Andrew Ng: “The foundation model layer being hyper-competitive is great for people building applications.“
Azeem Azhar: “The dynamics that led to the development of DeepSeek R-1 point to a huge accelerant…It changes the cost base for start-ups and corporates using GPT-4 or o1 models. Now they have a dramatically cheaper model. Expect an acceleration of AI adoption. Speed and low costs open new classes of applications like networks of reasoning models arguing with each other. Open-source has a compounding innovation cycle. We’ll only see better technology emerge as people tinker. Expect further cost reductions and capability improvements. We are seeing the smart kids working in finance move into the real economy. Look what happens when your best and brightest do something other than chasing arbitrage.
Mint: “The Jevons paradox, as described by Nadella, is the idea that technological progress that makes a resource cheaper or more efficient to use often leads to an increase in demand for that resource. In the case of AI, as systems become more powerful and accessible, it is likely that their use will grow significantly. This could turn AI into a commodity that’s in higher demand than ever before, as more industries and individuals adopt it to perform a wider variety of tasks. While the increased efficiency of AI has many advantages, Nadella’s mention of the Jevons paradox points to an interesting side effect. As AI performs more tasks and becomes more widely used, the demand for energy to power these systems could rise, potentially increasing overall consumption. This paradox suggests that making AI more accessible could unintentionally lead to higher resource use, as the tasks it performs expand alongside its availability.” Aaron Levie: ” If we can make AI 10X more efficient today, it’s exceedingly obvious we will have 100X more use for it in 5 years from now, more than making up for the efficiency gains. Making demand for GPUs and data centers bigger than ever. In all, fantastic to see that we continue to have companies and teams pushing the limits of AI. This is a great win for software developers at the app layer, and it will push labs to go even further. Incredible times.”
YourStory: “In tandem with rising awareness about customer demands, futuristic businesses are already transitioning towards vertical SaaS—cloud-based software custom-fit for specific industries. With the rise of ‘verticalisation’, businesses are adapting products, services, marketing, sales, support, and more to niche industry use cases, departing from the horizontal broader applicability. Vertical SaaS is revolutionising the business ecosystem by bringing forth wide customisation abilities. Leaving behind the one-size-fits-all model, these solutions are not only adaptable but also tailored to cater specifically to every business’s unique needs, delivering a level of personalisation beyond anything ever experienced. In an age where every business faces distinct challenges, verticalised systems allow businesses to tweak their models, unlocking avenues for enhanced user experience, streamlined processes, and efficient operations that align perfectly with their strategic objectives.” More: “Horizontal SaaS platforms like Zoho, Salesforce, or Slack provide general tools that can be used by many different industries. They focus on specific tasks but work across various types of businesses. In contrast, Vertical SaaS offers more specialised features–deeper integrations, and workflows that fit the industry’s needs. This approach is called a “layer cake” strategy, which includes building additional products to sell into their core vertical market. Vertical-focused startups can further expand by going multi-product and creating additional revenue streams beyond their core offering. Toast has executed this strategy by adding payroll and workforce management capabilities.”
Andrew Chen: “Going viral is a new phenomenon, borne of the era of social media. Fueled by memetic copycatting, people view, share, and click through on the same videos and content. But when products go viral, they are invaded by Looky-Loos…What are Looky-Loos? Here’s the Oxford dictionary: LOOKY-LOO: A person who views something for sale with no genuine intention of making a purchase.”
