Reddit Pro Trends, how VCs see you, and why AI apps are taking over the world
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Hi, friends! This time we explore how startups can use Reddit to find their audience, what VCs really think after your pitch, the incredible growth of AI apps, Pope Francis’s warning about the crisis of truth, and whether software engineers will soon become unnecessary.
1. Startup Development: How to Find Your Audience on Reddit
In 2024, Reddit became the sixth most popular search query on Google and the most authoritative platform for making decisions about brands and products. Companies actively use Reddit Pro Trends to analyze discussions, find their niche, and organically engage audiences. It might be time for you to check out this tool, which was publicly announced a month ago.
“Businesses can track virtually any keyword or phrase – their brand name, product name, category, or even the latest viral trend – and see when, where, and how redditors are discussing it in real time.”
NBA and Wayfair already use this tool to interact with their audience, and companies like Nudge Security, Van Votz, and No Reception Club have been able to attract new customers thanks to Reddit Pro Trends analysis.
https://www.business.reddit.com/blog/reddit-pro-trends-launch
2. VC: How Investors See You – and What You Can Do About It
After every pitch, there is an “unspoken energy” in the room. There are only two options:
Investors want to close the deal immediately.
They glance at each other, shrug, and lose interest.
Many VCs do not tell founders what is going on. But the main reason is not always your technology or market, but you yourself.
“Investing at seed is investing in people. Your investors have to feel that you are the person who can go the distance from seed to a massive exit.”
What makes a founder someone that investors “must” invest in? Four key “intangible” traits:
Resilience – you are ready to endure difficulties and follow through.
Inner drive to do it – true entrepreneurs cannot help but create a company.
Authentic passion – you don’t just know your field, you genuinely love it.
Leadership – investors need to see you as the “quarterback” leading the team.
https://www.nfx.com/post/how-vcs-see-you
3. Data: Explosive Growth of AI Apps – 115 Million Downloads per Month
Demand for AI apps keeps growing. In December 2024, AI app downloads reached 115 million, 19 times more than two years ago. User spending on AI apps in 2024 exceeded $1.4 billion, with projections of $2 billion in 2025, according to a new report from appfigures.
“ChatGPT’s monthly revenue has grown 75x since launch and now accounts for 44% of global spending in top AI apps.”
Forty percent of all spending goes to “thin wrappers” – generic assistants that are often just interfaces for large language models. Meanwhile, the US leads in AI spending, accounting for 64% of the total.
https://land.appfigures.com/rise-of-ai-apps-report-2025
4. Opinion: Pope Francis Warns About the Threat of a Truth Crisis Due to AI
At the World Economic Forum in Davos, Pope Francis warned that AI could exacerbate the crisis of truth and call into question human responsibility for information.
“AI technology is designed to learn and make certain choices autonomously, adapting to new situations and providing answers not foreseen by its programmers.”
Francis himself has been a victim of AI fakes, including images of him supposedly wearing Balenciaga or hugging Madonna.
Meanwhile, at Davos, Marc Benioff, CEO of Salesforce, stated that this is the last generation of leaders who manage solely humans – from now on, they will also manage “digital workers.”
5. Video: Will AI Replace Programmers? Mark Zuckerberg’s View
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