On sale now, in print with Amazon, Austin-based author @seobrien with Startup Ecosystems 📕 amazon.com/dp/B0GSJ3VX4R

This map (from ULI) really puts the Dallas Fort Worth metroplex in perspective in a unique way Population over 8 million now Here are all of the well known cities (population wise) that would make it up

The tie to the U.S. here is Texas ♥️ Cc @texasgov @TexasEconDev @GoBigInTexas

In this episode of Taxpayer Empowerment, TPPF’s @JoseMelendezTX sits down with Former Travis County Judge and longtime government transparency advocate @AleshireLaw to discuss the future of Austin, Project Connect, open government laws, taxpayer accountability, & affordability.

This is what Dallas Downtown needs in order to survive

Samsung is moving its U.S. headquarters to its existing campus in Plano, Texas. Samsung Electronics America is abandoning its brand-new, 270,000 SF North Jersey headquarters after just eight months to consolidate operations in Plano, Texas. The abrupt exit of 1,000 corporate jobs reignites the bitter debate over New Jersey’s hostile business climate.

Remember when the 2023 story was that the Austin & Texas boom was over? 🤦‍♂️ One data point was Travis County out-migration. 270K people left from 2020 to 2023. But where did they go? 41% stayed in the Austin metro. 13% stayed elsewhere in Texas, probably more. Only 6% went to the top 10 out-of-state counties. And notice that out-migration to nearly every top out-of-state county decreased over the period. Not great for Austin city proper, but very different from “Austin is over.” During the same period, the Austin metro had net migration of 144K. Data analysis from the @statesman (please do more of these deep dives.)

DFW is becoming the new center of gravity in America. North Texas just blew past Chicago to become the third-largest metro economy in the country, behind only New York and LA. 🔵$770B in output. 🔵24 Fortune 500 HQs. 🔵100,000 new residents a year. That doesn’t happen by accident. Businesses go where they’re wanted. Families go where they can build. Talent goes where the future feels open! The map of American economic power is being redrawn in real time.

Regional Collapse We Keep Pretending Isn’t Happening seobrien.com/understanding-r…

types of people in austin right now: the cowboy cosplayers — own one pair of tecovas and now say “y’all” with confidence the joe rogan adjacent — every conversation ends with a cold plunge, elk meat, or both the lake austin crowd — on a boat four times a week and won’t stop telling you or posting about it the cali refugees — been here three years, still explaining why they left california the austin defenders — in a public feud with someone who lives in cupertino the dog owners — the dog has more rights than a human and somehow has zero training the hard tech builders — building in a warehouse, dressed like they’re headed to home depot the sugar babies — somehow always on a boat, at soho house, or in aspen despite having no visible source of income the “i work 10 hours a week in sales” crowd - at barton springs at 2 PM on a tuesday, somehow still making quota the austin ogs — convinced every new resident personally ruined the city the austin orgy crowd— insists it’s really about community

Austin, we need to talk about Austin. 🎤 THURSDAY, June 11 I'm joining Tauri Laws-Phillips (CEO, @WeAreDivInc), Emily Gupton (President, @AWTAustin), and Gabe Rucker (Managing Director, @founding #Austin) for the Austin Innovation Exchange at Cabana Club What we'll dig into: → The real state of Austin's startup economy → Where the capital is actually flowing → Resources founders keep missing → How investors, builders, and operators stop talking past each other Come pitch us hard questions. THURSDAY, June 11, at Cabana Club (so you know we'll have some fun) 🎟️ RSVP: luma.com/r4bs9ii2

Daughter’s final project for Alpha School this year was for the kids to organize and throw a music festival. The academics are excellent but she definitely learned more from this project than anything else this year.

Texas is the growth engine of the Western world. With 32 million people, Texas generates nearly $2.9 trillion in GDP. Elon @elonmusk ‘s new Terafab project in Grimes County is projected to add another $1 trillion to the Texas economy over the next decade. At current pace, Texas will surpass France 🇫🇷 in GDP by 2031. For comparison: France has 66 million citizens and a GDP of roughly $3.3 trillion. Yet Texas GDP per capita is nearly twice that of France. President Macron and his government should take a hard look at why a single U.S. state is creating wealth at this scale. This piece from the Economist gets the gist right but the dynamism and understanding of the sheer scale of what’s happening is missed. economist.com/business/2026/…

Texas is home to some of the fastest-growing metropolitan areas in the country 🏙️🤠 Major cities across the state continue to attract new residents thanks to strong job markets, diverse communities, and expanding industries. One county in particular stands at the center of this growth, anchored by one of the largest cities in the United States. 🌆🌵 #TexasCities #HoustonTexas #TexasGrowth #LoneStarState #TexasLife #TexasPopulation #TexasEconomy #CityLife

Big meetings need big cities, and Texas delivers 🤠🏙️ Across the Lone Star State, major convention centers host industry events, trade shows, and conferences that draw huge crowds every year. Cities like Houston, Dallas, Austin, San Antonio, and Fort Worth have become major destinations for business gatherings, bringing professionals together from across the country and around the world. 🌵✈️ #TexasBusiness #TexasConventions #TexasCities #LoneStarState #TexasEconomy #VisitTexas #TexasEvents #TexasFacts

Here's a handy map of German settlement in Texas. It's pretty interesting to look at. I guess I never realized that Dallas county and McClennan county were such huge German destinations. I'm surprised Comal county isn't solid green, being that New Braunfels is there.

Austin spends more on homelessness than Denver and Nashville... *combined*. And heading into 2026, the Homeless Strategy Office (HSO) is demanding $101M for annual operations 👉 austinmonitor.com/stories/20… While blowing 9 figures a year on operations, the city is trying to force a brand-new $220M housing bond onto our November ballot. They are hoping you won’t notice that over $170M is still sitting unspent from the $350M bond we gave them in 2022! Peer cities use fiscal discipline; Austin demands a relentless taxpayer double-dip for a broken pipeline with zero visible results on our streets. Piling hundreds of millions in new bond debt onto our property taxes won't fix the problem. VOTE NO on the 2026 bond package. 🛑 #KeepAustinAffordable #ATX #atxcouncil

There are currently more than 2000 homes available for sale in Celina, TX Over half are new construction Home prices in Celina are also down over 15% since 2022 If you ever needed proof that building more homes makes housing more affordable, Celina is it

If you're looking for in depth reporting on AISD, it doesn't get better than @KendallGPace - who's just published another substack covering Austin ISD's academic decline and fiscal collapse. Grab a drink, a comfy chair, and settle in for a closer look. open.substack.com/pub/kendal…