In 2013, we built an email app with a small team. 18 months later, Microsoft bought it for $200M. But after we signed the deal, they made one simple request that changed everything. Here's the untold story of how we built (and sold) our startup:

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Don’t build another AI tool. Build the thing people can’t switch away from. That’s not hype. That’s survival.

What if AI could build your infrastructure? (IaC) IBM’s Code Assistant is changing how DevOps gets done. @MoorInsStrat’s @JasonTAndersen breaks it down with @IBM’s @KayaGangesan at TechXchange. 🧠

Distribution eats features. The best product doesn’t always win. The one with reach and repeat use does. Shipping isn’t the same as surviving.

Workflow depth beats shiny UX. Surface-level tools are easy to clone. Deep integrations create friction. Friction creates stickiness.

Real differentiation starts with data. Unique inputs. Proprietary outcomes. Something no one else can replicate.

Switching costs are near zero. Export. Import. Replace. Takes minutes. Loyalty doesn’t exist in a copy-paste world.

Write, summarize, brainstorm, post. Every app promises the same thing. None feel different. And users know it.

Open any app store today. It’s a sea of AI wrappers around GPT. Thousands of tools. Eighty percent overlap in features.

Most AI products are the same. That’s why almost none will matter. Everyone’s shipping. Few are sticking.

The best founders don’t chase trends. They build systems. Get weekly plays from real operators inside Founder Mode — free. https://t.co/b7xtIv79xS

You don’t even have to be a believer in AI. Your customers already do. On Founder Mode with @Max (Instacart) and @aofstad (Airtable): → Instacart’s $20K grocery stunt that changed everything → Why Airtable started with no backend → How AI-native teams are outpacing

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The founders winning the next decade won't be the loudest. They'll be the ones who simplified what matters. Built systems that compound. And moved faster because they cut everything else.

Real leverage isn't loud. It's precise. Turn conversations into content systems Bootstrap with discipline, build in parallel Voice AI for defensibility Personal stories → universal principles Right people > vanity metrics

One talk → 10 key connections. One post → the right investor notices. One DM → your next co-founder. Depth beats reach. Every single time.

Vanity metrics are seductive. Likes, followers, impressions — they feel good. But they're not the point. The real wins don't show up on dashboards.

Share real experiences. Remove identifying details. Turn your story into a principle others can apply. Readers should see themselves, not read your diary. That's how you build connection, not just attention.

The best content is personal but risky. Too raw? Feels unpolished. Too safe? Forgettable. The line between authentic and oversharing is thin. But that's where the magic lives.