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- Founder Mode - 14 May 2025
Founder Mode - 14 May 2025
We look for opportunities so that you don't have to.
StartupX Admin
July 02, 2025 • Estimated Reading Time: 4 minutes
Hi there,
Welcome to Founder Mode, the newsletter that keeps you updated on the top finds and opportunities, so that to save time and stay in the know.
Let’s go 🚀
🔥 Top Finds
The Great Differentiation
Packy McCormick makes the argument that the internet has flattened taste so completely that the only way left to stand out is to do things copycats literally can’t copy.
The Next Great Distribution Shift
Growth guru Brian Balfour says the AI wave has torched yesterday’s playbooks (SEO is cratering, social reach is throttled), yet no new highway has replaced them yet. Founders who integrate early can grab outsized reach, but only if they simultaneously build their own moat so they don’t end up as roadkill.
Microsoft's AI Bets, Hyperscaling, Quantum Computing
In this fireside at AI Startup School on June 17, Satya shares how Microsoft is thinking, from the infrastructure needed to train frontier models, to the social permission required to use that compute. He draws parallels to the early PC and internet eras, exciting times ahead.
🎯 Startup Opportunities
Real Madrid Next Accelerator 2 For startups tackling performance tech, e-health, fan engagement, AV content.
| SLINGSHOT 2025
| Smart Port Challenge 2025 PIER71 is scouting startups that can slash fuel, digitise docks, or electrify shipping lanes
|
🛠 Tool of the Week
AI native CRM for the next generation of teams
Powerful, flexible, and intuitive to use, Attio is the CRM for the next-generation of teams.
Sync your email and calendar, and Attio instantly builds your CRM—enriching every company, contact, and interaction with actionable insights in seconds.
Join fast growing teams like Flatfile, Replicate, Modal, and more.
💬 Founder Mode Quotes
“There’s nothing wrong with staying small. You can do big things with a small team.” — Jason Fried, 37signals founder
🙂 Fun Mode
On the left is Ronaldo, Real Madrid spent 80M $ to sign him from Man United
On the right is Jiahui Yu, Meta paid 100M $ to sign him from OpenAI
— 🦋/acc @ 🌲🎗️ (@selini0)
2:45 AM • Jun 30, 2025
Got a tip, cool tool, or collab idea? Hit reply and drop it in my inbox. Your note can be as quick as a meme or as deep as a pitch deck. Either way, I read every email.
If this newsletter sparked an “aha,” pass it along to another builder who should be in Founder Mode. Sharing is free and motivates me to help bring you the best finds every week.
- Ray
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