Planning Your First Sales Hire? You Don't Need a Performer. You Need a Producer.
In this episode, Garrett Brown explains why early-stage startups should hire a Sales Producer—not a traditional Sales Performer—for their first sales hire. He defines the Producer role as the person who invents the sales playbook, identifies target customers, sets pricing, and builds processes from scratch, while the Performer excels at executing an existing system at scale. Drawing on his experience building sales at Bitium, Brown highlights the challenges, mindset, and skills required for a Producer, and warns that hiring the wrong type leads to costly turnover. He offers practical advice for founders, sales professionals, and hiring managers on how to recognize and recruit the right talent for their current stage.
Stripe Alumni Raise €30M Series A for Duna, Backed by Stripe and Adyen Execs
Duna, a business identity verification startup founded by Stripe alumni, closed a €30 million Series A round led by Alphabet’s CapitalG with participation from current and former Stripe and Adyen executives. The company’s platform aims to create a reusable digital passport for...
Quantum Machines to Establish R&D Hub at Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park
Quantum Machines has signed an agreement with the Illinois Quantum and Microelectronics Park to launch a flagship R&D hub in Chicago. Operating from a 2,000‑square‑foot on‑ramp lab, the center will deploy the OPX1000 modular control platform to co‑design hardware and...
How to Build Efficient Agentic Reasoning Systems by Dynamically Pruning Multiple Chain-of-Thought Paths Without Losing Accuracy
The tutorial introduces an agentic chain‑of‑thought pruning framework that generates multiple reasoning paths in parallel and dynamically discards them using consensus signals and early‑stop criteria. By leveraging self‑consistency, lightweight graph‑based agreement, and progressive sampling, the system reduces token consumption while...
Control Planes Keep AI Agents From Running Wild
I look forward to a great conversation tomorrow with my good friend, Krishna Gade at Fiddler AI . While we are all amused watching the agents on moltbook, I don’t think we want to see this happen inside our companies....
PFG’s New CEO Signals Tech Focus as Sales Rise 5.2% in Fiscal Q2
Performance Food Group appointed Scott McPherson as CEO, pledging a stronger technology and efficiency agenda. The company posted fiscal Q2 net sales of $16.445 billion, up 5.2% year‑over‑year, and net earnings of $61.7 million, a 45.5% increase. Integration of the recent Cheney Brothers...
E.l.f. Beauty CEO Outlines Rhode’s International Expansion Plan, Holiday Sales Wins, Fall Mascara Launch on Today’s Earnings Call
E.l.f. Beauty posted a 38% jump in Q3 fiscal 2026 net sales to $489.5 million, largely fueled by the recent acquisition of Hailey Bieber’s brand Rhode. The company lifted its full‑year outlook, now expecting Rhode to contribute $260‑$265 million, up from $200 million....
Shows Kibble-Zurek Scaling in Polariton Condensates with Hundreds of Vortex Realizations
Researchers performed single‑shot interferometric measurements on a room‑temperature polariton condensate, capturing hundreds of stochastic vortex realizations. They found the average vortex number scales with pump power following the Kibble‑Zurek freeze‑out prediction for driven‑dissipative systems. Spectral analysis of vortex‑laden states revealed...
How the SCAM Act Would Encourage Platforms to Go After Scammers
In this episode, Paul Benda explains the SCAM Act introduced by Senators Ruben Gallego and Bernie Moreno, which would impose new know‑your‑customer and ad‑takedown obligations on major tech platforms that profit from fraudulent advertising. He outlines why current market incentives...
SpaceX Wants Revisions to Federal Rural Grant Program that Has Awarded It $733 Million
SpaceX is requesting revisions to the Broadband Equity Access and Deployment (BEAD) program, which has awarded the company $733 million in rural broadband grants, including $109 million in Texas. BEAD, originally a $42 billion initiative under the bipartisan infrastructure law, was halved to...
Salesforce Leads Gartner CDP Magic Quadrant, Powering Trusted AI
I’m thrilled to share that for the third year in a row, Salesforce has been named a Leader in the 2026 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for Customer Data Platforms, placed Furthest in Vision and Highest in Execution. Data 360 is the...
Cutting-Edge Discoveries From MSK Research – February 4, 2026
Memorial Sloan Kettering researchers mapped the lineage of rare Thetis immune cells, showing they arise from fetal liver TLP progenitors and depend on RANKL signals during the weaning window. A parallel study revealed that the order of antigen recognition and...
Tenable Pops After Blowout Earnings and Bullish 2026 Outlook
Tenable Holdings posted a strong fiscal fourth‑quarter, reporting adjusted earnings of $0.48 per share and revenue of $260.5 million, both surpassing analyst expectations. Year‑over‑year revenue grew 11% to $999.4 million, while calculated billings rose 8% to $327.8 million. The company added 502 new...
Asking Amgen to Withdraw Tavneos, FDA Revisits Years-Old Data Issue
The FDA has asked Amgen to withdraw its vasculitis drug Tavneos (avacopan) after re‑examining a data‑interpretation issue that was central to the advisory committee’s split vote before its 2021 approval. Amgen, which acquired Tavneos through its $4 billion purchase of ChemoCentryx...
Electron-Phonon 'Surfing' Could Help Stabilize Quantum Hardware, Nanowire Tests Suggest
UCLA researchers discovered that electrons can "surf" phonon waves in quasi‑one‑dimensional nanowires, causing flicker noise to drop as current rises. The effect was demonstrated in tantalum‑based and niobium‑based nanowires, with noise falling below measurable limits even at room temperature. This...
CMOs Allocate One‑Third of Budgets to Curated Events
"In speaking to CMOs, some are spending 1/3 of their budget on events" Omar Akhtar on... The Transaction I have seen this too. Smaller events with carefully curated guests...win
SBA Re-Tightens Its Eligibility Rules, Hitting Noncitizens
On March 1, the Small Business Administration reinstated a citizenship‑only eligibility rule for its loan programs, overturning a December policy that had allowed up to 5% foreign ownership. The new guidance requires all direct and indirect owners to be U.S. citizens...
Graphene Sealing Enables First Atomic Images of Monolayer Transition Metal Diiodides
Researchers at the University of Manchester’s National Graphene Institute have demonstrated the first atomic‑resolution transmission electron microscopy images of monolayer transition metal diiodides by sealing the samples in graphene. The graphene‑encapsulation technique extends the usable lifetime of these highly reactive...
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SaasRise Mastermind Recap - Feb 4, 2026
The Feb 4 2026 SaasRise Mastermind session delivered a deep‑dive into the toughest hurdles SaaS CEOs face, from turning legacy software into scalable cloud services to crafting a focused enterprise go‑to‑market motion. Participants were urged to adopt infrastructure‑as‑code tools like Terraform, invest...
Threat Actors Hijack Web Traffic After Exploiting React2Shell Vulnerability: Report
Researchers at Datadog Security Labs report that threat actors are exploiting the React2Shell vulnerability (CVE‑2025‑55182) in React Server Components to compromise NGINX servers managed via Boato Panel, hijacking web traffic and redirecting users to malicious sites. The attacks target a...
Indolent Cutaneous B-Cell Lymphomas Mimic Persistent Antigen Reactions
Researchers publishing in Nature Communications have shown that indolent primary cutaneous B‑cell lymphomas (PCBCLs) closely resemble persistent antigen‑driven immune reactions rather than undergoing dedifferentiation. Advanced transcriptomic and single‑cell analyses revealed gene‑expression patterns and active B‑cell receptor signaling that mirror chronic...
Elon Musk’s SpaceX Company Town Is Getting a Police Department
Starbase, the SpaceX‑built company town in South Texas, approved an ordinance to create its own municipal police department. The city commission plans to hire eight officers, pending approval from the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement. The department will be led...
Google AI Overviews Bug Removes Links & Citations
Google has acknowledged a bug in its AI Overviews feature that omits citation links from certain responses. The issue was first highlighted by SEO researcher Lily Ray, and Google’s VP of Search Engineering, Rajan Patel, confirmed the problem and said...
Google Parent Alphabet Predicts a Sharp Surge in 2026 Capital Spending on AI
Alphabet announced a capital‑expenditure target of $175‑$185 billion for 2026, far surpassing analysts’ $115.26 billion estimate. The guidance sent the stock down more than 6% in after‑hours trading. Google Cloud reported fourth‑quarter revenue of $17.7 billion, a 48% year‑over‑year increase that beat expectations....
Internal Links: SEO Best Practices for Internal Linking
In this episode, Shopify Senior SEO Specialist Arthur Camberlein explains what internal links are and why they’re vital for both user navigation and search‑engine crawling. He breaks down the main types of internal links—navigational, sidebar, footer, breadcrumb, contextual, CTA, and...
The Knot Unveils ChatGPT App for Wedding Planning
The Knot launched its first ChatGPT app, integrating its wedding planning platform with OpenAI’s conversational AI. The app draws on the company’s vendor marketplace and over 14.6 million reviews to deliver personalized, visual‑first vendor recommendations, review summaries, and smart rankings. Couples...
Strong US Earnings, Fed Hold to Counter Weak Dollar Concerns
The Federal Reserve left its policy range at 3.5‑3.75% after a 10‑2 vote on Jan. 28, citing an improving economic outlook. Early S&P 500 earnings reported a 20% jump in aggregate profits, reinforcing the Fed’s view of resilience. Meanwhile, the Bloomberg Dollar...
IT Gives, Security Takes Away, and Configuration Drift Is the Hidden Cost
Configuration drift—incremental, often unnoticed changes to security settings—has become a major hidden threat for enterprises. Modern, hyper‑configurable security platforms and frequent temporary exceptions cause the drift to accelerate, eroding a company’s security posture over time. High‑profile breaches such as Colonial...
Amazon to Begin Testing AI Tools for Film and TV Production Next Month
Amazon MGM Studios' AI Studio is moving from internal trials to a closed‑beta program in March, inviting select industry partners to test its proprietary AI tools for film and TV production. The tools aim to improve character consistency, streamline pre‑...
Google Maps Adds Gemini To A Major Feature In New Test
Google is testing a Gemini‑powered upgrade to the "Suggest an edit" feature in Google Maps, allowing users to submit location changes via natural‑language chat. Gemini can ask follow‑up questions to verify details before automatically submitting edits, streamlining the crowdsourced data...
Insider Threat Cited in $22M Iowa Bank Fraud Case
Prosecutors allege that an Iowa bank employee colluded with Curtis Weston to create 66 fraudulent loans worth $22 million, exploiting customer information from a previous employer. The scheme used 26 stolen identities and cycled funds through multiple banks and an online...
UT Health San Antonio Scientists Author American Heart Association Statement on Early Detection and Treatment of Post-Stroke Spasticity
Scientists from UT Health San Antonio authored an American Heart Association scientific statement urging early detection and treatment of post‑stroke spasticity. The document highlights that 30‑80% of stroke survivors develop the condition and that interventions within the first three months...
Klarna Joins Google's AI Protocol; Payoneer Expands Footprint
Klarna has joined Google’s Universal Commerce Protocol (UCP), enabling its buy‑now/pay‑later service to operate within Google’s AI‑driven shopping ecosystem. The protocol, now backed by major card brands and PayPal, seeks to standardise agentic AI interactions for safer, more transparent commerce....
Quick Test Can Curb Antimicrobial Resistance, Identifying Bacteria and Antibiotic Susceptibility in Under 40 Minutes
McGill researchers unveiled QolorPhAST, a compact diagnostic that identifies bacterial species and determines antibiotic susceptibility in just 36 minutes, dramatically faster than the conventional 48‑72‑hour culture methods. The system leverages nanoplasmonic colorimetric sensors, microfluidic channels, and machine‑learning image analysis to...
How Lipid Nanoparticles Carrying Vaccines Release Their Cargo
Researchers at Friedrich‑Alexander University Erlangen‑Nürnberg have simulated how lipid nanoparticles used in mRNA vaccines release their cargo within acidic endosomes. Their computer models show that amino lipids become positively charged at specific pKa values, causing membrane destabilization and cargo discharge....
Classic SaaS Scaling Model Is Dead, AI Reigns
SaaS isn’t dead, even with the massive sell off this year (and really since July 2025). But … what is dead is the classic pattern and way to scale: - 1, maybe 2 players, take over a space by $10m-$20m...
Quantum 2.0’s Promise Requires a Skilled Workforce
The always eloquent Nadya Mason on the promise of Quantum 2.0 and how to build the quantum workforce. https://t.co/mxNu4unDuM
Critical N8n Flaws Disclosed Along with Public Exploits
Multiple critical flaws identified as CVE‑2026‑25049 let any authenticated n8n user execute arbitrary code on the host server. The vulnerabilities stem from weak sandboxing of user‑written JavaScript and bypass the prior CVE‑2025‑68613 fix. Versions prior to 2.5.2 and 1.123.17 are...
Seeking Founders Using AI Sales Agents for Collaboration
Any founders using AI sales agents creatively? Would love to connect you with a founder we backed to trade notes. DMs open. https://t.co/oPpD4IzGfC
Review Sites Rebound After 2023 Update Declines
Interesting: Seeing some upward visibility trends among a few different review sites that saw big declines in 2023 (tied to core updates and 'Reviews' updates that year) The number 1 on the pink chart is the 2023 Reviews Update (August) https://t.co/6K8e0cZbpq
Show HN: Morph – Videos of AI Testing Your PR, Embedded in GitHub
Glance is an AI‑powered testing tool that reads a pull‑request diff and automatically determines which UI interactions to exercise. It runs the tests in managed or developer‑provided browsers and captures video recordings, screenshots, console errors, and network logs. All artifacts...
Google Ad Revenue Up 14% - Google's Biggest Revenue & Ad Revenue Yet
Alphabet announced its Q4 2025 earnings, showing ad revenue climbing 14% to $82.3 billion. Total revenue rose 17% to $113.8 billion, pushing annual revenue past $400 billion for the first time. The company highlighted AI‑driven growth, citing Gemini 3 integration in Search and a surge...
Google’s Mueller Calls Markdown-For-Bots Idea ‘A Stupid Idea’ via @Sejournal, @MattGSouthern
Google Search Advocate John Mueller publicly dismissed the practice of serving raw Markdown files to AI crawlers, calling it a “stupid idea.” Developers experimenting with Next.js middleware claim the approach can slash token usage by up to 95 % for LLMs...
Senate Bill Would Require Online Platforms to Prevent Fraudulent Ads
Senators Ruben Gallego and Bernie Moreno introduced the Safeguarding Consumers from Advertising Misconduct Act (SCAM Act) on Feb. 4, requiring online platforms to take reasonable steps to block fraudulent and deceptive ads. The bill expands the Federal Trade Commission’s and...
FTC Settles Insulin Lawsuit with Express Scripts
The Federal Trade Commission reached a settlement with pharmacy‑benefit manager Express Scripts over its handling of insulin rebates, securing an agreement that extends across virtually every segment of the company’s operations. The deal requires changes to rebate structures, increased transparency,...
AT&T Turns to Autonomous AI Agents to Slash Fraud and Customer Wait Times
AT&T is rolling out autonomous AI agents to combat spam and fraud calls while streamlining internal processes. The network‑integrated digital receptionist, ActiveArmor, engages unknown callers in real time, disconnecting suspicious interactions or taking messages. Internally, the company’s partnership with Microsoft...
AbbVie Says Immunology Blockbusters Will Be 'Main Drivers' Of Growth Post-Humira
AbbVie announced that its newer immunology drugs are compensating for the imminent loss of Humira’s patent protection. The combined sales of Skyrizi and Rinvoq have already surpassed Humira’s historic peak, signaling a successful transition to next‑generation biologics. The company frames...
SDA Expands Atombeam Contract for Data Transmission Tech
Atombeam received an expanded Small Business Innovation Research contract from the Space Development Agency to further develop its Neurpac AI‑driven data compression technology for Link 16 tactical datalinks. The company demonstrated an 86‑89% reduction in data streams while boosting bandwidth seven...
Free Platform for Laid‑Off Journalists Boosts Beehiiv
One of my favorite Win Win marketing moves: Offering people in need free digital product A kind gesture from Team @Beehiiv for any journalists that've been laid off. They get a free platform, Beehiiv gets trial from mainstream media writers. Win win....
Ingress-Nginx Vulnerability Enables Code Execution in Kubernetes
A critical vulnerability (CVE‑2026‑24512) in ingress‑nginx allows authenticated attackers to inject arbitrary Nginx directives via the rules.http.paths.path field, leading to code execution and secret disclosure in Kubernetes clusters. The flaw affects all ingress‑nginx releases before v1.13.7 and v1.14.3. Exploitation requires...
