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Wednesday is here and we’re still getting excited about Disrupt later in the year. African Startups: We’d love you to sign up for Startup Battlefield 200, and we’ve also opened our Expo+ pass sale.
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The businesskinda.com Top 3
- What is the password?: Google passcodes are now rolling out to account users around the world. The passkeys let you access your account without passwords, and “authentication essentially syncs across all devices over the cloud using cryptographic key pairs, allowing you to sign into websites and apps with the same biometric or screen lock PIN used to unlock their devices.” unlock,” Paul writes.
- In the driver’s seat: Stripe, a longtime partner of Lyft, has now signed a major deal with Uber. Ingrid has more.
- Make an impact: Manic asks the question, “Where is India in the generative AI race?” and answers it by looking at how Indian entrepreneurs are working to capitalize on the excitement surrounding this trend.
Startups and VC
Plexamp, the music player from Plex, now works with ChatGPT for playlist creation, reports Sarah. That piqued my curiosity and I spent most of the morning with ChatGPT-4 making playlists. Among other things, I asked it to list the top 10 essential heavy metal songs, great music to work to, and most nostalgic songs from 2004.
I also asked ChatGPT-4 to make a list of top 5 songs about startups, and… damn it not only made it to the list of songs, but it explained it Why every number made sense in this list. I’m not going to lie, this thing never ceases to amaze me. Below is the list and I have made them handy Spotify playlistAn Apple Music playlist and a YouTube playlist for you too.
- “Started from the bottom” by Drake: This song’s lyrics about starting from scratch and working your way up resonates with many startups’ journey as they strive for success.
- “Lose Yourself” by Eminem: The intensity and drive in the lyrics may be representative of the dedication and focus it takes to build a successful startup.
- “It’s My Life” by Bon Jovi: This anthem about taking control of one’s own destiny and seizing opportunities fits the mindset of many entrepreneurs who start their own business.
- “Don’t Stop Believin'” by Journey: This classic track serves as a reminder for startup founders to keep believing in their vision, even when the road to success is filled with challenges.
- “Eye of the Tiger” from Survivor: As a symbol of determination and resilience, this song has become an anthem for those who face adversity and persevere to achieve their goals, much like the spirit of a startup founder.
Okay, enough musically inspired silliness. Here’s some more startup news for you:
Ask Sophie: Can I enter the US if my passport expires in 5 months?
Image Credits: Bryce Durbin/businesskinda.com
Dear Sophia,
I founded a startup in Zimbabwe a few years ago. I planned to visit the United States for the first time next month to see the market and applied for a visitor visa.
I am planning to stay in the US for a few months but I just realized my passport expires in September. I understand that I must have a minimum of six months remaining on my passport in order to travel to the United States.
Is that (still) true? Should I postpone my trip?
— Hopeful in Harare
Three more from the TC+ team:
businesskinda.com+ is our membership program that helps founders and startup teams lead the way. You can sign up here. Use code “DC” for a 15% discount on an annual subscription!
Big Tech Inc.
Remember when Airbnb first started as a way to rent a room in a home to avoid staying in a hotel? With the platform’s average rents rising — 36% since 2019, according to the company — it’s refocusing on single rooms to give users more affordable alternatives. Ivan has more.
In the meantime, Sarah was on dating app giant Match Group’s first-quarter earnings call and reports that Match believes the recent Apple-Epic Games antitrust appeal ruling, while largely in favor of Apple, could lead to an exemption from App Store fees for developers .
And we have five more for you:
Janice has been with businesskinda for 5 years, writing copy for client websites, blog posts, EDMs and other mediums to engage readers and encourage action. By collaborating with clients, our SEO manager and the wider businesskinda team, Janice seeks to understand an audience before creating memorable, persuasive copy.