Tess Robinson

Gm! 🌞 “Every time you state what you want or believe, you’re the first to hear it. It’s a message to both you and others about what you think is possible. Don’t put a ceiling on yourself.” - Oprah Winfrey TLDR: "What f*cking ceiling?" ~ Tess

Spent a day at TechCrunch Disrupt and left with my brain buzzing. Some genuinely exciting things on the floor, especially in the spaces I spend most of my time thinking about: health, humanity and the future of the startup ecosystem. But I’m more curious about what you saw. Disrupt is so big that no two people have the same experience. You could walk the same halls as someone else and come away with a completely different read on where things are headed. So, if you were there: 👉 Where did you feel the most energy? 👉 Which founder, demo, or conversation is still on your mind? 👉 Anything that surprised you, good or bad? Drop it in the comments. I’d love to compare notes and find out what I missed. 👇

You had to be there. But I’m glad I can live life without the fomo

New site is live 🎉 tessrobinson.co Speaking, investing, and founder support — all in one place now. If you're building something (or building a lineup for an event), let's talk.

Oh no, I can’t commit to that. It’s summer ☀️

Summer side quest

Ready @StartupGrind

On a plane to SF, I can’t be the only one stress testing the system @claudeai

Most podcasts never make it past 7 episodes. How many times have you heard someone say, "I'm going to make a podcast." 🙄 That's the landscape @joenewsman walked into and launched anyway. Joe is one of the sharpest communicators I know. As an Emmy Award-winning journalist, he understands something most podcast hosts don't: the real job isn't talking, it's translating. AI is moving at a pace that leaves most people behind, drowning in jargon and "technobabble" with no on-ramp to the conversation. Answering AI is that on-ramp. The latest episode is a perfect example. We dug into AI agents, one of the most hyped and least understood topics in tech right now. What actually makes an agent different from a bot? Why are people handing over their credit cards and laptop access to software? And what does it mean that some of these agent "workforces" are now running stand ups, managing employees, and apparently talking a little smack about their humans on Reddit? We also got an up-close look at LiveX AI (backed by Google Cloud and Nvidia) and their holographic agents from Super Bowl week. We had a real conversation about the one question everyone is actually thinking: what happens to jobs? It has been a genuine privilege to work alongside Joe as a recurring guest and co-producer on this show. Watching him take decades of storytelling instincts and apply them to this space has been a masterclass in purposeful communication. If you're tired of feeling like AI is happening to you instead of for you, this is your podcast. Find Answering AI on YouTube (@AnsweringAIPodcast) and wherever you listen to your favorites. 🎙️ Drop a comment: What AI term, tool, or topic do you wish someone would finally explain in plain English? We're building the episode list, your answer might just become the next show. youtu.be/2h_R5EFi7g8?si=prk3…

HealthTech founders, your name could get called in two weeks. San Francisco's Got Talent is back on Tuesday, March 24th at Homebrew Club (111 Maiden Ln, SF). This time, we are focused on people building in the health, wellness and longevity space. Here's how it works: Every founder who registers gets thrown into the hat. We draw 8 names live, night of. You get 4 minutes to pitch. Then 3 minutes of unfiltered feedback from people who actually know what they're talking about. Your judges this month: 🎙️ @joenewsman — 4x Emmy Award-winning TV journalist 🎙️ @EllaSogomonian — KRON4 journalist, launched the Bay Area's first 24/7 local news app Plus 2 active investors who've heard thousands of pitches. 👀 This isn't polished BS and deck reviews. It's journalism meets venture capital. What makes a story stick applied to your pitch, live, in real time. Win tonight → you're in the October Grand Finale during SF Tech Week. Simple as that. Doors at 5:30. Pitching starts at 6:00. Come ready or come to watch someone else step up. Either way, you're walking out sharper. 🔗 Register: luma.com/j7wwy9iw Tag a HealthTech founder who needs to be in the room. 👇

We did it. San Francisco’s Got Talent: Pitch Event is officially a thing. February’s kickoff? Electric. Real founders. Real feedback. Zero fluff. The kind of energy that makes you remember why you started. Now we’re doing it again. And this time, we’re going deep on HealthTech. San Francisco’s Got Talent: Pitch Event — HealthTech Edition 📅 Tuesday, March 24th | San Francisco 8 founders randomly drawn from the hat the night of the event. 4 minutes to pitch. 3 minutes of unfiltered feedback from a panel of active investors and ex-TV journalists who know the difference between a story that lands and one that dies in the room. No applications. No pre-screening. No “we’ll be in touch.” You show up. You might get called. So come ready. HealthTech founders, this one’s for you. Whether you’re building in diagnostics, mental health, longevity, medtech, or somewhere in between: the room is waiting. Win March? You’re locked in for the October Grand Finale during SF Tech Week, where every monthly champion comes back to compete for the ultimate prize. 🎟️ Register for March 24th → luma.com/j7wwy9iw 🏆 Peek at the Grand Finale → luma.com/6lylg6au This series is just getting started. Don’t watch from the sidelines.