Founder Weekly

Welcome to issue 654 of Founder Weekly. Let's get straight to the links this week.

General

Non-Obvious Signs of Early Startup Traction — And How to Spot Them

We gathered the most surprising anecdotes from seasoned founders about when things clicked into place.

The end of the 1 billion active user ad-supported consumer startup

And why highly-monetizing, useful, vertical apps might be the next thing.

Software with a Soul: AI’s Underestimated Frontier

The article introduces the concept of "Software with a Soul" (SwaS), a new paradigm in AI where the core value proposition is "humanness" - the ability to exhibit stochastic creativity, empathy, intuition, and emotional expression. It predicts that SwaS will open new markets by scaling up human-like interactions, potentially revolutionizing fields where human connection is scarce or valuable, such as therapy, coaching, and customer service.

Connecting Dots and Making Decisions: The Importance of Founder Mode

How I think about Founder Mode, why it's important and how it's NOT really about "hustle culture.

Marketing, Sales and PR

How to build a million dollar sales funnel using Facebook Ads

Jonathan Courtney shares insights on creating successful sales funnels, emphasizing the effectiveness of Facebook ads for the 40+ demographic and achieving high ROI. He discusses funnel basics, strategies like the book funnel, copywriting tips focused on status increase, and advises prioritizing overall company growth rather than obsessing over tracking every conversion source.

How YC-Backed Artisan Grew by $700K in ARR in Two Months

Artisan, a YC-backed startup founded in 2023, has grown by $700K in ARR over two months by pivoting from a self-serve model to a sales-led approach in the AI-powered sales automation space. The company, which aims to create AI employees that can automate entire job functions, has raised over $7.5M in seed funding and is generating 50+ leads per day through email outreach, organic search, and social media strategies.

From random to unified GTM in 30 days

How Parabola rapidly built and automated ABX from scratch.

Money and Finance

Startup Mortality Rates

The post discusses the fluctuating mortality rates of startups and how venture capital firms plan for this risk. It highlights that roughly one-third of investments yield good returns, one-third result in minor returns, and one-third are complete write-offs, illustrating the inherent risk in early-stage venture capital.

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