Expanding From Airline to Software: Surf Air's Bet on OperatorOS
The Hawthorne-based airline is working with Palantir.
Darren Alfonso
Podcast Episode 2: A $110B Merger, Apple's VFX Deal, Snap Specs Business Under Pressure, $70K Projectors, Balcony Solar
In Episode 2, I review and react to five LA tech stories: Skydance's acquisition of Warner Bros., Apple Studios' new agreement with VFX workers, investor pressure on Snap's Specs business, the Epson projectors powering DATALAND in Downtown LA, and California balcony solar. Links and Sources
AI Changed the Team, Not the Process
When Guy Guyadeen left LA in 2009, the tech industry was a tiny niche. He moved to the East Coast and eventually landed in Mountain View as a Product Manager at Google. He decided to move back to LA and thought, “This is going to be career suicide.” But after
Podcast Episode 1: Snap, Specs, and Missed Opportunities
Snap is the home team, and I want it to win. But being a fan of the company hasn’t made me a regular Snapchat user, or sold me on its new Specs glasses. In the first episode of Compile LA, I talk about why I’m rooting for Snap,
From Corporate VP to Founder, Rooted in LA
Ari Wilson joined VideoAmp as Vice President of Engineering in April 2026. After four months, he was involved in the planning of a major layoff driven by AI efficiencies, a common theme in 2026. When the time came to execute the layoff, he was informed that his role was being
Why I’m Starting Compile LA
I moved to Los Angeles County (Hermosa Beach) on November 11, 2015. I’ve founded companies here, attended TechWeek, attended meetups, worked in Santa Monica, worked from home, worked from coworking spaces. I’ve lived in two apartments in Hermosa and finally bought a townhome in North Redondo Beach. I