Founder and editor of @upstarts.bsky.social, a tech publication focused on the startup ecosystem. Previously Forbes senior editor. Email: tips@upstartsmedia.comhttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mkgbmo7fgk2p“I am one of the most hated people in the industry." Chapter CEO Cobi Blumenfeld-Gantz is on a mission to save seniors thousands on Medicare. That makes him a target for legacy providers. Business is booming, with $100M in ARR and valued at $3B by Al Gore's VC firm. Our latest Upstarts Podcast: https://youtu.be/Ff64VfasdzU?si=2hb0z621ljL12uBw26 Apr 2026 19:20 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkgbmo7fgk2phttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mkbk6y4wzk22what's the german word for when one clumsy action leads to a string of comically bad other ones in rapid succession24 Apr 2026 22:10 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkbk6y4wzk22https://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mjmyhhau4k2zNEW EPISODE: Aidan Gomez is trying to build a different kind of AI company at $6.5B-valued model lab Cohere. On The Upstarts Podcast, Gomez talks about his journey from small-town Ontario to co-writing the Transformer paper; why he sees sovereignty as crucial; and why it's important for him to IPO. https://youtu.be/RZ9I_CsDaoo16 Apr 2026 18:00 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjmyhhau4k2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mitzwuxh6c2pIt's wild that it's now just consistently cheaper for Americans to fly to other countries to attend tentpole events like the World Cup, Olympics, or Taylor Swift concerts versus pay to attend them at home06 Apr 2026 19:50 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mitzwuxh6c2phttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mihqb4snlk25Moon landing deniers are about to have the craziest April Fools01 Apr 2026 22:25 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mihqb4snlk25https://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3miel2vdj2s23Exclusive: Somos Internet, a YC startup offering faster, cheaper internet in Medellín and Bogotá, has raised a $40M Series B to expand to Mexico City. I spoke to CEO Forrest Heath about the round - as well as his much bigger ambitions for 'Americas Dynamism'. https://www.upstartsmedia.com/p/somos-internet-raises-40-million31 Mar 2026 16:14 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3miel2vdj2s23https://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mhxuyb7mxs2mLegal AI startup Harvey just reached an $11B valuation. On The Upstarts Podcast, CEO Winston Weinberg shares his journey, facing skeptics in law and tech, and a new story about an attempt to "one-shot" its growth via a merger that, luckily for them, later fell through. Catch the full interview 👇 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwEBkhlRvLo26 Mar 2026 15:06 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhxuyb7mxs2mhttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mhvhztk3lk2eEXCLUSIVE: in a sea of Terminator-looking bots, Aussie founder Grace Brown took a different direction for her robot, Abi: color, bubbles, and fun. Now her startup Andromeda is launching to senior homes across the U.S. -- with the hope of helping to address a loneliness crisis in elder care. https://www.upstartsmedia.com/p/abi-robot-for-seniors-launches-us25 Mar 2026 16:09 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhvhztk3lk2ehttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mhsue2go3c2pTomorrow is our 1st birthday at Upstarts 🎉 I wrote about our first year in operation, my gratitude for the startup ecosystem, and what to expect from @upstarts.bsky.social in Year 2. https://www.upstartsmedia.com/p/upstarts-turns-1-heres-whats-next-e6a24 Mar 2026 15:12 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhsue2go3c2phttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mhjdgap5ks2vStar Catcher CEO Andrew Rush grew up loving science fiction. Now the former patent lawyer is helping to bring a whole new gen of space tech into reality by tackling its biggest bottleneck: access to power. Catch our new interview on The Upstarts Podcast 👀 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FuWsAhQSVMM20 Mar 2026 20:15 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mhjdgap5ks2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mgxc42bibs2v"For the last three years, the best growth strategy in AI has been to just lie." @synthesia.io CEO Victor Riparbelli calls it "the biggest fog of war in AI right now." "Make a video of a product demo that's what you want to work eventually, go viral, pay a lot of influencers to push that message." https://youtu.be/MnwO_f93AEI13 Mar 2026 16:03 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgxc42bibs2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mgqgjwozgc2uFlexport CEO Ryan Petersen still thinks about an essay written by Paul Graham called 'Schlep Blindness.' Lots of startups suffered when applying to accept credit card payments. But only Patrick and John Collison started Stripe. "There was a $100B opportunity available to every entrepreneur."10 Mar 2026 22:34 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgqgjwozgc2uhttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mgnnmsxyuk2jRyan Petersen turned posting like tech's 'hurricane reporter' around all things shipping into a big social platform. His lesson for startups: nobody cares "They care about things that are happening that are relevant in their world, and they're only gonna care about you to the extent that you are."09 Mar 2026 20:03 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgnnmsxyuk2jhttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mgfqxb4ap22oI’m sorry but this has gone too far06 Mar 2026 16:41 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgfqxb4ap22ohttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mgdwdlqslc2gusually I type on a bluetooth keyboard, but sometimes it just feels right to bang something out on the built-in one. good luck replacing me with an AI that can do cool tricks like that05 Mar 2026 23:12 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgdwdlqslc2ghttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mgbtnxpnh22pWhat advice would Valar Atomics CEO Isaiah Taylor give his earlier self? Hire the best before you need them. "That tick rate of moving really fast is something that you do by bringing on the best." Watch the full interview on The Upstarts Podcast: YouTube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=mNFCGHFscoM&t=5s05 Mar 2026 03:19 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mgbtnxpnh22phttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mfunyfykws2vDoes 'move fast and break things' work at a nuclear startup? "Safety is non-negotiable, but slow and safe are not the same thing," he tells The Upstarts Podcast. Watch on YouTube: https://youtube.com/watch?v=mNFCGHFscoM&t=4s Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/valar-atomics-isaiah-taylor-solving-ais-energy-crisis/id1875709419?i=1000751776093 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/episode/5RwCYj2Dcu6nlAuJPQOXPF27 Feb 2026 21:33 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfunyfykws2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mfpewdxlxc2rExclusive profile: Plaid co-founder William Hockey is building a 'durable' unicorn at Column, his startup with $200M in revenue and a valuation of (maybe) $6B. His bigger fight: a new financial 'Cold War' with China. I spent months reporting this piece, the first edition of The Upstarts Profile 👇 https://www.upstartsmedia.com/p/profile-column-william-hockey-fintech-china25 Feb 2026 19:07 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfpewdxlxc2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mfmmsf5d7s24When does a startup need its own venture fund? Gamma, the AI software maker valued at $2.1B, is launching a $10M fund, @upstarts.bsky.social exclusively reports. I spoke to CEO Grant Lee about the move -- and whether the tactic used by Anthropic and Perplexity can work for other, newer unicorns. https://www.upstartsmedia.com/p/gamma-fund-afore-10m-trend24 Feb 2026 16:50 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfmmsf5d7s24https://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mfewodbvcc2i"I was like, 'Yeah, of course, dude!' But it's very non-obvious if you haven't had that problem before." -Loyal founder Celine Halioua shares how one VC's mind was blown when they asked dog owner friends what they'd pay for her longevity drug 👀 Catch the full episode: https://youtube.com/watch?v=nU9vdakV9QY [contains quote post or other embedded content]21 Feb 2026 15:26 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfewodbvcc2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mfaahevjbk2i"People would literally laugh in my face... no one has an investment memo for dog longevity." Loyal CEO Celine Halioua is pioneering her own startup category, raising $250M+ to secure FDA approval for drugs to help our furry friends live longer 🐕 Hear her story now of The Upstarts Podcast 👀 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nU9vdakV9QY19 Feb 2026 18:38 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mfaahevjbk2ihttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3meynu4vijc2pI will not eat the room service chocolate covered strawberries left untouched in the hotel hallway. I will not eat the room service chocolate covered strawberries left untouched in the hotel hallway. I will not eat the room service chocolate covered strawberries left un—16 Feb 2026 18:16 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3meynu4vijc2phttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3meomkoplj22rSo excited to share the first episode of The Upstarts Podcast! I spoke to Canva CEO Melanie Perkins, who went from Upstart in Australia to running the world's most valuable woman-led startup. Melanie's ambition: “build one of the world’s most valuable companies, and do the most good we can do.” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QjQ7si-H8Ow12 Feb 2026 18:26 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3meomkoplj22rhttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3meiih4upqc2qwhoever named airport WiFi this was spot on10 Feb 2026 07:57 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3meiih4upqc2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3meeqflcqnc2aNews: Upstarts is launching our flagship podcast 🚀 Behind every world-changing business, there's an Upstart -- a founder who took on the status quo to achieve big impact. On The Upstarts Podcast, I'll chat with a startup leader each week about their 'Upstart Moment', from the tech to the tactics 💪 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S58CV3zS2tY08 Feb 2026 20:08 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3meeqflcqnc2ahttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3me2s52kvns2oWhen a PR fixer turned VC introduced a startup founder to Jeffrey Epstein... what a lede from @iainmartin.bsky.social 🫠 https://www.forbes.com/sites/iainmartin/2026/02/04/how-jeffrey-epstein-helped-his-publicist-become-a-big-time-venture-capitalist/04 Feb 2026 21:13 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3me2s52kvns2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mdv4fwh3xk2kExclusive: startup Day AI raised $20M in a Series A led by Sequoia to build the ‘Cursor for CRM’ CEO Christopher O’Donnell, ex HubSpot, tells @upstarts.bsky.social: “Salesforce as we think of it today is not going to exist in 2 or 3 years. I don’t know if it’ll be us, but I really hope it’s us.” https://www.upstartsmedia.com/p/day-ai-sequoia-ai-crm02 Feb 2026 15:01 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mdv4fwh3xk2khttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3md4xxubmis2wAh, the age-old dilemma: honor the social commitments I made, or keep sitting next to my dog24 Jan 2026 00:37 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3md4xxubmis2whttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mczsf6n5d22vExclusive: startup Flight Science is building tech to take some of the turbulence out of air travel ✈️ Led by an industry veteran (and recreational pilot) with Google and Apple experience, the startup has raised $7M to build apps for dispatchers and pilots next. Read the story here, fully free 👇 https://www.upstartsmedia.com/p/flight-science-aviation-startup22 Jan 2026 18:19 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mczsf6n5d22vhttps://bsky.app/profile/alexrkonrad.bsky.social/post/3mcxrwihj4227We could’ve avoided so much drama by just giving Trump a cameo in Mighty Ducks 221 Jan 2026 23:06 +0000at://did:plc:ivomhc72v56idanfttwvc4lv/app.bsky.feed.post/3mcxrwihj4227