Tech and startups: 22nd April 2025

• 19 new tech unicorns were minted in 2025 while March alone added 11 new unicorns, with the broader market seeing Q1 2025 startup funding reaching $91.5 billion, including OpenAI's massive $40 billion round.

• Hence AI launches 'Hence Global', an AI-driven tool for tracking geopolitical risks, while other significant AI funding includes Exaforce securing $75M for security operations, Virtue AI raising $30M for safety tools, and Goodfire raising $50M for AI interpretability.

• Techstars boosts its startup funding to $220,000, mirroring Y Combinator's structure, while Telli, a YC alum, raises pre-seed funding for AI voice agents, and defense tech startup Theseus landed YC, US Special Forces, and $4.3M from a viral tweet.

• Figma has confidentially filed for an IPO following Adobe's failed $20 billion acquisition attempt, while startups faced mixed messages as Marshmallow secured $90M and Founders Fund raised $4.6B.

• Erik Torenberg joins Andreessen Horowitz as a general partner following the acquisition of his Turpentine podcast, while TBD VC unveils a $35M fund targeting Israeli deep tech startups, showing continued activity in the VC landscape.

• Phantom Neuro secures $19 million to advance its wristband-like device for controlling prosthetics, while InfinAstro raises angel funding to develop 'Space Bus' orbital transfer vehicles, both representing breakthroughs in hardware innovation.

• Leveraging pre-seed funding effectively is crucial for startups, focusing on sales, MVP development, and scenario planning to maximize impact, while AI is revolutionizing venture capital by enhancing deal sourcing, market analysis, and deal structuring.

• LatAm startups like Salva Health, Ripio, Jefa, and Olho do Dono are gaining significant traction through TechCrunch Startup Battlefield, accessing global exposure and investment opportunities in healthcare, fintech, and agriculture.

Things I've learned about building + delivering software for other engineers while working in Engineering Productivity (jvt.me, 2025-04-17). Jamie Tanna shares insights from his Engineering Productivity role at Elastic, discussing tools like CI, automated builds, and practices such as empathy-driven documentation, user experience improvements, and balancing friction in software delivery

Part 9: Launch & Post-Deployment Monitoring (idiallo.com, 2025-04-19). Launching an application like FamFlix requires ongoing monitoring, phased rollouts, robust feedback channels, and a strong incident response strategy to ensure a smooth experience for users and continuous improvement

Part 10: Future Enhancements & Iterative Growth (idiallo.com, 2025-04-21). FamFlix evolves post-launch through roadmap prioritization, scalability tweaks, and cost optimization metrics, drawing from the author's experience with tools like Node.js and addressing real user needs for sustainable growth

Skyscrapers or mud huts (ericnormand.substack.com, 2025-04-16). Exploring the challenge of maintaining complex systems, Eric Normand contrasts code written in Clojure with the simplicity of mud huts, emphasizing the need for maintainability and humility in software design

Be Mindful of What You Make Easy (blog.jim-nielsen.com, 2025-04-16). The post discusses the evolution from manual vendoring of dependencies to modern package management tools like npm, emphasizing how simplifying processes can lead to unintended dependencies and calling for mindfulness in development practices

Simplify, simplify, simplify (eric.mann.blog, 2025-04-16). Exploring process simplification through Elon Musk's philosophy, the article highlights tools like Zoom, Google Meet, and Slack, emphasizing the need for iterative decision-making and the balance between cutting costs and maintaining operational continuity

When engineers say "that'll take months!" (ryansinger.co, 2025-04-17). Engineers often say 'that'll take months!' due to legacy code and broad project definitions. Narrowing scope, negotiating refinements, and breaking down projects into smaller sprints can lead to accelerated delivery and more valuable outcomes

Refreshed StaffEng.com and a few other sites (lethain.com, 2025-04-20). The author refreshed StaffEng.com and related sites using Hugo, improving mobile rendering and updating links, while sharing thoughts on maintaining blog servers versus using reliable, long-term platforms like GitHub Pages

Why did Stripe build Sorbet? (~2017). (lethain.com, 2025-04-17). Stripe developed Sorbet, a static type checker for Ruby, to manage the complexity of its monolithic codebase and improve developer productivity, allowing engineers to focus on functionality rather than migration to other languages

We need an LLVM project for browser engines (slightknack.dev, 2025-04-18). A universal browser backend, similar to LLVM, could enable developers to create diverse browsers by mixing modular components, enhancing open web resilience against monopolies and stifling innovation. Efforts are needed to foster browser diversity

Replication > REST (slightknack.dev, 2025-04-16). Explores CRDTs, REST, and the need for efficient database synchronization, while advocating for local-first software that allows clients to query local database replicas and overcome manual data state management

Tech hiring: is this an inflection point? (blog.pragmaticengineer.com, 2025-04-15). The shift in tech hiring signals a potential return to in-person interviews as companies face challenges from AI-assisted candidates. Traditional remote hiring methods and coding assessments are proving less effective in the current market

Working at Amazon as a software engineer – with Dave Anderson (newsletter.pragmaticengineer.com, 2025-04-16). Dave Anderson, ex-Tech Director at Amazon, discusses Amazon's engineering culture, including hiring processes, team autonomy, on-call responsibilities, and the unique 'Bar Raiser' role while shedding light on operational excellence

Potatoes, good taste, and 10x teams 💡 (refactoring.fm, 2025-04-21). Scaling business infrastructures with Render, enhancing team collaboration through the 'Hot Potato Process', and prioritizing taste and skill development in the age of AI for creating 10x teams

The Best Product Engineering Org in the World [video] (jamesshore.com, 2025-04-18). James Shore discusses creating the best product engineering organization, covering six key areas: people, internal quality, lovability, visibility, agility, and profitability, along with the challenges associated with each

8 Lessons That Helped Me Lead Remote Teams with Trust, Inclusion, and Results (medium.com/swlh, 2025-04-16). Leadership in remote teams necessitates trust and inclusion. Key tools include Google Calendar for meeting structure, Slack for communication, and Asana for project management, enhancing collaboration across diverse cultures and time zones

The Pass (visitmy.website, 2025-04-21). Steve Messer discusses redesigning teams around user-centered KPIs, partnering with AI for data extraction, and personal milestones like passing his driving test and plans for a hiking trip in the Spanish Pyrenees

Is Product-Market Fit Getting Harder to Keep? (mostlymetrics.com, 2025-04-19). Exploring the challenges of maintaining product-market fit in 2025, discussing AI growth curves and the fleeting nature of market advantages, while emphasizing the importance of metrics and proactive financial strategies for tech startups

If I ran Bluesky Product (werd.io, 2025-04-16). Exploring Bluesky's mission to create an open protocol for social media, emphasizing user control, decentralized applications, and potential revenue through subscriptions and ecosystem growth, while contrasting with Twitter's restrictive model

Building Software Isn’t an Assembly Line. It’s a Design Process. (v01.io, 2025-04-15). Henry Ford revolutionized manufacturing with the conveyor belt, but software development requires a different approach focused on design, problem-solving, and interdisciplinary collaboration, rather than rigid specialization and mechanized efficiency

When to Build vs. Buy: A Guide for Engineers & Founders (boredhacking.com, 2025-04-19). Build vs. buy decisions can significantly impact budget and roadmap. Explore real-world case studies, including Cortex, DX, Signadot, and Extend, to understand the analysis framework and when to choose third-party solutions

Integrations as Competitive Advantage (tomtunguz.com, 2025-04-18). AI innovations enable startups to create integrations in hours, drastically shortening sales cycles and establishing competitive advantages over incumbents reliant on traditional lengthy integration processes

Amplitude CEO: Demo, Story, and How They Build Product (news.aakashg.com, 2025-04-18). Spenser Skates, CEO of Amplitude, discusses product building, data utilization, and AI tools in a podcast episode, showcasing features like autocapture, segmentation, and session replays, while sharing the story behind Amplitude's inception

Agency is Eating the World (giansegato.com, 2025-04-20). Agency reshapes business landscapes, enabling solo operators to build billion-dollar companies using AI tools like ChatGPT, while traditional specialization values diminish in an evolving economy focused on individual determination and high agency

A Few Notes on Problem Solving & The Dark Side of Gumroad (creativerly.com, 2025-04-15). Gumroad faces scrutiny under Sahil Lavingia's leadership, particularly regarding NSFW content bans, controversial AI replacements, and funding struggles, amidst fresh updates on tldraw's fundraising and WordPress's AI website builder launch

It's Never Been Easier to Found a Company (innovationnation.blog, 2025-04-19). Advancements in technology have streamlined the process of founding a company, as demonstrated by the author's experience incorporating a corporation in just hours using Stripe Atlas and managing the cap table with Carta

🎧🍌 Surviving Two Seed Extensions, Fixing Auth for AI Agents | Clerk Founder & CEO Colin Sidoti (thespl.it, 2025-04-21). Colin Sidoti discusses his journey with Clerk, exploring challenges in Seed fundraising, building a compound startup for authentication, and the impact of AI on user management and billing tools

One Year of Podscan: Reflecting on Tech & Business Decisions (thebootstrappedfounder.com, 2025-04-18). Podscan's first year showcases its growth to profitability, utilizing PHP and Laravel for its tech stack, while leveraging tools like Meilisearch for search, Paddle for payments, and ScrapingBee for data extraction

Creator economy businesses - a correction (werd.io, 2025-04-16). The author clarifies skepticism towards venture-funded creative economy businesses, acknowledging successes like Medium and Ghost while indicating challenges in achieving venture-scale growth

“I think CEOs that are interested in a future acquisition need to be building relationships or at least awareness with potential buyers at least 2-3 years in advance, especially with strategics. If you’re not on the list, it’s rare for a deal to happen.” Joe Hyrkin on Selling Issuu to Bending Spoons, and More…. (hunterwalk.com, 2025-04-17). Joe Hyrkin emphasizes the importance of building relationships with potential acquirers years prior to a sale, highlighting his experience with Issuu's acquisition by Bending Spoons and the significance of strategic discussions

Superfluid Podcast Episode #2 - Chris Wirasinha on Bootstrapping vs Fundraising as a Two-Time Founder (readsuperfluid.com, 2025-04-16). Chris Wirasinha discusses his experiences as a two-time founder, contrasting bootstrapping with venture fundraising, while sharing strategies to secure investor buy-in on their mission in the latest Superfluid Podcast episode

Greatest Hits (ma.tt, 2025-04-19). Matt Mullenweg reflects on his blogging journey over 8,465 days, highlighting significant posts on topics such as WordCamps, CEO feedback techniques, the GPL, and the intrinsic value of blogging

Describe me (manton.org, 2025-04-16). Manton Reece reflects on his identity as a thoughtful developer and writer, proficient in Ruby, JavaScript, and macOS, while exploring technology's cultural impacts and maintaining a balance between clarity and empathy in his work

Going Full-Time as an Open Source Developer (optimizedbyotto.com, 2025-04-16). After leaving AWS, an open source developer commits six months to enhancing Debian and critical software infrastructure, highlighting open source's evolution and the need for effective maintenance processes

Unapologetically Technical Episode 19 – Jacopo Tagliabue (jesse-anderson.com, 2025-04-15). Jacopo Tagliabue discusses his journey from cognitive science to entrepreneurship in data science, highlighting tools like LLMs, ‘Git for Data,’ and innovative architectures at Bauplan, along with insights on team management and startup founding

Quoting Hamel Husain (simonwillison.net, 2025-04-15). Hamel Husain emphasizes the importance of custom interfaces for AI teams, enabling fast iteration and tailored user experiences in specific domains, aided by tools like Cursor and Loveable for efficient development

Building a magical AI code editor used by over 1 million developers in four months: The untold story of Windsurf | Varun Mohan (co-founder & CEO) (lennysnewsletter.com, 2025-04-20). Windsurf, an AI-powered IDE, achieved rapid success with over 1 million users in four months through strategic pivots, innovative UI changes, and a focus on hiring high-agency team members for software development

Good practices for AI-assisted development from a live protein calculator demo (ericmjl.github.io, 2025-04-19). Eric J. Ma demonstrates a protein mass spectrometry calculator, highlighting the importance of standardization, AI assistance, and effective collaboration to enhance coding practices and maintain human creativity in software development

AI is changing how software teams work together (leaddev.com, 2025-04-16). A Stanford study reveals AI's transformative role in software team collaboration, emphasizing generative AI's impact on redefining roles, enhancing cross-functional alignment, and fostering parallel workflows in product design and development

AI-Assisted Coding and the Rise of “Vibe Coding” (8thlight.com, 2025-04-16). AI-assisted coding is evolving into 'vibe coding', allowing developers to describe functionality in plain language, with tools like GitHub Copilot generating complete code. This shift emphasizes collaboration, creativity, and reduced manual coding

Team Autonomy and AI (svpg.com, 2025-04-18). Exploration of generative AI's impact on product teams, discussing empowerment versus autonomy, and the promise of new tools for code generation, product discovery, and improved product maintainability and quality

The Age of Personalized Software: How LLMs Are Changing Programming (afiodorov.github.io, 2025-04-17). LLMs enable personalized app development, making programming accessible while emphasizing the importance of professional design and expertise in software production for commercial success