For years, the playbook for launching a tech startup was predictable: raise capital, hire software engineers, build a minimum viable product (MVP) and just get out there. However, according to StartupWA’s latest AI & Startup Sector Report, released last week, that playbook has been officially shredded. After the initial AI rush of 2024-25 in Silicon Valley and beyond, there is now an expectation of fundamentals first. For WA, an ecosystem sometimes self-conscious about lagging the global tech hubs of Silicon Valley or Beijing, the report offered an unexpected silver lining. • Charlie Gunningham has spent 25 years in WA’s startup sector, is on the WA government’s Innovation Advisory Board, and is chair of Startup WA