Why VCs Say No — The Honest Reasons You Rarely Hear

In this brutally honest post, Andy Budd shares the real reasons VCs pass on startups - and they’re rarely what founders think. It’s not always about the idea or the pitch deck. It’s about trust, timing, credibility, traction, and yes… sometimes just vibes.

Some key highlights:

• VCs invest in patterns - not promises

• A great pitch ≠ a compelling founder

• Lack of a clear go to market or team weakness can kill even strong ideas

• And sometimes, it’s just not the right fund or moment (and they won’t tell you)

This is one of the clearest explanations I’ve seen for early-stage rejection, and it’s valuable whether you’re fundraising or not.

My take:

• You’re not just pitching your idea - you’re pitching your ability to execute it under pressure

• This is a reminder that founders need to build credibility, not just prototypes

• If you can’t clearly explain how your product grows, you’re not ready to ask for capital

• “No” isn’t always a signal to stop - it’s a chance to tighten your story and your strategy

• Even if you’re not fundraising, reading this through a VC lens helps sharpen how you tell your story, price your momentum, and structure your team

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McKinsey on AI Agents: Adapt or Get Left Behind

McKinsey just released a strong POV on AI agents, and it’s one of the clearest business-level breakdowns I’ve seen. This isn’t about which LLM is better — it’s about how AI agents will reshape operations, industries, and decision-making. The real takeaway: it’s not whether you’ll use agents — it’s how soon and how well.

Key takeaways:

• AI agents will reshape business processes, not just assist with tasks

• They need customisation by industry — generic bots won’t cut it

• Governance and trust are non-negotiable at scale

• Collaboration, not replacement: agents free humans for higher-leverage work

• Integration and scalable data infra are what unlock real value

My take:

• This is the first major strategy deck that frames agents as a business function, not just a feature

• If you’re not investing in agent readiness — workflows, data access, and trust infrastructure — you’re behind

• Most exec teams are focused on AI productivity, but agents introduce AI as operations

• Custom AI agents will become a core asset for differentiation in every mature org

• This report should be a trigger for leadership teams to re-review their tech roadmap

AI agents are not the future of productivity. They’re the future of how companies operate. And the ones who figure that out first will move faster - and win bigger.

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Design’s Most Strategic Era Is Here

Thanks to Zach Hill for sharing this. We’re entering the most strategic chapter of design’s history - where the combination of AI, product and business transformation is pulling design into the heart of decision-making.

The old lines are blurring. Designers aren’t just crafting screens — they’re shaping strategy, workflows, and AI-powered experiences.

Why now?

• AI is redefining what products do, not just how they look

• Design is becoming system-level, not just surface-level

• Tools are reducing the barrier to execution, making design thinking the differentiator

My take:

• This is the moment for designers to stop waiting for a “seat at the table” — and start owning the roadmap

• Design’s leverage is shifting upstream: influence what gets built, not just how it’s delivered

• As AI abstracts execution, the role of design becomes more about systems, ethics, and orchestration

• Designers fluent in strategy, ops, and data will be unstoppable

• The orgs that thrive in this next wave will be the ones where design leads direction — not just delivery

And a personal note - you may have seen me say that over the past few months, I’ve got excited for the internet again. Well, it’s true. Everything feels new again to me, like the early days of the web.

Design is no longer the wrapper. It’s the operating logic. And the builders who understand that will shape the next decade of product.

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Lovable 2.0: The Vibe Stack Just Got Smarter

Lovable just launched its 2.0 release — and it’s a big step toward AI-native, team-ready, developer-optional app building.

This update includes a new chat-mode agent that reasons across your stack, multiplayer mode for team collab, built-in security scanning, and a much cleaner UI with custom domains and dev mode built in.

This isn’t just a product release — it’s a signal of what modern building looks like.

My take:

• Chat-mode agent is the real unlock — not just smart, but reasoning, like a co-pilot for logic and planning

• Multiplayer turns vibe coding into collaborative product development — not just solo hacking

• Security scanning is an underrated flex: AI tools need to be trustworthy, not just fast

• Lovable’s shipping velocity is serious - and their voice still hits the right note of ambition with accessibility

• If you’re a designer, PM, or founder, this is the most exciting no-code platform to keep an eye on

📌 Key point: The future of app dev isn’t no-code vs code — it’s vibe-based collaboration, with agents and humans building in flow. Lovable is leading that charge.

(Guess that letter from Figma didn’t stop them using dev mode!)

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