Today’s Highlights

• AI: SoftBank’s $3B AI Power Move: The Japanese Giant Partners with OpenAI

• Design: Error Messages That Keeps the User from Smashing the Screen

• Science & Tech: AstroForge Sending a Spacecraft to a Metal-Rich Asteroid

• Founding: Here’s Where Your Competitors Often Hang Out the Most Nowadays

• Product: AI Hype: Taming the Beast to Function in Your Favour

• Today’s AI image: Conquering Asteroids

• Quote for the day: Hope

AI

SoftBank’s $3B AI Power Move: The Japanese Giant Partners with OpenAI

SoftBank is diving headfirst into AI, pledging a staggering $3 billion every year to OpenAI’s tech.

Alongside this, they’ve launched ‘Cristal Intelligence’, a joint venture designed to bring OpenAI’s tools—tweaked for Japanese businesses—into the corporate mainstream.

All You Need To Know

• SoftBank’s subsidiaries, including chipmaker Arm and fintech giant PayPay, will be integrating OpenAI’s technology at scale.

• Cristal Intelligence will roll out a tailored version of ChatGPT and OpenAI’s API, exclusively for the Japanese market.

• The venture promises bespoke, secure AI integrations, potentially challenging traditional consultancy firms.

• This move follows SoftBank’s role in ‘Stargate,’ a $500B data centre initiative with OpenAI and Oracle, further solidifying their AI ambitions.

Why is this a big deal?

SoftBank isn’t just dipping its toes into AI—it’s diving in with a cannonball. A $3 billion annual commitment signals Japan’s intention to be a heavyweight in AI innovation.

With Stargate’s infrastructure play and Cristal Intelligence’s enterprise-focused AI solutions, SoftBank is positioning itself as a dominant force in Asia’s AI revolution.

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Also in AI

• Hackers Wanted (For Good!): Anthropic dares the world to jailbreak its new AI safety system—3,000+ hours of hacking, still unbroken

• Europe’s AI Ambition (on a Budget) – The EU puts $56M into an open-source AI model

• OpenAI’s o3-mini model patches vulnerabilities while slashing costs

• Meta drops a new AI framework focused on security

• The Beatles win a Grammy with an AI-enhanced track—Lennon’s voice, 21st-century polish

• ChatGPT expands to WhatsApp globally with image uploads and voice messages

• Self-healing asphalt? UK researchers use AI to tackle potholes

Design

Error Messages That Keeps the User from Smashing the Screen

When users run into errors, a good interface helps them recover with minimal fuss. Jakob Nielsen’s Usability Heuristic #9 is all about making error messages clear, helpful, and actionable, ensuring users can quickly diagnose what went wrong and how to fix it.

Key Principles for Effective Error Handling

• Use Plain Language – Avoid jargon and error codes; explain the issue clearly (e.g., “Password must include a number”).

• Be Specific – Instead of vague errors, state exactly what went wrong (e.g., “Email already registered”).

• Provide Solutions – Suggest fixes with step-by-step guidance (e.g., “File too large? Try a smaller one or compress it”).

• Highlight Without Alarming – Use colour and icons to draw attention without causing unnecessary panic.

• Enable Fast Recovery – Offer immediate actions like “Retry,” “Reset Password,” or “Contact Support.”

Why This Matters

Poorly designed error messages don’t just frustrate users—they drive them away. If people can’t figure out what went wrong or how to fix it, they abandon the task (or the entire platform).

Tell users what happened, why, and how they can fix it. Without making them feel like they’ve hit a dead end.

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Also in Design

• Gmail Gets a Glow-Up – Google rolls out a sleek Material You redesign for iPhone

• National Design Awards 2025 Winners Revealed – From visionary pioneers to climate-conscious creators

• Apple’s Ad Game: Minimalist or Just Meh? – Critics slam Apple’s latest billboard campaign for being less ‘clean design’ and more ‘phoning it in’

• Intercom’s UX Facelift – How restructuring its Information Architecture made the platform clearer, cleaner, and easier to navigate

• Kellogg’s Billboard: Ad Genius or Just a Bowl of Hype?

• How Designers Can Be Happier (Or at Least More Fulfilled)

Science & Tech

AstroForge Sending a Spacecraft to a Metal-Rich Asteroid

The idea of mining asteroids for precious metals sounds like science fiction—mostly because no one has pulled it off yet.

It’s a high-risk, high-cost venture with no guaranteed return, but AstroForge is giving it a shot.

Unlike past failed attempts, the company has managed to build and launch a spacecraft, and now it has its sights set on a promising asteroid.

Mission Plan: Jumping Into the Unknown

• The Odin spacecraft will hitch a ride on a Falcon 9 rocket, launching no earlier than February 26, 2025.

• Once deployed, it will travel for 301 days before reaching its asteroid target.

• The primary goal? Simply turn on and report back. Everything beyond that is a bonus.

• If successful, Odin will capture data to assess the asteroid’s metal content, laying the groundwork for future mining missions.

Uncharted Territory for Private Spaceflight

No private company has ever attempted a deep-space mission beyond the Moon—territory usually dominated by NASA.

Unlike government-funded missions with teams of top-tier trajectory experts, AstroForge built Odin in just 10 months with a lean, startup-style approach.

Why This Mission Matters

If AstroForge succeeds, it could kickstart an entirely new industry.

Given a private company pulling off a deep-space mission, this is a major milestone.

Besides, M-type asteroids contain valuable metals like platinum and nickel—if extraction becomes viable, it could reshape global markets.

AstroForge’s mission is a long shot, but so was launching reusable rockets.

Until someone did it.

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Also in Science & Tech

• Meta’s Metaverse Moment of Truth – CTO warns employees: it’s either a visionary triumph or a "legendary misadventure"

• Alzheimer’s Research Scandal – How fraud and misconduct have slowed progress on one of medicine’s biggest challenges

• AI Doing Deep Dives – OpenAI unveils a research tool capable of handling complex, multistep tasks with minimal input

• Inkjet-Printed Health Trackers? – Scientists develop a new method for mass-producing wearable biosensors

• Omega-3 vs. Aging – A study suggests daily omega-3 supplements could slow biological aging by up to four months

Founding

Here’s Where Your Competitors Often Hang Out the Most Nowadays

The LinkedIn Ad Library is an expansive archive of ads run on the platform, offering marketers a transparent view of real-world advertising strategies.

It allows users to explore ad creatives, targeting techniques, and messaging styles employed by various brands.

Why Should You Use It?

• Competitive Insights – Analyse how industry leaders craft their campaigns.

• Creative Inspiration – Borrow and adapt ideas to enhance your brand’s presence.

• Performance Optimisation – Identify trends and refine your ad strategies for better results.

How to Access the LinkedIn Ad Library

Getting started is straightforward:

1. Visit linkedin.com/ad-library.

2. Enter a brand name or keyword in the search bar.

3. Use filters to refine results by country, date range, or topic.

7 Pro Tips

1. Set a Clear Goal

2. Leverage Filters

3. Identify Winning Ads

4. Break Down Top Ads

5. Spot Early Trends

6. Document & Collaborate

7. Test & Tweak

Competitor Ad Analysis: A Simple 4-Step Process

1. List Your Competitors – Identify key players in your niche.

2. Study Their Ads – Examine creative choices, messaging, and campaign duration.

3. Compare Performance – Benchmark your ads against industry leaders.

4. Refine & Implement – Apply insights, monitor impact, and iterate accordingly.

By combining smart research, strategic testing, and tools like COIN, you can craft high-performing LinkedIn campaigns that truly deliver results.

Read more

Also in Founding

• Strategies to manage stakeholders: High-stake decisions and stakeholder dynamics

• Understanding AI Agents: Success with AI agents lies in understanding end users and aligning agents' reward systems with human goals rather than focusing solely on technology

• Future of Vertical Market Software (VMS): The VMS boom continues, with strategies focusing on integrated acquisitions or decentralised capital allocation

• Favourable Networking: Attract support, opportunities, trust and engagement

Product

AI Hype: Taming the Beast to Function in Your Favour

The tech world is full of exaggerated claims, from the end of product management to the death of employment.

Most of this is hype pushed by investors and optimists, not reality.

• AI Limitations: Despite their impressive capabilities, LLMs do have flaws.

  They can sometimes appear confident while delivering incorrect information, making them unreliable without verification.

• Product Managers' Role: As AI tools become integral, product managers must understand their potential and limits.

  Be cautious, use AI for research and brainstorming, but always check your outputs.

• Test Before You Trust: Don’t jump headfirst into AI integration.

  Start small, test thoroughly, and ensure you’re using the best tools for the job.

AI is here to stay, but it’s not the silver bullet some make it out to be.

Stay grounded, remain sceptical of the hype, and focus on using AI strategically to enhance your work—just don’t let it replace your judgement.

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Today’s AI Image

Conquering Asteroids

Quote of the Day

Hope

"Even if I knew that tomorrow the world would go to pieces, I would still plant my apple tree."

Martin Luther

What we’re working on

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