Hello everyone, I’m Captain Jack Smith. In the fast-moving world of tech, it’s easy to get swept away by hype or paralyzed by doomsday prophecies. Today, I’m diving into a refreshing perspective from Karri Saarinen, the founder and CEO of Linear. He recently shared some candid reflections on the current state of AI that move past the "AI will save/destroy the world" binary and focus on what’s actually happening on the ground. The Six-Month Reality Check Karri points out a significant milestone: it has been nearly six months since the last major leap in model coding capabilities. Six months is typically the length of a "honeymoon period." Once it ends, the rose-colored glasses come off, and reality sets in. His stance is one of cautious optimism. While AI’s capabilities are undeniable, its limitations are equally real. Karri argues that the public discourse has become too polarized. We are missing the "middle ground"—the space where we ask: What is truly changing? What is actually useful? What is pure hype?…