AI swarms, North Korean spies, Apple’s ChatGPT killer, and a human brain with bluetooth: heck of a week

Hi ,

If you're a founder and you're not going on podcasts... what are you even doing?

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Whether you're raising a round, building your brand, or launching your next big thing, we get you on the mic. Apply here

Let’s dive in.

This week from the podcast on Apple Podcast:

Ray Jang Found Product Market Fit on a Mountain Top LINK

Nothing says startup clarity like building your company from the literal peak of enlightenment.

Boutique Catering Booking App with AI in 30 Minutes LINK

Two founders walk into a prompt and walk out with an AI-powered booking platform and probably a mezcal pairing menu.

Golf Fashion and Betting Big with Rico León LINK

If your startup isn't styled for the back nine and primed for Shark Tank, are you even trying.

Ukraine to AI Voice Agents with Eva Karnaukh LINK

From war zones to voice clones, Eva Karnaukh's founder journey is not your average pitch deck.

Tip of the spear:

Apple Is Reportedly Working on an AI Search Tool to Rival ChatGPT and Gemini LINK
Apple showed up fashionably late to the AI party but swears its search engine is different.

North Korean Hackers Impersonated Job Applicants to Infiltrate Tech Firms LINK The guy in your Zoom waiting room might just be a spy with a pretty good resume.

AI Engineers Turn Down $1.5 Billion Offers From Meta to Stay Put LINK
Apparently loyalty still exists but only when you're already making generational wealth.

Amazon Denies Shutting Down Wondery Podcast Studio LINK
Amazon says its podcast empire is still alive and just taking a nap.

Silicon Valley Discovers AI Needs Actual Hardware LINK
Startups are shocked to learn that vibes alone cannot power neural networks.

Anthropic Cuts Off OpenAI’s Access to Claude Before GPT-5 Launch LINK
Nothing says mutual respect like yanking the API key right before a product drop.

Tesla Ordered to Pay Over $200 Million for Fatal Autopilot Crash LINK
Autopilot may have been on but accountability definitely was not.

NASA and SpaceX Launch Crew-11 With International Astronauts LINK
Earth is still a mess so NASA sent more people to orbit and wished them luck.

Manus AI Pits 100-Agent Swarms Against Google’s Best Models LINK
AI research just turned into a battle royale and the swarms are here for it.

OpenAI Prepares GPT-5 With a Side of Lowered Expectations LINK
The next GPT is almost here but OpenAI would prefer you chill out about it.

Reddit Is Building Its Own Search Engine Because Why Not LINK
The platform famous for chaos wants to index the internet with vibes and upvotes.

Palantir Lands $10 Billion Army Contract to Build AI Tools LINK
War just got more data driven and Palantir just got significantly richer.

Neuralink Begins Human Brain Chip Tests in the UK LINK
Somewhere in Britain someone is now technically Bluetooth enabled.

Prompt of the week:

I'm a founder preparing revenue and team projections for the next [3/6/12] months. I’d like your help thinking through different scenarios, identifying assumptions, and building a strategy that’s grounded in logic and ambition.

Here's what I can provide:

• Current revenue numbers and growth rate

• Number of team members and roles

• Burn rate and runway

• Product/service offering and pricing

• Sales pipeline and/or upcoming deals

Please ask me for this information in a structured way, and then help me:

1. Create realistic, optimistic, and conservative revenue projections for the next [X] months

2. Identify key revenue drivers and bottlenecks in our current model

3. Forecast hiring needs based on projected growth

4. Spot potential risks to our assumptions

5. Package this into a clear outline I can use for investor updates or internal planning

Let’s start by gathering the inputs you need from me.

Want to grow your brand and revenue? 

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• More leads

• More credibility

• More opportunities

Start your podcast tour today! kitcaster.com

Keep it moving

Microsoft Quietly Joins the $4 Trillion Valuation Club LINK
Congrats to Microsoft for becoming worth more than most countries without making a single announcement about it.

Skechers Is Making Kids’ Shoes with Hidden AirTag Compartments LINK
Because nothing says childhood freedom like being trackable at all times.

Anthropic Could Soon Be Valued at $170 Billion LINK
Anthropic is on track to be worth more than your entire existential crisis.

Microsoft Edge Becomes an AI Browser with Copilot Mode LINK
Edge got tired of being forgotten and decided to grow a brain.

ChatGPT Agent Passes “I Am Not a Robot” Test Without Flinching LINK
ChatGPT is now so advanced it lies convincingly about being human, just like the rest of us.

Meta’s Ray-Ban Smart Glasses Are a Surprise Consumer Hit LINK
Apparently people love wearing sunglasses that also spy on their lives and triple revenue.

Waymo to Launch Autonomous Ride-Hailing in Dallas Next Year LINK
Dallas residents can soon ride in silence while wondering if the robot driver is judging them.

Code Story Podcast: It’s like therapy for startup founders, except the therapist is a microphone and everyone’s listening. Code, chaos, and confessions served weekly.

What I’m thinking about:

• The illusion we opt into Interview

• Are podcast transcripts training the next generation of AI? Blog

• Podcast Interviews Are Feeding the Machine Blog

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

• AI and the spectrum of consciousness YouTube

Uncover the AI tools (here) you didn’t ask for, but now you’re weirdly into.

Thanks for being here.

-Ryan

p.s. When you are ready, here’s how I can help.

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.

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