Apple’s smart glasses revealed, Tesla’s robotaxis roll out, and the billion-dollar AI arms race heats up

Hi ,

The podcast is really cookin’. Here are some conversations from last week:

• Redefining spreadsheets with AI: David Kircos of Quadratic
• How Omneky is rewriting the future of advertising with Hikari Senju
• Scaling Content for E-Commerce: Liz Giorgi on Building Soona and Embracing AI
• Building Voice AI with Nikhil Gupta of Vapi.ai
• Secure AI Tools (Part 2 with Peter Holcomb)

let’s dive in…

Tip of the spear:

Apple is building smart glasses to take on Meta LINK

• Apple is reportedly developing AI-powered smart spectacles, similar to Meta's Ray-Bans, as part of an effort to incorporate Apple Intelligence into additional wearable devices following internal research.

• This specific eyewear project focuses on real-time AI assistance using camera and audio input, differing significantly from the company's more ambitious, longer-term augmented reality headset plans.

• Following successful employee trials under the codename "Project Atlas," the technology giant is proceeding with manufacturing, though a consumer release is not anticipated for several years.

Waymo considers selling robotaxis to individual owners LINK

• Alphabet's CEO Sundar Pichai revealed that Waymo is contemplating the future possibility of making its self-driving automobiles available for individual consumers to buy directly.

• The autonomous technology firm currently manages a significant fleet exceeding 700 vehicles for its ride-hailing operations in cities like San Francisco, Los Angeles, Austin, and Phoenix.

• This consideration arises amid competition from companies such as Tesla, which aims to launch its own automated taxi service and critiques Waymo's expensive sensor approach.

Tesla begins supervised robotaxi tests LINK

• Tesla commenced supervised autonomous ride-hailing evaluations for its personnel in Austin and the San Francisco Bay area using its driver assistance system called FSD.

• This staff testing program precedes the company's planned public introduction of a robotaxi network, expected to start with a small fleet in Austin this summer.

• Current trials feature existing vehicle models equipped with passenger screens and necessitate a human safety operator for oversight, matching California permit requirements for monitored testing.

Prompt of the week:

Prompt:
"Based on what you already know about me, imagine you are my company's future biographer. Write a vivid, fast-paced chapter describing the wild first five years of building my startup: the biggest challenges, the weirdest moments, the proudest wins, and the unexpected lessons learned. Make it cinematic, like a movie montage. End with a cliffhanger hinting at what's coming next."

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Keep it moving:

Huawei is readying new AI chip to challenge Nvidia LINK

Apple may shift all US-bound iPhone production from China to India LINK

Third Neuralink patient with ALS communicates using brain implant LINK

Sam Altman admits ChatGPT's new personality is 'annoying' LINK

Nike is facing a lawsuit from people who bought its NFTs LINK

Elon Musk's xAI Holdings in talks to raise $20 billion LINK

Chinese electric car giant BYD’s profit doubles as it continues to cruise past rival, Elon Musk’s Tesla LINK

Temu and Shein are already getting pricier LINK

Perplexity browser will track everything users do online for 'hyper personalized' ads LINK

New financials from Musk’s X debt sale show a changing company LINK

Neuralink reportedly eyes $500 million funding at $8.5 billion valuation LINK

Intel to cut over 20% of workforce LINK

Tesla’s falling profit may pressure Elon Musk to return to day job 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:

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

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

• Vibe policy is real and it’s running the tariffs YouTube

• 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

Top AI tools:

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. AFFILIATE 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

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.

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

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