It’s widely agreed that GenAI will transform software development, and GenAI dev tools have emerged as cornerstones of 8VC’s portfolio and broader AI productivity thesis. Up to now, however, hard data on the scale and specifics of this shift have been missing from the equation. In competitive industries, the speed and efficiency gains promised by GenAI coding tools could well mean the difference between market leadership and obsolescence. Companies can’t afford to select the wrong tools and end up on the wrong side of the AI adoption curve.

For many consumers, the grocery aisle is the avatar of post-COVID inflation. Even as headline inflation has cooled (from 9.1% in June of 2022 to 2.8% in February of 2025), food prices remain stubbornly high, driving popular perceptions of gouging. $10 egg cartons, once confined to artisanal producers in Portland who know every hen by name, have hit big box stores. But grocery is a famously low-margin industry, and for CPG brands, the cost of doing business can be prohibitive. 

In the startup world, design is your strategic roadmap. Investing in it early means avoiding costly detours, optimizing efficiency, and outshining competitors. Design doesn't just elevate your product—it creates the vital connection between your vision and your customers' needs, accelerates growth, and drives margins by keeping efforts lean and focused.