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🗓️ WHEN: Wednesday, September 4

🕺 WHO'S ATTENDING: Industry experts from DataStax, Priceline, PayPal, NVIDIA, IBM, WorkSpan, and Unstructured

FINE-TUNING NOW AVAILABLE FOR GPT-4O

OpenAI has launched fine-tuning for GPT-4o, allowing developers to customize the model for specific use cases with their own datasets. It is offering 1 million free training tokens per day through September 23.

OPENAI STRIKES SEARCH DEAL WITH CONDE NAST

OpenAI has entered a multi-year licensing agreement with Condé Nast, allowing it to display content from the publisher's brands, such as Vogue and The New Yorker, within its products, including ChatGPT and SearchGPT.

META'S SELF-TAUGHT EVALUATOR ENABLES LLMS TO CREATE THEIR OWN TRAINING DATA

Meta FAIR researchers have introduced the Self-Taught Evaluator, a method to train evaluative LLMs without human annotations, potentially enhancing the efficiency and scalability of LLM assessment. Using the LLM-as-a-Judge concept, it iteratively generates and refines responses to create a training dataset, demonstrating improved performance on benchmarks like RewardBench. This technique could enable enterprises to leverage unlabeled data for LLM tuning while acknowledging the importance of a well-aligned seed model and the limitations of benchmarks.

MESHFORMER3D

A fast, cheap, and state-of-the-art 3D mesh generation model that can be conditioned on images or text. Specifically, it uses signed distance function supervision and a cascade of steps such as a normal map generator that offloads different tasks to various submodels.

SHORTCIRCUIT: ALPHAZERO-DRIVEN CIRCUIT DESIGN

Automating and optimizing chip design with AI can reduce costs and meet demand for stronger chips. This method was tested on many circuits, generating compact and efficient designs with a success rate of 84.6% using an Alpha Zero based approach.

AUTOMATED DESIGN OF AGENTIC SYSTEMS

This is a great paper that discusses how brittle modern agent systems are and what the path forward could be to design learned systems. Its authors use programming languages as a test bed where agents can be designed and run unsupervised.

HIGH-EFFICIENCY OPTICAL FLOW ESTIMATION ON EDGE DEVICES

Extremely fast and efficient optical flow code that can be run on low power devices such as phones and some security camera systems.

X-RAY REPORT GENERATION

A new framework was developed for generating X-ray medical reports that enhances performance while reducing computational complexity.

CONTROLLABLE TEXT-TO-IMAGE GENERATION USING MOUSE TRAJECTORIES

TraDiffusion is a new method for guiding text-to-image generation using mouse trajectories instead of traditional box or mask controls.

WHY DIFFUSION COULD HELP LLMS REASON

Current language models predict one word at a time, which gives very little room for planning and reasoning. There are ways around this such as Chain of Thought prompting. However, potentially using diffusion models, which can spend more diffusion steps per token, could be a way to improve model reasoning.

AI COMPANIES ARE PIVOTING FROM CREATING GODS TO BUILDING PRODUCTS

AI companies have overestimated the readiness of generative AI for widespread commercial use, leading to costly missteps in product development and market integration. As they try to correct course, they must overcome five key challenges: ensuring cost-effectiveness, improving reliability, safeguarding privacy, enhancing safety and security, and refining user interfaces. These obstacles highlight the gap between AI's potential capabilities and the practical realities of deploying AI systems that meet consumer expectations and integrate seamlessly into existing workflows. The path to widespread adoption will likely unfold over a decade or more, rather than the rapid timeline some have predicted.

LOSSRIDER

A fun utility that animates a curve rider sled going down loss functions, showing when they converge and when they're too spiky.

$16,000 HUMANOID ROBOT READY TO LEAP INTO MASS PRODUCTION

Unitree Robotics has optimized its $16,000 G1 humanoid robot for mass production, showing off its improved agility with abilities such as leaping and climbing stairs.

A MASSIVE DATASET FOR SHORT DRAMA SCRIPT GENERATION

SkyScript-100M is an extensive dataset designed to enhance the generation of high-quality shooting scripts for short dramas.

SEC REJECTS CBOE SOL ETF FILING

The U.S. SEC has rejected Cboe BZX's filings for two Solana ETFs, following the SEC's stance that Solana qualifies as a security. Despite the setback, the issuers, 21Shares and VanEck, remain active on the SEC's filing system and may consider refiling with revisions arguing that Solana is not a security.

U.S. ELECTIONS-LINKED BITCOIN OPTIONS DRAW NEARLY $350M IN OPEN INTEREST

Crypto traders have locked in $345M in bitcoin options expiring shortly after the U.S. elections on November 4, demonstrating a bullish sentiment with twice as many calls as puts. These election-dedicated options show traders expect a significant price rise following elections.

CORN: THE SUPER YIELD NETWORK ROOTED IN DIGITAL GOLD

Corn is a new Ethereum Layer 2 network that uses Bitcoin as the gas token, designed to align users, apps, and token holders by creating a yield-driven ecosystem. Following a $6.7 million seed round led by Polychain, Corn aims to incentivize participation through its native tokens, $BTCN and $CORN, offering various ways to engage and earn within the network.

BALAJI'S NETWORK STATE BECOMES A REALITY IN SINGAPORE

Renowned crypto and Silicon Valley investor Balaji Srinivasan has launched a new experimental pop-up city in Singapore called "The Network School". It's a 3-month long pop-up that hopes to redefine education, career development, and community engagement through four core themes: "Learn, Burn, Earn, and Fun". The effort will prioritize providing a platform for "dark talent" and embracing innovative approaches like crypto-credentials.

SOCIAL MEDIA FOR STARTUP FOUNDERS

Social media offers a chance for startup founders to build their brands and connect directly with their audience. However, crafting an effective social media presence requires a strategic approach, including setting realistic goals, understanding one's audience, prioritizing platforms, and creating engaging content that resonates with users. This approach must be dynamic, adapting to changing platform algorithms and audience expectations, and should incorporate both quantitative and qualitative metrics to gauge success and inform strategy adjustments.

AAVE, THE CORE PILLAR OF DECENTRALIZED FINANCE AND ONCHAIN ECONOMY

Aave is the leading decentralized borrowing and lending protocol, with over $7.5 billion in active loans. Its fundamentals have surpassed previous bull market highs, but the token trades at historically low valuation multiples. With upcoming improvements like Aave v4, revamped tokenomics, and growth from greater crypto adoption, Aave is positioned for significant expansion.

ETH - WHERE DO WE STAND?

The Ethereum debate is increasingly polarized, with strong arguments from both bulls and bears. Bears argue that Ethereum's profitability and dominance are in decline due to fragmented Layer 2s, DeFi's shaky utility, and ETH's lackluster ETF performance, while bulls highlight record-high transactions, Ethereum's robust ecosystem, and its continued role as the primary institutional-grade blockchain, suggesting long-term growth despite recent struggles.

RISK X LIQUID RESTAKING

Liquid restaking protocols must allocate properly to AVSs, otherwise, they risk slashing, liquidity constraints, and node operator reliance. Diversification and regular reassessment of the AVS portfolio will help prevent black swan events from occurring. EtherFi is working with Chaos Labs to ensure a sensible and proper AVS delegation strategy.

PREVIOUS ISSUES WITH MASS ADOPTION

DeFi, even when gamified, was too tedious and complex for regular participants. NFTs were ugly and expensive, becoming more of a modern talking piece than an actual utility. Memecoins hurt the space's reputation. The two good use cases are prediction markets and DePIN, as they enable easy adoption in areas that would otherwise not be possible.

HIGHER CRYPTO MARKET LIQUIDITY

While global M2 is getting attention, the total stablecoin market capitalization has quietly hit a fresh record high above $165 billion, signaling increased liquidity in the crypto markets.

CRYPTO APPS CLOSEST TO PMF

Polymarket, Pump.fun, and Hyperliquid are some of the apps closest to finding product-market fit in the crypto space.

INTRODUCING BOLT: SUB-SECOND PRECONFIRMATIONS

Bolt's alpha launch allows for sub-second preconfirmations and trustless proposer commitments on Ethereum.

REPRIORITIZING ETHEREUM L1 EXECUTION

Ethereum development has prioritized L2 execution for over two years at the expense of the L1, which now lags behind.

NEW IPHONE 16 PRO COLOR WILL REPORTEDLY BE DESERT TITANIUM

Apple's upcoming iPhone 16 Pro will reportedly come in a new color called Desert Titanium, described as a deep, dark gold similar to a previous purple shade. The color lineup is expected to include white, black, gold, and gray, with Desert Titanium potentially replacing the current blue option.

GOOGLE'S HEAD OF PIXEL 9 DESIGN WON'T APOLOGIZE FOR ITS BIG, BEAUTIFUL CAMERA BUMP

Claude Zellweger, Google's head of Pixel 9 design, has defended the phone's prominent camera bar as a deliberate design choice. Large camera modules are necessary for high-quality photography. Future designs may evolve as computational photography and AI post-production techniques advance, possibly reducing the need for bulky hardware.

ANNOUNCING THE 2024 DESIGN SYSTEM REPORT SURVEY—YOUR VOICE, OUR COMMUNITY

The 2024 Design System Report survey invites all who use or create design systems to share their insights. This year's survey, now shorter and more impactful, focuses on understanding community challenges and successes across various aspects of design systems. Your feedback will shape a comprehensive report with valuable best practices.

‘I REALLY F**KING HATE GENERATIVE AI' – PROCREATE CEO COMES OUT SWINGING AGAINST NEW TECH

Procreate CEO James Cuda has firmly rejected generative AI and expressed concerns about its negative impact on artists. Cuda has committed to keeping AI out of Procreate's products in favor of supporting human creativity. This stance, applauded by some artists, contrasts with other companies like Canva and Adobe that have embraced generative AI, highlighting the growing divide between proponents and critics of the technology, especially amid ongoing legal battles over AI's use of copyrighted content.

THE VIBRANT EVOLUTION: MICROSOFT'S COLORFUL TRANSFORMATION

Microsoft's brand team, in collaboration with Pantone and Franklin Till, revamped its visual identity with a new emotionally resonant color palette, categorized into Human, Vibrant, and Dimensional themes. The new palette reflects global cultural trends, moving from overly saturated tones to softer, more neutral shades to better connect with users.

COGNITIVE LOAD AND UX DESIGN

Cognitive load theory, developed by John Sweller, emphasizes optimizing information presentation to avoid overloading working memory, which can only simultaneously process 4 to 7 elements. In UX design, reducing extraneous load and optimizing intrinsic and germane loads improves user efficiency and experience and reduces errors.

FIND & REPLACE STYLES (FIGMA PLUGIN)

A tool for finding and replacing styles. It works with components, instances, and library styles. The tool is useful for aligning parameters across projects in bulk.

CONTRAST GRID (FIGMA PLUGIN)

This Figma plugin checks accessibility by evaluating color contrast combinations against WCAG 2.1 standards, ensuring designs meet a11y requirements for readability.

ISOCONS

This collection of meticulously crafted isometric icons is ideal for enhancing posters, projects, and presentations.

MADALENA STUDIO GROWS A LOGO WITH LIVE BACTERIA FOR A DRINKS LABORATORY

Madalena Studio designed a unique logo for Crucible, a drinks laboratory, by growing bacteria on cork logos and capturing natural patterns and textures. The resulting visuals reflect Crucible's experimental approach to flavor development and align with its founder's passion for natural forms.

HYPERFOCUS PUTS RECRUITMENT AGENCY'S FOUNDER AT THE CENTER OF ITS REBRAND

Undiscovered, a Berlin-based creative recruitment agency, rebranded with the help of Hyperfocus, a Hamburg-based agency, to support its expansion and new ambitions. The rebrand includes a detective-inspired character reflecting the agency's persistence in finding talent, strategic UX design for a smoother user experience, and a custom, playful visual identity that balances sophistication with a fun, animated aesthetic.

DESIGN JOB SEEKERS OFTEN FAIL TO TALK ABOUT IMPACT. HERE'S WHY THAT MATTERS

Many designers struggle to communicate the impact of their work in portfolios, often focusing on visuals over outcomes. Businesses prioritize hiring designers who demonstrate measurable results, making it crucial to highlight how designs influence vital metrics. Understanding and showcasing the real-world impact of your work makes you a more compelling candidate.

EMBRACING THE RAW AESTHETICS: INTEGRATING BRUTALISM INTO MODERN DESIGN

Brutalist architecture, a mid-20th-century style, emphasizes raw materials like concrete, functionality, and bold geometric forms.

IMITATION BREEDS MEDIOCRITY

Imitation stifles innovation by bypassing deep understanding.

USING THE SERIAL POSITION EFFECT IN UX DESIGN

The Serial Position Effect aids UX designers in optimizing user recall by strategically placing critical information at the beginning or end of a sequence, enhancing user experience and task completion.

STARTUPS TAKE LONGER TO CLOSE ROUNDS AS FUNDING CLIFF LOOMS

Startups are taking longer than ever to secure Series B funding after their initial Series A round, with the median time gap reaching a record high of 28 months in 2024. While some companies in hot sectors like AI have managed to raise funds in quick succession, others have taken over five years to close their Series B, and many startups that raised money during the 2020-2021 boom years have yet to secure additional funding.

OVERBUILDING IN AI: A MODERN TWIST ON AN OLD TALE

2024 GTM BENCHMARKS

Software revenue growth continues to slow in 2024, especially for startups, as budgets tighten and buyers favor larger, established vendors to reduce risk and consolidate tools. Net revenue retention (NRR) has been falling since 2021, making it harder for companies to grow quickly. Despite the challenges, contract term lengths are increasing as companies commit to multi-year deals with trusted vendors, and the customer acquisition cost (CAC) ratio has risen significantly since 2021, partly due to lower sales rep quota attainment.

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO TERM SHEETS FOR STARTUP FOUNDERS

A term sheet is a crucial non-binding document that outlines the key terms and conditions of a potential investment in a startup. Understanding the components of a term sheet, such as investment amount, valuation, liquidation preference, and voting rights, is essential for founders to negotiate effectively and secure the best possible deal for their company. Armed with this knowledge, founders can approach term sheet negotiations with confidence and make informed decisions that align with their startup's long-term growth trajectory.