Just wrapping a fantastic NY Tech Week, packed with startup and VC events.
My 6 takeaways on AI, startups and relationships— and a prediction for each.
1. IRL IS KING
The most valuable thing this week wasn't on a screen. The more our days run through feeds and inboxes, the more a room of real people becomes something you can't fake or scale. People are increasingly craving "real" moments– and this is a big opportunity for building community AND growing business.
➡️ Prediction: the more we automate, the more we'll seek each other out. The gatherings that bring people together for real become the moments worth protecting.
2. AI AGENTS ARE TRUE TEAMMATES
Agents went from demo to default. A year ago, a party trick; this week— every vertical, every workflow, someone's shipping one. The shift I'm watching: from agents you operate to agents you delegate to. And as they take on long-horizon work, the bottleneck stops being capability. It's joint teamwork.
➡️ Prediction: winners won't have the smartest agent — they'll have figured out how to work with it as a trusted teammate.
3. PARTNERING UP
Partnering up is 1 1=100. We hosted a Google DeepMind Google for Startups Google Cloud day for founders. 3,000 applied. By pooling across teams, we brought the best of Google into one room for the best startups. Alone, none of us could have pulled that off.
➡️ Prediction: the organizations that show up as one — rather than shipping their org chart to the world — will win. (One Google FTW!)
4. AI FOR REAL USE CASES
The best founders I met aren't chasing the tech — they're bridging real business needs with the edge of what's now possible. Companies like InstaLILY AI, Simular and Rehearsals start with the problem, then pull emerging AI forward to close the gap. Not technology in search of a use case. The use case, pulling technology toward it.
➡️ Prediction: the breakout companies won't be the ones with the flashiest tech — they'll be the ones pointed at problems worth solving.
5. STORYTELLING STILL WINS
When everyone's slides look great, taste becomes the last moat. Gamma hosted one of the best events of the week — Malcolm Gladwell, Mike Birbiglia, Bobbi Brown — pairing gorgeous visuals with live spoken-word storytelling. When great production gets effortless, the story is the diffentiator.
➡️ Prediction: as content becomes infinitely remixable, the premium on crafted story and delivery goes up.
6. RELATIONSHIPS WIN
New connections expand you; old ones ground you. The magic is doing both. Tech Week throws you into rooms full of new people — and that energy is real. But some of the best moments I had were the stolen coffees and late dinners with founders, partners & friends I've loved for years.
➡️ Prediction: those who continue to expand in both breadth and depth of relationships will be the ones living the good life.
Thanks to our partners at a16z. And… wild to see the Knicks fan party at MSG!! 🏀