The Fursuit of Happiness with Kiko Zang On the latest Founder Mode episode, Jason Shafton and I talk with Kiko, founder of Chomp, about something most founders don't say out loud: how much of building a company is really about figuring out who you actually are. Kiko grew up moving between China, New Zealand, and the US, and spent years adapting her personality to fit whatever room she was in. She built her first crypto company, Orca, while staying anonymous for a year and a half. Later, she...
8 days ago • 2 min read
The Accountant vs. QuickBooks Test with Mohammad Moahid On the latest Founder Mode episode, Jason Shafton and I talk with Mohammad Moahid, an operator who's turning AI agents into an actual part of how a business runs, not just another tool bolted on the side. 🎧 Listen to Founder Mode Episode 73 here: The Accountant vs. QuickBook... Sep 10 · Founder Mode 26:21 Mo built his first AI system to solve his own problem: an influencer-seeding tool for his e-commerce company. From there, he took the...
15 days ago • 3 min read
13 Agents Watching 76 Agents I have two shows for you this week. First, check out the newest episode of Founder Mode. Then stick around for episode two of the Pretty Good AI Podcast. 🎧 Listen to Founder Mode Episode 72 here: 13 Agents Watching 76 Agents Sep 3 · Founder Mode 28:27 On the latest Founder Mode episode, Jason Shafton and I get into how we price our services, what happens when AI quietly breaks instead of loudly failing, and why some of the biggest deals in healthcare tech are...
22 days ago • 3 min read
SaaS Made Her Love Services with Jess Chan (Plus New Podcast Alert: The Pretty Good AI Podcast Is Here) I have two shows for you this week. First, check out the newest episode of Founder Mode. Then stick around, because I'm launching something brand new: the Pretty Good AI Podcast. 🎧 Listen to Founder Mode Episode 71 here: SaaS Made Her Love Services... Aug 27 · Founder Mode 28:43 On the latest Founder Mode episode, Jason Shafton and I sit down with Jess Chan, founder of Longplay. Jess grew...
29 days ago • 2 min read
The Internet Isn't Dead Welcome back to Founder Mode! Jason and I covered a lot in this episode. We talked about AI-generated content, founder thought leadership, token usage, and why getting millions of views doesn't matter if the right customers never see you. The common thread was trust. As AI creates more content than ever before, founders have to work harder to build credibility instead of just producing more posts. One comment from the episode summed it up well: "The internet's not...
about 1 month ago • 2 min read
Think Week is Now Build Week Welcome back to Founder Mode! Every once in a while, Jason and I record an episode without a guest. Those conversations usually turn into some of my favorites because we get to share what's actually working right now. This episode covered everything from AI workflows and building software faster to fundraising, team management, and something we don't talk about enough: using leverage to create more freedom. One thing I said near the end really captures the point:...
about 1 month ago • 3 min read
The Profit Whale with Jason Cohen Welcome back to Founder Mode! Most founders think growth comes from working harder. But after talking with Jason Cohen, I came away with a different conclusion. The biggest gains usually come from finding the few things that create outsized results. Jason has spent decades building companies, investing in founders, and studying what separates businesses that grow from those that stall. His new book, Hidden Multipliers, is all about finding those overlooked...
about 2 months ago • 3 min read
Stop Chasing Plan A with Anthony Ng Monica Welcome back to Founder Mode! Most founders think burnout is part of the job. I used to think that too. But after talking with Anthony Ng Monica, I kept coming back to one idea: Your business can only perform as well as the person building it. Anthony has built and exited a global company. Today, he helps founders improve their health without stepping away from their businesses. This wasn't a conversation about six-packs or biohacking. It was about...
about 2 months ago • 2 min read
You Are The Bottleneck Welcome back to Founder Mode! AI is moving faster than ever. Every week there's a new model. Every month there's a new startup claiming it has the next breakthrough. But after recording this episode of Founder Mode, I came away with a different conclusion. The companies that win won't necessarily have the smartest AI. They'll have the best systems around it. As Jason and I talked through everything happening over the past week, one pattern kept showing up. The real...
2 months ago • 3 min read