🛒 AI as the new employer, Shopify against unnecessary hires, and how to build a product that won’t get lost in the noise

Content generation destroying the market, new rules for teams, and why most startups are ignored.

Hi, entrepreneurs!

Today we’re talking about how AI is rewriting the rules for business, why even the best marketing won’t save a bad product, and how to preserve humanity in a world where everything is automated.

🤖 Greg Isenberg analyzes why ChatGPT-4o for images is the new Napster effect for content. AI is turning “unscalable services” into products with service-level margins, and the new unicorns are productized services where AI does 80% of the work. “We’re no longer in the era of digital employees, but digital employers.”
https://x.com/gregisenberg/status/1906697683089101113

👦 Evan Spiegel is the co-founder and CEO of Snapchat, who became the world’s youngest billionaire at 25. His journey is proof that a student project can grow into a global business.

🧑‍💻 MaximeB has compiled the top 15 subreddits for SaaS, startup, and microbusiness creators. If you don’t have a favorite community yet, it’s time to choose one—and maybe get a free roast of your product.
https://x.com/MaximeMB_/status/1908795563254190418

🛒 Shopify and CEO Tobi Lutke: before asking for new hires, prove that AI can’t do the job. The company is already implementing AI in all processes, and productivity for those who use it has increased 100x.
https://www.cnbc.com/2025/04/07/shopify-ceo-prove-ai-cant-do-jobs-before-asking-for-more-headcount.html

🔍 David Wang from Product Academy reminds us: first find a real problem, then build the solution. “Trends and technology change, but customers’ deep problems don’t.” Ignore this truth, and you’ll build yet another useless startup.
https://www.antler.co/academy/solving-the-right-problem

📁 Mariya Valeva explains why a data room isn’t just about due diligence, but about business readiness for serious events. If your documents are scattered across Slack, Notion, and an old Google Drive, you’re not ready for investors or big clients.
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/mariyavaleva-yourscalingpartner_no-one-talks-about-the-data-room-because-activity-7312794644193398784-Spwd/

📉 Andrew Chen reminds us: even the best marketing won’t save a bad product. “Promotion channels are aging, and only a product people truly want will make a real splash.”

Every marketing channel sucks right now

🫂 Gretchen Gavett from HBR warns: by automating work, we risk losing empathy and humanity in services. “The ideal future is to protect human labor that creates connections from automation.”
https://hbr.org/2025/02/im-afraid-we-are-automating-this-work-without-really-understanding-it

🎬 James Cameron on the Meta podcast discusses the impact of AI on film, technology, and the future of creativity. Even legendary directors are already experimenting with generative AI in their workflow.

🚀 a16z opens applications for Speedrun—an accelerator for founders at Day 0. $1M investment, $5M+ in partner credits, 90 days of intensity, and mentorship from unicorns. If you’re building in AI or entertainment, this is a chance you don’t want to miss.

https://sr.a16z.com/

AI isn’t just changing the tools—it’s changing the very nature of business, teams, and even empathy. Adapt, build what matters, and don’t forget about humanity in a world of automation! ❤️