Jeffkom Story

TikTok has taken a decisive step to protect its future in the United States. After years of regulatory pressure, the short-video giant has agreed to shift meaningful control of its U.S. business to American investors. Under the new plan, TikTok will create TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC , a separate entity responsible for U.S. operations. This includes data protection, algorithm security, content moderation, and software assurance. The message is clear: U.S. user data and platform governance will now sit under American oversight. Ownership will also change. American investors will hold 45% of the U.S. business, while ByteDance will retain just under 20% , with the rest shared among partners. The investor group includes Oracle, Silver Lake, and MGX. Oracle will play a key role as TikTok’s trusted security partner, auditing compliance with U.S. national security standards. The deal directly addresses long-standing concerns from U.S. regulators about data privacy and foreign i...

Even three years after the generative AI boom began, one truth stands out: most AI startups still make their real money from businesses, not everyday consumers. While tools like ChatGPT reached millions almost overnight, most consumer-focused AI apps haven’t managed to build lasting engagement or defensible growth. According to leading venture capitalists, the reason is simple — consumer AI is still too early. The “Flashlight App” Problem in Consumer AI At TechCrunch’s StrictlyVC event, Chi-Hua Chien, co-founder of Goodwater Capital, compared today’s consumer AI apps to flashlight apps in the early iPhone era . They were: Exciting Useful Short-lived Once Apple added a flashlight directly into iOS, those apps instantly became irrelevant. Chien believes many consumer AI startups face the same risk today. Early tools for video, audio, and image generation looked promising. But as powerful platforms like OpenAI’s Sora and open-source models spread rapidly, entire startup ...

  The recent spotlight on Waymo’s robotaxis —after reports of repeatedly passing stopped school buses in Austin—shows how fast innovation can collide with real-world safety expectations. With federal regulators demanding answers and local school officials pushing for operational pauses, this moment is more than just a PR challenge. It’s a blueprint for how startups should operate when stakes are high. For founders, the lesson is clear: transparency builds trust. When something goes wrong, hiding behind technical jargon won’t help—open communication will. Waymo rolled out software updates, but regulators want proof, not promises. That’s a reminder that measurable impact matters more than quick fixes. In safety-critical industries like mobility, AI, or health tech, your product must work every time—especially in unpredictable situations. And never underestimate the influence of local communities. Even global giants must adapt to neighborhood realities. Waymo’s situation...