Best of Founder Mode I

EPISODE 24

A special “best of” highlight reel from our first 20 episodes: we reframe luck as reps and compounding, warn founders about burnout’s hidden interest, and show how AI can supercharge solo building without replacing your voice. We dig into making clear asks and saying “no” to protect focus, why empathy is the real product moat, and how durable edges come from hardware + proprietary data and real-world feedback. You’ll hear scrappy GTM plays (like sub-50 sq ft kiosks and Kickstarter’s customer collision), safety-first execution from nuclear to drones, pre-LLM agents, the 80/20 (AI/human) rule for content, and why creators should monetize ownership—not just virality.

CHAPTERS

00:00 – Luck is manufactured, not given

04:30 – Anxiety as fuel, not a flaw

08:15 – Empathy as the ultimate moat

13:20 – Hacking permits to scale retail

17:45 – The 80/20 rule for AI & creators

LINKS

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