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My favorite weekly finds

🛠️ Tools

• Ideogram 3 – Give your AI art some taste. Upload an image, set the vibe, and let Style References do the magic. Or go wild with Random Style—billions of presets await.

• T3 Chat – AI that’s fast, cheap, and actually good? For $8/month, run DeepSeek, Gemini Flash, and more—because waiting is overrated.

• Zen Browser – Ditch Chrome, find Zen. A free, open-source browser that’s smooth, private, and doesn’t sell your soul to advertisers.

• Stripo – Drag, drop, done. Build email templates so slick, your marketing team will think you hired a designer.

• Ableton + Claude – AI meets Ableton. Type a prompt, get a beat. It’s like having a producer who never sleeps. (Demo inside!)

📰 Intelligent Insights

• Anthropic also released more data on how people are using Claude - check it out!

• A new study found that CheXzero, a popular AI model for scanning chest x-rays often failed to detect life-threatening conditions in marginalized groups, especially Black women.

• We love this take on Vibe-coding is leading to a wave of niche, custom software, as developing DIY apps has become affordable without needing a $1B exit, similar to the Myspace era.

• We also like this blunt take Physicist Sabine Hossenfelder warns that language model companies are overvalued and that a new type of AI will eventually perform better than them..

👀 ICYMI

• The One Mistake You Should Make (Learn more)

• When your CEO doesn't get it (learn more)

• Team Topology: The Secret Sauce to Product Success! (learn more)

Your Great Ownership Isn’t Enough—Make Sure It's Seen

Why should I care?

A bootcamp grad once shared a manager’s advice:

“When you worry, I’m fine—but when you don’t, that’s when I lose sleep.”

This idea stuck with me.

I need my team not only to do their tasks but also to take the mental load off my back.

When you truly own your projects, I can focus on other challenges, and we all win.

Many product folks are great at following directions, but simply doing what’s asked won’t push you to the next level.

Think of it like my wife saying, “I see your hard work, but that’s not enough for what I need.”

For real growth, take full ownership—even beyond your formal role.

Show your leadership by handling challenges and easing your manager’s burden.

Balance this by keeping high-quality communication—it’s not about chatting all day but making every word count.

Remember these guidelines and watch your responsibility and trust soar.

Let’s dive in.

1- Gray Box Communication

Imagine you want more responsibility—but remember, your manager still co-owns everything.

They need to know things are on track to sleep well at night.

Being a good team member isn’t enough; you must share a glimpse into your work.

It’s their world too, and no one likes being left out.

The secret? Gray-box communication.

This means giving the bottom line like black-box communication while sharing just enough insight—avoiding the overload of white-box details.

Many product pros overshare, but true growth comes from focusing on results and smart updates.

2- Keep Them in the Loop

Your manager co-owns your projects and needs the big picture—just the key points and how they fit together, not every detail.

Surprises are a problem.

If something unexpected happens or an obvious issue is missed, it can leave your manager uneasy.

Uncertainty shakes trust and may even keep them up at night.

Your job is simple: make sure your manager feels secure and confident that nothing’s being overlooked.