Turn a Layoff Into Revenge: Build Missed Opportunities
My playbook for if you’ve been laid off: TAKE YOUR REVENGE. Look at your previous employer. What opportunities did they screw up? Which ones weren’t they taking? What could they have done better? Make 3 different products, see which ones succeed, and double down.
DeepSeek Secures $7B Funding at $50B Valuation
DeepSeek is raising $7B at $50B valuation. Here is a rare English-language interview with one of the startup’s co-founders following a previous tech exit in the AI space. https://t.co/scR3D4ohM5
10 Unique Competitive Advantages Every Startup Needs
Starting a business without a competitive advantage is foolish. Here are 10 unique advantages you can lean on.
Most Can't Start or Buy a Business—Consider Building First
Most people aren’t qualified to start a business, let alone buy one. Here’s a few thoughts on building vs buying: https://t.co/Hkvg9F5kOG
We’ve Launched the Most AI‑discovered Longevity Drugs
This is cool. Not sure why you need so much money if you are making drugs faster and cheaper. But it is great - maybe I should be thinking about raising more to scale. At the end of the day,...
Conductor Raises $22M, Launches Cloud Agents for Nonstop Coding
Conductor (@conductor_build) is a Mac app that lets you run multiple coding agents at the same time. Create an isolated copy of your codebase in one click, tell Claude or Codex to go work, and review and merge the results. The...
Build Services Around Your Strengths, Not Just Client Demands
When I launched my biz, I didn’t want retainers so I rolled out vip days and project work. Then I noticed that my services were stronger when I could also advise on day to day roadblocks, so I added consulting...
Early-Stage Fundraising Rarely Requires NDAs
What no one tells you about fundraising: NDAs are not standard for early stage raises.
Hire a Lawyer Early, Avoid 10x Later Costs
I've worked on deals with a combined value of $1 billion+ and represented 100s of startups through incorporation, fundraising, scaling, and exit. And I can confidently say the founders who hire a lawyer at the wrong stage almost always pay 10x...
Target High‑value, Paying Customers, Not Every Segment
Founders: Don't try to boil the ocean with pricing segments. You're not optimizing pricing for every possible customer - you're looking for the ones who: 1) Have the problem badly 2) Can pay to fix it 3) Will get clear value from your solution
Staying in Comfort Is Risk
4 years ago I had a well-paid sexy job in Dubai, a stable salary, and a career most people would have kept. I quit. I had no product. No revenue. No investors. Just a belief that supply chain professionals deserved better learning...
Crunchbase Predicted $200M Blitzy Raise Six Months Early
Crunchbase predicted Blitzy would raise with 91% confidence — six months before they announced a $200M raise at a $1.4B valuation. 👏 That's predictive intelligence in action. See what's coming next. 🔮 https://t.co/xE2a8NYE3c https://t.co/kqd0cpERuE
Bootstrapping Empowers Teams to Accelerate Careers Rapidly
Bootstrapping at scale = your team living however they want. My COO reminded me of that. We hired her for $10 an hour to fix a billing issue. 1. She'd been out of the labor force for 8 years. 2. She...
Even Seasoned E‑commerce Pros Underestimate Dropshipping Complexity
Most of you probably don’t know this story. Before I started PDS lab (now dissolved and transitioned to Theanna) I had two drop shipping companies. I bro’d out so hard in this community to learn everrrrything about it. I’ve built...
Turn First Buyers Into Loyal Advocates Through Trust
Customer acquisition is just the beginning. Building long-term relationships is key to sustainable growth. Focus on creating value and trust to turn first-time buyers into loyal advocates.
One Developer, AI Agents Replace Whole Teams
We're entering a new era of software where a single person, working with AI agents, can build products that previously required entire teams. In this episode of the @LightconePod, they break down the rise of AI coding agents, "tokenmaxxing", and the...
Focus on Skills, Not Endless Opportunity Content
A tip for younger entrepreneurs, don't spend a lot of time consuming "opportunity content" - how to get rich, business ideas and so on Pick a business idea that sounds interesting & valuable and then consume skills-based info to help you...
Tame Churn First, Then Chase 100% NRR
First get your cancellation rate under control (at least for your ICPs), and then focus on creating NRR ≥ 100%. Here’s the full story, with a real-world example, of why this is the correct order of operations, and how to measure...
Founders Reveal
You’re a founder - what is the most underrated tool you use? No Anthropic answers allowed. It’s also not underrated.
From 5‑cent Tonic to $40 Billion Empire
On this day in 1886 the inventor of Coca Cola sold his first glass of the cocaine infused “brain tonic” meant to cure headaches and addiction at a pharmacy in Atlanta. His name was Dr. John Pemberton. - He sold a glass...
Stunning Cohort Success Yet Feeling Detached After Airbnb Exit
My three cohorts this year have had stunning results: - 98% customer satisfaction - 6 billion tokens burnt - 18% of students have already seen a career change (reaching this milestone in 3 months is wild) - 3 different startups funded - ~300 unique capstone...
Magnetic Fluid Cuts 93% Microplastics, Startup Scales
From school project to startup 🌊🔬 In 2019, Fionn Ferreira invented a magnetic fluid that removes 93% of microplastics from water 💡 Now he's scaling his innovation through Fionn & Co. to tackle global wastewater. Science that sticks. Literally. 🧲 🖼️ InterestingEngineering #Microplastics #ClimateTech...
Boom Backed by Billionaires to Revive Supersonic Flight
Boom is proud to be backed by a number of billionaires. Without their investment, humanity would have no shot at flying supersonic again.
Ugly, Regulated Markets Hide High‑margin Opportunities
Boring industries with bad software. Fragmented markets with no dominant player. Regulated spaces where incumbents are protected by compliance costs, not by being good. Competitive intensity is inversely correlated with margins. The ugly opportunity might be the best one in the...
New Marketplace Simplifies Plastic Procurement and Trading
if anyone owns a plastics factory, pls DM so i can connect you to Bailey he traded millions of tons of plastics and is now building a marketplace to make procurement, trading, credit and freight less painful by moving the...
Fix the Leak: Build From Ten Loyal Customers
Awareness-first marketing is built for companies that already have product-market fit. When you push volume into a leaky funnel, you don't fix the leak — you spend more to compensate. Find ten customers. Understand exactly why they chose you. Build outward...
Give Early Equity to Build Ownership and Strong Teams
Great Teams Are Built With Ownership. One of the biggest mistakes founders make early on? Being too protective about equity. In the beginning, equity is worth very little financially but it means everything culturally. #StartupFounders #StartupCulture #Equity #Entrepreneurship https://t.co/YT1X0FO0vS
Investors Ignore the Threat of Google Entering Markets
Whoop investors forgot to ask the most important question “What happens if Google decides to enter your market?l 😄
True Building in Public Means Honesty, Not Hype
I’m so naive I thought “building in public” meant honestly sharing the ups and downs, so others can commiserate and encourage and celebrate and even give feedback. As opposed to posturing, going for “viral” posts, and sometimes just lying. Again, naive, I...
Korea, US, Canada, Estonia Lead Early-Stage Entrepreneurship
Total early-stage entrepreneurial activity by developed market. Korea / US / Canada / Estonia perform well. https://t.co/SWilej1pRQ
Selling Equity to VCs Isn’t a Sustainable Business Model
back in the day, one of the highest flying consumer startups in london tech was asked: "what's your biz model?" the ceo answered: "selling equity to VCs" ...seems like he was early...
Crowdsource Hated Apps, Build Better Indie Clones
Idea: Business owners should crowdsource a list of Most Hated Software and then indiehackers should pick thru and make new clones of them are just "simple" - rewind 10 years of enshittification on them. I hate (and use): - dropbox - gusto - zoom -...
Ex-A16z Investor Launches Compute Startup
new pod just dropped with Anjney Midha, ex-a16z investor who is building a new compute co. and teaching a class at Stanford that’s being called “AI Coachella” https://access.show/
Build a Fast‑growing Company by Meeting Real Demand
Sure you can earn a billion dollars. I've been teaching people how to do it for 20 years. The way you do it is to start a company that grows fast. You don't have to do anything bad to make...
Kodiak Robotics Secures $100M to Scale Driverless Trucks
Physical AI has moved from "if" to "how quickly" and @KodiakRobotics is hitting that next gear. With a $100 million capital raise, 28 driverless trucks already in our customer's hands, and new developments across the long haul, defense and industrial verticals,...
Kalshi Co‑Founder Tarek Mansour to Speak at Startup School 2026
Tarek Mansour is speaking at Startup School 2026! @mansourtarek_ co-founded @Kalshi (W19) and built the first federally regulated prediction market in the U.S. after years of fighting regulators to make it happen. Today, Kalshi represents over 90% of US prediction market volume. https://t.co/xVr1OXFRLY
Target Natural Pricing Thresholds to Secure Early Sales
Founders: In early sales, look for natural pricing thresholds: - Under $100/mo for individual card swipes - Under $5k for team manager discretionary budget - Under $15k for department head approval Make it easy to say yes within existing constraints.
Turn Claims Into Proof: Show 3x Leads Results
Founders: Know your proof points cold. 'We're better' is a claim. 'We deliver 3x more qualified leads' is an argument. 'Here are 5 customers seeing 3x more leads' is proof.
Bezos‑backed Slate Loses His Board Representative
New from @sokane1 - we were the first to report that Jeff Bezos had backed Slate (a year ago). Now there's a change-up on the board of the EV startup. Bezos' rep has left the board. https://t.co/UG5uA83iXC
FlexSuperApp's Rare Product-Market Fit Sparks God‑Candle Growth
It's been wild to witness @FlexSuperApp's growth. It's not really a hockey stick, more like a God candle. Real product-market fit is rare in startups, but it's a heck of a thing when you get to see it.
From Pitch to Launch: Reddit Gets MyMobileMenu in One Month
Reddit was pitched MyMobileMenu. We got online in about a month with a primitive version. @alexisohanian #AtlassianTeam26 https://t.co/7CLe6kTFzQ
Spotting Outlier Talent Early Fuels 10x Success
New @ThePeelPod with @apartovi We talk spotting outlier talent early, how he first got @neo off the ground, investing in Cursor and Kalshi's seed rounds, Neo's multiple 10x funds, and why computer science is the best business education. Thanks to @numeral, @flexsuperapp,...
Speed and Energy Drive Startup Success
Mike Santullo and Larry Drebes are two of my favorite entrepreneurs ever. Every time I came to a board meeting, Mike and Larry would have a new software product or feature to demo. The energy in their company was palpable. They cold-called...
Reformat Proven Products, Unlock Billion‑Dollar Valuations
Chad Janis just sold his gummy company Gruns to Unilever for $1.2B. His thesis is taking a tried and true concept, and packaging it in a new format. Example: Greens powder works, but it's a frothy mess on your countertop. So Chad turned...
Standout Restores Signal in AI-Driven Hiring
Standout (@standoutwork) is the agentic hiring marketplace AI has turned hiring into spam. Standout turns it back into signal. Talent and companies get an agent, that makes intros when it matters. Congrats on the launch, @alexisaftalion & @saas7w! https://t.co/ILmp4fD4Ia https://t.co/nvHTXMx0KN
Why Only Some Enterprises Can Scale AI Successfully
Most enterprise companies are experimenting with AI, but few have figured out how to scale it. Crunchbase’s @GeneTeare + Harsha Kapre, Head of @Snowflake Ventures, break down what separates the ones pulling ahead. 📅 Wednesday, May 13 | 2pm ET Register. 🔗:...
Start with a Job, Then Bet on Yourself
As the kid who knew he wanted to work for himself one day (I got fired from every job I had in high school), I still: 1. Went to college 2. Got a full time job 3. Then started my own companies I’ll always...
AI Agents Automate Consulting, Deliver Rapid AI Roadmaps
Foaster (@Foaster_ai) is building AI agents to replace consulting firms. They map how your company works, build your AI roadmap in days, and continuously guide adoption, upskilling, and execution. Congrats on the launch, @RaphaelDabadie and @alexcmbs17! https://t.co/NuMN5Ztn5J https://t.co/vommiCN61H
Turn Services Into Software to Build the Next $1T Company
The next $1T company: services as software. Sequoia, a16z, YC all talk about it. But nobody is talking about how to do it. Here’s how:
Trust Your Network, Not Your Pitch, to Raise Fast
Your network matters more than any pitch. Capital raising starts with trust, not tactics. Built-in audiences already trust your judgment. Doctors invest with doctors. Dentists invest with dentists. Relationships shorten the fundraising curve dramatically. That’s why some raise fast, right out the gate. 🎥 Watch the...