Too many founders get stuck climbing the wrong mountain. Not by accident, but because an investor pushed them onto the first hill in sight. This is the danger of commoditized capital and lean startup philosophy.

Always listen to @btaylor if you get a chance.

Always listen to @btaylor if you get a chance.

“If there's one lesson I wish I could give my younger self, it's to focus less on the technology and more on the customer need.” @btaylor has helped shape how billions interact with the internet, and now with @SierraPlatform, he’s rethinking customer interactions through AI that feels more human. (00:00) Trailer (00:45) SPC's Founder Fellowship (01:31) Introduction (02:09) AI’s Leap & the 10× Engineer Redefined (04:29) From “Minus-One” to Product-Market Fit (11:17) Customer-obsessed (17:22) Balancing Patience & Passion as a Founder (21:46) Starting a Company in the AI World (26:24) Founder dumb mistakes (30:46) Agents as the New SaaS (32:34) Future Stacks & the Memory Debate (39:17) Boards, Mentors & Enduring Companies (44:42) Motivation Beyond Money (48:58) Raising Kids in the AI Age (54:50) Q&A (59:42) Outro

You SHOULD have a thesis about the world when you’re building a company. Otherwise you’re trapped in an echo chamber of technical milestones that don’t mean anything. That’s the kind of mindset @btaylor has. And needs, when he's leading @OpenAI, @facebook, & @salesforce.

Famously @btaylor re-built Google Maps over the course of a weekend 20 years ago. Would he have vibe-coded it today?

I've had the chance to work with some pretty phenomenal engineers in my career. @btaylor is one of the best coders I have ever met. I still love his Tornado webserver. So it's pretty amazing to hear him say: "judge a company by customer outcomes NOT technical milestones.”

I have had the chance to work with some pretty phenomenal engineers in my career. @btaylor is one of the best coders I have ever met. I still love his Tornado webserver. So it's pretty amazing to hear him say: "judge a company by customer outcomes NOT technical milestones”

Alright, let's do this. Startup Storytelling Challenge. 5 minutes max to impress the audience. This Sunday in Bangalore. Registration link below.

Can already tell we're going to set another record for @southpkcommons Founder Fellowship applications, and yet still most people will wait until the last 48 hours to submit. We're already meeting teams, now, before the rush. Apply ⬇️