficiently. You could give me Jimi Hendrix’s exact guitar but it would sound very different if I tried to play it! I also wouldn’t be able to cook like Gordon Ramsey if I had access to his kitchen, or serve like Serena Williams if you handed me her tennis racket.
AI’s Plummeting Prices Are a Software Story, Not a Hardware One
Why is model inference getting cheaper? How did I drop a soon-to-be $2,000+/month bill for AI agents to next to nothing? And why are local models on commodity hardware potentially “good enough” for most people?
State of Web Dev AI 2026
The 2026 edition of the State of Web Dev AI survey collected data from 7,258 developers, providing a lot of fascinating material to study this impact. And while I would certainly recommend checking out the full survey results at your own pace, here are four key trends to get started exploring the data.
Positioning in the Age of AI
In an environment where technology companies are rewarded for hyping a future that hasn’t happened yet, you need to be very careful that teams working on positioning don’t get caught smoking their competitor’s marketing. Product and marketing teams need to keep a very close eye on the current market capabilities vs. what is still under development.
The Founder Mental Health Survey
An open, anonymous research project on what mental health and well-being actually look like for startup founders right now — combining validated clinical screeners with founder-specific dimensions of ambition, motivation, and relationships.
After Automation | Every
If you talk to anyone in the AI industry—or to early adopters outside of it—you’ll hear the same thing we’ve noticed internally: There’s more work to do than ever.
It’s Time to Walk
Humans are evolved to walk for hours at a stretch; we are unusually good at it across species. And we do almost none of it during the workday, because the tools demanded a fixed posture. Once that demand goes away, walking comes back. Not just as a break from work. As a mode of work.
