AI Archives - Startup Economist

Abilene Grit, Grid, and Genesis

Tuesday, 10 June 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Abilene, Texas, on the surface, might seem like the set of Fallout where a now-restored Texas Film Industry needs a set for a post-apocalyptic Western — a flat, dusty military town with a church on every corner and a Dairy Queen next to it. Scratch that desert veneer (and lack of nuclear fallout) and you’ll

Published in AI, Data, Regional Development

20 Comments

Founders and Policymakers Need Us at the Table— Before They Decide the Future for Us

Monday, 21 April 2025 by Paul O'Brien

With my work increasingly entrenched in Washington, D.C., state capitols, and the public policy battles shaping entrepreneurship and venture capital, I’ve found myself staring down a familiar name in tech: Google. Again. For many of us, the latest antitrust accusations is déjà vu, about privacy, about data, and control – whether it’s Apple, Microsoft, X,

competition Google government innovation public policy regulation

Published in AI, Economic Development, Search

3 Comments

Trump’s First Few Days for Independents

Thursday, 23 January 2025 by Paul O'Brien

In the world of entrepreneurship and startup ecosystems, where disruption, innovation, and venture capital reign supreme, keeping an eye on public policy isn’t just smart — it’s essential. Government actions shape the macroeconomic environment, influence capital flows, and define the rules of the game for the next generation of innovators. With a new administration in

economic development entrepreneurship government innovation public policy startups venture capital

Published in AI, Economic Development

48 Comments

The Challenges of Regulating AI in a Borderless Digital World

Friday, 03 January 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Regulating artificial intelligence (AI) presents unique and profound challenges. AI systems operate across borders, leveraging global datasets, and are influenced by the rapidly evolving nature of machine learning technologies. Governments attempting to impose regulatory frameworks on AI face the dual difficulty of understanding and anticipating the implications of these complex systems while contending with the

artificial intelligence government internet public policy

Published in AI

1 Comment

Marketing is Leading Tech Companies Again, Faster Than You Think

Friday, 13 December 2024 by Paul O'Brien

The tectonic shift in how tech companies operate is unmistakable: whether evident in VCs saying Storytellers will run the world, advisors shifting to stress that media is most important, or research validating that marketing is what defines a company’s success or failure, people are waking up again to the fact that marketing runs your business.

development market research marketing product

Published in Advertising, AI, Insights / Research, Social Media

24 Comments

Why AI Agents Will Build the Next Wave of Startups: The Death of Marketing Teams

Thursday, 05 December 2024 by Paul O'Brien

For decades, startup experienced professionals, researchers, and classically trained marketers, have been reinforcing as best we can that it is well established, proven, and certain, that marketing (aside from team) is the single greatest cause of a startup’s success or failure. We’ve been trying to explain this for the sake of the economy, of founders,

Advertising agents ai chatgpt entrepreneurship growth marketing pr promotions scale tips

Published in AI, Startups

16 Comments

Using ChatGPT for Your Startup’s Success

Tuesday, 19 November 2024 by Paul O'Brien

Imagine having a tireless, ever-learning partner in your startup journey — one that adapts to your style, anticipates your needs, and delivers actionable insights in seconds. AI isn’t just a tool; it’s a catalyst for your decision-making, growth, customer discovery, testing ideas, fueling creativity, and getting things done (execution). While many tools and other platforms

ai chatgpt competitive analysis customer discovery market research marketing

Published in AI, Insights / Research, Startups

14 Comments