Biz Stone

Join us for an important conversation next week about platform design and elections with Glenn E., Ravi Iyer, Kaili L., and Nicole Schneidman - how is tech getting in the way and/or facilitating election integrity? 🤔 https://lu.ma/59uxawc5

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How Starlink Could Transform Rural Internet Access? Elon Musk’s Starlink has the potential to solve rural internet connectivity issues instantly, offering access to communities that have been left behind. Yet, for some reason, many are hesitant to embrace this technology. In this episode of the Papa Lens Podcast, we dive into how Starlink could transform the digital divide and discuss why its revolutionary approach faces resistance. #PapaLensPodcast #HotTopics2024 #TysonVsJakePaul #ElonMusk #Trump2024 #SpecialEdition #CurrentEvents #TrendingNow Full Episode: https://lnkd.in/gkxASSCD

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In the Summer of 2022 I gave a talk at a TechCrunch conference in Berkley. 2 years later that has somehow become the origin story of my first book, available on July 3. With the time demands of being a founder, dad, and husband, writing a book wasn't something that was even remotely on my radar screen of things to THINK about doing. That changed when I was unexpectedly approached by my great publishers at Wiley. The result is titled: Capitalism Created the Climate Crisis and Capitalism Will Solve It: The Market Forces Catalyzing a Climate Technology Renaissance. I'm not sure I would have seriously considered taking this project on if it hadn't been for the fact that Wiley had just published Frank Slootman's book; Amp It Up - one of my favorite CEO penned works. That was a serious credential for me that gave me the confidence they could balance what would likely be a non-linear process for me to write it were I to take it in. I knew it wasn't feasible for me to write the book over a long period of time so I set out to see if I could write the majority of it over the Christmas 2022 holiday, which somehow I did. I knocked out probably 60% of it over the course of 5 days and then floundered for the next 20 or so months to finish the rest of it! I love long-form writing and have written 100's of pages internally at Persefoni over the years, but oh boy do I dislike the editing process. Writing a book involves a nutty amount of just that to get it over the finish line. Thanks to the patience of the Wiley team and some help from friends along the way it's finally done! Is it good? I don't know. I learned in the process of writing it, that it was impossible for me to judge the quality of my own work here, but it was a rewarding piece to complete. Words and concepts sort of blur together writing something this big over that long of a time period. In any case, I hope it will provide some food for thought, education, and discussion. I've always loved economics and writing on this subject combines two of the great arcs of my life story over the past 5 years - climate and entrepreneurship. Will Capitalism actually solve the climate crisis? Who the hell knows, but it certainly has the potential to and we don't have time to mess around and debate the merits of what approach is best. We need to deploy as many as possible. The book isn't a treatise on a definitive opinion I have, it's a thesis. Unfortunately in the climate discussion we often find the discussion dominated by absolutist views from both sides ranging from climate denialism and anti-ESG rhetoric to academic, idealist views of anti-capitalism and anti-fossil fuels. I try to be as pragmatic and educational as I could in both my writing and my opinions. I'd love for you to check it out and let me know what you think. You can head to persefoni.com/book to grab a copy from your preferred vendor. We'll also have the audiobook coming available right around the print release as well.

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I wrote about the new version of ChatGPT's voice assistant, GPT-4o, which can talk, laugh, interpret emotions and even sing. It's clearly modeled on Samantha from "Her," and it means that we are leaving the era of the dry, impersonal AI helper, and entering into much stranger territory. How will society change when AI voices can convince us they're human? Will we fall for our AI assistants, as Theodore does for Samantha? Or will other companies' more detached, less emotional chatbots carry the day? I wrote about the possibilities in The New York Times.

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AI systems routinely outperform humans, affirms the Stanford AI Index Report 2024; Should we be worried? There's hardly a day that goes by without someone speculating if AI systems like GPT-4, Gemini 1.5 Pro, Claude 3, and now LLaMA 3 are becoming sentient, the fear being that AI's intelligence, what we better know as artificial general intelligence (AGI) or artificial super intelligence (ASI), will exceed that of the most intelligent humans, making it a sort of Alpha Intelligence that may eventually even enslave humans. While #Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang proposed that AGI would emerge within five years, and Ben Goertzel foresees it happening in just three years, Elon Musk predicts that by the end of 2025 or early 2026, AI will be smarter than any single human, and probably smarter than all humans combined by 2029. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, too, has announced that his company is entering the race to make an AGI but did not provide any timeline. These are all credible voices and we must pay attention. But one also needs to pay heed to equally-accomplished voices like those of Yann LeCun, Andrew Ng, and Gary Marcus, who have begged to differ and have consistently tempered expectations in the context of AGI. Early this month, even Stanford University's seventh edition of the AI Index report weighed in on the same topic, insisting that AI systems like GPT-4, Gemini, and Claude 3 are "impressively multimodal" and "routinely exceed human performance on standard benchmarks". The report, however, qualifies that current AI technology continues to have limitations and cannot reliably deal with facts, perform complex reasoning, or explain its conclusions. What do you think? LiveMint https://lnkd.in/g8VmStwv

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Check out my recent post on why President Trump is the forcing function for us to solve the “Missing Middle” and catch the industrial Tsunami of onshoring coming to the US!

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💬 Empowering Curators with InceptionLRT: Recognizing the pivotal role of Curators, InceptionLRT is built with one goal in mind: to empower Curators and simplify their role in the restaking landscape. By offering powerful tools and a flexible framework, InceptionLRT enables Curators to navigate complexities, fine-tune strategies, and drive long-term growth. The key to unlocking this lies with Restaking 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀. 𝗖𝘂𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 are becoming the key players in this ecosystem, balancing rewards, security, and decentralization while guiding how resources are allocated. At InceptionLRT, we're focused on empowering Curators with tools and frameworks to overcome these challenges and drive sustainable growth. What do you think? Can Curators drive this transformation? 👀 👇 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗽𝗼𝘀𝘁: https://lnkd.in/dPPS52bR

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As Jamie Mezl points out*, it is excruciatingly difficult to regulate AI... and it's counterproductive to try to do so in any detail. Elsewhere, I suggest that regulations should instead create incentives for AI systems to reciprocally compete with each other in pro-social ways. If AI versions were to win added resources when they tattle on each other - e.g. over spreading misinformation or assisting in crimes - then there'd be something that could be rewarded with incentives that we still control. Like access to more servers or clock cycles or electricity or chips. Moreover the exact nature of the denounced/reported misdeed need not be pre-specified. In other words, there'd be selective pressure (evolution) toward winning organic humanity as allies. In fact, this kind of incentive system is exactly how we tamed a previous wave of feral, predatory language systems called... lawyers. By siccing them onto each other via rewards-incentive regulations and letting the details fall out in front of juries. What I call for - in other words - is almost exactly the same structures of reciprocal accountability that have worked for us so far in the recent enlightenment. Methods that, in general, tamed misdeeds by organic humans down to a dull roar. Why not at least try the same methods with AI? Alas, I see nothing in current waves of regulation... or in statements by geniuses at Google, OpenAI, MSoft, Goldman-Sachs or Beijing... that show even a glimmer of awareness of how history could inform possible solutions aimed at a soft landing, I go into this a bit more in my WIRED article. https://lnkd.in/gDuD2Aum * JM's circulated email about this failed to offer a link I could share with you all, alack.

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Hey all 👋, I finally got around to editing the PMF workshop (yes, please hype me up for just doing my job). Thanks again to #founders Mina A. Leonel Lacayo and Monica Vespe Lincoln for sharing their startups and building in public! Grab the video or sign up to be notified of the next workshop at the link in the comments. —— Want to a stress test your #startups Product-Market Fit? Get the free PMF workbook at the link in my profile and make sure your #marketing and #branding are minimum viable for your stage of growth.

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AT SXSW 2025, SANDY CARTER BUSTS MYTHS "10 Myths Busted: The Real Impact of AI and Emerging Tech" is the presentation that Sandy Carter (Chief Operating Officer at Unstoppable Domains) will deliver at SXSW 2025 in March in Austin. We asked Carter for her tips for understanding AI, for making the most out of SXSW and for compelling reading. https://lnkd.in/gafxT_u7 SXSW: What do people get wrong when they think about artificial intelligence? CARTER: That’s almost my whole presentation at SXSW 2025! But from my recent work, I’ll share my top three. Many people believe that AI is too expensive or complex for smaller businesses, but the reality is quite the opposite. Tools like no-code platforms and AI-as-a-Service make it possible for even small businesses—like local restaurants, dry cleaners, and dental practices—to leverage AI for customer engagement, scheduling, and operational efficiency. Another common misconception is that AI has emotions or consciousness. While AI can simulate empathy and sentiment analysis in customer interactions, it doesn’t actually understand or feel anything. AI excels at pattern recognition and automation, but attributing human-like qualities to it creates unrealistic expectations about its capabilities. And finally, many think AI will work perfectly right out of the box without any oversight. In reality, AI requires ongoing management, training, and evaluation to ensure it performs well and aligns with your goals. Without proper oversight, AI can reinforce biases or provide inaccurate results, leading to poor outcomes. SXSW: What is your best tip for first-time SXSW attendees? CARTER: Plan ahead, but leave room for spontaneity. SXSW is packed with incredible events, so creating a detailed schedule can help you make the most of your time. That said, some of the most memorable moments come from stepping outside your comfort zone—attending an unexpected session, exploring new topics, or striking up a conversation with another attendee. SXSW: What's the last great book you read? CARTER: "The Terminal List" by Jack Carr, an action-packed thriller written by a former Navy SEAL. It’s full of intrigue, unexpected twists, and intense moments that keep you guessing until the very end. I love books like this because they challenge my problem-solving skills and make me think strategically—qualities that are just as important in leadership as they are in solving a great mystery. I also recently re-read "Atomic Habits" by James Clear. It’s such a powerful book about how small, consistent changes can lead to remarkable transformations, both personally and professionally. It’s a timeless guide to creating sustainable success, which ties back beautifully to the innovative and actionable ideas I’m inspired by every year at SXSW. Buy your badge now to see Sandy Carter's presentation and hundreds of other forward-thinking SXSW sessions -- sxsw.com/attend. Sandy Carter, #SXSW, #artificialintelligence

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Hey, remember when David Cohen contradicted (https://lnkd.in/ehjYYgQV) the IAB's Internet For Growth's own lobbying agenda? If anyone needs further proof that IAB/I4G is pretending to advocate for small business while actually serving as a mouthpiece for Google, here you go! I wrote about this, and more in my piece for Ricky Sutton's Future Media. Check it out, if you haven't already. Link: https://lnkd.in/emyyX8Gi #transparency #adtech #bigtech

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By focusing on creating more collaborative models for fundraising, founders can feel empowered while ensuring their projects have the support they need, argues Ariel Shapira. https://lnkd.in/gZnK2nsB

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“This results in a sort of asymmetric, multi-player prisoner’s dilemma, where mutual cooperation is the optimal outcome, but individual incentives lead to suboptimal results.” Paul Murphy nailing the last 3 year story of “climate tech”. https://lnkd.in/emRpJCZ9

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🌍 Exciting news! Apparel Impact Institute (Aii) has just announced the newest round of Climate Solutions Portfolio (CSP) grants, part of the $250 million Fashion Climate Fund aimed at unlocking $2 billion in blended capital for industry-wide decarbonization. These grants provide essential funding and support for scalable, science-based solutions that help the fashion industry reduce its environmental impact.🌱 This round of grantees – Pozzi, Grant Thornton, and Amphico – are tackling unique supply chain challenges with innovative technologies, offering measurable greenhouse gas reductions. Collectively, these projects have the potential to save over 24,000 tCO2e within their first year of implementation! 💡 Highlights include: * Pozzi's advanced heat recovery system for the textile wet processing sector * Grant Thornton's innovative approach to energy conservation in the lubricant industry * Amphico's cutting-edge color-mixing technology for textiles, creating vibrant fabrics with reduced environmental impact A huge congratulations to these trailblazers for their commitment to a sustainable future. Learn more about their projects and how Aii is driving decarbonization efforts across the industry #Sustainability #ClimateAction #Decarbonization #FashionIndustry #ApparelImpactInstitute #InnovationForImpact #CSPGrantees #SustainableFashion #Decarbonization

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A SAFE and convertible note had a baby and Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati was the midwife- out popped the D-SAFE! 👶🏽🎉 A new #climatetech funding instrument was announced by Elemental Excelerator last week. One of the company’s main goals is to support smaller, up and coming companies during the awkward “Scale Gap” phase between #VC funding and natural growth. It’s called the #DSAFE (Development Simple Agreement for Future Equity) and it aims to aid the process by giving companies a small amount of cash to overcome initial risks and expenses during the developmental stages of a product launch or company. How does it work? D-SAFE has a redemption clause meaning companies can choose to have their payments offered as a loan or convert to equity at the investor’s discretion. Funders and companies will have clear communication and expectations about where the money is going and how it will be applied to either the company or the projects at hand. Financiers and companies will work together with more #transparency, and that’s a great boon for #startups and VC alike. As of this month, Elemental has already invested using D-SAFE in eight different companies, including Dimensional Energy and Origen — both companies investing in innovative and out-of-the-box solutions to environmental issues! Seems like a win-win on the surface. What do you all think about the D-SAFE? Alfredo Coppola Momoka Ueda Tim Wagner Stephen D. Torres Olya Irzak Natsuho Toyama Noriya Tarutani Shin Ogawa

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Some VCs are whispering about the "end" of "climate tech." While I understand the desire to obscure a climate mission behind new branding when climate denial runs the government, I'm not down with it. Here's why it sets us back, and why I continue to embrace "climate tech" 🌍💚 #climate #climatetech #climateVC #venturecapital #climatechange

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