Anglo American halts funding to Seattle-based First Mode 

Ask the Expert: We’re launching a new advice column, featuring different experts from the Pacific Northwest tech community, answering questions about an array of topics. It’s inspired by common questions from tech workers and entrepreneurs.

• Our expert this week is Nikesh Parekh, a longtime Seattle tech executive and entrepreneur who is a general manager at Microsoft leading teams building enterprise applications for the Microsoft Copilot and Power Platform. Read his advice.

• ​​We’ll be taking reader submissions, so email your questions to tips@geekwire.com, and we’ll do our best to get them answered.

Smartsheet’s revenue rose 17% to $286.9 million in its third quarter as the Bellevue, Wash.-based enterprise software giant prepares to go private. Read more. 

Here’s a PC name for a snowplow in a tech town: Residents of the city of Redmond — home to Microsoft — chose “Ctrl + Salt + Delete” as the moniker for one new plow. Read more. 

Hot Links:

• OpenAI is considering axing a provision that shuts out Microsoft from its advanced technology when it achieves “artificial general intelligence.” (Financial Times; TechCrunch)

• Microsoft has ended production of the $4,500 Surface Studio 2+ desktop PC aimed at creatives and commercial customers. (Windows Central)

• Seattle's Chris McCarty, who founded an advocacy effort for kids exploited on social media, was named a "30 Under 30" by Forbes. (Forbes)

• Sen. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) introduced bipartisan legislation aimed at promoting U.S. leadership in the race for quantum computing technology. (Cantwell office)

• A 15-year-old Oak Harbor, Wash., girl died in a car crash this week while making DoorDash deliveries late at night, using her mother’s account. (KIRO 7)