AI cold war intensifies: U.S. blocks key tools for Chinese chipmakers

Hi ,

Really great founder conversations this week on the pod

Mariana Padilla, Founder of hackerverse.ai, here and

Aaron Painter, Founder of Nametag here.

let’s dive in…

Tip of the spear:

Trump bans sales of chip design software to China LINK

• The Trump administration told US companies supplying electronic design automation software to stop selling these services to Chinese groups, enacting a new export control.

• The Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security issued this directive via letters to electronic design automation groups including Cadence, Synopsys, and Siemens EDA.

• This measure aims to stymie China's development of leading-edge artificial intelligence chips by restricting access to essential American software for semiconductor design.

Nvidia CEO warns that Chinese AI rivals are now ‘formidable’ LINK

• Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stated Chinese competitors evolved, making firms like Huawei quite formidable after US restrictions on AI chip exports affected sales of H20 AI chips.

• Huang highlighted these rivals are rapidly increasing their capabilities and production volume, benefiting from the void left by American companies in that key region.

• Despite US policy aiming to limit access, Huang emphasized local firms find alternatives, underscoring the country's significant AI researcher population and importance.

SpaceX Starship rocket explodes in mid-flight LINK

• SpaceX's Starship upper stage reached space intact but subsequently spun out of control and burned up during atmospheric re-entry on its ninth flight test.

• A leak in the fuel tank systems caused the Starship upper stage to lose main tank pressure and attitude control, leading to its fiery disintegration.

• The mission also saw Starship’s first stage booster explode before it could complete a test landing burn, separate from the upper stage’s later failure.

Prompt of the week:

"Walk me through a typical day in the life of our dream customer. Start from when they wake up and follow them until they go to sleep. What are their routines, their interactions, their frustrations, and their moments of joy? Where do they encounter challenges that our product/service solves, and how does it seamlessly integrate into their existing habits and preferences? Focus on their unmet needs and aspirations, not just their surface-level characteristics."

Want to grow your brand and revenue? 

Kitcaster gets founders booked on top podcasts, delivering high-impact conversations that drive business growth.

• More leads

• More credibility

• More opportunities

Start your podcast tour today! kitcaster.com

Keep it moving

Musk reportedly tried to block OpenAI UAE AI deal LINK

Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings joins Anthropic’s board LINK

Meta AI now has 1B monthly active users LINK

SpaceX to launch Starship in critical test of Elon Musk’s 2026 Mars plan LINK

Valve CEO's Neuralink rival expects first chip this year LINK

Nvidia to launch cheaper AI chip for China amid US export restrictions LINK

US solar keeps surging, generating more power than hydro in 2025 LINK

Trump threatens 25% tariff on iPhones made abroad LINK

What in the world are Jony Ive and Sam Altman building? LINK

Scaling Founders Series: 

A free, no-fluff live series for founders who want to build a strong personal brand without the cringe. Once a month, we’ll dive into a 30-minute live module packed with real strategies to grow your influence, attract opportunities, and scale your business. No awkward self-promotion: just practical insights from select founders who have done it before.

Register now: Link

What I’m thinking about:

• Podcast Interviews Are Feeding the Machine Blog

• A New Framework to Build, Solve, and Explore Emerging Tech Blog

• This Daily Practice Made My Digital Life 10x Better Blog

• Escape the Algorithm: Own Your Audience in 90 Days Blog

• This New AI Inbox Hack Reignited My Dead Leads, And It’s Freakishly Easy YouTube

• Personal Branding for Reluctant Founders: My Journey and Insights Blog

• AI and the spectrum of consciousness YouTube

Top AI tools:

Moburst: LLM search optimization and growth LINK

Nametag: Verify people. Protect their accounts LINK

HackerverseAI: Accelerate your proof of concepts LINK

Strawberry: AI intelligent browser LINK

Teamble: Give and get 10x better feedback LINK

HipClip.ai: Upload one video and get AI-generated posts, carousels, and clips — discover your viral gems! Our AI will point you to the best ones. LINK

Warmstart.ai: an AI-driven platform that transforms cold emails into personalized, heartfelt messages, helping users cultivate enduring business relationships and maintain personal connections with ease. LINK

Wildcast: B2B influencers for the world’s top technology brands. LINK

Dreamteam IQ: helps marketing agencies and startups staff top overseas talent, providing cash-saving solutions for roles on elite marketing teams. LINK

Personal.ai: a platform that enables users to create customized AI personas trained on proprietary knowledge, enhancing productivity and innovation across various business functions. LINK

FivePointFive: Transform your wellness instantly with FivePointFive’s science-backed breathwork, personalized biometric insights, and music from your favorite artists. LINK

Warmstart.ai: A human-centric CRM that leverages AI to help founders build and activate high-trust networks for faster deal flow and warm intros. LINK

The Swarm: In the age of AI, relationships matter more than ever. Map your company networks and reveal hundreds of thousands of relationships you didn't know about. LINK

Dayo: A wellness-focused app that rewards users for spending less time on social media by offering real-world perks and brand discounts. LINK

Lovable: Idea to app in seconds. LINK

​thePause: an award-winning AI menopause coach offering 24/7 support, personalized insights, health tracking, and precision recommendations to empower women navigating menopause. LINK

MongoDB: a leading NoSQL database platform that provides developers with a flexible, scalable, and document-oriented database solution for modern applications. LINK

Quadratic: unlock the power of AI in spreadsheets. LINK

Soona: is your all-in-one platform to make, manage, and optimize photo + video content for all your ecommerce channels. LINK

Omneky: smarter digital ads for scale. LINK

Vapi: Voice AI agents for developers LINK

Thanks for listening.

-Ryan

p.s. When you are ready, here are two ways I can help.

1. We have successfully booked podcast interviews for over 800 funded startup founders, entrepreneurs with exits, and C-suite executives. If you're ready to lead your company from the front, let Kitcaster handle your podcast scheduling and create a powerful stream of content for you and your brand.

2. Our sister company, Wildcast, connects B2B, Tech, SaaS, and Business creators with companies targeting hard-to-reach customers. We deliver the most relevant online audiences through branded conversations, host-read podcast ads, and 360 sponsorships for tech companies aiming to scale their marketing. Start with a free audience psychographic and opportunity assessment tailored to your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP).

I write about Revops, Product, and Founder-led marketing on Linkedin, Twitter, and my blog. 

And if you are in Denver, we have the #1 culture and discovery podcast dedicated to the Queen City of the Plains —> realgooddenver.com