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| Welcome Automaters, 👋 | So quick one: We just added brand-new gears and some dangerously fresh quotes to our merch lineup. Consider this your official, slightly dramatic wake-up call to secure your favorites before they completely vanish. | Now as usual, every single piece in this new lineup is printed with the exact, high-impact words from this week’s issue. So if a line resonated with you during your morning read, chances are you can now wear it or carry it into your next boardroom battle. | Here is what we just added to the collection: | Accessory Pouches: To lock down your chargers, cables, and daily tech gear in style. Sports & Basketball Jerseys: High-performance looks designed for high-stakes execution. 🏀 Wearable War Tees: Pure aesthetic armor for your daily entrepreneurial grind. Coloring Books: To help you visually map out your grand vision when you desperately need to unplug; the ultimate tactile break for when your daily screen time limits have officially been shattered.
| | Oh and remember, the rules haven't changed. We still do: | Strictly Limited Runs: We keep the quantities low so the exclusivity stays high. Absolutely No Reprints: When a design sells out, it is dead and gone forever. Zero Waitlists: There is no second chance, no backup line, and no restocks.
| | Fair warning: The basketball jerseys and the accessory pouches are undoubtedly going to move the fastest. | P.S. We go even deeper on YouTube. | The newsletter is your fast-lane briefing, but the full picture, the context, the nuance, and the fun breakdowns live over on The Automated TV on YouTube. | Every day we drop new episodes packed with real depth, sharp commentary, and actual details that go way beyond the headlines. The kind of takes that broaden your horizon and make the news something you can genuinely learn from, build with, and grow on. | So go over there, hit Subscribe, hit the notification bell and come hang with us where the real conversation happens! | Here’s yesterday’s breakdown: |  | A Single Fake Blog Post SHATTERED Google's Trillion-Dollar AI Confidence |
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| Here's what we have for you today | | | | | | | 🔍 The Best Google Alternatives in 2026, Ranked for Privacy, Speed, and Minimal AI Chaos | | If you feel like your search bar has suddenly been invaded by a pushy, over-confident robot; you are definitely not alone. | At the Google I/O 2026 conference, the tech giant officially flipped the table on how we navigate the web, rolling out the biggest overhaul to its search engine in over 25 years. Google’s own Search chief, Elizabeth Reid, proudly called it "AI search through and through." | Let me translate that tech-speak for you: chatbots are everywhere, AI answers are being shoved upfront, and those reliable lists of classic blue links are quietly being shown the exit door. Even if you actively try to avoid "AI Mode," you are still going to bump into AI-generated summaries with chat boxes baked right into your results. | Unsurprisingly, the internet has notes. One commenter on Google’s own YouTube announcement wrote that this update was “basically the best advertisement for switching search engines.” Brutal. Cynical. But honestly? Fair. | Look, we love AI as much as the next newsletter. But we love permission-based AI even more. So if the new Google format has you grinding your teeth like the rest of the internet, here’s the definitive guide to the six best alternatives available right now. | 1. Kagi: The Premium, Ad-Free Powerhouse: | Kagi is a paid, premium search engine, starting at $5 a month for 300 searches or $10 a month for completely unlimited querying, there’re absolutely zero ads. Instead of selling your data, they charge a subscription, which means you are the customer, not the product. | You can deeply personalize your entire experience using "Lenses," which are custom filters that shape exactly what kinds of results bubble up to the surface. Students can activate an academic lens to pull up peer-reviewed journal articles instead of random, keyword-stuffed blog posts. Privacy enthusiasts can go as far as blocking specific domains entirely from ever appearing in their results. | On the AI front, Kagi does offer an optional "Quick Answer" feature that summarizes results and links its sources. The keyword there is optional. You choose when it appears; nobody is forcing a chatbot into your line of sight. This is what digital respect looks like. | 2. DuckDuckGo: The Free Privacy Champion | DuckDuckGo is the most iconic Google alternative on the block, and for good reason. It’s completely free and makes its money from traditional ads, but with one massive, gorgeous difference: it does not build a creepy tracking profile on you. It only looks at what you just typed to decide which ad to show. So search for concert tickets, get a concert ad. Simple, clean, done. | The DuckDuckGo browser is available on both desktop and mobile. It blocks trackers by default and includes a signature "Fire Button" that wipes your browsing history and closes all open tabs in one single, incredibly satisfying tap. | When it comes to AI, DuckDuckGo can surface AI-generated answers, but they actually give you control. You can fully opt out of all AI features in the settings menu with a single toggle without any hoops, fine print, or corporate gaslighting. | 3. Startpage: Google Results, Google-Free Identity | Startpage is not trying to reinvent the wheel; it’s trying to protect you from the wheel. Think of it as your ultimate privacy middleman. You type your search into Startpage, the platform strips out your IP address and personal tracking data, routes the query to Google through the cloud, and hands the clean results back to you. So you get Google’s world-class search architecture, but you are completely anonymous. That means no data trail left behind. | Because of this setup, the results look and feel exactly like traditional Google. The tiny trade-off is that you are still technically relying on Google's index, just while wearing a brilliant digital disguise. | Startpage also lets you turn off AI features, so you aren't forced into summaries you never asked for. There is no dedicated browser here, but it functions smoothly as the default search engine in whatever browser you already use. | | A Single Fake Blog Post SHATTERED Google's Trillion-Dollar AI Confidence |
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| 4. &udm=14: The Clever Hacker's Shortcut | This one is delightfully nerdy and incredibly elegant. &udm=14 is named after the specific string of text that tech-savvy users started adding to the end of their Google search URLs. That little piece of code explicitly commands Google to skip the AI Overviews and hand back the classic, clean list of web links you grew up with. | While you could manually type that code into every single search, this tool handles it automatically. Even cooler? The developer posted the entire source code openly on GitHub so technically minded users can host their own version. | Now, if privacy is your number one concern, Startpage wins; but if you just want the old Google back without the cost or the fuss, &udm=14 is your absolute plug. | 5. Brave: The Full Package With Attitude | Brave is both a standalone browser and an independent search engine, and it arrives ready to pick a fight with the big tech giants. The browser itself is built on Chromium; the exact same open-source foundation as Google Chrome; which means all your favorite Chrome extensions like LastPass, uBlock Origin, and Grammarly work inside Brave without missing a beat. | Out of the box, Brave blocks ads and trackers aggressively, which often makes web pages load noticeably faster. It also features a quirky built-in crypto rewards system called Brave Rewards, where you can choose to earn tokens for viewing privacy-respecting ads. | On the search side, Brave features custom filtering tools called "Goggles" that let you filter web results by specific perspectives or topics. Popular user presets include "News from the Right," "News from the Left," "Tech Blogs," and the legendary "No Pinterest" filter, which does exactly what it promises and has a deeply devoted fanbase. | For AI, Brave includes Leo, its built-in AI assistant located in the sidebar. Leo can summarize pages and help with writing tasks, but Brave promises that Leo does not retain your conversations or use them to train future models. Naturally, you can toggle these AI features completely on or off at will. | 6. Ecosia: The Search Engine Saving Actual Trees | Ecosia is part search tool, part environmental pledge. Just like Brave, it is built on Chromium, so your Chrome extensions transfer over seamlessly. The browser is fast, clean, and handles daily workflows beautifully on both desktop and mobile. | What makes Ecosia genuinely special is its business model. It earns money through search ads and donates roughly 80% of its profits directly to tree-planting and climate reforestation projects around the globe. They even publish monthly financial reports publicly so you can audit exactly where the money goes. | Ecosia does offer AI-generated answers in its search results, but the broader experience feels light and straightforward. It lacks that aggressive, claustrophobic AI-everywhere approach that is making Google feel so exhausting right now. In all, you search the web, they plant a tree, and you get to flex your moral superiority on everyone. | Of course, if you are fully on board with Google's new AI Search vision and the new experience works for you, absolutely stick with it. This list is strictly for everyone else. | Also: we’ll dive into more of these on our YouTube channel later today. So don’t miss it! |
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| | Q1 2026: $20.8B in BDC Redemption Requests. 0.44% Lifetime Net Loss Rate on Percent. | | In Q1 2026, the non-traded BDC market hit $20.8B in redemption requests — most investors received roughly half of what they asked for. Moody's revised the U.S. BDC sector outlook to Negative. Investors who thought they owned liquid private credit found out their fund manager decided whether they could get out. | On Percent's marketplace that same quarter: new issuances, scheduled payments, and a 0.44% lifetime net loss rate on asset-based deals that's held since inception.† | The difference is structural. BDCs often own concentrated corporate loans with quarterly redemption windows that close at the manager's discretion. Percent finances specialty lenders against pools of performing receivables — diversified, overcollateralized, short duration. | Track record through 3/31/26:† | 14.6% net ABS returns LTM after losses 0.44% lifetime net loss rate since inception (asset-based deals) $1.62B+ in ABS originations 870+ offerings completed Deal terms 6–24 months · Starting at $500
| See what private credit built for individual investors looks like. | Alternative investments are speculative. No assurance can be given that investors will receive a return of their capital. Secondary market transactions are subject to availability and issuer approval; liquidity is not guaranteed. †Past performance is not indicative of future results. Terms apply. |
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| | | | | | | | | | 🤖 AI Workout Of The Day: How to Reach Out to Potential Customers (with AI as Your Consultant) | | One of the hardest parts of growing any business isn’t building the product, it’s finding the right people who need it. | And reaching out to potential customers means understanding who they are, where they are, and how best to connect with them. That’s where this prompt comes in; it transforms any AI into your personal business consultant. | Here’s How: | Be specific about your industry – Don’t just say “tech” or “food.” Narrow it down (e.g., “organic skincare,” “B2B SaaS,” “fitness coaching”). Describe your business clearly – Mention what you do, your current stage (startup, small business, growing brand), and your key offerings. Define your potential customers – Add details like demographics, job titles, pain points, or interests. The clearer you are, the more tailored your strategy will be. Ask for outreach methods that fit your brand – For example, if you prefer relationship-driven sales, ask for networking and warm introductions. If you’re product-driven, focus on demos, trials, or content. Test one channel at a time – Don’t overwhelm yourself. Apply the first suggested strategy, measure results, then refine.
| 💡 Prompts to try: | You are my business consultant with deep expertise in [industry]. My business is [describe your business: product/service, size, stage, unique value]. I want you to help me identify the best ways to reach out to my potential customers, who are [describe potential customers: demographics, roles, pain points, interests].
Provide a clear plan that includes:
1. The most effective outreach channels for my audience.
2. Example messaging frameworks or scripts I can use.
3. Short-term tactics for quick wins and long-term strategies for sustainable growth.
4. Tips to increase response rates and avoid common mistakes.
5. Metrics I should track to measure success and refine my approach.
Present your recommendations in a structured way with bullet points and end with a step-by-step outreach action plan I can immediately test or apply.
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| | Is this your AI Workout of the Week (WoW)? Cast your vote! | | That's all we've got for you today. | Did you like today's content? We'd love to hear from you! Please share your thoughts on our content below👇 | What'd you think of today's email? | | Your feedback means a lot to us and helps improve the quality of our newsletter. |
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