TLDR FOUNDERS 2025-11-10

scalable global growth.

THE AI TALENT WAR: AI ACQUISITIONS

AI companies are aggressively acquiring startups to secure top talent and technology. Over $10 billion was spent on 365 M&A deals in early 2025. Major players like Google and Microsoft use acquihires to gain specialized expertise and proprietary technology rapidly. This strategy, driven by intense talent competition and regulatory uncertainty, helps companies expedite AI development and maintain a competitive edge.

SATYA NADELLA'S ANNUAL LETTER: THINKING IN DECADES, EXECUTING IN QUARTERS

Microsoft, 50 years since its founding, reported a record revenue year led by significant AI transformation impacting all tech stack layers. The company emphasizes AI-driven productivity in fields like healthcare, banking, and retail, alongside major investments in cloud infrastructure, security, and quantum computing. Key efforts include launching 400+ AI-enabled datacenters, expanding AI Copilots with 100 million monthly active users, and committing $4 billion to AI education initiatives, while aiming for sustainability with increased renewable energy and water efficiency goals.

HOW TO HELP YOUR HEAD OF MARKETING WIN EARLY

When a new Head of Marketing joins, everyone rushes in with ideas - new deck, new brand, new campaign - and nothing tied to pipeline gets finished. Slow the chaos early. Align on two or three measurable goals for the first 90 days, make them public, and be explicit about what marketing isn't touching yet. Then help them deliver something visible that earns trust - refresh the homepage, fix demo follow-ups, or launch one targeted campaign that actually brings in leads.

WHAT MAKES A ROUND EASY

Every round falls into one of two buckets. Either you're an attention spike - the kind of team, traction, or market that investors chase on instinct - or you're an explainer, where belief builds through conversation and time. This post breaks down how to tell which you are and why it matters.

YOUR ROADMAP IS A PROTOTYPE FOR YOUR STRATEGY

Product roadmaps should be treated as prototypes, focusing on adaptability and learning, rather than rigid delivery contracts. A flexible roadmap, like the Now-Next-Later model, encourages teams to test assumptions, iterate based on feedback, and keep strategies aligned with changing environments. By emphasizing the process over the end product, roadmapping builds resilience and ensures strategies remain relevant and effective.

SUBIMAGE

Open-core alternative to Wiz.

REEVO

AI-native revenue operating system that integrates marketing, sales, and customer success into a unified platform.

BEACON

Beacon acquires essential software businesses and accelerates their growth.

FOUNDER IDEOLOGY

Every founder builds from a different place. Some are missionaries who believe deeply in a mission, others are mercenaries who love the chase. There are performers too - the rebels who bend the rules and the ones who fake it until it breaks. People move between these types as they grow, fail, or win. What matters most isn't which one you start as, but who you're becoming while you build.

ANGEL INVESTORS, A FIELD GUIDE

Cap space is limited, and signalling matters a lot in VC funding. Your network can go a long way in helping you signal. Choose your angels well so they can help you a lot. This guide walks readers through how to bring on angel investors. It will require a lot of luck, but it's possible to learn how to create your own luck.

PETER THIEL: CAPITALISM ISN'T WORKING FOR YOUNG PEOPLE

In 2020, Peter Thiel wrote an email predicting that younger generations would start losing faith in capitalism.

BELONGING

Founders love to say they don't care what anyone thinks, but they still want to be invited to the right group chat.

“THE API IS THE PRODUCT” IS A LIE

Everyone loves the “API-as-a-product” idea.

HOW TO MAKE YOUR INVESTORS FALL IN LOVE WITH YOU