Speed Trumps Scenery: Texas Snags $3.2B Shipyard From California
California's slow approvals cost it a $3.2B shipyard project and 10,000 jobs. Texas moved fast with $211M in tax breaks. This is a hard lesson for founders on regulatory friction.
Thinking Machines’ First AI Model, California Loses $3.2B to Texas, TSMC Adds $100B | Diet TBPN
With John Coogan, Tyler Cosgrove · Sunday, July 19, 2026
This episode of TBPN features guest host Tyler Cosgrove alongside John Coogan, discussing major tech and economic news. Key topics include Thinking Machines Lab's Inkling AI model launch and the surrounding distillation debate, California's loss of a $3.2 billion shipyard project to Texas, and TSMC's substantial US investment amidst market skepticism.
Key takeaways
- California officially lost Saronic's massive $3.2 billion automated shipyard project, known as Point Alpha, to Brownsville, Texas. Read more →
- A common, misleading analysis compares Disney's $129 billion (or $182 billion in today's dollars) spent on major acquisitions like Marvel, Star Wars, and Pixar to its current $169 billion market cap. Read more →
- Lexus established a novel partnership, becoming the 'official car' of YouTube creators Colin and Samir, signaling a departure from traditional influencer deals. Read more →
- Grace Lee's research revealed OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Soul improved its design output by actively sidestepping common 'bad AI smell' anti-patterns, not by developing genuine creativity. Read more →
- Thinking Machines Lab, under Mira Murati, launched Inkling: an open-weight AI model optimized for fine-tuning, aimed directly at challenging OpenAI and Anthropic's market lead, according to the Wall Street Journal. Read more →
- After beating earnings, TSMC committed an additional $100 billion to US-based fabs, including new sites in Arizona. Read more →
6 articles from this episode
Disney's $70B Payout: Why Acquisition Math Needs Shareholder Returns
Disney's huge acquisitions look bad next to its market cap. But John Coogan reveals over $70B in shareholder returns changes everything for true value assessment.
Lexus-Samir Deal: Creator Economy's Next Revenue Wave
Lexus's 'official car' deal with Colin and Samir moves beyond simple sponsorship. It's a template for creators to unlock deeper brand integration and new revenue streams.
GPT-5.6 Soul Avoids 'Bad AI Smell' by Banning Generic AI Patterns
OpenAI's GPT-5.6 Soul got better design taste by avoiding anti-patterns like Bento box layouts and large hero type. Learn how this changes AI design.
Your Open-Weight AI Model Isn't As Pure As You Think
Thinking Machines Lab's Inkling AI reignites the 'distillation' debate. Why 'open-weight' isn't always pure, and the geopolitical storm brewing.
TSMC's $100B US Bet: Why the Market Feared Overspending
TSMC announced a $100 billion US fab investment, yet the Nasdaq dipped. Smart founders see market skepticism and prepare for bust cycles, not just booms.
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