2025 in Review, Cursor Acquires Graphite, TikTok's $50B Profit | Michael Truell & Merrill Lutsky, Pranav Myana, Anna Goldie, Edward Mehr

Overview

This episode reflects on the transformative year of 2025, highlighting major advancements in AI, technology, and manufacturing. Key discussions include TikTok's record-breaking profits, the integration of AI tools in software development, the potential of space-based data centers, and innovations in chip design and manufacturing. Guests Michael Truell, Merrill Lutsky, Pranav Myana, Anna Goldie, and Edward Mehr share insights into their groundbreaking work and visions for the future.

Notable Quotes

- A lot of coding as we know it today will be automated. The way teams collaborate and write software is going to change radically. - Michael Truell, on the future of software development.

- If you're betting against space data centers, you're betting against compute to grow. - Pranav Myana, on the inevitability of space-based data centers.

- We want to enable a Cambrian explosion of custom chips, making chip design faster, cheaper, and more accessible. - Anna Goldie, on revolutionizing chip design with AI.

🎄 2025 in Review

- The podcast reflects on a year of significant milestones, including 225 livestreams, nearly 1,000 guest interviews, and major events like the Figma IPO and YC Demo Day.

- TikTok's parent company ByteDance achieved $50 billion in profit, rivaling Meta in scale, while expanding aggressively into e-commerce and livestream shopping.

- OpenAI declared multiple Code Reds to focus resources on improving ChatGPT amidst competition from Google's Gemini AI model.

🚀 Space-Based Data Centers

- Pranav Myana discusses the feasibility of space data centers to overcome Earth's constraints on land, water, and power.

- Cooling in space requires innovative radiator designs due to the vacuum environment.

- Space-based inference could become viable within three years, leveraging solar panels and reduced cooling needs.

- Photonics-based chips are highlighted as a future technology for efficient computation in space.

🛠️ AI-Driven Chip Design

- Anna Goldie introduces Recursive Intelligence, aiming to revolutionize chip design by using AI to accelerate timelines and enable custom silicon for specific workloads.

- Current chip design takes 2-3 years and costs hundreds of millions; Recursive Intelligence seeks to drastically reduce these barriers.

- The company envisions a future where AI and hardware co-evolve, unlocking new possibilities for AI applications.

🤖 Manufacturing Innovation

- Edward Mehr showcases Machina Labs' Robo Craftsman, portable robotic units capable of autonomously shaping metal into complex forms.

- These systems enable distributed manufacturing, reducing reliance on centralized factories.

- Partnerships with Toyota and the Department of Defense highlight the system's versatility, from customizing car parts to producing defense equipment.

- Plans for expansion include a third facility and scaling the workforce to over 240 employees.

📈 The Future of AI and Industry

- Discussions explore the rapid adoption of AI in software development, with tools like Cursor and Graphite enhancing collaboration and productivity.

- The episode emphasizes the importance of speed and efficiency in AI models, with companies like OpenAI and Anthropic focusing on reducing latency and improving user experience.

- The potential for AI to drive breakthroughs in science and industry is underscored, with calls for public-private partnerships to secure compute resources for research.