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Notes from the tide.
How AI is changing the way startups build products, design teams and brands, written by the crew doing the work every day. Practical, specific and free of fluff.
What Is a Venture Studio? How It Works and When Founders Should Use One
A venture studio builds companies alongside founders, with its own people and often its own money. Here is how the model works, who it fits and how to read the deal before you sign.
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App Store Retention Messages: How to Design a Cancel Screen That WorksSince November 4, an iOS subscription can show its own message, image or offer on Apple's cancel screen. It is a small surface with strict rules, and it rewards founders who know why people stay.
Senior Only Product Teams: What They Are and When Startups Need OneThe people in the pitch and the people on the build are not always the same. Here is what a senior only team changes for a young product, when it is worth it and how to tell the real thing from a sales line.
Siri AI Opens to Every App: What Startups Should Build NowOn November 3, Apple put Siri AI in front of every developer with a preview in the 27.3 betas. Customers get it in a few months and App Store submission opens in the spring, so the planning window is now.
Apple's 18+ Rule for AI Companion Apps: What Founders Should ChangeStarting November 16, App Store age ratings have to reflect romantic AI features, even when the companion is one feature among many. Here is how to tell if your product is in scope and what to change before you submit again.
How to Name a Startup: A Founder's Guide to Names That LastA name is the one brand decision that is expensive to undo. Here is how to pick one that is easy to say, possible to protect and big enough for where the company is going.
Startup Studio vs Accelerator: Which One Fits Your Idea?One gives you a cohort, a check and a deadline. The other gives you a team that builds with you. Here is how to tell which one your idea needs right now.
Fixed Price vs Time and Materials: How to Pay for Your First ProductThe way you pay a studio shapes what gets built, who carries the risk and how fast decisions happen. Here is how to choose between a fixed price, hourly billing and a monthly team.
Mistral Large 4 Goes Open: What LLM Costs Mean for Your StartupOn October 29, Mistral released open weights for its trillion-parameter Large 4 model, with low API prices to match. Here is how a founder should think about model costs before the first user signs up.
GitHub Universe 2026: What AI Coding Agents Mean for StartupsOn October 28, GitHub turned Copilot into a place to run coding agents across repos and models. Here is what that means for a founder with a small team and a launch date.
App Store Multiseat Subscriptions: What Founders Should Decide NowSince October 22, companies and schools can buy your iOS subscription by the seat, and the setting is on unless you changed it. Here is what that means for your pricing, your product and your roadmap.
iPhone Duo App Design: What Founders Should Fix FirstApple's foldable went on sale October 23. Most startup apps will run on it today, but custom layouts will show their seams. Here is where to look and what to do first.
How to Build an AI MVP in 30 to 60 DaysMost first products die in a year-long build. Here is the exact sequence we use to put a production AI product in real users’ hands in 30 to 60 days.
Vibe Coding vs a Real MVP: When an AI Prototype Is EnoughAI app builders made prototypes nearly free. That is great news for founders, as long as you know where a vibe coded app stops and a product has to start.
Designing AI Products: The UX Patterns That Build TrustAn AI feature is only as good as the moment it gets something wrong. These are the patterns we design into every AI product so people keep using it.
Startup Branding in the Age of AI: What Still Needs a HumanGenerators made logos cheap. They did not make brands cheap. Here is where AI genuinely helps a young company look real, and where judgment still decides the outcome.
KIIWI: How We Took a Local Business App From Concept to LaunchSlow hours cost local businesses money, and ads charge before anyone walks in. KIIWI only charges when customers show up. Here is how we got it live.
What Happens on a King Tide Scope Call (and How to Prepare)Thirty minutes is enough to turn a big idea into one product, one price and one date. Here is exactly what we cover and how to get the most out of it.[ 01 ]Field guides
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