Skip Smith @TheSkipSmith

Glad to see more cities thinking seriously about privacy. More facial recognition and data-storing cameras ≠ better security. techcrunch.com/2026/07/13/lap…

If you're leading a startup, one of the best things you can do is encourage innovation at all levels. Some of the best ideas I've heard have come from people who just joined the team. When it comes to creativity, seniority or tenure doesn't matter all that much.

More entryway threat detection testing at CurvePoint. We've got the usuals you'll see at school. Textbooks, footballs, etc. All mixed in with everything you DON'T want to see at school. Our Wi-AI understands the difference between them all, so threat response can happen fast.

Every founder faces a point in their journey where they enter the "pit of despair". It's the hardest part of building something that can last. And it feels like you just can't get out. Embrace it and keep moving forward anyway. Getting to the other side is more than worth it.

Every founder has that moment where they realize they actually have to lead a team of people. For me, it hit me like a ton of bricks. My advice? Just lead. Be real with your people and model hard work, honesty, and respect. It doesn't have to be rocket science.

I don't think anyone's surprised that the "safeguards" on Instagram, Snap, TikTok and YouTube aren't actually doing much to protect kids. 60% of the features either didn't work as promised. The rest were too difficult for kids (or parents) to find. cnn.com/2026/06/29/tec…

Safety systems need to know the difference between what belongs and what doesn't. CurvePoint's Wi-AI uses spatial intelligence to understand the relationships between people, objects, and spaces, so it can alert staff the moment something isn't supposed to be there.

Here's a lesson for all the founders out there who feel stuck. You can't think your way into a clear plan. You have to just start moving forward. You will make mistakes. Sometimes, you'll take two steps forward and one step back. But that's how progress is made.

It's no secret that AI has a trust problem. When we're talking about privacy and security, a lot of those fears are warranted. That's why we're building our school safety tech right from the start. It combines the power of AI with Wi-Fi sensing, without surveillance.

If you’re not prepared to take risks, you’re not prepared to build deep tech. One hard lesson: culture follows leadership. I had to stop performing certainty and create room for smart risks, honest questions, and being wrong. That’s when the team began moving faster.

Wi-Fi can do a lot more than connect your phone to the internet. It can also detect weapons. At CurvePoint, we use Wifi sensing and AI-powered spatial intelligence to detect concealed threats without relying on cameras or facial recognition. Learn more: curvepoint.ai/wiai-for-edu/

This is what threat detection testing looks like at CurvePoint. We not only test in our lab, but we also test in the same schools we're designing to protect. And that involves teaching our Wi-AI system the difference between normal objects and the few that require attention.

Our Wi-AI school safety tech can't do everything! It can't do biometrics. It can't scan retinas. It can't identify individuals. It CAN detect concealed threats in real-time, all by monitoring disruptions in WiFi signals. And that's what counts.

School safety isn't built on products. It's about building a system that works together and reinforces itself. Because when a crisis happens, a single tool won't save the day. A system built on intentional strategy will.

Building a deep-tech company takes patience. We don't get most things right on the first try (and if we do, we're immediately setting the bar higher). This forces us to slow down and think about things from every angle. And ultimately, we're building a better product for it.

School safety systems like CurvePoint aren't meant to replace your safety plan. It's meant to strengthen your plan. Our Wi-AI sensors add a weapon detection layer right at the doorway, so schools can receive earlier awareness and protocol-aligned alerts.

We're building a different approach to school safety. One that uses WiFi signals to detect potential threats at entryways. All without identity tracking, facial recognition, or disruption. curvepoint.ai

Big questions for edtech, and even bigger questions for admin teams having to navigate through this kind of thing. What's clear to me is that this problem is only going to keep growing unless cybersecurity policy catches up. wired.com/story/canvas-h…

School admin teams have one of the hardest jobs in America. They're expected to do just about everything (and that's *before* we start talking about guns and safety systems.) If we're not designing tools with their unique burdens in mind, we're missing the point.

In my experience, the bigger the goal you set, the better. My team and I set bold, pie-in-the-sky goals at CurvePoint. We know we won't meet all of them, and that's okay. But they give us a North Star to keep us moving toward.