Founders

Founders

A space for founders

Ace pfp

readwise was the inspiration for the original @perl as an onchain bookmarking app. never say never, but i actually am very bearish on bookmarking as the core ingredient for an app in long run. what is bookmarked is often hoarded yet not accessed, making it challenging to build upon that insight since people are not coming back and spending time. that was why perl did not last

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Linda Xie pfp

One thing that stuck with me @zach said in a podcast he can improve on is recognition of team *progress* even if the outcome isn't excellence e.g. 2/10 -> 4/10 output is twice as good so celebrating progress helps morale but maintain trajectory & don't celebrate bad output

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Ace pfp

my pet peeve: people who publicly bet against someone’s dream as if they are making an important announcement. i used to do that a lot like an arrogant idiot, but got slapped back to my humble little place after trying and failing many times myself. that’s the thing. most people who are actually qualified don’t bet against other people’s creations because they get how hard it can get to cold start and grow an otherwise default-dead hatchling.

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Patrick Atwater | 🌱🚴3🌐 pfp

Patrick Atwater | 🌱🚴3🌐

Back when ARGO was just starting out, my cofounder made our founding team watch Devdutt Pattanaik’s East versus West: The Myths that Mystify over and over until it sank in. Not just once, not just twice. On repeat. Because if we were going to build something together-- I can from California and a guy from Hyderabad—we had to learn to approach this venture as equals, not as bearers of some invisible hierarchy. The talk is deceptively simple. Devdutt sketches two maps: the Western obsession with linear progress, binaries, and universal truth, and the Eastern tendency to embrace context, cycles, and many truths. He asks us to notice how much of our thinking is inherited mythology disguised as rationality. The West says: one right way. The East says: many ways. Both can inspire, both can blind. That stuck with me. (continued)

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Ace pfp

founders should have both- 1. grounded short term game plan: a wedge so specific and sharp that it is capable of cutting through the noise into people’s mind and carving out the room for it. a lean and mean mvp is much more dangerous than a fluffy grandiose mega app as 1.0 2. a north star: the end state that ignites every cell in your body. the abstract yet grandiose destination of the product. this determines the direction of each iteration so that each pivot doesn’t feel like a headless chicken running around. this is the anchor. i am naturally incline heavier towards #2, but in the past years, i have trained myself to improve my taste for #1. now i am curious, nervous, yet excited to unleash myself onto something i truly want to see exist in this world.

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JC pfp

@jonathancolton

What a16z Overlooks About Crypto BD — And Why Distribution Is Hard The recent a16z article on business development touches on tokens, on-chain distribution, and governance. While important, real BD is about distribution. Distribution isn’t a department you add later. It starts on day one. Innovators Come First Your first BD isn’t with exchanges or DAOs, but with innovators—the 2.5% who validate your product publicly. Winning them isn’t theoretical; it’s practical. Distribution and Product Are Inseparable BD must be designed into the product: • Base exemplifies this, with Jesse traveling worldwide to onboard developers and builders, ensuring distribution from the ground up. • Farcaster has built specific features like Frames evolving into mini-apps, and integrated wallets for seamless transactions, creating a high-signal environment for builders. Tokens Are Multipliers, Not Engines Tokens amplify traction; they don’t create it. Prove value first, then use tokens wisely. Think in Flywheels, Not Deals Partnerships should drive loops: • Users bring liquidity. • Liquidity attracts integrations. • Integrations bring more users. Distribution-First Founders Will Win Crypto BD is challenging, but those who integrate distribution from day one—distribution-first founders—will win. In the end, it’s not about tokens and announcements. It’s about distribution.

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Ace pfp

i usually just put a temporary name on the app to move on, but it’s surprising how that first stab ages like fine wine and becomes the final name. if anything you can come back and change the name post pmf, but seeing how names like chatgpt can fly, it doesn’t seem to matter that much. there are way more pressing shit to spend time on when sparking life into a new app which are 99.99% default dead, so don’t be that guru who spends months wrestling with names and logos

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Kyle Tut pfp

Distribution.com is only $1.15 million. Lesson in there

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David @SGV pfp

Meeting founders is humbling and requires grace - they answer (almost) any question you have, and asses any of your judgements (as crazy as they might be) Eternally grateful for founders

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Ace pfp

i really dislike the act of working out, but love the feeling after. proof of discipline 7 days a week. it is a daily check in with myself.

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Kazi pfp

woke up and chose to unlock enterprise value

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a16zcrypto pfp

Hiring for BD in crypto is different than web2. Tokens, governance, and permissionless ecosystems change the game. This requires a slightly different approach to hiring. If you're hiring for BD or growth in crypto, check this out: https://a16zcrypto.com/posts/article/how-to-hire-business-development-growth/

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Ace pfp

that “willingness to persist through countless failures without losing that fire” is the single most important trait of any dreamer.

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Ayush Garg pfp

good learnings shared by @gtm here https://x.com/taydotfun/status/1960782196442370180

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Kazi pfp

gm public traded company ceo wants materials sent, let’s get it. might have to bite the bullet and get soc2 now.

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