Marek Kowalski
Contributing Editor
Marek Kowalski is a Contributing Editor for Business and Builders, drawing on his experience as a co-founder and CTO of a successful B2B logistics startup, which was acquired in 2021. He writes the popular "Code & Capital" column, which explores the critical, and often fraught, relationship between a company's technical architecture and its business model. Marek's writing is deeply practical, offering frameworks for non-technical founders to better understand engineering trade-offs and for technical founders to better align their product roadmap with market needs.
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Latest Articles
AI's Growing Role Shows Resilience for Software Engineers Amid Layoffs
In a year marked by record tech layoffs, with AI frequently cited as the cause, engineering roles paradoxically emerged as the most resilient job function across major tech companies.
Jul 8, 2026 · 6 min read
What is Loop Engineering and Why Does it Matter for AI?
Individual laptop-based AI agent loops can fail with the laptop, manage credentials insecurely, and lead to unmanageable automation sprawl in enterprise environments.
Jul 7, 2026 · 4 min read
California Launches AI Job Tracker Amidst Rising Automation Fears
California has launched the nation's first public dashboard to monitor potential job losses linked to artificial intelligence.
Jun 30, 2026 · 3 min read
California streaming ad law: July 1, 2026, not July 1
Despite widespread reports of an imminent July 1 enforcement, a key source indicates California's ban on excessively loud streaming ads won't take effect until July 1, 2026.
Jun 29, 2026 · 3 min read
Instagram Previews New Algorithm Customization Options
While TikTok users have been fine-tuning their feeds with a content ratio slider since 2024, Instagram is just now previewing expanded controls for its own algorithm, impacting how millions personaliz
Jun 28, 2026 · 3 min read
OpenAI restricts access to new GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra, and Luna models
The White House directly asked OpenAI to delay the public rollout of its most powerful AI models, GPT-5.
Jun 27, 2026 · 4 min read
Papermark Accuses Corgi of Stealing Open Source Software for Dataroom
A Y Combinator-backed insurtech startup, Corgi, has issued cease-and-desist letters to a rival founder and individuals commenting on social media.
Jun 27, 2026 · 4 min read
AI drives engineering job cuts, but resilience grows
The technology industry has cut over 123,000 jobs this year, with AI cited as the leading cause.
Jun 25, 2026 · 2 min read
Infosys ex-chief's new startup raises $32M to challenge IT services
Vishal Sikka, former CEO of Infosys, has launched Hang Ten Systems, a new startup that secured $32 million in seed funding and is already working with Siemens Gamesa and Fresenius.
Jun 25, 2026 · 3 min read
Superhuman acquires GPTZero AI detection startup
Just three years after its founding, AI detection startup GPTZero, with over 19 million users and $30 million in annual revenue, has been acquired by Superhuman.
Jun 24, 2026 · 2 min read
OpenAI launches Patch the Planet to fix open-source bugs
In its first week, OpenAI's new 'Patch the Planet' initiative uncovered hundreds of bugs and generated 64 pull requests across 19 open-source projects, according to TechCrunch and The Register .
Jun 23, 2026 · 3 min read
Top Traceability Software for Perishable Goods
Mid-sized dairy processors slashed recall response times from 72 hours to under 12 hours by implementing specialized traceability software, according to Document Compliance Network .
Jun 23, 2026 · 3 min read
What Are Product Intelligence Platforms and How Do They Help Software Teams?
While Google Analytics is free for up to 5 million events per month, leading product intelligence platforms like Heap can cost over $20,000 monthly, according to VisionLabs .
Jun 22, 2026 · 4 min read
Founders Fund Co-Leads $22M Round for Humane Fish Startup
At Erewhon grocery stores, 'Seremoni Grade Miso Black Cod' is sold, sourced from fish killed by a robot named Poseidon on commercial boats.
Jun 21, 2026 · 3 min read
Free Video Player Performance Optimization
Independent developers report a 50% increase in user complaints about battery drain when using free video players on Android devices in the last quarter, according to Reddit r/androiddev .
Jun 20, 2026 · 4 min read
Aura Ink photo frame review: sustainable e-ink display
For $499, Aura's new Ink frame promises up to three months of battery life, but only if you're content with a single photo change per day, according to Aura Frames .
Jun 20, 2026 · 4 min read
India's Telegram Ban Boosts VPN Use
The day India announced restrictions on Telegram, VPN app downloads in the country surged by 49%, reaching the highest number recorded this year.
Jun 19, 2026 · 3 min read
Google Docs: Turn Off Gemini Pop-Ups From Bottom Bar
To stop Google Gemini's 'help me write' pop-ups in Google Docs in 2026, users must navigate specific document menus or disable all 'smart features' across their entire Google Workspace, including Gmai
Jun 18, 2026 · 2 min read
What Are the Responsibilities of a Chief Technology Officer?
A Chief Technology Officer's primary focus isn't just servers and code, but how an organization’s technological solutions actively drive business value, enhance customer experience, and create a compe
Jun 17, 2026 · 3 min read
AI industry layoffs spark powder keg concerns as companies re-evaluate
Last month, nearly 40,000 tech workers were laid off, marking the highest single month for tech cuts in two years.
Jun 15, 2026 · 3 min read