Today’s Highlights

• AI: OpenAI’s AI agent is on its way: Will write code and book trips for you

• Design: Rebranding of Riot Games: Characters as Brand Ambassadors

• Science & Tech: Superhuman Robots that see through Walls

• Founding: Beyond Product-Market Fit: Gathering Structural Power to Erase the Competition

• Product: Dump the Homepage. Do This Instead

• Today’s AI image: AI, your PA or maybe even Spy

• Quote for the day: From Tim Ferris

AI

OpenAI’s AI agent is on its way: Will write code and book trips for you

An OpenAI agent is on its way and is expected to arrive by January. As discussed in a recent Bloomberg article, it will act as a good decent assistant and will handle tasks like writing codes and booking flights for you.

You should know

During a staff meeting on Wednesday, the company revealed plans for a new tool—code-named “Operator”—which will be available for research preview and through an API for developers starting in January.

From the sounds of it, this might be OpenAI’s version of something akin to Claude’s "Computer Use." It's part of the growing trend of evolving from simple Q&A bots to more capable agents that can tackle complex, multi-step projects.

In fact, Microsoft’s Copilot and Google’s “Jarvis” are also working on similar concepts.

Why does it matter?

It is quite obvious that this project is the one Sam Altman recently hinted at clarifying that the next big leap in AI won’t be a model but an agent.

One key point to note: “Operator” is rolling out first in preview mode, just like Claude’s “Computer Use,” which is still not publicly available. It’s going to be a while before these agents are polished enough to be released broadly.

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Also in AI

• Google Gemini’s New iOS App Released

• OpenAI recently outlined a plan for strengthening American AI infrastructure to compete with global AI leaders like China

• Microsoft released tailored AI models for industry-specific tasks

• AI Research Agents invent proteins for combatting COVID-19

• OpenAI and Google are experiencing diminishing returns from expanding AI models: Limited high-quality training data, Architectural limitations and High operating costs

• The AI search platform Perplexity, known for its distraction-free environment, is testing sponsored follow-up questions to generate more revenue 

• DeepL Voice: Real-time translation now available across 33 languages for spoken conversations

Design

Rebranding of Riot Games: Characters as Brand Ambassadors

Riot Games and Stink Studios Collaborate

In 2024, Riot Games teamed up with creative agency Stink Studios to refresh its visual identity, focusing on enhancing the player experience across its expanding portfolio of games and media.

Unified Brand Purpose

Riot wanted a design system that connects its growing properties, such as League of Legends, Valorant, and Arcane, with a unified message of improving the player experience.

Player-Centric Visual Identity

The new look puts Riot's iconic "fist bump" logo front and centre, symbolising a community connection. The colour palette combines Riot Red with new complementary tones, while the expressive secondary colours draw from the diverse in-game worlds.

Game-Inspired Design

Every visual element pulls from Riot's games, incorporating patterns, textures, and character-driven assets to make the design instantly recognisable.

Flexible Brand Manual

Stink Studios created a brand guide that’s adaptable—whether followed strictly or bent creatively—so the design can evolve in fresh, exciting ways.

End Goal

The overhaul looks forward to giving players a cohesive, engaging experience across every touchpoint, from games to social media and live events, making Riot’s brand feel authentic and passionate.

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Also in Design

• Type “Comic Sans” on Google and Search Results appear in Divisive font: A Comic Sans Easter Egg

• AI backs up specially abled people: AI-powered tools like Eye Tracking, Sound Recognition, and AssistiveTouch on Apple Watch are some great innovations

• Competitive research can be a powerful tool to influence decision-makers

• Flexbe: An AI-powered website generation tool that helps users quickly create responsive websites by aligning content to grids and adjusting it for various devices

• Influencing Decisions through UX Design: Framing problems in terms of gains leads to risk aversion, while focusing on losses encourages risk-taking

• Figma opens its first office in Sydney to strengthen ties with local clients like Telstra and Atlassian

Science & Tech

Superhuman Robots that see through Walls

Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have developed an AI-powered system, PanoRadar, enabling robots to "see" through obstacles like walls, smoke, and glass, using radio waves to create 3D images.

PanoRadar's Innovative Approach

Unlike traditional radar or LiDAR, PanoRadar combines AI algorithms to convert radio signals into high-resolution 3D views, allowing robots to navigate challenging environments more accurately and effectively.

A Radio Wave Revolution

The system uses radio waves, which can penetrate smoke and fog better than light-based sensors. This gives robots the ability to detect objects through barriers that conventional vision systems struggle with.

AI Complements Radar’s Capabilities

By employing a rotating array of antennas, PanoRadar mimics a lighthouse scanning its surroundings. The magic happens when AI processes the echoes to create a detailed 3D image, achieving LiDAR-like resolution but at a fraction of the cost

Overcoming Obstacles with AI

PanoRadar’s AI was trained to recognise patterns in radar signals, allowing it to track and map environments like glass walls or smoke-filled rooms with unprecedented precision.

Future Potential

The team is working on integrating PanoRadar with existing technologies like cameras and LiDAR for multi-modal systems, aiming to create robots that can adapt seamlessly to real-world challenges, from search-and-rescue missions to autonomous vehicles.

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Also in Science & Tech

• Research suggests that the moons of Uranus may harbor oceans, increasing the possibility of life

• Researchers used smartphone data to create a map of Earth's ionosphere

• Controlling the “sweetness” of tomatoes, size unaffected: The Genetical way discovered by scientists

• Fossil studies have uncovered the brain of an 80-million-year-old bird, offering new insights into the evolution of avian intelligence

• Alphabet's Waymo brought public driverless taxis in LA

Founders

Beyond Product-Market Fit: Gathering Structural Power to Erase the Competition

Right product for Right market. You’ve achieved this already and your startup has slid into a comfortable position. But this isn’t enough. Startups around you will rise and make attempts to steal your customers. So now you have got to plan beyond product-market fit. You need to set-up a structural flow. An unfair power advantage that will lift you above the crowdy market.

Hamilton Helmer’s “7 Powers” Framework

Here’s 7 best structural power frameworks suggested by Hamilton Helmer one or more of which you can build and activate to gather dominative structural power:

• Branding: Place yourself on pedestal. Position yourself as superior. Charge premium prices. Example - Disney, Nike, Apple, Rolex.

• Process Power: Unique production processes and operational tactics that lower costs or produce higher-quality offerings. Example - Apple, NVIDIA and TSMC.

• Economies of Scale: Grow larger in size to save costs and to take up more of the market. Example - Amazon, Walmart

• Network Effects: Larger army. More people. More users. Ample word-of-mouth. Ample data. Unbeatable product. Like Facebook, Instagram, X, ChatGPT.

• Switching Costs: Making it naturally difficult and impractical to turn back on the product. Like the loyalty programs of Airlines and barriers of exit in Salesforce.

• Counter Positioning: Business models that turn big player’s weaknesses/ shortcomings into strength/USP. Like Apple vs. Facebook in Privacy. OpenAI vs Google in ad-less query responses.

• Exclusive Resources: Rare assets that boost value or lower costs. Example- DeBeers, Qualcomm

These are classical power plays, clear and quantifiable. Yet startups need to tread carefully: structural power takes time to build and can be a misstep for early-stage investors who may overemphasise it before a startup is ready.

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Also in Founding

• Amazon's New Discount Store - Amazon Haul: All items are priced under $20, an attempt to compete marketplaces as Temu and Shein

• SaaS is shifting from ARR to Annualised Gross Profit

• The founder of TinyPilot, a bootstrapped hardware company, shares valuable lessons from selling the business for $598,000

• B2C billing systems, often overlooked as simple, actually involve complex challenges around compliance, flexibility, and customer retention

Product

Dump the Homepage. Do This Instead

You were thinking to buy a tool subscription and thought to try it out first. You entered the website, right into the homepage. Too much to see. Many links to click. Frequent pop-ups and a fancy slideshow.

After sacrificing 2.5 minutes of your life, you finally went for signing up. Gave your email and other details. Clicked many buttons. Password! You forgot your password.

You left with a cold “Never mind” and never came back.

Here’s how Rows.com avoids this User Experience hindrance:

• Rows.com has no traditional homepage, allowing instant access to its spreadsheet tool—no sign-up required.

• This login-free approach leads to higher engagement and conversions by removing entry barriers.

• Users experience immediate value, increasing the likelihood they'll eventually become paying customers.

Why a Homepage-Free Model Works

• Engagement Right Away: Without sign-up walls, users dive straight into the product, reducing friction.

• Broad Appeal: Rows, as a spreadsheet tool, serves varied audiences; a traditional homepage can’t easily address all their needs.

• Spreadsheet Familiarity: Most users already know spreadsheets, making onboarding unnecessary, so they get value immediately.

• Encourages Exploration: The no-commitment setup invites curiosity, letting users discover features naturally.

• Removes Decision Paralysis: Many options on a traditional homepage can be overwhelming; this simplified approach gets users directly into action.

Apply This to Your Startup

• Single-Player Mode: Let users see value on their own, saving collaboration tools as premium features.

• Easy Data Integration: Offer integration setups without requiring accounts, increasing appeal.

• Inline Prompts Over Tutorials: Use helpful, subtle guidance instead of tutorials, keeping exploration intuitive.

• Generous Access, Not Just Demos: Give full access to core functionalities without sign-up—more access means more investment from users.

However, keep in mind that for products needing heavy onboarding, a loginless model might frustrate users. Also, without sign-up, customisation is limited, as user preferences aren’t captured. Hence, this strategy should be modified accordingly.

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Today’s AI Image

AI, Your PA and Maybe Even Spy

Quote of the Day

From Tim Ferris

"The world is changed by your example, not your opinion."

Tim Ferris

What we’re working on

🧞Your wish is my command