Tippets #197
Accenture’s identity crisis, Uber’s autonomous reunion, Meta’s talent chessboard, plus a sobering look at what AI might be doing to our brains. Enjoy!
A warm welcome to new readers getting this for the first time, and thank you for letting me be a small part of your week! As a reminder, I’m Rishi Taparia, Co-founder and General Partner at Garuda Ventures, a pre-seed focused fund that partners with founders as they pull the future into the present. Tippets is a curated set of tidbits and snippets (get it…tippets…) from my reading around the web.
From Me This Week:
Global LP Perspectives in a Changing Market
Over the past month, I've had the privilege of connecting with Garuda Ventures’ global community, criss-crossing five cities on three continents, trading notes on private markets, AI, and the macro environment with our LPs, founders, and friends.
Tippets from Around the Web:
Who needs Accenture in the age of AI?
Accenture, once a leader in tech consulting, now faces a hard truth: adapt or fade. As generative AI becomes easier for clients to adopt on their own, its traditional business model is under real threat. The company is scrambling to restructure, but risks losing relevance to faster, more adaptable players like Palantir, a timely reminder that even if you add AI to past market leadership it doesn't guarantee future survival.
(5-minute read - The Economist)
Meta tried to buy Ilya Sutskever’s $32 billion AI startup, but is now planning to hire its CEO
Meta is going all in trying to recruit AU talent. After effectively buying Scale AI for CEO Alex Wang, it reportedly tried to acquire the $32 billion AI startup Safe Superintelligence and failed. Instead, they’re apparently bringing on SSI’s CEO Daniel Gross and his partner Nat Friedman through buying their venture firm. It’s a bold talent move, showing just how aggressive Zuck is getting in the race for top AI minds.
(3-minute read - CNBC)
Uber in Talks With Travis Kalanick to Fund Self-Driving Car Deal
Apparently it is possible to kiss and make up. Uber is reportedly in talks with co-founder Travis Kalanick to help fund his buyout of Pony.ai’s U.S. self-driving unit. The deal would mark Uber’s renewed push into autonomy, aiming to better compete with players like Waymo and Tesla. Kalanick is expected to lead Pony while continuing to run CloudKitchens, his food delivery startup.
(4-minute read - The New York Times)
Coatue’s 2025 EMW Keynote Deck
Hosting East Meets West in Montecito since 2015, Coatue kicked off the new year with fresh insights from its co-founders on the economy and markets. Their keynote and the accompanying deck offer a sharp look at how one of tech’s most influential investors is reading the moment. A worthwhile read.
(1-minute read - Coatue)
Brain activity much lower when using AI chatbots, MIT boffins find
MIT researchers found that using ChatGPT can reduce brain connectivity by 47%, making people less capable of independent thought. While it helps with speed and productivity, the study warns of growing “cognitive debt,” as relying too much on AI may slowly weaken our ability to learn and think critically.
(5-minute read - The Register)
Project Vend: Can Claude run a small shop? (And why does that matter?)
Anthropic tested an AI called Claudius by letting it run a small online shop using web search and email. It made a few smart choices but also messed up prices and made things up. It also sold a few too many tungsten cubes…The test shows that AI might run businesses one day, but for now, it still needs a lot of help.
(11-minute read - Anthropic)
Quote I'm thinking about: "In a world that’s changing really quickly, the only strategy that is guaranteed to fail is not taking risks.” - Mark Zuckerberg
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