What the 'Lost Decade' of 2000-2009 Can Teach Today's Investors About AI Disruption
A veteran asset manager draws unsettling parallels between the dot-com bubble's aftermath and today's AI-driven market -- and the data backs him up.
Kevin Chao
Technology & Crypto Reporter
TechnologyStartupsCryptocurrencyVenture CapitalAI
About Kevin
Kevin Chao has covered the tech industry for over a decade, with stints at TechCrunch and VentureBeat before joining San Francisco Download. His reporting on cryptocurrency markets and blockchain startups has been cited by major outlets including Bloomberg and CNBC. He holds a computer science degree from UC Berkeley and stays connected to the startup scene through regular attendance at Y Combinator demo days and industry conferences.
Articles by Kevin
The $30.8 Million Syntax-Brillian Fraud That Rocked NASDAQ
Roger Kao and Syntax-Brillian CEO James Li orchestrated a $30.8 million insider trading and fraud scheme that inflated the tech company's stock price before it collapsed, drawing SEC enforcement action and federal charges.
San Jose Reviews Cesar Chavez Sites to Honor All Farmworkers
San Jose leaders voted unanimously to review public sites bearing Cesar Chavez's name, aiming to broaden recognition of the farmworker movement.
Trump Orders TSA Back Pay as Government Shutdown Continues
Trump signed an executive order to pay TSA officers back wages as shutdown absentee rates hit a record 11.83%, threatening airport security nationwide.
Biden Staffer Arrested in SF Sunset District Shooting
A former Biden White House staffer was arrested in the Sunset District shooting death of Samantha Emge, as SF eyes federal agent ID laws.
Two Homicides Strike San Francisco in One Night
Two unrelated shootings killed a man and a woman in San Francisco's Ingleside and Sunset districts Tuesday night, marking the city's 11th and 12th homicides of the year.
The Boardroom's AI Problem: Why Executive Pay Consultants Are Sounding the Alarm on Integrity
As AI tools reshape how companies design executive pay packages and conduct governance reviews, veteran compensation consultant Frank Glassner warns that boards are trading rigor for convenience — and shareholders will eventually pay the price.
Raw Meat Left in Sun Goes Viral: Hamburger Project Responds
A photo of raw ground beef and mayo baking on a San Francisco sidewalk went viral, prompting Hamburger Project to blame a delivery driver.
Oakland Celebrates Alysa Liu's Olympic Gold With Kehlani
Oakland packed Frank Ogawa Plaza to honor figure skater Alysa Liu's 2026 Olympic gold medal, with a surprise performance by R&B artist Kehlani.
Stop the AI Race Rally Targets Anthropic, OpenAI, xAI
Protesters plan to rally outside Anthropic, OpenAI, and xAI headquarters in San Francisco, demanding AI CEOs commit to pausing frontier AI development.
The Pricing Model Wars: Why Time & Materials Is Dying and Retainers Are Thriving
Survey data from 181 agencies published by professional services platform Productive reveals significant fragmentation in pricing approaches as AI accelerates production, with outcome-based and value-based models emerging as the best-positioned strategies.
SFO & Oakland Airport on FAA's Runway Safety Hot Spot List
The FAA flagged SFO, Oakland, and San Jose airports on its hot spot list, identifying ground areas most at risk of runway collisions and near-misses.
Joe Kukura, Beloved SFist Writer and SF Voice, Dies at 55
Joe Kukura, a longtime SFist contributor who covered San Francisco with humor and heart for over two decades, died of gastric cancer complications at 55.
What Happens When Your Waymo Gets Attacked?
A San Francisco rider spent six minutes trapped in a Waymo while a man attacked the car. Here's what Waymo did—and didn't do—to help.
Four Men Plead Guilty in Bayview Drive-By Shooting Case
Four men pleaded guilty in a 2023 Bayview drive-by shooting that injured one person and prompted a multi-agency federal investigation across the Bay Area.
The Tech Behind Biotech: Why Lab Management Software Is Finally Catching Up
While nearly every industry has embraced digital procurement tools, laboratory supply chains have remained stubbornly analog — until now. A wave of lab management platforms is finally modernizing how research teams source, order, and track supplies.
Joby Aviation Electric Air Taxi Demo Flight Over San Francisco Bay
Joby Aviation flew its electric air taxi across San Francisco Bay, covering an Oakland-to-Marin route in 10 minutes at 100 mph in near silence.
Cal/OSHA May Fine BART $200K Over Live Track Safety Incident
Cal/OSHA is weighing $200K+ fines against BART after managers allowed crews to work on a live track without proper safety clearance in November 2024.
SF Mayor Lurie Pushes Charter Reform Ballot Measures
Mayor Daniel Lurie and Supervisor Mandelman filed three charter reform measures for November's ballot, targeting contracting rules and mayoral authority.
Attempted Murder Charge Filed in SF Chinatown Stabbing
SF DA Brooke Jenkins charges Jian Feng Huang with attempted murder in a March 5 Chinatown stabbing, as Oakland and Tenderloin also report violent incidents.
Dublin Unified Teachers Strike Over Budget Cuts and Layoffs
Dublin Unified teachers hit picket lines Monday over budget cuts and layoffs, as Bay Area school districts face mounting financial crises tied to declining enrollment.
SFO Cancels 17 Flights, Delays 162 Others as Staffing Shortages Disrupt Bay Area Travel
San Francisco International Airport experienced widespread travel disruptions on March 9, with 162 flights delayed and 17 flights canceled, according to official reports. The disruptions left hundreds of passengers stranded in terminals throughout the day, facing uncertain departure times and mounting connection concerns.
Former Stripe Engineer Saikat Chakrabarti Runs for Pelosi's Congressional Seat, Citing Housing Crisis as Motivation
Former tech worker Saikat Chakrabarti has entered the race to replace longtime Rep. Nancy Pelosi in Congress, drawing on his personal experience with San Francisco's dramatic housing cost increases as motivation for his campaign.
Meta Faces U.S. Lawsuit Over AI Smart Glasses Privacy Violations After Workers Reviewed Intimate Footage
Meta is confronting a new lawsuit in the United States over privacy violations related to its AI smart glasses, following revelations that overseas workers reviewed intimate customer footage including nudity and sexual activity.
Barnes & Noble College Takes Over UC Berkeley Student Stores as Campus Retail Undergoes Major Changes
Barnes & Noble College has assumed operations of UC Berkeley's student stores following what university officials described as a "highly competitive process," according to a press release announcing the partnership.
San Jose Bail Bonds Company Forfeits $38 Million in Settlement Over Allegedly Deceptive Contracts
A San Jose-based bail bonds company must forfeit $38 million in debt and overhaul its business practices under a class-action settlement announced Thursday, following years of allegations that the firm misled thousands of California families into signing exploitative contracts.
Bay Area Fintechs Are Betting on Decentralized KYC
Bay Area fintech companies are moving toward decentralized KYC as breach costs mount, drawing on cryptographic research developed at Bay Area institutions over the past decade.
All-Star Musicians Honor Berkeley Blues Legend Taj Mahal at San Francisco Benefit Concert
Berkeley-based blues legend Taj Mahal received a star-studded tribute Saturday night at The Masonic in San Francisco, where Rock and Roll Hall of Famers Joan Baez and Van Morrison joined platinum-selling artist Hozier and other notable musicians for a 3½-hour celebration.
San Francisco Woman Among Six Victims Identified in Deadliest California Avalanche
Six victims of Tuesday's deadly avalanche near Lake Tahoe have been identified, including a San Francisco mother who lived in Bernal Heights, according to family representatives and local officials.
San Francisco Band Carpool Tunnel Headlines Bittersweet Show at Closing Bottom of the Hill Venue
San Francisco indie rock band Carpool Tunnel will return to Bottom of the Hill on Thursday, February 26, for what marks both a career milestone and a farewell to the beloved Potrero Hill venue that he...
Musk's xAI raises $20B despite child safety probe
Elon Musk's AI company secured massive funding from Nvidia, Fidelity and others as authorities investigate deepfake abuse on X platform.
Synopsys to cut 2,800 jobs after $35B merger, 10% of workforce
Sunnyvale chip design giant plans massive cuts in fiscal 2026, latest sign of tech industry turbulence hitting Bay Area companies hard.
Bay Area startups raise $1.2B as AI infrastructure funding surges
Local companies secured major rounds in AI, fintech, and enterprise automation as investors concentrate capital on foundational technology platforms.
Meta cuts 1,000+ Reality Labs jobs in Bay Area's first big 2026 layoff
The Menlo Park company is shifting investment from metaverse projects to wearable technology, marking tech's first major job cuts of the year.
The Tao of Wi-Fi, Salt Rooms, and Burble: Janelli’s Journey to Founder Life
Alexandra Janelli is one of those rare people who has no business existing as one person. Janelli’s the great-granddaughter of New York radio royalty, a conservation biologist who worked to save the p
Scott Hansen: How Crowdfunding Can Scale Without Selling Out
When most people think of crowdfunding, they picture the early 2010s—a time when glossy Kickstarter videos promised revolutionary products that rarely shipped. It was a golden age of optimism that eve
Coinbase CEO's Earnings Call Remarks Stir Criticism Over Prediction Market Bets
Coinbase CEO Brian Armstrong deliberately spoke prediction market trigger words during the company's Q3 earnings call, moving $84,000 in bets on Kalshi and Polymarket. The stunt drew sharp criticism from the crypto industry's own leaders and raised fresh questions about prediction market integrity.