Investors wanted numbers. They got a vision.

Snap CEO Evan Spiegel spent Monday’s Q2 earnings call talking about the future of Specs, the company’s long-awaited smart glasses. What he didn’t do? Give investors any concrete details about preorder demand.

That’s notable, given the device’s September launch event is just weeks away.

When pressed on how early orders are tracking, Spiegel deflected. “What we’re hearing from folks is really that they want to try Specs,” he told investors. “It’s obviously a high consideration purchase at $2,195.”

That price point is the elephant in the room. It’s more than six times the cost of most Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses, which start around $350. It’s cheaper than Apple‘s Vision Pro at $3,500, but that’s a low bar. The real question is whether consumers will pay premium-device money for a first-generation wearable from a company better known for filters than hardware.

The “try before you buy” problem

Spiegel’s core argument is that Specs is a product people need to experience in person. “Developers and folks who are familiar with the platform really understand it and understand the technical leaps we’ve made with this generation,” he said. “I think for the broader public and consumers, it’s going to be really important for folks to go hands-on.”

That’s a reasonable stance for a $2,195 gadget. But it also means Snap is betting heavily on its launch event to generate the kind of buzz that translates into orders. A demo can win people over. A spec sheet, apparently, cannot.

Spiegel acknowledged as much: “Our upcoming launch event will be an important sort of starting point for that consumer-oriented journey.”

Why go it alone?

Investors didn’t just want preorder numbers. They also pushed Spiegel on the broader strategy. Why is Snap, a company with a market cap dwarfed by its rivals, trying to build the next computing platform on its own? Why not partner with someone bigger?

Spiegel’s answer was part confidence, part history lesson. He reminded investors that Snap was a late entrant in social media, competing against established players like Facebook and Instagram. “We had to really innovate to continue to grow,” he said. “What’s so unique about this opportunity for us is really that we’re a first mover, and that really plays to our strengths as an innovator.”

The implication is clear: in social, Snap was the underdog. In smart glasses, it’s the pioneer. And being first, Spiegel argues, is where the company shines.

The technical hurdle is real

He also pushed back on the idea that building Specs is just another hardware project. “I think what some folks maybe don’t understand yet, especially because Specs are so new and we’re really the first mover in this category, is how difficult the product is to execute from a technical perspective,” Spiegel said.

That’s a fair point. Snap has spent more than a decade developing this device, unveiling the current generation in June. The engineering challenges — optics, battery life, weight, processing power — are substantial. But investors are less interested in the difficulty than in the payoff.

Mass-market adoption is years away

When asked about product-market fit, Spiegel offered a sobering timeline: don’t expect Specs to hit the mainstream until closer to the end of the decade. “I think things, for example, like weight and cost are going to have to come down to see unit volumes really meaningfully pick up,” he said.

Translation: this is a long game. Snap is positioning Specs as a platform play, not a quick-hit product. The company’s bet is that developers will build the ecosystem that makes the glasses indispensable — and that Snap’s head start will matter once the market matures.

“We do have, I think, a real advantage here in that developers have been building on the Specs platform now for several years,” Spiegel added.

What to watch at the September launch

Spiegel’s non-answers may frustrate investors, but they also set the stage for the launch event. Here’s what matters:

• Preorder numbers: If Snap shares any early demand figures, that will move the stock. If it stays quiet, expect more questions.
• Developer momentum: The quality of third-party apps will signal whether the platform has legs.
• Pricing strategy: Any hints of a cheaper model or carrier subsidies could change the conversation.
• Competitive response: Meta and Apple aren’t standing still. Their next moves will shape the market.

For now, Snap is asking the market to trust its vision. That’s a harder sell than a spec sheet — but it’s the only one Spiegel is offering. If you’re tracking the broader smart glasses market trends, this launch is the one to watch. And for context on how Snap’s strategy compares to rivals, check out our breakdown of Meta Ray-Ban vs. Apple Vision Pro.

Reddit wants to be seen — and heard

Reddit is quietly building a new video experience that would let users watch — or simply listen to — its most viral posts. The move borrows a page from the TikTok playbook, where narrated Reddit stories play over gameplay footage or other visuals.

CEO Steve Huffman confirmed the feature is already in development. Speaking at a recent company event, he said testing could begin later this year. That’s a notable shift for a platform long known for text-first discussions.

Why Reddit is chasing TikTok-style videos

The inspiration is hard to miss. TikTok is flooded with accounts that read Reddit threads aloud while showing Minecraft or Subway Surfers clips. Some of these videos rack up millions of views. Reddit sees that traffic and wants a piece of it.

Huffman didn’t share many specifics — no timeline beyond “later this year,” no details on how the interface might look. But the direction is clear: Reddit wants to make its content more consumable for people who prefer video over text.

What “listen to posts” could mean

The audio component is interesting. It suggests Reddit might let users play posts like a podcast, with text-to-speech or human narration. That could appeal to commuters, gym-goers, or anyone who’d rather hear a story than read it on a screen.

It’s a clever angle. Reddit’s strength has always been its communities — r/AskReddit, r/AmItheAsshole, r/relationship_advice — and those threads are already story-driven. Turning them into audio or video content is a natural extension.

A crowded field of competitors

Reddit isn’t the first to try this. YouTube has long hosted Reddit-story channels. Spotify has experimented with podcast-style adaptations. And TikTok’s algorithm has made Reddit content a staple of its “For You” page.

What Reddit has that others don’t: the original source material and the community context. If the company can build a native experience that feels authentic — not just a repackaged feed — it could carve out a unique niche.

What this means for creators and users

For creators, this could open new revenue or discovery opportunities. Reddit already pays some users through its Contributor Program, and a video feature might expand that. For everyday users, it’s simply a new way to engage with content they already love.

There’s also a potential downside. Reddit’s charm is its rawness — the messy, text-heavy, community-driven discussions. Over-polishing that into slick video formats could alienate longtime users. Huffman seems aware of the balance, though he didn’t offer details on how Reddit plans to strike it.

What’s next

Testing later this year is just the beginning. If the feature rolls out widely, expect to see it integrated into the main feed, possibly alongside existing video tools. Reddit has been investing heavily in video — from its Reddit video upload tools to partnerships with creators — and this feels like the next logical step.

For now, the announcement is light on specifics. But the signal is loud: Reddit sees video and audio as the future of how people consume its content. Whether that’s a good thing depends on how well the company executes.

One thing’s certain — the internet’s favorite storytelling platform is getting ready to tell its stories in a whole new way.

Why Claude Cowork Is Different From Chatbots

Most people still think of AI as a chat window. You type, it answers. But that’s not where the real value lives anymore. Anthropic‘s Claude Cowork flips that model. It’s an agentic platform designed to handle multi-step tasks across your entire tech stack. Not just conversation. Execution.

Think of it this way: a chatbot suggests what you could do. Claude Cowork actually does it. It can pull data from your CRM, draft a response, update a spreadsheet, and send an email—all in one session. That’s the difference between a tool and a teammate.

Step 1: Map Out the Workflow Before You Touch Code

Here’s the mistake most people make. They open Claude Cowork and start typing commands. That’s like building a house without blueprints. You’ll end up with something that stands, but it won’t be what you wanted.

Start by writing down the process you want to automate. Break it into steps. What triggers the workflow? What data does it need? What’s the final output?

• Trigger: A new lead enters your CRM.
• Data: Lead details, company info, past interactions.
• Action: Send a personalized welcome email, schedule a follow-up task.
• Output: Confirmation in your dashboard.

Once you have that map, Claude Cowork can follow it. Without it, you’re just guessing.

Step 2: Connect Your Tools and Set Permissions

Claude Cowork doesn’t work in a vacuum. It needs access to your apps. That means connecting your CRM, your email, your project management tool, maybe your database.

The platform supports a range of integrations. You’ll want to check which ones are available in your plan. Some are native. Others might require API keys or middleware.

A word of caution: permissions matter. Give Claude Cowork the least access it needs to do the job. If it only needs read access to your calendar, don’t grant write access. You can always expand later.

Step 3: Build the Automation in Plain Language

Here’s where Claude Cowork shines. You don’t need to write Python or JavaScript. You describe the workflow in plain English, and it translates that into actions.

For example, you might say: “When a new row appears in this Google Sheet, check if the email column is filled. If yes, send a Slack notification to the sales channel.” Claude Cowork handles the rest.

Start small. Automate one task. Test it. Then expand. Trying to build a massive workflow on day one is a recipe for frustration.

Testing Your Automation

Before you let it run wild, test with dummy data. Run the workflow manually. Watch where it breaks. Adjust the instructions. Repeat.

This iterative loop is normal. Even experienced developers don’t ship perfect automations on the first try.

Step 4: Deploy and Monitor Performance

Once your automation works in a test environment, it’s time to deploy. But deployment isn’t the finish line. It’s the starting line.

Monitor how the automation performs. Are there errors? Is it slower than expected? Are the outputs accurate? Claude Cowork provides logs and analytics. Use them.

Set up alerts for failures. If an automation silently breaks, you might not notice until it’s too late. A daily summary of what the agent did can save you a lot of headaches.

Step 5: Iterate Based on Real-World Feedback

Automations are never perfect out of the gate. Real-world data is messier than your test data. Customers have odd names. Emails bounce. APIs change.

Treat your automation like a living thing. Review its output weekly. Ask yourself: is it still saving time? Is it still accurate? If not, tweak the instructions.

This is where the human-friendly design of Claude Cowork pays off. You can adjust the workflow without rewriting code. Just edit the description and let the agent adapt.

Common Pitfalls to Avoid

Even with the best planning, things go wrong. Here’s what to watch out for:

• Over-automating too fast. You’ll lose track of what’s happening.
• Ignoring error logs. They’re there for a reason.
• Skipping permission reviews. Security isn’t a one-time thing.
• Not documenting your workflows. You’ll forget what you built in a month.

Keep a simple document that lists each automation, what it does, and when you last checked it. Future you will be grateful.

Is Claude Cowork Right for Your Business?

Not every business needs agentic AI. If you have five employees and a simple sales process, a basic CRM might be enough. But if you’re drowning in repetitive tasks—data entry, follow-ups, reporting—Claude Cowork can genuinely free up hours.

The key is to start with one high-value workflow. Pick something that’s painful and frequent. Automate that first. Then expand.

For more on how AI is reshaping social media and business workflows, check out our guide on AI social media automation. You might also want to read about choosing the right AI assistant for your team.

Claude Cowork isn’t magic. It’s a tool. But with the right approach, it can feel pretty close.