Weather modification company Rainmaker uses value-based pricing for its B2B contracts. Instead of a flat service fee, they charge based on the measurable outcome, such as the inches of snow produced or the gallons of water that flow into a reservoir. This directly aligns their financial incentives with their clients' success.
Because AMD's source code and specs are open, they are already included in the pre-training data of frontier AI models. Anush Elangovan calls this a 'superpower,' as it allows AI agents to natively understand, write, and optimize code for their stack—an advantage closed ecosystems lack.
For weather modification startup Rainmaker, the core challenge wasn't making it snow via cloud seeding, but proving they were the cause. They solved this critical attribution problem using proprietary radar, weather models, and satellite data to show a clear hole in the clouds that directly corresponded to their operations.
While F1 heavily regulates physical and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) testing, there are currently no rules governing the use of AI. This regulatory gap creates a new frontier for teams to gain a competitive advantage, pushing them to explore AI for strategy and design in ways they can't with traditional methods.
AMD has 'supercharged' its software development by using AI agents. These agents run in automated loops, constantly analyzing and optimizing customer models for AMD's hardware. This turns a slow, manual process into a scalable, nonstop operation, dramatically improving out-of-the-box performance for developers.
McLaren CEO Zak Brown reveals that F1 teams initially viewed "Drive to Survive" as minor shoulder programming. They never anticipated it would radically transform the sport's demographics, attracting younger, more diverse, and American audiences by making a technically complex and exclusive sport feel inclusive and accessible.
All of Rick Caruso's properties are designed with input from a Feng Shui advisor. This influences key architectural choices, such as the path of the trolley at The Grove, which was carefully routed to avoid negatively impacting the 'energy' of the central fountain. It's a non-obvious layer of design focused on guest experience.
Rick Caruso argues that generational wealth in real estate is built on deep, local knowledge. He greenlit the Palisades Village project, against expert advice, because living in the area gave him a qualitative understanding of traffic patterns—a captive audience unable to travel east after 3 PM—that quantitative data would miss.
Before becoming McLaren Racing's CEO, Zak Brown kickstarted his career by getting an airline to provide tickets, which he then bartered with other companies for sponsorship. This creative, value-first approach highlights how to secure partnerships with limited resources by focusing on the partner's business needs, not just logo placement.
Unlike sports with trade windows, F1 talent acquisition is a free-for-all. Teams strategically sign key personnel years in advance. This forces rivals who want that person to either wait out a long non-compete or, more strategically, forces the current team to pay the employee "gardening leave" (to not work) just to protect their IP.
China's move to block Meta's $2B acquisition of Singapore-based Manus, a company founded by Chinese nationals, represents a significant escalation. It suggests Beijing is willing to intervene in deals between non-Chinese entities, potentially using founders' family ties in China as a leverage point to control AI technology.
Construction tech startup ICON has succeeded where others failed by vertically integrating the entire home-building process. They control the design software, robotics, proprietary material science (Lavacrete), and regulatory navigation. This holistic approach solves the whole problem, unlike predecessors who merely sold printing hardware.
Rick Caruso, developer of The Grove, believes his success came from not knowing the 'rules' of the mall industry. Because he wasn't a veteran developer, he didn't know he was 'supposed' to build an enclosed box with no sunlight. This naivete allowed him to create a radically different and successful open-air retail environment.
In the high-stakes environment of F1, McLaren CEO Zak Brown avoids immediate, emotional reactions to mistakes like a bad pit stop. He postpones the review until the next day, allowing for a calm, data-driven analysis. This prevents incorrect, heat-of-the-moment accusations and fosters a more rational problem-solving culture.
McLaren treats its top-tier partners like members of an exclusive B2B ecosystem. Zak Brown calls a Grand Prix weekend "24 Davos from a business to business point of view," actively facilitating deals between synergistic partners like Google, Dell, and Cisco. The value extends far beyond simple brand exposure on the car.