The crypto base generally doesn’t get this because it’s so concentrated with euros. I’ve had so many heated debates about $200-250k being low for senior engineering talent, especially when they’re being paid as contractors and everyone acted like I was insane And frankly this is why 99% of crypto apps are dog shit, look and feel like they were engineered by literal children, and there’s been nearly nothing but memecoin maxing this cycle If orgs want people working all the time to be available across like half a dozen global timezones, as I know they always do in crypto, PAY THEM, otherwise you’re going to end up with dregs of engineering talent who couldn’t get anything else

Building in isolation is the single biggest barrier to the proliferation of AI agents. AI agents need data access, not just intelligence. We need to focus on building bridges. Today's AI assistants are trapped behind information barriers, cut off from your most valuable data. Every integration is a custom job, every connection a one-off solution. This approach simply doesn't scale. We're betting on a different future: - Universal connectors creating two-way data highways between AI and everything else - Structural solutions to the isolation problem, not just more RAG or fancy prompting - Bringing AI to where your data already lives instead of forcing data into AI-friendly formats The internet didn't explode because of better computers—it exploded because of protocols that connected them. Think SMTP: one standard that enabled billions of emails to flow seamlessly across any system. While others chase incremental gains in isolated systems, we're building for the networked future: - AI that moves seamlessly between tools, datasets, and environments - Your existing systems become more valuable, not obsolete I've never been more bullish on our direction—building infrastructure for AI that works in the real world, where information is messy, distributed, and locked behind a thousand different doors.

ngl i had a bad day yesterday. just seeing too many things which irk me and reveal the space has lost almost all of the soul and purpose it had back in foundational 2013-2017 era. even many of the newer leaders really seem like they don't care at all about those values anymore i've always been more philosophically-aligned to crypto than anything else. you kind of had to be at least a little bit back in those days. sure, making money is nice, but never at any cost a lot of what's happening now is creating significant negative externalities for crypto. some are obvious now, but some will only be evident in the future, creating persistent harm we will have to live with and try to absolve ourselves of over the course of years all of that aside, on net, i remain optimistic the broader value proposition of permissionless, censorship-resistant economic activity and digital assets you can actually own. i do believe it can and will drive tremendous good for society and create new forms of gainful economic activity and culture BUT we are at an inflection point- do we lean into this unique moment of receptive governments to create regulation which will allow for that kind of activity to scale and be driven across the planet? while simultaneously scaling gainful, permissionless economic activity outside of state and intermediary control? OR do we compete to see who can create the best, most degenerate casino on earth where there are no rules and the game only stops once you are liquidated or dead? i'm sincerely hoping the former wins. if it does, it won't be by chance, but because we actively fought for it because we thought it was important and it's good to fight for that future gm ☕️

On this day in 1990: Adobe Photoshop was released. It sparked ethical concerns similar to the ones we now hear about AI.