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Welcome back, Insider. The vibe is shifting (again). After Google finished 2025 strong with NanoBanana and other chart-topping AI models, Anthropic is now back with a vengeance. Claude Code and Cowork (for non-technical users) are gathering serious momentum among early adopters. This could finally be the ChatGPT moment for AI agents that handle complex tasks.
Today: A free Claude Code competitor, learn how to build an app using Claude artifacts, and get the latest prompts and trending social posts.
Data That Thinks
Introducing the first AI-native CRM
Connect your email, and you’ll instantly get a CRM with enriched customer insights and a platform that grows with your business.
With AI at the core, Attio lets you:
Prospect and route leads with research agents
Get real-time insights during customer calls
Build powerful automations for your complex workflows
Join industry leaders like Granola, Taskrabbit, Flatfile and more.
The Essentials
1. Meet Goose: Block's free, open-source answer to Claude Code: Goose, owned by Twitter founder Jack Dorsey’s Block Inc, has gained traction recently as a free alternative to Claude Code. The tool lets users connect to any LLM (OpenAI, Anthropic, DeepSeek) to create apps with simple prompts or automate coding tasks. But unlike Claude Code's $20-$200/month pricing, Goose is completely free — you only pay for the LLM you choose to use. The tool also runs locally on your computer, making it possible to work on projects offline. Watch Goose in action or try it here.
2. Human-centric AI startup raises $480 million before launching a product. Humans&, a three-month-old startup founded by former Anthropic, xAI, and Google researchers, just closed a $480 million seed round at a $4.48 billion valuation. The company's pitch: AI should empower workers, not replace them. Humans& plans to build human-centric AI tools for communication and collaboration — essentially an AI version of instant messaging — and expects to launch its first product early this year.
3. OpenAI rolls out age prediction for ChatGPT globally. OpenAI is deploying an age prediction model across ChatGPT to flag accounts that likely belong to minors. When a user is estimated to be under 18, the system automatically applies extra safeguards, including limits on sensitive content and certain interactions. Users incorrectly flagged can verify their age via selfie or government ID through Persona. This paves the way for ChatGPT’s “adult mode,” which Fidji Simo, CEO of Applications, expects to launch in Q1 2026.
Smart Hiring
Claude Code compressed months of development into days. What about your weeks screening candidates?
First-round interviews consume time that doesn't scale. Resume reviews generate volume, not signal. And meanwhile, top candidates accept offers from faster companies.
AI is already redefining how we build software. Now it's redefining how we find talent. IntenX approaches this from a different angle: instead of blindly automating decisions, it conducts real adaptive interviews that evaluate communication, fit, and technical skills.
The result: fewer screening calls, faster hiring cycles, and more consistent decisions. For recruitment teams and fast-growing startups, this changes the time-versus-quality equation.
I'm sharing this because if Claude Code can compress months of development into days, tools like IntenX do the same for your hiring pipeline.
The Headline
Software stocks just had one of their worst weeks since 2022 — mainly thanks to Claude Code.
Claude’s market disruption. Anthropic's Claude Code has collapsed the timeline for building software products. What used to take months now takes days — or even hours. One example is Anthropic’s latest productivity tool, Cowork, which the company built in just ten days using Claude Code.
The "build vs. buy" math is breaking. Companies across America are starting to ask a key question: Why should we keep pricey subscriptions for software we can now build ourselves? In many cases, that answer is: we shouldn’t. Wall Street is already placing bets on which software contracts might get cut in favor of custom solutions.
Repricing software stocks. Companies with potentially-replicable tools have all taken a hit, with stocks like Intuit, Salesforce, and HubSpot all dropping double digits in the past week — marking one of the worst selloffs since 2022. Not all software stocks are struggling, though. Stocks for companies that own a “system of record” are soaring because they control the data AI agents need to thrive.
Adapt or disappear. Change is nothing new in the fast-paced tech sector. Cloud computing disrupted on-premise software. Mobile disrupted desktop. Now, AI agents are disrupting the SaaS model itself. The next several months will reveal which companies adapt successfully — and which get replaced.
The Edge
Turn novelty into your competitive advantage: How to Build an App Using Claude Artifacts
Go to Claude and click ‘Artifacts’ in the sidebar
Click ‘+New Artifact‘ > ‘Apps and websites’
Describe your idea or pain point in plain language
Example: “I want to build an artifact that helps sales reps qualify leads faster. Ask me a few clarifying questions, then build a simple, usable tool that scores leads and suggests next actions.”
Claude will ask follow-up questions to clarify your goal, audience, and constraints
Within minutes, Claude will generate the artifact based on your conversation
You’ll now have a working app or artifact that you can refine, edit, and expand as needed
Productivity
5 Tools Worth Your Time
🗣️ Wispr Flow: Dictate anywhere, 4x faster than typing.
🖼️ Kutt: Turn your ideas into stunning videos with just a few words.
🤖 Articos: Turn your ideas, landing pages, and messages into structured audience conversations.
📱 Bookmarkify: Help designers save, organize, and collaborate on web inspiration.
📃 Playmix: Generate playable games, 2D/3D art, and animated sprites in seconds.
Ready to Use
The Second-Order Consequences Map
Prompt: “I am considering taking [specific action].
First, clearly describe the immediate, first-order outcome of this action.
Then ask:
What happens as a direct result of that outcome? (second-order effects)
What happens because of those second-order effects? (third-order effects)
Map this chain at least three levels deep, without skipping steps.
At each level, identify:
The incentives created for each stakeholder
The behaviors people are likely to exhibit in reality, not the behaviors I intend or expect
Any feedback loops, reinforcement effects, or unintended consequences
Finally, ask:
If this continues logically and consistently, where does it end?
What system or equilibrium does this action ultimately produce over time?
Do not optimize for optimism. Optimize for realism and internal consistency.”Friday Fun
Whenever you’re ready to take the next step
AI won't replace you. Someone who knows how to use it will. This free 5-day course teaches you the essentials: effective prompts, automation fundamentals, and when agents beat workflows. Ready to level up?