Thanks to everyone who made this year’s San Francisco event what it was — and to the 10,000 of you who filled the halls, made the connections, and left with more than you came with. Couldn’t make it? The images below offer a glimpse into what you missed.
Until next year.
Vinod Khosla, telling attendees he doesn’t buy the argument that powering AI will doom climate efforts. Geothermal energy is nearly here, he said, while fusion remains further out. He also touched on his alignment with President Donald Trump (deregulation) and his disagreement (immigration): “The only thing I will say is this administration won’t last forever,” he said with a grin.
Image Credits:Kimberly White / Getty Images
That’s Roelof Botha on the stage, and that’s the crowd that came to hang on his every word. The Sequoia partner talked through how his firm picks winners and what government ownership in startups could mean, and warned founders not to get cute with timing, telling them to raise now if they’ll need money six months from now. Bubbles pop.
Kevin Damoa of Glīd Technologies, winner of this year’s Battlefield competition, with Battlefield chief Isabelle Johannessen. She and TC’s Michael Schick work with many dozens of startups for months to prepare them for this stage. The hug is earned.
Image Credits:Slava Blazer Photography
Roy Lee, the founder of Cluely, the app best known for its mantra “cheat at everything,” entertains the crowd with his f-bomb-laden take on how to win at marketing. “Every day, people are doing crazier and crazier things, which is why to stand out, you have to do something even crazier.” (Pictured left, Maxwell Zeff, holding his own.)
Image Credits:Kimberly White / Getty Images
If former Cleveland Cavaliers Tristan Thompson misses the NBA, he’s not showing it. He’s building a business empire and raising pointed questions about the league he left behind. When asked about whether players could manipulate Basketball Fun — a web3 platform that turns NBA players into tradable tokens — he offered a counterpoint: “It’s the same question we ask about referees. Are they not gaming the system?” When moderator Rebecca Bellan pressed whether he meant NBA referees take bribes, Thompson shrugged. “It’s just a question to be asked,” he said.
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