Founder Mode - 6 Nov 2025

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Hi there,

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

Thanks for reading, and let’s dive in!

🔥 Top Finds

This Founder Works 11-Hour Days — and Still Makes Time for Family and Fitness
Workstream CEO Desmond Lim shares how he balances running a fast-growing startup with family, fitness, and focus. His approach? Find your own rhythm instead of copying someone else’s hustle routine. A reminder that high performance comes from consistency.

Apple Nears $1 Billion-a-Year Deal to Use Google AI for Siri
Apple is reportedly close to paying Google $1 billion annually to power the next generation of Siri with Gemini AI. It’s a major shift toward AI integration at scale, and a sign that even Apple is willing to partner with rivals when the tech stakes are high. Can’t wait for a smarter Siri.

Google Plans Orbital AI Data Centers
Project Suncatcher is Google’s latest moonshot - literally. The company plans to build AI data centers in orbit using satellite arrays powered by sunlight and TPU chips. The goal: achieve near-limitless compute powered entirely by renewable energy in low-Earth orbit.

Wholeness as a Strategy: Jason Fried on Building Great Products
Basecamp founder Jason Fried shares that great products emerge from wholeness. When makers build for themselves, stay grounded in craft, and care about feel as much as function. AI speeds up prototyping, but it can’t replace product judgment or the human touch.

OpenAI and Amazon’s $38 Billion Compute Deal
OpenAI just inked a $38 billion, seven-year deal with Amazon Web Services to power ChatGPT and its future models. The agreement gives OpenAI access to millions of CPUs and hundreds of thousands of Nvidia GPUs, marking a massive shift toward a multi-cloud future and away from Microsoft exclusivity.

Take Weird Ideas Seriously
The weird ideas that seem impractical or fringe often end up driving real innovation. Most won’t work—but exploring them expands creative thinking, sharpens instincts, and helps us avoid building safe, mediocre things. Embrace curiosity; it’s the starting point for breakthroughs.

🎯 Startup Opportunities

🚀 Go Beyond Borders — Join the China Scale-Up Program 2025

Apply for a unique Scale-Up Programme in China this November 2025, designed to accelerate your business growth by connecting you directly with key government authorities, local partners, and potential clients in two major Chinese cities: Chongqing and Suzhou — some of China’s fastest-rising innovation hubs. If you’re keen on scaling into China, this is for you.


Programme

📒 Online prep and pre-matching: 7 - 14 Nov 2025
🗓 Programme dates: 25 Nov – 1 Dec 2025
📍 Cities: Chongqing → Suzhou
🎯 Focus sectors: Agritech | Advanced Manufacturing | New Materials | AI | Biopharma | New Retail | VC & Fund Management

This programme offers:

• Online discussions and preliminary business matching with local government authorities and companies.

• Full-day business conferences and workshops in Zhengzhou, Chongqing, and Suzhou.

• Networking and one-on-one business matching sessions with 200+ vetted local enterprises.

• Exclusive access to local government officials and industry leaders to deepen market insights and possible partnerships.

• Site visits, inspections, and cultural tours to maximise your understanding and connections within the Chinese market.

👉 Limited seats for high-potential startups and growth-stage founders looking to explore the Chinese market.

More Startup Opportunities

🛠 Tool of the Week

Todoist

Todoist is my personal inbox command center. It is the one app that keeps my work, projects, and ideas from spiraling into chaos. I use it to capture everything the moment it comes to mind, from quick errands to long-term goals. Its natural-language input (“send pitch deck tomorrow 9am”) and AI-assisted task sorting make it effortless to stay organized. Many founders and creators swear by Todoist because it’s flexible enough for both structured planning and spontaneous note-taking.

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💬 Founder Mode Quotes

🙂 Fun Mode

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