Lovable’s Path to $30M ARR🚀 ,Is Your Startup Disruptive?⚡, Meta's $15 Billion Bet on AGI 🤖
If you're building, investing, or just trying to stay ahead of the curve, you're in the right place. Every week, we break down the latest insights, funding news, and founder-friendly gems—no fluff, just what matters. Plus, we track the freshest VC funds deploying capital so you know where the money’s moving.
Let’s get into it 👇
In-Depth Insights 🔍
Is Your Startup Disruptive? Take the Test ⚡
A 3-question framework helps you assess whether your startup can create a new market, undercut incumbents, and challenge established players. [Jeroen Coelen]
AI Is Reinventing Market Research 📊
AI-powered tools are accelerating market research, cutting costs, and improving accuracy. Simulated societies and generative agents are eliminating the need for human panels, making insights dynamic and real-time. [Andreessen Horowitz]
Lovable’s Path to $30M ARR in 4 Months 🚀
Lovable scaled quickly with a small team and a focus on product improvements. They used viral growth tactics, leveraging AI and authentic social media engagement. [Kyle Poyar]
When Growth Plateaus: How and When to Layer on New Acquisition Channels 📊
When growth stalls, adding new channels won’t solve the problem. Focus on improving unit economics, product, and engagement before expanding acquisition. [Casey Winters]
Airbnb Is in Midlife Crisis Mode 🏡
Airbnb is moving beyond home rentals to offer a range of services. Chesky is focused on AI and new experiences to transform the app into a one-stop platform [Wired]
10 Essential Hacks to Manage Founder Stress & Master Your Mind 🧘♂️
Founder stress is inevitable, but managing it is key to sustainability. Focus on sleep, exercise, and boundaries to avoid burnout and stay effective long-term.The Startup MIS Template: A Dashboard to Track Your Key Metrics 🔧
This template consolidates key metrics like revenue, AOV, and churn into one dashboard. It helps founders make data-driven decisions and spot trends early without complex tools. [Ruben Dominguez Ibar]
First Thoughts on o3 Pro: A Leap in Contextual Intelligence 🤖
o3 Pro significantly improves task execution and tool integration. It requires more context to deliver optimal results, but it offers noticeable progress in decision-making. [Latent Space]
Scaling an AI Native Company: From AJDs to Custom Cod🔧
Building AI agents requires balancing complexity, capability, and context. The right platform - whether simple or custom - depends on the task's scale and precision needs. [Kerman Kohli]
Trending News ⚡
Lovable in Talks for $1.5 Billion Valuation 🚀
Swedish AI startup Lovable is negotiating a funding round aiming for $100M+ to push its $1.5B valuation. With $61M in annual recurring revenue, it’s changing how non-programmers build apps and websites. [Bloomberg]
Google Cloud Outage Disrupts Major Services 🌐
A Google Cloud outage took down apps like Spotify and Discord for hours. Cloudflare and other services linked to Google Cloud were also impacted. [TechCrunch]
Waymo Rides Cost More Than Uber or Lyft And People Are Paying Anyway 💸
Waymo’s robotaxi fares are consistently higher than Uber and Lyft, yet demand is strong. A report shows customers are willing to pay for the novelty of driverless rides. [TechCrunch]
Chime Almost Died in 2016, Turned Down by 100 VCs - Today It IPO’d at $14.5B 📈
Chime raised $864M in its IPO, now valued at $12B. The neobank’s founders were rejected by 100 investors before securing a $9M lifeline. [TechCrunch]
Nvidia’s Big European Push Raises Questions for Sovereignty 🔌
Nvidia’s expansion in Europe aims to boost AI infrastructure, but concerns about dependency on US tech remain. Critics warn it could hinder Europe’s drive for tech independence. [Sifted]
Elon Musk Says Tesla Robotaxi Rides in Austin ‘Tentatively’ Set to Begin June 22 🚗
Tesla’s driverless robotaxi service will begin with a small rollout in Austin. The first trip is planned for June 28, but safety concerns could delay the launch. [CNBC]
Meta Launches AI ‘World Model’ to Advance Robotics, Self-Driving Cars 🤖
Meta's new V-JEPA 2 model enhances machines' ability to understand and predict physical movements. The model aims to improve robotics and self-driving cars by simulating real-world scenarios. [CNBC]
Meta is Reportedly Making a $15 Billion Bet on AGI 🤖
Meta is investing $15B in Scale AI, gaining a 49% stake and bringing Scale’s CEO onboard. The move is aimed at accelerating Meta’s progress toward artificial general intelligence. [The Verge]
OpenAI Releases o3-pro, a Souped-Up Version of Its o3 AI Reasoning Model ⚡
OpenAI’s new o3-pro model outperforms its predecessor in key areas like science and math. It’s available now for ChatGPT Pro and API users but has slower response times and some feature restrictions. [TechCrunch]
Social Media Gems 💎
Fully Remote Companies Are Disappearing - Especially Among Startups 🌍
Remote work is on the decline, especially in startups with fewer than 50 employees. Rising tax complexity, labor shifts, and security concerns are nudging businesses back to in-person setups.
Ben Horowitz on What Makes the Job of a Startup CEO So Difficult 💡
Startup CEOs face immense pressure. With high stakes and little experience, decision-making becomes a constant battle - one filled with hesitation and stress.
Pulp Fiction… but Then It’s B2B Marketing 😂
Tycho Luijten reimagines Pulp Fiction in the B2B marketing world. Vincent's wild stories have Jules reeling, showing just how chaotic (and hilarious) business can get.The High Price of Growth in SaaS Companies 💡
Jacco van der Kooij breaks down the steep cost of growth in SaaS. Acquisition costs are skyrocketing, while inefficiencies plague the sector, hitting the bottom line.
Marc Andreessen’s 5 Principles for Building Something Great 💎
Marc Andreessen shares his top advice for anyone looking to succeed in tech: chase the action, learn from the best, and focus on mastering your skills, not just getting by.
New Funds 💰
Felicis Ventures closed its 10th fund with a total of $900M to support early-stage startups across sectors.
Seven Stars Ventures launched its first AI-focused fund, raising $40M to invest in emerging AI startups.
Genesys Capital closed Fund IV to further its investments in growth-stage tech companies with strategic exits.
Collab Capital has raised $75M for Fund II, aimed at backing Black-led tech startups.
Sofinnova Partners, in collaboration with NVIDIA, aims to accelerate European life sciences startups with a specialized fund.
Pride Capital Partners held the first close of Fund III, aiming to provide early-stage capital to underrepresented founders.
DataTribe raised $41M to continue backing deep tech and cybersecurity startups with strong market potential.
Geodesic Capital held the first close of its $250M Geodesic Alliance Fund, focusing on late-stage growth opportunities in high-tech sectors.
That’s a wrap for this week.
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