Microsoft finds material to replace ~70% of lithium in batteries, Consumers spent $5B+ on dating apps in 2023

Top News

Microsoft says, using Azure Quantum Elements HPC resources to run simulations and AI models, it found a material that could replace ~70% of lithium in a battery. - Link

A look at the rising subscription prices of dating apps, as competition intensifies and growth slows; data.ai says consumers spent $5B+ on dating apps in 2023. - Link

Amazon’s Alexa gets new generative AI-powered experiences including AI chatbot platform Character.AI, AI music company Splash, and Voice AI game developer Volley. - Link

Berlin-based Robinhood rival Trade Republic reported a “solid double-digit million euro” net profit in the year to September, a first, up from a €145M loss YoY. - Link

Amazon announces Matter Casting, an Apple AirPlay-like feature to send video from different platforms to Amazon devices, initially supporting Echo Show devices. - Link

The ElliQ eldercare robot gets a hardware upgrade, generative AI for improved conversations. - Link

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Advice of the Day

Dominating a Niche: A Key to Success in Silicon Valley

Peter Thiel highlights a common strategy among successful Silicon Valley companies: starting in a small, niche market and gradually expanding. He illustrates this with examples: Amazon initially focused on selling books, PayPal targeted eBay power-sellers, Facebook began exclusively for Harvard students, Airbnb started by renting air mattresses, and Tesla initially produced high-end electric sports cars. Thiel emphasizes the importance of dominating a unique, small market segment before expanding. This allows a company to establish itself without facing intense competition from larger markets, making it easier to stand out and grow. Monopolizing a niche and then expanding concentrically is a key to success in the competitive tech industry. - Link

Startup Demo of the Day:

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This Week in Startups

E1876: Sunny Madra joins Jason, showcasing demos on room decor customization, upgrading stock photos with FaceID Plus, creating and purchasing clothing designs with Pixite's generative AI, and AI-assisted image editing by Storia Lab, among others.

E1875: A discussion featuring Bill Gurley, Brad Gerstner, and Jason Calacanis covers various tech market aspects, including startup shutdowns, market insights, Altimeter's activity, reflections on IPOs, Series B/C deals, starting a company, venture success, Silicon Valley talent, AI impact, and Meta and Apple's positions in AI. - Watch

E1874: Cecilia Ziniti joins Jason to discuss the NY Times vs. OpenAI lawsuit, delving into legal aspects such as fair use, attribution defense, and potential outcomes. They also explore parallels with past cases like Roy Orbison vs. Two Live Crew and Google vs. Java, providing insights into the legal challenges in the context of digital platforms. - Watch

E1873: Sunny Madra and Jason discuss 2024 AI predictions, including bets on AI-generated music hitting the top 100, AI hosting a TWiST segment, an AI-generated Pixar short going mainstream, local deployment of small AI models on mobile devices, and the rise of open-source multimodal models. The conversation also touches on music industry dynamics, the New York Times lawsuit's implications, and OpenAI's financial success. - Watch

E1872: Lon Harris and Jason discuss the film "The Founder," praising its portrayal of the McDonald's story and highlighting entrepreneurial insights on efficiency, customer focus, product-market fit, and the role of complementary skill sets in startups. The conversation also touches on topics such as the franchise model, the influence of spouses in startup formation, the journey of doubt and uncertainty for founders, and the power dynamics between Ray Kroc and the McDonald brothers. - Watch

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