Profit is not what is left over. Profit is the plan.
Profit is not what is left over. Profit is the plan. Originally posted on X
If ChatGPT can replace what you built in three weeks, you did not build a business. You…
If ChatGPT can replace what you built in three weeks, you did not build a business. You built a feature….
A coach has frameworks. A mentor has scars. Know which one your problem needs.
A coach has frameworks. A mentor has scars. Know which one your problem needs. Originally posted on X
Don’t sell the AI shovel. Mine the gold yourself.
Don't sell the AI shovel. Mine the gold yourself. Originally posted on X
Margin is a choice you make at the start, not a thing you find at the end.
Margin is a choice you make at the start, not a thing you find at the end. Originally posted on…
You cannot scale what you keep changing. Freeze what works. Grow the volume, not the me…
You cannot scale what you keep changing. Freeze what works. Grow the volume, not the mechanics. Originally posted on X
The boring parts of your business are usually the ones quietly saving you money.
The boring parts of your business are usually the ones quietly saving you money. Originally posted on X
Build a real offer. Earn a real customer. No decks. No permission. Just the work.
Build a real offer. Earn a real customer. No decks. No permission. Just the work. Originally posted on X
Ninety days. That is all it takes to know if your startup is real.
Ninety days. That is all it takes to know if your startup is real. Yes, some businesses truly need years….
The fastest way to find out if your idea is real is to ask someone to pay for it. Every…
The fastest way to find out if your idea is real is to ask someone to pay for it. Everything…
A Foundery is for builders who jump first and learn to swim in 90 days.
A Foundery is for builders who jump first and learn to swim in 90 days. Originally posted on X
A Foundery is not an accelerator. Accelerators teach you to pitch. I teach you to land …
A Foundery is not an accelerator. Accelerators teach you to pitch. I teach you to land a paying customer in…
Stop chasing a unicorn that needs constant outside money. Build something that pays you…
Stop chasing a unicorn that needs constant outside money. Build something that pays you this year and still stands in…
A business built for an exit serves a buyer who may never come. A business built for pr…
A business built for an exit serves a buyer who may never come. A business built for profit serves a…
I am not looking for the most polished applicant. I am looking for the one who already …
I am not looking for the most polished applicant. I am looking for the one who already talked to a…
I spent 30 years learning this the hard way.
I spent 30 years learning this the hard way. A Foundery is the shortcut I never had. Originally posted on…
If you are waiting to feel ready, you will wait forever.
If you are waiting to feel ready, you will wait forever. Ready is what happens after you start. Originally posted…
The 90-day clock does not care how you feel. That is exactly why it works.
The 90-day clock does not care how you feel. That is exactly why it works.
Most programs hand you a network and a demo day.
Most programs hand you a network and a demo day. I hand you a deadline and a customer. Originally posted…
I did not know what an invoice was when I sent my first one.
I did not know what an invoice was when I sent my first one. You do not have to know…
Every company I built, I built before I felt ready.
Every company I built, I built before I felt ready. Ready is a feeling that arrives after you start, never…
You do not need a co-founder, a deck, or a round.
You do not need a co-founder, a deck, or a round. You need a real problem and 90 days. The…
I have never missed a payroll in 25 years.
I have never missed a payroll in 25 years. That is the one trophy I carry with real pride. Originally…
I have started from zero five times.
I have started from zero five times. It never gets easier. You just get less afraid of it. Originally posted…
India does not need more funded startups.
India does not need more funded startups. It needs more functional ones. Originally posted on X
Hyderabad gave me my hunger. Mumbai gave me courage to dream , Sydeny gave me showing up…
Hyderabad gave me my hunger. Mumbai gave me courage to dream , Sydeny gave me showing up every day,New York…
I never invest in the pitch. I invest in the person who already started without me.
I never invest in the pitch. I invest in the person who already started without me. Originally posted on X
Six years of uncertainty. Or ninety days of clarity.
Six years of uncertainty. Or ninety days of clarity. That is the only real choice a founder makes. Six years…
Growth hides every problem. The downturn introduces you to all of them at once.
Growth hides every problem. The downturn introduces you to all of them at once. Originally posted on X
Revenue you cannot explain is a luck, not a skill.
Revenue you cannot explain is a luck, not a skill. Originally posted on X
I do not bet on the smartest founder in the room.
I do not bet on the smartest founder in the room. I bet on the one still in the room…
Funding is an amplifier, not a badge.
Funding is an amplifier, not a badge. It makes a good business bigger and a bad one die faster. Originally…
Most startups are not built. They are assembled.
Most startups are not built. They are assembled. Decks, rounds, narratives, held together by the next fundraise. Originally posted on…
The richest builders I know in India are not on any funding list.
The richest builders I know in India are not on any funding list. They are too busy being profitable. Originally…
At 25 I cried for two weeks after losing everything.
At 25 I cried for two weeks after losing everything. Then I went back to work. The crying did not…
A founder with receipts answers in 30 seconds.
A founder with receipts answers in 30 seconds. A founder with only a deck needs 30 slides. Originally posted on…
Show me the bank transfer from client, not the projection.
Show me the bank transfer from client, not the projection. Originally posted on X
My pager beeped in the middle of a meeting at 1-800-FLOWERS.
My pager beeped in the middle of a meeting at 1-800-FLOWERS. I knew exactly what it was. Another order on…
I have made more than forty bets on founders.
I have made more than forty bets on founders. The ones who won could all describe their boring work in…
My first employee was a housewife with no experience.
My first employee was a housewife with no experience. She closed four placements in six weeks. 21 years later she…
I flew to Mexico. No language. No network.
I flew to Mexico. No language. No network. 90 days. I built a million dollar business anyway. You learn fast…
Fraudsters drained my entire inventory overnight.
Fraudsters drained my entire inventory overnight. Bank balance near zero. I rebuilt it by hand in three months. Two years…
The best hire I ever made had the worst resume in the pile.
The best hire I ever made had the worst resume in the pile. Talent is mostly hidden. Resumes only show…
Most founders confuse being needed with being valuable.
Most founders confuse being needed with being valuable. The first traps you. The second frees you. Originally posted on X
Cusotmer Churn: Loud churn you can fix.
Cusotmer Churn: Loud churn you can fix. Silent churn you never see coming. Originally posted on X
You do not need perfect conditions.
You do not need perfect conditions. You need a clock and the courage to start. Originally posted on X
Stop polishing the deck. Spend that week getting one more receipt.
Stop polishing the deck. Spend that week getting one more receipt. Originally posted on X
We celebrate the fund raise like it is the win.
We celebrate the fund raise like it is the win. It is not. It is borrowing the right to be…
Why Founders find co-founders instead of solo founder and his team
I want to admit something most founders never will. In my fourth startup, I called employees co-founders. Not because they…
The salary is nothing. What you learn in year one, you keep for life.
The salary is nothing. What you learn in year one, you keep for life. Originally posted on X
A partnership without a written agreement is a slow disaster waiting for a date.
A partnership without a written agreement is a slow disaster waiting for a date. Originally posted on X
I bought a finance company older than I was, in a market everyone called boring, and…
I bought a finance company older than I was, in a market everyone called boring, and 10x'd it. Boring is…
I grew up watching my father farm ..
I grew up watching my father farm .. one field his whole life. I have planted in five countries. Same…
The company that survives the downturn is the one built on receipts, not on a story.
The company that survives the downturn is the one built on receipts, not on a story. Originally posted on X
A 100-person call center becomes a 10-person team of problem solvers.
A 100-person call center becomes a 10-person team of problem solvers. AI did not end the jobs. It ended the…
AI will not take your job. It will expose whether your job was ever real work.
AI will not take your job. It will expose whether your job was ever real work. Originally posted on X
I never built a company in a field I knew. Calling cards. IT. Finance. Retail. Every ti…
I never built a company in a field I knew. Calling cards. IT. Finance. Retail. Every time I jumped first…
At 18 my first job paid 20 dollars a month. I have never earned a worse salary or a bet…
At 18 my first job paid 20 dollars a month. I have never earned a worse salary or a better…
At age 22, my pager beeped in the middle of meetings. Every beep was an order on my own…
At age 22, my pager beeped in the middle of meetings. Every beep was an order on my own site….
Old businesses are not dead. They are waiting for someone to run them properly.
Old businesses are not dead. They are waiting for someone to run them properly. Originally posted on X
At 20 I landed in Sydney with two cheap suits and no idea how to hold a fork. Today I b…
At 20 I landed in Sydney with two cheap suits and no idea how to hold a fork. Today I…
You do not have to look like you belong. You just have to keep showing up until the wor…
You do not have to look like you belong. You just have to keep showing up until the work makes…
You are not inspired to build. You are inspired by the headlines. Chase the problem, no…
You are not inspired to build. You are inspired by the headlines. Chase the problem, not the raise. Originally posted…
If your business never send notifications to you, you do not have a business yet. You h…
If your business never send notifications to you, you do not have a business yet. You have an idea. Originally…
A deck is a story about a company. A receipt is the company itself.
A deck is a story about a company. A receipt is the company itself. Originally posted on X
The customer who complains is not your problem. The one who went quiet already is.
The customer who complains is not your problem. The one who went quiet already is. Originally posted on X
Most business plans die in the planning.
Most business plans die in the planning. Not because the idea was wrong. Because the planning never ends. One more…
Most founders fire the wrong person first. The easy one goes. The real problem was alwa…
Most founders fire the wrong person first. The easy one goes. The real problem was always closer to home. Originally…
Raising is spending money to buy time. Bootstrapping is spending time to buy money. Sam…
Raising is spending money to buy time. Bootstrapping is spending time to buy money. Same currency. Different direction. Originally posted…
Bootstrapping is not the absence of capital. It is a different relationship with time.
Bootstrapping is not the absence of capital. It is a different relationship with time. Originally posted on X
A real co-founder would still be there if the company was worth one dollar tomorrow. Ev…
A real co-founder would still be there if the company was worth one dollar tomorrow. Everyone else is staff in…
AI did not replace the human. It replaced the crowd and kept the sharp few.
AI did not replace the human. It replaced the crowd and kept the sharp few. Originally posted on X
Venture capital returns will be negative for 2024-2026 vintages. The party ended. Math …
Venture capital returns will be negative for 2024-2026 vintages. The party ended. Math doesn't lie.
Paper money is valuation. Real money is cash in the bank.
Paper money is valuation. Real money is cash in the bank. Originally posted on X
Less for 22 year old
A 22-year-old was ready to turn down two job offers to start a company. I told him he was making…
Middle management extinct by 2027. AI spans too wide. You’re either C-suite or individu…
Middle management extinct by 2027. AI spans too wide. You're either C-suite or individual contributor. Originally posted on X
YC acceptance rate hits 0.5% by 2026. 200,000 applications, 1,000 admits. Harvard looks…
YC acceptance rate hits 0.5% by 2026. 200,000 applications, 1,000 admits. Harvard looks easy. Originally posted on X
The next $100B company will launch in 2027 with zero human employees. Pure AI from day …
The next $100B company will launch in 2027 with zero human employees. Pure AI from day one. Originally posted on…
By 2026, coding bootcamps will pivot to AI prompt engineering or shut down. GitHub Copi…
By 2026, coding bootcamps will pivot to AI prompt engineering or shut down. GitHub Copilot won. Originally posted on X
Every unicorn founded after 2024 will have fewer than 50 employees at $1B valuation. AI…
Every unicorn founded after 2024 will have fewer than 50 employees at $1B valuation. AI ate the org chart. Originally…
OpenAI will be worth more than Apple by 2027. The iPhone was cute. AGI is the real busi…
OpenAI will be worth more than Apple by 2027. The iPhone was cute. AGI is the real business. Originally posted…
Remote work is dead by 2026. Hybrid killed it. Companies demanding 4+ days in office wi…
Remote work is dead by 2026. Hybrid killed it. Companies demanding 4+ days in office will win the talent war….
Everyone says find co-founders with complementary skills. Here’s why that’s wrong. My b…
Everyone says find co-founders with complementary skills. Here's why that's wrong. My best companies were built with people exactly like…
Everyone says test everything before launch. Here’s why that’s wrong. Shipped our MVP i…
Everyone says test everything before launch. Here's why that's wrong. Shipped our MVP in 2 weeks with zero testing. Got…
Everyone says work-life balance is key. Here’s why that’s wrong. Built two exits workin…
Everyone says work-life balance is key. Here's why that's wrong. Built two exits working 80-hour weeks for 3 years each….
Everyone says customer feedback is gold. Here’s why that’s wrong. Customers told Henry …
Everyone says customer feedback is gold. Here's why that's wrong. Customers told Henry Ford they wanted faster horses. Sometimes you…
Everyone says raise as much as you can. Here’s why that’s wrong. Raised $50M, burned th…
Everyone says raise as much as you can. Here's why that's wrong. Raised $50M, burned through it in 18 months….
Everyone says pivot when things get hard. Here’s why that’s wrong. We almost quit our b…
Everyone says pivot when things get hard. Here's why that's wrong. We almost quit our biggest winner 6 times. The…
Everyone says follow your passion. Here’s why that’s wrong. I built three companies in …
Everyone says follow your passion. Here's why that's wrong. I built three companies in industries I knew nothing about. Passion…
Everyone says hire slow, fire fast. They’re right. I see founders rush 100+ hires all t…
Everyone says hire slow, fire fast. They're right. I see founders rush 100+ hires all the time. 70% gone within…
Everyone says you need product-market fit to raise money. Here’s why that’s actually tr…
Everyone says you need product-market fit to raise money. Here's why that's actually true. I've seen countless founders with "clear…
Your first 100 customers will hate your product. If they don’t, you’re not iterating fa…
Your first 100 customers will hate your product. If they don't, you're not iterating fast enough. Originally posted on X
3 lies founders tell themselves: 1. We just need more features 2. Marketing will fix ad…
3 lies founders tell themselves: 1. We just need more features 2. Marketing will fix adoption 3. Next quarter will…
92% of startups fail. 73% of those had the right idea but wrong execution timing. Timin…
92% of startups fail. 73% of those had the right idea but wrong execution timing. Timing beats talent. Originally posted…
Failed startup CEOs become the best operators. They’ve felt every mistake in their bones.
Failed startup CEOs become the best operators. They've felt every mistake in their bones. Originally posted on X
Before: 80-hour weeks, burned out team. After: 40-hour weeks, 3x revenue. Systems beat …
Before: 80-hour weeks, burned out team. After: 40-hour weeks, 3x revenue. Systems beat hustle. Originally posted on X
Myth: Product-market fit is binary. Reality: It’s a spectrum. You iterate toward it, ne…
Myth: Product-market fit is binary. Reality: It's a spectrum. You iterate toward it, never just find it. Originally posted on…
I’ve seen founders raise $50M by talking to customers for 6 months before writing a sin…
I've seen founders raise $50M by talking to customers for 6 months before writing a single line of code. Most…
Revenue solves everything except the problems revenue creates. Growth without systems i…
Revenue solves everything except the problems revenue creates. Growth without systems is chaos. Originally posted on X
Wrong. The best hires come from places you least expect. That junior dev who cold-DM’d…
Wrong. The best hires come from places you least expect. That junior dev who cold-DM'd you? Hired. The contractor who…