Silicon Valley's power grab, EU’s tech push, & data center struggles

It’s Tuesday!

Automattic has been planning to ramp up enforcement of the WordPress trademark since early 2024, with a strategy involving both friendly negotiations and legal action from "nice and not nice lawyers," as revealed in an internal blog post.

A MESSAGE FROM QA WOLF

✂️ Cut your QA cycles down from hours to minutes with QA Wolf

If slow QA processes bottleneck you or your software engineering team and you’re releasing slower because of it — you must check out QA Wolf. Their AI-native approach gets your team to 80% automated end-to-end test coverage and helps them ship 5x faster by reducing QA cycles from hours to minutes.

Schedule a demo

Silicon Valley's obsession with 'Founder Mode' mirrors rise of authoritarianism

A troubling new trend is taking hold in Silicon Valley—‘Founder Mode,’ a management style where founders make unilateral decisions without input from employees or partners. Popularized by some venture capitalists, this approach is gaining traction but reflects a broader shift towards authoritarianism in tech and politics. Critics argue this mirrors Donald Trump’s rise, with powerful tech leaders like Elon Musk and Marc Andreessen backing him to push for less regulation and greater control.

What is Founder Mode?

Founder Mode encourages founders to reject checks and balances, making decisions alone. While seen as a way to speed up innovation, it undermines the collaborative spirit that originally fueled Silicon Valley’s growth.

The Trump connection: Tech leaders like Musk and Andreessen back Trump’s promise of deregulation, particularly in sectors like cryptocurrency, hoping to leverage political power for personal gains.

The risks of autocracy: Though autocratic leadership may appear efficient, it damages collaboration, innovation, and long-term success. The collapse of FTX under Sam Bankman-Fried shows the dangers of unchecked authority.

The bigger picture: Most in Silicon Valley understand that checks and balances drive sustainable innovation. Founder Mode’s rise threatens to replace this spirit with authoritarian control, risking both the tech industry’s future and broader democratic principles.

Stripe, Wise founders push for 'tech renaissance' to rival Silicon Valley

Top tech founders, including Stripe and Wise, are calling for a unified European effort to boost startups and innovation.

The call for 'EU Inc'

Founders of Stripe, Wise, and other European tech leaders are advocating for "EU Inc"—a pan-European entity to foster startups and streamline regulations. The aim is to address the fragmented European tech landscape, which they say hampers cross-border collaboration and growth.

Backed by tech leaders: Big names like Patrick Collison (Stripe) and Taavet Hinrikus (Wise), along with VC firms Index Ventures and Sequoia, are backing the call. They argue that EU Inc could standardize investment processes and help European startups scale faster.

Why now? The push comes as Europe lags behind Silicon Valley and China in creating global tech giants. With European startups 40% less likely to secure funding after five years, leaders like Mario Draghi have called for reforms to make the EU more competitive on the global stage.

The opportunity: The founders see EU Inc as a chance to simplify the regulatory maze that slows down European startups, positioning the region to compete with the tech powerhouses in the US and China.

Data centers are booming, but startups face tough odds

AI’s rapid rise is fueling massive growth in data centers, with the market expected to hit $622 billion by 2030. But while startups are jumping in to make data centers more efficient and eco-friendly, breaking into this space won’t be easy.

Startups like Incooling and Phaidra are innovating with cooling tech and energy management solutions. But with giants like Microsoft and AWS dominating the scene, many investors worry that these ventures might struggle to scale. The challenge? Data centers are high-cost, high-stakes operations, making them reluctant to test unproven tech.

Still, growing demand and new regulations could create opportunities for startups. The AI boom isn't slowing down, and efficient infrastructure is more essential than ever. Those that can deliver might just power the future of AI.