Special episode, live from Beverly Hills, California from the SPECs launch event. What would you want to build on the most fashionable AR smart glasses, yet?

At the SPECS launch events in Beverly Hills in September, I connected with fashion influencers, press, professors, and of course the creators and developers making apps for these glasses. Awesome Future was invited to the launch, and after Evan Spiegel's presentation, I took my recording gear around the party to ask what this moment means to the people celebrating it.

**Editor’s note: These were live conversations from packed events, so the audio quality varies a little. Watch the full episode on YouTube for the full, captioned experience.

This special episode of The Tech Glow Up brings you into those conversations while we're between seasons. I asked everyone the same five questions and grouped their answers together, so you can hear how people with different experiences approach the same new device. AR, or augmented reality, puts digital content into your view of the world around you. These guests are figuring out how to make that useful, enjoyable, and something people choose to wear.

Episode Key Moment Highlights

• [00:03:21] Who are you and what do you do?
• [00:05:07] What do you want to build for these new wearables?
• [00:09:47] What caught your attention the most today?
• [00:14:28] Was there anything you wanted to hear more of that you didn't hear enough of?
• [00:18:36] What is holding back the industry the most?
• [00:25:52] Fill in the blank: Spatial creators are...

You'll hear a kitchen app that puts instructions around the room, ideas for shared experiences at events, and what it takes to help someone try a different way of using a computer.

I'm excited to share the people behind those ideas and the experiences they want to make possible.

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Watch the full episode with captions on YouTube → https://youtu.be/jdEclV35vG8

Join the Tech Glow Up newsletter on Substack → https://substack.com/@mxnathanc

A "glow up" signifies a positive transformation, reflecting the journey of becoming a better, more successful version of oneself.

At The Tech Glow Up, we humanize the startup and innovation landscape by focusing on the essential aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. Groundbreaking ideas are often ahead of their time, making resilience and perseverance vital for founders and product leaders.

In our podcast, we engage with innovators to discuss their transformative ideas, the challenges they face, and how they create value for future success.

If you're a founder or product leader seeking your own glow up, or a seasoned entrepreneur with stories to share, we invite you to join our guest list via this link.

Mental health shapes how a founder builds, decides, and leads, and most of us only talk about it when something has gone wrong. This special episode of The Tech Glow Up is a peek at what I'm up to while the show is on its season break: emceeing the first annual World Mental Health Day gathering in Portland, Oregon, hosted by Joyely at the Upstart Collective.

My own experience is the starting point. Paying attention to my body and my mental health, and to how the two support the work I'm trying to do, has been the biggest investment I've made in Awesome Future. Mental health is something you plan for and work to maintain, and it touches every other part of your life. This gathering gives Portland founders, civic leaders, and neighbors a place to talk about it together.

Join us on Friday, October 9, from 4:00 to 7:00 PM at the Upstart Collective, 111 SW 5th Ave in Portland. Food and drinks are provided, and community organizations will be tabling throughout the afternoon.

• Episode Key Moment Highlights:
• [00:00:00] Founder success and mental health, and why caring for both has been the biggest investment in my work.
• [00:01:20] Planning for mental health the way you plan for any other part of your business and your life.
• [00:02:27] The JQ Emotions Map from Joyely, a tool for understanding your emotions and how they show up in your body.
• [00:03:20] Mental health in the age of AI, with Dr. Ali Maaxa on what an always-on, hyper-productive coworker means for founders.
• [00:04:12] A panel with Portland civic leaders on mental health, startups, and the founder journey in this city.

Small change over time is transformation, and this gathering is a good place to start. I would love to see you there, and I hope you will bring a friend.

Register for World Mental Health Day → https://eventship.com/event/the-1st-annual-world-mental-health-day-hosted-by-joyely

Watch on YouTube →https://youtu.be/kcwona82GSQ

Join the Tech Glow Up newsletter on Substack → https://substack.com/@mxnathanc

A "glow up" signifies a positive transformation, reflecting the journey of becoming a better, more successful version of oneself.

At The Tech Glow Up, we humanize the startup and innovation landscape by focusing on the essential aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. Groundbreaking ideas are often ahead of their time, making resilience and perseverance vital for founders and product leaders.

In our podcast, we engage with innovators to discuss their transformative ideas, the challenges they face, and how they create value for future success.

If you're a founder or product leader seeking your own glow up, or a seasoned entrepreneur with stories to share, we invite you to join our guest list via this link.

This is a special episode of The Tech Glow Up from SPECS launch day. I'm at the Beverly Wilshire for the SPECS smart glasses media preview, sharing first thoughts on the day of the public launch — September 16th.

I want to be upfront: I haven't tried every demo. This is about 30 minutes in the glasses from media day, not the full reveal. But the thing that stood out most was something that was missing. There's no hard line between the display and the world.

The screen feels blended with the world, not a picture-in-picture overlay. That's what makes the whole SPECS wearable computer experience feel integrated and contextual — not like you're looking through a device.

The field of view is clean, content is bright and readable, and you can anchor it in place or let it follow you. Fast streaming, clear picture, even in a bright room.

• [00:00:25] Why SPECS exists: technology that makes you more present, not less
• [00:01:32] Enterprise partnerships announced: Salesforce, AWS, NVIDIA, Hololight
• [00:02:54] SPECS Intelligence — the AI layer across glasses, Mac, and iPhone
• [00:03:40] First-person: what it feels like to see through the SPECS
• [00:05:28] The weight question — why fit mattered more than heaviness
• [00:06:15] Multiplayer consumer AR: the moment we've never had before
• [00:09:54] Open questions: battery life, connectivity, and what developers build next

I noticed the fit before the weight. The enterprise announcements were significant — heads-up retail, AI-powered work instructions, 3D spatial workstation workflows. SPECS Intelligence is the piece I'm watching most carefully.

More than anything, I'm excited to see what designers and developers build for multiplayer consumer AR — apps that help people connect and be more present. We've never had a moment where there were enough high-powered devices to see what these interactions could be.

Watch on YouTube →

Join the Tech Glow Up newsletter on Substack → https://substack.com/@mxnathanc

A "glow up" signifies a positive transformation, reflecting the journey of becoming a better, more successful version of oneself.

At The Tech Glow Up, we humanize the startup and innovation landscape by focusing on the essential aspects of the entrepreneurial journey. Groundbreaking ideas are often ahead of their time, making resilience and perseverance vital for founders and product leaders.

In our podcast, we engage with innovators to discuss their transformative ideas, the challenges they face, and how they create value for future success.

If you're a founder or product leader seeking your own glow up, or a seasoned entrepreneur with stories to share, we invite you to join our guest list via this link.