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Forbes
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
Tesla Supercharger Surge: GM And Ford EVs Begin To Roll In
Close-up of a Tesla Supercharger with red logo, near Camino Tassajara in Danville, California, May ... More 18, 2025. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) What a difference a reliable charging network makes. Earlier this month when I arrived at a massive Tesla Supercharger location (76 chargers) at Tejon Outlets in Southern California just off Interstate 5, the only other cars charging were a Honda Prologue EV and Ford Mustang Mach-E. So, for a moment, there wasn't a single Tesla. Only the Prologue, Mach-E, and a GMC Sierra Denali EV (which I was driving) and a vast, empty sea of available charging spots. Teslas began showing up soon thereafter but it was odd to see only non-Tesla EVs using the chargers. And refreshing to see so many available stalls. And it gets even better. Less than a mile away, across Interstate 5, there was another Tesla Supercharger location with 24 chargers. And in nearby Lebec – about 20 minutes from the outlets on Interstate 5 – there was a spanking-new Supercharger location with 38 new super-fast v4 Superchargers. Not to mention the multiple Supercharger locations in Santa Clarita, Calif (further south on Interstate 5) and the three locations near my home in northwest Los Angeles. Charging a Cadillac Escalade IQ at a Tesla Supercharger in Simi Valley, Calif. A massive Tesla Supercharger location at Tejon Outlets near Bakersfield, Calif. Available Tesla ... More Superchargers as far as the eye can see. Competition isn't even close A night-and-day difference from competing networks such as Electrify America, which I've used extensively over the years. By comparison, there is no nearby Electrify America charging location in the long stretch of Interstate 5 between Santa Clarita, Calif and Bakersfield, Calif. versus the 130+ Tesla Superchargers in that same stretch of highway. And even if you find one, the charging experience is very different: a handful of chargers (often no more than 8), lines, and long waits. Not to mention the hit-or-miss vagaries of Electrify America chargers: one day everything works, the next day multiple chargers are down. Waiting, waiting, waiting… I've been waiting for Electrify America to locate a charger near my home. But that's never happened. Despite the very high density of EVs in the northwest Los Angeles area where I live, there are no Electrify America charging stations. Not one. The closest location is in Van Nuys, Calif with 3 fast chargers (level 3) and one slow level 2 charger. So, that's a total of 3 Electrify America fast chargers in a vast area in northwest Los Angeles covering high-density EV hotspots such as Chatsworth, Porter Ranch, Granada Hills, and Simi Valley (Ventura County). Yes, there are three Electrify America locations in Santa Clarita, Calif but that's further north bordering the high desert. GM, Ford, others need Tesla Not everyone charges at home. At least 50 percent (and often more) of the Tesla superchargers near my home are usually being used. And lack of public charging is often cited by prospective EV buyers as a reason they hesitate to purchase an EV. GM and Ford are now offering NACS (Tesla) adapters for their EVs (see my video below) but they will soon offer NACS ports built in. That can't happen soon enough.
Forbes
4 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Business Technology News: Salesforce Is Raising Prices
Close-up of Salesforce logo on the exterior of an office building, San Francisco, California, August ... More 20, 2024. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) Here are five things in tech that happened this week and how they affect your business. Did you miss them? This Week in Business Technology News Business Technology News #1 – Salesforce preps price hike amid AI blitz. Salesforce is rolling out major pricing and product changes across its ecosystem –including Slack – to embed AI more deeply into its offerings: Slack's Business+ plan now costs $15 per user/month (up from $12.50), while a new Enterprise+ plan introduces advanced AI features like enterprise search and task management. All paid Slack plans now include access to AI agents from Agentforce, and Salesforce customers on the free Slack plan gain access to Salesforce Channels for CRM collaboration. Salesforce's core clouds (Sales, Service, Field Service, and select Industries) will see a 6 percent price increase effective August 1st. The company is retiring standalone AI add-ons and replacing them with Agentforce bundles – priced from $125 to $550 per user/month – depending on features. Analysts warn these bundled changes could lead to unexpected costs and complexity, especially if organizations aren't prepared to manage AI governance and contract transparency. (Source: CFODive) Why this is important for your business: It's a risky game. Salesforce is, without question, the CRM leader and holds the largest market share in the industry. But ask anyone and they'll tell you how it's very pricey…and that's even before these announced increases. There are many excellent CRM platforms that are available at a much lower price point and that can serve the needs of most small and mid-sized businesses. I know that you get what you pay for. But people will question whether they're being forced to overpay for the privilege of using Salesforce. Business Technology News #2 – LinkedIn CEO says AI writing assistant is not as popular as expected. LinkedIn CEO Ryan Roslansky revealed that the platform's AI writing assistant – designed to help users polish their posts – hasn't gained the traction he anticipated. He attributes this to the high stakes of posting on LinkedIn, which he calls 'your resume online.' Users worry that AI-generated content could damage their professional credibility, especially if they're publicly called out. Despite this, AI adoption on LinkedIn is booming in other areas: job listings requiring AI skills have increased sixfold, and users adding AI skills to their profiles have surged twentyfold. Roslansky even shared that he personally uses Microsoft Copilot to refine emails to his boss, Satya Nadella. 'Every time, before I send him an email, I hit the Copilot button to make sure that I sound Satya-smart.' (Source: TechCrunch) Why this is important for your business: Here's a tip: when posting your thoughts on LinkedIn, don't use their AI tools. Why? Because it's your thoughts, not a bot. LinkedIn is excellent because people can be their (professional) selves on the platforms, sharing advice and insights. I believe that AI takes something away from that and – thank goodness – we humans can detect it. Go ahead and use the tools to make resumes or job listings better. But your thoughts are your thoughts and should always be 100 percent you. Business Technology News #3 – Walmart unveils new AI-powered tools to empower 1.5 million associates. Walmart has launched a suite of AI-powered tools aimed at transforming the work experience for its 1.5 million U.S. store associates: A new AI task management system helps prioritize and recommend tasks, cutting shift planning time from 90 minutes to just 30. A real-time translation tool supports 44 languages, enabling smoother communication between associates and customers – especially useful in multilingual settings. Walmart's conversational AI assistant is getting a GenAI upgrade, turning complex process guides into step-by-step instructions. It already handles over 3 million queries daily from 900,000 weekly users. The tools are accessible via the Walmart associate app, designed to make work more intuitive, efficient, and rewarding. (Source: Walmart) Why this is important for your business: Walmart will soon be facing what every business faces when rolling out new technology: training. These features sound great and I do believe they can add a significant amount of value to the in-store experience, both for customers and employees. But only if employees know how to use this application correctly. It'll be interesting to see how Walmart implements training company-wide. Business Technology News #4 – Employers: A cautionary tale about new cyber threats involving employee handbooks. International law firm Clark Hill is warning employers about a new cyber threat involving fake employee handbooks. Hackers are distributing what appear to be legitimate handbooks via spoofed company emails. These emails prompt employees to scan a QR code to 'acknowledge receipt,' but the code leads to a malicious website that mimics corporate login portals like Microsoft 365. Once employees enter their credentials, attackers gain access to internal systems or install malware. (Source: JD Supra) Why this is important for your business: Wow. Say what you want about hackers but that's pretty ingenious. As the article points out it's important to train employees on email security using this scam as a case study; clarify how handbooks are distributed and acknowledged; strengthen IT defenses with multi-factor authentication and anti-malware tools; ensure HR portals and third-party vendors follow strong security protocols. It's a sharp reminder that even routine HR documents can be weaponized in sophisticated phishing attacks. Business Technology News #5 – The best email marketing software: Expert tested. ZDNet's 2025 roundup of the best email marketing software highlights how AI has transformed the landscape. These tools now do much more than just send emails – they help craft content, optimize timing, personalize messages, and adapt in real time based on user behavior. Here are their top picks: -Mailchimp: Best overall for its simplicity and robust features. -HubSpot: Ideal if you want CRM integration and advanced automation. -MailerLite: Great for creators and small teams focused on automation. -Brevo (formerly Sendinblue): Best for multichannel campaigns. -Klaviyo: Tailored for e-commerce automation. ZDNet tested these platforms for ease of use, AI capabilities, automation, and pricing –making them suitable for everyone from solo entrepreneurs to large marketing teams. (Source: ZDNet) Why this is important for your business: No surprises here. One other important thing to note: if you're sending bulk or mass emails it's important to use a good e-mail marketing service like the ones listed above. Their job is to get your emailed delivered and they'll put you through due diligence to make sure you're abiding by their best practices. That's a good thing. Each week I round up five business technology news stories and explain why they're important for your business. If you have any interesting stories, please post to my X account @genemarks
Forbes
6 days ago
- Forbes
AI And Domestic Violence: Boon, Bane — Or Both?
Output of an Artificial Intelligence system from Google Vision, performing Facial Recognition on a ... More photograph of a man, with facial features identified and facial bounding boxes present. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) One evening, a woman clicked open the camera app on her phone, hoping to capture what nobody else was around to see — her partner's escalating rage. Their arguments followed a familiar pattern: she would say something that set him off, and he would close the physical distance between them, screaming in a high-pitched voice, often threatening her with violence. 'I'd never actually do it, of course,' he would often say later on, once the dust had settled between them. 'You're the one mentally torturing me.' Sometimes, the response would escalate even further. He would throw her phone across the room, upset by the 'invasion of [his] privacy', or snatch an object from her hands, raising it as if to strike her with it. No physical bruises were left, but the writing was on the wall — with no device to capture it, no alert to trigger and no safe place to store the evidence. For many women, this isn't a plot point from a cringey Netflix drama — it's near-daily reality, and comprises the kind of behavior that rarely results in a police complaint. Notably, while threats of physical harm are explicitly criminal in many jurisdictions — including India and the U.S. — they've long gone undocumented and unprosecuted. Experts note that this very pattern — escalating verbal threats, threatened or actual destruction of property and intimidation — often marks the early stages of more serious and damaging domestic violence. And in certain contexts, AI-enabled tools are making it easier to discreetly gather evidence, assess personal risk and document abuse — actions that were previously unsafe or more difficult to carry out. At the same time, these technologies open up unprecedented avenues for new forms of harm. Increasingly, the most common 'eyewitness' in situations like these is a phone, a cloud account or a smart device — secretly recording, storing and offering support or a lifeline. But just as easily, the same tools can be turned into instruments of control, surveillance and even manipulated retaliation. Tech For Good Around the world, one in three women has experienced physical or sexual violence by a partner, according to the World Health Organization. As AI becomes more embedded in everyday devices, a growing number of tools have come up, often with the stated goal of making homes safer for those at risk — particularly those experiencing intimate partner violence. During the COVID-19 pandemic, as cases of domestic violence surged, Rhiana Spring, a human rights lawyer and founder of the Swiss-based nonprofit Spring ACT, saw an opportunity to deploy AI for good. Her organization developed Sophia, a chatbot that offers confidential, 24/7 assistance to domestic violence survivors. Users can talk to Sophia without leaving a digital trace, covertly seek help and even store evidence for use in legal proceedings. Unlike traditional apps, Sophia doesn't require a download, minimizing surveillance risks. 'We've had survivors contact Sophia from Mongolia to the Dominican Republic,' Spring told Zendesk after winning a Tech for Good award in 2022. Meanwhile, smart home cameras, like those from Arlo or Google Nest, now offer AI-driven motion and sound detection that can distinguish between people, animals and packages. Some can even detect screaming or unusual sounds and send alerts instantly — features that can be valuable for creating a digital record of abuse, especially when survivors are worried about gaslighting or lack physical evidence. Several CCTV systems also allow cloud-based, encrypted storage, which prevents footage from being deleted or accessed locally by an abuser. Services like Wyze Cam Plus offer affordable cloud subscriptions with AI tagging, and features like 'privacy masking' allow selective blackouts in shared spaces. For discreet assistance, several smartphone apps also integrate AI with panic alert features. Examples include MyPlan, Aspire News — which poses as a news app but offers emergency contacts and danger assessment tools — and Circle of 6. Smart jewelry like InvisaWear and Flare hide panic buttons in accessories, where, with a double-tap, users can clandestinely notify emergency contacts and share their GPS location. Beyond home safety and personal apps, AI is also entering hospitals and law enforcement in the context of domestic violence response and prevention. Dr. Bharti Khurana, a radiologist at Brigham and Women's Hospital, developed an AI-powered tool called the Automated Intimate Partner Violence Risk Support (AIRS) system, which scans medical records and imaging data for subtle injury patterns often missed by doctors and flags patients who may be victims of abuse. According to Khurana's team, AIRS has helped identify domestic violence up to four years earlier than patients typically report it. Another U.S.-based initiative, Aimee Says, was launched in Colorado to help survivors navigate the complexities of the legal system. The chatbot walks users through the process of filing protection orders, finding support organizations and understanding their rights. The app features guest mode sessions that disappear after use as well as a hidden exit button for quick redirection if an abuser walks into the room. 'We want to be there before the person is ready to reach out to a victim service organization — hopefully, early enough to prevent a future of violence,' said co-founder Anne Wintemute in a December 2024 interview with The Decatur Daily. Double-Edged Sword In India and much of the Global South, domestic violence continues to be rampant, widespread and hugely underreported. According to the National Family Health Survey (NFHS-5), nearly one in three Indian women aged 18 to 49 has experienced spousal violence — but only a fraction seek help, often due to stigma, dependency, fear of escalation or lacunae in response frameworks and accountability. In these contexts, AI has the potential to be a particularly powerful tool — helping survivors document abuse or seek help — but its reach is limited by access, resources and trust in the technology itself. Surveillance concerns also loom large, especially in environments where privacy is already compromised. Moreover, the same technologies that support survivors can also open new avenues for harm — particularly when wielded by abusers. Deepfake technology, which uses generative AI to produce hyper-realistic fake audio, images or video, is already complicating legal proceedings, with fabricated call logs, messages or videos sometimes used to falsely implicate victims. In restraining order hearings or custody disputes, which often happen quickly and with limited fact-finding, courts may have little time or capacity to assess the authenticity of digital evidence. Products that store data, enable remote surveillance and monitor behavior can just as easily become weaponized by abusers. Few tech companies offer transparency and answerability on how their tools could be misused in these ways, or build in strong enough safety features by design. 'In parallel, the emergence of deepfake technology … also raises alarms regarding privacy invasion, security risks and propagation of misinformation,' warned Supreme Court Justice Hima Kohli of India, explaining how easy it has become to manipulate trust in digital content. The same code that is used as a lifeline, then, can also become a weapon in the same breath. As AI evolves, while the real test for the tech industry is indeed about how 'smart' their tools can become, it's also about how safely and justly they can adapt to serve those who need them most.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
Earnings Preview: What To Expect From Nike & How Its Handling Tariffs
Projecting sign with Nike swoosh logo outside retail store against blue sky and high-rise buildings, ... More San Francisco, California, May 13, 2025. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) Nike is scheduled to report earnings after Thursday's close. The stock hit a record high of $179.10/share in 2021 and is currently trading near $62. The stock is prone to big moves after reporting earnings and can easily gap up if the numbers are strong. Conversely, if the numbers disappoint, the stock can easily gap down. To help you prepare, here is what the Street is expecting: Earnings Preview The company is expected to report a gain of $0.12/share on $10.67 billion in revenue. Meanwhile, the so-called Whisper number is a gain of $0.21/share. The Whisper number is the Street's unofficial view on earnings. A Closer Look At The Fundamentals The company has seen up and down earnings over the last few years. In 2020, the company made $1.84/share. In 2021, earnings jumped to $3.56. Then, earnings came in at $3.75 in 2022. Then, earnings slid to $3.23 in 2023. In 2024, earnings grew to $3.95 and are expected to come in at $2.15 in 2025 and $1.85 in 2026. The stock sports a price to earnings (P/E) ratio of 20 which is (0.8x) lower than the benchmark S&P 500. It will be interesting to see what the company says about tariffs. FedEx came out last week and didn't report future guidance because of tariffs. Nike imports its sneakers from abroad, so tariffs will play a big role. Charts & Data Courtesy of MarketSurge Inc. A Closer Look At The Technicals Technically, the stock is in a long downtrend and trying to bottom. The stock is trading below its longer term 200-day moving average line (DMA) which is not a healthy sign. The stock sports a relative strength (RS) rating of only 14 which is very low. MarketSurge ranks the RS rating from 1-99, 1 being the lowest and 99 being the highest. Ideally, the bulls want to see the stock gap up and the bears want to see it gap down after earnings. Company History Nike, originally founded as Blue Ribbon Sports on Jan. 25, 1964, began as a small operation in Eugene, Oregon. Phil Knight, a track athlete at the University of Oregon, and his coach Bill Bowerman teamed up to import high-quality running shoes from Japan's Onitsuka Tiger (now Asics) to sell in the U.S. market. Knight sold these shoes out of his car at track meets, while Bowerman contributed his expertise by experimenting with innovative shoe designs. By 1966, BRS had opened its first retail store in Santa Monica, California, and expanded operations to the East Coast. However, disagreements with Onitsuka Tiger led the company to rebrand as Nike in 1971, adopting the now-iconic Swoosh logo designed by Carolyn Davidson. The launch of Nike marked a turning point for the company. In 1972, Nike introduced its first original shoe featuring Bowerman's revolutionary "waffle sole," inspired by a waffle iron, which enhanced traction and durability. The company gained momentum throughout the 1970s and introduced its patented Air technology in 1979, setting it apart from competitors. The 1980s solidified Nike's dominance with high-profile endorsements, most notably Michael Jordan in 1984. The Air Jordan line became a cultural phenomenon, blending performance and style. Nike also debuted its "Just Do It" slogan in 1988, further embedding itself into popular culture and sports. Today, Nike is a global leader in sportswear and innovation, headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon. It has expanded beyond footwear into apparel, equipment, and digital technology like Nike+, which integrates fitness tracking with wearable devices. With a focus on sustainability through initiatives like Flyknit technology and recycled materials, Nike continues to adapt to modern demands while maintaining its legacy as a brand synonymous with athletic excellence and innovation. Company Profile NIKE, Inc., together with its subsidiaries, engages in the design, development, marketing, and sale of athletic footwear, apparel, equipment, accessories, and services worldwide. The company provides athletic and casual footwear, apparel, and accessories under the NIKE, Jumpman, Converse, Chuck Taylor, All Star, One Star, Star Chevron, and Jack Purcell trademarks. It also sells a line of performance equipment and accessories comprising bags, sport balls, socks, eyewear, timepieces, digital devices, bats, gloves, protective equipment, and other equipment for sports activities under the NIKE brand; and various plastic products to other manufacturers. In addition, the company markets apparel with licensed college and professional team, and league logos, as well as sells sports apparel; licenses unaffiliated parties to manufacture and sell apparel, digital devices, and applications and other equipment for sports activities under NIKE-owned trademarks; and operates digital platforms, including fitness and activity apps; sport, fitness, and wellness content; and digital services and features in retail stores. It sells its products to footwear stores; sporting goods stores; athletic specialty stores; department stores; skate, tennis, and golf shops; and other retail accounts through NIKE-owned retail stores, digital platforms, independent distributors, licensees, and sales representatives. The company was founded in 1964 and is headquartered in Beaverton, Oregon. Pay Attention To How The Stock Reacts To The News From where I sit, the most important trait I look for during earnings season is how the market and a specific company reacts to the news. Remember, always keep your losses small and never argue with the The stock has been featured on
Forbes
17-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
The Y Combinator Question And Is Silicon Valley's Kingmaker Playing A Different Game In The AI Era?
Sign with logos for Google and the Google owned video streaming service YouTube at the Googleplex, ... More the Silicon Valley headquarters of search engine and technology company Google Inc in Mountain View, California, April 14, 2018. (Photo by Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images) The YC demo day numbers present a fascinating puzzle. Y Combinator's first ever Spring 2025 batch at their new HQ showcased 141 startups with an average weekly revenue growth of 12%, marking another impressive milestone for the accelerator that gave the world Airbnb, Stripe, and Dropbox. More than 18000 startups applied, and at the 0.8% accept rate, the prestige and hype seem to be at the all time high .Yet these metrics show a more intriguing question that has venture capitalists and industry observers scratching their heads. According to a recent debate on LinkedIn, since 2018 and fundamental changes the rules of artificial intelligence, thirty-seven companies have achieved unicorn status in the generative AI space. The curious fact? Zero went through Y Combinator. Some investors are debating the value of the YC badge premium, reflected in the valuation and its multiple. At first glance, this seems like a damning indictment. YC invests in approximately five hundred startups annually, with nearly ninety percent of recent cohorts being GenAI companies. Yet their unicorn count in this space remains conspicuously absent. But what if this apparent failure actually reveals something more sophisticated about YC's long-term strategy? The most immediate explanation lies in the fundamental economics of the AI revolution. Infrastructure plays in generative AI require massive capital outlays that dwarf traditional software startups. When foundation model development demands one hundred million dollars or more in computational resources, YC's standard investment amounts become challenging to scale to unicorn status through traditional pathways. OpenAI's billion-dollar funding rounds and Anthropic's multi-billion dollar war chest have created an entirely new category of competition. But this capital intensity might actually validate YC's approach rather than undermine it. While others chase the expensive infrastructure plays, YC may be positioning itself for the inevitable wave of application-layer innovations that will follow. History suggests that the most sustainable value creation often occurs not in the foundational technologies themselves, but in the creative applications built on top of them. The internet's biggest winners weren't the infrastructure providers, but companies like Amazon and Google that leveraged existing infrastructure in novel ways. YC's apparent focus on AI application companies might reflect a sophisticated understanding of technology adoption cycles. The current GenAI unicorns are primarily infrastructure and foundation model companies—impressive technical achievements, but potentially vulnerable to commoditization as the technology matures. The Spring 2025 batch revealed interesting patterns: companies building "Cursor for X" applications, vertical AI solutions for specific industries, and novel consumer AI experiences. While these may seem less ambitious than training new foundation models, they could represent the real long-term value creation opportunities in AI. Consider that Microsoft's massive investment in OpenAI has generated more value through integration with existing products like Office and Azure than OpenAI has captured independently. The application layer may prove to be where the most durable competitive advantages emerge. YC's investment timing might be more strategic than it appears. The accelerator is known for entering markets before they become obviously attractive to larger investors. Their absence from the current crop of GenAI unicorns could signal that they view the current wave as overvalued infrastructure plays rather than sustainable business models. The companies achieving unicorn status in GenAI today are doing so primarily on potential rather than proven business fundamentals. Many face uncertain unit economics, regulatory challenges, and intense competition from well-funded incumbents. YC's focus on companies with demonstrated revenue growth and clear paths to profitability might prove prescient as the market matures. The accelerator's emphasis on weekly growth metrics, while sometimes criticized as short-term thinking, could actually provide better risk-adjusted returns than the massive bets being placed on unproven AI infrastructure companies. Perhaps most intriguingly, YC's approach might reflect a belief in AI democratization rather than concentration. While current GenAI unicorns represent centralized, capital-intensive approaches to AI, YC's portfolio companies seem to be building tools that make AI accessible to smaller businesses and individual creators. This democratization thesis aligns with YC's historical pattern of betting on technologies that empower individuals and small businesses rather than reinforcing existing power structures. The real AI revolution might not be in building bigger models, but in making AI capabilities accessible to everyone. The rise of companies building AI development tools, specialized vertical applications, and consumer-focused AI experiences suggests YC might be positioning for a future where AI capability is distributed rather than concentrated in a few large foundation model providers. YC's absence from current GenAI unicorns might reflect a longer investment horizon than the market currently appreciates. The accelerator has historically succeeded by identifying sustainable business models rather than chasing technological trends. Their current AI investments might be targeting the second or third wave of AI innovation rather than the first. The most successful technology investors often appear to be "missing out" during peak hype cycles, only to emerge with superior returns as markets mature and fundamentals matter more than speculation. YC's cautious approach to infrastructure-heavy AI plays might prove to be shrewd risk management rather than strategic blindness. Furthermore, the three-month accelerator program might be perfectly suited for AI application companies that can iterate quickly and validate market demand, even if it's inadequate for companies requiring years of research and development. While YC hasn't produced GenAI unicorns, their portfolio companies are generating impressive revenue growth and solving real customer problems. The Spring 2025 batch's 12% weekly growth rate suggests that practical AI applications might offer more predictable returns than moonshot infrastructure investments. The accelerator's focus on revenue-generating AI companies, rather than pure research plays, might reflect a sophisticated understanding of what creates lasting value in technology markets. Companies that can demonstrate clear customer demand and sustainable unit economics often outperform those built on technological prowess alone. This approach also provides more diversified risk exposure. Rather than making massive bets on a few infrastructure companies that could be disrupted by new research breakthroughs, YC is building a portfolio of application companies that can adapt to changing technological foundations. The absence of YC companies among current GenAI unicorns raises broader questions about how innovation emerges and scales in different technology cycles. Perhaps the current wave of GenAI unicorns represents an anomaly rather than the new normal—companies that achieved massive valuations based on technical capability during a period of abundant capital and speculative enthusiasm. As the market matures and focuses more on sustainable business models, YC's emphasis on practical applications and proven revenue generation might prove to be the winning strategy. The real test won't be who achieved unicorn status first, but who builds lasting, profitable businesses that create genuine value for customers. Ultimately, the success of YC's AI strategy will be measured not by participation in the current unicorn race, but by the long-term performance of their portfolio companies. If the current GenAI unicorns prove to be overvalued infrastructure plays with questionable business models, YC's focus on practical applications could generate superior returns. The Spring 2025 batch's strong revenue growth metrics suggest that YC's AI companies are building real businesses with paying customers rather than pursuing valuation-driven strategies - despite the fact that 70% applied with $0 revenue, and nearly half had only an idea. This focus on fundamentals might seem unexciting compared to billion-dollar foundation model funding rounds, but it could prove to be the more sustainable approach. The accelerator's track record suggests they excel at identifying business models that can scale efficiently rather than technologies that generate headlines. Their current AI portfolio might be optimized for long-term value creation rather than short-term valuation maximization. YC's approach might reflect strategic patience rather than strategic confusion. The accelerator has consistently succeeded by entering markets at optimal times rather than being first movers. Their absence from the current GenAI unicorn wave could indicate they're waiting for better entry points or more attractive business models to emerge. The history of technology adoption suggests that the most valuable companies often emerge in the second or third waves of innovation, after the initial infrastructure has been built and market needs become clearer. YC's current AI investments might be positioning for this later wave rather than trying to compete with well-funded infrastructure plays. This patience could prove particularly valuable if the current GenAI market experiences a correction or consolidation. Companies with strong fundamentals and efficient capital structures might be better positioned to survive market downturns than highly valued infrastructure plays with uncertain business models. Whether YC's AI strategy proves brilliant or misguided remains to be seen. The accelerator's absence from current GenAI unicorns could represent either a missed opportunity or sophisticated market timing. The answer will depend on how the AI market evolves and whether sustainable business models emerge from the current wave of infrastructure investment. What's clear is that YC continues to attract strong founders and generate impressive portfolio company metrics. The Spring 2025 batch's performance suggests that their approach is creating real value, even if it's not generating the headline-grabbing valuations of foundation model companies. The ultimate test will be whether YC's focus on practical AI applications and sustainable business models generates better risk-adjusted returns than the massive infrastructure bets being made elsewhere in the market. Only time will tell if Silicon Valley's kingmaker is missing the AI revolution or positioning for its next phase. As the AI landscape continues to evolve, YC's strategy might prove to be exactly what the market needs: a focus on building real businesses that solve actual problems, rather than chasing technological breakthroughs with uncertain commercial applications. The proof, as they say, will be in the pudding.
