this past week was light on new product releases with the christmas holiday. so, to wrap up 2025, i’m going to spend most of this issue recapping:
the 5 most important product launches of 2025
the 3 that transformed how i work as a pm
the 3 biggest flops
my 6 personal faves
before i dive in, i wanted to reflect (okay gramps). this past year, i started newpixels as a mini side project. by end of year, we’re going to cross 1,000 subscribers. it’s been a blast making new friends, learning new skills, and getting a front row seat for the ai revolution. it’s an incredible time to be building software. thank you for being here from day one; i love you.
one quick ask: do you have any feedback? i’d love to hear how i can make the newsletter even more valuable for you in 2026. this short (~2 minute) survey would really help. i’ll pick one random survey responder to win a $50 amazon gift card. link to survey here.
now onto the best, worst, and most important product releases of 2025!
the most important product launches of 2025
👑 ai-native operating systems, by microsoft (oct. 2025): the real winner of the ai revolution might be operating systems, not model developers or app developers. once you have an os-level copilot with context across every app you use (and the ability to take actions across apps), why would you use app-level ai features?
apps sdk, by openai (oct. 2025): companies can now create apps that run directly inside chatgpt, and chatgpt can recommend them based on your conversation. someday soon, apple music and spotify may be bidding to be the default “music app” when you ask chatgpt for a music playlist
prediction markets, by coinbase, draftkings, robinhood, fanatics, and now fanduel (all year): for better or for worse, prediction markets exploded in 2025. i like prediction markets conceptually, but the data so far shows the dominant use case is sports gambling, which, at best, feels bad for society, and, at worst, may literally topple what’s left of our feeble democracy
groupchats, by chatgpt (nov. 2025): a fundamental paradigm shift in how we use ai, which has been predominantly “single player” to date
gaming and podcasting, by netflix (dec. 2025): netflix began moving beyond streaming, releasing a mobile red dead redemption game and announcing exclusive video podcasts starting in 2026. excited to watch in 2026 as they strive to become a bona fide media conglomerate
the product launches that changed how i work
👑 comet ai browser, by perplexity (jul. 2025): comet has become my default internet browser. while the primary value add today is minor (saving me a few seconds from copy-pasting / switching windows), i’m excited about the possibilities. for example, i recently visited amtrak’s website and had to figure out which train to take to upstate ny. i asked comet to take the wheel, then watched as it browsed the site, checked timetables, and figured out the right train. then it filled out the form with my basic info (address, payment info) to purchase the ticket
deep research, by openai (feb. 2025): i was skeptical at first, but deep research has become a consistent part of my daily workflows as a pm. my top use case: doing competitive research while i focus on other tasks in parallel
notion mail, by notion (apr. 2025): ai-powered gmail client with lots of automations. i was already a happy user of notion calendar (and obviously notion itself). thus, notion has mostly replaced google for me for most of my productivity workflows. could they one day displace google or microsoft as the default productivity suite for businesses? 👀
the biggest product flops of 2025
💩 gpt-5, by openai (aug. 2025): many found gpt5 disappointing, and significantly less transformative than prior openai launches. many highlighted improvements were single-digit percentage gains, which foreshadows that llm progress might be rapidly decelerating
sora app, by openai (sep. 2025): a social media app built around user-generated ai video. three months later, search interest is down 80% from peak, per google trends. i wrote here why I think this is the case.
liquid glass, by apple (jun. 2025): an os design overhaul with translucent, light-refracting elements, and a major focal point of the ios 26 launch. since then, the response has been mixed at best, and they’ve started walking back edge cases (adding tinted options for readability and adjusting lock screen opacity). as an apple fanboy, hate to see it
… and a few personal faves ❤
👑 live translation, by apple (jun. 2025): an incredible use case for llms. imo this is a clear net win for society, helping travelers, friends, and families connect better around the world 🙂
movie rentals, by letterboxd (nov. 2025): the movie reviews website launched in-app film rentals. first off, as a 90s baby, i absolutely love the blockbuster vibes. plus, it seems like a fantastic product move: more seamless ux for users, and a great new revenue play for letterboxd
ai dating assistants, by facebook (sep. 2025): while i’m not single, i love the idea of llms helping users find love with fuzzy natural language search (“give me a sad boy in bushwick”) and suggesting profile improvements. despite all the negative press about ai destroying human relationships, i have a contrarian take: llms may be well-suited to help us find love 🙂
senior accounts, by uber (jun. 2025): a simplified app for elderly users, with big text, family ride updates, and medicare support. nothing groundbreaking here, just good product work that made my heart happy ❤
teen accounts, by waymo (jul. 2025): parents of teens in phoenix can now let their kids ride robotaxis and get trip statuses along the way. ecstatic that in the future, robotaxis will ferry my future children around
without me having to drive their punk asseschatgpt parental controls, by openai (sep. 2025): alerts for self-harm conversations, quiet hours, and options to disable memory. also, a discrete mode of chatgpt for teens that blocks certain topics like sexual content or self-harm. after a few teen suicides this past year associated with ai usage, i’m glad openai is responding with product investments that help keep our youths safe while they adopt this inevitable new technology
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