Start Messy, Hire Smart, Work "Faster": What’s Fueling Founders Now
#67
✨ Newsletter Spotlight ✨
💭 Stop Waiting and Start Building – why chasing the perfect idea might be holding you back.
🧠 Hiring When You Don’t Know the Role – how to find the right person without a perfect job description.
⚒ Voice Over Keyboard – the tool that’s quietly replacing how people work.
🎬 The Uber Origin Story – ambition, chaos, and everything in between.
🔮 Startups to Watch (US/UK) – early-stage companies shaping what’s next.
“We chase extraordinary moments instead of being grateful for ordinary moments until hard shit happens. And then in the face of really hard stuff — illness, death, loss — the only thing we’re begging for is a normal moment.” - Brene Brown
💭 Reflections
Stop Waiting for the Perfect Idea
Was talking to a really ambitious young woman yesterday — smart, driven, full of potential. But she said something I’ve heard too many times: “I’m waiting for that big, perfect idea — the one that really matters — before I start.”
Here’s the thing: that moment almost never comes. Life keeps moving, and the longer you wait, the more your own fears and doubts start stacking up. You worry about getting it wrong, about wasting time, about what others will think. But the truth is, you don’t figure it out by waiting — you figure it out by starting.
If I told you how many pivots we’ve seen from founders—not just at Pretiosum, but across the startup world—you’d be surprised. We’ve watched people move from one idea to another, sometimes more than once, just to land on something that sticks. Pivoting isn’t a red flag—it’s momentum. It shows you’re learning, adapting, and getting closer to what works.
What’s not the same? Giving up. Pivoting means you’re still in the game, still moving toward your goals. Quitting is stepping off the field. Don’t confuse the two.
So if you’re sitting on energy and ideas but waiting for “perfect” — don’t. Start with something. You’ll evolve faster than you think, and clarity will meet you in motion.
🧠 Work
When You Don’t Know the Role — But Still Need the Rockstar
Was talking to a Series A founder recently, and they shared a hiring insight that really stuck.
If you're hiring for a role you've never filled before — like your first Head of Ops or Product Marketer — the key is to start by learning, not guessing. Talk to 10–15 people already thriving in that role. Not to recruit — just to understand.
Ask them what their day-to-day looks like, what makes someone exceptional, what tools they use, and how they define success. Themes will emerge fast.
Once you’ve built that context, you’ll recognize the right candidate — not just on paper, but in how they approach the role.
It’s a fast way to build clarity and raise your hiring bar.
⚒ Tools
Wispr Flow
Wispr Flow is a voice dictation tool that turns your speech into clean text in any desktop app—email, Slack, Notion, and even coding.
Works Anywhere: Dictate into any text field.
Smart Edits: Fixes grammar, punctuation, and tone as you speak.
Hands-Free Commands: Say “delete that” or “bold this” to edit without typing.
Quiet Mode: Accurate even when you whisper.
100+ Languages: Auto-detects and supports multiple languages.
How People Use It:
Replying to Messages Fast: Speak your replies in Slack or email instead of typing them.
Writing Without Stopping: Dictate blog posts, notes, or reports without needing to fix punctuation or grammar as you go.
Hands-Free Work: Talk through ideas or code updates while keeping your hands free—great for multitasking.
Try it free on macOS or Windows: wisprflow.ai
💼 Partner with More Than Tech
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🎬 Watch
I’m still wrapping up Gambling Man: The Wild Ride of Japan’s Masayoshi Son—a fascinating look at one of tech’s boldest minds. Meanwhile, during a recent transatlantic flight, I got hooked on this:
Super Pumped: The Battle for Uber (Netflix)
A super enjoyable series about how Uber got started, the rise (and fall) of its founder Travis Kalanick, and the wild world of Silicon Valley startups. It’s fast-paced, dramatic, and full of “did-that-really-happen?” moments.
If you’re into founder stories or the messy side of building a tech giant, this one’s worth watching.
🔮 The Future of Business: Companies to Watch 🇬🇧 🇺🇸
From AI-powered workflows to secure infrastructure, here are the (pre-seed/seed/Series A) startups and deals shaping what’s next:
🇺🇸 Gail (Miami)
What it does: Uses AI to automate internal finance tasks like budgeting, forecasting, and board reporting
Funding: $8.2M seed co-led by HTwenty and Act One Ventures
Why it matters: Simplify back-office finance tasks, freeing up founders to focus on growth
🇬🇧 SCI Semiconductor (Cambridge, UK)
What it does: Develops chips resistant to memory-related programming errors
Funding: $3.4M led by Mercia Ventures
Why it matters: Improves reliability and performance in mission-critical systems