#Launching a Tech Startup

[pritishkumar-halder]

Exploring the Growth of Tech Startups in Canada: A Path to Innovation and Success

Tech startups in Canada are transforming industries with cutting-edge innovations and a robust entrepreneurial spirit. The Canadian tech ecosystem is rapidly growing, fueled by access to world-class talent, government support, and a thriving investor landscape. For aspiring entrepreneurs, launching a tech startup in Canada offers significant opportunities for growth and global expansion.

The country’s commitment to fostering technology and innovation is evident in the number of initiatives and funding opportunities available to support tech startups. From Silicon Valley-style hubs in Toronto, Vancouver, and Montreal to government-backed programs, the support infrastructure is exceptional. With a focus on AI, cybersecurity, clean tech, and software development, Canadian tech startups are setting the stage for groundbreaking advancements.

Key to the success of Canadian tech startups is the strong collaboration between private enterprises, academic institutions, and innovation centres. With its diverse and skilled workforce, Canada is quickly becoming a top destination for tech entrepreneurs seeking to turn their ideas into reality.

Whether you’re launching your own tech startup or looking to invest in one, Canada provides an ideal environment to scale innovative ideas and make a global impact. Tech entrepreneurship in Canada is not just about developing technology—it’s about shaping the future.

[development-stratagem]

Looking for the best MVP development companies in 2025? This list features top firms that help startups quickly turn ideas into working products. They focus on reducing risks, speeding up time to market, and building scalable solutions. With strong client feedback, modern tech skills, and startup-friendly approaches, these companies are trusted partners for launching successful digital products. Read more.

[kunalmeghani]

How To Launch A Tech Startup In 90 Days

Starting a software company may be an exciting but difficult endeavor. Your tech idea may become a successful reality in just 90 days with a clear plan and laser-focused execution. We will coach you through a successful 30-30-30 day plan to create a tech firm in this in-depth manual. We've got you covered on everything from idea validation to product development, advertising tactics, and funding possibilities.

Idea Validation and Market Research: The First 30-Day Plan

 Day 1–5: Specify Your Startup's Goals

- Define the issue your tech startup will attempt to solve.

- For your startup, create a clear purpose and vision statement.

6th to 15th day: Market research

- Define your target market and comprehend their problems.

- Examine the market for gaps and rivals.

- Use surveys and interviews to confirm there is a need for your technological solution.

 Day 16–20: Develop Your Idea

- Develop a simple prototype, sometimes known as a Minimum Viable Product (MVP), to demonstrate your technology.

- Get input from prospective users and make changes to your prototype.

Day 21–30: Evaluate feasibility and viability

- Assess customer comments and improve your startup idea.

- Examine your tech startup's potential to scale and remain financially viable.

Product Development and Testing: 30-70 Day Plan

 Build Your Tech Product on Days 31–40

- Based on the improved prototype, create the final edition of your tech product.

- Carry out thorough testing and address any technical problems.

Day 41–50: Design and User Experience

- To ensure an understandable product, put an emphasis on user experience (UX) and user interface (UI) design.

- Run usability tests to get user input and make the necessary adjustments.

Day 51–60: Feedback and beta testing

- Introduce a limited number of users to the beta version of your tech product.

- Collect helpful comments and make any necessary adjustments before to the launch.

Day 61-70: Adherence to laws and regulations

- Create a legal company for your tech startup.

- Assure adherence to pertinent laws and rules, such as those governing intellectual property and data protection.

Marketing and funding are part of the 70-90 day plan.

Day 71–80: Go-to-Market Plan and Marketing

- Create a thorough marketing strategy to generate interest in your IT firm.

- Use content marketing, social media advertising, and digital marketing methods.

 Day 81–90: Obtain funding and begin

- Look at funding options like crowdfunding, venture capital, and angel investors.

- Create a strong pitch deck and contact prospective investors.

- Launch your IT startup formally and rejoice in your accomplishment.

An ambitious ambition, but one that is totally doable with a well-structured plan and unwavering commitment, is to launch a tech firm in just 90 days. Every crucial stage of launching a tech business is covered by the 30-30-30 day schedule outlined in this guide, including idea validation and product development to marketing and funding. Remember that agility and adaptability are key to success in the fast-paced startup world. Stay open to feedback, pivot when necessary, and continue to innovate to meet the needs of your target audience.

[outtamynoggin]

It's crazy what he gets away with (and who the ones letting him get away with it are)

Bruce: What Nightwing did might have been... unconventional, but it worked.

Tim: Exactly. I mean, sure, the plan might have involved hacking into Gotham’s power grid, a few strategic distractions, and, uh, some minor illegal surveillance-

Barbara: MINOR? DISTRUBANCES??

Tim: Okay, fine! The plan also had a teensy bit of hacking into the stock market, manipulating a few politicians, and borrowing a couple confidential documents, but nobody was harmed!

Bruce: ...In the strictest sense.

Tim: Yes! See, it's a win-win solution!

Barbara: *furious* You two are insane. You’re treating morally ambiguous like it’s a fun new hobby. He practically engineered an escape from a high-security prison by tricking the entire staff into thinking it was game night. In addition, he orchestrated a city-wide blackout just to steal classified documents, and you’re calling it genius?

Bruce: Very resourceful.

Tim: I mean... it’s not his fault they didn’t know how to play Dungeons & Dragons. Also, I want to see who else could pull off a high-profile heist while simultaneously launching a PR campaign for a new tech startup!

Bruce: *to Tim* Wayne Enterprise's tech gadgets cleared the shelves, we need to speed up production.

Tim: Already on it.

Barbara: You’re defending this? That’s not genius, that’s a psychotic breakdown wrapped in a cape! It's madness layered up in a three-piece suit!

Bruce and Tim: It’s Dick.

Barbara: I swear, if it was anyone else, you’d be throwing them in a cell for years.

Bruce and Tim: It’s Nightwing. He has plausible deniability.

Barbara: Plausible? I think he has a whole separate universe of deniability!

[ellipsus-writes]

Each week (or so), we'll highlight the relevant (and sometimes rage-inducing) news adjacent to writing and freedom of expression. This week:

Inkitt’s AI-powered fiction factory

Inkitt started in the mid-2010s as a cozy platform where anyone could share their writing. Fast forward twenty twenty-fuckkkkk, and like most startups, it’s pivoted hard into AI-fueled content production with the soul of an algorithm.

Pictured: Inkitt preparing human-generated work for an AI-powered flume ride to The Unknown.

Here’s how it works: Inkitt monitors reader engagement with tracking software, then picks popular stories to publish on its premium app, Galatea. From there, stories can get spun into sequels, spinoffs, or adapted for GalateaTV… often with minimal author involvement. Authors get an undisclosed cut of revenue, but for most, it’s a fraction of what they’d earn with a traditional publisher (let alone self-publishing).

“'They prey on new writers who have no idea what they’re doing,' said the writer of one popular Galatea series."

Many, many authors have side-eyed or outright decried the platform as inherently predatory for years, due to nebulous payout promises. And much of the concern centers on contracts that don’t require authors’ consent for editorial changes or AI-generated “additions” to the original text.

Now, Inkitt has gone full DiSrUpTiOn, leaning heavily on generative AI to ghostwrite, edit, generate audiobook narration, and design covers, under the banner of “democratizing storytelling.” (AI? In my democratized storytelling platform? It’s more likely than you think.)

Pictured: Inkitt’s CEO looking at the most-read stories.

But Inkitt’s CEO doesn’t seem too concerned about what authors think: “His business model doesn’t need them.”

The company recently raised $37 million, with backers including former CEOs of Sony, Penguin, and HarperCollins, proving once again that publishing loves a disruptor… as long as it disrupts creatives, not capital. And more AI companies are mushrooming up to chase the same vision: “a vision of human-created art becoming the raw material for AI-powered, corporate-owned content-production machines—a scenario in which humans would play an ever-shrinking role.”

(Not to say we predicted this, but…)

Welcome to the creator-industrial complex.

Publishers to AI: Stop stealing our stuff (please?)

Major publishers—including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian, and Vox Media—have launched a "Support Responsible AI" campaign, urging the U.S. government to regulate AI's use of copyrighted content.

Like last month's campaigns by the Authors Guild and the UK's Society of Authors, there's a website where where you can (and should!) contact your representatives to say, “Hey, maybe stop letting billion-dollar tech giants strip-mine journalism.”

The campaign’s ads carry slogans like “Stop AI Theft” and “AI Steals From You Too” and call for legislation that would force AI companies to pay for the content they train on and clearly label AI-generated content with attribution. This follows lobbying by OpenAI and Google to make it legal to scrape and train on copyrighted material without consent.

The publishers assert they are not explicitly anti-AI, but advocate for a “fair” system that respects intellectual property and supports journalism.

But… awkward, The Washington Post—now owned by Jeff Bezos—has reportedly already struck a deal with OpenAI to license and summarize its content. So, mixed signals.

Still, as the campaign reminds us: “Stealing is un-American.”

(Unless it’s profitable.)

#WarForever

We at Ellipsus love a good meme-turned-megaproject. Back in January, the-app-formerly-known-as-Twitter user @lolt64 tweeted a cryptic line about "the frozen wastes of europa,” the earliest reference to the never-ending war on Jupiter’s icy moon.

A slew of bleak dispatches from weary, doomed soldiers entrenched on Europa’s ice fields snowballed (iceberged?) into a sprawling saga, yes-and-ing with fan art, vignettes, and memes under the hashtag #WarForever.

It’s not quite X’s answer to Goncharov: It turns out WarForever is some flavor of viral marketing for a tabletop RPG zine. But the internet ran with it anyway, with NASA playing the Scorcese of the stars.

In a digital hellworld increasingly dominated by AI slopification, data harvesting, and “content at scale,” projects like WarForever are a blessed reminder that creativity—actual, human creativity—perseveres.

Even on a frozen moon. Even here.

Let us know if you find something other writers should know about, (or join our Discord and share it there!)

- The Ellipsus Team xo

[mostlysignssomeportents]

Madeline Ashby’s ‘Glass Houses’

I'm coming to BURNING MAN! On TUESDAY (Aug 27) at 1PM, I'm giving a talk called "DISENSHITTIFY OR DIE!" at PALENQUE NORTE (7&E). On WEDNESDAY (Aug 28) at NOON, I'm doing a "Talking Caterpillar" Q&A at LIMINAL LABS (830&C).

Glass Houses – published today by Tor Books – is Madeline Ashby's terrifying technothriller: it's an internet-of-things haunted house story that perfectly captures (and skewers) toxic tech culture while also running a savage whodunnit plot that'll keep you guessing to the end:

https://us.macmillan.com/books/9780765382924/glasshouses

Kristen is the "Chief Emotional Manager" for Wuv, a hot startup that has defined the new field of "affective computing," which is when a computer tells you what everyone else around you is really feeling, based on the unsuppressible tells emitted by their bodies, voices and gadgets.

"Chief Emotional Manager" is just a cutesy tech euphemism for "chief of staff." The only person whose emotions Kristen really manages is Sumter William, the boyish billionaire CEO and founder of Wuv. Sumter hired Kirsten because they share a key developmental trait: both were orphaned at an early age and had to raise themselves in a media spotlight.

Both Sumter and Kristen had been in the spotlight even before their parents' death, though. Sumter was the focus of the intense attention that the children of celebrity billionaires always come in for. Kristen, though, was thrust into the spotlight by her parents: her prepper cryptocurrency hustling father, and her tradwife mother, whose livestreams of Kristen's childhoods involved letting the audience vote everything from whether she'd get dessert after dinner to whether her mother should give her bangs.

Kristen's parents died the most Extremely Online death imaginable: a cryptocurrency price-spike sent her father's mining rigs into overdrive, and when they burst into flame, the IoT house system failed to alert him until it was too late. The fire left Kristen both alone and horribly burned, with scars over much of her body.

Managing Sumter through Wuv's tumultuous launch is hard work for Kristen, but at last, it's paid off. The company has been acquired, making Kristen – and all her coworkers on the founding core team – into instant millionaires. They're flying to a lavish celebration in an autonomous plane that Sumter chartered when the action begins: the plane has a malfunction and crashes into a desert island, killing all but ten of the Wuvvies.

As the survivors explore the island, they discover only one sign of human habitation: a huge, brutalist, featureless black glass house, which initially rebuffs all their efforts to enter it. But once they gain entry, they discover that the house is even harder to leave.

This is the setup for a haunted house story where the house seems to be an unknown billionaire prepper's IoT house of horrors. As the survivors of the crash suffer horrible injuries and deaths on the island, the remaining Wuvvies bolt themselves inside, setting up a locked-room whodunnit that runs in parallel.

This is a fantastic dramatic engine for Ashby's specialty: extremely pointed techno-criticism. The ensuing chapters, which flip back and forth between the story of Wuv's rise and rise to a top tech company, and the company's surviving staff being terrorized on a paradisaical tropical aisle, flesh out Ashby's speculation and the critique it embodies.

For example, there's the political culture of Ashby's future America. Wuv are a Canadian company, headquartered in Toronto, and we gradually come to understand that Canada is the beneficiary of an exodus of tech companies from the US following a kind of soft Christian Dominionist takeover (Kristen and Sumter often have to wrangle rules about whether women are allowed to enter the USA in the company of men they aren't married to and who aren't their brothers or fathers).

The flashbacks to this America are beautifully and subtly drawn, especially the scenes in Vegas, which manages to still be Vegas, even amidst a kind national, legally mandated Handmaid's Tale LARP. Ashby uses her futuristic speculation to illuminate the present, that standing wave where the past is becoming the future. Like everything in the shadows of a haunted house tale, this stuff will make the hair on the back of your neck stand on end.

I'm a big Madeline Ashby fan. I have the honor of having published her first story, when I was co-editing one of the Tesseracts anthologies of Canadian SF. I've read and really enjoyed every one of her books, but this one feels like a step-change in Ashby's career, a leveling up to something even more haunting and brilliant than her impressive back-catalog.

Madeline and I will be live at Chevalier's Books in LA on Aug 16 as part of her Glass Houses tour:

https://www.eventbrite.com/e/book-talk-madeline-ashbys-glass-houses-tickets-965286486867

Community voting for SXSW is live! If you wanna hear RIDA QADRI and me talk about how GIG WORKERS can DISENSHITTIFY their jobs with INTEROPERABILITY, VOTE FOR THIS ONE!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/13/influencers/#affective-computing

[tired-pidgeon]

A China-based startup just released DeepSeek, a new AI model that the company said was produced in 2 months for under $6 million. In comparison, Meta alone said it plans to spend $65 Billion on AI this year. OpenAI is spending $100k-$700k a DAY to run their AI models.

DeepSeek is good enough to rival ChatGPT and Anthropic, and has an open-source model

(Source: CNN, watch from 2:38 onward)

Meanwhile, Trump just announced the Stargate Project, an AI investment initiative that includes OpenAI, Arm, Nvidia and Oracle. The project aims to invest $500 billion over the next four years to build data centers across the U.S. that will support AI models and allow them to continue developing

DeepSeek’s launch — it is now the most downloaded app on the App Store, ahead of ChatGPT — caused tech stocks to fall today, but according to tech consultant Shelly Palmer during the linked interview with CNN, American tech companies are likely to rise to this challenge.

The wide disparity in cost and training time between the DeepSeek and other AI models is staggering, and it begs some questions: how did DeepSeek do it faster and cheaper? Are they telling the truth? Why haven’t American firms figured this out? Why are American firms charging so much?

Mr Palmer attributes this to the different ways AI models functions. DeepSeek relies on algorithmic efficiency, while American AI models rely on brute force. Mr Palmer notes that since China has had restricted access to chips and tech (thanks to U.S. sanctions), it has had to find another way to solve the problem.

If I were to take an optimistic perspective, I’d hope that this new model will encourage American companies to step up their game and create even more efficient models. It’s the open market after all. I hope this will result in the reduction of AI’s environmental damage, which is currently proceeding on an unsustainable level. AI can be good or bad, but its current devouring of limited resources is unbearable. I’m glad DeepSeek was able to find a better way to create a more efficient model. Not only that, but since its model is open source, anyone can look at it and learn from it. It could actually prove to be an important springboard for AI technology

If I were to take a pessimistic perspective, the U.S. might take this as a threat instead of an invitation to innovate and win in the free market. TheUS might impose even more isolationist policies, possibly banning tech apps from China and ironically creating its own Great Firewall. In doing so, its people are stuck having to rely on domestic AI models, while China’s influence in the tech sphere grows through the rest of the world. Meanwhile, the US continues to spread Sinophobia and consequently misses out on new tech because it is throwing a tantrum at not having figured out the AI puzzle first, possibly accusing DeepSeek of IP theft

[astroismypassion]

✨PART OF FORTUNE IN SIGNS AND HOUSES SERIES: 11TH HOUSE✨

Credit: Tumblr blog @astroismypassion

ARIES PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 11TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Aries and Aquarius Sun people in your life. You can earn money via launching or joining a tech startup, focused on innovative technologies or disruptive business model, via work in community organization or activism, via work in digital marketing or social media management, via providing consulting services to businesses or organizations, advising them on innovation strategies, product development or new market exploration, via work in crowdfunding or fundraising. You feel abundant when you align with social causes, focus on group dynamics and embrace innovation.

TAURUS PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 11TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Taurus and Aquarius Sun people in your life. You can earn money via work in investment management, focusing on building and managing portfolios that provide stable returns, via art colleting, dealing or curation focusing on pieces that have enduring value, via work in interior design, via work in hospitality management (in luxury hotels, resorts or event planning). You feel abundant when you embrace sustainable and ethical practices, when you practice patience and persistence.

GEMINI PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 11TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Gemini and Aquarius Sun people in your life. You can earn money via engaging in activism, advocacy work, via work in public relations, graphic design, via creative writing, screenwriting, content creation, teaching, tutoring, joining or starting a tech company focused on innovative products or services. You feel abundant when you are focused on community, collective goals, when you stay versatile and adaptable.

CANCER PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 11TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Cancer and Aquarius Sun people in your life. You can earn money via pursuing a career in early childhood education or childcare, nursing, caregiving, mental health services, via work in family and parent education, pursuing culinary arts or catering, engaging in art and design. You feel abundant when you focus on community, social connections, embrace technology and innovation, promote security and stability and use your intuition and emotional intelligence.

LEO PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 11TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Leo and Aquarius Sun people in your life. You can find abundance by managing a charitable organisation. You can earn money via work as a creative director or manager, overseeing projects in fashion, advertising or design, via writing, blogging, content creation focused on inspirational and motivational themes, via work in charity or fundraising, work in teaching (drama, art, public speaking). You feel abundant when maintain confidence in your vision and abilities, when you embrace charisma, leadership and when you pursue a creative career.

VIRGO PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 11TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Virgo and Aquarius Sun people in your life. You can earn money via work in tech support, quality assurance, systems analysis, work in non-profit management, pursuing teaching or training roles, engage in environmental research, when you organise workshops or seminars on practical skills, health and wellness. You feel abundant when you focus on health, wellness, when you network, collaborate and when you use technology.

LIBRA PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 11TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Libra and Virgo Sun people in your life. You can create wealth by creating and selling DIY kits or tutorials. You could also learn digital or 3D art. You could sell photos on sites like Shutterstock or Adobe Stock. You earn money via event planning, specializing in weddings, social events and community events, work in legal services, such as family law, meditation or contract negotiation. You feel abundant when you embrace collaboration and partnerships, focus on aesthetics and creativity.

SCORPIO PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 11TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Scorpio and Aquarius Sun people in your life. You can earn money via holistic healing, alternative medicine, energy work, via astrology, metaphysical studies, spiritual counselling, via biotechnology, healthcare technology, environmental technology, via work in cybersecurity, data analysis or investigative journalism. You feel abundant when embrace deep, transformative work, engage in financial and strategic roles.

SAGITTARIUS PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 11TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Sagittarius and Aquarius Sun people in your life. You can earn money via career in diplomacy, teaching, lecturing, work in tourism industry, work in educational publishing, work in broadcasting or journalism, work in editing or translation. You feel abundant when you engage in social and humanitarian causes, focus on education and communication, when you embrace international cultural perspectives.

CAPRICORN PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 11TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Capricorn and Aquarius Sun people in your life. You can earn money via real estate development, work in corporate training and development, taking on leadership roles in non-profit organizations that focus on social justice, community development or environmental sustainability. You feel abundant when emphasize practical, realistic approach, when you use network and social connections.

AQUARIUS PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 11TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Aquarius Sun people in your life. You can earn money via streaming on platforms (Twitch), participating in esports or creating gaming content. You earn money via scientific research, when you create or support educational programs that focus on skills for the future (digital literacy, innovation), when you create content that explores futuristic concepts, technology trends or social change using platforms like YouTube, a blog, podcast. You feel abundant when you focus on technology and future trends and when you stay true to your unconventional nature.

PISCES PART OF FORTUNE IN THE 11TH HOUSE

You feel the most abundant when you have Pisces and Aquarius Sun people in your life. You can earn money via storytelling, work in holistic healing fields, massage therapy, via painting, writing, music or film, via offering spiritual or life coaching services. You feel abundant when stay true to your intuitive insights, embrace spiritual and healing practices and when you focus on humanitarian and compassionate work.

Credit: Tumblr blog @astroismypassion

[zylentrix]

Transform Your Tomorrow with Zylentrix: Sustainable Innovation for Businesses, Careers, and Global Growth

🌐 Zylentrix: Redefining Success Through People-Centric Solutions

At Zylentrix, we’re on a mission to empower individuals, businesses, and communities through innovation, integrity, and sustainability. Our vision? To lead the world in integrated consultancy services, transforming challenges into stepping stones for growth. Whether you’re scaling a business, launching a career, or pursuing education, we’re here to equip you with the tools to thrive. Let’s unpack how our mission, values, and culture make us the partner you can trust.

🎯 Our Mission & Vision: The North Star of Zylentrix

Mission: “To empower individuals, businesses, and communities by delivering innovative and customised solutions across education, technology, recruitment, and business consulting. With a commitment to excellence, integrity, and sustainability, we strive to create opportunities, bridge gaps, drive transformation, and foster long-term success.”

Vision: “To be the global leader in integrated consultancy services, transforming lives and businesses through innovative, sustainable, and forward-thinking solutions that empower individuals, businesses, and communities to thrive and succeed.”

We’re not just consultants—we’re architects of progress, designing futures where everyone has the chance to excel.

💎 Core Values: The Pillars of Everything We Do

Our values are the blueprint for how we serve clients, collaborate with partners, and grow as a team:

Integrity: “Building Trust Through Transparency” Every decision is guided by ethics. No shortcuts, no compromises.

Innovation: “Driving Future-Ready Solutions” From AI-driven recruitment tools to sustainable business frameworks, we pioneer what’s next.

Excellence: “Delivering Impact & Measurable Growth” We set—and smash—high standards, ensuring clients see real results.

Customer-Centricity: “Putting Clients at the Centre of Everything” Your goals shape our strategies. We listen, adapt, and deliver.

Diversity, Inclusion & Collaboration: “Creating Equal Opportunities for All” Diverse teams = smarter solutions. We champion equity in every project.

Sustainability: “Responsible Business for a Better Future” Green tech, eco-friendly practices, and ethical growth are non-negotiables.

Empowerment: “Enabling People & Businesses to Thrive” We don’t just hand you tools—we teach you how to master them.

🤝 Our Commitment: Tailored Support for Every Journey

Zylentrix is your partner in growth, no matter your starting point:

For Businesses:

Tech Solutions: Streamline operations with scalable AI, cybersecurity, and cloud systems.

Strategic Recruitment: Access global talent pools curated for cultural and technical fit.

Consulting Excellence: Turn insights into action with market research and digital transformation plans.

For Job Seekers:

Career Mastery: Revamp resumes, ace interviews, and unlock roles in booming industries like fintech and clean energy.

Global Mobility: Navigate international job markets with visa support and relocation guidance.

For Students:

Education Pathways: Secure admissions and scholarships at top universities worldwide.

Future-Proof Skills: Gain certifications in AI, sustainability, and more through our partnerships.

For Startups & SMEs:

Scale Smart: Leverage data analytics and ESG frameworks to grow responsibly.

Funding Ready: Craft investor pitches that stand out in crowded markets.

🌱 Our Culture: Fueling Innovation from Within

At Zylentrix, our workplace is a launchpad for creativity and collaboration. Here’s what defines us:

Lifelong Learning: Monthly workshops, innovation challenges, and tuition reimbursements keep our team ahead of trends.

Agility in Action: When the world changes, we pivot faster—like shifting to virtual career fairs during the pandemic.

Collaborative Spirit: Cross-departmental “sprint teams” solve client challenges, blending tech experts, educators, and recruiters.

Ownership & Impact: Every employee, from interns to executives, contributes to client success stories.

Work-Life Harmony: Flexible hours, mental health resources, and sustainability days ensure our team thrives inside and out.

Join the Zylentrix Movement

Ready to transform your business, career, or community? Let’s build a future where innovation and integrity go hand in hand.

📩 Connect Today 👉 Explore our services: Zylentrix 👉 Follow us on Social Media for tips on tech, careers, and sustainability. LinkedIn Facebook Instagram TikTok X Pinterest YouTube Quora Medium 👉 Email consult@zylentrix.net to schedule a free consultation.

[eretzyisrael]

Good News From Israel

In the 29th Dec 24 edition of Israel’s good news, the highlights include:

Three Israelis were saved by skilled surgeons and Israeli tech.

An Arab Israeli saved Jewish girls and a Haredi Jew volunteers in an Arab town.

Israel has launched its first home grown quantum computer.

Israeli defense systems protect the USA and Europe.

A pro-Israeli American uses comedy videos to change minds.

Chanukah-period plaster has been found preserved in “cave pearls”.

Read More: Good News from Israel

The lights of the Jewish festival of Chanukah are a metaphor for many of the articles in this week's newsletter. Patients suffering from serious chronic diseases will be de-lighted by the results of recent Israeli medical trials which could be the light at the end of a long tunnel. Separately, one Israeli tech system illuminated the path for surgeons to extract a bullet from a Nova survivor's brain, while another helped them remove a tumor from a teenager's spine. A pregnant Israeli woman will now be able to see the light, thanks to the removal of a tumor from her optic nerve. And at the other end of the spectrum, Israeli doctors used a groundbreaking single dose of radiation to cure a patient from a deadly heart condition. Israeli continues to be a Light to the Nations by repairing children's hearts in Zambia; opening an innovation center in France; showcasing climate tech in Paris; winning research prizes in Belgium; celebrating 75 years of ties with Argentina; protecting Christians, Druze and Kurds in Syria and Lebanon; donating Christmas trees in Jerusalem; and delivering defense systems to the USA and Europe. Israeli scientists recently developed a new form of pure polarized light for high-precision optics; a new Israeli quantum computer processes information faster than the speed of light; and even off-grid Israeli Bedouins are installing solar energy systems. Meanwhile, Intel's previously extinguished "Ignite" startup accelerator has been re-ignited! Finally, as Chanukah lights are being lit all over Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, Syria and globally, a 96-year-old woman from New York alighted at Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion airport, making Aliyah to the de-light of her 84 descendants from five generations. The photo is of candles for the 3rd night of Chanukah, lit prior to Shabbat. They include extra sets for soldiers, hostages, and the wounded who cannot light their own candles.

[darkmaga-returns]

by Brenda Baletti, Ph.D.

San Francisco-based ag-tech startup Wildtype Foods won approval from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for its lab-cultivated salmon last month.

The company, backed by Bezos Expeditions, actor Leonardo DiCaprio, agricultural giant Cargill, and many others, is already selling its lab-grown sushi-grade fish at James Beard award-winning restaurant, Kann in Portland, Oregon.

Over the next four months, the company plans to roll out the product in four more restaurants, then launch the fish in foodservice.

Wildtype is the fourth lab-grown meat company granted permission to sell its product in the U.S. Upside Foods and Good Meat have approval to sell chicken grown in a lab from animal cells.

Another California startup, Mission Barns, got the green light from the FDA to sell its cultivated pork fat in March, but still needs approval from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

[jeaninelatragedia]

A big part of why Artists feel so negatively about people in the tech industry is that the Tech Workers also fall into the trap of believing their work is more Noble And Superior than anyone else's, and they tend to get pretty obnoxious about it too (Even if Tumblr these days doesn't have those types on here anymore). It especially doesn't help that there's always been a huge push in American culture to value hard sciences/STEM over soft sciences like arts and philosophy, which results in people who think that STEM is the only intellectual pursuit that's Useful, and another who believes the exact opposite and that only the humanities are Truly Intellectual.

i hope you won't take this response too disparagingly because i truly do see what makes you say this. but this is kind of a made up problem. just like how there are people discouraged from being artists, there are people discouraged from being scientists or engineers, or honestly, even people who are discouraged from ever wanting to engage with bureaucracy or sociology. i know a lot of engineers who've gone through this and who have never remotely had that sort of superiority complex, because they're the people exploited to have to jump between failed start up to failed start up, or crushed under the tedium of having to code for multinational corporations without them owning any of their code and being subject to extremely violent crunch times. none of those people believe their work is Noble and Superior, probably because they don't get the luxury to see their work as their own (because, say, a graphic designer who is by all means An Artist in the aesthetic sense will also lack that luxury.). you're conflating the very real proletariat workers of these industries with their bourgeoise counterparts, the ones who hold the means to pay the coders, the ones who launch the startups with loans from their rich parents, the ones who don't actually do the production or the labor, who do have a very real entitled attitude, but not any more than academics in humanities, or publishing houses for books, or art gallery owners. any sort of perceived "favoritism" from hegemonic culture exists both ways because it's, fundamentally, a distraction from looking closely at the class relations existent in any industry at all.

[ameliasoulturner]

Kickstart Your Earnings with Content Writing: A Beginner’s Friendly Roadmap

If you’ve ever wondered how ordinary people turn their words into cash, content writing might be your sweet spot. You don’t need a fancy degree or decades of experience to get started. With some guidance, dedication, and a dash of creativity, you can start earning from content writing sooner than you think. This guide walks you through each step in a friendly, down‑to‑earth way so you’ll feel confident launching your freelance writing journey.

Why Content Writing Is a Great Starting Point Content writing covers everything from blog posts and web pages to social media captions and product descriptions. Businesses of all sizes need fresh, engaging words to connect with their audience, rank higher in search engines, and boost sales. As companies continue to invest in digital marketing, demand for quality content writers stays strong. Plus, you can work from anywhere, set your own hours, and choose projects that spark your interest.

Understanding the Basics of Earning from Content Writing At its core, earning from content writing means providing value through written words. Clients pay for:

Research that saves them time

SEO‑friendly copy that boosts visibility

Clear, engaging storytelling that connects with readers

Consistent output that maintains an active online presence

Your job is to become the go‑to person who delivers those benefits reliably.

Step 1: Identify Your Niche and Strengths While generalists can find work, specializing helps you stand out. Consider topics you enjoy or know well—travel, personal finance, health and wellness, tech, lifestyle, parenting, gaming, or education. Having a niche makes it easier to showcase your expertise and justify higher rates. If you’re a fitness buff who loves writing, focus on blogs and articles in that sphere. If you have a background in software, aim for tech how‑to guides.

Step 2: Build a Portfolio That Shows Your Skills Clients want proof you can write well. Even if you haven’t been paid yet, you can create sample pieces:

Start a personal blog or Medium page and publish 3 to 5 high‑quality articles in your niche.

Guest post on small blogs that accept submissions.

Rewrite or summarize existing news stories in your voice (clearly marked as samples).

Draft mock project pieces for imaginary clients—product descriptions, newsletters, or landing pages.

Organize these in a simple online portfolio. You can use free tools like Google Sites, Wix, or WordPress. Make sure each sample highlights your SEO skills by including relevant keywords naturally in titles and subheadings.

Step 3: Optimize Your Online Profiles for Visibility Next, set up profiles on freelance platforms and job boards. Popular destinations include Upwork, Fiverr, Freelancer, ProBlogger, Contena, and LinkedIn. When crafting your profile:

Write an engaging headline that includes “content writer” or “freelance writer.”

Summarize your background, niche focus, and any standout achievements.

List your portfolio samples or link directly to your site.

Add relevant skills: SEO, WordPress, SEMrush, Mailchimp, social media management, etc.

Request testimonials from friends or colleagues who can vouch for your work ethic or writing ability.

A well‑optimized profile boosts your chances of appearing in client searches and winning invitations.

Step 4: Find Your First Paid Gigs Landing that first paid project often takes persistence. Strategies that work:

Pitch directly to small businesses or local startups. Send personalized emails offering a free trial article or website audit.

Apply to relevant listings daily on freelance boards. Tailor each proposal to the client’s needs—mention specifics from their job post.

Explore niche‑specific boards like BloggingPro or JournalismJobs for targeted opportunities.

Network on LinkedIn by sharing helpful writing tips, engaging with posts in your niche, and connecting with marketing professionals.

Early on, you might accept lower‑priced gigs to build credibility, but avoid underpricing yourself. Aim for a rate you can increase once you’ve racked up 5 to 10 positive reviews.

Step 5: Master SEO and Content Strategy SEO savvy writers command better fees. Search Engine Optimization involves understanding how keywords, user intent, and readability affect rankings. To shine:

Use free keyword research tools like Google Keyword Planner or Ubersuggest to identify target phrases.

Incorporate primary keywords in titles, opening paragraphs, subheadings, and naturally throughout the text.

Keep sentences concise, break up text with subheadings, and add bullet lists or numbered steps for scannability.

Learn basic on‑page SEO: meta descriptions, internal linking, image alt text, and proper URL structure.

Businesses pay for measurable results. If your copy ranks higher and drives traffic, you become more valuable.

Step 6: Set Competitive Rates and Payment Terms Knowing how much to charge can feel tricky. Common approaches include:

Per‑word rate: New freelance writers often start at five to ten cents per word, moving up to twenty cents or more with experience.

Per‑hour rate: Beginners might charge twenty to thirty dollars per hour, progressing to fifty and beyond as skills sharpen.

Per‑project fee: Flat rates for complete blog posts or web pages, factoring in research, revisions, and strategy.

Always agree on payment milestones. A 50/50 split works—half up front, half on completion. Use contracts to outline deliverables, deadlines, and revision policies. This keeps both sides on the same page.

Step 7: Deliver Quality and Build Long‑Term Relationships Repeat clients are freelancing gold. To keep clients coming back:

Meet deadlines without reminders.

Communicate clearly—let them know if you hit a roadblock and propose solutions.

Offer a revision round to refine the piece to their liking.

Suggest topic ideas for future posts based on emerging trends in their industry.

When clients see you consistently add value, they’ll hire you again and refer you to others.

Step 8: Leverage Tools and Continuous Learning Stay competitive by embracing helpful platforms:

Grammarly or ProWritingAid to polish grammar and tone.

Yoast or Rank Math (for WordPress) to fine‑tune on‑page SEO.

Trello or Asana for managing multiple projects smoothly.

Google Analytics basics to understand content performance.

Invest time in online courses or webinars on SEO, storytelling, and copywriting. The more you learn, the more you can charge.

Step 9: Scale Your Earnings Over Time Once you’ve established a steady stream of projects, scaling becomes the name of the game. Options include:

Raising your rates for new clients while maintaining current engagements.

Packaging content services—offer blog writing plus email newsletters or social media management as a bundle.

Outsourcing parts of the work, like research or editing, to junior writers, allowing you to focus on strategy and client relations.

Creating digital products, such as eBooks or courses on content writing, to earn passive income.

Diversifying revenue streams helps insulate your income from slow periods.

Putting It All Together Earning from content writing is an achievable goal, even if you’re starting from scratch. By identifying your niche, building an impressive portfolio, mastering SEO, and delivering top‑notch work, you’ll attract clients eager to pay for your expertise. Remember that patience and persistence pay off. Treat every project as a chance to improve your craft and delight a client. Before you know it, you’ll have a thriving freelance writing business that fits your lifestyle and fuels your creative passions.

[james007anthony]

TDZ Pro helps teams launch and lead with confidence.

[mariacallous]

Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been clear about its plans to fire tens of thousands of employees at the Department of Veterans Affairs. New WIRED reporting sheds light on the specific DOGE operatives at the VA and the ways they’re trying to infiltrate and drastically change the agency.

On March 25, tech staffers and contractors at the VA noticed an unfamiliar name trying to push changes that could impact VA.gov code. It was Sahil Lavingia, a newcomer to the agency listed in the VA’s internal directory as an adviser to the chief of staff, Christopher Syrek.

Lavingia's presence in the VA's GitHub instance—a publicly viewable platform that houses projects and code for VA.gov—set off immediate alarm bells. It bore all the hallmarks of DOGE’s incursion into the federal government: Lavingia, a startup CEO and engineer with no government experience, all of a sudden had power—and was in their systems.

Since then, VA employees say they have had multiple concerns following interactions with Lavingia. Beyond his GitHub access, sources who spoke to WIRED indicate that Lavingia, who said on Slack that he wanted to digitize the agency, also appears to be trying to use an AI tool called OpenHands to write code for the VA’s systems. One person with knowledge says that Lavingia had been given what’s known as a “zero account,” which would allow him to be granted privileged access to VA systems.

In response to WIRED’s questions about his work at the VA, Lavingia responded by email saying, “Sorry, I'm not going to answer these, besides to say I'm unpaid. And a fan of your work!”

Lavingia is not the only DOGE representative at the VA. According to sources within the agency, the DOGE delegation also includes Cary Volpert and Christopher Roussos. Other known DOGE members at the VA include Justin Fulcher, who ran a telehealth startup that went bankrupt in the late 2010s, and Payton Rehling and Jon Koval, both of whom worked for Valor Equity Partners and appeared at the Social Security Administration along with the fund’s founder and Musk ally, Antonio Gracias.

These DOGE operatives appear to have no work experience that’s remotely close to the VA in terms of its scale or complexity. The VA administers all the government benefits afforded to veterans and their families for roughly 10 million people, including education, loans, disability payments, and health care. Lavingia is the CEO of Gumroad, a platform that helps creatives sell their work and takes a cut of each sale. More recently, according to his blog, Lavingia launched Flexile, a tool to manage and pay contractors. According to his LinkedIn profile, Lavingia was the second employee at Pinterest, which he left in 2011 to found Gumroad. Lavingia is also an angel investor in other startups via SHL Capital, which backed Clubhouse and Lambda School, among others.

Volpert, who is listed as a senior adviser to the chief of staff, is a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania. On a third-party job site Volpert is listed as the founder of a startup called Lindy Live, which once offered social engagement for senior citizens. According to documents viewed by WIRED, Volpert has been reviewing VA contracts with what appears to be the intent of canceling those agreements. Roussos is the former CEO of 24 Hour Fitness and most recently was CEO of AllerVie Health, an allergy and immunology startup, according to his LinkedIn profile. Last February, he became chair of the company’s board of directors. He is also listed as an adviser to the chief of staff at the VA. Volpert, Roussos, and Lavingia, according to a source at the VA, were introduced by agency leadership in meetings as DOGE representatives.

“DOGE's actions at the VA are putting veterans' lives at risk,” representative Gerald Connolly, ranking member of the House Oversight Committee, tells WIRED. Veterans, he adds, risk being “stripped of the care they need and deserve because [President Donald] Trump and Elon have turned the VA over to lackeys who do not know the first thing about what it means to serve your country."

VA employees have expressed concern about the changes the DOGE staffers have already started to make to the agency. “These people have zero clue what they are working on,” a VA employee tells WIRED.

The VA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Neither did Volpert, Roussos, Fulcher, Rehling, or Koval.

Lavingia’s past work, however, appears to have informed his present outlook at the VA, especially when it comes to AI. In a blog post on his personal website from October 2024, Lavingia discussed how Gumroad, which laid off most of its employees in 2015, had achieved financial stability: “replacing every manual process with an automated one, by pushing all marginal costs to the customer, and having almost no employees.”

“Today, humans are necessary for stellar customer service, crisis management, regulatory compliance and negotiations, property inspections, and more,” he wrote. “But it won't be long until AI can do all of the above.”

Two sources familiar with Lavingia’s work at the VA note that he appears to be trying to introduce an AI tool called OpenHands to write code for the agency. In GitHub, Lavingia requested to add OpenHands to the repertoire of programs that can be used by VA tech workers, and noted in Slack that this was “a priority for the [chief of staff] and Secretary.” (OpenHands is available for anyone to download on GitHub.)

“They’ve asked us to consider using AI for all development contracts and have us justify why it can’t do it,” says the VA employee. “I think they are considering how to fill the gaps [of canceled contracts] with AI.”

“We don’t really have approval to use AI, because there is sensitive info in some of the GitHub repos,” says a second VA tech worker who, like other sources, asked to remain anonymous because they’re not authorized to talk to the media. “Theoretically it could script something and pull out a bunch of data.” Much of that data, according to the source, is stored and accessed through several application programming interfaces. This includes information like the social security numbers of veterans and their family members and bank information, as well as medical and disability history.

New tools also mean new security risks. “Any programming tools or applications that you use in federal systems have to meet a bunch of security classifications,” the source says. They worry that the proposed use of OpenHands has not been properly vetted for government purposes for security gaps that could possibly leave the VA’s systems and data vulnerable.

“They’re not following any of the normal procedures, and it’s putting people at risk,” they say, noting that a system failure could impede veterans’ ability to access their benefits. “These are people who have given pieces of themselves to their country and they deserve more respect than that.”

A former VA employee who worked in the office of the CTO and asked for anonymity in order to protect their privacy says that OpenHands was not, as far as they knew, a tool approved for use at the agency. When asked to evaluate it based on the security assessment used at the agency, the person says that the tool’s ability to “modify code, run commands, browse the web, call APIs,” according to its website, was particularly concerning.

“That alarms me. That gives me Skynet vibes," they say. “I don’t necessarily want a computer to have all those capabilities unsupervised.”

OpenHands did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

The source also says that AI-generated code can pose significant risks in general. “I would not want a tool like this writing code on VA.gov, because I think it would lead to a higher likelihood of bugs and therefore security issues being introduced into the platform,” they say, adding that “buggy code” could be easier to hack, introducing more security vulnerabilities. It could also accidentally access or modify the wrong data, including sensitive data. And even if the AI-generated code works well, it can be “unmaintainable,” because it is so complicated that even the people generating the code may not fully understand it and therefore not be able to update or change it when needed.

Lavingia has quickly suggested other changes at the VA as well.

Sources say Lavingia asked if there is a way to use veterans’ social security numbers or “other identifying information” to pre-fill customer forms with data from the VA system without the user being logged in. That data, according to one VA source, could include everything from their disability benefits and medical records and history. This kind of pre-filling requires users to be authenticated within the VA’s system, which not all of them are. A VA employee pushed back, noting that “there are fraud and risk concerns about someone submitting a form on behalf of a veteran when they have not been established as their caretaker.” Another employee noted this change would make it easier to “submit fraudulent forms at scale.”

In a March 26 Slack message, Lavingia also suggested that the agency should do away with paper forms entirely, aiming for “full digitization.”

“There are over 400 vet-facing forms that the VA supports, and only about 10 percent of those are digitized,” says a VA worker, noting that digitizing forms “can take years because of the sensitivity of the data” they contain. Additionally, many veterans are elderly and prefer using paper forms because they lack the technical skills to navigate digital platforms.

“Many vets don’t have computers or can’t see at all,” they say. “My skin is crawling thinking about the nonchalantness of this guy.”

Lavingia’s earliest activity on the VA’s Github is indicative of the broader tensions at the agency. According to GitHub pull requests and people familiar with his work, Lavingia sought to change the text in the website’s footer where the agency lists its social media presence from “Twitter” to “X.” (Musk renamed Twitter to X after purchasing it in 2022.)

That change was not as simple as it sounds.

“We wanted it to say ‘X (formerly Twitter)’ or something similar,” says the second VA tech worker. This was because the letter X is, on its own, not big enough to be compliant with Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. The single letter would be too difficult for someone to tap. Other VA workers suggested that they could use “X.com,” again in an attempt to make text more readable and accessible to disabled users.

“X.com is not an acceptable replacement. It must be ‘X’ to be consistent with the other sites where we use the names they prefer,” Lavingia responded. The VA website now simply lists “X.”

In a GitHub ticket viewed by WIRED, Lavingia also suggested abandoning Drupal, a content management system (CMS) that the VA uses for publishing updates and information about the agency and the services it provides on VA facility websites. “I think we should consider removing Drupal as part of our workflow, and all content should just live in the codebase,” he wrote.

Sources say that the regular office administrators and health workers staffed at VA locations around the country are often the ones responsible for making sure that the content about their facilities are clear and up to date on their VA webpages. Instead of being able to log in to the CMS and update the appropriate text or pages, Lavingia’s suggestion would mean they’d need to go into the actual code of the website to make simple changes. Any mistakes could break the sites, and one source worried that such a technical task would be too big of an ask for nontechnical VA staffers.

“There are over 1,000 VA editors that work in the hospitals as administrators and other roles that update the websites for each VA medical center and hospital every day. They are not engineers, they barely can use a CMS at all,” says the second VA worker, who was shocked by Lavingia’s suggestion. “This guy is suggesting we move all 55,000-plus pages of live content into the code.”

A week after Lavingia made this suggestion, the VA did not renew a contract for the workers who managed its CMS. This means, sources claim, that the VA’s facility locator, which lets users find a hospital or VA office near them, may stop functioning. This feature was managed through the contractor. (The DOGE account on X posted proudly, “VA was previously paying ~$380,000/month for minor website modifications. That contract has not been renewed and the same work is now being executed by 1 internal VA software engineer spending ~10 hours/week.” VA workers say they have no idea who the post refers to.)

Sources say that Lavingia’s casual approach extends even to such issues as meeting protocols. On Tuesday, during a Microsoft Teams call with Chris Johnston, the agency’s deputy chief technology officer, VA tech workers were surprised when they saw that someone had started recording in the middle of a call.

“It created a stir,” says a third VA worker who was in the meeting.

In a chatbox, Lavingia wrote, “Why can’t we record? I think we should unless there’s a legal reason not to,” noting that it would be helpful for people who couldn’t attend. Another person wrote back, informing Lavingia that the deck for the meeting would be shared in a Slack channel, “for reference.”

“I think it’s good policy to assume all meetings will be recorded,” Lavingia responded. The source who was on the call says that recording all calls is not the norm at the agency and that it is standard practice to ask to record calls before doing so.

“I see more naivete than evil,” says the VA worker who was at the meeting. “If you come up in Silicon Valley, you really do start to believe that because you launched some startup and were successful you have some kind of secret sauce. And everything outside of your founder/startup ecosystem needs to be disrupted.”

But the worker says that Lavingia’s backing by Musk and DOGE has created a culture of fear. “Everyone is scared to death of him and takes every question or suggestion as an edict,” they say.

According to his GitHub account, it appears that while he is at the VA, Lavingia is continuing to work on his tool Flexile, which now also bears the name “Antiwork.” GitHub records show he has been working on the code even up to this week. The VA did not respond to questions about whether this is permissible while working with the agency. (Government workers are allowed to take on some kinds of outside work, generally with agency permission, so long as it doesn’t conflict with their existing role.)