Nabla Bio Secures Seed Funding Directly at Conference
Some companies raise a seed round. Nabla Bio had one built at a conference. https://t.co/1xmbmuqA8p
Real-World Business Lessons Schools Skip, Says Dave Berkus
#TimTalk - What they actually don’t teach you in business school with Dave Berkus https://t.co/8rmij4kvqK
Skip Empathy Theater; Investors Should Give Blunt, Actionable Advice
Was just reminded of this classic video this week. Many VCs specialize in empathy theater. Nodding along. Telling founders what they want to hear. I’m more of a “hey… there’s a nail in your head” investor -- and then I...
Live at 11 AM EST: Bitcoin Founders Showcase Batch 3
Batch 3 already. We continue to invest in the brightest founders building the future of the Bitcoin ecosystem. Join us live at 11 AM EST to see what these amazing teams have been working on @lxdev_ @OpenAgents @helios_finance @Resolvr_io @CharmsDev @PyrusFinancial
Know Your Starting Point to Accelerate Success
At 25, I was broke, working a job I hated, and had zero idea what to build. These 4 questions could've cut a decade off my journey. 1. Where are you actually starting from? Not where you want to be. Where you...
First‑time Founders Spread Too Thin, Miss Traction
Most first-time founders go wide too early. They set up ads, post on social, maybe do some cold outreach - and then wonder why nothing is sticking.
AI Can Code, but Not Choose the Right Product
AI can help you write code, draft cold emails, and generate blog posts. But there's one of the core four SaaS skills where AI falls flat: Product. Knowing what to build, what not to build, and how to listen to...
Earn Access, Don't Expect Time—Deepen Real Relationships
No one owes you their time. Emails, DMs and social media has made many access points. If someone ghosts you then you didn’t EARN their access yet. You aren’t as close as you thought Founders get this from VCs. VCs from LPs. People...
10 Startups That Stood Out to PreSeed Readers
10 startups creating a buzz over the past 12 months: Which startups we’ve covered made the biggest impression on PreSeed Now readers? I got out my calculator to find out…
Scaling Advisory Firms: People, Leadership, Equity Strategies
[Latest #FASuccess Episode] What does it take to scale an advisory firm from a small practice into a true enterprise? Today's episode offers a look at what really happens as firms grow into multi-billion-dollar businesses, including hiring strategies, building leadership...
Building the World's Top Writing School, Learning Fast
We're on a mission to build the world's best writing education business Learning a ton of lessons as we go:
Nothing's Hype Fell Short of Founder's Expectations
Carl Pei left a billion dollar company searching for a blank slate. He called it Nothing, a promise of simplicity in a crowded market. The idea caught fire, and the hype was real. But the story that followed was nothing like...
Target Underserved Niches: Pain Drives Early Traction
Don't just find a niche. Find an underserved niche. A niche is a segment. An underserved niche is a segment with a real problem and no adequate solution. The biggest predictor of early traction isn't product quality. It's the acuteness of the...
If You Can't Talk to Customers, AI Won’t Help
I won’t become the business Claude AI influencer - because if yall can’t figure out how to talk to your customers, no AI can save you, your idea, or the product you built over the weekend
Tortugas Neuroscience Launches to Develop Brain Disorder Drugs
Tortugas Neuroscience launches with hopes to develop drugs for brain disorders, other conditions https://t.co/zoM69VEQtV via @ADeAngelis_bio
Master One Channel Before Diversifying Distribution
Don't try to diversify distribution on Day 1. Start with one channel. Solve it. Systemize it. Automate it. When it can keep running on its own, move to the next one.
Turn Notes Into Fully Built Apps Instantly
🚨 How many million-dollar ideas are rotting in your Apple Notes? Traditional app building takes months of briefs, quotes, and waiting. By the time it launches, your excitement is gone. I just tried @ArchitectByLyzr and it changes everything. I typed out an idea...
First Customers Arise From Targeted Conversations, Not Mass Outreach
First customers almost never come from broad distribution. They come from very specific conversations with very specific people who have the exact problem you solve right now.
Your Biggest Growth Driver: Retain, Don't Ignore Existing Customers
Most businesses lose their best customers before they ever know they had them. Not to a competitor. Not to price. To indifference. Acquiring a new customer costs 5–7x more than retaining one. Your best growth lever isn't a new audience. It's the customers...
Success Comes From What’s Outside Your Business Plan
I've started several companies. Of them, we sold 2 and merged 1 into another successful company. None gave me a life changing exit. But each set the stage for what came next, and I'm thankful. These words by @JesseItzle are worth...
27 Physical AI Startups Secure $50M+ Funding, Hiring
list of 27 physical AI startups which raised > $50M in Q1 2026 , all likely hiring. Credit: Ivan Landabaso's "Startup Riders" website.
Texas Couple Sparked Birth of Iconic Luxury Safari
How a Texas Couple Helped Launch One of the World's Most Iconic Luxury Safari Companies - PaperCity Magazine https://t.co/Wd4HiTIchd @Geoffrey_Kent @AKTravel_
Drones Replace Vans for Sparse‑Population Delivery
Did you know 99% of the US has fewer than 500 people per square mile, yet we're still delivering to all of it with a van… A Roman technology. Here’s how Etienne Louvet, CEO of Iona, is fixing this with...
Due Diligence Tests a Founder’s Recruiting, Leadership, and Vision
Due diligence is so much about testing a founders abilities. Can they recruit? Do people follow them? Will they figure it out when everything breaks? Are they visionary?
Upcoming Founder & Investor Events: Pitch, AI, Networking
New week, new event roundup. Hope to see you at an upcoming event: ⚾ April 27: Batter Up! San Francisco 🤖 May 5: How to Build an AI-Native Company Vibe Camp Workshop with Lawrence Coburn, CEO & Co-Founder, Ambient 🌲 May 11–13: Camp...
Startup Hype Eclipses Real Product and Cash Reality
Overheard in NYC “we can’t just vibe code this product we have to build a real saas platform [pounds the table]” “we just need to get on calls and we’ll have fucking sales pouring in through the windows” “we could just keep doing...
Alex Cooper's Media Empire Faces Unexpected Growing Pains
Great reporting from @ashleyrcarman on media darling Alex Cooper and her struggles to build a media business.
Keep a Live ICP Markdown File Updated Regularly
If you’re building a business and using Claude I highly recommend creating a living ICP MD file - add to it every couple weeks and refine it. Narrow is good, detail is gooder.
More Startups, Fewer Staff, Jobs Demand Founder Mindset
1. We will have 10x the number of startups 2. .... with 50% less employees each 3. ... which means a LOT more jobs 4. ... but those jobs require a founder/startup mindset, which most folks simply don't have
Launch Early, Learn What to Actually Build
This is true of startups too. You launch to learn what you should have built.
From Agency Employee to 85K‑Subscriber Entrepreneur
Seeing my name + my publication I own on a conference badge will always be cool. I never planned for this to be my life—I was perfectly happy being an agency guy. Now I’m years into owning a newsletter with 85,000...
Zero‑budget Podcast Thrives without Corporate Sponsors
If anyone wants to spend an absurd amount of cash sponsoring a podcast with uniformed technology takes, look no further than @NIApodcast We have been recording for five years (263 episodes) for $0 (our only monetization to date is one in...
Stopping Routine Projects Sparks Unprecedented Rapid Innovation
Today is Innovation Week Demo Day at Boom Last week we stopped all regularly scheduled projects and everyone worked in small teams to build whatever they thought most important. The result is unhinged. I’ve never seen this pace of good, important work....
Effective Advisory Conversations, Not Gut Instincts, Drive Founder Success
There's a narrative that keeps going around lately that I find both understandable and a little dangerous: "I listened to my VCs and advisors, they were wrong, I did it my way, it worked — so ignore everyone. Go with...
Prevent Corporate Decay: Fireside Chat on Incorruptible
Eric Ries and I are doing a fireside chat about his new book Incorruptible on April 29. Incorruptible is about keeping companies from rotting. I've written about Give First. Same fight, different fronts. https://t.co/VfrCGzZNUV https://t.co/ZsnZ4IldvH
Bootstrapped Freepik Turns AI Threat Into $1B Success
2020: Freepik bootstrapped to €250M. 2 years later: AI nearly killed them. Here's how they made a $1B comeback 👇 Three co-founders already had exits under their belt when they started Freepik in 2010. Joaquín Cuenca (Loquo to eBay ,...
Stop Scrolling—Use Endless Tools to Build Your Empire
Hold on a second… - You can click buttons and make money from a computer - You have infinite intelligence at your fingertips for 20 dollars a month - You can put your feet in the grass and stare at the sun every...
Series A Success Depends on Metrics, Not Narrative
Raising a Series A? Your metrics matter more than your story. Here are the key SaaS metrics investors actually care about 👇 https://t.co/ImAd3fx5j5 #SaaS #Startups https://t.co/RVFImcoHQM
Candidate Ideas so Good You’d Hire Them Anyway
ICYMI: Fresh new article dropped: I look for a specific post-interview feeling: “I want to implement half of their ideas even if we don’t hire them.” It’s a feeling, but it’s also a real signal. Both because they have ideas, and those ideas are...
Start Easy, Build Hard: Speed Wins in Today’s Market
Easiest time in history to start a company. Hardest time to build one. The founders who make it know something others don't — and they're paranoid enough to assume that advantage is temporary. They don't just build moats. They also build speed. @bradporter_...
Trust Your Instincts, Boldly Defy the Crowd
Take all the guidance and insights with a grain of salt. Only YOU know what is right for your business. Often times the boldness to do your own thing and not listen to the crowd is where the real magic...
Apply Now: A16z Speedrun Offers $1M Funding & $5M Credits
ok - dropping big dates/news for a16z speedrun: - starting TODAY, founders can apply for the 2026 program that runs July 27 to Oct 11 in SF here's the link: https://t.co/opkX4cIaCF - we will be investing up to $1M and funding 70+ companies...
Inside the $3.25B Eli Lilly Acquisition: Memo and Deck
Read the memo and slide deck that led to th creation of the company Eli Lilly bought for $3.25 billion today https://t.co/cNoTs7M4YM
Deep‑tech Founders Shift to Physical World for Lasting Impact
The venture industry spent a decade perfecting SaaS. Meanwhile, the physical world: automotive, manufacturing, construction, logistics, just sat there. Trillions of dollars. Barely touched by software, just waiting. @Bznotes didn't wait. In Episode 3 of Deployed, he breaks down why the...
Early-Stage Startups: 10 VCs Offering $250K+ Funding
Entrepreneurs: If you’re EARLY, here are some VCs that can give $250K+💰 - 1752vc - Right Side Capital Management - WestWave Capital - FirstMile Ventures - Motivate Venture Capital - Cortado Ventures - NuFund Venture Group - Everywhere Ventures - Boost VC - Grand Ventures Check sizes, sector focus, and...
Simple Systems to Scale Female Founders to $1M
For those of you who are new here, hi, I’m Amy 👋 I help female founders grow predictable revenue from $150K to their first million without burning out. If scaling feels inconsistent or exhausting, you’re in the right place. I’m all about...
Founders Need Rest to Unlock 10X Ideas
I think it is really important to rest. Top athletes, top musicians - they all rest and that is what allows them to stay at peak performance.  But in founderland, we do the exact opposite. Pure adrenaline can keep you...
Investing in MTS: Real-Time Multi‑Angle News on X
Thrilled to announce our investment in MTS. Beginning today, MTS will be monitoring the situation across technology, business, politics, and culture, interviewing the main characters of the moment all day long on X. We’re seeding it alongside other angel investors such as...
Every Rejection Brings You Closer to Funding
Don’t be discouraged by rejections. Every 'no' brings you closer to a 'yes'. Learn from feedback and refine your pitch, using each interaction as a stepping stone toward securing the right investment.
From $125k Loan to $12B Franchise Empire
Jersey Mike’s founder Peter Cancro sold majority of sub chain to Blackstone for $8B in 2024. In 2025, Wingstop's former CEO took top job and has filed to go public. Details on Cancro skipping college and turning $125k loan into...