This week, we delve into the Project Stargate announcement by OpenAI, Oracle and Softbank, in conjunction with President Trump, and assess the implications for OpenAi's relationship with Microsoft. We explain what Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella really meant with his CNBC zinger about the Stargate investment, and consider how Elon Musk's involvement in the new administration could play out in the tech industry.
PLUS, we discuss Madrona's big new funds and the potential impact on startup activity in the Pacific NW, and find a revealing piece of Microsoft history on an old CD-ROM.
Related stories:
Microsoft and OpenAI tweak the terms of their cloud deal, enabling $500B Stargate AI project
‘I’m good for my $80 billion’: What Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella really meant by his Stargate zinger
CNBC: Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella on $500B Stargate project: Our partnership with OpenAI continues
Madrona raises $770M for new funds — here’s what the Seattle VC firm is betting on
Cascade PBS: The rise of Bluesky, a not-so-Seattle-based social media company
Microsoft @ 50: ‘The Road Ahead’ at 30: What Bill Gates’ classic book about the future says about the world today
Learn more and register here for our special Microsoft @ 50 event, March 20, 2025, in Seattle.
With GeekWire's Todd Bishop and John Cook. Editing by Curt Milton.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
For this installment in our Microsoft @ 50 series, GeekWire revisited Bill Gates’ classic book from the mid-1990s, The Road Ahead, with the benefit of three decades of hindsight. We found in its pages a vision for technology that was essentially on the mark — foreseeing pervasive access to information, the rise of smart devices, and the central role of the internet in business, education, and the home. We also discovered striking parallels and insights relevant to the AI revolution we're experiencing today.
https://www.geekwire.com/2025/the-road-ahead-at-30-what-bill-gates-classic-book-about-the-future-says-about-the-world-today/
On this episode, we get the behind-the-scenes story of the book from Peter Rinearson, a Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, writer, entrepreneur, and former Microsoft VP, who co-authored The Road Ahead with Gates and former Microsoft CTO Nathan Myhrvold.
Microsoft @ 50 is a year-long GeekWire project exploring the tech giant’s past, present, and future, recognizing its 50th anniversary in 2025. Learn more and register here for our special Microsoft @ 50 event, March 20, 2025, in Seattle.
https://www.geekwire.com/events/geekwire-microsoft50/
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week on the GeekWire Podcast: An inside look at Amazon's classic process for strategic thinking and decision-making, with a former Amazon product and technology director who has written new book about the documents used by the company to determine its direction. What can others learn from its approach?
Plus, we break down this pivotal moment in Amazon's history, as employees return to the office five days a week; and we check in on the state of the Seattle startup world.
Our guest is Marcelo Calbucci, a serial entrepreneur and longtime Seattle startup community leader who has worked for both Amazon and Microsoft. His new book is The PRFAQ Framework: Adapting Amazon's Innovation Framework to Work for You. It's available in hardback and Kindle.
Calbucci has also created a giveaway contest for GeekWire readers and listeners. Enter here for a chance to win a copy of the book.
With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited and produced by Curt Milton.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
This week, Seattle-area software developer and AI entrepreneur Patrick Husting of Ghostwriter AI and the Equestrian App returns to the show to talk about the evolution of artificial intelligence over the past two years, how people are using the technology today, and where things are headed in 2025.
Related links
With GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop; edited and produced by Curt Milton
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
What happens when you mix modern AI with a piece of vintage technology and the musical stylings of a very amateur guitarist? You might be surprised.
That's the subject of this week's episode. GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop's fun holiday project, revisiting a favorite gadget from his youth, illustrated some bigger themes about the AI that has emerged in the past two years, and the role it can play in life and work.
Read more here: 'From impossible to merely difficult': AI meets a vintage 1980s musical gadget
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.