Tech vets ready for a road trip — with AI as a copilot | Pfizer shutting down new Seagen facility

How Microsoft, Amazon, T-Mobile and others use big bets to build durable businesses ADVERTISEMENT [GeekWire]( SPONSOR MESSAGE: BOT or NOT? This special series explores the evolving relationship between humans and machines, examining the ways that robots, AI and automation are impacting our work and lives: [Read more.]( TODAY'S TOP STORIES Tech vets ready for a road trip — with AI as a copilot: The popular travel app Sēkr is now part of Peace Vans, a Seattle business that specializes in classic Volkswagen van repairs and restorations and modern camper van build-outs. Peace Vans owner Harley Sitner, (above, right) has brought on his longtime friend Jordan Schwartz, a software entrepreneur who led Seattle startup Pathable, as chief product officer. The goal is to refresh Sēkr with AI tools that improve the vanlife experience and lead to more human connections on the road. [Read the story](. How Microsoft, Amazon, T-Mobile and others use big bets to build durable businesses: This week on the GeekWire Podcast, our guests are John Rossman and Kevin McCaffrey, authors of the new book,["Big Bet Leadership."]( It's a playbook for business leaders to systematically make bets in a way that reduces risk and increases long-term flexibility. The book draws lessons from a variety of companies, including tech titans in Seattle and Silicon Valley. - [Read more and listen here]( and subscribe to GeekWire in [Apple Podcasts]( [Google Podcasts]( [Spotify]( or wherever you listen. Pharma giant Pfizer, fresh off its $43 billion acquisition of Seagen, said it will shut down construction on a new 270,000 square-foot manufacturing facility Seagen was building north of Seattle near its headquarters. [Read more](. Hot Links: - Nvidia is reportedly working on a PC gaming handheld of its own, potentially competing with the popular SteamDeck from Bellevue, Wash.-based Valve. ([TechRadar]( - Oh, snap. Amazon has started putting a “frequently returned” label on Apple’s Finewoven case for iPhone 15, based on complaints that it’s uncomfortable to hold and scratches easily. ([Gizmodo]( - Spotify’s new standalone audiobook subscription service, at $9.99/month, is new competition for Amazon’s Audible. ([TechCrunch]( Thanks for [subscribing]( to the GeekWire newsletter, and have a great weekend. — GeekWire managing editor Taylor Soper, taylor@geekwire.com; GeekWire reporter Kurt Schlosser, kurt@geekwire.com; and GeekWire co-founder Todd Bishop, todd@geekwire.com. SPONSOR MESSAGE [87% of young people are talking to their parents about online risks, says new research from Microsoft. However, greater awareness of safety features and tools is needed.]( Earlier this month, Microsoft celebrated [Safer Internet Day]( – an annual event that brings people around the world together to create a safer and better online environment for all. The day provided an opportunity for people of all ages to engage and discuss online activities and safety, particularly with growing interest in emerging technologies. However, we should have conversations about online safety every day, not just on Safer Internet Day. To support that goal, Microsoft released the latest findings from our annual [Global Online Safety Survey]( along with a [Family Safety Toolkit](. We share our results publicly so that others can benefit from the insights as we collectively strive to create a safer digital ecosystem. [Learn more here.]( LATEST HEADLINES [Pfizer to close Seagen manufacturing plant in Seattle area following $43B acquisition]( [Seattle vanlife gurus see tech and AI’s potential as a copilot, to boost human connections on road trips]( [How Microsoft, T-Mobile, and Amazon use big bets to build durable businesses in turbulent times]( [Transplant organ freezing and rewarming technique wins U. of Washington health innovation challenge]( GEEKWORK: TODAY'S TECH JOBS - [BRINC: Senior/Principal Backend & Platform Software Engineer]( - [INRIX: Finance Pricing Manager]( - [City of Newport: Systems Administrator II]( - [GeekWire: The Etzioni Internship in Climate Tech Journalism at GeekWire, Summer 2024]( - [INRIX: Chief Revenue Office]( [FIND MORE JOBS ON GEEKWORK]( [HIRING? BUY A FEATURED LISTING TO APPEAR HERE]( [About GeekWire]( [Contact Us]( [Advertise]( Copyright © 2024 GeekWire LLC, All rights reserved. You are receiving this email because you opted to receive emails from GeekWire LLC.  Our mailing address is: GeekWire LLC 123 NW 36th St, Suite 203 Seattle, WA 98107  [change email frequency or address]( | [unsubscribe](