▶ 79:31 · $SUBSTACK · Substack partners with Pangram to detect AI slop, betting on human connection value

episode briefing

China China China, Substack & Pangram Fight Slop, Is It Bleak to Lock In, Search Fund Fairy Tale

2026-07-21 · 6 company · 6 thematic

sentiment

6 bull0 bear0 neu

speakers

Founder of Augustus, a modern correspondent bank using AI to automate dollar clearing and expand global dollar access. Raised $180M Series B at $1B valuation from Tiger Global.

kaiwei tang

Co-founder of Light Phone, a minimalist phone company offering modern utilities without the attention economy business model. Launched $299 Light Phone Flip.

chris best

Founder of Substack, a publishing platform for subscription newsletters. Launched AI detection feature with Pangram to combat 'slop' and emphasize human connection.

stephen

Co-founder of WOB (blob), an API-first platform enabling AI agents to programmatically run businesses—payments, ads, labor—via a new CLI.

zane dar

Founder of Dimension, a venture capital firm that closed $800M Fund III investing at the frontiers of science and compute: silicon, ML infrastructure, world models, and next-gen medicines.

chad edwards

Co-founder of Cusp AI, a generative materials discovery platform for semiconductors, energy, and climate. Raised $450M from Bezos, Kleiner Perkins, NEA using a royalty-based business model.

quote

“The problem is when you have kind of the deception that comes with I'm expecting that I've got a real connection to a person and I'm actually reading something that's written by no one.”

—chris best

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$SUBSTACKbullish· high· poschris best

Substack partners with Pangram to detect AI slop, betting on human connection value

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$WOBbullish· high· posstephen

WOB launches CLI to let AI agents programmatically run entire businesses

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$DIMENSIONbullish· high· poszane dar

Dimension closes $800M Fund III targeting frontiers of science and compute

Convergence of AI, advanced compute, and biology enables new company models: full-stack drug development, world models, and neolabs; Dimension invests across silicon, ML infrastru…

$CUSP-AIbullish· high· poschad edwards

Cusp AI raises $450M from Bezos, Kleiner Perkins for royalty-based materials discovery

Materials science is the bottleneck for chips, energy, and climate; Cusp's generative platform discovers new materials and captures upside via royalties, aligning incentives with…

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