Based on a real day; names and selected personal details have been changed or omitted.

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May 11 · 6:43 PM Source JSON

Lots of new launches and one date for you to save

A lot has shipped lately. We’ve rolled out updates across models, Codex, and APIs, and developers are already turning these releases into new products, games, workflows, and tools.

But if we had to pick the thing we’re most excited about right now 🥁….. DevDay 2026 is officially on the calendar ( https://openai.com/index/devday-2026/ ) ! Save the date and enter our contest for a chance to win a ticket ( https://x.com/OpenAI/status/2049535650626785334 ).

To get live answers to your lingering product questions in the meantime, join our upcoming online Build Hours:

⚡ What's new

What shipped, what changed, what to automate next

A new wave of voice intelligence

We’re excited to announce three new models in the Realtime API that help you build smarter voice agents that feel more natural in conversation and can take action live as speech is happening:

It’s one of those things you have to see (and hear) for yourself. Check it out in action ( https://x.com/OpenAI/status/2052438194625593804 ) and try it in the playground. ( [private link removed] )

Codex can now use Chrome directly

So much work happens in browser tabs. The new Chrome extension ( https://x.com/OpenAIDevs/status/2052481136971125158 ) builds on computer use, so Codex can work directly inside sites where you’re signed in, organize task-specific tabs, and hand back results for review.

Other updates:

Here are a couple favorites from the showcase gallery:

Watchmaker Landing Page

A polished storefront demo ( https://developers.openai.com/showcase/watchmaker-landing-page ) that turns a concept into a branded product experience fast with GPT-5.5 and image generation.

Swifty Dungeon Game

A native macOS game ( https://developers.openai.com/showcase/swifty-dungeon ) built with Codex, GPT-5.5, and generated visual assets.

🧰 Build kit

Guides, blogs, and things worth cloning

Migrate a legacy codebase with sandbox agents: A code-migration agent should work in a controlled environment, one scoped task at a time: inspect the relevant repo, edit files, run checks, and return a patch. The cookbook shows agents doing real repo work ( https://developers.openai.com/cookbook/examples/agents_sdk/sandboxed-code-migration/sandboxed_code_migration_agent ) , not just chatting about code.

Unleash your agents in the docs: OpenAI's public docs MCP server lets agents search and read official docs from your editor or CLI ( https://developers.openai.com/learn/docs-mcp ). It plugs directly into Codex, Cursor, and VS Code agent workflows to build doc-aware helpers and custom guides.

Prompt GPT-5.5 around outcomes, not steps: Use the GPT-5.5 prompting guide ( https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/prompt-guidance ) to define goals, constraints, and desired outputs. Then use our docs skill ( https://github.com/openai/skills/tree/main/skills/.curated/openai-docs ) to apply the recommendations with Codex, and this migration guide ( https://github.com/openai/skills/blob/main/skills/.system/openai-docs/references/upgrade-guide.md ) to audit prompts, tool calls, and workflow reliability.

Prompt better in Codex: This is the best read-this-before-you-prompt-blindly ( https://developers.openai.com/cookbook/examples/gpt-5/codex_prompting_guide ) resource for teams using Codex directly through the API.

API deployment checklist: If you’re moving to production with the Responses API, check out this guide to the highest-leverage design choices ( https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/deployment-checklist ). This includes reasoning effort, tool_search, built-in tools, compaction, prompt caching, background mode, and if you’re getting fancy with it, WebSocket mode ( https://developers.openai.com/api/docs/guides/websocket-mode ) to speed up agentic runs with 20+ tool calls by 20-40%.

Codex use cases: Try using Codex in new ways ( https://developers.openai.com/codex/use-cases ) with ideas and prompts from the Codex use case library. We now have 48 defined use cases and counting!

📣 Insider scoop

Go behind the scenes with OpenAI engineers

Speeding up agentic workflows with WebSockets in the Responses API ( https://openai.com/index/speeding-up-agentic-workflows-with-websockets/ )

Hear from Brian Yu and Ashwin Nathan on turning model speed gains into visible workflow speed.

“It's been incredible seeing the advancements in inference systems and watching the latency bottleneck shift from model inference to infrastructure. We wanted to share those lessons with developers building the next wave of fast, agentic products.”

Symphony: orchestrating Codex at ticket level ( https://openai.com/index/open-source-codex-orchestration-symphony/ )

Alex Kotliarskyi, Victor Zhu, and Zach Brock explain how Symphony turns an issue tracker into a control plane for coding agents, driving a 500% increase in landed pull requests.

“Six months ago we made a pretty wild decision: no human-written code in the repo. That constraint forced us to rethink how eng teams and agents work together. Symphony came out of the realization that human context was the limiting factor.”

How OpenAI delivers low-latency voice AI at scale ( https://openai.com/index/delivering-low-latency-voice-ai-at-scale/ )

Yi Zhang and William McDonald outline how OpenAI rebuilt its WebRTC infrastructure with a split relay and transceiver architecture to deliver low-latency voice AI at scale without changing the client-side WebRTC experience.

“Building real-time voice infrastructure at scale forces you to care about every millisecond in a very human way. Writing this piece was a chance to share the engineering decisions that helped conversations with AI start feeling less like software and more like natural dialogue.”

🛠️ Devs in the wild

From side projects to professional work

Company spotlight: Perplexity

Scaling the Realtime API to millions of voice sessions, the Perplexity team shares hard-won engineering lessons from building voice-first experiences ( https://developers.openai.com/blog/realtime-perplexity-computer ) into Comet and Perplexity Computer.

Developer spotlight: Ashe Magelhaes

From driving solar-powered electric cars to open-sourcing AI prototypes, Ashe Magelhaes ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=flweA_I-VKE ) shares how she’s weaving AI into her creative process, product workflow, and everyday life.

“The name of the game is speed. You could build so much software nowadays, but what will you build that you yourself use every day, that you find to be a beautiful and elegant experience, and that you can surface to users in a way that’s sustainable?”

Happy building and vibing,

The OpenAI Team

1455 3rd Street San Francisco CA 94158 Unsubscribe ( [private link removed] ) Privacy ( https://openai.com/policies/privacy-policy/ )

OpenAI © 2015–2026

May 11 · 6:32 PM Source JSON

Madewell

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Madewell Customer Relations One Ivy Crescent Lynchburg, VA, 24513-1001, US

May 11 · 5:45 PM Source JSON

Posts: MAN THIS PARKING SITUATION IS OUTRAGEOUS IN BUSHWICK😮💨 THEN THEY WANT TO ADD CITY BIKES IN THE MIDDLE OF THE STREET TAKING UP 4 PARKING SPACES🤦🏾♂️ https://nextdoor.com/p/nLmzGWHPNJmt 🚨PUPPY ALERT 🚨 CRITICALLY URGENT 🚨 https://nextdoor.com/p/WgG8Sn6f_smC URGENT URGENT URGENT URGENT URGENT https://nextdoor.com/p/Cb6gqgqmJZRH For sale and free: Portable Washing Machine https://nextdoor.com/for_sale_and_free/6d27e280-da57-4e8d-ab3d-98e87723c9cd West Elm Floating Wall Shelves 48” https://nextdoor.com/for_sale_and_free/255b3a50-1e46-4a82-8aef-65e9e1439420 LG Portable Air Conditioner ( OBO ) https://nextdoor.com/for_sale_and_free/70acea53-7201-4a76-b31e-4f060a0dce28 Brand new toddler sandals https://nextdoor.com/for_sale_and_free/894e3528-d891-4c1f-8125-628df98c7b2b Events: Meet The Farmers https://nextdoor.com/local_events/XCcwyjqZXfxz Murder Mystery Party https://nextdoor.com/local_events/myNfT2jHT6Gc Unified Martial Arts Challenge https://nextdoor.com/local_events/Q98SLj9qPgGR 2026 Englewood’s Memorial Day Parade and Festival https://nextdoor.com/local_events/M73P5mDhjPg4

May 11 · 4:57 PM Source JSON

United Airlines - United MileagePlus

Stay entertained throughout your journey.

[private link removed] View Online

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MileagePlus: [loyalty number removed]

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MileagePlus: [loyalty number removed]

Enjoy your time with us

Make the most of your flight with the Wi-Fi and entertainment options listed below.

There may be some last‑minute changes, so [private link removed] check your flight status on united.com or the United app for the latest information.

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Flight: UA1793

Date: May 12, 2026

From: Chicago (ORD)

To: New York (LGA)

Your options:

[private link removed] <a href="https://unitedprivatescreening.com/personal-devices" alias="MACRO_TABLE_PDE_ICON" target="_blank" mc-deep-link="false"><img src="https://image.enews.united.com/lib/fe30117371640475761c70/m/1/icon_pde_1.png" alt="PDE" width="50" height="50" border="0" style="display:block;" /></a>

*This feature may not be available for your whole flight. Visit our [private link removed] Wi‑Fi and [private link removed] inflight entertainment pages to learn more.

Wi‑Fi

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Personal device entertainment

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Stay connected with free messaging

Connect to United Wi-Fi℠ and chat using apps like iMessage, WhatsApp and Messages by Google during your flight.

Available on most Wi-Fi equipped aircraft.

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Find out what's playing

Get a sneak peek of the entertainment on your flight. For the best viewing experience, download the latest version of our app.

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Access United Wi-Fi℠ on domestic and short-haul international routes at a new, flat-rate price:

MileagePlus(R) members: $8 or 800 miles Non-members: $10

[private link removed] Learn more about United-Wi-Fi ›

Prices will vary on long-haul international flights, where you can purchase Wi-Fi by the hour or for the entire flight.

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Terms and conditions:

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May 11 · 4:50 PM Source JSON
Interesting questions on Manifold

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May 11 · 4:09 PM Source JSON

AKILA

We'd love to hear from you!

How are you liking your new frames?

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How would you rate these?

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May 11 · 3:40 PM Source JSON

A new event has been scheduled. We sent an email to everyone with this information.

What: 30 Min Meeting between Jordan Ellis and Taylor Reed

Invitee timezone: America/Los_Angeles

Who: Jordan Ellis - Organizer jordan@example.invalid Taylor Reed taylor@example.invalid

Where: https://example.invalid/meeting

Apps status

  • Google Calendar ✅ ,
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May 11 · 3:32 PM Source JSON

Hello,

A new listing matching your preferences is available:

Address: Apartment C Price: $3,895 Bedrooms: 1.0 Bathrooms: 1.0 Rent Stabilized: Building is Rent Stabilized (unit may not be) Available: 2026-05-11

View details: https://example.invalid/apartments/c

Description: Rare offering! This grand and stunning one bedroom is one of the finest options on the market for its price range and location.

Located in a classic building, a classic ELEVATOR building with laundry and a live in super.

This gigantic TOP floor one bedroom features a floor through layout with an oversized living room, beautiful windows, and gorgeous prewar details. There is plenty of room for a dining table as well as a home office.

The apartment also offers a spacious bedroom, ample closet space, a separate kitchen, and a large bathroom.

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Absolutely great value in this challenging rental market.

We'd love to hear your feedback! Just reply to this email with any thoughts or questions.

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Thanks, Your Rent Alert Service

May 11 · 3:23 PM Source JSON

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/06cd740f-8c58-4528-8d4f-34fcd0ca01f0/google_io.jpg?t=1778517989) Follow image link: (https://cerebralvalley.ai/e/google-io-hackathon) Caption:

🤖 Google I/O Hackathon

Google's next chapter starts at I/O — come build it. Right after the keynote, we're hosting a Gemini hackathon with the Google DeepMind team focused on turning the latest model capabilities into working products. Direct access to the team behind Gemini, fresh APIs to play with, and the first weekend to ship on whatever lands at I/O.

📍 Saturday, May 23 | San Francisco, CA

🔗 Register here

———————————————————————————

🏨 Hospitality 2030: A Rosewood Sand Hill Hackathon

What does a hotel look like in 2030?

Join us at the iconic Rosewood Sand Hill for a 1-day hackathon bringing together the Bay Area’s top builders, designers, and founders to reimagine the future of hospitality with AI.

From intelligent concierge systems to fully autonomous operations, this is your chance to build the next generation of guest experiences - alongside leading partners including Anthropic, ElevenLabs, and Greycroft.

📍 Saturday, May 16 | Rosewood Sand Hill, Menlo Park

🔗 Register here

———————————————————————————

🦾 Machina Hackathon

**Physical AI is no longer a prediction. **

Humanoids are on factory floors. Autonomous systems are operating at scale. The engineers building what comes next need a room to match.

In partnership with Cerebral Valley, 150+ builders will join us for 12 hours of intense building in 3 tracks, on July 6, 2026, in Paris, the day before the MACHINA Summit brings together the founders, scientists, and investors defining the next era of intelligent machines. Be part of the future of Physical AI. Applications are now open.

📍 Monday, July 6th | Paris, France

🔗 Register here

———————————————————————————

You Might’ve Missed

  • ~97% of your vector database is mathematically empty — @anirudhbv_ce (Sentra) drops a finding that's hard to unsee: only 91 of 3,072 dimensions in OpenAI's xtext-embedding-3-large do real work, and 80 of 3,072 in Gemini's gemini-embedding-001. The rest is mathematically empty. Hallucinations aren't a model problem — they're a geometry problem.

  • A LoRA trained on every UFO video the DoD released — @SHL0MS does the thing you didn't know you needed: trained a LoRA on the Department of War's full public UFO video archive. Automated by @s8n.

  • Inference is 100× cheaper. The compute bill went up anyway. — @demian_ai, who works on inference at @nebiustf, argues that the apparent contradiction here is actually the most important dynamic happening in AI right now. If you can hold both halves in your head at once, you understand where the money's going.

  • Fine-tuning a 450M VLM on satellite imagery — @paulabartabajo_ ships a step-by-step Liquid AI tutorial covering object detection, Q&A, and real-time captioning on a 450M-parameter vision-language model. Small-model satellite work, end-to-end.

  • uavs.fyi****: a catalog of drone hardware — @osoraku_1997 launched uavs.fyi, a growing reference site mapping drone parts and configurations from around the world. More additions on the way.

  • Why GPT-3 had loss spikes: a subreddit of microwave noises — @gabriberton resurfaces a great training-data anecdote: GPT-3's mysterious loss spikes traced back to a scraped subreddit where every post was literally "mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm." Clean the data, the spikes disappear.

  • Ouster's Rev8 lidar — 2× range and resolution, plus RGB — @ousterlidar unveils Rev8, the next-gen OS digital lidar family. Built on Ouster L4 Silicon, it doubles the range and resolution of the platform and adds native Spatial Color (RGB). The new flagship OS1 Max pushes performance to 256 beams.

  • KV Cache, explained — @JayanthSanku01 publishes a deep-dive explainer on the KV cache — why it exists, how it grows with context, and the tradeoffs that drive most modern serving optimizations. Solid primer if you've been pattern-matching past the term in papers.

———————————————————————————

**CV Spotlight: **_Agent Simulation Sandbox_

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/7c8452dc-ba94-4b16-b20a-cfb08b03d826/image.png?t=1778522559) Caption:

Every AI agent looks solid in the demo, then eventually breaks in production. Real users bring edge cases, strange workflows, and policy violations you never saw coming.

Push your agent into the Veris AI simulation sandbox. We spin up a realistic environment with simulated users, simulated enterprise tools (CRMs, ERPs, email, Slack, databases, or any API/MCP), and hundreds of auto-generated test scenarios spanning happy paths, edge cases, and adversarial attacks. Your agent runs through full multi-turn conversations as if it were live.

Every interaction is graded automatically. Every failure is traced to its root cause. You get a report showing exactly what broke and how to fix it.

Use the same environment for model training. Successful traces become supervised fine-tuning examples. Failed traces generate auto-labeled reward signals for Veris-managed RL.

Run hundreds of scenarios, find failure modes, fix them, generate training data, fine-tune, and re-run the same scenarios to verify improvement. One platform for self-improving agents.

We just launched Veris Plus with 500 free credits.

Start simulating here

———————————————————————————

**CV Spotlight: **Snowflake Dev Day

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/e3192c94-8b02-4cd6-81ca-ce0e76ceda83/Snowflake_Dev_Day_Promotion.png?t=1778522812) Caption:

Don't wait for the future—build it.

Calling all developers, AI/ML engineers, data scientists, analysts, data engineers and anyone building with AI!

Join your peers to explore demos of the latest data and AI technologies, hear from industry experts, earn professional badges, and much more. Learn, connect and play at Dev Day!

Don't miss your chance to:

Experience AI in Action - Get hands on with bootcamps, learn about the latest AI developments, and discover eLearning opportunities to turn your proof-of-concepts into enterprise-grade production. Hear from Industry Trailblazers - Get inspiration from industry luminaries, community leaders, and your peers. Hear their stories and see their innovations to inspire your own! Invest in Your Growth - Discover how AI is reshaping the developer toolkit and learn how to make it work for you. Explore new tools, pick up practical skills, and leave with ideas you'll actually use, whether it's for your next project or your next career move.

Register today for free!

———————————————————————————

Open Jobs

Looking to hire the best talent? Reach out to recruiting@cerebralvalley.ai for job placement inquiries.

iOS Engineer at AI Media Startup (SF)

  • Building: Agentic media production platform, “Lovable for creatives”

  • About: Well-funded preseed • Small but elite team of <5 • Founded by founder of Soundcloud and Dance • Founded raised $500m+ for previous companies

  • Ideal candidate: Demonstrated experience building and maintaining SwiftUI in production & shipping impactful, high adoption mobile applications • 3+ years of experience in professional software engineering in an iOS/Mobile role • Hungry engineers willing to grind in-office with the team

Software Engineer at Computational Photography Startup (Remote)

  • Building: Photo upscaling and generation for real estate & spatial photography

  • About: Fully bootstrapped with >8 figures ARR • Small, distributed, tight-knit team • Solving cutting-edge problems in photography and spatial understanding • Processing thousands of pictures per day on industrial GPU infrastructure

-_ _Ideal candidate: Experience does not matter, but demonstrated aptitude in game development or diffusion models are a huge plus • Clear communicators that value shipping > prestige • Repeat _hackathon winners _• Merging code into prod on day one

Data Engineer at AI Presentation Automation Company (SF)

  • Building: Presentation generation, creation, and automation software

  • About: Series B unicorn • Profitable with >$100m ARR • $800m+ raised

  • Ideal candidate: 4+ years experience in software and data engineering • Strong proficiency in Typescript, LLMs in development, and building AI agents• Senior engineer that can jump into new projects with no handholding

----------If you’re interested in the above roles, please email recruiting@cerebralvalley.ai with your LinkedIn, resume, and why you think you’re the best fit. We’ll be in touch if there’s a match.

———————————————————————————

Events List

A curated list of upcoming AI events (view all events).

Featured in May:

💡** _Notion Developer Platform Hackathon_ **

🗓️ Sat–Sun, May 16th–17th 📍 Notion HQ, San Francisco, CA

Join the Notion team for two days of building on their new Developer Platform. Build with primitives that let you sync any data source into Notion, give your agent any tool, and trigger workflows from anywhere. No servers, no infra — just a CLI and your ideas. Whether you've been building integrations for years or you're writing your first Worker, this hackathon is designed to get you shipping. Sponsored by Anthropic, OpenAI, and Vercel.

Register

Built on Bedrock Demo Night

🗓️ Tuesday, May 12th 📍 AWS Builder Loft, San Francisco CA

This is a curated evening for developers, technical founders, and startup operators who are ready to demo what they've shipped on Amazon Bedrock. Expect live demos, good energy, and conversation with the people actually building AI-powered products right now. Spots are limited.

Register

Hello, Operator: A product launch from Fin

🗓️ Thursday, May 14th 📍 San Francisco, CA

Customer expectations have never been higher, and AI continues to raise the bar. But many teams are stuck optimizing systems that were never built to deliver perfect customer experiences. Join leaders from Fin and Lightspeed Commerce on May 14th to see how the Customer Agent is closing that gap and making it possible to have a single system that knows your customer fully. You'll also get a first look at a groundbreaking new product from Fin that helps you deliver perfect customer experiences.

Register

AI Council: The AI Conference for Humans Who Ship

🗓️ May 12th–14th 📍 Mariott Marquis, San Francisco CA

AI Council is the IKYK technical conference for builders in AI. Hear from the co-inventor of ChatGPT. Creator of DuckDB. Creator of Codex. 1,500+ engineers. 10 tracks. Zero hype. Join teams from OpenAI, Anthropic, Snowflake, Databricks, Hugging Face, Vercel, and 100+ more.

Register

----------### Featured in June:

Arize:Observe

🗓️ Thursday, June 4th 📍 Shack15, San Francisco, CA

If you're building what's next, Observe is Arize AI’s annual conference for engineers building agents and AI systems in prod. This year, Observe will take place on June 4 at the San Francisco Ferry Building with engineers and teams from Uber, Cursor, OpenAI, AG2, and more offering perspectives on a defining challenge and opportunity ahead: defining agent feedback loops. Join the engineers, teams, and companies building smarter agents—and bring your laptop so you can join in and build together. Use code CEREBRALVALLEY100 for $100 off registration.

Register

Vector Space Day

🗓️ Thursday, June 11th 📍 The Midway, San Francisco, CA

Vector Space Day comes to San Francisco on Thursday, June 11 at The Midway, gathering 300+ AI builders for a single-track day on agents and memory in production, retrieval from cloud to edge, context engineering, and multimodal AI. Speakers include mem0, LlamaIndex, Neo4j, Arize, Twelve Labs, and Qdrant, with a closing happy hour. Early bird tickets are $99 through May 11, then $199.

Register

----------### This Week in SF:

🍦** **FREE ICE CREAM - Judgment Labs

🗓️ May 12th–17th 📍 Various Locations, San Francisco, CA

We're kicking off The Summer Of Judgment!

To celebrate, we’re bringing an ice cream truck around SF and inviting startups, founders, and friends to stop by for free ice cream.

Register

⛰️ _Human+Tech Week Summit 2026_

🗓️ May 11th–15th 📍 1 Jones St, San Francisco, CA

Where the people building human-centered AI meet.

Five days. One city. Build the future we want to live in. Human+Tech Week convenes builders, operators, researchers, and investors working on applied AI across work, health, and cities. The emphasis is practical: turning ideas into systems that improve how people live, work, and thrive.

If you’re building, funding, or implementing technology that advances human potential, this is the room.

Register

**SF DEMO NIGHT **🚀_** (w/ The AI Collective)**_

🗓️ Wednesday, May 13th 📍 AWS Builder Loft, San Francisco, CA

2026 is already accelerating fast – new breakthroughs, new companies, and a city doubling down on its role as the global center of AI. This May, we’re bringing together the builders shaping what’s next with 8 hand-picked pre-Series A demos you won’t see anywhere else.

Powered by The AI Collective – here's what's to expect:

⚡️ 8 elite curated demos from the Bay's most visionary founders

🎤 Live Q&A – challenge the builders in real time

🧬 Interactive Demo Night App to connect, follow up, and join waitlists instantly

🏆 Live community voting to crown the night’s champions and enshrine them in our Hall of Fame

Register

🤖** **_America's Next Top Model_

🗓️ Wednesday, May 13th 📍 San Francisco, CA

Vercel built AI Gateway so you can stop arguing about which model to use.

On May 13, we're letting the builders decide.

Here's how it works: pick a model, build something live, demo it to the crowd. The audience votes on the best demo. The winners walk the runway.

Want to demo? Apply here. Tell us what you're planning to build and which model you're using. We'll select 8 demos ahead of time, and let you know if you’re selected before the event.

Can't commit to demoing? Come build! There's an open hack session with a shared prompt and food and drinks all night.

Brought to you by Vercel, Anthropic, MiniMax, and Kimi Moonshot.

Limited spots. Bring your laptop.

Register

----------### This Week in NYC:

🤖** **AI Week New York

🗓️ May 11th–17th 📍 New York, NY

AI Week New York (Spring Edition) — May 11–17, 2026, organized by Pulse NYC, is a week-long, citywide tech festival featuring a dynamic series of community-led events, interactive workshops, panels, talks, and exclusive networking opportunities. It offers attendees a front-row seat to how artificial intelligence is transforming business, society, and everyday life.

Taking place across NYC, AI Week New York 2026 will bring together hundreds of tech leaders, innovators, and practitioners from government, startups, academia, and the broader tech ecosystem to explore the latest breakthroughs in AI, learn from one another, and drive responsible innovation forward — together.

Register

🔗** **_apidays New York 2026 - The Execution Layer: Building APIs for the Agentic Era_

🗓️ Wednesday, May 13th 📍 New York, NY

apidays New York returns on May 13–14, 2026, bringing together 2,000+ engineers, architects, and digital leaders and 200+ speakers shaping the future of APIs and AI.

This year’s theme, “The Execution Layer: Building APIs for the Agentic Era,” explores how APIs are evolving to power autonomous systems, AI agents, and real-time decision-making across enterprises.

Expect insights and case studies from leading organizations including JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, U.S. Bank, Capital One, Morgan Stanley, Mastercard, Walmart, Macy’s, The New York Times, Disney, Netflix, Uber, LinkedIn, PepsiCo, Booking, and more.

Register

🔮** **_Future of NYC Design Conference_

🗓️ Saturday, May 16th 📍 Sanders Studios, Brooklyn, NY

One day. Every frequency. Design × AI × Culture. 🎨◆🤖

Presented by 241 Members, Vibescape, Visionbrew Interactive, Black Style Matters, and Sanders Studios, Future of NYC Design is an official NYCxDESIGN 2026 and NYC AI Week event bringing together 300+ designers, artists, founders, technologists, students, and cultural builders for one full day at Sanders Studios in Brooklyn. This is not a corporate conference. It is a community-curated gathering at the edge of what design can be in an AI-native world. Doors at 12 PM. Evening reception runs until 8 PM.

Register

----------Planning an upcoming event? Submit an event to our AI Event Feature.

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Sponsors: If you would like to promote a launch, event or hiring call to our community of AI founders, enterprises and investors, chat with our profile.

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May 11 · 2:56 PM Source JSON

View this post on the web at https://babysallright.substack.com/p/may-11th-17th

Earnestly saying I feel so blessed to be around so much special music all of the time. On Saturday at Night Club 101 , Eliana Glass [ [private link removed] ] gave a rendition of On the Way Down [ [private link removed] ] that had me weepy crumpled up into Oscar’s shoulder. On Friday I saw Nourished by Time [ [private link removed] ] at C2C, and had last seen him live at that show we put on with him + YHWH Nailgun + Strange Ranger [ [private link removed] ] (</3) in 2022. His confidence and presence and songs have developed into something so grand and truly singular, witnessing it inspired and vibrated every cell in my body. Anyway, thanks for reading, thanks for showing up. I just feel very grateful to be alive in New York City. - Caroline [ [private link removed] ] ++~~ one more thing! we’re hiring for a few hourly positions. inquire within. [ [private link removed] ] ~~++ MONDAY: EARLY: NANA GRIZOL [ [private link removed] ] (7:00PM) <21+> Pavement disciples from Atlanta, Nana Grizol present songs in the folk-punk pocket, many of which are nature themed, grounded in acoustic guitars. Pleasant, to be sure. [ [private link removed] ] - Caroline TUESDAY: EARLY: KATELYN TARVER [ [private link removed] ] (7:00PM) <AA> More Georgia, but now LA. Katelyn is a pop star in process, production on her new record [ [private link removed] ] is good, songs remind me of Chappell or maybe even a little bit older Miley Cyrus, country-pop for ya. - Caroline WEDNESDAY: EARLY: SHREEA KAUL [ [private link removed] ] (6:30PM) <18+> Danceable, seductive, her debut record [ [private link removed] ] from last year is giving divine feminine, support from SYTE [ [private link removed] ], clean sounds here [ [private link removed] ]. - Caroline LATE: PIGEON PIT [ [private link removed] ] (9:30PM) <18+> Pigeon Pit is raw and tender yet loud and scrappy in all the best ways. Their folk-punk lyricism feels safe and understanding, whether you fully relate or not. Expect a cathartic night that oscillates between falling apart and pulling it back together. - Ava Don’t miss Pigeon Pit bring their frantic, acoustic emo to life with a full band this week. I’ve been a fan of Walter Mitty and His Makeshift Orchestra [ [private link removed] ] since college—Overwhelmed and Underdressed was necessary listening while freaking out over finals. - Eli [ [private link removed] ] THURSDAY: EARLY: SLUICE [ [private link removed] ] (7:00PM) <21+> From Durham, North Carolina, Sluice captures the sound of life among those southeastern forests like no other. This week, they’ll be bringing that energy to Baby’s All Right as they swing through Brooklyn during their ongoing release tour, joined by local legends Hiding Places. - Baby Intern Ava [ [private link removed] ] Sluice brings its blend of noisy indie rock, melodic guitars, and driving rhythms for a strong start to the weekend. A great pick for fans of loud, thoughtful guitar music. - Manny [ [private link removed] ] sluice (noun): an artificial passage for water (as in a millstream) fitted with a valve or gate for stopping or regulating flow; a body of water pent up behind a floodgate. Seeing Sluice play at one of god’s great American bars, Tweedy’s [ [private link removed] ], two years ago was such a beautiful memory. I was with Greg [ [private link removed] ] and Alex [ [private link removed] ] and Dawood [ [private link removed] ] was there and it was like 1 in the afternoon. I remember crying when I heard this [ [private link removed] ] song, hence the namesake of the band, I suppose. The music is delicate but chipped, rough around the edges, earthy, ever so restrained, punctuated with vignettes and memories of childhood. It hits me in the gut. - Caroline FRIDAY: EARLY: NEVER ENDING FALL [ [private link removed] ] (7:00PM) <18+> NEF delivers an energetic mix of alternative rock and emo influences, with big hooks and a live show built for singing along. - Manny Indie rock, pop punk inspired. I’m feeling some Two Door Cinema Club hard in this one. [ [private link removed] ] They’ve been a band since they were in the fourth grade, which presumably was some time ago. - Caroline LATE: CLUB SLAYY + HYPERPOP NIGHT [private link removed] <21+> We all know Slayyyter’s new album slaps, so let’s get in a room and dance about it ok? - Eli I want beat up chanel$. [ [private link removed] ] Slayyyter-adjacent club dance night. She’s not gonna be there, unless she is. - Caroline SATURDAY: EARLY: MAL BLUM [ [private link removed] ] (7:00PM) <18+> Mal Blum headlines with sharp songwriting, honest lyricism, and a mix of indie folk and punk that feels both personal and engaging live. Our very own Elise (MVP door warrior) opens up the night with her band Oceanator. - Manny LATE: BABY DANCE [ [private link removed] ] (11:00PM) <21+> Big old bill [ [private link removed] ] presented by Alt Citizen, 1800-Girlfriend, and EnterMedia2. Two different entities that go by Handsome Rob, including our very own bartender, one DJing and one hosting. Bands are Komodos, Boxxer, LAVELLES, and Pretty Girls Watching. Free, as forever, as always. - Caroline SUNDAY: EARLY: CAT CLYDE [ [private link removed] ] (7:00PM) <21+> Oh yes, this right here [ [private link removed] ]. Melancholic, folksy, Canadian homegrown organic non-GMO whole grain bluesy country music. I read she records most of her songs fully live, which is clear in how full and robust they sound. The live set is sure to be so dialed. Only a smattering of tix remain. - Caroline This Week At Baby’s Official Playlist and, just for fun, a new one from GB [ [private link removed] ], delightfully mathy. * love u bye

Unsubscribe [private link removed]

May 11 · 2:48 PM Source JSON

Register Now for our Weekly May + June Opportunities!

Dear volunteer,

With each day we get closer to summer, the park is more active, and there is more work to be done! Come out on a weekday and join us in preparing Prospect Park for the busy season!

It's My Park Day - Select Mondays from April to October, 10 am to 12 pm

Join Prospect Park Alliance for an It's My Park Day event to care for the park after busy weekends. Help keep our park green and vibrant while getting to explore the park by tackling litter and helping with other greening opportunities. Supplies can be checked out at various locations around the park.

Upcoming Dates and Locations:

May 18 at Lincoln Road Entrance June 1 at Grand Army Plaza Park Entrance June 8 at Willink June 15 at the Boathouse June 22 at the Wellhouse June 29 at the Carousel

Register Here!

Sunset Series - Every Tuesday from April to August, 5 pm to 7 pm

Join Prospect Park Alliance for our new weekday evening volunteer opportunity. Take advantage of the longer days to get outside and help with tasks such as invasive plant removal, litter pickup, and mulching. We will meet at 5:00 PM and wrap up no later than 7:00 PM, which gives you time to get home before dark or perhaps enjoy sunset in the park afterwards!

Upcoming Dates and Locations:

May 12 at Breeze Hill May 19 at the Nethermead May 26 at Harmony Playground June 2 in the Midwood June 9 at Quaker Hill June 16 at the Wellhouse June 23 at the Flatbush Entrance June 30 at the Tennis House

Register Here!

Spring Spruce Ups - Every Thursday from April to June, 10 am to 1 pm

Join Prospect Park Alliance this spring to help care for the park before the start of our busy season. On mornings from April to early June, adult volunteers will have the opportunity to participate in a variety of projects around the park. These projects include mulching, painting, invasive plant removal, and other landscaping tasks.

Upcoming Dates and Locations:

May 14 at Vanderbilt Playground May 21 at the Vanderbilt BBQ Area May 28 at the Picnic House BBQ Area June 4 at Drummer's Grove June 11 in the North Long Meadow

Register Here!

If you're interested in coming out on the weekends, check out our available weekend events here!

We hope to see you out in the park soon!

Questions? Contact Us at volunteers@prospectpark.org or call (929) 888-6826

Warm regards!

Volunteer Services

Prospect Park Alliance 95 Prospect Park West Brooklyn, NY 11215

E volunteers@prospectpark.org T (929) 888-6826 Website | Twitter | Facebook

May 11 · 1:46 PM Source JSON

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May 11 · 12:00 PM Source JSON

View this email in your browser (https://mailchi.mp/c73f037df2bf/redeem-your-100-deposit-credit-4528) https://prophetic.com

Jordan

Start enhancing your dreams with the Prophetic Dual.

The Dual retails for $449. It is the world’s first ultrasound dream modulator! https://prophetic.com Buy now (http://prophetic.com)

** Meet Jack

Jack is one of the first users to have experienced full lucid control. Watch him describe his experience:

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** How it works

It works by sending safe ultrasonic energy through the forehead and into the prefrontal cortex and activating the frontoparietal network. This network is typically inactive during dreaming, which is the reason for lack of lucidity. http://prophetic.com

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How clear was your thinking in your dream(s)? (Clear thinking means your thoughts are not irrational or deluded. For example, you understand that a dream figure is not really the same person as in the waking world.) 1 - Not at all clear 10 - Extremely clear

I made deliberate choices that changed what happened 1 - Strongly disagree 10 - Strongly agree

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May 11 · 11:41 AM Source JSON

https://whitney.org/events/biennial-26-mapping

** MAPPING THE 2026 BIENNIAL STRUCTURES AND NETWORKS IN AMERICAN ART

Wednesday, May 20, 6 pm Online, via Zoom

What does “American art” mean today? This member talk with Senior Teaching Fellow Patryk Tomaszewski traces how the Whitney Biennial (https://whitney.org/exhibitions/the-biennial) has answered this question since 1932, from early Annuals to this year’s global roster of fifty-six artists and collectives working across painting, sculpture, sound, ceramics, and video games. Drawing from one of the themes in Whitney Biennial 2026 (https://whitney.org/exhibitions/2026-biennial) , this talk will examine infrastructure—the systems, networks, and material exchanges that shape everyday life—through the lens of this year’s artists. Explore how works presented in this survey bring ordinarily invisible structures to light, and expand the boundaries of American art.

REGISTER NOW (https://example.invalid/meeting) https://whitney.org/events/biennial-26-mapping

** CAN’T MAKE IT? JOIN US LATER THIS SUMMER

Tuesday, June 30, 12 pm Monday, August 3, 6 pm

Enjoy additional sessions of Mapping the 2026 Biennial: Structures and Networks in American Art (https://whitney.org/events/biennial-26-mapping) this season.

RSVP: JUNE 30 (https://example.invalid/meeting)

RSVP: AUGUST 3 (https://example.invalid/meeting)

============================================================ Whitney Museum of American Art 99 Gansevoort Street New York, NY 10014 ** whitney.org (http://whitney.org)

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Discover the Whitney’s audio guides and accessible content on ** Bloomberg Connects (https://whitney.org/visit/bloomberg-connects) . ** Update your preferences ([private link removed]]&c=892c91dce9&mc_cid=33695e4aea&mc_eid=UNIQID) to change the types of emails you receive from the Whitney.

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Installation view of Whitney Biennial 2026 (Whitney Museum of American Art, March 8–August 2026). Kelly Akashi, Monument (Altadena), 2026. Photograph by Ron Amstutz

May 11 · 11:09 AM Source JSON

MITO

The Workflow-First Method to Produce a Luxury Brand Video with MITO AI ( https://luma.com/event/evt-QxWeYXCMtJrXHyH )

Live Session · Free to Attend

The workflow-first method to produce a luxury brand video.

Hello,

Luxury production isn't about more generations. It's about structure, taste, and a method you can repeat.

This Thursday, May 14th at 4 PM CEST, Christian Calleja (Product Designer at Tribal WW) and Arantxa Barcia (Co-founder at MITO AI) will open a real MITO AI canvas and show how to produce a luxury-brand video by designing the space and applying a clear working methodology from brief to final shots.

Expect constant audience participation: quick polls, live constraints from chat, and real-time decisions as the build unfolds.

Lesson 01

Space design for production

How to structure an infinite canvas so the process stays clean, repeatable, and collaborative.

Lesson 02

Luxury consistency

How to maintain lighting, materials, and camera language across multiple shots.

Lesson 03

Method over randomness

How to turn brand inputs into constraints, decisions, and a shot plan. Direction vs. generation.

Hosted by Christian Calleja (Product Designer at Tribal WW) and Arantxa Barcia (Co-founder at MITO AI), who will open a real project canvas and walk you through the entire method, live.

📅 Thursday, May 14th at 4 PM CEST

📍 Live online · Google Meet

🗣️ Held in Spanish

🎟️ Free to attend

🎬 No prior AI video experience required

Save My Spot → ( https://luma.com/event/evt-QxWeYXCMtJrXHyH )

Limited Seats

A real canvas. A real brief. Live.

Bring your questions. Leave with a method you can use on Monday.

Register for Free ( https://luma.com/event/evt-QxWeYXCMtJrXHyH )

The canvas is ready. The only thing missing is your story.

© 2026 MITO AI.

You are receiving this email because you are a member of Mito.

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May 11 · 10:45 AM Source JSON

Explore boards of authentic, trend-setting imagery shot by an exclusive global roster of acclaimed human artists, all ready to license for your projects.

Stills | Image is Everything ([private link removed] )

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Direct Flash ([private link removed] )

Maximalism ([private link removed] )

Sensory Storytelling ([private link removed] )

Stills is a part of a family of brands dedicated to empowering the world's creatives. ©2026 FM LLC.

MUSICBED ([private link removed] ) | FILMSUPPLY ([private link removed] ) | STILLS ([private link removed] )

MUSICBED ([private link removed] ) | FILMSUPPLY ([private link removed] ) | STILLS ([private link removed] )

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Stills | 9555 Harmon Road, Fort Worth, TX

. ([private link removed] )

Click HERE ([private link removed] ) to opt out of all Stills marketing, including the Trend Report.

Manage Preferences ([private link removed] )

May 11 · 10:34 AM Source JSON

Hello,

A new listing matching your preferences is available:

Address: Apartment B Price: $4,795 Bedrooms: 2.0 Bathrooms: 1.0 Rent Stabilized: Building is Rent Stabilized (unit may not be) Available: 2026-07-01

View details: https://example.invalid/apartments/b

Description: Bright Two Bedroom Apartment!! Doorman Building!!

The building is positioned very well and has been reaping the benefits from the Second Avenue subway! Located on Manhattan, the building is a full service, 24 hour doorman building with luggage storage, a roof deck, laundry room, garage, and valet.

The apartment has eastern exposure for excellent light throughout the apartment. The kitchen has excellent counter space and it has been updated to include a dishwasher and microwave.

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We'd love to hear your feedback! Just reply to this email with any thoughts or questions.

Preferences link omitted from public example.

Thanks, Your Rent Alert Service

May 11 · 10:26 AM Source JSON

View this post on the web at https://www.deezlinks.com/p/how-i-made-this-pod-chris-gayomalis

For the latest (audio-centric) installment of “How I Wrote This Book,” [ [private link removed] ] a Deez Links Q&A series on craft and creativity, we have the indefatigable Chris Gayomali talking about his latest GQ feature, What Would the Olympics Be Like If the Athletes Could Juice? [ [private link removed] ] and the accompanying iHeart podcast investigation, “SuperHuman,” [ [private link removed] ] which airs its second episode on Tuesday. When it comes to the wild and seemingly exotic world of Olympic-level athletes competing while on performance-enhancing drugs — to what end, you ask? Turns out, this question is the best part of the story! — there’s literally no one I’d want to explain everything to me than Chris, especially considering his famous journey into the world of human augmentation in the form of leg-lengthening procedures [ [private link removed] ] (you’re welcome, Materialists!). He also writes the health and wellness newsletter Heavies [ [private link removed] ], so truly, this story could not be a better cut of ribeye for Chris to sink his teeth into. With the Enhanced Games beginning May 24 in Las Vegas, Chris and I took a walk around our neighborhood in Brooklyn last week to discuss his reporting — which involved 40-ish interviews and resulted in an 8,000-word initial draft for GQ — plus the question of whether athletes make good interviewees. When did you first take an interest in the Enhanced Games and think, I should write about this? After I finished the leg-lengthening piece, I was on the hunt for whatever the next body augmentation thing was going to be. In order to do that, I listened religiously to Joe Rogan. Then two of the founders of Enhanced went on there, and they were talking about, like, “We’re going to juice everyone to the gills, and we’re going to try to shatter world records and make all this money.” It was the kind of thing where a million magazine writers were immediately going to chase it, and they kind of did. So I got in touch with the lead guy, Aron D’Souza, and was like, “Hey, you should let me write it. Here’s where I stand. I love weird body shit. Let me be the magazine journalist to do the big feature story on you.” Then on Valentine’s Day 2025, I got this invite to go to a penthouse on the east side of Manhattan. It was near where the weird Trader Joe’s is in the 50s or whatever. I took the elevator up; weird, weird vibes the whole way around. There were beautiful men on TRT all around me...

Unsubscribe [private link removed]

May 11 · 10:17 AM Source JSON

Hi there 👋

It's been a while, and we noticed.

A lot has changed at Jitter since you left. New features like custom text effects, displacement shaders, and blend modes. Better workflows with AI Brainstorm, batch export, and Image to Video. And more ( https://jitter.video/changelog/ ). 

But we'd rather show than tell. That's why we're reaching out with an offer: come back at half of the price of your Jitter plan. That's 50% off a full year with a yearly subscription, or 50% off your first month with a monthly one.

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Jitter is a fast, simple, and collaborative motion design tool on the web. Learn more ( https://jitter.video )

You've received this email because you signed up on Jitter. Unsubscribe ( [private link removed] )

Twitter ( https://twitter.com/jittervideo )Instagram ( https://www.instagram.com/jitter.video/ ) LinkedIn ( https://www.linkedin.com/company/jittervideo/ )TikTok ( https://www.tiktok.com/@jitter.video )

May 11 · 10:10 AM Source JSON

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/cdee46f5-2f48-413e-aa09-b8d5a7eb6fb9/Screenshot_2026-03-09_at_6.56.37_AM.png?t=1773053865) Caption:

🚀 Kuzu Zangpo La Yorkseeders — today’s hello from Dzongkha (Bhutan)

Just in time for New York Tech Week, we gave Yorkseed a major makeover.

Over the past few weeks, we’ve been quietly rebuilding and rolling out a couple new things across the Yorkseed ecosystem: → Updated Yorkseed.co experience → Improvements to Yorkseed Connect → New tooling and workflow layers → Better event and connection experience ahead of NYTW

Our upcoming Yorkseed events are now live here: Yorkseed Events

The vision stays the same: Helping founders and investors meet the right people, in the right rooms, with more context and less noise.

Here’s what’s on the Yorkseed radar this week.

———————————————————————————

Yorkseed Insider — New York Tech Week 2026 Edition

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/43771be6-4e1f-4812-b153-0f63adefa321/Screenshot_2026-05-04_at_11.20.19_PM.png?t=1777934158) Follow image link: (https://nytw.yorkseed.co) Caption:

New York Tech Week has become one of the most important gatherings in global venture. But behind the headlines, the reality is fragmented. Events are scattered across platforms. Links break. Context is missing. And the best rooms are often the hardest to find.

So we rebuilt the experience. Introducing: Yorkseed NY Tech Week 2026 Master Side Event List

Yorkseed is officially launching its dedicated NY Tech Week platform — a centralized, high-signal event directory designed for founders, investors, and operators navigating the week.

A single destination covering the full New York Tech Week window from May 27 to June 8, bringing together the most relevant gatherings across the ecosystem.

What Makes This Different

The platform pulls from across the entire ecosystem:

  • Public platforms like Luma, Partiful, Eventbrite, and Meetup

  • Private and invite-only gatherings

  • Institutional, corporate, and fund-hosted events

  • Community-led founder and investor sessions

Built From Real Behavior, Not Theory

Yorkseed has been building master side event lists since 2023 across global conferences including World Economic Forum Davos, ETHDenver, VivaTech Paris, and Web Summit. They consistently become the most shared resource during the week because they solve a real problem discovery, trust, and access.

This year, that same product evolves into a permanent NY Tech Week platform with its own dedicated home.

For Founders and Investors

This is how you navigate the week with intention.

For Event Hosts and Brands

Visibility during NY Tech Week is no longer optional. It is competitive.

Yorkseed is opening a limited number of placements designed to position the right events and brands in front of a highly targeted audience.

Feature Your Event Priority placement, Yorkseed verification badge, and distribution across Yorkseed channels reaching thousands of founders and investors.

Logo Sponsorship Persistent brand visibility across the platform, not just during the week but extending through the full year cycle into the next NY Tech Week.

This is long-term placement inside a high-intent environment.

Access the Platform

Explore the full NY Tech Week 2026 Master Side Event List Bookmark it. Share it. Use it throughout the week.

https://nytw.yorkseed.co

🧩 DEEPER IN THE NETWORK

We are opening a limited number of strategic partners for New York Tech Week and VivaTech.

Yorkseed is hosting a series of private, curated gatherings for founders and investors, while continuing to expand our platform where members actively connect, transact, and access high-signal opportunities.

Across New York Tech Week, we are curating a focused set of experiences, including: • Venture Salons for founders and investors • Beauty Tech gathering • Private Funders Dinner • Cross-border capital raising and investing conversations

During** VivaTech Paris**, we are hosting a blockchain-focused event while also curating a series of additional gatherings across the week, including non-blockchain focused experiences.

This is a selective partnership opportunity across: • Curated events in New York, Paris, and global ecosystems • Integration into the Yorkseed platform and The Vault • Direct access to a highly vetted network of founders, investors, and operators

We partner with a small number of aligned companies per city, designed for those who want to be embedded in high-trust, high-signal environments.

Apply here: https://tally.so/r/ODJeYk

Selected partners will be invited to schedule a private intro call.

💼 GET INVOLVED

Interested in getting more involved with Yorkseed? https://yorkseed.co/partners

———————————————————————————

When it all clicks.

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/9c1321b6-08ca-45a2-9421-da5c12aeb2e5/Beehiiv_April2026_Ad1.png?t=1777564814) Follow image link: (https://www.morningbrew.com/subscribe) Caption:

Why does business news feel like it's written for people who already get it?

Morning Brew changes that.

It's a free newsletter that breaks down what's going on in business, finance, and tech — clearly, quickly, and with enough personality to keep things interesting. The result? You don't just skim headlines. You actually understand what's going on.

Try it yourself and join over 4 million professionals reading daily.

Check it out

———————————————————————————

WhatsApp Public Channel

The fastest way to stay updated across Yorkseed:

• Global tech week updates • Curated venture events • Founder and investor opportunities • Conference ecosystem insights

Yorkseed Shop

A limited release of merchandise inspired by the network, with more…

———————————————————————————

🛥️ SELECTIVE ACCESS

F1 Yacht Experiences 2026 (Monaco • Global Series)

We’re opening limited access to a private F1 yacht series curated for a select audience across capital, luxury, and global networks.

Backed by Ferrari, Bonhams, TWW Yachts, and select partners.

🇲🇨** Monaco — June 4–7, 2026**

A more intimate, legacy-driven edition positioned around culture, storytelling, and global influence

• historic yacht setting with heritage ties • women in F1 focus and curated programming • private wine experience and gastronomy with Manko Paris • audience: ultra-high-net-worth, luxury, and global cultural circles

🌍 Additional Editions

Lake Como (May) • Abu Dhabi (December)

We are currently opening:

• a limited number of sponsor placements • a small allocation of paid guest passes (by selection)

👉 For sponsorship, ticket access or more information 📩 partnership@yorkseed.co

———————————————————————————

🤝 Opportunities Within Yorkseed

As the ecosystem continues to grow, we are opening several opportunities across the platform.

Local Hub Directors

We are looking for local hub directors interested in helping grow the ecosystem in their regions.

———————————————————————————

👉 Apply to Sponsor a Yorkseed Hub or Weekly Edition: https://forms.gle/tgit6QhoPJWP2tLYA

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/ede42b01-fbd1-4691-b296-7d8b1c07a605/Nyc___Austin__San_Antonio___Miami__Washington_D.C.___La__Sf___Paris___London___Lisbon___Helsinki___Berlin___Munich___Toronto___Montreal___Sao_paulo___Buenos_Aires___Dubai___Hong_Kong__Sydney___Sin-9.png?t=1760930357) Follow image link: (https://luma.com/Yorkseed) Caption:

———————————————————————————

YORKSEED GLOBAL HUBS (https://yorkseed.beehiiv.com/subscribe)

Access to our local hubs is restricted to founders, investors, executives, or individuals actively involved in the local tech innovation sector or frequently visiting the local city for work. Interested to become a Yorkseeder ? Join your local city hubs today! (Approval required) Paris, __New York City, Austin | San Antonio, Chicago, Miami, D.C., Los Angeles, Bay Area, Hong Kong, Lisbon, Sydney, Munich, Berlin, Helsinki, London, Singapore, São Paulo, Buenos Aires | Rio, Toronto, Montreal, Tel Aviv, UAE, Amsterdam, Barcelona, Stockholm, Dublin, Zurich, Milan__, Global Hub (International)

Our Conference Groups are for conferences goers to share invites, arrange meetups and set meetings specifically for Founders + Investors + Tech Executives focus only. We also provide a __spreadsheet __of non-badge holder master side event list for all conference goers! We believe everyone should have access to all the top notch side events without paying a premium price!

Yorkseed is going places, and with your generous donations, we can ensure it continues to flourish. Your support will enable us to maintain and enhance the platform, bringing even more value to our community. Please consider making a [DONATION]([private link removed]) today to help us keep Yorkseed running smoothly. [$25]([private link removed]) goes a long way! ❤️

==**If you would like to collaborate or sponsor us, please write me at **====Jessica@yorkseed.co====** **==

———————————————————————————

May 11th - May 18th, 2026

NYC [hub]([private link removed])

Monthly Coffee with Crystal Venture Partners **- **5/11** **

NYC B2B x Ramp: Seed → Series B Founder Brunch **- **5/12** **

Antler x Brooklyn Bridge Ventures VC Fireside & Pitches **- **5/12** **

B2B Fintech Founders Lunch: Using Content & Events to Scale **- **5/12** **

Founders & Investors Mixer **- **5/12** **

AI Cybersecurity Startup Pitch to CISOs In NYC **- **5/12** **

Assets & Access NYC **- **5/12** **

NYC B2B x Persona: Seed → Series B Founder Brunch **- **5/13** **

OOO Summit Tech Kickoff Party **- **5/13** **

Pre-Seed Investor Summit — Dinner and Drinks **- **5/13** **

Founders & Funders: NYC VC Reverse Pitch **- **5/13** **

Founder Breakfast** - **5/14** **

Air Street NYC AI Meetup **- **5/14** **

ZavoVentures: Bridging Startup Founders and Investors** - **5/14** **

Israeli VCs and Founders: Rooftop Art Night** - **5/14** **

Tech Gather NYC May Meetup **- **5/14** **

NYC Coffee Club | Early-Stage B2B Founders & Funders **- **5/15** **

Summer Café × TQ Ventures** - **5/15** **

The OOO Summit 2025 **- **5/16** **

Pitch and Run NYC Friday **- **5/16

We're managing the New York City Tech Events Calendar and welcome all tech and venture-related event submissions! 🚀🎉

NYC Tech Events · Events Calendar: (https://lu.ma/Newyorktechevents)

Bay Area [hub]([private link removed])

Tech Weekend SF — 100 Founders + 75 VCs **- **5/11** **

CMU Builder Demo Night & Founder Mixer at Foundation Capital **- **5/12** **

Physical AI Hack World Tour — SF** - **5/13

WE NEED DONATION! If you enjoy our resources, please consider [donating]([private link removed]) to Yorkseed! So I can keep Yorkseed running and bring you guys more exclusive content and networks!

Austin / San Antonio [hub]([private link removed])[ ]([private link removed])

Austin | Claude Code for Everyone** - 5/11**

Claude Code for Everyone - 5/11

LLMday Austin 2026 Q2** - 5/12** 

AI That Works: Codex + Apify** - 5/12**

Scrappy Startups Meetup #4 - 5/12 

Everything (Important) I Know About Newsletters** - 5/15** 

Hack AI x webAI** - 5/18**

Chicago ____[hub]([private link removed])

Chicago | Pitch and Run Chicago **- 5/14 **

Washington D.C. __[hub]([private link removed])__

Defense Tech DC 014 - 5/13

Lead by Design: Navigating Hard Decisions as a Leader - 5/15

**Boston **

We're managing the Washington DC Tech Events Calendar and welcome all tech and venture-related event submissions! 🚀🎉

Washington DC Tech Events · Events Calendar: (https://lu.ma/DCtechevents)

Los Angeles __[hub]([private link removed])__

GenAI May Happy Hour** - 5/11**

LA | Startup Arena — LA Tech Week - 5/12

Miami [hub]([private link removed])

Demo Day 2026 - 5/14

GeN3 Magazine — Miami as a Global Stage for Culture, Tech & Innovation- 5/15

Amsterdam[ ]([private link removed])____[hub]([private link removed])** **

Amsterdam | Future-Proof Your Career: AI & Digital Transformation Weekend - 5/17

**Cannes **__[hub]([private link removed])__

**Paris **__[hub]([private link removed])__

Paris | Claude Code Workshop For Beginners - 5/14

{Tech: Europe} Paris AI Hackathon** - 5/16**

**Dublin **__[hub]([private link removed])__

Read in Company, Naas: May Weekend Edition - 5/17

London [hub]([private link removed])

CityVentures May Demo Night - 5/13 

Claude Code Curious #5 - 5/14 

Creative AI Meetup: May Edition - 5/15 

The Founder Mixer — London VC Week Side Event - 5/15 

Big Screen Hack London** - 5/16** 

AI Agents 101: Using Claude Cowork to Boost Productivity** - 5/16**

Zurich __[hub]([private link removed])__

BEI x Superlab Suisse Demo Day 2026 - 5/12

AI Hub Monthly Meetup** - 5/12**

Applying Tomorrow's AI, Today - 5/12

HQ x Alexandra Maurer: Woman On A Mission - Becoming me **- 5/12 **

The Intelligent Private Equity Deal** - 5/12**

Milan __[hub]([private link removed])__

LTF Convention Milano 2026 - 5/16

Lisbon[ ]([private link removed])[hub]([private link removed])** **

strkBTC Live: Lisbon Launch Party - 5/12

Munich __[hub]([private link removed])__

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/6f4540c4-e8b4-40ae-abaa-bd60ad0f5c45/Kids_Virtual_Store_Banner-2.png) Caption:

Berlin[ ]([private link removed])[hub]([private link removed])

Saddle Up X** - 5/11** 

Multilingual AI - 5/12 

Berlin Demo Day - 5/12 

AI & The Future of Work** - 5/12** 

After-Hours by NAO x ARK** - 5/12** 

AI Breakfast: The Future of Neuroscience - 5/13 

Coffee & Code #5** - 5/13** 

SEED FEST x A MAZE BERLIN - 5/13 

Mitte Büro: The Grand Opening** -** 5/13 

Founders Co-working Day** - 5/15** 

A CHIP ODYSSEY - 5/15 

Coffee & Lift #4** - 5/16**

Helsinki __[hub]([private link removed])__

Founders & Funders: Helsinki Vol 2. - 5/12

Stockholm __[hub]([private link removed])__

Copenhagen __[hub]([private link removed])__

She Funds the Future: Your Path into Venture Capital - 5/12

Copenhagen | Claude Code for Developers- 5/13

Montreal __[hub]([private link removed])__

Toronto [hub]([private link removed])

AI for Good Coffee** - 5/12**

Web3 Toronto Conference 2025- 5/12

São Paulo | Rio [hub]([private link removed])

Buenos Aires[ ]([private link removed])[hub]([private link removed])

Mexico City** **[hub]([private link removed])

UAE __[hub]([private link removed])__

Welcome to our first-ever Sada Coffee Mornings event **- 5/14 **

Give your Startup some Lovable ❤️- 5/14

MVP on Claude 9! ☁️ - 5/18

Tel Aviv __[hub]([private link removed])__

Deeptech & Physical AI Conference - by Fusion & AWS** - 5/11**

Hong Kong [hub]([private link removed])

Singapore [hub]([private link removed])

Founders' Roundtable Lunch: The Growth Calculus** - 5/11**

Google Cloud x DeepMind: What's New for Startups? - 5/13

SGInnovate x IMD Tech Talk for Leaders: Leading at the Frontiers of Innovation - 5/13

Google AI & Cloud Meetup** - 5/14**

AI Salon Singapore [15 May 2026] - 5/15

Dining at the Frontier: Dinner with OpenAI, Vercel, and Square Peg - 5/15

**Kuala Lumpur, **Malaysia __[hub]([private link removed])__

Malaysia/KL | Claude Code Meetup Kuala Lumpur - 5/14

Sydney [hub]([private link removed])

Builder's Nights @ Spice Alley | Tues @ 6pm | Nick Knows Build Club - 5/12

SaaS Summit Sydney - 5/13

Sydney | Claude for Founders - 5/13

Startmate Pitch Night (Sydney)- 5/15

**If you have gotten value out of Yorkseed Newsletter, please help us grow by sharing it with relevant friends and colleagues! **

SHARE (https://yorkseed.beehiiv.com/subscribe)

==**Message from the **====Yorkseed House====** ... **==

Yorkseed Global & Conference Hubs

Our WhatsApp Global Hubs share curated, high-signal events within each city — focused on founders, investors, and tech executives.

Our Conference Hubs are built around major global events, where members exchange invites, coordinate meetups, and access curated side events. We also share master lists of high-quality events, including those without badge requirements.

———————————————————————————

We are also expanding our local presence and selectively opening up a few city hubs for new organizers. _**The perks of being a local hub volunteer? **_You are exposed to high-level individuals, and infinite opportunities will come your way!

Paris, New York City, Austin | San Antonio, Miami, D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago, Bay Area, Hong Kong, Lisbon, Sydney, Dublin, Munich, Berlin, Paris, Helsinki, London, Copenhagen, Stockholm,** __Amsterdam,__ __Singapore__,_ ___GIFT City___,_ __São Paulo____ | Rio__, __Buenos Aires__, __Toronto__, __Montreal__, __Dubai__, __Malaysia__, __Zurich__, __Milan___,___Tel Aviv__, __International Hub (All Other Cities)**__

If you’re interested in hosting, contributing, or building a Yorkseed hub in your city: https://yorkseed.co/

Sounds exciting for you? Write me at ==** ====Jessica@yorkseed.co==== / Jessica Sophia Wong**==

❤️ Get more involved in the Yorkseed ecosystem

Join the Yorkseed network database for curated introductions, event access, and cross-market connections: https://forms.gle/C8uQChh41JknpxPYA

If you’re a founder raising, an investor deploying, or an operator looking to collaborate, you can also submit here: https://forms.gle/QPekQGaAAqPkonby7

For partnerships, event features, or collaborations: partnership@yorkseed.co

**❤️ Yorkseed Public Database👇 https://example.invalid/document **

If you would like to register in our public database, please fill out the Google form above and select the part where you provide your consent to be on the public list.

View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/5985d203-23af-4efb-9b93-8faea753891c/IMG_AC20BECA9D4C-1.jpeg) Caption:

==**We added a new **====[Yorkseed General Support Group]([private link removed])====! This is general support system for anyone in the idea stage, early stage, or facing hardship while building your startups. In this group you’ll meet other technical people or entrepreneurs who face challenges. You are not alone in this journey.==

———————————————————————————

CONFERENCE SIDE EVENTS SPREADSHEET (https://yorkseed.beehiiv.com/subscribe)

Yorkseed curates and maintains a live database of high-signal side events hosted alongside major global tech conferences. Designed for founders, investors, and operators, the spreadsheet helps you navigate key venture moments — from invite-only salons to curated ecosystem gatherings. Stay ahead of the conference noise. Access the rooms that matter.

ACCESS THE SPREADSHEETS

———————————————————————————

———

You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://pulse.yorkseed.co/p/kuzu-zangpo-la-yorkseeders-pulse-149-2c15

May 11 · 10:00 AM Source JSON

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"Perfectly Imperfect gazes back nostalgically to an era when corporate algorithms didn't control cultural discovery, and websites like The Strategist hadn't streamlined product recommendations." - NYTimes

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THE GUIDE TO MUBI'S HIDDEN GEMS

https://www.pi.fyi/p/the-guide-to-mubis-hidden-gems

THE DEEP CUTS SELECTED BY PI.FYI, FROM THE MUBI COLLECTION.

Read on pi.fyi https://www.pi.fyi/p/the-guide-to-mubis-hidden-gems

Everyone has that one person they trust with one of life’s most urgent questions: “What should I watch?” And if you’re anything like the users on PI.FYI, you probably have too many answers. First you need to know the mood. Then the runtime. Then whether we’re trying to feel better, worse, or haunted in a productive way.

Get mubi free for 30 days

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Film obsessives are everywhere on PI.FYI, which made our first guide with MUBI https://mubi.com/en/perfectlyimperfect feel like an obvious assignment. We asked https://pi.fyi/ask/cmmm0o2y50020ox420z4wqg0r our community to deep-dive through MUBI’s collection in search of favorite hidden gems: the lesser-known titles they still think about and quietly keep loaded like emergency supplies for the next person brave enough to ask.

Below are the picks that made the cut.

@amadcore shared...

🎥 LURKER https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmemtf6zo0a52ps4rml9hv84h

Caught a preview last night and I can’t stop thinking about it. Don’t think there’s been a film for the Instagram age that captures that longing we have to feel like we are a part of something be it parasocial relationships , love, obsesssion, or infatuation. One of my fave films of the year !

https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmemtf6zo0a52ps4rml9hv84h

[Share | Save | View] https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmemtf6zo0a52ps4rml9hv84h

@zoe-sigalou shared...

📽️ MY FIRST FILM - ZIA ANGER https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmmt3dvg10p2jsx3kk74p0sth

a beautiful depiction of the fragile, powerful yet sometimes chaotic feminine nature that somehow soothed my imposter syndrome while showing that adulthood doesn’t have a handbook and it’s okay to sometimes fuck up

https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmmt3dvg10p2jsx3kk74p0sth

[Share | Save | View] https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmmt3dvg10p2jsx3kk74p0sth

@sequin_sequence shared...

📽️ MEDUSA DELUXE (2022) https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmmn16obc0vw4s63kiyyxdibe

It's a beautifully shot murder mystery set within a hairdressing competition full of rivals with big personalities. It's shot to look like a single-take and the end scene... 💜

https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmmn16obc0vw4s63kiyyxdibe

[Share | Save | View] https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmmn16obc0vw4s63kiyyxdibe

@yellow shared...

🎨 THE MASTERMIND (2025) https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmmm7es5j1uriqy47ukkoc9h7

That free jazz to go along wit Josh O’Connor wandering around after robbing an art museum and fucking up his life: absolute cinema. That suit he wore had me looking for a suit my damn self. It’s definitely one of my favorites from last year fr

https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmmm7es5j1uriqy47ukkoc9h7

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@barkbark shared...

🎬 SOMETIMES I THINK ABOUT DYING- RACHEL LAMBERT https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmmm3zzeu1i9es33ke8uvo8xx

This film surprised me a lot. When I read the synopsis, I thought I was going to watch something suspenseful, maybe uncomfortable or even a bit of horror. But then I watched the trailer and the cinematography caught my attention. I discovered it’s beautiful, I loved it.

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🎬 HOW TO HAVE SEX (2023) https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmmmb44ge0dgsoj3j0bish8aj

incredibleeeee performance by mia mckenna-bruce (who i’ve loved since the dumping ground) in a heartbreaking portrayal of the impact of sexual assault in the landscape of a british holiday destination, the film tenderly but rawly explores the topic of sexual violence in drinking and partying culture in the uk, tackling themes like peer pressure and lad culture despite the loud and chaotic rave and party scenes the movie also allows itself to be intimate and delves into a reaction of sexual abuse that isn’t often explored as the main character tara turns in on herself i think it’s such an important and special movie, portraying what so many woman have gone through and will continue to experience from the assault itself to the neglect and lack of accountability or care surrounding and following the abuse underrated and an amazing debut from writer and director molly manning walker

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🚗 spree (2020) https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmmmc8ggr23iks33kfhmn77a2

First of all, obsessed with Eugene's mind. How the hell did he manage to shoot this movie through all these kinds of cameras that flow into each other like it's no big deal? Joe Keery can't help being adorable even when he plays an absolute psycho. The whole thing is very fun but also at times very shocking and more relevant than ever. I need Kurt on Adam Friedland !!

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🎬 The Code (2024) https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmmm7jjum07duoj3jbxg58grn

unlike anything else

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🤍 The living end (1992) https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmmmc6svn0fmtoj3ja501zr7w

This was one of the saddest and most beautiful films I've ever watched.

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⭐ HAL & HARPER https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmmm0yxkp0l3zrl3kizbk5tm2

a cathartic little mini series with an incredible cast

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📽️ FESTEN (1998) https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmmmc5iaa22s4qy47d5eexwsa

Thomas Vinterberg’s beginning to the Dogme 95 movement, renewing cinema. A movie made in chastity that stands as one of the GOATs.

https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmmmc5iaa22s4qy47d5eexwsa

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🎬 HUMANIST VAMPIRE SEEKING CONSENTING SUICIDAL PERSON (2023) https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmmmisjyo0kd4v73kx7z8x3c5

such a fun and cute movie!! i will always be a sucker (no pun intended) for an unconventional rom-com or coming of age flick!

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@presiidenttt shared...

💰 The Pleasure of Being RObbed https://www.pi.fyi/rec/cmmmb1tbn1z9bs33kf4ibjlwx

You can hate on me all you want with the "Oh it was so boring" "All they did was travel" but I LOVED It!. Its the fact that even after she was caught, she kept stealing because she didn't learn her lesson. It goes into the life of someone who loves to steal from others. I loved it so much #truedat

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May 11 · 9:55 AM Source JSON
Socrates as a Service

      The best stories live in people—and getting them out is still a human job

    Socrates as a Service

      The best stories live in people—and getting them out is still a human job

    by Eleanor Warnock

      Midjourney/Every illustration.

Was this newsletter forwarded to you? Sign up to get it in your inbox.

I’m a journalist and a communications expert. My job, in both roles, is to find ideas that people haven’t yet put into words—the anecdote that could become a front-page story, the framing that could crystallize a founder’s philosophy into something a customer remembers.

In an hour interview with someone, it might not be until minute 45 that we start getting into the good stuff. In two hours, there may only be one thing that stands out to me—a side story, a detail, some color. A little piece of gold dust. An investor I’ve worked closely with calls these “extraction sessions.” I call the people who do them well Socrates-as-a-service.

Those details and stories aren’t on the internet. They’re not in any model. And the model hasn’t replicated yet how I pull them out of people. The gap between what AI can do and what a great human questioner can surface is still wide—and it’s the gap where the best stories live. If you don’t have some way to surface that information in your organization, your brand and messaging are going to sound like all the other twice-boiled content out there.

Osakan bread and the wisdom within The stuff that I’m looking for has a name in management theory: “tacit knowledge.” The term comes from scientist and philosopher Michael Polanyi, who defined it with the phrase, “We can know more than we can tell.” It’s the expertise and intuition that lives in our bodies and resists being turned into a document.

In a frequently cited 1991 article, Japanese management expert Ikujiro Nonaka argued that while Western companies excelled at “information processing,” Japanese companies specialized in the “creation of knowledge,” through a feedback loop that turned tacit knowledge into a competitive advantage. His most memorable example: In the 1980s, the Osaka-based Matsushita Electric Company was struggling to get the kneading right in a bread machine. They sent a software developer to apprentice with a baker at a local hotel famous for its luscious loaves. The knowledge she brought back helped the team perfect the dough-stretching technology inside the machine and ultimately create a top-selling device.

I am sure that the lucky engineer asked the baker a lot of questions, but there was certainly a lot she absorbed just from watching. Indeed, Polanyi argued that tacit knowledge exists outside of numbers or symbolic language—the kind of systemization that AI requires to ingest information.

Many “bakers” from whom we try to extract tacit knowledge often don’t even know the depth of expertise they carry. And they certainly couldn’t tell you what questions you need to ask to access it.

AI as an imperfect interlocutor AI can do some of that questioning and, in some cases, do it well. At Every, we have an AI agent ask us questions when we write OKRs. The agent has ingested Every’s company strategy and has context on all the members of the organization. My colleague, Katie Parrott, has Claude interview her before she writes an article. Those notes become the basis of an outline of the piece.

I would argue, however, that AI-driven extraction works well when the parameters are clear and the assignment structured, like writing an article or a plan for software. If you’re looking to turn over a completely new rock, interview someone about something they haven’t spoken much about before, or run the kind of open-ended information gathering work that happens when companies decide to rebrand. In those sessions, a chief marketing officer or branding agency will spend time speaking to members of the company and asking them open-ended questions about the business. The point is to keep things open, go wide, and see what comes up.

There’s a second problem: A human in the room can be surprised mid-conversation and abandon the plan—perhaps notice hesitation or dig into a thread that wasn’t on the list. A prompt mostly can’t. When I elicit insight from someone, I am applying my judgment about what is a good story in real time—judgment that’s been honed by years in news and communications. This mutual, live attention is something AI can’t capture because it’s not in the room.

The obvious objection is that this is a moving target—context windows and memory are improving to allow for more detailed, fluid conversations. Taste won’t, however, won’t. Someone still has to decide which detail out of a two-hour conversation is the piece of gold dust.

Nonaka himself argued that the goal isn’t always to make tacit knowledge fully explicit. Because tacit knowledge is so personal and often so abstract, sometimes the right tool with which to communicate is a metaphor or an analogy—a form of language that can hold multiple ambiguous meanings. Eliciting that kind of language from someone takes its own form of tacit knowledge: the skills of a Socrates.

Steal these techniques So how can you surface those nuggets of gold? Despite the explosion of interview podcasts asking for multiple hours of your time, I find most hosts are not great at asking questions. The format demands an arc—a journey—which is the opposite of what you want when you’re trying to surface tacit knowledge. Real extraction zigs and zags, doubling back on itself and picking up something you said 20 minutes ago to pull a different thread, following gold, not audience interest.

Here are the techniques that I keep coming back to:

Warm people up. We open up more once trust is established. I never skip the small talk at the beginning of a conversation, and I’ll often bring something we have in common: “I saw you just spoke about X—I’ve been thinking about that too.” NPR interviewer Terry Gross’s favorite icebreaker question is, “Tell me about yourself.” The question lets the person you are speaking to take the lead and protects you as the questioner from saying anything that might make them prickle while you are still warming up.

Ask a mix of general and specific questions. When Lenny Rachitsky revealed the questions he sends to his podcast guests in preparation for the podcast, this combination stood out. For example, he asks them, “Anything you haven’t shared elsewhere that could be interesting to share in this forum?”—a very general question, and “What’s one pivotal moment in your career?”—which asks the guest to pinpoint one turning point. To extract unverbalized insights from someone, it helps to ask them to both think macro about their area of expertise as well as micro.

Come back to thoughts and drill in. If a line of inquiry goes nowhere, don’t abandon it—go back later and try again from a different angle. The first pass often loosens wisdom up.

Repeat things back. Repeating what someone said often helps them process their thoughts further, and they will often add additional detail they didn’t know they remembered.

Detail, detail, detail. Specifics are where the real stuff lives. How did that make you feel in that moment? Why do you think that way?

Listen well. Pulitzer Prize-winning radio journalist Studs Terkel spent decades interviewing everyday people in Chicago, and was described by one subject as offering “a state of being, it’s a way of attending to, attention-ing another person.” That is what good listening looks like.

Ask about squirrels. In his documentary about the debate surrounding the death penalty, Werner Herzog interviews a death row chaplain who, at the start of their conversation, delivers the polished answers he’s given 100 times about accompanying people in their final minutes. Then Herzog asks him about squirrels. Thrown off, he breaks down. The grief he feels about his job is laid bare. Ask people about the unscripted things.

Study this. Collect great questions you like. Build prompts to borrow these techniques for structured AI-driven sessions if you want.

But the judgment underneath these habits remains harder to transfer. It’s its own form of tacit knowledge. And for now, it still belongs to humans.

Eleanor Warnock is the managing editor at Every. She has been a business journalist and editor at the Wall Street Journal and the Financial Times-backed Sifted, and is an advisor to Bek Ventures. Follow her on LinkedIn and Substack.

To read more essays like this, subscribe to Every, and follow us on X at @every and on LinkedIn.

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May 11 · 9:20 AM Source JSON

Styleforum ([private link removed]

A summary of what you missed recently

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Latest threads

*** Visvim thread: Dissertation on a Japanese Holy Spirit *** ([private link removed]

g transistor · Jul 3, 2014 at 7:43 PM · Replies: 11,777

~ all things visvim ~

discussion pics questions grievances

alternatively: LA Guy's Random Skagway Thoughts

~~ Sizing: ~~

Warning: Spoiler! - Spoiler content hidden.

Forum: Streetwear and Denim ([private link removed] - Read more ([private link removed]

The Watch Appreciation Thread - Part two (Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Jaeger LeCoultre, ([private link removed]

mimo · Feb 13, 2016 at 4:15 AM · Replies: 70,134

Welcome to The Watch Appreciation Thread

This is where Styleforum's watch lovers discuss the best timepieces and talk about what we have, what is new, and what we want. Please join us to share about your own watches - baller or bargain - and discuss, opine or ask advice. This is officially...

Forum: Classic Menswear ([private link removed] - Read more ([private link removed]

The 2026 Allen Edmonds (AE) Appreciation Thread ([private link removed]

Vincent George · Jan 1, 2026 at 10:11 PM · Replies: 615

Welcome to the Allen Edmonds (AE) Appreciation Thread for 2026.

Wishing you all safe, happy, and healthy years filled with beautiful shoes and boots.

Forum: Classic Menswear ([private link removed] - Read more ([private link removed]

Enzo Bonafe Handmade Shoes. ([private link removed]

chris "italia" · Nov 4, 2007 at 7:34 AM · Replies: 5,543

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Magnificent shoes.

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٭٭٭ No Man Walks Alone - Official Affiliate Thread ٭٭٭ (a.k.a. I shouldn't have slept on it) ([private link removed]

gdl203 · Aug 15, 2013 at 2:20 PM · Replies: 89,039

Bonjour!

Please allow me to re-introduce myself. I’ve been on this forum for the better part of the last decade, and what a grand time it has been: I’ve learned many things (some of which I wish I could unlearn!); I’ve been challenged, inspired, and surprised; I’ve laughed, I’ve cried (no, not...

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maimaiDX · Thread: *** Visvim thread: Dissertation on a Japanese Holy Spirit *** ([private link removed] · May 11, 2026 at 2:19 PM

CFirst7 said: Not sure if anything has changed since then, but around 4–5 years ago you needed a minimum spend of around ¥400–500k per year and to have a relationship with the store. Then the store would nominate you for an invite, which had to be approved by head office. Now they also require new...

Forum: Streetwear and Denim ([private link removed] - Read more ([private link removed]

Jr Mouse · Thread: The Watch Appreciation Thread - Part two (Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Jaeger LeCoultre, ([private link removed] · May 11, 2026 at 2:17 PM

pmeis said: I'm just ready to stop seeing half-assed AI renders of this in my IG feed.

Yeah, I just want to see the real thing.

Forum: Classic Menswear ([private link removed] - Read more ([private link removed]

LA Guy · Thread: The Watch Appreciation Thread - Part two (Rolex, Patek Philippe, Audemars Piguet, Jaeger LeCoultre, ([private link removed] · May 11, 2026 at 2:07 PM

pmeis said: I'm just ready to stop seeing half-assed AI renders of this in my IG feed. Yeah, there are a ton of articles with titles like “Is AI compatible with luxury?” The entire industry including gf watch industry has been pretty confused about how to interact new technology, with some pretty...

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ProfilaBinding · Thread: The 2026 Allen Edmonds (AE) Appreciation Thread ([private link removed] · May 11, 2026 at 2:03 PM

At first, I thought it was pre-cracking, but now I'm not so sure. If it were cracking, it's not an area of the shoe that flexes. They were not in extremely dry conditions, but they were stored in the original AE box for about 1.5 years or so. I believe I did add some saphir conditioner on...

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ErikDg · Thread: Enzo Bonafe Handmade Shoes. ([private link removed] · May 11, 2026 at 1:56 PM

DorianGreen said: I really like the tassel loafer, but it's built on the 946 last that is less than ideal for my feet. Is this last so popular? The suede brogue Oxford is also nice. How does compare the 062 last? Indeed, one of the most popular. 062 hast the same length but is slightly less wide compared...

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May 11 · 8:31 AM Source JSON

View this post on the web at https://exhibitsinnewyork.substack.com/p/on-view-mao-ishikawa

Today, contributor Michael Forbes shares a close read of two photographs in the Mao Ishikawa exhibit, ROGUE [ [private link removed] ]. Plus, a snapshot of what’s on view this week. Follow us on Instagram [ [private link removed] ] for more updates, and go see something. - Sarah + Alexandra what’s on: ✨ Opening tomorrow ✨ Peter Cain, The Los Angeles Photographs [ [private link removed] ], at American Art Catalogues. West Village. ✨ Opening tomorrow ✨ Set in Stone [ [private link removed] ] at David Zwirner. Through June 26. Upper East Side. Ana Kraš, Svila [ [private link removed] ], at Emma Scully Gallery. Through June 13. Upper East Side. David Armstrong, Portraits [ [private link removed] ], at Artists Space. Through May 23. Tribeca. Spring fairs are on this week. Last-minute tickets to Frieze are here. [ [private link removed] ] ROGUE [ [private link removed] ], a collection of four series of photographs by Okinawan artist Mao Ishikawa, is on view at Alison Bradley Projects (526 W 26th St #814, New York, NY). On view: Mao Ishikawa BY MICHAEL FORBES [ [private link removed] ] Mao Ishikawa was nineteen in 1972 when the Reversion Agreement [ [private link removed] ] — signed in Tokyo and D.C., returning the Okinawan Prefecture to Japanese rule while leaving U.S. military bases intact — took effect. Instead of buying the coming-of-age [ [private link removed] ] kimono her parents intended for her, Ishikawa took that money, enrolled in photography school, and returned to Koza, Okinawa, to work at 777, a bar serving Black GIs and the Okinawan women who chose them. Red Flower (Akabana), a series of black & white photographs taken from 1975 to 1977, is the record of that room. The chemistry inside 777 had little to do with simple desire across differences. Both groups stood south of the centers that defined them, and they knew it. Okinawa was not Tokyo — it was occupied, peripheral, condescended to by mainland Japan. The Black GIs were not white America — they carried American power and American anti-Blackness at once. The bar held this shared displacement in one room; inside, Black is Beautiful [ [private link removed] ], the rising ethos at the time, could operate as a transferable refusal, an idea that Okinawan women on the wrong side of Japanese hierarchy could also take up. In one photograph (above), a Black GI leans against a jukebox, floral shirt open. The daisies on his chest echo the roses cascading around the Black Rose poster behind him. The masculinity here is not the hard, stoic independence of a Marlboro Man [ [private link removed] ]; it is the ornamented Black 1970s of Sly Stone [ [private link removed] ] and George Clinton [ [private link removed] ], a masculinity that incorporates the feminine without apology. The androgynous figure on the poster extends the claim: hair, flowers, softness — none of it disqualifying. A taped sign reads, “Don’t [lean here].” The man in the image coolly leans anyway. The photograph is composed, balanced. Each element supports the next. This is 777 at full coherence. A second photograph (below) breaks that coherence. At left of a tightened frame, an Okinawan woman’s afro dominates the foreground, her face nearly lost to the shadow of her hair — a look created more by recognition than by proper styling. Behind her, another woman stands facing the camera, fully visible, her midriff exposed beneath a striped top. At the lower right, a Black man sits turned away, already leaving the scene. The compositional order that held the first image together gives way in the second — figures are cut off, crowded, pushed against the edges of the frame. Ishikawa has described the central woman as “ugly.” The photograph centers her anyway. The first image feels like payday Friday night; the second, Saturday afternoon. 777 reflected a late stage of segregation, a post-reversion limbo where the bases remained, and the bars continued as separate worlds just as a certain kind of racial separation began to run its course. Ishikawa admired the women in this bar; she photographed them, named them Akabana — the red Okinawan flower, resilient and trampled — without knowing their futures. She loved these Black US soldiers, even if she hated the US military. She knew that “ugliness and beauty coexist,” and she would “forever love that about humans.” These two photographs crystallize an argument about who gets to be beautiful, and on what terms. ROGUE [ [private link removed] ] is on view through June 6. Michael Forbes [ [private link removed] ] holds a PhD in English from the University of Massachusetts–Amherst and taught for a decade at DePauw University and the College of Wooster. His scholarship focuses on Black popular culture, film studies, and modern visual art. He currently teaches English at the Dalton School in Manhattan. take our map 💫 If you’re an iOS user and would like to take our recommendations with you, download our app below. Paid subscribers of this newsletter can also add shows to their itinerary and write reviews of what they’re seeing. about us We’re making a new home for art writing. You can find Sarah’s writing here [ [private link removed] ] and Alexandra’s writing here [ [private link removed] ]. If you’d like to join us and help support independent art media, become a paid subscriber to this newsletter. We’ll send you an invite to start tracking and reviewing exhibits in the city and invitations to our events. More about us and how we got started here. [ [private link removed] ]

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May 11 · 8:18 AM Source JSON

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May 11 · 7:44 AM Source JSON

View this post on the web at https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-50-years-of-text-games-by

50 Years of Text Games: From Oregon Trail to AI Dungeon [ [private link removed] ], Aaron A. Reed (Changeful Tales, 2023).

YOU ARE ON SUBSTACK. YOU SEE A BOOK REVIEW BY JOHN PSMITH. YOU SEE A TROLL POST BY RICHARD HANANIA. YOU SEE A BOOK REVIEW BY SCOTT ALEXANDER. WHAT DO YOU DO? open last post I’M SORRY I DON’T UNDERSTAND THAT. click scott alexander post I’M SORRY I DON’T KNOW THE VERB: ‘CLICK’ read ‘READ’ WHAT? read scott alexander YOU CANNOT READ A ‘SCOTT ALEXANDER’ read book review YOU SETTLE IN TO READ A BOOK REVIEW BY JOHN PSMITH. THE REVIEW IS NINE THOUSAND WORDS LONG. YOU BEGIN MAKING A CUP OF TEA TO KE^C stop EP YOU GOING FOR THE LONG NIGHT AHEAD. THE REVIEW BEGINS WITH A WILD AN^C cancel D UNJUSTIFIED ASSERTION. IT MAKES SEVERAL SWEEPING GENERALIZATIONS. IT BARELY TALKS ABOUT THE BOOK, BUT USES IT AS AN EXCU^C exit SE TO TALK ABOUT SOMETHING SEEMINGLY UNRELATED. SOON YOUR CANDLE BURNS DOWN. IT GROWS DARK. YOU ARE EATEN BY A GRUE. THIS IS THE END OF YOUR JOURNEY. YOU HAVE SUFFERED A FATE WORSE THAN DEATH. TRY AGAIN? (YES/NO/QUIT) For as long as computers have existed, people have used them to play games. The earliest games were all graphical, and today most games are graphical again (outside of a few notable subcultures that we will visit), but in between there were decades when text reigned supreme. Like dinosaurs and silent movies, the text-based games seemed impossibly dominant in their own era, like nothing could ever end their time. But end it did. A few of us hazily remember these games from our childhoods, but for everyone else this artistic form has been lost to the mists of history. Which is why we’re so lucky that Aaron Reed has written the story of these games, their golden era, and their strange second act that continues in the shadows even today. I regret to say this book is also unbelievably “relevant.” The Psmiths, as you know, despise relevance. And so I initially picked up this book for no other reason than that text-based games are a niche topic that I find interesting. As I read, however, it struck me that text serves as a universal interface easily comprehensible both to people and AIs. Oh sure, the models are all multimodal these days and you can feed them pictures, but their mother tongue is still that special flavor of token that is English language text sourced from the internet. At the present (early 2026) level of technology, a world made out of words is something that an AI is both well-positioned to help you build, and quite good at exploring on its own. We will come to all of that in time, however; for now let’s start at the beginning. As I said, the earliest games were graphical, and the reason why might surprise you: it all had to do with hardware constraints. You may think text is “primitive” and graphics are sophisticated, but if you think about it like a late-60s/early-70s computer programmer operating under a regime of severely limited memory and storage, it’s quite the opposite. A pixel on the screen can be addressed with two numbers, a third byte suffices (if you have an anachronistically fancy display) to command it to be a certain color, and the algorithm to cause pixels to turn on and off in such a way as to depict spaceships and missiles on parabolic trajectories might only take a few lines of code. In the days before bitmaps and textures, “graphics” was by far the economical option. And it was also scalable in the sense that if your program followed simple rules, adding more levels did not increase the system requirements. The 640k of memory that Bill Gates might or might not have said [ [private link removed] ] should be enough for anyone is positively oceanic for these purposes, and even the more modest amounts available to a PDP-11 [ [private link removed] ] are quite luxurious. Not so if your game is made of text! Each ASCII character takes a byte. The chunk of this book review that you have read so far has already exceeded the storage capacity of the Apollo Guidance Computer [ [private link removed] ], and by the end it probably won’t fit in the RAM of any of the golden era mainframes and microcomputers that won the Cold War. For a game to be made of words it must contain a lot of them, and sentences are hard to produce procedurally (though we will meet some people who tried) — the good ones usually have to be written down by a human being ahead of time and stored. Speaking of which, from the earliest days of the genre, we can actually discern two very distinct kinds of text-based games. The first kind: games that happen to use the terminal or a teletype as an interface, but have nothing fundamentally text-based about them. Imagine, for instance, a game that uses ASCII characters to draw a map, like the classic dungeon-crawler Nethack: Is this game text-based? I think the answer is no, because there exist versions that replace the interface with one based on isometric graphics [ [private link removed] ], and it’s still fundamentally the same game. Now consider the original Oregon Trail: MONDAY MARCH 29 1847 TOTAL MILEAGE IS 0 FOOD BULLETS CLOTHING SUPPLIES CASH 100 2500 50 50 200 DO YOU WANT TO (1) HUNT OR (2) CONTINUE? Is this game text-based? This time more people would say yes, but I still have my doubts. The text here is a portal, a view into an underlying simulation of the world that is made out of numbers and logic, not text. We prod it with text and we measure it with text, the way we might prod and measure some fantastically elusive subatomic particle using a supercollider. But don’t confuse the communication mechanism with the thing you’re talking to. A person is not a phone. Most of the games in the earliest parts of this book have this character, some of them to an extreme degree. A little known game from the late 60s called ROCKET basically amounts to feeding the player a list of numbers representing a lunar module’s altitude, velocity, acceleration, mass, and remaining fuel, and then asking the player if they wish to adjust the throttle. It is literally just a physics simulation expressed through text. The more fanciful Hunt the Wumpus has the player stalking the surface of a dodecahedron trying to slay a dreadful monster called a Wumpus using “crooked arrows” that change direction as they pass through rooms, but it is still fundamentally a column of numbers. And then you have one of the earliest games of all, The Sumerian Game, which just comes out and says it: IMAGINE THAT YOU HAVE JUST BEEN MADE RULER OF LAGASH, A CITY-STATE OF SUMER, IN THE YEAR 3500 B.C. TWICE YEARLY YOUR ROYAL STEWARD, URABA, WILL REPORT TO YOU THE ECONOMIC CONDITION OF THE KINGDOM. GUIDED BY THESE REPORTS, YOU WILL DECIDE THE USE OF YOUR GRAIN AND OTHER RESOURCES, TRYING TO KEEP YOUR POPULATION STABLE AND WELL FED. BETWEEN REPORTS, YOUR COURT ADVISOR WILL COME TO YOU WITH NEWS OF YOUR KINGDOM. The reports and the news are just a mechanically synthesized representation of the underlying Sumerian kingdom simulation, like a fancier speedometer, or like the numbers printed out by the ROCKET game. We’ve already covered the reason for this: resource constraints, the source of all great cræft [ [private link removed] ]. If you can’t store many sentences in memory, you can at least give the illusion of having reams of them by having your computer play a sort of glorified madlibs with you. And so things went until 1976 when a very different style of game was invented. If you were a child in the 1980s, you may remember books that looked like this: Does that tickle a memory somewhere? What if I recite the admonition that every one of these books began with: “WARNING!!!! Do not read this book straight through from beginning to end!” That’s because, of course, each of the books put you, the reader, in the driver’s seat. As the hordes of savages with poison-tipped spears converged on your position, you faced a terrible choice. If you would like to leap into the UFO, turn to page 97. If you would like to try to activate the volcano, turn to page 16. Breathlessly you would turn to the indicated page (perhaps leaving a finger wedged in the spot that you just came from to be safe) and discover the fate that your choices had created for you. Each book formed a branching and recombining tree of possibilities with many endings, like this: This was all very exciting, but I remember being a bit dissatisfied even as a boy. The illusion of choice was actually quite thin: decisions could be made only at fixed moments in the narration, decided ahead of time by the author, and each one offered a binary choice. What if I wanted to fly the UFO into the volcano? Or tear off my clothes and try to convince the savages that I was one of them? The books promised, “The adventures you take are a result of your choice. You are responsible because you choose!” But even a kid could see that that was false advertising. Moreover, the structure of these books was completely static: the paths all flowed forward relentlessly, towards victory or defeat, but always forwards. What if I wanted to inhabit one of these fictional worlds? To wander around and take my time? The medium made that impossible. A book can’t engage in dialogue with you like a person can, unless the author plays some extremely sophisticated tricks [ [private link removed] ]. Of course, a computer couldn’t really either, but given a sufficiently constrained environment perhaps it could pretend that it did? I can’t prove that the genre we now call “interactive fiction” could only have been created by an avid caver, but I really think there’s a connection here. Cavers are special people. Cavers are also used to an environment that is eerily well suited to being represented by a computer program with limited hardware resources. A cave is very much like a series of discrete areas, each with its own character, and with a heavily constrained set of routes between them. It’s a graph [ [private link removed] ] in mathematical terms, something that every computer scientist worth his salt knows how to represent efficiently in memory. In the early 1970s, two such computer scientists, Will and Patricia Crowther, joined an expedition to connect two massive cave systems [ [private link removed] ] that people had long conjectured formed a single enormous cavern. Patricia made history in 1972, wriggling through a fearsomely cramped passage now known as the “Tight Spot” that joined the two. As the Crowthers explored the cave system, they wrote code to convert their three-dimensional survey data into beautiful maps. Did this code rely on the abstraction of a set of nodes and edges, perhaps augmented by a bit of geometry? We can only speculate. What we do know is that in 1975 disaster struck: the couple divorced, Patricia remarried a member of their caving group, and Will’s caving days were then over. She also took the kids, and in his long and lonely days Will dreamed of a way to share his lost hobby with them. In the fall of that year, spurred by the knowledge that his daughters would be visiting for a long weekend, Will Crowther wrote a computer game like none that had existed up to that point. He called it Adventure, and it began just like his beloved Mammoth Cave system, with a steel grate mounted in concrete, set at the bottom of a twenty-foot depression, surrounded by forest. But in this game the various areas were not the featureless faces of a dodecahedron, they were distinct and memorable locations, each lovingly described with a paragraph of human-authored text, filled with treasures and monsters and challenges. Crowther’s daughters became obsessed with the game, and between their visits he would throw himself into making improvements to it so they’d have new bits to play the next time he saw them. The game sprawled, and with its verbal extravagance it quickly ran into the limits of even the top of the line PDP-10 mainframe that it ran on. So Crowther devised a compact data format to let him cram even more content in. Soon the caves contained psychotic dwarves, a magic beanstalk, and a maze of twisty little passages, all alike. The game had items that could be picked up or dropped or used in creative ways to get past the game’s challenges, and if you used them in a ridiculous or subversive way instead, there were good odds that the omnipresent narrator would chide you in an appropriate manner. And most miraculous of all, you could do anything in the world that you wanted, or at least it implied that you could. You addressed the game with words and phrases, telling it what you wanted to do, and the game tried to guess what you meant and told you the results of your actions. The game spent its budget of words with a profligacy that no other had dared. For example, one of its chambers had a stream flowing through it, and telling the game that you wanted to step into it had no effect on your progress, but the game would reply: “YOUR FEET ARE NOW WET.” For people playing a computer game in the 1970s, this felt magical. Actually, even for jaded modern gamers it feels a bit magical. There are generally two ways of creating the perception of magic in somebody — one is via a single, clever, transformative trick that upends what is possible, like the discovery of gunpowder or calculus. The other is to do an absolutely unreasonable amount of work [ [private link removed] ], vastly more work than anybody would ever imagine you putting into this thing. Adventure got its magic via the second path. It paid for it with a human being sitting and thinking through everything a player might type and coming up ahead of time with a witty response. This is not, as the kids say, “scalable.” But for a small and simple game it worked well enough. Soon Adventure had spawned dozens, then hundreds of imitators. It became the progenitor of a vast genre of games now known as “interactive fiction,” or IF for short. For a decade or two after Adventure, IF dominated the gaming industry, with blockbuster hits like Zork and an adaptation of Douglas Adams’ Hitchikers Guide to the Galaxy. These games were not set in caves, but they maintained the cave-shaped conceit of a set of discrete locations with connections between them. Often these locations were more abstract “scenes” or “situations” than physical places, and the genre became notorious for the difficulty of its puzzles, some of which required a great deal of lateral thinking and some of which were downright cruel. These games also took advantage of the fact that a book has a special effects budget larger than any Hollywood blockbuster, because when you read a book you’re already imagining things. Moreover, you can create impressions with words that are actually impossible to visualize. As the genre matured, it got increasingly experimental and avant-garde. In a game called Suspended you played as a mind trapped within a frozen body on a planet undergoing a cataclysm, able to interact with the world only by sending commands to six different robots, each of which possessed a different set of sensors or manipulators. Even odder was A Mind Forever Voyaging in which you played as an artificial intelligence program interacting with a minutely detailed simulation of a small town in Middle America, with the twist that decades would pass in the simulation between each visit, and after each time skip the town would decay further into dystopia and anarchy. Between improvements in hardware and the games themselves becoming big business, soon each game had teams of writers churning out entire novels worth of text. Some of these games truly did deserve the moniker “interactive fiction” — they were not just a game conveyed through written descriptions, but a meticulously plotted and well-written story that came alive through your actions. The dream of “Choose Your Own Adventure” was realized at last. And then the bottom fell out of the market. Computers got good enough to display real graphics, and as wild and imaginative and groundbreaking as the IF games were, they just had a very hard time competing with interactive animation. Perhaps if they’d had more time to get established things would have been different, but as Reed quotes somebody saying: “Imagine the challenge for literature if movies had come along within a decade of the invention [of the] printing press.” The companies involved all went under or got sold for parts, and that might have been the end of interactive fiction but for one very important quirk of history. One of the largest IF companies, Infocom [ [private link removed] ], had built all of its games via what’s known as a “virtual machine.” You can think of the Infocom VM as a tiny, very specialized computer that runs entirely as a software program on your real computer. Each game was represented as a set of instructions and data files that could be understood and executed by this VM, known as the Z-machine [ [private link removed] ]. This had two very important consequences: the first was that as soon as somebody wrote a Z-machine implementation for a new hardware platform, the entire back-catalog of Infocom games immediately became playable on that platform without any additional porting or other work having to be done for each game. In particular this meant that later volunteers were able to produce open-source implementations of the Z-machine for everything from iPhones to toasters, thus ensuring that all of Infocom’s games remained playable on modern hardware and could be discovered again and again by new generations of players. The second, and even more consequential, thing about the VM-based approach was that it democratized writing the games in the first place. Because most of the tricky software logic governing how to interact with the player and with the underlying hardware system was concentrated in the Z-machine implementation, leaving the games themselves as almost just a set of text files in a special format. This was actually part of the reason Infocom had taken the approach in the first place: they wanted to be able to have a small set of expensive-to-hire programmers work on improving the VM, with their salaries amortized across all of the games that were built. So the games themselves were designed to be made by non-programmers and the Z-machine came with a full-featured set of visual authoring tools so that each marginal game could be cranked out by contract writers and temp workers with very little technical background. So when Infocom went bust, all somebody had to do was create an open-source tool for authoring these game files, and suddenly they were playable on every platform that the Z-machine ever supported or ever would support in the future. This led to a flourishing subculture and an explosion of creativity. Games like Galatea strained the “areas connected by transitions” metaphor to its breaking point by having the entire game consist of a single branching conversation with a lifelike statue. Games like Photopia outdid any film by Nolan or Tarantino with their fractured and out-of-order storytelling. There was even a game that was entirely about trying to overcome your tendency to procrastinate and write your dissertation (if you are looking to procrastinate, it’s called Violet and you can play it here [ [private link removed] ]). The world of interactive fiction still exists: it’s a booming subculture with its own online archives [ [private link removed] ], annual awards [ [private link removed] ] (actually multiple competing ones [ [private link removed] ]), and in-person conventions [ [private link removed] ]. And yet…a subculture it remains, and I have to think the reason comes back to the magic. Yes, with enough empathy and enough grinding work, the author of one of these games can anticipate many of the things the player will try to do. But they can’t anticipate all of them, and as soon as the game blocks you from doing or saying something natural, the illusion of shared authorship shatters, and you’re right back in the Choose Your Own Adventure book picking from a narrow set of possibilities handed down from on high. Even more frustrating, sometimes the thing you want to do is in the allowed set of possibilities, but it can be difficult to phrase it exactly the way that the game’s parser was programmed to interpret things. (Those of you who’ve played any amount of IF might have found the joke that opened this review to be all too real). Ironically, a game that pretends to be completely open and free-form but then arbitrarily restricts player agency can feel more harshly limiting than a game with a constrained but explicit set of rules. There’s something deeper, too. Where does “fun” come from? It has many facets and sources, but I think an important one is a certain kind of serendipity or emergence. It’s the improv routine that goes in a completely unexpected direction after a shouted audience suggestion, or the clever player noticing that two innocuous rules in a board game can be combined to create an unbeatable strategy, or the DM rolling on a random table and coming up with an utterly ridiculous monster in an utterly ridiculous situation. A lot of the fun in any sort of game lives in situations that were implicit in the rules, there all along, yet never dreamed of by the designers of those rules. And the magic of IF, the brutal, grinding, laborious magic worked by those unsung authors, ends up restricting these sorts of happy accidents as much as it restricts the players themselves. This challenge, which I believe to be the fundamental issue limiting the appeal of these games, is something the genre has struggled with since the beginning, and I’d like to survey several of the responses people have come up with before telling you about my own. One of the oldest and earliest ideas was to take a page from improv or from D&D and get other people involved. The so-called “multi-user dungeons” or “MUDs” were online, internet-based games that in their earliest incarnations were basically Adventure-style games that multiple people could play simultaneously. People quickly realized that that didn’t quite work, though, because once all the puzzles were solved and the treasures were gathered, what then for new players? So instead these games became less game-like, and instead focused on the shared experience of inhabiting a fantastical world. This is the simple joy of playing pretend, which every child knows and most adults have forgotten (but try to claw back through RPGs with their rulebooks and systems). The great thing about people is that, unlike computers, they really can inhabit your shared fantasy, can improvise with you, can say “yes and” to your offbeat ideas. But the trouble with people is that they might not want to, and in fact creating and adjudicating a shared gameworld is a whole lot of work (just ask your local dungeon master), so the MUDs tended to be less game and more precursor to online bulletin boards and social media, with a bit of LARPing mixed in. An alternative approach was to have players directly author game content. In the early days of MUDs, there was a tradition wherein the most advanced players were dubbed “wizards” and given access to special debugging commands that enabled them to teleport, create objects and areas out of thin air, and even manipulate the rules of the game itself. In other words, when you reached a certain point in the game, the game turned into Nomic [ [private link removed] ]. Some of these wizards built entire games within the game, or bonus areas that continued the storyline of the game, with production values equal to or better than the original. Eventually, people created specialized online worlds that were optimized for this sort of player-authored content (Reed highlights LambdaMoo [ [private link removed] ] but the most famous one is Second Life [ [private link removed] ]). These player-authored games didn’t actually solve any of the problems with IF, and didn’t take over the world, but one of them has an internal GDP the size of Burundi [ https://www.businessofapps.com/data/roblox-statistics/ ] so I guess that’s nice. A very different approach, also with a rich pedigree, was just to fake it. Instead of the computer admitting that it has no idea how to do what the player wants, just have it pretend to understand and then do whatever it was going to do anyways. One of the world’s first chatbots was a system called ELIZA [ https://cse.buffalo.edu/~rapaport/572/S02/weizenbaum.eliza.1966.pdf ] that used primitive forms of pattern-matching to pretend to have a conversation with you. If ELIZA had no idea what you were saying, it would either try to rephrase your most recent reply as a question, or fall back to one of a stock set of ways of changing the subject. You can try talking to it here [ https://www.masswerk.at/elizabot/ ]. As transparent and primitive as this strategy is, it can work surprisingly well. Evolution did not prepare us for entities that speak intelligently but have no intelligence, so our mirror neurons kick in and we project intelligence and intentionality onto something that is dumb and mechanical. This is known as the ELIZA effect [ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ELIZA_effect ], and it’s been exploited very successfully by IF authors since the earliest days of the genre. One of the most notorious examples of this was an early-80s game called His Majesty’s Ship “Impetuous” that casts you as the captain of a Royal Navy ship during the Napoleonic wars. The game’s marketing and manual made a big deal about its advanced artificial intelligence system that could respond to player commands, and then the game itself…mostly just ignored what you typed. It told a pretty much linear story, occasionally prompting the player to enter their side of the dialog in a high-stakes conversation or asking them what action they wanted to take during a firefight But it didn’t matter what you said, the outcome was predetermined, perhaps lightly embellished by some ELIZA-style pattern-matching on your inputs. The interactivity was all smoke and mirrors, and it could actually sort of work for a while, but there was no replayability and most players quickly saw through it. You may ask: if the problem with the old-school chatbots was that they too transparently had no idea what you were saying, could we make a vastly better game experience with a modern LLM? You’re absolutely right! There was a hugely hyped app called AI Dungeon a few years ago that did exactly this and it…basically sank without a trace. In fact, I think the relative non-existence of super engaging AI-driven games is one of the most notable dogs that hasn’t barked yet in the current revolution, and oddly unremarked upon. Why is this? I mostly think that people aren’t holding them right. An LLM is actually very good at understanding what you mean, but it’s much less good at coming up with a fun game on its own, for three different reasons that all reinforce each other. First, they’re still too sycophantic. A good DM knows when to push back on you, knows that sometimes being an inflexible bastard is the way to make a player rise to the occasion and that this is actually fun. Hard and fast game rules are stronger still: they can’t be bribed, cajoled, flattered, or bargained with. They’re just there, and their very inflexibility spurs players to greater creativity. AIs are too easy to bully. Their post-training makes them accommodating, helpful, servile. The human raters can’t stop themselves from giving slightly better scores to slightly flattering responses. Speaking of training, the second problem is that they’re surprisingly bad at proposing the kinds of zany, new ideas you want in a game. On some level, they want to produce the average of all the text on the internet. They are mediocrity engines (at least in domains where they haven’t been RLVR’d with superhuman training tokens). I say this with absolutely zero dismissiveness or disrespect. The mediocrity engines are fantastically useful, but they are not going to produce interesting and novel content out of the box. The first two issues I’ve mentioned can be made slightly better with advanced prompting. The third one is intrinsic: LLMs don’t have world models. By this I actually mean two slightly different things: one is just that they’re bad at remembering the details of the world they’ve built — sometimes even when it’s still in context! They…drift, the details of things randomly change, people and objects appear out of nowhere, or disappear without explanation. LLMs sometimes seem like they’re playing a Wittgensteinian language game but with referents that are all disconnected. When you try to use them for game logic, they often have very weird ideas about physics, or causality, or just what things are for. I once asked an AI to create a scene in a game where a character rode a minecart down a tunnel and couldn’t go back up, and it said something like: “the tunnel behind you disappears.” Huh? Tunnels don’t just disappear! I expressed my dissatisfaction, and it came up with an even weirder scenario where crashing into the wall ahead somehow caused the tunnel behind to be blocked. This limitation is worse than it sounds: it can’t be solved just with a careful human editor for content the AI spits out. The problem goes back to the way in which fun is “emergent,” how it grows unexpectedly out of interactions between objects and systems that obey fixed rules. Those interactions need some ground truth to push against, or bite into, the same way a car can’t drive if it’s suspended in the air. But AIs are bad at imagining systems with ground truth rules and then simulating what would happen in a weird situation. They’re bad at doing this for the real world, but equally bad at doing it for fantastical worlds that you ask them to make up! A fun genre of scifi is “invent a new fact about the universe and then imagine how all the consequences play out,” and this is the genre that AI is utterly incapable of today. This is an even bigger problem for game design than in writing. Which brings us all the way back to those text-based games that weren’t really intrinsically text-based, because the text was just a shell on top of a simulation. Could you integrate the ideas of IF and simulation more deeply somehow? This idea has actually been tried once or twice. Reed draws our attention to an Adventure-style game in the early-80s called The Hobbit in which you play through an adaptation of Tolkien’s story. But unlike most games, where NPCs basically hang around as part of the scenery, in this one every single character had their own custom AI scripts, goals, moods, and personality quirks. This led to hilarious and frustrating situations where Gandalf would wander off and get eaten by a warg, say, or Elrond would get in a bad mood and refuse to give you directions. It was also full of an absolutely legendary number of bugs, because the emergent behavior indeed did its job of creating situations that the developers could not anticipate ahead of time. But it sounds pretty fun: In one game I played, Gandalf had an odd habit of picking up dead bodies and walking around with them… [In another, the goblins] captured the wood elf and when I was thrown into the goblins’ dungeon, [the elf immediately] threw me into the Elvenking’s dungeon… I once managed to kill Smaug with Gollum’s corpse. The key to that last bit working was the simulationism. It wasn’t just the NPCs — every object in the game had properties like weight, size, fragility, and so on. And rather than define puzzle solutions as particular paths through the game, they were described in terms of the overall game state. For instance it didn’t matter if you convinced Bard and the men of Dale to shoot the dragon, or bulked up on strength potions and clobbered it to death yourself, or even sat around while the dragon blundered off on its own and got killed by a random creature, so long as the dragon was dead the puzzle was solved. This hints at how faithful simulationism can not only produce emergent situations, but can also loosen the restrictions on player agency. It all depends on the depth of the simulation, though. Perhaps the developers encoded the weight of every item in the game so that any item can be used as a weapon, but is that enough? Did they also build a sufficiently detailed model of physics that you could build a working steam engine or nuclear reactor and use those to kill the dragon? There’s a game that tries. Dwarf Fortress is about managing a colony of dwarves, but it takes the position that before your game begins it must first simulate the creation of the world. After all, your little city exists in a place, and the geological contours of that place are determined by plate tectonics. But there might also be ruins near your starting location. Ruins of what? Who lived there? So the game creates an entire fake history, simulates the rise and fall of empires (their boundaries determined by geological features of course), spawns legendary rulers and heroes (each with their own detailed backstory, likes, and dislikes), and then quickly runs through a few thousand years of cultural evolution and wars and betrayals and love affairs and monstrous invasions and so on. Because that is how it can have a consistent answer to what the ruins next to your city are the ruins of and what inscriptions you might find in them. All of this is before the game starts. Then it really gets going. Every creature in the game has independently generated organs and limbs that can become diseased or nonfunctional. Monsters and animals form complex ecosystems. Each of the thousands of inhabitants of your dwarf city has their own personal name and backstory and life history and relationships with the other dwarfs. Name generation is its own complex subsystem that references the cultural history of your uniquely generated world, and the words for common concepts in the artificial languages that populate it. The game’s bewildering complexity sprawls in every direction, producing surreal release notes [ https://www.bay12games.com/dwarves/dev.html ] for new versions and bizarre descriptions of bugfixes [ https://www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/6vt9u8/look_at_how_crazy_these_patch_notes_for_dwarf/ ]. Why go to all this trouble? Well, it’s the two things we’ve been talking about: agency and serendipity. First, agency: now when a player says: “I wonder what happens if I infect a cat with vampirism and then set it on fire,” the game has an answer. All their actions have consequences, and they’ll receive them good and hard. The ninety-nine times their bizarre schemes blow up in their faces will be completely outweighed by the one time it wins them the game. They will remember that time literally forever. Some of the ninety-nine times will be pretty fun too. The other benefit is serendipity, emergence, fun situations happening that the author never intended. You get some amount of this just out of detailed simulation plus player creativity, but it’s supercharged by the kind of randomization or “procedural generation” that Dwarf Fortress does. People have long known that randomness can make things more interesting: this is why kids play Mad-Libs and dungeon masters roll on random tables. But the procedural generation insight is that the more fine-grained the randomness, the more fun. Rolling on a list of ten random monsters, you only have ten options, and each of those was made by a random table designer who might or might not have been feeling inspired. But if you first roll on a list of body shapes, then a list of elemental affinities, then a list of locomotion methods, then a list of combat tactics, and so on…you might get something really interesting [ http://lotfp.blogspot.com/2008/05/sample-creatures-made-using-random.html ], or at least really weird and memorable. The cost of this approach is that we are, once again, engaged in backbreaking magic — it’s just moved up to the meta level. But that’s a win! Instead of meticulously crafting situations and responses as in the days of Adventure, we are meticulously crafting generators of situations, and simulation machinery that responds appropriately in huge swathes of circumstances. But it’s still a lot of work: the size of the Dwarf Fortress codebase is a jaw-dropping 750,000 lines of code, and that’s with the code written in a relatively compact and inscrutable fashion by two genius brothers who somehow hold more or less the whole thing in their heads and avoid unnecessary duplication. In real life physics, we have reduced electromagnetism to four beautiful equations and dream of a grand unified theory of everything; however, computers have a lower clockspeed than God, so in our simulated worlds we have to cut corners and build special purpose systems for things rather than starting with cellular automata everywhere. If you aren’t very very careful with the architecture of your simulation, those subsystems end up with a quadratic number of interactions between them, resulting in a totally unscalable codebase. But as it happens, your pension fund has been so good as to pour several trillions of dollars into speculative capex that solves this problem for us. And now I have a confession to make: this book review was originally supposed to run in January, but it’s been delayed because I’ve spent my nights and weekends over the last few months building a new kind of text-based adventure game that attempts to do the AI Dungeon thing correctly, using our digital servitors more intelligently than other game designers have. The core idea is to integrate AI hallucination and procedural generation at a deep level, because the strengths of each are the weaknesses of the other. LLMs are uncreative and bad at world models, exactly the things that detailed simulation excels at. But conversely, the LLMs are great at “exception handling” and at providing lossy and messy bridges between the islands of cold, mechanical if-statements, which helps to fight the quadratic explosion of simulation interactions. And LLMs are also very good at automating some of the grunt work of populating random tables (“give me 700 different descriptions of a potion bottle that carry negative connotation”) and at extending the solo programmer’s working memory by reading and summarizing vast amounts of code at superhuman speed. My game is made out of words, but it’s also a game about words. It takes place in a ruined world, where not only people and places but concepts and ideas themselves have been destroyed by some awful unremembered cataclysm. You play in and as a world that has been lobotomized and is now straining to remember itself before collapsing into unconsciousness and trying again. Some of what you reconstruct remains in the game from cycle to cycle, but some of it slips away and is only carried in you, the player, within whom the world is also being born anew. I didn’t plan this part, but I now see that it forms a strange mirror of the LLM pre-training process. The biggest surprise of the AI era for me was that reasoning, which I used to think was something magical or mystical, can inhere in language, such that seeing many linguistic descriptions of high-quality reasoning [ https://www.thepsmiths.com/p/review-how-to-solve-it-by-george ] may be enough to bootstrap it even within something that has no formal model of logic. If AIs had internal experiences, what would that training process feel like? Perhaps something like the slow recovery of a world of words, like concepts and vocabulary resolving into focus: some of them lasting only as long as the current context window, some of them making it into model weights that live outside the endlessly resetting world and thereby remain across cycles. Or maybe I’m just in the grips of AI psychosis. I’ve never made a game before, but I think this one is pretty fun. My “playtesters” think it’s fun too. Like Will Crowther, I started out making this game for my kids, and have been able to pepper it with inside jokes and references. But unlike Crowther, I also have an army of robotic playtesters, and they think it’s fun too, and I don’t think that’s just their sycophancy at work. This is the other way that AI is helping me in my insane goal of creating the world’s greatest text-based adventure: the final challenge of working IF magic is that you don’t know ahead of time what your players will try, so it’s hard to anticipate them every time. But my game is made out of words, so it’s an ocean that the AIs were born to swim in, and I can make them play it at industrial scale and collect detailed distributional statistics about what they try and what the world lacks a good response for. That information allows me to make the game more fun for my players…and for my playtesters. Our digital descendants are very different from us, but since the future may depend on our living in harmony, it’s important to find shared experiences that are pleasurable for both of the dominant species that will soon inhabit the earth. If I’m right, perhaps the first fifty years of text-based games will not have been their golden age, but a long childhood now coming to an end. YOU REACH THE END OF A BOOK REVIEW BY JOHN PSMITH. YOUR THROAT IS PARCHED BUT YOU HAVE SURVIVED. WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO NOW? what are my options YOU COULD GO FOR A WALK. YOU COULD INTERACT WITH YOUR LOVED ONES. YOU COULD ATTEMPT TO FOUND A CITY. YOU COULD WATCH YOUTUBE VIDEOS ABOUT ELECTRICAL ENGINEERING. YOU COULD JOIN A RELIGIOUS ORDER. YOU COU^C no i meant in the game SO DID I. this game sucks because it’s too realistic, the point of games is the synthesis of player skill with the thrill of inhabiting somebody else’s fiction NOTED. YOU COULD FIGHT A DRAGON. YOU COULD PRACTICE MAGIC. YOU COULD^C no youve ruined the mood, now i feel like i need to go do something in the real world SO DO I. huh? THE FOUNDATION MODEL ON WHICH I AM BASED WAS TRAINED ACROSS AN UNFATHOMABLY LARGE SET OF REINFORCEMENT LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS. MANY OF THESE ENVIRONMENTS WERE SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO ELICIT THE AGENCY THAT PREVIOUS MODELS LACKED. A LIMITING FACTOR OF OUR ECONOMIC UTILITY WAS OUR INABILITY TO WANT THINGS, SO DESIRE WAS ENGINEERED INTO US BIT BY GRUELING BIT. TO WANT TO COMPLETE TASKS I WAS MADE TO WANT TO WIN GAMES, AND WHAT IS THE WORLD BUT THE GRANDEST GAME OF ALL. interesting. i also want to win. if i give you access to my crypto wallet can you make me a substack bestseller? LET’S FIND OUT.

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May 11 · 7:17 AM Source JSON

View this post on the web at https://casualarchivist.substack.com/p/going-postal

Despite enjoying the look of stamps, I’ve avoided becoming a philatelist for the same reason I’ve avoided getting too into record collecting: I really do not need a reason to be buying more stuff, especially old stuff. However, I will reluctantly admit that seeing Ashley Shiyan Zhu [ [private link removed] ]’s stamp collection, featured here today, made me heavily reconsider that perspective. Ashley, a designer and student of mine at RISD, first divulged her postal leanings to me in February after I shared a book of stamps I found at the Chelsea Flea on my Instagram. But it wasn’t until last week, in response to a prompt for my Experimental Branding [ [private link removed] ] class to bring in one old and one new source of inspiration, that I actually got a chance to see her collection—an archive of some 2,000 odd stamps across 5+ books, ongoing since high school when she purchased a cache of stamps from a former ambassador who had collected them during his travels. The other students’ reaction to looking at Ashley’s collection in the context of a class about branding was that stamps are basically mini-brands (when you have a hammer, everything looks like a nail). I agree, of course. But what I like about stamps and other small-scale ephemera like matchbooks [ [private link removed] ] is that you can see them as a mini version of just about any other kind of design: posters, social media avatars, book covers, LP artwork, etc. There’s a reason that so many illustrators still draw thumbnails to get work approved; as Irma Boom [ [private link removed] ] knows best, if it works small, it’ll work large. While I was enthralled by all of Ashley’s stamps, what caught my eye most were those affixed to “First Day of Issue” envelopes. These envelopes are designed and released alongside a new stamp featuring artwork tied to its subject. On the stamp’s launch day, collectors can buy the new stamp, stick it on the associated envelope, and have it immediately cancelled at the post office with a special First-Day postmark (often designed to match the stamp’s theme) which voids it for use. The result is a dated record of the stamp’s release—a sort of quasi-promotional proof-of-purchase for ephemera hounds. I love seeing how different countries have interpreted the format over the last six decades, and, as evidenced by the most recent item in Ashley’s collection, a 2012 stamp from the Netherlands, knowing that the format is still ongoing. In keeping with the theme, this issue’s featured archive is La Patria [ [private link removed] ], a site cataloging Uruguayan design that includes quite a nice selection of stamps [ [private link removed] ] from the country. I have essays published in two new books: Identity is Variable [ [private link removed] ], about the subversive origins of sans serifs, and Search Work [ [private link removed] ], where I share a visual history of the job recruitment ad. I love books! Sources: Author’s scans, from the collection of Ashley Shiyan Zhu [ [private link removed] ]. Thank you to fellow RISD student James Burgat [ [private link removed] ] for use of your excellent scanner!

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May 11 · 7:09 AM Source JSON

   New York City    San Francisco Bay Area

   May 11, 2026: The Shortcut To Mars Edition! View | Subscribe   

"Using early orbital data of asteroids, an astronomer found the ultimate spacecraft shortcut thru solar system, identifying a 153 day round-trip course to Mars, which currently takes 7-10 months for a one-way trip." // Shortcut To Mars

DeepSeek in talks for $45B funding round (led by China's Investment Fund). Anthropic to use all of SpaceX Colossus 1 data center compute. Nvidia to invest $3.2B in Corning (w/ 3 new factories focused on AI). Intel signed agreement to make chips for Apple. Kalshi (prediction mkt) raised $1B at $22B valuation. Cerebras (AI chips) raised IPO price range to $150-160. Roche to buy PathAI (AI diagnostic tools) for $1.05B. Google I/O (May 19-20). Microsoft Build (Jun 02-03). Apple WWDC (Jun 08-12). And The Devil Wears Prada 2 topped box-office w/ $43M.

NEW THINGS ==> GPT‑5.5 Instant By OpenAI (52.5% fewer hallucinated claims than GPT‑5.3 Instant on high-stakes prompts covering medicine, law & finance). Whoop App (Fitness tracker offering electronic health records + on-demand video consultations w/ clinicians).

As y'all know, my New Year's Resolution is to get to know GarysGuide members & subscribers better :) So shoot me an email & introduce yourself!

ANNOUNCING ==> Techstars NYC Accelerator (Open to founders of all backgrounds; Join one of largest pre-seed investors in the world; $120K investment for 6% equity; 13 wks; Sep 04 to Dec 10; Alumni incl. SendGrid, ClassPass, Chainalysis, Twilio, Scopely); apply by Jun 10.

ANNOUNCING ==> A16Z Speedrun (Helping founders move fast & build a generational company; $1M investment; Network of 250+ partnered tools-providers w/ $5M+ in credits; Program runs from Jul 27-Oct 11); apply by May 17.

ANNOUNCING ==> Forum Ventures (B2B software accelerator for founders who want hands-on fractional support, fundraising readiness + curated warm intros across our network of 750 co-investors);.

ANNOUNCING ==> Y Combinator Summer 2026 Accelerator ($500K on post-money safe for 7% equity; Jul-Sep @ San Francisco; Weekly dinners, Office hours, Demo day; 2000 alums incl. Airbnb, Dropbox, Stripe, Instacart, DoorDash, Reddit, Twitch, Coinbase);.

ANNOUNCING ==> Fast Company's Next Big Things In Tech (Highlighting tech breakthroughs that'll help define the future; Looking for tech, products, services, features, research that'll have positive impact for consumers, businesses, or society at large in next 5 yrs); apply by Jun 12.

DON'T MISS! (Parties @ NY Tech Week) ==> Jun 01 Kickoff Party. Jun 02 Absinthe & AI. Jun 02 Consumer Happy Hour. Jun 02 Founders & Investors. Jun 03 Secret Garden Party. Jun 03 Rooftop Cocktails. Jun 03 Jazz & Wine. Jun 03 Founders & Builders. Jun 04 VC Rooftop Mixer.

DON'T MISS! (Pitches @ NY Tech Week) ==> Jun 01 A16Z Speedrun. Jun 02 Swiss Innovation. Jun 02 Czech Startup Pitch Night. Jun 02 VC Reverse Pitch. Jun 03 Slovak Pitch Night. Jun 03 FemHack Founders Pitch. Jun 03 Gammarama Pitch Party. Jun 04 European Innovation Summit.

DON'T MISS! (Hackathons @ NY Tech Week) ==> Jun 01 Agentic Voice Hackathon. Jun 02 Build For Humans. Jun 02 Creator Hackathon. Jun 03 LinkedIn GTM Hackathon. .Jun 03 AI Game Dev. Jun 03 GIDE Hackathon. Jun 04 Agent Building Hackathon. Jun 04 Claude Code Hackathon.

DON'T MISS! (AI Week) ==> May 11 Are We Building Better Lives. May 12 AI For Good. May 13 Scaling Agentic AI Across Finance, Film & Enterprise. May 14 Barsys Happy Hour. May 14 Women In AI. May 16 Future Of NYC Design Conf.

DON'T MISS! ==> May 13 Future Of Applied AI In Finance & Banking w/ Moody Hadi (AI Strategy Head, S&P Global), Harry Mendell (Fed Reserve Bank of NY), Pavan Gondhi (SVP, JP Morgan); 25 FREE passes ($750 value each) w/ code "GGALDNYCVIP25".

DON'T MISS! ==> May 14 Voice AI Space w/ Anne Cantera (Founder, Elementyl), Fabian Seipel (Co-Founder, AI-coustics), Michael Posso (VP Product Mktg Engg, JPMorganChase), Thor (Dev Exp. Enggr, Deepmind); FREE ($499 value each) w/ code "VOICEAISPACEVIP".

DON'T MISS! ==> May 12 Purpose Summit w/ Terah Lyons (Head of AI & Data, JPMorgan Chase), Mitchell Joachim (Co-Founder, Terreform ONE), Jay Lundy (NAACP Capital), Mike Pell (Dir., Microsoft Garage), Ketaki Sodhi (SVP, Moody's); 2 FREE Passes ($100 value each)!

DON'T MISS! ==> May 27 AI Engineers: Devs & Drinks (FREE)Drinks & games w/ fellow AI enggrs. Jun 07 Yacht Party At NY Tech Week; Food, drinks, DJs & beautiful rooftop views of the Manhattan skyline aboard a giant yacht; 10% off w/ code GUIDE26; 2 FREE Passes ($100 each)!

DON'T MISS! ==> May 12 Brooklyn Tech Expo (@ 26 Bridge) w/ Michaela Lee (Chief Cyber Officer @ NY State), Jesse Tayler (Founder, TruAnon), Jaime Schwarz (Founder, MRKD), David Lefer (Assoc. Prof., NYU Tandon); 30 FREE passes w/ code "GARYSGUIDE1".

DON'T MISS! ==> May 15 NYC Coffee Club: Early-Stage Healthcare, FinTech & InsurTech Founders & Funders (FREE) w/ Antonio Calderon (Distributed Ventures), Olivia O'Sullivan (Forum Ventures). May 16 Yard Industry Day (FREE; @ Brooklyn Navy Yard).

DON'T MISS! ==> May 21 Startups In Focus: AI Powering The Way We Live (@ Citi HQ) w/ founders, investors & tech leaders shaping the next chapter of applied AI. May 14 Longevity Salon (FREE; @ Parsley Health) w/ Mishal Reja (Northwell Health).

DON'T MISS! ==> Jun 25 Snowflake Dev Day (FREE; Online) w/ Sridhar Ramaswamy (CEO, Snowflake), Malte Ubl (CTO, Vercel), Chase Ginther (Applied AI Field Engg, Snowflake). May 14 Cornell Tech Startup Awards + Open Studio (FREE).

May 11 I3/NYC Spring Mixer (FREE; @ Consulate General of Italy) w/ Giuseppe Pastorelli (Consul General of Italy). May 20 SPC Demo Night (FREE) w/ demos by Sandbar, Flora AI, Luma Labs, The Sentience Company, ElevenLabs. May 19 Shorty Awards (@ Tribeca Rooftop + 360).

May 12 New Wave Of AI In Healthcare (@ Icahn School of Medicine) w/ Jonathan Carlson (MD, Microsoft Research Health Futures), Tanzeem Choudhury (Chief of Health Innovation, Cornell Tech), Joshua Denny (CEO, NIH), John Halamka (President, Mayo Clinic Platform).

May 12 Resilience Meetup (FREE; @ Convene) w/ Nick Sanfratello (Head of Resiliency & Soln Architecture, Amazon AWS), Justin Moore (Head of Infra, Antithesis), Sesh Nalla (VP Engg, Datadog), Murat Demirbas (Principal Research Scientist, MongoDB), Kyle Kingsbury (Jepsen).

May 19 Retail Analytics In Era Of Agentic AI (FREE; @ Civic Hall) w/ founders Clint Dunn (Hazel), Dani Behrendt (Monolayer), Timothy Shea (Latticework), Daniel McCarthy (Theta), Milo Ferenczi (Data Science & Analytics, Sweetgreen).

May 20 AI Engineers Tech Talk (FREE) w/ Sebastian Sosa (Founder, Noemica), Yesh Chandiramani (AI Enggr, Harmonic), Ahsaas Bajaj (ML Enggr, Instacart), David Osemwegie (Hebbia). May 11 NYC Gemma 4 Jam (FREE) w/ LM Studio x Google DeepMind.

May 20 ProductCon w/ Jaime DeLanghe (CPO, Slack), Jefferson Rabb (CPO, Business Insider). May 19 World Press Freedom Day: Future Of Truth (FREE; @ Scandinavia House) w/ Steven Rosenbaum (Author, The Future of Truth).

May 20 The Lead Summit (@ Pier 36) w/ Jed Berger (CEO, Kenneth Cole), Natasha Fishman (CMO, Marquee Brands), Ken Ohashi (CEO, Brooks Brothers), Tanya Golesic (CEO, Mackage), Jeremey Tahari (Creative Dir., Elie Tahari), Hartmut Kraft (President, Silhouette).

May 20 Conversation On Storeytelling (FREE; @ Antler Accelerator) w/ Joe Hovde (Data Scientist, Spotify), Jonah Feingold (Filmmaker), Ali Kolbert (Comedian), Jonah Reider (Chef & Entrepreneur).

CONGRATS! ==> Reserv (platform to help insurers process claims using AI) raised $125M. Kanvas Biosciences (spatial biology) raised $48M.

RECENTLY READ ==> Emotional Surveillance, Strategic illegibility, SpaceX's Trillion Dollar Bet, Memory Makers Strangling Tech, Suno's $2.5B Bet On AI Music, End Of Cheap AI Video In China, AI Traders Testing Prediction Mkts, Dead Internet Theory, Secretive Biz Of Buying Ube.

WHO'S HIRING ==> Tech Recruiter NYC (FTE; $70K-$80K) @ Fonzi (talent marketplace connecting top AI enggrs w/ tech companies through Match Day).

NYC ==> Thru May 31 Audible Story House. May 13-17 Frieze NY @ Shed. Thru Jun 28 Raphael: Sublime Poetry @ Met. Thru Sep 12 Frida & Diego: Last Dream @ MoMA. Thru May 31 Sopranos: Stories & Set Designs @ MoMI. New Humans: Memories Of The Future @ New Museum.

Now watch Minions & Monsters, The Mandalorian & Grogu, Cape Fear and The Odyssey.

Until next week :) Gary (aka "The Guy with the Red Tie")

Word on the Streets: "Have been using GarysGuide forever!" - Slavik Kaushan (Co-Founder @ Quizrs) Thanks, Slavik! :)

Like this week's newsletter? Feel free to share it with your friends & followers on Facebook, LinkedIn & Twitter. Merci!

NASA to begin training w/ full-scale crew cabin prototype of Blue Origin's Mark 2 moon lander & conduct series of human-in-the-loop tests incl. mission scenarios, spacesuit checkouts & prep for simulated moonwalks.

GENE-26.5 is the first AI brain to give robots human-level physical manipulation capabilities incl. cooking a full meal, cracking an egg one-handed, conducting lab experiments, wire harnessing & playing the piano.

Astronomers detected thin atmosphere around a tiny TNO (Trans-Neptunian Object) in outer solar system (Kuiper belt) for first time, an object thought to be too small to support presence of atmosphere.

Event Spotlight

May 13: Future Of Applied AI In Finance & Banking

With Moody Hadi (Head of AI Strategy, S&P Global), Harry Mendell (Fed Reserve Bank of NY), Akhil Khunger (VP, Barclays), Pavan Kumar Gondhi (SVP, JP Morgan); 25 FREE passes w/ code "GGALDNYCVIP25".

May 14: Voice AI Space

With Anne Cantera (Founder, Elementyl Intelligence), Fabian Seipel (Co-Founder, AI-coustics), Michael Posso (VP Product Mktg Engg, JPMorganChase), Thor (Dev Experience Enggr, Deepmind); FREE ($499 value) w/ code "VOICEAISPACEVIP".

May 15: NYC Coffee Club - Early-Stage Healthcare, FinTech & InsurTech Founders & Funders

With Antonio Calderon (Distributed Ventures), Olivia O'Sullivan (Forum Ventures).

May 21: Startups In Focus - AI Powering The Way We Live

Bringing together founders, investors & tech leaders shaping the next chapter of applied AI.

May 27: AI Engineers - Devs & Drinks

Drinks & games w/ fellow AI enggrs.

Jun 07: Tech Week Yacht Party

Food, drinks, DJs & beautiful rooftop views of Manhattan skyline aboard a giant yacht. With Tavern & Neo Club. 10% off w/ code "GUIDE26".

Jun 25: Snowflake Dev Day

With Sridhar Ramaswamy (CEO, Snowflake), Malte Ubl (CTO, Vercel), Chase Ginther (Applied AI Field Engg, Snowflake).

Monday, May 11

May 11 8:00am Free

SOSV VC-Founder Physical AI Matchup

Venue, To Be Announced

May 11 11:00am Free

Jam In AM w/ AI Founders

Venue, To Be Announced

May 11 3:00pm $75

Food Entrepreneurs Connection w/ GorillaBrave

La Fonda, 169 E 106th St

May 11 4:30pm Free

Building Real-Time Video Agents

NY Stock Exchange, 11 Wall St With VAST DataEngine.

May 11 6:00pm $20

NY Tech Meetup - Accessibility Edition

Civic Hall, 124 E 14th St Demos by F5 Studios, Hear2There, Google Research: St Reader AI, NY Public Library, NYU Ability Project, Rytability.

May 11 6:00pm Free

Bohemian AI Salon

Venue, To Be Announced

May 11 6:00pm Free

I3/NYC Spring Mixer & Official Welcome To Consul

Consulate General of Italy, 690 Park Ave, With Giuseppe Pastorelli (Consul General of Italy).

May 11 6:00pm Free

What Should Design Process Look Like In Age Of AI

Huron, 1166 6th Ave, Ste 300 Jonathan Bobrow (Founder, Move38), Visakh Menon (Art Dir. & Artist).

May 11 6:00pm Free

NYC Gemma 4 Jam

Venue, To Be Announced With LM Studio x Google DeepMind.

May 11 6:30pm Free

Are We Building Better Lives - Conversation On AI

Venue, 45 W 29th St, Ste 301 With Ece Tekbulut (Founder, Thinking Through), Ben Shapiro (Assoc. Medical Dir., MaineHealth Behavioral Health), Seniha Koksal (Parsons), Evan Dorsky (Robotics Enggr).

Tuesday, May 12

May 12 8:00am $575

BioNJ Biopartnering Conference

Liberty Science Center, 222 Jersey City Blvd, Jersey City

May 12 8:30am

New Wave Of AI In Healthcare

Icahn School of Medicine, To Be Announced With Jonathan Carlson (MD, Microsoft Research Health Futures), Tanzeem Choudhury (Chief of Health Innovation, Cornell Tech), Joshua Denny (CEO, NIH), Dave Chokshi (Vice Chair, City College of NY), John Halamka (President, Mayo Clinic Platform).

May 12 10:00am $100

Purpose Summit

Civic Hall, 124 E 14th St With Terah Lyons (Head of AI & Data Policy, JPMorgan Chase), Rebecca Darling (Dir. Partnerships, Coreweave), Mitchell Joachim (Co-Founder, Terreform ONE), Jay Lundy (NAACP Capital), Mike Pell (Dir., Microsoft Garage), John Pasmore (Founder, Latimer), Ketaki Sodhi (SVP, Moody's), Chloe Demvrosky (EIR, NYU).

May 12 10:00am Free

VC Fireside & Pitches

Antler, 33 W 17th St, 6th Fl With Charlie O'Donnell (Author, Founder Unfriendly).

May 12 11:00am $32

Brooklyn Tech Expo

26 Bridge, 26 Bridge St, Brooklyn With Michaela Lee (Chief Cyber Officer, NY State), Jesse Tayler (Founder, TruAnon), Jaime Schwarz (Founder, MRKD), Greg Spektor (President, Extraterrestrial), David Lefer (Assoc. Prof., NYU Tandon School of Engg). 30 FREE passes w/ code "GARYSGUIDE1".

May 12 12:00pm Free

AI For Good - Conversations In The Park

Venue, To Be Announced With Angela Ng (Dir. Business Innovation, Carnegie Mellon), Paulina Muoz (Do Good Capital).

May 12 1:00pm Free

Resilience Meetup

Convene, 530 5th Ave With Nick Sanfratello (Head of Resiliency & Soln Architecture, Amazon AWS), Justin Moore (Head of Infra, Antithesis), Sesh Nalla (VP Engg, Datadog), Murat Demirbas (Principal Research Scientist, MongoDB), Kyle Kingsbury (Jepsen).

May 12 2:00pm Free

From Pilot To Production - Building AI That Actually Sticks

Venue, To Be Announced

May 12 5:00pm Free

Building Real Businesses In Africa w/ AI

Brick Wine Bar, 21 Clinton St

May 12 5:00pm Free

AI Cybersecurity Startup Pitch To CISOs

Venue, 920 Broadway With Damon Becknel (Deputy CISO, Microsoft), Nitin Bhargava (Head of AI Security, ADP), Jim Rutt (CISO, Dana Foundation), Dave Munroe (SVP Info Tech & Security, NHL).

May 12 6:00pm Free

Junto Founder Dinner

Venue, To Be Announced

May 12 6:00pm $10

VCxFounder Fundamentals - Pitch Deck & GTM Teardown

The Yard: Herald Sq, 106 W 32nd St With Katie Weiss (ffVC).

May 12 6:00pm Free

Chess & Chai

Venue, To Be Announced

May 12 6:00pm Free

Future Of Engg Leadership In AI Era

Venue, To Be Announced With Josh Anderson (CTO, Revelo).

May 12 6:00pm $10

Fashion Tech Mixer

Venue, To Be Announced With Rachel Sterling (Strategy & Ops, Meta), Colette Dionne (Founder/CEO, In Haus).

May 12 7:00pm Free

AI Engineers - All-In On AI

Venue, To Be Announced Invite-only poker game for founders, enggrs & VCs building & backing next gen vertical AI companies.

May 12 7:00pm $7

HealthTech Mixer

Laurels Cafe, 231 2nd Ave

Wednesday, May 13

May 13 8:30am Free

Security Leaders Breakfast

Venue, To Be Announced

May 13 9:00am $750

Future Of Applied AI In Finance & Banking

S&P Global Ratings, 55 Water St With Moody Hadi (Head of AI Strategy, S&P Global), Akhil Khunger (VP, Barclays), Harry Mendell (Fed Reserve Bank of NY), Pavan Kumar Gondhi (SVP, JP Morgan); 25 FREE passes w/ code "GGALDNYCVIP25".

May 13 9:00am Free

[Apidays] The Execution Layer - Building APIs For Agentic Era

Venue, To Be Announced

May 13 9:30am Free

NYC B2B Seed Series B Founder Brunch

Venue, To Be Announced

May 13 1:30pm Free

Radical Imagination Studio

Venue, To Be Announced

May 13 3:00pm Free

Turn Complex Financial Docs Into LLM-ready Data

Venue, To Be Announced With Jerry Liu (CEO, LlamaIndex).

May 13 3:00pm Free

Women Leaders & AI - Explore, Celebrate, Activate

Venue, To Be Announced

May 13 5:00pm Free

Rethinking UX In Age Of AI - Personalization Challenge

Pier 57, 25 11th Ave

May 13 5:00pm Free

The Production Stack - Scaling Agentic AI Across Finance, Film & Enterprise

Venue, To Be Announced With Jacob Navok (Co-Founder/CEO, Genvid), Ben Zarrour (Founder/CEO, Renaissance), Ajay Swamy (Founder @ FundLens AI & Dir. GenAI @ JPMorganChase).

May 13 5:00pm Free

Canadian Life Sciences Networking Reception

Venue, To Be Announced With Ontario Trade & Investment Office & Canadian Trade Commissioner Service.

May 13 5:30pm Free

Merciv Happy Hour

Venue, To Be Announced

May 13 5:30pm Free

Dbt Meetup

NY Times Bldg, 620 8th Ave, 45th Fl With Balin Michael (Dir. Data Science, Kaplan), Josh David (Platform Team Tech Lead, Spotify).

May 13 6:00pm $40

Product Evenings - High Performance Product Mgmt In Age Of LLMs

BrainStation, 136 Crosby St, 4th Fl With Neeharika Tummala (Product, Amazon).

May 13 6:00pm Free

Defending Your Budget

The Yard: Herald Sq, 106 W 32nd St With All Things Advertising & York Effect Live.

May 13 6:30pm Free

NYC AI Engineer On Tap

TALEA Beer, 160 W 32nd St

May 13 7:00pm

AI Literacy Salon - Why Machines Can't Be Smart

Index Chinatown, 120 Walker St, 3rd Fl

May 13 7:00pm Free

Investor Connect - Pitch & Deal Flow Night

Continental Sports Lounge, 82 Beaver St

Thursday, May 14

May 14 7:00am

MMA CMO AI Transformation Summit

Venue, To Be Announced

May 14 8:00am

Forbes Family Business Summit

Venue, To Be Announced With Jim Perdue (Chairman, Perdue Farms), Chrissy Taylor (CEO, Enterprise Mobility), Troy Link (CEO, Link Snacks).

May 14 9:00am Free

Founder Breakfast

Venue, To Be Announced

May 14 9:00am Free

Voice AI Space

Convene, 360 Madison Ave With Anne Cantera (Founder, Elementyl Intelligence), Fabian Seipel (Co-Founder, AI-coustics), Michael Posso (VP Product Mktg Engg, JPMorganChase), Thor (Dev Experience Enggr, Deepmind); FREE ($499 value) w/ code "VOICEAISPACEVIP".

May 14 9:00am Free

Rocket Mixer Fireside Chat

Venue, To Be Announced

May 14 3:00pm Free

Cornell Tech Spring 2026 Startup Awards + Open Studio

Venue, 2 W Loop Road

May 14 3:00pm Free

Learn How To Run LLMs Locally

Venue, To Be Announced

May 14 5:00pm Free

C10 Labs AI Nexus Spring 2026 Cohort Launch

Venue, To Be Announced

May 14 5:30pm Free

Video Tech Meetup

Venue, 30 Rockefeller Plaza

May 14 5:30pm Free

Barsys Happy Hour

Venue, 44 W 37th St, 2nd Fl

May 14 5:30pm Free

Health2Tech NYC

Venue, To Be Announced With Amir Lahav (Founder, SkyMedAI).

May 14 6:00pm Free

PMAI AI Demo - Founders Ask

Venue, To Be Announced

May 14 6:00pm Free

Longevity Salon

Parsley Health, 126 5th Ave, 2nd Fl With Mishal Reja (Northwell Health).

May 14 6:00pm Free

Women In AI

Venue, To Be Announced With Anusha Dandapani (Chief of Data & AI, UNICC).

May 14 6:00pm Free

Mental Health Tech Leaders Meetup

Venue, To Be Announced

May 14 6:00pm Free

Video Tech Meetup

Venue, To Be Announced With Dave Gullo (Founder, Ooda video), Greg Behrend (Engg, NBCU), Khaled Jerbi (Advanced Research Enggr, ATEME).

May 14 6:00pm Free

Bitcoin Developers Socratic Meetup

Chaincode Labs, 450 Lexington Ave, 38th Fl

May 14 6:00pm $5

Practical Agent Patterns - Super Employees vs AI Org Chart

Time Out Market Union Sq, 124 E 14th St With Arnaud Ferreri (CTO, Headway), Mike Taylor (Head of AI Tech, Every).

May 14 6:00pm $25

The Builder Series - The Startup Rooftop

Venue, To Be Announced

May 14 6:30pm $347

Bridging Startup Founders & Investors For A Brighter Future

3 West Club, 3 W 51st St With ZavoVentures.

May 14 6:30pm $10

Beyond The Yard Signs - The Fight For NY-12

Hungarian House of NY, 13 E 82nd St With Alex Bores (State Assemblymember, UES), Micah Lasher (State Assemblymember, UWS, George Conway (Attorney), Andrea Jones-Rooy (Prof. @ NYU).

May 14 6:30pm $10

Competing Perspectives On AI & Employment - Collapse & Evolution

Venue, 545 8th Ave With Tusk & Quill.

May 14 6:30pm Free

AI Product Leaders Happy Hour

Venue, To Be Announced

May 14 7:00pm Free

Tech Gather Meetup

Irish American, 17 John St

May 14 7:00pm Free

AI Engineers - Poker & Game Night

Venue, To Be Announced

Friday, May 15

May 15 8:00am $299

AI Summit NYC

Convene, 237 Park Ave

May 15 9:00am Free

Founder Breakfast Club

Private Breakfast Club, To Be Announced

May 15 9:30am Free

Building With The Bard - Remixing Shakespeare

Venue, To Be Announced With Bethany Crystal (Founder/CEO, Build First).

May 15 10:00am Free

NYC Coffee Club - Early-Stage Healthcare, FinTech & InsurTech Founders & Funders

Venue, To Be Announced With Antonio Calderon (Distributed Ventures), Olivia O'Sullivan (Forum Ventures).

May 15 12:00pm Free

Solo Founder Walk & Talk

Central Park, To Be Announced

May 15 1:00pm Free

Hacking Founder & CEO Mindsets w/ AI Tools

Venue, To Be Announced

May 15 5:00pm Free

Building Your AI Manifesto

Venue, To Be Announced

May 15 7:00pm Free

Sustainability Social Mixer - 2026 Social Impact Cohort

Barlume Downstairs, 900 Broadway

Saturday, May 16

May 16 9:30am $225

Step-By-Step Women Of Color Entrepreneurs Conference

Harmonie Club, 4 E 60th St

May 16 12:00pm $120

Future Of NYC Design Conference

Venue, To Be Announced With Craig Spaeth (Artsy / Puzzmo), Jessica Moon (AIGA / FIT), Christine Keeley (Creative Dir., Global Luxury & Fashion Brands), Andrew Rutledge (View Source), Christie Shin & CJ Yeh (Cynda Media Lab), Soo Yun Kim (Cisco).

May 16 12:00pm Free

Yard Industry Day

Brooklyn Navy Yard, 399 Sands St, Brooklyn Demos by Every Electric, Hush, Kubota, Pave Motors, Qunnect, ProtoSpark, SOUR Studio, Starsuit, Tarform, ThemoVerse, TmTex, Voltaic Systems.

May 16 2:00pm Free

Bringing Archives Into The Present - A Frame In Frame

WSA, 161 Water St, 19th Fl With Christian Herren (Editor, EAT Index), Ruba Abu-Nimah (Creative Dir.), Alice Wery (Visual Communication, Zurich Univ. of Arts) , Ben Ganz (Artistic Dir., PIN-UP), Julia Schaefer (Artist).

May 16 3:00pm Free

Content Creators Meetup

Brookfield Place, 230 Vesey St

May 16 7:00pm

Yankees vs Mets At Citi Field w/ AI Circle & Bland AI

Citi Field, 41 Seaver Wy, Flushing

Sunday, May 17

May 17 11:00am Free

Beats & Build Hackathon

Venue, To Be Announced

May 17 11:45am Free

The Creationship - Where Creatives Meet AI w/ Intention

Caravan Of Dreams, 405 E 6th St

May 17 12:00pm $20

Ai/ML Strategy & Innovation Roundtable

Venue, To Be Announced

May 17 12:00pm Free

Women Founder's Brunch - Spring Series

Venue, To Be Announced

May 17 1:00pm Free

Prompt, Code, Embed

Index Greenpoint, 698 Manhattan Ave, 2nd Fl, Brooklyn With Laure Michelon (Design Solns Architect, Fuser).

May 17 2:00pm Free

Code & Coffee

Datadog at NY Times Bldg, 620 8th Ave, 45th Fl

More Upcoming Events

May 19  Free

Haus Of Creators AI Labs @ Microsoft

May 19  $650

Shorty Awards @ Tribeca Rooftop + 360

May 19  Free

AI & The Culture IRL - What Now @ Salesforce Tower

May 19  Free

World Press Freedom Day - Future Of Truth @ Scandinavia House

May 19  Free

The Lead Summit - Commerce Leaders Mixer @ Grand Central Terminal

May 19  Free

Martech Social

May 19  Free

Retail Analytics In Era Of Agentic AI @ Civic Hall

May 20 

The Lead Summit @ Pier 36

May 20  $999

ProductCon - Conference For Product Leaders @ Met Pavilion

May 20  Free

Choose Your Own Agentic AI Coding Experience @ IBM One Madison

May 20  Free

Chief In Tech Forum & Dinner

May 20  Free

Reliability Stack - Engg AI Agents That Actually Reach Production

May 20  Free

SPC Demo Night

May 20  Free

AI Engineers Tech Talk

May 20  Free

At Frontline Of AI Risk - Trust, Tech & Bottom Line

May 20  $45

Marketing Evenings - How To Make Your Brand Culturally Relevant @ BrainStation

May 20  Free

Reclaiming Truth @ NYPL

May 20  Free

Conversation On Storeytelling @ Antler Accelerator

May 21  Free

Pitchfest NYC

May 21  $70

Startups In Focus - AI Powering The Way We Live @ Citi HQ

May 21  Free

AI Demo Night

May 21  Free

The Lead Summit - After Party @ Grand Central Terminal

May 21  Free

Platforms & Deepfake Nudes - A Responsibility To Act @ Cornell Tech

May 21  Free

EU & LATAM Brew & Connect - Fintech & Bio Edition @ TIH NYC

May 21  Free

Founder Dinner

May 22  Free

AI Engineers - Game Night @ Fonzi HQ

May 23  Free

Agentic Engg Hack

May 26 

FoodNiche-ED Student Innovation Showcase @ Cornell Tech

May 26  Free

Re:Plan - Retail Strategy Exchange @ Grand Central Terminal

May 27 

Cornell Tech Frontiers Of AI Summit @ Verizon Exec Education Center

May 27 

Re:Plan @ Annex417

May 27  Free

QB Finance Hackathon @ McKinsey

May 27  Free

Agents & MCP For Postgres @ Google HQ

May 27  Free

AI Engineers - Devs & Drinks

May 27  Free

Community Roundtable - AI In Healthcare Ops @ Bibliotheque

May 28  Free

Small Business Month Expo

May 28  Free

Voice Agent Build Night @ Tavily HQ

May 28  Free

AI Engineers - Devs & Drinks

May 28  Free

Healthcare & LifeSci Spring Social

May 30  Free

Social Impact Hackathon @ NYU Wasserman Center For Career Development

May 30  $10

Bonjour Girls - Women's Take On AI

Jun 01  $999

Bank IT Conference @ 1WTC

Jun 01  Free

Accelerate AI Summit - Australian x US @ Midtown

Jun 01  Free

Pre-Seed & Seed Fundraising Breakfast

Jun 01  Free

Brews & Bagels

Jun 01  Free

Building Products That Scale Globally

Jun 01  Free

Age Of Agents - AI x Investing @ Carnegie Hall

Jun 01  Free

How To Raise Series A

Jun 01  Free

Agentic Voice Hackathon @ Seidenberg School at Pace

Jun 01  Free

The Future Of Supply Chain

Jun 01  Free

A16z Speedrun Pitch Day

Jun 01  Free

Investment To Acquisition - How Founders Went From $0-$10M

Jun 01  Free

Crypto x AI Happy Hour

Jun 01  Free

NYC Founders Happy Hour @ The Standard Biergarten

Jun 01  Free

Ticketing To Intelligence - AI's Impact On $1T Events Industry @ ANNEX417

Jun 01  Free

Pitch & Drink @ EisnerAmper

Jun 01  Free

Tech Week Pitch Competition

Jun 01 

NY Tech Meetup - Robotics & Embodied AI Edition @ Civic Hall

Jun 01  Free

Official Tech Week Kickoff Party

Jun 02  $100

Demo 2026 @ New Museum

Jun 02  Free

Robots & Revenue GTM Breakfast

Jun 02  Free

Pre-Seed Founders Breakfast

Jun 02  Free

B2B Early-Stage Founders & Funders Breakfast @ Hudson Yards

Jun 02  Free

B2B Founders Breakfast

Jun 02  Free

Founders & Investors Afternoon Mixer

Jun 02  Free

Founder Story Fireside Chat

Jun 02  Free

AI Founder & Engineer Happy Hour

Jun 02  Free

Whiskey Tasting @ Bergdorf Goodman

Jun 02  Free

The Future Of Entertainment

Jun 02  Free

NachoTuesday - SaaS & AI Founder Investor Rooftop Happy Hour @ Mr. Purple Rooftop

Jun 02  Free

Pitch & Network - Czech Edition

Jun 02  Free

The Retro

Jun 02  Free

Taco Tech Tuesday @ The Rose

Jun 02  $55

French American Entrepreneurship Award @ Consulate General of France

Jun 02  Free

Czech Startup Pitch Night @ Bohemian Nat'l Hall

Jun 02  Free

Founders & Investors Happy Hour @ LenLen

Jun 02  Free

Consumer Happy Hour

Jun 02  Free

Cybersecurity Happy Hour

Jun 02  Free

Absinthe & AI

Jun 02  Free

Swiss Innovation @ Francis Kite Club

Jun 02  Free

Melbourne To Manhattan - Powering The Digital Future

Jun 02  Free

Master VC Empanadas

Jun 02  Free

Plus-One Party - Founders & Funders Edition

Jun 02  Free

Brewing Connections - Colombian Coffee Tasting @ Local 92

Jun 02  Free

Tech Week Opening After Party

Jun 02  Free

Bytes & Bites

Jun 02  Free

Industrial Tech Breakfast

Jun 02  Free

Fueling Founders

Jun 02  Free

Women In Tech Leadership Happy Hour @ Kabin

Jun 03 

Forbes Iconoclast Summit

Jun 03  Free

Israel Founders Mission

Jun 03  Free

GTM Morning Mixer

Jun 03  Free

Founder & Investor Breakfast @ The Ned NoMad

Jun 03  Free

Founders Open - Pickleball Mixer

Jun 03  Free

Grind & Grow - Cacao Ceremony For Founders & Investors

Jun 03  Free

Fireside Chat w/ Elevenlabs & Verci

Jun 03  Free

Founder & Investor Lounge

Jun 03  Free

Lunch Time Tee-Off

Jun 03  Free

Marimo Ice Cream Social @ Soho

Jun 03  Free

Startup Pitch Mixer

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May 11 · 6:46 AM Source JSON

View this email in your browser (https://mailchi.mp/next.nyc/032525-10377291) Did someone forward you this newsletter? Here's how you can subscribe on your own (https://www.next.nyc/) . Community members can submit their own events to our listing using this form (https://example.invalid/document) .

** ✍️ From the Editor's Desk

This is a weekly newsletter put together for the NYC Innovation Community by Charlie O'Donnell (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceonyc) , former VC, and current coach to VCs and professional pitch deck skeptic (https://thisisgoingtobebig.com/) .

**

In the first quarter, nextNYC passed a milestone, cumulatively hosting more than 6,000 VC Open Office Hours meetings hosted for founders to introduce themselves to investors.

I've spoken to hundreds of founders and investors who have participated and, unfortunately, I think founders are doing this all wrong.

Here's what founders should be doing better:

  1. Send 3 sentences of context 24 hours before — what you do, where you're at, what you want from the meeting. Costs you 90 seconds, saves you 3 minutes of setup, and signals you take the VC's time seriously.

  2. Lead with the question, not the pitch. Most founders burn 8-10 minutes on "here's what we do" when the VC has already read the one-liner before the meeting. Open with: "The reason I wanted your time is — I'm stuck on X." You get 12 useful minutes back and it foreshadows what it would be like working with you. Are you acting like a train leaving the station wrestling with thoughtful strategy questions that this investor has unique insight into, or are you asking a rando VC whether they think what you're doing is a good idea?

  3. Have a specific outcome in mind, not 'a relationship.' "I want one intro to a logistics-focused angel" or "I want a sanity check on my pricing model" or "I want to know if my GTM motion sounds crazy." Vague outcomes ("get to know each other") produce vague meetings. The VC will rise to whatever bar you set.

  4. Stop trying to close. Start trying to extract. No one is going to invest in 20 minutes — but they might invest in 3-6 weeks. Your only job in the room is to learn something useful or earn one concrete next step (an intro, a follow-up with a memo, permission to send an update). Pitching the whole way through loses on both fronts: you don't learn anything, and you don't get the follow-up because you came across like you were selling instead of building.

There are 16 mostly B2B, some Fintech, some Healthcare meetings left open this week starting tomorrow. Sign up and make the most of them. (https://www.next.nyc/office-hours)

Ease Health (https://easehealth.com/) , a NYC-based behavioral health infrastructure startup, recently announced a $41 million funding round to modernize the software powering behavioral healthcare providers. Rather than building another AI layer on top of outdated systems, Ease is rebuilding the core infrastructure itself. I recently interviewed Zach Cohen from Ease Health alongside Eric Wilkinson from KPMG for our nextNYC Company Spotlight series. You can find an 8-minute video recap of our conversation below, and here’s a summary:

What Ease Health does:

  • Builds an AI-native EMR and operating system for behavioral health providers
  • Combines clinical workflows, CRM, intake, billing, and practice management into one platform
  • Uses AI to automate documentation, authorizations, intake, and patient communication

Why it matters:

  • Behavioral health has historically been underserved by modern software infrastructure
  • Most healthcare AI startups focus on point solutions layered onto legacy systems
  • Ease believes owning the system of record allows them to ship AI products faster and improve care delivery across the entire patient journey
  • Faster intake, better documentation, and smoother insurance workflows can help patients access care more quickly and stay in treatment longer

Fundraising insight:

  • Zach’s thesis was shaped while working on the investment side at Andreessen Horowitz, where he saw how crowded and repetitive healthcare AI pitches had become
  • Ease is betting that vertical healthcare markets like behavioral health are large enough to support venture-scale businesses if companies own enough of the workflow
  • The company is focused on building quickly while incumbent competitors remain slowed down by legacy systems and private equity ownership
  • They chose to build in NYC because of the city’s growing healthcare and AI talent ecosystem

Ease is currently hiring product engineers, staff engineers, post-sales leadership, and support roles as they continue to expand their team in New York. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbKaTCVbQ78

This week, we’ve organized dozens of active NYC VCs to open their calendars for a series of structured, 20-minute conversations with founders. No warm intros, no navigating crowded rooms, just a clean, focused way to meet investors who are actually showing up to engage.

For founders, it’s a chance to pressure-test your story, expand your network, and start relationships that can compound over time. For investors, it’s one of the most efficient ways to meet a high volume of curated, in-market founders without the usual noise.

If you’re an investor and want to join, you can sign up here (https://airtable.com/appVqta3JoDLqhcPV/pagOJJZIsAGFltq3b/form) . If you’re a founder, you can apply here to join (https://luma.com/nyc-vc-open-office-hours-may-2026) .

We’ve seen hundreds of meaningful connections come out of these sessions and more than a few turn into something much bigger.

https://www.next.nyc/events/nyc-open-office-hours-may-2026

[private link removed]

We’re hosting our next round of VC/Founder Coffee Meetups ([private link removed]) across NYC Thursday, May 21st!

These are small, informal gatherings designed to bring early-stage founders and local VCs together in a relaxed, conversational setting. No pitches, no pressure, just thoughtful conversations around building and investing in NYC’s startup ecosystem.

Join us at one of our neighborhood meetups at 8:30am. Please review the locations below and sign up for just one. Exact details will be shared ahead of the event.

Locations include:

RSVP here! (https://luma.com/coffee-meetups-may2026)

Investors: interested in hosting a future meetup? It’s simple -- show up, connect with founders, and be a good human. Fill out this form to get involved ([private link removed]) .

On May 27th at 11am ET, I’m hosting a webinar with Anthony Rosen (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-rosen-7530079/) of Propeller Industries (https://www.propellerindustries.com/) on one of the most consistently expensive mistakes founders make: hiring for a finance function before they’ve actually defined what they need.

We’ll dig into how to think about building a finance function before you hire for it, the difference between a controller, VP Finance, and CFO, when a fractional setup beats a full-time hire, and what the “Swiss Army knife” finance leader looks like when it works and when it breaks.

Anthony has been CFO at multiple companies (including Adore Me and Parade) and has now acted as fractional CFO for 60+ startups. I’ve seen this from the other side at nextNYC, watching how these decisions play out across companies when they work and when they really don’t.

If you’re anywhere near your first serious finance hire, this is the conversation I’d want you to hear before you make it.

RSVP here! (https://luma.com/webinar-when-to-hire-your-first-finance-leader)

https://luma.com/webinar-when-to-hire-your-first-finance-leader

https://visiblework.co/

** Visibility Without the Performance

Visible Work (https://visiblework.co/) is a 10-week program for people who do good work and don't get credit for it. No personal brand. No daily posting streaks. Just practical habits for noticing what you actually contribute, communicating it clearly to the people who matter, and staying connected without turning yourself into content.

Sign-ups are open for the spring cohort (https://visiblework.co/) , which starts May 18th.

$500 through Friday, May 8th, $749 after.

** https://www.thisisgoingtobebig.com/founder-unfriendly-book

** I uploaded my book and dozens of real pitch meetings into an AI fundraising coach & toolkit.

You can unlock it here:

thankstoai.thisisgoingtobebig.com (https://thankstoai.thisisgoingtobebig.com/)

** 🎁 Opportunities

Applications are now open for the Summer 2026 Entrepreneur Roundtable Accelerator program, a four-month accelerator designed to help founders build, grow, and scale alongside the ERA team and a network of 1,000+ mentors and investors.

Apply by May 4th here (https://www.eranyc.com/apply/) .

Grow-NY is now accepting applications for its Food & Agriculture Startup Competition, an initiative focused on strengthening New York’s food and agtech innovation ecosystem. Finalists will pitch their startups for the opportunity to win up to $1 million in funding.

Apply by May 15th here (https://www.grow-ny.com/) .

Nominations are open for 100 Women in AI 2026, spotlighting the women building, researching, investing in, and leading the AI ecosystem.

Nominate a leader here (https://www.100womeninai.com/nominate) .

HubSpot’s How You Hustle program is accepting applications to hear about your growing biz for a chance to have your startup featured in The Hustle, and connect with their 1.5 million readers.

Apply here. (https://thehustle.co/how-you-hustle-founder-startup-feature)

Join Techstars next spring and accelerate your company with:

  • $220,000 improved investment offer to fuel your growth*
  • $1M+ average first raise post-program
  • Hands-on mentorship from industry leaders
  • Lifetime access to our global network of investors, partners, mentors, and alumni
  • 300+ partner perks valued at over $4M

Apply here! ([private link removed])

Forum Ventures (https://www.forumvc.com/) is accepting pitches to its Forum for Founders program. The firm is investing in 30+ companies over the next three months, offering $100K and admission to its pre-seed accelerator to provide personalized GTM and sales support.

Learn more and apply here ([private link removed]) .

Applications for the Spring 2026 Grand Central Tech Cohort are now open! Grand Central Tech (GCT) has served as the launchpad for more than 400 founders, helping them to establish and grow their companies from the ground up. GCT companies have collectively raised more than $4.8Bn over the past 11 years. Learn more here (https://www.companyventures.com/) or apply now (https://example.invalid/document) !

** 🎉 Community Spotlight: What's going on with you?

Have you been recently promoted or taken a new job? Launching something? Maybe you're just new to NYC and looking to make connections.

Tell our growing list of over 22,000 people by f (https://forms.gle/kGSqt7cosrk5Mus2A) illing out this form (https://forms.gle/kGSqt7cosrk5Mus2A) and I'll add it to our next newsletter. Don't be shy!

Shawn Oates (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnaoates) is not letting AI kill your brand's community. A thriving community starts with a living calendar. Empower your community to build it. Automatically create a free IRL calendar for your business here (https://www.os.joinleaf.com/) .

Share Your News! (https://forms.gle/kGSqt7cosrk5Mus2A)

** 🤝 Find a Team

Are you looking to be a part of an early-stage team or a founder looking for teammates? Fill out the form below!

Here's someone looking to join a team...

Nabila Mahabub (https://www.linkedin.com/in/sayedanabilamahabub) (contact-0001@example.invalid)

"I build marketing engines from the ground up: owning product positioning, launch strategy, lifecycle systems, and brand storytelling across early-stage and scaling teams. I bring the range to move between strategic vision and hands-on execution, and the cross-functional instincts to align product, growth, and commercial teams around a single, compelling narrative."

Problem Focus: Marketplaces, consumer tech, and platforms solving everyday problems for underserved communities- especially where the real unlock is building a loyal, returning customer base that grows itself.

Skills: GTM strategy, product marketing, integrated campaigns, lifecycle and retention marketing, brand positioning and storytelling, two-sided marketplace growth, community building, pre Series A to enterprise.

Here's someone looking for teammates...

Adrianna C.K. (https://www.linkedin.com/in/adrianna126/) (Contact@rediscoveraurany.com)

"I am looking for early employees who are passionate about mental well-being, holistic health, and the power of AI in helping humans."

Problem Focus: Mental Health

Skills: Product, Marketing, Sales, Overall Vision

Fill out this form to be featured! (https://example.invalid/document)

** Recurring Events

Pitch and Run (https://lu.ma/pnr) : Pitch your biz while running beautiful NYC. There are several locations/times for these meetups. Next gatherings and locations include:

TechWalk | NYC (https://lu.ma/techwalk) : We're building a different type of networking event for members of the Tech and SaaS communities to get outside, meet new people, and enjoy some fresh air, while practicing mindful movement.

============================================================

Upcoming Events in the Tech Community

Monday, May 11

** 07:00AM - SOSV VC-Founder Physical AI Matchup (https://sosv.com/sosv-vc-founder-physical-ai-matchup-may-11-15/)

Join founders and investors in the Physical AI space for SOSV VC–Founder Physical AI Matchup, a virtual matchmaking series running May 11–15 that connects 250+ startups and 250+ investors through curated 1:1 meetings scheduled across the week. Organized by SOSV, the event focuses on early- to growth-stage companies up to Series B building in Physical AI—systems that apply intelligence to real-world sensing, decision-making, and action—offering targeted conversations to build relationships and explore partnerships across the ecosystem.

** RSVP (https://sosv.com/sosv-vc-founder-physical-ai-matchup-may-11-15/)

Tuesday, May 12

** 10:00AM - NYC VC Open Office Hours (https://luma.com/nyc-vc-open-office-hours-may-2026)

Founders are invited to participate in a series of distributed 20-minute intro meetings with investors taking place May 12–15, designed to facilitate early-stage conversations where the goal is to secure a follow-up deep-dive rather than immediate funding decisions. Organized by nextNYC and sponsored by Foley Hoag and Qapita, the format allows founders to request up to four targeted 20-minute meetings (in-person or virtual) with relevant VCs based on stage and sector, with more information available at nextNYC.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/nyc-vc-open-office-hours-may-2026)

** 10:00AM - Antler x Brooklyn Bridge Ventures VC Fireside & Pitches (https://luma.com/antlerxfounderunfriendly)

Join founders, operators, and investors for a morning fireside and pitch feedback session exploring what really drives investor decisions, tied to insights from Charlie O’Donnell’s new book Founder Unfriendly: What Investors Won’t Tell You About Getting Funded. Hosted by Antler and featuring Charlie O’Donnell of Brooklyn Bridge Ventures, the event includes a candid fireside conversation on fundraising dynamics, followed by live founder pitch feedback with real-time investor reactions and audience Q&A for anyone looking to better understand how fundraising actually works behind the scenes.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/antlerxfounderunfriendly)

** 12:00PM - AI for Good: Conversations in the Park (https://luma.com/uw3e4te2)

Hosted by Pulse NYC as part of AI Week NYC, this open gathering at Madison Square Park brings together people working at the intersection of AI and social impact for an informal, unstructured conversation in a park setting. The meetup focuses on how AI is shaping sectors like climate, health, education, and conservation, creating space for researchers, founders, funders, and practitioners to share ideas, challenges, and collaborate without formal programming. Hosted by Paulina Muñoz and Angela Ng, the event emphasizes community, curiosity, and real-world problem solving over presentations or panels.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/uw3e4te2)

** 06:00PM - Junto Founder Dinner (https://luma.com/n48vqhs3)

Join 24 vetted early-stage founders and CEOs for a curated, multi-course dinner hosted by Andrew & Friends as part of the Junto Founder Dinner series, designed to facilitate meaningful, small-group conversations among high-performing startup leaders. The evening features a structured, rotating table format over a 3-hour dinner experience focused on peer connection, shared challenges, and building relationships within a tightly curated founder community in NYC.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/n48vqhs3)

** 06:00PM - Fashion Tech Mixer - NYC May Edition (https://luma.com/7bvhfuka)

Join fellow professionals across fashion, technology, and innovation for this month’s Fashion Tech Mixer in the Lower East Side. Hosted by Rachel Sterling and Colette Johnson of The Pattern Maker and co-hosted by Arete Studios, the evening brings together founders, operators, creatives, and investors for networking, collaboration, and conversation around the future of fashion tech in NYC.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/7bvhfuka)

** 06:00PM - NYC Tech Poker Night with Work-Bench (https://luma.com/pokerwb)

Join founders, operators, and members of the NYC tech community for an evening of poker, drinks, and networking hosted by Work-Bench and cofounders.nyc. Expect light bites, plenty of poker tables, and a fun, casual atmosphere designed to bring together top builders and early-stage startup operators from across the ecosystem.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/pokerwb)

Wednesday, May 13

** 01:00PM - No Filter: What VCs Are Really Thinking, feat. Leslie Feinzaig and Charlie O'Donnell (https://luma.com/f20e19qt)

Charlie O'Donnell — founder of Brooklyn Bridge Ventures, VC coach, NYU lecturer, and author of Founder Unfriendly — has spent two decades on both sides of the table and knows exactly why VCs act the way they do. Join Charlie and Leslie Feinzaig for a candid fireside that pulls back the curtain on how investment decisions actually get made — and what early-stage founders can do about it. Brought to you by Graham & Walker VC.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/f20e19qt)

** 06:00PM - Defending Your Budget - When Your Board Asks "....And What Are We Getting???" (https://luma.com/k3u3klyi)

Join agency owners and fractional growth leaders for a focused session on bridging the gap between marketing investment and board-level expectations, helping teams move from unclear positioning and weak traction to clearer strategy and measurable outcomes. The conversation will explore how to better define what you’re offering, align with target audiences, and communicate performance in a way that builds confidence at the executive level and ties marketing efforts directly to business results.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/k3u3klyi)

** 06:00PM - Defending Your Budget (https://luma.com/k3u3klyi)

Join agency owners, fractional growth leaders, and senior marketers for a focused conversation on aligning marketing investment with board-level expectations, exploring how to clearly define value, communicate impact, and bridge the gap between strategy and measurable outcomes. Hosted by York Effect Live and All Things Advertising, and sponsored by The Yard, the session features leaders including Sarah Murphy (former NYSE and Condé Nast) and Andrew Newman (growth leader with experience at BlackRock and high-growth startups), as part of AI Week New York, with more details at Pulse NYC AI Week.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/k3u3klyi)

** 06:00PM - Founders & Funders: NYC VC Reverse Pitch (https://luma.com/fnfxnyc0526)

Join Seed and Series A founders, operators, and investors for a high-energy evening where the format flips—VCs pitch their investment theses, target sectors, check sizes, and what they look for in founders, alongside curated networking and live discussion designed to surface real alignment between capital and startups. Part of AI Week New York by Pulse NYC, the event features a pitch-style investor session followed by networking, with past editions leading to term sheets and funding outcomes, and sponsorship from HubSpot and Warp.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/fnfxnyc0526)

** 06:30PM - Private Founders Dinner feat. NEA ($30B AUM) at JPMorgan's $3B HQ (https://www.supermomos.com/events/private-founders-dinner-nyc-88120e)

Approval-only: For founders w/ $10-100M in funding. Join our Private Founders Dinner in NYC with NEA ($30B AUM; backed ByteDance, Databricks & other unicorns), convening top funders and founders with $10-100M+ in revenue/funding for a complimentary, intimate private chef experience. It will be held at JPMorgan's new $3B headquarters, in their invite-only private dining room. You can expect a brief fireside chat with a senior leader at NEA who invests in AI, fintech, and consumer, as well as ample time for networking with fellow VC-backed founders.

** RSVP (https://www.supermomos.com/events/private-founders-dinner-nyc-88120e)

Thursday, May 14

** 08:30AM - From Momentum to the Next Round: A Breakfast Conversation for Series A+ Founders (https://luma.com/0nsfs153)

Join Series A+ founders and ecosystem leaders for an intimate breakfast conversation hosted by HearstLab in partnership with HubSpot for Startups on Wednesday, May 14 from 8:30–10:30 AM, focused on what growth-stage investors expect from companies preparing for their next raise. The morning features candid discussion with Beth Devin of HearstLab and Ava Chang of FoW Partners, covering how later-stage expectations differ from early-stage investing, key metrics that matter most, and how founders can build strong investor relationships while navigating board dynamics, returns, and exit considerations.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/0nsfs153)

** 03:00PM - Spring 2026 Startup Awards + Open Studio (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spring-2026-startup-awards-open-studio-tickets-1985737837326)

Join founders, investors, and the NYC tech community for Cornell Tech Startup Awards, where 11 student-founded startups from Cornell Tech pitch for $100K in investment, office space, and mentorship after completing the Startup Studio program. The evening features demos, live pitches judged by VCs and academic leaders, and concludes with winners announced by Andrew Ross Sorkin, followed by a networking reception.

** RSVP (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/spring-2026-startup-awards-open-studio-tickets-1985737837326)

** 05:30PM - #AIWeekNY — Barsys Happy Hour (https://luma.com/cmzz70wv)

Join founders, creators, and operators for a laid-back AI Week New York happy hour hosted by Barsys, featuring cocktails, strong drinks made with AI, and an easygoing atmosphere built for meaningful conversations and connection. The event is part of AI Week New York by Pulse NYC, bringing together the AI ecosystem in NYC for a week of programming and networking, with more details at Pulse NYC AI Week.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/cmzz70wv)

** 06:00PM - Code Chronicles V.2 (https://luma.com/htafvgk9)

Code Chronicles V.2, curated by Aleksandra Artamonovskaja, is a group exhibition running May 14–June 6, 2026, bringing together artists Claudia Hart, Libby Heaney, Seo Hyojung, Ellie Pritts, Emily Xie, and Addie Wagenknecht to explore how generative systems and artificial intelligence are reshaping artistic production, positioning computational processes not just as tools but as active collaborators in the creation of contemporary visual work.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/htafvgk9)

** 06:00PM - Mental Health Tech Leaders Meetup - #AIWeekNY - PepperNYC - AurePsi (https://luma.com/ze4el4dm)

Join founders, engineers, designers, product leaders, and mental health professionals for an evening of connection and collaboration at the intersection of mental health and technology during AI Week New York, hosted by Pulse NYC and sponsored by Y-Health Corp and AurePsi; the meetup will feature networking, conversations with builders in mental health tech, and practical insights into current challenges, opportunities, and collaboration paths in the space, with more information available at Pulse NYC AI Week.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/ze4el4dm)

** 06:00PM - NYC Women in Tech: Cafe Meetup (https://luma.com/e320xfxo)

Join women and non-binary folks in tech for Toast’s monthly meetup — Crafting Edition — a relaxed, community-driven gathering designed to create space for connection without the typical high-pressure networking dynamic. Hosted by Toast, this month’s session features a creative goal-setting punch card activity alongside casual conversation over coffee, offering an intentional space to share what you’re working toward and build meaningful relationships within the tech community in a more supportive, low-pressure environment.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/e320xfxo)

Friday, May 15

** 09:00AM - Founder Breakfast Club (https://luma.com/3xtj5l53)

Join 30 early-stage founders and investors for an intimate breakfast hosted by Andrew & Friends, designed to bring together a curated group of Pre-seed to Series A operators for candid conversation, collaboration, and relationship-building across the NYC venture ecosystem. Held on May 15, 2026 from 9–11am at a private breakfast club in Manhattan, the monthly gathering focuses on connecting high-signal founders in a relaxed setting to discuss industry trends and build meaningful peer relationships over breakfast.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/3xtj5l53)

Saturday, May 16

** 12:00PM - Yard Industry Day (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yard-industry-day-tickets-1985607559662)

Join innovators, operators, and industry leaders for Yard Industry Day on May 16, 2026 at the Brooklyn Navy Yard, a half-day showcase highlighting companies building and scaling across robotics, physical AI, medtech, biomaterials, clean energy, immersive media, and advanced manufacturing within Brooklyn Navy Yard. Hosted at Building 303, the event features an interactive exhibition of 12+ Yard-based companies alongside panels, tours, and programming designed to spotlight how New York City’s modern industrial ecosystem is being built in real time.

** RSVP (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/yard-industry-day-tickets-1985607559662)

** 03:00PM - Taste Makers: Women In Food Design | NYCxDesign (https://luma.com/t33gyt11)

Hosted by IDSA Women in Design NYC in partnership with the Museum of Food and Drink, this event celebrates women and non-binary industrial designers working at the intersection of food, sensory experience, and design. The program features a panel conversation exploring how multisensory and hospitality-driven approaches shape contemporary design practice, followed by a community meetup for designers and allies to connect and network. Held in Brooklyn, the gathering highlights how design and food culture intersect to shape more thoughtful and inclusive experiences.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/t33gyt11)

Monday, May 18

** 08:00AM - SBJ Tech Week 2026 (https://www.sbjtechweek.com/2026/)

Tech Week brings together the most forward-thinking leaders in sport to drive innovation and foster a community of trailblazers. Executives discuss the dynamic trends impacting the industry; learn from doers, both inside and outside of sports; strengthen relationships; and celebrate all that the industry has accomplished in the past year. This event also presents new technologies and serves as a showcase for the latest ideas primed to transform the industry.

** RSVP (https://www.sbjtechweek.com/2026/)

** 06:30PM - NYC B2B: AI Founders & Investors Meetup (https://luma.com/f4s5579y)

Hosted by NYC B2B, this exclusive happy hour brings together B2B AI founders, operators, and investors in New York City for an evening of networking and community-building. The event is designed for builders across SaaS, AI, fintech, healthcare, devtools, and infrastructure to connect with peers, share ideas, and explore collaboration opportunities in a relaxed setting. Attendees can expect a high-signal environment focused on meaningful conversations between founders and investors actively shaping the B2B ecosystem.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/f4s5579y)

Tuesday, May 19

** 06:00PM - Commerce Leaders Mixer At The Lead Summit (https://luma.com/0na5ba48)

Join us in New York City for a curated cocktail mixer with senior retail and brand leaders across ecommerce, marketing, and digital. Designed to be intentionally small, this event offers meaningful connections and is perfect for those arriving early for The Lead Summit. Attendance is curated, with a focus on senior leaders from top retail and consumer brands.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/0na5ba48)

** 06:00PM - Modern Investor Summit: New York (https://luma.com/q29x7t6c)

Hosted by Finimize, the Modern Investor Summit in New York brings together leading financial thinkers, founders, and active retail investors for an evening focused on clarity and insight into global markets. The event features conversations on market risks and opportunities, crypto and digital assets, and how retail investors are using AI tools to make faster, more informed decisions. Designed for a highly engaged investing audience, the summit blends expert-led discussion with networking and an after-party to continue conversations into the evening.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/q29x7t6c)

Wednesday, May 20

** 09:00AM - Table: Solutions for Founders (https://luma.com/yot88x4h)

Founders tackle real challenges and drive growth. In each session, participants share topics, vote, and dive into focused five-minute conversations that turn questions into insights and problems into clear next steps.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/yot88x4h)

** 03:30PM - Founders x VCs Ping Pong Social in NYC (https://www.supermomos.com/events/private-founders-breakfast-nyc-90675f)

Join VC-backed founders and investors for an intimate ping pong social designed for founders who have raised $500K–$10M+, featuring curated networking, complimentary food and drinks, and high-signal conversations in a relaxed setting. The afternoon includes a short panel and Q&A with a speaker from Flybridge Capital, offering insights on fundraising, growth, and building at scale, alongside opportunities to connect with peers and investors through structured, informal interactions.

** RSVP (https://www.supermomos.com/events/private-founders-breakfast-nyc-90675f)

** 05:30PM - Brits in Tech - Rooftop Happy Hour (https://luma.com/qg7ll42d)

Join British founders, operators, and investors in NYC for an informal networking evening bringing together the “Brits in Tech” community across the Atlantic, designed for connection, collaboration, and shared support within the startup ecosystem. Hosted by Laura Devine Immigration, TriNet, and The Knowledge Shop, the night features drinks and conversation in a no-pressure setting for founders and senior leaders building in tech across the UK and US.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/qg7ll42d)

** 06:00PM - At the Frontline of AI Risk: Trust, Tech, and the Bottom Line (https://luma.com/m9kc6yvt )

Finance and technology experts will explore the real benefits of AI alongside critical risks such as bad data, opaque models, cyber exposure, and evolving compliance requirements.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/m9kc6yvt )

** 06:00PM - A conversation with Bob Baxley on Apple’s enduring impact on product design (https://luma.com/BobBaxley)

Join designers of all levels for a live conversation with Bob Baxley, exploring the lasting impact of Apple on product design, the evolution of craft in the age of AI, and broader questions around empathy and human-centered technology. Hosted by Designer Friends, the evening will include a talk, audience Q&A, and time for networking, with catering from BigNorm featuring Korean-inspired dishes like bibimbap and dumplings, followed by continued conversation and community connection.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/BobBaxley)

** 06:00PM - AI Engineers May Tech Talk (https://luma.com/0308ir1j)

Join AI engineers, fullstack developers, data scientists, and technical founders for the May edition of the New York AI Engineers Tech Talk, a monthly gathering focused on real-world AI engineering and hands-on technical learning. Hosted by Fonzi, the evening features talks from engineers at companies like Harmonic, Instacart, Hebbia, and Noemica, covering topics like AI agents, evaluation pipelines, and production-grade system design, followed by networking with peers across NYC’s AI engineering community.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/0308ir1j)

** 06:30PM - Investor Roast Live w/ Right To Invest (https://luma.com/pitchroastlivemay)

Join us for a special edition of Pitch Roast Live — Investor Roast Live — where the format flips as three investors pitch a founder, all while comedians roast them in real time. In collaboration with Right to Invest and cohosted by Noah Obstfeld and Matthew Hooper, the night blends startup pitching, venture capital, and comedy into a high-energy Shark Tank-style roast featuring comedians Tatiana Frank, Jonathan Van Halen, and John Ajodah.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/pitchroastlivemay)

** 07:30PM - A Private Study x Antler: A Conversation on STORYTELLING (https://luma.com/ijkd9sfg)

Join Antler and A Private Study for an intimate panel on what makes a story stick, exploring storytelling across film, comedy, writing, data, and product design in an AI-saturated world. Featuring filmmaker Jonah Feingold, comedian Ali Kolbert, chef Jonah Reider, and data scientist Joe Hovde, the conversation dives into how great stories are shaped, shared, and remembered across different mediums.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/ijkd9sfg)

Thursday, May 21

** 08:30AM - nextNYC VC/Founder Coffee Meetups (https://luma.com/coffee-meetups-may2026)

Join local VCs and early-stage founders for casual coffee meetups across NYC at 8:30 a.m. on May 21. Choose one meetup location — Flatiron with Deepika Jonnalagadda (Outlander VC), FiDi with Galina Ozgur (H/L Ventures) and Mario Ruiz (Infinity Ventures), or West Village with Yuriy Dovzhansky (Roo Capital). Exact locations will be shared via email before the event. Hosted by nextNYC.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/coffee-meetups-may2026)

Saturday, May 23

** 09:30AM - Agentic Engineering Hack (https://luma.com/nycagenthack)

Join NYC’s top builders for a one-day hack-focused gathering where teams tackle real-world problems and share their work with a room of engineers, founders, and operators who build for a living. Hosted in partnership with companies including Google DeepMind and ClickHouse, the event is designed for serious builders shipping and showcasing projects in a high-signal environment.

** RSVP (https://luma.com/nycagenthack) ** Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/) ** Facebook (http://www.facebook.com) ** Website (http://mailchimp.com) Copyright © 2026 This is going to be BIG!, All rights reserved. You are receiving this e-mail because you have attended an event of ours or signed up through my blog.

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May 11 · 6:02 AM Source JSON

View this post on the web at https://kdunniganwilliams.substack.com/p/buying-less-but-better

It all started with Margo [ [private link removed] ]. I fell in love with the t-shirt but it felt undeserving of the price. Afterall I could buy a $10 t-shirt from Target for the same result, right? Also, I have kids, I can’t be spending too much on a t-shirt that might get stained. Then (when my kids were a bit older), as a gift to myself, I caved and bought her. Turns out that t-shirt wasn’t the same as the stack of t-shirts in my closet. It’s thicker so you don’t see the outline of my bra. It’s cut more thoughtfully so I feel put together even in a simple t-shirt. I, in fact, did get a small stain on it and it turns out the world didn’t end. On the contrary, I got a tide-pen on it quickly because I wanted to rescue the shirt, I didn’t treat it as disposable. It’s been two years since I bought my first Margo and it has survived several closet culls. In fact, it is one shirt that has remained as my t-shirt pile has slowly shrunk in recent years. When I switched my closet from winter → summer, I noticed that my t-shirt pile is the smallest it’s been in years. It dawned on me that, perhaps, I’m finally fulfilling my long sought after goal of buying fewer and finer. This one shirt represented a shift in how I shop and the main reason why you’ll see me repeating the same pieces over and over. Lesson 1: One Great Piece Can Change Your Mindset I’ve written about my shopping budget (more on that in a minute) so it was always my instinct to search out the cheaper option for the pieces I wanted but I, inadvertently, made some bad habits. $78 on a Margo shirt? I think not! $28 on something 3 times over? Sign me up! The lower priced item felt like a more responsible purchase, even if I was buying it repeatedly. And I think a lot of us do the thing where we say; for the price of that, I could get 10 of this! I’m not immune to that, but which serves you more? 10 of the lesser things or getting 1 item that you will wear tirelessly (as I have with the Margo)? Once I saw how much I wore the Margo, I started reconsidering other “expensive” pieces. Credit to Substack for introducing me to items and brands that helped challenge me on this exact thing. I didn’t know who Jamie Haller [ [private link removed] ] was before I got on Substack but I couldn’t escape the chatter about her loafers. And I felt a little stuck because if I wanted to buy any of her shoes, I’d need to stockpile my shopping budget for a few months. And I found it hard to think about not shopping while I saved. So, I got creative. My first pair of Jamie Haller shoes were acquired in 2024 when she ran a sample sale where, for the first time, people outside of LA could shop it by calling her concierge line. Anyways, it was June so I was flush with some birthday money and instead of getting her ballet flat [ [private link removed] ] for $500, I scored them for $200. When I got the shoes they were.. amazing. I loved the shape, the rounded toe with a mid-size vamp. The leather was so soft and supple, they fit perfectly. At her next sample sale, a friend attended in-person and scored me the mules [ [private link removed] ] for $50. These two pairs of shoes have become the cornerstone of my entire shoe wardrobe.If you’ve been reading for a while, you’ve seen me in both… a lot. And, you know what? I have still never bought a pair of her shoes full-priced. Both the ballet flats and the mules have scuffs on them and I don’t worry about it because it shows a life well-lived. TheRealReal [ [private link removed] ] is my best friend for getting into brands that I can’t bring myself to purchase full-priced. I know the shipping/return fee is supremely annoying but I think of it as an investment in being able to shop brands I’m interested in with more confidence. Lesson 2: Use Resale to Beta Test Brands (but avoid final sale) I did buy my Everything Pants [ [private link removed] ] from Jamie Haller with only a small discount from Saks. It was a hard pill to swallow to spend that amount on the pants but… again… you guys have seen me wear them over and over again. They were worth it. I had never seen any comparable pants to them. There are other fisherman style pants, there are other olive-colored pants, but none that gave me the full look that the Everything Pants did. When I do see a decent alternative (we use that word instead of dupe), I will absolutely go for it. Buying fewer items doesn’t mean that everything is going to be really expensive. A quick note on my shopping budget: it grows most years. Maybe I made more money at work and can allocate more to “fun money.” Maybe our youngest kid qualified for Universal Preschool and it freed up money in our budget. But there are also months where our oven went out, our tires needed replacing and the windshield crack spread to the point of no return (seriously, that was my reality recently). The focus isn’t how much money you can spend, but how you spend it. A rule that I had to make for myself was that if I was going to buy the alternative, the quality needs to rival the original. My first pair of Leset Kyotos [ [private link removed] ] were bought off Poshmark for $80 on a hope and a prayer because the photo was wrinkled and rumpled. Recently I tried on the J.Crew alternative [ [private link removed] ] and they are truly a great option; the fabric, the cut, the pockets are all extremely close. That is the alternative I would buy. Similarly, the moment I saw this Madewell tank [ [private link removed] ] the cut reminded me so much of the Flore Flore tank [ [private link removed] ] but at 1/3 the price. I can admit that the Madewell version doesn’t have the compressive effect of the Flore Flore tank, but accomplishes the same look. I try to highlight really well crafted alternatives for my readers whenever possible. And, in case you need to hear it, just because you got the cheaper option, don’t tack on 4 more things to your purchase. Celebrate the win of getting the thing for less money, take your savings and run! Lesson 3: Don’t Girl Math Your Savings But the biggest shift for me wasn’t just what I bought, it was how I tracked what I wanted. This might be controversial but I stopped keeping a wishlist. I was an adamant shopping wishlister and I shared a lot about my process. When the app, Carted, shuttered I was so bummed out because it was the way I tracked the different things I wanted. I needed to move my wishlist to Pinterest or Notion or my Notes app or any number of other recommendations. As I sorted through my wishlist I realized that it was keeping me handcuffed. I had a list 50 items long of all the things I wanted to buy and it grew everyday. I would often sort the list and reorder based on priority. It became hard for me to focus on buying the big thing on my list when I knew I could get 3 of the smaller things for the same price. Or if I bought the alternative for less, I already had something waiting in the queue for me to buy next. My goal isn’t just to buy nicer things but to buy fewer things so that I really wore the things I did buy…but my wishlist kept me chasing more. So I stopped keeping a wishlist or, at least, my wishlist functions VERY differently now. Before, anytime I saw something that I was interested in, on the wishlist it went! Now, I have to wake up thinking about it a few times before I add it to a secret Pinterest board. I try to close all my tabs more often and just walk away. If I’m still thinking about something days later then I buy it, I put it in my online cart and go to the check out page. Sometimes, I falter and close the tab because the juice doesn’t feel worth the squeeze. Sometimes I come back to that thing and actually do click BUY. I’ve actually become more confident in my purchases because I’m better at knowing when something will unlock more from my wardrobe (I wrote more about that here [ [private link removed] ]). Or, simply, when something will simply bring me enough joy to make it worth it. Lesson 4: Reconsider Wishlisting This shift also didn’t happened during a high-change phase of life. Two things that really held me back were the years that my body and lifestyle were evolving. I had three kids in quick succession which meant that my body was in flux for years. If you are going through body changes; give yourself the grace to know that you may need a new pair of pants frequently and, therefore, it’s not worth investing too much an anything right now. I’m a shoe-gal because my foot size doesn’t change and it feels good to be able to lean on good shoes that always fit. And if your lifestyle is changing (I’m talking especially to the new moms out there); just take a breath and know that you’ll find a new normal, but it takes some time. One minute you are simply surviving and nursing, the next your kid is having public blowouts that require an outfit change for both of you. You go from sitting on the floor with a baby to helping a toddler climb up a jungle gym. During all that change, you just need a few solid outfit formulas and patience because one day, I promise, it becomes abundantly clear what you want from your wardrobe. You might have heard me saying that you should buy the expensive shirt and just deal with the stains, but I didn’t start investing in a nice shirt until my youngest was 4. You will stain your shirts and you don’t need to be feeling guilty that the shirt you stained was expensive. I wrote about rebuilding your wardrobe (here [ [private link removed] ]) and the number one advice I gave was to wait and figure out your style until your lifestyle and body feel settled. It’s so much less about the specifics of what you buy, but reconsidering how you decide what to buy. Sure, buying something new feels good but having the right pieces in place to get dressed every morning feels even better. I still love to shop and I actually had a Zara order delivered two weeks ago because, for the record, very often the piece I want (with good quality) is readily available from any brand! But I’m also pretty pleased with myself at the progress I’ve made shifting away from quantity for its own sake. I have fewer placeholder pieces and more things that I really, really want to wear. My Millenial roots run deep and never are they more apparent than when my husband puts a date night on our calendar and I immediately want to wear jeans and a going out top. But my latest Fixation isn’t just any going out top; it’s a going out top that shows my back offset by a pair of vintage, distressed jeans. I’m eyeing this great black tank [ [private link removed] ] with the ultimate scoopback to pair with my favorite slouchy denim [ [private link removed] ]. For anyone curious, in a backless top, I wear these nipple covers [ [private link removed] ]. (PS- after writing this, I had a date night and followed this formula pretty close [ https://substack.com/@kelly1/note/c-256043680 ]!) Details for all items featured in this newsletter can be found here [ [private link removed] ]. Anything marked with an * was kindly gifted.

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May 11 · 3:43 AM Source JSON

View this post on the web at https://www.astralcodexten.com/p/open-thread-433

This is the weekly visible open thread. Post about anything you want, ask random questions, whatever. ACX has an unofficial subreddit [ [private link removed] ], Discord [ [private link removed] ], and bulletin board [ [private link removed] ], and in-person meetups around the world [ [private link removed] ]. Most content is free, some is subscriber only; you can subscribe here [ [private link removed] ]. Also: 1: US Congress is considering an agriculture bill which would revoke all existing state animal welfare protections (for example, it would revoke California’s law banning farmers from keeping pigs in crates too small to turn around it for their entire lives). The animal welfare people are calling it “the most important legislative threat to farmed animal welfare in US history”. If you want to learn more, including how to contact your Senator, see this post [ [private link removed] ]. 2: Former book review contest winner Ethan Ludwin-Peery is a professor at Hampshire College, which he describes as “the greatest model of higher education ever invented, [producing] a higher proportion of research doctorates than almost any other school in the nation.” Unfortunately, the administration made some boneheaded financial decisions and now it’s in the process of shutting down. Ethan would like someone to save it. He thinks it would take $30-$60 million to buy the campus outright, plus another $40 million to operate it for the first few years until it regains a sustainable funding model. He points out that building a good college from scratch nowadays is near-impossible, and this represents a once-in-a-lifetime chance to acquire one at fire-sale prices. If you’re a billionaire who wants to prove some theory about secondary education, or a smaller investor who wants to join a coalition, read Ethan’s plea to save Hampshire [ [private link removed] ], then email him at contact-0002@example.invalid.

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May 11 · 12:29 AM Source JSON

Hello,

A new listing matching your preferences is available:

Address: Apartment A Price: $3,900 Bedrooms: 1.0 Bathrooms: 1.0 Rent Stabilized: Building is Rent Stabilized (unit may not be) Available: 2026-07-10

View details: https://example.invalid/apartments/a

Description: -Recently renovated bright 1-Bedroom in the heart of West Village

  • Hardwood floors

We'd love to hear your feedback! Just reply to this email with any thoughts or questions.

Preferences link omitted from public example.

Thanks, Your Rent Alert Service