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AI Runs on Yesterday’s Hardware — Quantum Writes Tomorrow’s Policy; The Quantum Playbook

Monday, 02 June 2025 by Paul O'Brien

If artificial intelligence is the engine of the future, then quantum computing is the fuel. In the United States, Washington is waking up to that fact. While the headlines are still dominated by chatbots impersonating therapists and AI models hallucinating their way through customer service, the grownups in this room (policymakers, scientists, and defense analysts)

Published in Economic Development, Quantum

6 Comments

New Collar Jobs and the Critical Distinction of Startups from Small Businesses

Thursday, 29 May 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Today at the Texas Venture Forum in Austin, TX, we had the honor of hearing from the 28th Administrator of the U.S. Small Business Administration, Kelly Loeffler. Loeffler, a former business executive, co-owner of a WNBA team, and founder of a commodity exchange, now carries a unique blend of corporate, public, and policy experience to

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Published in Economic Development, Startups

14 Comments

Startup Ecosystems Fail Because of Investors

Wednesday, 28 May 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Yes, I meant what I said in that headline… let’s see if I can back it up. In my conversation with Bryan Hancock on Executive Connect, I pulled back the curtain on the startup mythology that’s selling cities, founders, and investors a false bill of goods. We don’t need more accelerators. We need people who

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Published in Economic Development, Startups

9 Comments

How Media Distorts the Truth About Regional Ecosystems – Apparently Austin is on Life Support

Tuesday, 27 May 2025 by Paul O'Brien

There’s a reason the phrase “don’t believe everything you read” never dies. Because even when it’s printed in The Wall Street Journal, a brand so synonymous with business credibility that your uncle still calls it “The Paper,” the story can be skewed, shallow, and — let’s not mince words — wrong. In this case, we’re

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Published in Startup Ecosystems, Texas Startups

21 Comments

How a University is Reshaping Florida’s Economy — and the Future of Aerospace

Tuesday, 27 May 2025 by Paul O'Brien

I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. This place is an economic engine dressed like a university, disguised as a think tank, wrapped in a space suit – right at the heart of the future of our economy and world. What Embry-Riddle is doing right now with a newly announced partners

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Published in Aerospace, Economic Development, Regional Development

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What Startups Can Learn from Utility Regulation: How Northwestern’s Five Prisms Reveal the Blueprint for Disruption

Thursday, 15 May 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Having recently discovered Lynne Kiesling, my attention was drawn to Northwestern University’s Institute for Regulatory Law & Economics‘ Five Prisms, which she shared online and which I’ve included here (granted, without asking, I hope they don’t mind). Economic regulation in our rapidly changing world faces challenges I find legislators and local leaders ill equipped to

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Published in Economic Development, Startups

4 Comments

Your Startup Without a Wedding Planner: Marriage Advice for Entrepreneurs

Tuesday, 06 May 2025 by Paul O'Brien

Most startups fail because their founders treat launching a company more like hooking up on Tinder than getting married. It’s all adrenaline, pitch decks, and “minimum viable commitment.” Seriously, we have Speed Dating and Founder Dating… The reality is that if you planned your startup like people plan their weddings, months of agonizing over details,

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Published in Startups

16 Comments