My decade old WD MyCloud still works perfectly. The drives are healthy. The network functions. But the mobile app stopped connecting years ago;Western Digital sunset the cloud services without warning. The hardware outlived the business relationship.
Meanwhile, my family defaulted to iCloud at $168/year. Forever.
That's when I understood: In 2026, your hardware doesn't fail. Your vendor relationships do.
In December 2024, three out of five A16Z investments were AI startups, with the remaining two focusing on a Gaming-focused Browser and a NeoBank. This strategic allocation not only underscores Andreessen Horowitz’s (A16Z) confidence in the transformative potential of artificial intelligence (AI) but also highlights their commitment to diversifying their investment portfolio across high-growth and emerging sectors. However, while AI presents unparalleled opportunities, it also introduces a unique set of challenges and risks that surpass those typically associated with conventional Software as a Service (SaaS) ventures. Understanding and navigating these complexities requires a meticulous and comprehensive technical due diligence framework—one that VCs can adopt and adapt to ensure informed and strategic investment decisions.
Yayoi Kusama’s polka-dotted world has become a global phenomenon. Often credited with revolutionizing avant-garde art in the 1960s, Kusama today is more recognizable than many contemporary artists, due not only to her prolific oeuvre but also her branding savvy. This essay examines the trajectory of her work as it drifts away from the traditional mission of art—arguably to interrogate, critique, or reflect societal truths—and instead positions itself as a self-contained, immersive spectacle reminiscent of luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton or Coach. In this context, the viewer is less “audience” and more “consumer,” and Kusama’s galleries become shopping-mall-like environments where the merchandisable qualities of her installations often overshadow any profound social or historical commentary.
Storage Engines are hard. Not impossible to create but reasonably complex that a high performance engine will require a small team more than an year to build and make production ready. I don't have a small team and I don't have a year. I asked Tommy, what are my options mate? His advice was, not to build storage engine yourself at outset. He proposed three options and I illustrate each with its merits.
Highly articulate back-end developer with wide range of experience in trenches available for hire on contract. Has predominantly worked with Python, Django, MySQL, Postgres, Redis, AWS Services, Mongodb, Celery, ZeroMQ, REST APIs, JSON. Currently residing in Delhi, India (UTC + 5:30), willing to work in clients timezone. Technology in this case is not a barrier as long as product and business model is sound. He is ready to furnish resume, code samples and references. Visit profile to get his email address.
Meanwhile, my family defaulted to iCloud at $168/year. Forever.
That's when I understood: In 2026, your hardware doesn't fail. Your vendor relationships do.