Here’s a roundup of interesting startup links I came across today:
‘Just a start’: Kotek, industry leaders inch closer to reforms for Oregon business climate • Oregon Capital Chronicle
The governor declined to take positions on issues such as tax changes ahead of any findings put forward by a new economic council she convened.
The IPO Window Won’t Stay Open On Its Own
We like to talk about the IPO window as something that’s either open or closed. But as the occupant of an old house with windows once held up with pulleys, I’ve also encountered a third type: A window that opens easily and then proceeds to slam shut on your fingers if you don’t prop it up or get out of the way.
Joth Ricci looks to build his home state’s business landscape – Portland Business Journal
From a distance, Ricci seemed agreeable, savvy and laid-back. In 2026, he seems like all those things, plus a bit more. Ricci, as much as any Oregon business champion these days, is having a moment.
Pitch your fellow founder – by Lindsay Amos – The Angle
There’s a growing number of tech-positive media outlets. But nothing is more tech-positive than a channel created by a founder… Which is why you should pitch your fellow founders to appear on their digital platforms.
AI’s Chicken Sandwich Problem – by Vin Vashishta
If you’re a chicken business, a chicken sandwich will amplify your business model the most. For burger chains, it’s just an incremental improvement. A burger chain going all-in on chicken innovation and competition doesn’t make sense unless it plans to transition to the chicken model. That’s how companies lose their core brand identity, strategic focus, and connection with customers.
CoLab tech – SnackFutures Venture
CoLab Tech was created to help us find and collaborate with Technology Innovators that can accelerate our abilities and expand our capabilities while also testing and scaling these technologies for optimal impact on our products, people and the planet. Apply till March 31st, 2026
Are AI agents ready for the workplace? A new benchmark raises doubts | TechCrunch
But despite the huge progress made by foundation models, the change in knowledge work has been slow to arrive. Models have mastered in-depth research and agentic planning, but for whatever reason, most white-collar work has been relatively unaffected.
Gov. Tina Kotek brings business leaders to the table to jump-start Oregon’s economy – oregonlive.com
Members heard a presentation on Oregon’s economy led by Michael Wilkerson, a partner and director of economic research for the consulting firm ECONorthwest. He noted that Oregon has been losing nearly $600 million per year in net income due to people leaving the state.
My time at Amazon, Part I – Becca Selah
“Amazon is where overachievers go to feel bad about themselves.”
B2CC – Claude Code is your customer | Caleb R. John
Going into 2026 the single best way to build an “AI native startup” is to build an API first product that can easily be used by Claude Code. I believe in this so much that I think by 2030 any product without an API designed for agents will be dead.
Leverage AI expertise at Oregon State
Breakthrough AI doesn’t happen in isolation—and at Oregon State, it’s powered by collaboration across labs, disciplines, and partners. This issue highlights how award-winning faculty, cutting-edge research in robotics and vision, and coordinated EECS initiatives are building a unified and influential AI ecosystem. Explore the stories driving OSU’s growing impact in AI.
