If utility is your only advantage, a bigger player can usually make it cheaper. @joeldflory (Co-Founder of @vsco) explains why the strongest products create more than function. They create identity, belonging, and a reason for the customer relationship to feel reciprocal. Send this to a founder figuring out pricing.

What’s one skill every founder should learn earlier?

The hardest seasons rarely look productive while you are in them, but they're usually the ones that matter most. This is where you learn how to make decisions under pressure, separate signal from noise, protect your energy, and keep moving without external validation. If you're in that stretch, this is your sign to keep pushing.

Pitch us your company in 0 words.

What’s a mistake that made you better?

Most founders are one hard conversation away from momentum.

The plan that feels 80% right and gets tested this week will teach you more than the plan you perfect in your head for another month. What’s one thing you can act on today instead of waiting?

What’s a business lesson you learned the hard way?

If you don’t invest in the cofounder relationship, the company eventually pays for it. @marcussegal (Investing Partner at @a16z) shares the habits that keep founding teams aligned when the pressure rises: ✔️ Set clear decision rights ✔️ Define who owns what and what success looks like ✔️ Review wins and misses without blame ✔️ Schedule real check-ins, not just status updates A strong cofounder relationship is not a soft skill. It is infrastructure.

Reminder: Being early often feels like being wrong.

Reminder: The product you are most excited about is not always the one the market wants.

What’s the best advice you've ever ignored?