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Good morning! If your brain is a mix of ambition, exhaustion, and “what even is my job anymore?”—same.
Hype Check! What Just Happened in AI (and Why You Should Care)
Builder.ai flopped. Here’s why that matters
Remember Builder.ai? The Microsoft-backed “AI-powered” app builder that hit a $1B valuation? It just unraveled. In May 2025, they entered insolvency. Internal audits revealed inflated sales numbers—some were off by up to 4x. They had to restate their 2023 and 2024 revenue.
Even worse? Their big AI secret wasn’t automation. It was a whole lot of human engineers grossly underpaid behind the curtain.
Why this matters:
You might be running your entire TA workflow through a tool that’s faking the AI. This is your sign to ask harder questions in your next vendor call. Where is the AI actually doing the work? What’s manual behind the scenes?
TLDR — Buzz doesn’t equal value.
Insight: Vet vendors on real automation, ROI, and transparent financials.
Meta just poached Apple’s AI brain. That should scare you a little.
On July 7, 2025, Apple’s foundation-model lead, Ruoming Pang, left to join Meta’s Superintelligence Labs. His compensation? Rumored to be in the tens of millions per year.
This isn’t just a talent flex. It’s a power shift.
Why this matters:
Your tools are only as good as the humans building them. If the best minds are jumping ship, your long-term roadmap might need a rewrite. You don’t just need a vendor list. You better get a talent watchlist.
TLDR — AI talent moves fast and powerfully.
Insight: Use talent-level monitoring to inform strategy, not just tool selection.
ChatGPT just dropped “Study Together” mode—and it’s got potential
This week, ChatGPT rolled out a new beta feature to select Plus users: Study Together. (I was not one of the lucky ones) But I heard it is like AI coach meets accountability partner. It is supposed to prompt structured learning, adjusts to your level, and may soon support group learning.
Why this matters:
This could be huge for internal talent programs.
TLDR — AI-as-coach is evolving fast.
Insight: This could enhance learning outcomes inside your org if you use it right.
Anthropic calls for AI transparency—and this one’s worth bookmarking
Anthropic just proposed a transparency framework aimed at large-scale AI companies. If a vendor clears $100M in revenue or invests over $1B in R&D, they’d need to publicly disclose safety practices, release system cards, and offer whistleblower protections. (Gulp)
Why this matters:
You know those AI tools where you’re not sure what’s happening behind the scenes? This could change that. Vendor transparency is going to shift from “nice to have” to table stakes.
TLDR — Transparency is about to become the norm.
Insight: Start embedding those requirements into your RFPs.
Giphy
Ctrl+Z: This Week’s Quick Fix
Overthinking everything? Set a decision deadline. If you’re spiraling, give yourself 5 minutes. Decide. Move on. No more loops.
Word to Your Motherboard
Productivity Theater
Definition: Looking wildly busy while getting absolutely nothing done.
Used in a sentence: “If I open one more calendar and see meetings from 9 to 5, I’m calling a dramaturg.”
The Uncertainty Era
AI can do more than make you productive. It can fundamentally change the the type and the amount of work you can do. But there is so much to learn it is hard to know where to go. I am a subscriber to the AI rundown. Please click below and check them out. Clicking can help me and reading will help you
Start learning AI in 2025
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The Deep Dive
Budget Literacy Is the Power Move HR's Been Missing
Here’s the truth: budgets tell the story before layoffs ever show up on a slide deck.
The Deep Dive
Budget Literacy Is the Power Move HR's Been Missing
Here’s the truth: budgets tell the story before layoffs ever show up on a slide deck.
If you’re in HR, leadership, or building a business, you can’t afford not to understand the numbers. I’ve sat in too many rooms where someone got blindsided—not because they didn’t care, but because they didn’t know what to look for.
I’m not trying to turn you into a CFO. I’m trying to get you the seat at the table you already deserve.
Company Budgets: What I Actually Watch
Budget vs. Actual: If the variance is big, I ask why.
Revenue Streams: Is it steady or fragile? One client doesn’t equal stability.
People Costs: Fixed vs. variable. That’s where layoffs come into view.
Profit Margins: Don’t let “gross” fool you—net is the truth.
Cash Flow: Can we really afford what we’re planning? That’s a hiring question.
TA Budget Cuts: Always signal something bigger. Always.
Assumptions: This is where the company’s mindset is hiding. Read them.
Real Talk: The U.S. Budget Tells You Everything
If you're watching the news right now thinking “what the hell is happening?”—this is your answer.
Layoffs. Grant cuts. Team restructuring. Most of it starts way before the announcement.
The U.S. budget literally shows us where money’s locked in and where it’s about to disappear.
Here’s What I Watch (and What You Can Too):
Mandatory vs. Discretionary Spending
Mandatory = locked (Social Security, Medicare, interest on debt).
Discretionary = movable (education, housing, federal hiring, L&D programs).
👉 If cuts are coming, they always hit the discretionary pile first. That’s where you feel it in jobs, in budgets, in opportunities.
CBO Forecasts – cbo.gov
This site shows what’s being projected across the economy—real numbers, not clickbait. If you’re doing planning, negotiating, or job hunting… bookmark it.
USA Spending Tracker – usaspending.gov
Want to see where federal dollars are flowing or drying up? This shows what’s been awarded and what’s pending. Great if you’re in non-profit, gov-adjacent, or HR tied to public dollars.
Some Tools That Might Help You Make Sense of It All:
Datarails: Built for finance teams but great for understanding how budgets work behind the scenes. Helpful if you're presenting numbers internally.
Workday Adaptive Planning: If your org uses this, it’s a goldmine. It models what hiring freezes, layoffs, or new budgets might actually look like.
Pigment: Super visual, good for modeling scenarios without being a spreadsheet wizard. Great for HR folks trying to speak finance fluently. I guess AI is coming for all of us…
Why I Care (and Why I Think You Should Too):
This isn’t about being an economist. It’s about not being surprised.
If you’re in Talent, DEI, HR, or even just trying to protect your team knowing where the country’s money is going tells you what’s about to happen at work. If you are a leader it is your job to make sure your team knows where to go to find out how the company is reading and how to read the information that is available.
Budget literacy is recession-proof. AI-proof. Surprise layoff-proof.
And it’s how I call it before everyone else sees it coming.
Send This To…
Someone who says they’re burned out and still replied to 18 emails before 7am.
That friend who opens Asana just to move tasks around.
Anyone who swears “I’m just catching up on inbox” like it’s a project plan.
Subscribe. Share. Send clarity.
On to the Next Issue
xoxo,
Jackye 💜