Pt.2 Beyond Phishing: Cyber Threats in the Age of AI with Four Flynn
The post serves as a detailed guide to Professor Hannah Fry’s 2025 podcast series, spotlighting Episode 10 Part 2 which examines the human side of cybersecurity, the motivations of attackers, and AI‑driven defenses such as passkeys and risk‑based authentication. It also recaps the surrounding episodes, from the historical Operation Aurora case in Part 1 to discussions on AI‑generated worlds, drug discovery, robotics, health, philosophy, and the future of AI assistants. By weaving together these diverse topics, the author highlights how AI is reshaping both threats and solutions across multiple fields, while offering listeners a roadmap to the season’s interdisciplinary conversations.
AI‑Driven Design Is the New Startup Moat
🎧 Here's my conversation with the one and only Dylan Field , CEO and co-founder of Figma We discuss: 🔸 Why AI makes design, craft, and quality the new moat for startups 🔸 What actually happened with the Adobe deal,...
AI Now Drives Avatars, Making Real-Time VTubing Suit‑free
You can just transfer your entire performance to any character now. Fed it my guitar playing to drive this avatar, and it holds up well. Wan 2.2 Fun Control and Animate are powerful primitives. At the rate things are going, this'll be...
How Anthropic’s ‘Skills’ Make Claude Faster, Cheaper, and More Consistent for Business Workflows
Anthropic launched 'Skills,' a capability for its Claude AI that lets organizations package instructions, code, and reference materials into reusable, composable folders the assistant loads on demand, using "progressive disclosure" to avoid context-window limits. Skills work across Claude products and...
Your Biggest Customer Is Your Biggest Vulnerability
While many think having a "largest customer" is an asset, it's actually a company's biggest weakness. If you can feel a single customer leave, you're in a delicate spot. If you have a customer you can't afford to lose, you're...
AI Redefines Org Charts: Prioritize People, Skills, Connection
💡 The org chart isn’t going away — but the way we use it is about to change. AI is helping us move beyond structure to focus on what really matters: people, skills, and customers. 🤖❤️ The future of work...
How to Build a Trusted Network in the Age of AI-Generated Content
As generative AI makes convincingly fake content ubiquitous, the article argues that testimonial must shift from praise to verifiable proof of identity and work history. It warns that polished sizzle reels and AI-generated endorsements can mask inauthentic speakers, influencers or...
AI Becomes New Mass Media, Replacing Traditional Web Browsing
I asked Claude this morning about the most important news in tech. A few follow-up questions about Salesforce’s Dreamforce, Samsung’s XR headset, & TSMC earnings later, I popped over to ChatGPT Pulse. It suggested some updates about the Fed’s rates...
Critics Don't Buy: Market Validates True Marketing Value
Critics don’t buy; customers do. If the market says “yes,” your aesthetic distaste is just a diary entry. Adam Singer and I talked about a lot on the Revenue Diaries this past week. But we ended on an excellent marketing-centric...
20VC X SaaStr Is Back!! The New Rules of Venture: Portfolio Construction, Kingmaking, and When Founders Walk Away
Venture investing is being rewritten as AI startups compress time-to-unicorns and force a rethinking of portfolio construction: early-stage funds now need ~20–25 initial bets before concentrating ~75% of capital into 3–5 winners, while the exit threshold has risen from ~$200M...
Rigorous Evals and Error Analysis Accelerate AI Agent Development
Readers responded with both surprise and agreement last week when I wrote that the single biggest predictor of how rapidly a team makes progress building an AI agent lay in their ability to drive a disciplined process for evals (measuring...
AI Assistants Streamline Daily Tech and Finance Updates
I asked Claude this morning about the most important news in tech. A few follow-up questions about Salesforce’s Dreamforce, Samsung’s XR headset, & TSMC earnings later, I popped over to ChatGPT Pulse . It suggested some updates about the Fed’s...
SaasRise Mastermind Recap - Oct 15, 2025
The SaasRise mastermind recap highlighted practical strategies for winning direct clients, leveraging authentic user‑generated content, streamlining Google Ads spend, and transitioning to a product‑led growth model with tiered SaaS pricing. Key takeaways include building ABM lists and retargeting ads for...
AI‑Powered Seedream 4.0 Turns iPhone Shots Into Viral Ads
Marketers: How do you introduce a new product to the world? One that no one knows they want? And you really wanna make it viral? That's my storytelling challenge for Illusion of Life, which has just shipped to its first customers a...
San Francisco's AI Gold Rush Revives Its Frontier Spirit
LIVE FROM DREAMFORCE: Marc Benioff (@Benioff), Chair, CEO and Co-Founder of @Salesforce, on the spirit of San Francisco and why AI is its next gold rush. “There’s a metaphysical spirit to San Francisco, a spirit of adventure, of innovation, of freedom....
SaasRise Enterprise Mastermind Call Recap Oct 14, 2025
The Oct 14 Enterprise SaaS CEO Mastermind call covered five practical topics: creative low‑budget Q4 marketing tactics (including gift‑based outreach and AI‑powered tools), navigating SaaS‑friendly banking options for revenue‑recognition challenges, founder involvement in product management versus delegation, strategies for hiring sales...
Unlock Existing ChatGPT Auth, Not New Sign‑In Layer
Huge if true. Wrote a bunch about the Sign in with ChatGPT opportunity back in April. “Today, there’s no secure way to link a ChatGPT account to another tool. No OAuth. No scoped tokens. No way to persist context responsibly. What’s needed...
Real-Time World Models Promise Holodeck‑Level Robotics
OK @drfeifei was already near the top of my list of favorite people alive, but this pushed her up to the top. Infinite real time realities in a Holodeck. This work has sped up my expectations about robotics. @adcock_brett told @Benioff...
In Startups, The Harder You Work in Sales, The More Good Leads You Get
Jason Lemkin argues that in startups the highest-quality leads concentrate with the hardest-working, most prepared sales reps, creating a self-reinforcing “hustle feedback loop.” He cites internal data showing top-quartile activity reps closed deals at 2.3x the rate, had 31% larger...
Automate, Track Saved Hours, Scale Freedom Over Busyness
Small SaaS teams burn hours chasing the wrong numbers. Here's the new baseline I use: 1. Ship automation that buys you time back. 2. Track saved hours like real ARR. 3. Only scale what can be automated. Founders: optimize for freedom, not busyness.
Customers First: Attend Roxana’s AI Pipeline Talk
I was excited to present at Tim Rath ’s Future of Revenue Marketing event in London next week… but I’ve decided to hang with our amazing customers in Paris for Unleash. Customers always come first. You shouldn’t be dismayed because...
How to Build Your AI Team, Task by Task
On the Duct Tape Marketing Podcast, Ava Gutierrez of ThinkWithAI.com urged businesses to adopt AI task-by-task rather than as wholesale job replacements, framing AI as a “new hire” that needs context, onboarding and clearly defined roles. She recommends mapping individual...
Omarchy 3.1 Unifies Copy/Paste with Super Keys
Omarchy 3.1 is also shipping with unified copy/paste hotkeys. Super + C / V. No more remembering that it's Ctrl + C / V in a browser and Ctrl + Shift + C / V in a Terminal. Oh, and...
Clear, Actionable B2B Marketing & AI Strategies Delivered
Are you looking for a speaker who can make complex B2B marketing, AI, and go-to-market strategies feel clear, practical, and energizing? I deliver customized keynotes and hands-on workshops that bridge the gap between strategy and execution—equipping teams to spark fresh...
Spotify Says It’s Working with Labels on ‘Responsible’ AI Music Tools
Spotify announced a formal agreement with major labels — Sony, Universal, Warner, Merlin and Believe — to jointly develop “responsible” generative AI music products and to stand up a dedicated research lab and product team. The pact emphasizes upfront deals,...
Target Buyer Moments, Not Just Demographics, via Real‑time Reviews
Smart marketers don't just target specific buyers. They target specific *moments*. I'm talking about the real-life trigger events that flip a buyer from "not interested" to "I need this NOW!!" Not long ago, uncovering those triggers was a major lift. You'd launch expensive surveys,...
Usage-Based Pricing Challenges Traditional ARR Metrics
What can happen when you unleash an agentic(ish) workflow… and this isn’t even full agent mode. 😱 Feels a bit like we’re in the Wild West period of figuring out the move from seat-based to outcome-based pricing. For software/AI startups...
Smarter Reporting, AI Enhancements Lead HubSpot’s September 2025 Updates
HubSpot’s September 2025 release delivers 14 practical product updates focused on smarter reporting, tighter data guardrails and modest AI enhancements aimed at reducing routine work. Highlights include social media metrics in the Custom Report Builder, a redesigned threaded CRM timeline,...
New Chapter Releases Symbolic Verifier for LLM Evaluation
Chapter 3 on building a symbolic verifier for LLMs from scratch is now live: https://mng.bz/lZ5B . And with this, the first 176 pages of Build A Reasoning Model (From Scratch) are now available. This verifier is a useful method for...
Measurement Fuels Decisions, Not Just Story Confirmation
Is measurement a dirty word for marketers? I caught up with LinkedIn ’s Head of Ads Measurement, Jae O. last week at Advertising Week NY, and his response to that question really stuck with me: “When you’re trying to measure...
Is Agentic Commerce a Thing?
Forrester analysts outline “agentic commerce” as nascent AI systems—composed of foundation models and task-specific agents—that can take actions to assist or conduct parts of the shopping journey, from discovery to, in rare cases, checkout. The firm distinguishes owned experiences (brand-controlled...
Even Market Leaders Doubt Their Marketing Effectiveness
Imagine being a $100 million plumbing company, completely dominating your market with 16,000 more Google reviews than your closest competitor, and still saying, "Our marketing isn't good enough." That is rare my friends. Why? Because the majority of CEOs dominating...
True Product-Market Fit Requires 12‑Month Retention Proof
"We have product-market fit!" You've had customers for 3 months and your NRR is 50%. I'm sorry, but you don't. Not yet, anyway. This is probably the most common misconception I see from founders in the early go-to-market stage. They...
Why Your B2B Strategy Should Start with a Story that Builds Trust
B2B strategies should prioritize storytelling to build long-term, human trust that outlasts short-term performance gains, the article argues. It outlines a playbook—customer interviews, buyer personas, a content library, unified messaging and targeted ABM tactics—illustrated by Company A’s launch of a...
Outrageous Optimism Is Essential for Founders' Success
Huge honor being featured by @bigthink this week. We talked about why “outrageous optimism” is a required skillset for founders. Startups are built by people who believe just enough to keep going when everything says stop. When the odds are 1000...
Five Hidden GTM Gaps Stalling Your Scale
If you’re not scaling, it’s not your market. It's not your product either. It’s these 5 overlooked GTM gaps. Most founders blame the market when growth stalls but the truth is more brutal: the real killers are five Go-To-Market gaps I see...
Best Ecosystem Wins: Partner Orchestration Drives AI Success
Why do 72% of AI projects never reach production? After 3 days at #IBMTechXchange, the answer was clear: The best ecosystem wins. ✅ AI scaled through partner orchestration 📷 Claude x IBM = strategic capability fill 📷https://t.co/ZTao4tnvpN + newsletter: https://t.co/HelZzurUa5...
Automation Cuts Millions of Hours From Insurance Tasks
Healthcare staff spend millions of hours each year calling insurance companies and navigating portals. @SplendorHealth automates insurance workflows (benefits verification, prior auth monitoring, credentialing) for healthcare companies, eliminating the headaches of portal access, EDI, and AI phone calls. https://t.co/YsY0INT8ZT Congrats on the launch,...
Enterprise Adoption Drives Lovable’s Rapid Revenue Growth
Eventually ... everyone goes a bit enterprise Eventually ... everyone adds a sales team
AI Partnership Accelerates Fusion Toward Unlimited Clean Energy
Super excited to be collaborating with Commonwealth Fusion Systems @CFS_energy to use AI to accelerate fusion development - and move closer to a sustainable future with limitless clean energy
AI-Powered SaaStr Instantly Confirms Fund Fit
With the next version of SaaStr AI VC, you won't wonder if you are a fit for any given fund anymore We'll just tell you. Right there, right now. https://t.co/ONomUsL4kw
Google and Salesforce Unite for Agentic Enterprise
Live now at #Dreamforce! ☁️ Google CEO Sundar Pichai joins Marc Benioff on the main stage — exploring how Google & Salesforce are partnering to build the Agentic Enterprise powered by trusted data, open AI, and human collaboration. 📍 Blue Shield...
Funding General Intuition to Advance AI Spatial-Temporal Reasoning
Super excited about funding @PimDeWitte on this exciting journey towards AI understanding the physical world !
Leadbay Finds 70% More Companies, Boosts Prospecting 5x
Leadbay (@LeadbayAI) discovers and qualifies companies others can’t find. LinkedIn, Clay, and ZoomInfo miss 70% of U.S. businesses and cover only 0.001% of digital signals and intent. Leadbay’s customers achieve 5x prospecting efficiency by unlocking untapped opportunities in the most data-scarce, fragmented...
Brand Visibility Extends Into Search Answer Layer
Measuring brand visibility in the answer layer above search. https://t.co/tkK7aYce5t via @DuaneForrester, @sejournal
Real-Time 3D World Model Runs on One H100
Very excited to share @theworldlabs ‘s latest research work RTFM!! It’s a real-time, persistent, and 3D consistent generative World Model running on *a single* H100 GPU! Blog and live demo are available below! 🤩
Lapis Delivers Real‑time AI Search Ranking Analytics
Lapis (@trylapis) is building the fastest, most accurate AI search analytics platform. Today, every business is asking, "How do we rank in AI search?" Lapis analyzes millions of user prompts daily, changes content in real-time, and links to external sites for...
Ask First, Build Later: Avoid Wasting a Year
The fastest way to waste a year: Build something nobody asked for, spend six months perfecting it, launch it, hear crickets, then finally ask people what they actually want.
Early-Stage Agencies Cost More than They Deliver
The harsh truth about agencies at early-stage: You're paying them to learn. Just like any new hire, they won't hit their stride until month 3-4. If you're pre-PMF, that's a very expensive education for everyone involved. Consider contractors and freelancers first to de-risk.
Balancing Hybrid Work with Essential Face‑to‑Face Interaction
Here’s a look at why face-to-face interaction is so important and how companies can make it happen effectively without losing the benefits of a hybrid workplace. https://t.co/wKCq6pHqhM via @bestcorpevents #teambuilding #futureofwork
