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Is Silicon Valley still the best place for startups? Insight Partners’ Ryan Hinkle doesn’t think so

Today on Equity () , Julie Bort sits down with Ryan Hinkle () a Managing Director at Insight Partners, the giant New York-based venture capital firm that invests in tech worldwide. It has $90 billion in assets under management and just raised a new $12.5 billion fund. () The pair unpack the evolving landscape of…

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Today on Equity () , Julie Bort sits down with Ryan Hinkle () a Managing Director at Insight Partners, the giant New York-based venture capital firm that invests in tech worldwide. It has $90 billion in assets under management and just raised a new $12.5 billion fund. ()

The pair unpack the evolving landscape of startup ecosystems. They talk about the post-pandemic shift that saw many founders moving to cities like New York or Miami only for the rise of OpenAI and Cerebral Valley () and the accompanying AI boom to reignite San Francisco and Silicon Valley in general. 

While some founders say that they are now relocating their companies to San Francisco (‘ve%20relocated%20%7C%20TechCrunch) , Hinkle disagrees with the necessity of doing so.

He concedes that the Valley offers an unmatched talent pool but argues it also comes with steep costs and retention challenges, making it far from the only viable choice for startups.

Listen to the full episode to hear more about:

• Why startup success isn’t tied to a single location but rather to access to skilled, loyal, and affordable talent

• How Silicon Valley’s abundance of opportunities creates a “mercenary” hiring culture, making employee retention difficult

• The key differences between building in New York vs. Silicon Valley, including financial management and access to venture capital

Equity will be back on Friday with our weekly news roundup, so don’t miss it!

Equity is TechCrunch’s flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday. 

Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts () , Overcast () , Spotify () and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X () and Threads () , at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes here () .

Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. We’d also like to thank TechCrunch’s audience development team. Thank you so much for listening, and we’ll talk to you next time.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices ()

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1 Comment

1 Comment

  1. @Useless394

    March 5, 2025 at 1:04 pm

    Yes, but I have a preference for Miami and Beverly Hills.

    Reply

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CNET

iPhone Duo vs. Galaxy Z Fold 8

It’s a battle of passport foldables 👀 #galaxyzfold8 #versus #iphoneduo #allthingsmobile #foldable

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October 22, 2026

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It’s a battle of passport foldables 👀 #galaxyzfold8 #versus #iphoneduo #allthingsmobile #foldable

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Science & Technology

Meet Wabi, the AI assistant with group chats, multiple threads, and an app-builder | Equity podcast

It seems like every big AI player is building a personal agent. Meta has Muse, OpenAI launched Dots, and a startup called Instinct recently raised $1 billion at a $10 billion valuation. But Eugenia Kuyda thinks the next generation of AI assistants needs to do more than book your restaurant reservations and find you hidden…

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October 22, 2026

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It seems like every big AI player is building a personal agent. Meta has Muse, OpenAI launched Dots, and a startup called Instinct recently raised $1 billion at a $10 billion valuation. But Eugenia Kuyda thinks the next generation of AI assistants needs to do more than book your restaurant reservations and find you hidden money in your Gmail.

Kuyda, who founded AI companion app Replika, has just launched Wabi, a personal AI agent that organizes your life into separate conversations, brings other people into the mix, and builds custom apps around what you’re trying to do. The idea is to make AI less of a solo productivity tool and more of a way to spend time with the people who matter to you.

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Rebecca Bellan talks with Kuyda about why she thinks AI agents should bring people together instead of keeping them glued to a single chatbot, how Wabi plans to compete in a crowded and expensive market, and what it takes to get people comfortable giving an AI access to their email.

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You can also follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

1:11 Meet Wabi

5:33 From “YouTube for apps” to a proactive personal agent

7:12 Why AI should bring people together, not just save time

10:17 Multi-thread chats vs. everything in one conversation

13:33 Shared permissions: who sees what inside a chat

14:57 Phones, hardware, and the “MS-DOS era” of AI interfaces

17:39 Funding, compute costs, and the free-for-now business model

24:10 Handing over your Gmail: how Wabi earns trust

28:02 Outro

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CNET

How to Choose a Treadmill in 2026: Types, Budget and Specs Explained

Shopping for a treadmill can be overwhelming with so many choices on the market. In this video, we break down everything you need to know to find the perfect treadmill for your budget, space and fitness goals. Whether you’re looking for a heavy-duty running machine, a compact walking pad for your under-desk setup, or an…

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October 22, 2026

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Shopping for a treadmill can be overwhelming with so many choices on the market. In this video, we break down everything you need to know to find the perfect treadmill for your budget, space and fitness goals. Whether you’re looking for a heavy-duty running machine, a compact walking pad for your under-desk setup, or an immersive entertainment-focused tread, we’ll go through it all. Special thanks to NordicTrack for making this content possible.

You can find the products mentioned in this video linked below
NordicTrack Commercial Series Treadmills for Home | 1250, 1750, 2450
Aviron Summit Treadmill, 4.5 CHP Commercial
BowFlex T16 Treadmill for Home with 16″ HD Touchscreen, 3.5 HP Motor
*CNET may get a commission on these offers

Read more about treadmills on CNET.com
The 5 Best Expert-Tested and Approved Treadmills for Runners
Run Toward Your 2026 Fitness Goals With These 4 High-Impact Treadmill Workouts

Timecode Chapters:
0:00 – Intro
0:33 – Types of Treadmills
2:30 – Treadmill Budgets (Budget, Mid-Tier & Luxury)
5:56 – Space & Safety Considerations
7:00 – Summary & TL;DW Recap

Video Credits:
Host & Video Editor: Wes Ott
Producer: JD Christison
Camera: Jon Gomez & Dillon Lopez
Thumbnail Designer: Zooey Liao

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#health #fitness #nordictrack #workout

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