News•Nov 8, 2025
How Startups Can Lure Good Talent Fairly without Big Tech Bank Accounts
Startups can attract top talent despite being unable to match big‑tech salaries by adopting generous, fair, and flexible equity‑centric compensation frameworks, as discussed by founders and investors at TechCrunch Disrupt 2025. Pulley’s CEO Yin Wu advocates offering equity in the 90th percentile and using role‑based pay ranges that apply globally, while 645 Ventures’ talent head Randi Jakubowitz stresses clear performance goals and vesting cliffs to protect equity value. Legal counsel Rebecca Lee Whiting warns that standardized packages also reduce the risk of pay‑equity violations. The panel emphasized that compensation models need not be fixed at launch but should be built on transparent, equitable foundations that can evolve as the company scales.
By TechCrunch Venture Feed
Social•Nov 8, 2025
AI Chatbots Loved, Yet Doomer Billionaires Fuel Fear
If judged based on consumer adoption, AI chatbots are the most popular technology ever. If judged based on poll numbers, they are the least popular. How to explain this? A big part of it is the Doomer Industrial Complex —...
By David Sacks
Social•Nov 8, 2025
Send Investor Updates: Leverage Trust, Drive Growth
Founders, for the love of God; send investor updates. 1. Leverage them for help with customer intros, hires and fundraises. 2. Use them to create excitement and conversation about you in market. 3. Because these people have trusted you and...
By Harry Stebbings
News•Nov 7, 2025
Vinod Khosla on Softening the Blow From AGI, and Other Future Bets
In a live TechCrunch Disrupt 2025 interview, Vinod Khosla argued that AI will turn every profession into a startup opportunity and warned that Fortune 500 extinction rates could triple by 2035. He advocated building AI workers rather than mere tools, urging...
By TechCrunch Venture Feed
Social•Nov 8, 2025
Bootstrapped SaaS Grew via SEO, Sold for Right Price
Christopher Lier built LeadGen App as an internal tool. Turned it into a SaaS, grew it with SEO, and never raised a dollar. When he sold on @acquiredotcom, he knew what his startup was worth and waited for the right buyer...
By Andrew Gazdecki
Social•Nov 8, 2025
Tactical AI Agent Playbooks at SaaStr AI London
We're two weeks out from SaaStr AI London (December 1-2), and I wanted to break down the must-attend sessions if you're serious about deploying AI agents in your B2B company. Not the theoretical stuff. The tactical, in-the-trenches playbooks from companies...
By Jason Lemkin
News•Nov 7, 2025
MiSalud Health Pulls In New Funding
MiSalud Health announced a new investment round led by IGNIA, with participation from Redwood Ventures, Amplifica Capital, existing backers Ulu Ventures and Magnify Ventures, and client Taylor Farms; earlier rounds included Lowercase Capital and Samsung Ventures. The bilingual AI‑powered platform delivers...
By VC News Daily
Social•Nov 8, 2025
Non‑obsessed Founders Are Just Underpaid, Under‑insured Employees
Startup founders who aren't irrationally obsessed with their startup are just rationally employed people with worse health insurance and lower pay.
By Niko Bonatsos
Social•Nov 8, 2025
Serverless API Turns Real-Time Streams Into Simple Storage
https://t.co/wJCDi1KWOl (@s2_streamstore) is the serverless API for unlimited, durable, real-time streams. Streams are now a dead-simple cloud storage primitive. Congrats on the launch, @shikhrr, @sgbalogh0, and @quettabitxyz! https://t.co/2JXcYtSXvb https://t.co/xQoRfmprtG
By YCombinator
News•Nov 7, 2025
SoftBank Is Back, and the AI Hype Cycle Is Eating Itself
SoftBank and OpenAI have formed a 50‑50 joint venture called Crystal Intelligence to market enterprise AI solutions in Japan, marking SoftBank’s first direct partnership with the OpenAI ecosystem. While the deal appears to be a straightforward expansion, analysts on TechCrunch’s...
By TechCrunch Venture Feed
Social•Nov 8, 2025
Roelof Botha Celebrates 23 Years Shaping Founders
Congrats @roelofbotha on an incredible 23 years at Sequoia! You’ve helped shape a generation of founders and investors. None of the scoops or noise can take away from what you’ve achieved and the legacy you leave behind.
By Anu Hariharan
Social•Nov 8, 2025
From 9‑5 Frustration to Building Desired Products with YC
Before YC, @therishic was working a regular 9–5, frustrated by how slow things moved and fighting to build anything new. Now, as co-founder of Kastle (YC S24), he’s able to finally build products that people really want. https://t.co/gNl84ElBrq https://t.co/p3nNZhky1p
By YCombinator
Blog•Nov 7, 2025
The only AI Prompt Guide You Need for Idea Validation & Competitor Research. | Why VCs Pull Back From China...
The episode breaks down three major trends: AI deal activity is slowing in volume but concentrating in massive mega‑rounds, while VC and PE bonuses stay flat and secondaries see double‑digit bonus growth; venture capital is sharply retreating from China’s AI...
By Sahil S
Social•Nov 8, 2025
SaaStr AI VC Matchmaking Delivers 183 Intros in Two Weeks
The new SaaStr AI VC Matchmaking tool has already made 183 VC intros in its first 2 weeks Try it here -> https://t.co/ZbU9L2c0td https://t.co/HXWF2pE3Gx
By Jason Lemkin
Blog•Nov 7, 2025
If You Ever Think "Should I Fire This Person?" Even Once ... Well, Then It's Time
In this episode, Jason Lemkin argues that the moment a leader questions whether to fire an employee, the answer should be an immediate, compassionate termination. He explains how gut instincts synthesize performance data, and why retaining "pretty good" or mediocre...
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Nov 8, 2025
Two Portfolio Wins: Nasdaq IPO and Time Cover
One @fiftyyears portfolio company IPOed on NASDAQ the same day another appeared on the cover of Time. Pinch me.
By Seth Bannon
Social•Nov 7, 2025
Hire Like a Salesperson: Sell Your Startup First
Most founders think hiring is about interviewing. But it's actually about selling. For Startup School, @juicebox_work co-founder & CEO @davepaffenholz joins YC's @harjtaggar to share how early-stage founders can find, pitch, and close top engineering and sales talent— from crafting better...
By YCombinator
Social•Nov 7, 2025
YC's New Era: Younger, Elite‑Educated, Bay‑Centric Founders
Startup culture feels very different these last few years. This analysis of the 'new' Y Combinator under @garrytan's leadership highlights shifts: • YC founders are younger, averaging ~26 years old • More graduated from a top 20 university, now more than 50% • Massive...
By Ryan Hoover
Podcast•Nov 7, 2025•1h 9m
20Sales: Why You Need a CRO Pre-Product | Why Remote Sales Teams Do Not Work | How Snowflake Built a...
In this episode, host Harry Stebbings and sales veteran Chad Peets explore why SaaS startups should appoint a Chief Revenue Officer before product launch, argue that fully remote sales teams often fail without strong structure, and dissect how Snowflake engineered...
By The Twenty Minute VC (20VC)
Social•Nov 7, 2025
Secure AI Funding Now or Fall Behind
"If you haven't captured any AI budget for your start-up yet, your team failed. They had all of 2025 You had to grow faster due to AI in 2025. Twilio, Mongo, Snowflake, startups like WorkOS and RevenueCat all did. The budget was...
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Nov 7, 2025
Great Products Need Distribution, Not Just Brilliance
Technical founders who build amazing products but can't get distribution are like master chefs with Michelin recipes cooking at their mom's kitchen.
By Niko Bonatsos
Social•Nov 7, 2025
VCs Demand 100x IPO: Absurd, Reckless Expectations
VCs explaining why a portfolio company needs to IPO at 100x revenue is like teaching your kid to swim by throwing them off a yacht!
By Niko Bonatsos
Social•Nov 7, 2025
AI‑Powered Open‑Source Tool Simulates Customers in Minutes
🦜@ExpectedParrot is an open-source framework for simulating your customers with AI agents. Test pricing, refine messaging, and explore product feedback and decisions in minutes, not weeks. https://t.co/f6JKZvUd8l Congrats on the launch, @johnjhorton and Robin! https://t.co/BI2C8HF9FO
By YCombinator
Social•Nov 7, 2025
YC's Impact: Our Success Began There
Back to YC — without which we’d never be where we are today https://t.co/8BQ8ijpA4a
By Mathilde Collin
Social•Nov 7, 2025
AI Capex Distinguishes Valuation of Hardware vs Digital Firms
I get asked a lot if we are in an AI bubble. My answer generally is it does not matter to my investment strategy. But here is one place that the AI CAPEX buildout matters: valuation. You cannot value companies that...
By Michael Eisenberg
Social•Nov 7, 2025
Founder Growth Accelerates Through YC Community Collaboration
For @priyak_9 and her company @withnixo, the key to growing fast was being part of a community of founders solving tough problems together. She found that sense of momentum and shared purpose at YC. And so can you. https://t.co/gNl84El3BS https://t.co/FeQisg32Pu
By YCombinator
Social•Nov 7, 2025
Seeking Ideal 2026 Founder & Investor Event Locations
We are ramping up our founder and investor events in 2026. Where should we host them?
By Elizabeth Yin
Social•Nov 7, 2025
YC-Backed Startup Reinvents $6.5T US Trust Administration
Sava (@savatrust) is building an Agentic Trust Company to modernize how $6.5T in U.S. trusts are administered. Driven by how painful it was to set up trusts for his family after selling his S12 company, @nimit is back at YC to...
By YCombinator
Social•Nov 6, 2025
AI Associates Automate Legal Workflow, Freeing Lawyers' Focus
Lexi (@getlexi_io) is building AI Associates for law firms and legal teams—handling the full spectrum of legal work from intake to delivery so lawyers can focus on what really matters. https://t.co/6rM6Vh0ycO
By YCombinator
Social•Nov 7, 2025
Hummingbird's First Biotech Deal Nets $800M Stake
Let me just get this straight: Hummingbird owned 16% of BillionToOne at IPO. That is an $800M stake. This was their first ever biotech deal. These guys just play another game!!
By Harry Stebbings
Social•Nov 7, 2025
Top Seed Investor Bill Offers Incredible Job Opportunity
Bill is one of the best seed investors in the business. Incredible job opp for someone:
By Jack Altman
Social•Nov 6, 2025
AI Cuts Referral Time 82% and Boosts Appointments
Saffron Health (@saffronhealthco) uses AI agents to automate specialist referrals for primary care, cutting referral time by 82%, finding appointments 55% sooner, and reducing kickbacks by 44%. https://t.co/oFQ6BDBwO0 Congrats on the launch, @moonriseTK & @MichaelMotorcy9! https://t.co/xjxkZ3JlDT
By YCombinator
Social•Nov 7, 2025
Breadth Beats “Spray and Pray” At Seed Stage
Breadth matters at seed. “Spray and pray” is a lazy pejorative and LPs who insist on spreading that toxic meme will destroy the firms they invest in and and their own returns.
By Garry Tan
Social•Nov 7, 2025
Success Lies in Building Ecosystems, Not Dominating Markets
"Venture capital, the success of Silicon Valley, and much of today’s technological progress, was built on an infinite game: Recognising the opportunity to develop an ecosystem, rather than simply dominating what little existed."
By Shripriya Mahesh
Social•Nov 6, 2025
Amera Cuts Claims Admin Costs 20‑30% via Automation
Amera automates claims processing workflows for health insurance payers. It cuts admin costs by 20-30%, turns hours of manual work into minutes, and helps members access more affordable, transparent care. https://t.co/xhDCotk94Z Congrats on the launch, @deepkkapur & @LouiseTanski!
By YCombinator
Social•Nov 7, 2025
AvallonAI Secures $4.6M to Automate Insurance Claims
Congrats to @AvallonAI on their $4.6M seed! They're building AI agents that automate insurance claims operations—handling intake calls, document processing, and case tracking. Helping TPAs and carriers tackle the industry's critical staffing shortage. https://t.co/wyH8WQDRLY https://t.co/UomzYV8uI3
By YCombinator
Social•Nov 7, 2025
AI Associates Turn Weeks of PE Work Into Minutes
Zarna (@zarna_ai) is building private equity’s first AI associate class. These agents turn weeks of investment work into minutes, so firms close better deals faster. https://t.co/IaIx9jB1N4
By YCombinator
Social•Nov 6, 2025
Skip Finishing Schools, Build Real Value and Relationships
Someone at the SF Standard is going to write a story about how I told people not to go to Slow Ventures Finishing School. FWIW I really like a bunch of the people who work there, and I have no...
By Garry Tan
Social•Nov 6, 2025
Product Hunt Celebrates 12 Years Empowering Indie Makers
Today is Product Hunt's 12-year anniversary. It started with a tweet and has become a global launchpad for founders and makers. Pretty cool to see so many now-household names—Notion, Deel, Loom, Ramp, Figma—launch their v1s on the platform. But we've always tried to...
By Ryan Hoover
Social•Nov 6, 2025
Migrate only for Concrete Needs, Not Trendy Buzzwords
Ouch. If this is your list of reasons for doing something, don't do it. "Why we migrated: - New investor wanted 'cloud-native' - Engineers wanted K8s experience - Competitors were using it - Seemed like the future"
By Paul Graham
Social•Nov 6, 2025
AI Agents Automate Market Due Diligence for Top PE Funds
DiligenceSquared (@DiligenceSqrd) is automating market due diligence for investment decisions, deploying AI agents that conduct expert interviews and synthesize insights. They're already working with some of the world's largest PE funds. https://t.co/J4rb0mdmqV
By YCombinator
Social•Nov 6, 2025
Biotech Nasdaq IPO Promises Massive Early‑investor Returns
juicy biotech nasdaq ipo today! huge returns for early investors https://t.co/EppHjO3egc
By Nathan Benaich
Social•Nov 6, 2025
Introducing Cerebral Valley’s Heavyweights with Index Ventures
Meet the Cerebral Valley Heavy Weights with @IndexVentures https://t.co/MfyhKCjKam
By Eric Newcomer
Social•Nov 7, 2025
Brutal Honesty Beats Politeness
So true. I get dinged for the latter all the time. Since 2004 the @khoslaventures website has proclaimed “we prefer brutal honesty to hypocritical politeness”. Proud to be a big investor in @PimDeWitte’s two ventures: general intuition and highlight.
By Vinod Khosla
Social•Nov 6, 2025
Investing to Accelerate Technology's Deflationary Impact
Technology is deflationary in a good way and @usv we are investing in driving down cost!
By Albert Wenger
Social•Nov 7, 2025
Jaw‑dropping Founder Demos Spark My Curiosity
Occasionally I meet a founder with a demo that makes my jaw drop. Wish I could share what I just saw. Side note: If you're a founder with a truly jaw-dropping demo, DM me. :)
By Ryan Hoover
Social•Nov 6, 2025
Planbase Secures $2.1M to Automate Clinic Scheduling with AI
Planbase raised $2.1M to build the AI platform for healthcare ops—where admins can just type “build next week’s schedule” and it happens. Real-time, generative operations for clinics. https://t.co/6pDmxoGuwr
By YCombinator
Social•Nov 6, 2025
AI Agents Already Outpace Average Humans—Start Monetizing Now
New!! @rodriscoll @HarryStebbings + me on 20VC: 1/ "AI Agents really are already better than mediocre humans. So you better be tapping into that revenue as a startup. You better be getting some of that revenue by now, by late...
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Nov 6, 2025
Cash Burn: No Escape for Founders
New on SaaStr!! "You Can Hide From a Lot of Things as a Founder. Cash Burn Isn’t One of Them." https://t.co/GzWBxOnn2k https://t.co/KFM0DeUeuo
By Jason Lemkin
Social•Nov 7, 2025
Sequoia Shakeup and OpenAI Missteps Highlight Industry Turmoil
Meaty Friday piece on Sequoia Capital's leadership shakeup, OpenAI's executive communications fumbles, and much more https://t.co/Lbioa0Q8SP
By Eric Newcomer