Founder Mode - 1 Oct 2025

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200+ AI Side Hustles to Start Right Now

From prompt engineering to AI apps, there are countless ways to profit from AI now. Our guide reveals 200+ actionable AI business models, from no-code solutions to advanced applications. Learn how people are earning $500-$10,000 monthly with tools that didn't exist last year. Sign up for The Hustle to get the guide and daily insights.

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Hi there,

Welcome back to Founder Mode, every week I’ll keep you updated on the top finds and opportunities for startups, so that you save time and stay in the know.

We’re on our last quarter of the year. If your new year resolution didn’t pan out, you still have time to close the gap. Better yet, get a head start on next year’s goals, that’s what I will be doing :)

Let’s go 🚀

🔥 Top Finds

OpenAI Launches Sora App and Sora 2 Model
OpenAI is rolling out Sora 2 alongside a new consumer app, a TikTok-like short video platform powered by its generative video model. It’s a huge move that positions OpenAI not just as an AI provider, but also as a consumer platform competing directly in social media. It’s not for me but if people want to watch AI generated content, please be my guest, just don’t use it as a babysitter for the kids.

B2B Marketing in 2026: Distribution Is the Monopoly
Content may be king, but distribution is the empire. This forecast argues that in the next wave of B2B marketing, the winners will be the companies that control the hardest channels to access, reshaping how startups think about growth in a crowded AI-driven content world.

The Death of the Corporate Job
Corporate careers aren’t what they used to be. This essay traces how layoffs, automation, and shifting worker values are hollowing out the once-stable path of “climbing the ladder,” and what it means for the next generation of ambitious talent.

AI-Generated Workslop Is Destroying Productivity
Harvard Business Review warns that poorly managed AI output low-quality “workslop”, is clogging workflows and undermining productivity. The takeaway: leaders need to set standards, review rigorously, and prevent AI from becoming a liability. I’ve seen this first hand, if people are not held accountable to their actions of passing of AI generate slop as work, it quickly goes downhill from there.

Southeast Asia’s VC Funding Landscape
AsiaTech Review dives into how Southeast Asia’s venture funding environment is shifting. With fewer mega-deals and more selective capital, founders need to sharpen their pitches and adjust expectations as the ecosystem matures.

Logitech’s Signature Solar K980 Keyboard
I am a big Logitech fan and this made my day. Logitech just unveiled the Signature Solar K980, a wireless keyboard that charges via ambient light. Designed to eliminate battery swaps and USB cables, it’s a glimpse into the future of keyboards.

🎯 Startup Opportunities

🛠 Tool of the Week

Rocket
Fresh of $15m funding, Rocket claims to turn your idea into a production-ready web or mobile app in minutes. Describe what you want and it generates clean, exportable code with backend, integrations, authentication, and deployment all set up. You get a real app you can launch and scale, not just a prototype.

💬 Founder Mode Quotes

🙂 Fun Mode

👋  Want to share something or partner?

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- Ray