This week, we discuss cloud earnings, what’s driving valuations, and why AWS says it’s still early innings for cloud. Plus, Coté does a deep dive on Shipley Donuts.
Watch the YouTube Live Recording of Episode (https://www.youtube.com/live/7Bvu6GKJLPQ?si=Ibj_0pHyLrYJgr14) 532 (https://www.youtube.com/live/7Bvu6GKJLPQ?si=Ibj_0pHyLrYJgr14)
Runner-up Titles
Dangerous to do things in bed
Free Donut Holes
Dark Fiber
BET
A man can not believe anything that devalues their index funds.
They just open sourced last year’s homework.
It doesn’t use as many emdashes
Anchorman Vibes
Rundown
AI & Cloud Trends for July 2025 (https://www.thecloudcast.net/2025/08/ai-cloud-trends-for-july-2025.html)
Cloud Earnings
Microsoft posts Q4 beat on top and bottom line on cloud, AI strength (https://finance.yahoo.com/news/microsoft-posts-q4-beat-on-top-and-bottom-line-on-cloud-ai-strength-200602195.html)
Clouded Judgement 8.1.25 - The AI Operating Model (https://cloudedjudgement.substack.com/p/clouded-judgement-8125-the-ai-operating?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=56878&post_id=169283604&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=true&r=2l9&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email)
Richard Seroter's Architecture Musings (https://seroter.com/)
AI
OpenAI’s new waited model whatever (https://openai.com/index/introducing-gpt-oss/)
Simon Willson says local tool calling might be better (https://simonwillison.net/2025/Aug/5/gpt-oss/)
Exclusive: OpenAI Secures Another Giant Funding Deal (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/01/business/dealbook/openai-ai-mega-funding-deal.html?smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare)
OpenAI has made $5.25 billion in 2025 so far, and Anthropic $1.5bn. In both cases, I have found a pattern of deceptive leaks of annualized revenues to suggest they're making far more. (https://bsky.app/profile/edzitron.com/post/3lve3kmvt722p)
Relevant to your Interests
How Olipop is sweetening the PTO deal for employees (https://www.fooddive.com/news/olipop-summer-recharge-time-travel-agency/756145/)
Anaconda Secures $150M Funding, Hits $1.5B Valuation (https://www.webpronews.com/anaconda-secures-150m-funding-hits-1-5b-valuation/)
Figma raises $1.2 billion, creating new playbook for going public in the summer (https://www.axios.com/2025/07/31/figma-ipo-stock-adobe)
AI vs. AI: Prophet Security raises $30M to replace human analysts with autonomous defenders (https://venturebeat.com/ai/ai-vs-ai-prophet-security-raises-30m-to-replace-human-analysts-with-autonomous-defenders/)
API Simulation Reduces MCP Server, Microservices Overload (https://thenewstack.io/api-simulation-reduces-mcp-server-microservices-overload/)
Google loses appeal in antitrust battle with Fortnite maker (https://apnews.com/article/google-antitrust-android-apps-appeal-ceba472d6882c413967f512f2dc56067)
Exclusive: More details emerge on how Windsurf’s VCs and founders got paid from the Google deal (https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/01/more-details-emerge-on-how-windsurfs-vcs-and-founders-got-paid-from-the-google-deal/)
OpenAI is teasing a GPT-5 release. (https://www.theverge.com/news/718147/openai-teasing-gpt-5-release)
Cloud Software Group to Acquire Arctera (https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20250804310158/en/Cloud-Software-Group-to-Acquire-Arctera)
For the first time, OpenAI models are available on AWS | TechCrunch (https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/05/for-the-first-time-openai-models-are-available-on-aws/)
Agents or Bots? Making Sense of AI on the Open Web (https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/agents-bots-making-sense-ai-open-web-perplexity-ai-rom0c/?trackingId=WQJoQHyfuX91F3i7ywZwtw%3D%3D)
Three weeks after acquiring Windsurf, Cognition offers staff the exit door (https://techcrunch.com/2025/08/05/three-weeks-after-acquiring-windsurf-cognition-offers-staff-the-exit-door/)
Apple has now shipped 3 billion iPhones (https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-has-now-shipped-3-billion-iphones-030851439.html)
Apple Growth Rebounds on Strength of iPhone 16 Line, China (https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-07-31/apple-revenue-tops-estimates-on-strength-of-iphone-china-market?embedded-checkout=true)
Apple Earnings; Cook’s AI Comments; Apple’s AI Strategy, Redux (https://stratechery.com/2025/apple-earnings-cooks-ai-comments-apples-ai-strategy-redux/)
Nonsense
Microsoft’s Windows XP Crocs are no joke (https://www.theverge.com/microsoft/717965/microsoft-crocs-windows-xp-bliss-wallpaper-theme)
Listener Feedback
JD recommends Charm (https://github.com/charmbracelet/crush)
Conferences
SpringOne (https://www.vmware.com/explore/us/springone?utm_source=organic&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=cote), Las Vegas, August 25th to 28th, 2025. See Coté’s pitch (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_xOudsmUmk).
Explore 2025 US (https://www.vmware.com/explore/us?utm_source=organic&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=cote), Las Vegas, August 25th to 28th, 2025. See Coté’s pitch (https://www.youtube.com/shorts/-COoeIJcFN4).
Wiz Capture the Flag (https://www.wiz.io/events/capture-the-flag-brisbane-august-2025), Brisbane, August 26. Matt will be there.
SREDay London (https://sreday.com/2025-london-q3/), Coté speaking, September 18th and 19th.
Civo Navigate London (https://www.civo.com/navigate/london/2025), Coté speaking, September 30th.
Texas Linux Fest (https://2025.texaslinuxfest.org), Austin, October 3rd to 4th.
CF Day EU (https://events.linuxfoundation.org/cloud-foundry-day-europe/), Frankfurt, October 7th, 2025.
AI for the Rest of Us (https://aifortherestofus.live/london-2025), Coté speaking, October 15th to 16th, London.
SDT News & Community
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Book offer: Use code SDT for $20 off "Digital WTF" by Coté (https://leanpub.com/digitalwtf/c/sdt)
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Recommendations
Brandon: CalDigit TS4 (https://www.amazon.com/s?k=caldigit+ts4&hvadid=732096899979&hvdev=c&hvexpln=67&hvlocphy=9028322&hvnetw=g&hvocijid=7941701857307590927--&hvqmt=e&hvrand=7941701857307590927&hvtargid=kwd-1436081580619&hydadcr=24768_13517487&mcid=c0ce64ca6a893d599e949f0f42851542&tag=googhydr-20&ref=pd_sl_5zzuafk2xr_e_p67).
Coté:
Sunday roast at Mount St. Restaurant, London (https://mountstrestaurant.com).
Internal developer platform marketing series: part one (https://thenewstack.io/driving-platform-adoption-the-missed-opportunity-of-marketing/), part two (https://thenewstack.io/driving-platform-adoption-part-2-yes-create-t-shirts-to-tout-your-brand/), and part three (https://thenewstack.io/driving-platform-adoption-community-is-your-value/).
Photo Credits
Header (https://unsplash.com/photos/doughnuts-on-box-7lAMbAh_Je4)
