- Foundevo Newsletter
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- š”Startup Valuation Strategies
š”Startup Valuation Strategies
šÆ AI Jobs Are Booming: What Startups Should Know
In This Edition:
š STARTUPāS STRATEGY
7 Startup Valuation Strategies Every Entrepreneur Should Master š§
š Valuing Your Startup: 7 Proven Methods to Know Your Worth š
Determining your startupās valuation can be tricky, especially in the early stages. Whether you're pre-revenue or scaling up, understanding how to assess your worth is essential for attracting investors and guiding your growth.
Here are 7 proven methods to help you get a clear picture of your startupās value, from comparing to competitors to assessing potential risks and expected ROI. These techniques will give you the insight you need to confidently navigate funding rounds and strategic decisions.
š Want to better understand your startupās value? Dive into these methods and discover how to use them for better decision-making and growth!
š PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS
Simplify E-Signatures & Invoicing with Agree.com
Seal the Deal and Get Paid. Instantly.
Tired of chasing payments and paying for every e-signature? Meet Agree, the all-in-one platform that combines contracts and payments into a single step. Get paid on time, every time, without the hassle. Choose from sleek templates or upload your own fully editable agreementsāno e-signature fees, ever. Whether youāre a founder, entrepreneur, or anyone looking to get ink dry fast, Agree simplifies it all so you can focus on what matters: closing deals and getting paid.
Streamline your agreements with Agree.com, the all-in-one platform for creating, managing, and signing contracts. From AI-powered revisions to secure e-signatures and automated invoicing, Agree.com makes contract management effortless.
š Key Features:
Collaborative Contracts: Track edits and milestones.
AI Assistance: Get plain-language summaries and instant answers to contract questions.
Integrated Payments: Sync with major accounting tools for faster collections.
š” Start for Free Today and experience smarter, more efficient workflows.
šAI JOB MARKET
š AI Jobs on the Rise: What Startups Need to Know
As LinkedIn's latest Jobs on the Rise report reveals, artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the workforce. Technical roles focused on AI top the list of fastest-growing jobs in the U.S., making it a pivotal trend for startups and tech professionals to watch.
The State of AI Jobs in 2024
LinkedIn analyzed millions of job transitions from January 2022 to July 2024, highlighting roles like:
1ļøā£ AI Engineer ā Leading the growth surge.
2ļøā£ AI Consultant ā Securing the No. 2 spot.
3ļøā£ Tech roles like bridge engineer (#18), nuclear engineer (#21), and I&C engineer (#24) also made the cut.
š Key Insight: Despite tech layoffs, demand for AI expertise remains robust, with a 59% increase in AI job postings this year. Hotspots include California, Washington, and Texas, where innovation meets opportunity.
š Why It Matters: AI expertise is driving innovation across industries. Donāt miss out on leveraging these trends for growth. š” Click Here to Know More.
š¹ GROWTH STRATEGY
What You Can Learn from Googleās First Investment and What It Means for Your Startup
What happens when an investor spots extraordinary potential before a company even exists? Andy Bechtolsheimās legendary $100K investment in "Google Inc."ālong before it was a household nameāshows us the power of bold, unconventional moves.
In the startup world, success isnāt always about detailed term sheets or lengthy negotiations. As Paul Grahamās investing philosophy suggests, itās about having unwavering confidence in the founder's vision. In fact, he often makes investments before even discussing valuation caps!
The returns from startup investing depend far more on which companies you fund than on how good the terms are. I often (probably more often than not) agree to invest in startups without asking what the valuation cap will be.
ā Paul Graham (@paulg)
8:20 PM ā¢ Jan 6, 2025
This story is a powerful reminder: in the fast-paced world of startups, trusting your instincts can unlock extraordinary opportunities.
How have bold, unconventional decisions shaped your own journey?
Dive into the full story and discover why unconventional investing can lead to extraordinary outcomes! š [Read the full story here]
š± AI RESOURCES
How YouTubeās Multilingual AI Is Redefining the Creator Economy
Creators, imagine your videos speaking directly to audiences across the globeāin their own languages. š
YouTube is rolling out an AI-powered auto-dubbing feature to thousands of channels in its Partner Program. This game-changer starts with knowledge and informational content, auto-translating and dubbing your English videos into French, German, Hindi, Spanish, and moreāand vice versa. š
While it's not perfect yet (think of it as the beta stage of multilingual magic), YouTube is improving how these dubs capture tone, emotion, and your unique style over time.
The goal? Unleashing your content to global audiences and making your reach as borderless as your creativity.
Curious to know how this could amplify your impact as a creator? Drop your thoughts or questions below. š
š” AI INSIGHTS
The Blueprint for Effective AI Agents: Insights from Anthropic
Click here to subscribe
When it comes to creating effective AI agents, the secret isn't in complex frameworksāitās in mastering simple, composable patterns. Anthropicās insights and real-world projects reveal the power of starting with basics and scaling complexity only when needed.
Key takeaways:
Workflows handle predictable tasks; agents excel with flexibility and decision-making.
Begin with direct LLM APIs, adding tools like retrieval, memory, and optimization as needed.
Leverage patterns like prompt chaining, routing, and orchestrator-workers for workflows.
Build agents with well-defined tools, prioritizing transparency and simplicity.
š” Pro Tip: Treat the agent-computer interface like a human interfaceādesign it with clarity and usability in mind.
Want to dive deeper into effective agentic systems?
Check out what Anthropic has to say and discover how simple patterns can lead to smarter, more efficient AI agents!
š„ CREATOR CATALYST
How AI Voice Tools Are Empowering Creators to Work Smarter, Not Harder
Do you talk faster than you type?
Most of us do. While the average typing speed is around 40 words per minute (WPM), we speak at 150 WPM or more. But this isn't just about speedātalking has the power to convey tone, emotion, and context that text alone often canāt.
This shift toward voice is being amplified by generative AI tools, which make it cheaper, faster, and easier to talk than to type. Platforms like AirChat, co-founded by Naval Ravikant and Brian Norgard, are leading the charge. Think Twitter, but entirely voice-drivenāwhere audio posts are paired with AI-generated transcriptions. Itās a glimpse into a future where voice-first communication reshapes social media.
But the transformation doesnāt stop there. Here are a few standout AI voice tools making waves:
š ChatGPTās voice capabilities ā Seamlessly transcribe and converse using Whisperās speech recognition.
š Metaās Llama 3 ā Super-fast AI for creating, transcribing, and querying in seconds.
š Descript ā Transcribe, edit, and even generate new audio from sound bites.
š Fathom ā Your free, AI-powered meeting assistant for instant recording, transcribing, and summarizing.
Voice isnāt just a trendāitās a productivity revolution. Want to save even more time?
š Check out curated list of 75 marketing tools to streamline your workflow and boost efficiency. Stay Ahead of the Game ā Subscribe Today!
šŖ Confessions of a Newsletter Rebel
Why I ditched 'thought leadership' for actual personality
In a world drowning in "synergy" and "thought leadership," one founder dared to be different. While Silicon Valley's finest were busy crafting LinkedIn-approved newsletter titles, Tyler Denk sat at his (presumably massive) desk and had an epiphany. He gazed at the internet's beloved Big ___ Energy meme ā that viral sensation celebrating unbridled confidence ā and thought, "Why should newsletters sound like they were written by robots in suits?"
That's the vibe Tyler Denk, the mastermind behind Beehiiv, brings to your inbox every week with Big Desk Energy ā a newsletter that punches above its weight class and leaves conventional wisdom gasping for air.
Inside each edition, you'll find:
Startup strategies like how we ship new features every week and adoption of focus days.
beehiiv company milestones like raising our Series B and acquiring Typedream
Thought pieces like the global impact of remote work and my bull case on Meta.
Why Friend is the dumbest startup ever and the ridiculousness of annoying business influencers.
Memorable company moments like our 2024 offsite and surpassing $10M ARR.
This isn't just another newsletter ā it's your weekly shot of entrepreneurial adrenaline, served with a side of audacious humor and garnished with actual, battle-tested wisdom.
š¤ AI TOOLS
AI Tools for a Finance Professional
AlphaResearch: AI-powered investment research and document analysis.
Gorilla Terminal: AI-driven research tool for investment professionals.
DoNotPay: Legal services platform for self-help and disputes.
š NEW JOBS
Exciting Remote Tech Opportunities with Top Startups
Discover thrilling remote job openings at Y Combinator-backed startups! Whether you're interested in Software Engineer or Full-Stack Engineer roles, these full-time positions provide the chance to collaborate on groundbreaking products with innovative teams. Donāt waitāadvance your tech career today!
Company Name | Job Description |
---|---|
Junior Software Engineer - Colombia/Remote, Full-time, Data science | |
Senior Full-Stack Engineer, Full-time, San Francisco, CA, US / Remote (US; CA; BR; AR; MX), Full stack | |
Full-Stack Software Engineer (2+ years experience: Canada), Full-time, CA / Remote (CA), Full stack | |
Software Engineer, Product, Full-time, US / Remote (US), Full stack | |
Fullstack Software Engineer (Remote), Full-time, New York, NY, US / Remote (US; CA), Full stack |
š¼ Ready to take the leap? Get the full list of remote opportunities with Y Combinator-backed startups and find your perfect role today! š
š INVESTMENT & FUNDRAISING
Francis Medical, a developer of a therapeutic solution for prostate, kidney, and bladder cancer, raised $80M in a Series C round led by Arboretum Ventures. The companyās innovative convective water vapor energy technology targets cancerous prostate tissue, offering a cutting-edge approach to treatment. (Link)
Ubiety, a provider of data analytics, home monitoring, sensor, wireless, and other services, raised $10M in a Series A round led by deltaglobal.com. The company leverages advanced technologies to deliver innovative solutions for home monitoring and data analytics. (Link)
Stellar, a global data and AI practice, raised $2.7M in a seed round led by Ground Game Ventures. The company focuses on optimizing data stacks, empowering teams, and addressing complex business challenges using cutting-edge technologies. (Link)
XyloCor Therapeutics raised $67.5M in a Series B round led by Jeito. The company is developing gene therapies, including XC001 for refractory angina and XC002 for cardiac tissue regeneration. (Link)
OpenFunnel, an AI-powered lead nurturing platform, raised $1.3M in a seed round led by Y Combinator. The platform uses machine learning to identify and engage with prospects who have shown interest in a company's products or services, streamlining the lead discovery and nurturing process in real time. (Link)
š STARTUP SPOTLIGHT
Sam Altman Reflects on OpenAI's Journey: Triumphs, Challenges, and the Vision for AGI at One of Tech's Leading Startups (Link)
Launching Your Startup? Donāt Miss These 3 Game-Changing Tips (Link)
How Resilience Outperforms Speed in Startups (Link)
How Do Successful Startups Stay Ahead of the Competition? (Link)
Do you understand how bringing investors into your startup will impact your business decisions? (Link)
Secrets to Startup Success from Y Combinator's Paul Graham (Link)
šÆWEB PICKS
NVIDIA CEO: AI Advancements Happening at āIncredible Paceā at CES 2025 (Link)
OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman revealed that the company is currently losing money on its $200 per month ChatGPT Pro plan due to higher-than-expected usage. (Link)
Sam Altman: 'We know how to build AGI.' (Link)
Microsoft has redesigned its Bing search results to closely resemble Google's interface when users search for Google without signing into a Microsoft account. (Link)
New AI mirror can monitor your health (Link)
Microsoft is urging users to upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11, as support for Windows 10 ends in October 2025, dubbing the year as āthe year of the Windows 11 PC refresh.ā (Link)
The Reality of AI Proficiency (Link)
š AI LEARNING
Learn from MITāFor Free!
Want to study at MIT without leaving home? Nowās your chance! MIT offers 37+ free online courses on edX, covering topics like AI, Python programming, finance, and more.
š Highlights Include:
Machine Learning with Python
Introduction to Computational Thinking and Data Science
Introduction to Computer Science and Programming Using Python
š” These courses are self-paced and freeāperfect for upskilling or exploring new interests.
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