Founder Mode - 17 September 2025

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.

This week I can’t wait to try out GPT-5 Codex VSCode extension that was recently released.

Let’s go 🚀

🔥 Top Finds

How to Use AI Without Becoming Stupid
AI is great at accelerating work, but it can also deskill you if you let it. This post explores how to use AI as leverage without outsourcing your brain, a practical guide for staying sharp while getting the benefits of automation.

What 750M People Use ChatGPT For
OpenAI’s new 64-page study reveals the surprising ways people are actually using ChatGPT. The top categories? Writing help (28.1%), life advice (28.3%), and information lookup (21.3%). Programming sits at just 4.2%. For founders, this usage chart doubles as a map of billion-dollar opportunities in vertical AI.

The Most Sought-After Startups from YC Demo Day
YC’s Summer 2025 Demo Day featured 160+ startups — but a select few stood out to investors. From AI-driven dev tools to breakthrough biotech, this TechCrunch roundup highlights the companies everyone is talking about.

Knowledge Sprints: A Better Way to Learn
With the pace of change, learning is more important than ever. It is no longer possible for founders to just be specialist if they want to truly be able to connect all the dots. Introducing “knowledge sprints”, short, intense bursts of focused study designed to rapidly acquire skills. It’s less about hoarding information and more about applying what you learn immediately.

Humans Hired to Fix AI Slop
As AI tools pump out code, copy, and graphics at scale, a new kind of job is emerging: fixing the mess. From vibe code editors to graphics clean-up specialists, humans are stepping in where AI falls short. It’s a reminder that every wave of progress creates fresh opportunities in the gaps left behind.

🎯 Startup Opportunities

🛠 Tool of the Week

Gumloop
Gumloop is a no-code automation platform designed to let anyone automate complex workflows without writing code. You can drag & drop modular “nodes” (actions like web scraping, text extraction, AI reasoning, CRM updates, etc.) onto a canvas, connect them into “flows”, and trigger them either manually or via events. Pretty easy to learn and test out automations to improve your workflow and repetitive task.

This week’s newsletter is supported by Synthflow and Marpipe:

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💬 Founder Mode Quotes

🙂 Fun Mode

👋  Want to share something or partner?

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