<!DOCTYPE html><html lang="en"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=UTF-8"><meta charset="UTF-8"><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width"><meta name="x-apple-disable-message-reformatting"><title>TLDR Founders</title><meta name="color-scheme" content="light dark"><meta name="supported-color-schemes" content="light dark"><style type="text/css">
:root {
color-scheme: light dark; supported-color-schemes: light dark;
}
*,
*:after,
*:before {
-webkit-box-sizing: border-box; -moz-box-sizing: border-box; box-sizing: border-box;
}
* {
-ms-text-size-adjust: 100%; -webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%;
}
html,
body,
.document {
width: 100% !important; height: 100% !important; margin: 0; padding: 0;
}
body {
-webkit-font-smoothing: antialiased; -moz-osx-font-smoothing: grayscale; text-rendering: optimizeLegibility;
}
div[style*="margin: 16px 0"] {
margin: 0 !important;
}
table,
td {
mso-table-lspace: 0pt; mso-table-rspace: 0pt;
}
table {
border-spacing: 0; border-collapse: collapse; table-layout: fixed; margin: 0 auto;
}
img {
-ms-interpolation-mode: bicubic; max-width: 100%; border: 0;
}
*[x-apple-data-detectors] {
color: inherit !important; text-decoration: none !important;
}
.x-gmail-data-detectors,
.x-gmail-data-detectors *,
.aBn {
border-bottom: 0 !important; cursor: default !important;
}
.btn {
-webkit-transition: all 200ms ease; transition: all 200ms ease;
}
.btn:hover {
background-color: #f67575; border-color: #f67575;
}
* {
font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 18px;
}
@media screen and (max-width: 600px) {
.container {
width: 100%; margin: auto;
}
.stack {
display: block!important; width: 100%!important; max-width: 100%!important;
}
.btn {
display: block; width: 100%; text-align: center;
}
}
body,
p,
td,
tr,
.body,
table,
h1,
h2,
h3,
h4,
h5,
h6,
div,
span {
background-color: #FEFEFE !important; color: #010101 !important;
}
@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
body,
p,
td,
tr,
.body,
table,
h1,
h2,
h3,
h4,
h5,
h6,
div,
span {
background-color: #27292D !important; color: #FEFEFE !important;
}
}
a {
color: inherit !important; text-decoration: underline !important;
}
</style><!--[if mso | ie]>
<style type="text/css">
a {
background-color: #FEFEFE !important; color: #010101 !important;
}
@media (prefers-color-scheme: dark) {
a {
background-color: #27292D !important; color: #FEFEFE !important;
}
}
</style>
<![endif]--></head><body class="">
<div style="display: none; max-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">a16z has released a ranking of the top 100 consumer AI apps. The ecosystem is stabilizing - there were only 11 new names on the web list </div>
<div style="display: none; max-height: 0px; overflow: hidden;">
<br>
</div>
<table align="center" class="document"><tbody><tr><td valign="top">
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="container" width="600"><tbody><tr class="inner-body"><td>
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr class="header"><td bgcolor="" class="container">
<table width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container">
<table align="center" bgcolor="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" style="margin-top: 0px;" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 0px;">
<table align="center" bgcolor="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="margin-right: 0px;"><a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Ftldr.tech%2Ffounders%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/RiS9AKT-r9HsW3ExkRfIYvNVtXf51x7_o-ad4pdPQgI=436" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>Sign Up</span></a>
|<span style="margin-right: 2px; margin-left: 2px;"><a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fadvertise.tldr.tech%2F%3Futm_source=tldrfounders%26utm_medium=newsletter%26utm_campaign=advertisetopnav/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/_NY2Dj10nNO6mQZaM5dgDb1Uy2EzPU172xO1s3aqFT4=436" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank"><span>Advertise</span></a></span>|<span style="margin-left: 2px;"><a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fa.tldrnewsletter.com%2Fweb-version%3Fep=1%26lc=1572f2fc-84b7-11f0-9937-47c5c04ad337%26p=a2063a0e-dccc-11f0-b5a5-9b2d606dd719%26pt=campaign%26t=1766149633%26s=8346b0fd29c2ad4cefec41b615df1bf485954b7f9d0ab0827ff3353384ca249e/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/T8FQNJAHXLkEz3KHQUA2zYcVUJoTRO4LtjZs_c9Wt-c=436"><span>View Online</span></a></span>
<br>
</span></div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" bgcolor="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="text-align: center;"><span data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="--darkreader-inline-color:#3db3ff; color: rgb(51, 175, 255) !important; font-size: 30px;">T</span><span style="font-size: 30px;"><span data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="color: rgb(232, 192, 96) !important; --darkreader-inline-color:#e8c163; font-size:30px;">L</span><span data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="color: rgb(101, 195, 173) !important; --darkreader-inline-color:#6ec7b2; font-size:30px;">D</span></span><span data-darkreader-inline-color="" style="--darkreader-inline-color:#dd6e6e; color: rgb(220, 107, 107) !important; font-size: 30px;">R</span>
<br>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" bgcolor="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr id="together-with"><td align="center" height="20" style="vertical-align:middle !important;" valign="middle" width="100%"><strong style="vertical-align:middle !important; height: 100%;">Together With </strong>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Ftmobilebusinessgroup.sjv.io%2Fc%2F5783948%2F3330763%2F37552/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/9ZuLb3tUWU4Ht_sXFqxGU1CA-3Oa3u_ELa55qS-zt28=436"><img src="https://images.tldr.tech/tmobile2.png" valign="middle" style="vertical-align: middle !important; height: 100%;" alt="T-Mobile"></a></td></tr></tbody></table>
<table style="table-layout: fixed; width:100%;" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;margin:0;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h1><strong> TLDR Founders <span id="date">2025-12-19</span></strong></h1>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table style="table-layout: fixed; width:100%;" width="100%"><tbody><tr id="sponsy-copy"><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
<span>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Ftmobilebusinessgroup.sjv.io%2Fc%2F5783948%2F3330763%2F37552/2/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/LL3iPpmTD2a1MGGiwk_CTO-HO2aRus2SvuK2vYcB3oA=436">
<span>
<strong>Are you overpaying for business internet? (Sponsor)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
👉 Take 5 seconds to see if you can get a better deal on your business internet. Simply <a class="_3k8pkd0" href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Ftmobilebusinessgroup.sjv.io%2Fc%2F5783948%2F3330763%2F37552/3/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/aEg-LviWNEGfXwJtyo8Xa_U4ToeX_uWD1r462OW2U9M=436" rel="" target="_blank"><span>go to this page</span></a> and enter your business address.
<p></p>
<p><strong>Eligible? </strong>Congrats! You can start off 2026 with <a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Ftmobilebusinessgroup.sjv.io%2Fc%2F5783948%2F3330763%2F37552/4/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/n8xQNhuvmTpiBV5C4v_ulL5TukjroLUT-szvbMxUjpg=436" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"><span>5G Business Internet from T-Mobile</span></a>, and that means:</p>
<p>✅ Affordable rates with no hidden fees.</p>
<p>✅ Reliable connectivity built on America's leading 5G network.</p>
<p>✅ 24/7 support.</p>
<p><a class="_3k8pkd0" href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Ftmobilebusinessgroup.sjv.io%2Fc%2F5783948%2F3330763%2F37552/5/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/xvcinFwJc0Nzg6IBruG-zeRlYySbUEX-K78LYW0-Hbk=436" rel="" target="_blank"><span><strong>Check if you're eligible</strong></span></a>
</p>
</span></span></div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
</td></tr>
<tr bgcolor=""><td class="container">
<table align="center" bgcolor="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding: 0px;">
<table align="center" bgcolor="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;">
<div class="text-block">
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 36px;">📈</span></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" bgcolor="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;">
<div class="text-block">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h1><strong>Headlines & Trends</strong></h1>
</div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;margin:0;" valign="top">
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
<span>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.a16z.news%2Fp%2Fstate-of-consumer-ai-2025%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/mR2OMFfNK9tqi2V--PfnjW8XuQqrJwQ4GtsUmnJj7wE=436">
<span>
<strong>State of Consumer AI 2025 (8 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
a16z has released a ranking of the top 100 consumer AI apps. The ecosystem is stabilizing - there were only 11 new names on the web list, compared to 17 last time. ChatGPT still leads by a wide margin, but Google's Gemini and xAI's Grok are closing the gap. The more interesting finding is what's working. Vibe coding startups Lovable and Replit both debuted on the main list. 22 of the top 50 mobile apps were developed in China, but only 3 are primarily used there. Only 9% of consumers pay for more than one AI subscription.
</span>
</span>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
<span>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Favc.xyz%2Fthe-end-of-interchange%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/Qc6bp8QSlVXrxiU4EZ4jXJdbP-NVb8USIIbflLc3SXg=436">
<span>
<strong>The End Of Interchange (2 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
The interchange fees that make up much of the cost of the credit card system are eventually going to go away. The interchange fee model is vulnerable to disruption from stablecoins, bank-to-bank direct payments, Pay by Bank platforms, and cryptographic identity layers in ACH. It is still an open question whether stablecoins or retrofitted ACH/bank rails will win, how fraud and reversibility concerns will be addressed, and what the timeline is for meaningful interchange compression.
</span>
</span>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" bgcolor="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;">
<div class="text-block">
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 36px;">🧠</span></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" bgcolor="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;">
<div class="text-block">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h1><strong>Strategies & Tactics</strong></h1>
</div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;margin:0;" valign="top">
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
<span>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.saastr.com%2Fthe-top-reasons-i-saw-cros-flame-out-this-year%2F%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/pkIIp2mzdWlxsumaTtQ_FRsMxoozA5VunfZEAtmP2Io=436">
<span>
<strong>The Top Reasons I Saw CROs Flame Out This Year (9 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
CROs can't just be managers with playbooks. To be successful, they need to be closers who learn, leaders who show up, and executives who stay when it gets hard. They need to personally close deals and be familiar with products, as well as understand their partner channels. A good CRO visits their major teams in person because they know that culture gets built in person and trust is earned face-to-face.
</span>
</span>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
<span>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Flinks.tldrnewsletter.com%2FXBHlFS/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/IOrOpJUuXZSKbaKeytg3v7zt7mZtAH6pSNc3_NW-EhI=436">
<span>
<strong>The lawyer most B2B Startups don't realize they need until far too late (5 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Startups that bring on contract counsel generally see their overall sales cycle reduced. Founders signing at least two enterprise contracts a quarter should consider bringing on contract counsel. It will save the startup money and often help close deals faster. Having counsel will help startups avoid ending up with terms that let customers take advantage of them or create problems later down the line, like during an acquisition.
</span>
</span>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
<span>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.productmarketfit.tech%2Fp%2Fthe-13-tactics-behind-lovables-insane%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/GI0eYehry--1kcpsYDUvKSp5AC9qTd6w90SrK_zSj2M=436">
<span>
<strong>The 13 Tactics Behind Lovable's Insane Growth (6 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Lovable went from $0 to $100M ARR in 8 months with 45 employees and almost no paid acquisition. That's $2.2M revenue per employee - the industry benchmark is $200k. The playbook was running 12+ growth channels simultaneously while competitors struggled with one or two. A Product Hunt launch drove GitHub stars. GitHub credibility led to podcast invitations. The flywheel required no paid advertising to maintain.
</span>
</span>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" bgcolor="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;">
<div class="text-block">
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 36px;">⚒️</span></div></div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" bgcolor="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;">
<div class="text-block">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h1><strong>Tools & Resources</strong></h1>
</div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;margin:0;" valign="top">
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
<span>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Flightfield.app%2F%3Futm_source=newsletter%26utm_medium=paid%26utm_campaign=tldr%26utm_content=secondary_12-19-2025/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/uYhwU-p5QEMkCw7HALC4vGh-Izc0m0R9qwHe9pwk-6w=436">
<span>
<strong>Tired of CRM data entry? Lightfield does it for you. (Sponsor)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Salesforce and HubSpot create more work for founders. Lightfield — an AI-native CRM with a built-in call recorder — was made for startups. It captures every email, call, and meeting automatically, so nothing stays stuck in your head. Never drop the ball on a follow-up again. <p></p><p>Try it for free.
</p></span></span></div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
<span>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.gowatch.ai%2F%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/hyBRC1W3RA1U0qnDlZmZD2U3K0qmiUfBt9-0REhTu1A=436">
<span>
<strong>Gowatch (Tool)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Create monitors that watch the web for you.
</span>
</span>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
<span>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.peoplebox.ai%2Fnova%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/jXFc_GC36Fk_kLP5KGzUL9-KyvAVfh7TJVTSQOnkZXw=436">
<span>
<strong>Nova (Tool)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Nova automates resume screening, pre-screening calls, and first-round interviews.
</span>
</span>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
<span>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fampcode.com%2F%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/4F_3pJfj2R0ZFiy8xiLF0hFeWoJ-rx2r6fBFNd7A6NM=436">
<span>
<strong>Ampcode (Tool)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Amp is a frontier coding agent that lets you wield the full power of leading models.
</span>
</span>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" bgcolor="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;">
<div class="text-block">
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 36px;">🎁</span></div></div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" bgcolor="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;">
<div class="text-block">
<div style="text-align: center;"><strong><h1>Miscellaneous</h1></strong></div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table bgcolor="" style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;margin:0;" valign="top">
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
<span>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fcredistick.com%2Fdesigners-of-problems-worth-solving%2F%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/NB0yC-cx2PfmrLRAm-EgvUu2yhOxtegmBHIzA0XSkFQ=436">
<span>
<strong>Designers of Problems Worth Solving (5 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
The best founders aren't solving obvious problems - they're designing problems worth solving. The distinction matters because finding meaningful problems may be more important than solving them. The approach involves reframing situations through expansion and elevation until the problem aligns the founder's purpose with how society and technology are changing. This lens helps identify founders who have the agency for entrepreneurship, even if their ideas seem "unfundable" by consensus standards.
</span>
</span>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
<span>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.wreflection.com%2Fp%2Fsoftware-gets-a-new-layer%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/s5q0RkEXXWHpY3ym6Q6MiQMaQWGWHhJPNbXXgvTWfcw=436">
<span>
<strong>Software Applications Face A New Intermediary (15 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Many years ago, Amazon tried to build its own device to escape Apple's control. AI companies now see personal devices as a way to escape the App Store tax and to own the user relationship. These companies don't want to live at the mercy of operating systems they do not control. Creating their own devices will allow them to own their own destiny rather than ask Cupertino for permission.
</span>
</span>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
<span>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.youngmoney.co%2Fp%2Fsome-thoughts-on-head-of-narrative%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/x7fT6YmonNysoRt7WVkJBLv8lDaNbQg6tbh1asdx2tU=436">
<span>
<strong>Some Thoughts on "Head of Narrative" (5 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
This essay explores why tech companies are suddenly paying $300k+ for "heads of storytelling" and whether it actually works. Anthropic is offering up to $400k for a "Head of GTM Narrative." The author's skepticism comes down to one thing: companies are extensions of their founders. Public perception of Anthropic is downstream of Dario, regardless of what a narrative lead says.
</span>
</span>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" bgcolor="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;">
<div class="text-block">
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: 36px;">⚡</span></div></div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" bgcolor="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px;">
<div class="text-block">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h1><strong>Quick Links</strong></h1>
</div>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table bgcolor="" style="table-layout: fixed; width: 100%;" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td style="padding:0;border-collapse:collapse;border-spacing:0;margin:0;" valign="top">
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
<span>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.salesforce.com%2Fform%2Fsignup%2Ffree-crm-newsletter%2F%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/9ipxJnXVgHvD6c6Rvn9d52I6uf0GZ0qT9Y3u85jA9aE=436">
<span>
<strong>Why settle for second-rate CRMs when you can get Salesforce for free? (Sponsor)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Salesforce's <strong>new free-forever tier</strong> for startups eliminates the biggest obstacle to organized sales tracking and seamless growth. Get sales, service, email marketing, and connect Slack conversations— <a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.salesforce.com%2Fform%2Fsignup%2Ffree-crm-newsletter%2F/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/zAFPggGE26h7R_oSWK6eP4_CW6G96kAv5z_GU_vacpU=436" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"><span>all free</span></a>
</span>
</span>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
<span>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.cristina.com%2Fblog%2Fbackchanneling%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/fdzZn5HODhxzrCuUKURzcFkOXIxUtkpvo5q60MUl064=436">
<span>
<strong>Backchanneling Is Becoming a Crutch (3 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Executives who can actually move a company aren't always universally liked - you have to talk to them before letting someone else's context make the call.
</span>
</span>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
<span>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.mbi-deepdives.com%2Fdigital-advertisings-bitter-lesson-moment%2F%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/QD5WV4QsdWdxXHaZaGEhHw4PG6AOOW-u4Uo6RbFpLBU=436">
<span>
<strong>Digital Advertising's "Bitter Lesson" Moment (6 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Explicitly labeling an ad as 'AI-generated' or 'AI-edited' can cause CTR to plummet significantly.
</span>
</span>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
<span>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fdbushell.com%2F2025%2F12%2F18%2Fyear-in-review%2F%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/yJFkcegFVb116RRctP5lZuAhoUYAgsx2ty5U6TGApTg=436">
<span>
<strong>I Survived 2025 (9 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
A founder's review of this year, having survived another year of self-employment.
</span>
</span>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
<span>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.garbagecollected.dev%2Fp%2Fvalve-the-reverse-apple%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/tqZzegupSqqHxYxQav70ZsAuEey8QJ4e4Z1uL6BfPgc=436">
<span>
<strong>Valve: The Reverse Apple (29 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Valve created an ecosystem first before creating its own first-party hardware that leverages all that work.
</span>
</span>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" bgcolor="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td align="left" style="word-break: break-word; vertical-align: top; padding: 5px 10px;">
<p style="padding: 0; margin: 0; font-size: 22px; color: #000000; line-height: 1.6; font-weight: bold;">
Love TLDR? Tell your friends and get rewards!
</p>
</td></tr>
<tr><td class="container" style="padding: 0px 10px 15px;">
<div class="text-block">
Share your referral link below with friends to get free TLDR swag!
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr><td align="left" style="padding: 10px;">
<div class="text-block">
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Frefer.tldr.tech%2Fd90026dc%2F7/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/adXf0z5QCmXtfRbqCwZN1hW0NPdgy8TtQ9P3OQit7js=436" style="color: #464ba4; text-decoration: underline;">https://refer.tldr.tech/d90026dc/7</a>
</div>
</td></tr>
<tr></tr>
<tr><td align="left" style="padding:5px 10px;">
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fhub.sparklp.co%2Fsub_7ce5224eca6b%2F7/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/s9stZ42s4huwF9GgKWOJCHMx9vmZLQvJUkqaAw3cWk8=436" style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 1.6; padding: 10px 0; display: inline-block; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="mso-text-raise:13pt; text-decoration: underline;">Track your referrals here.</span></a>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" bgcolor="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td align="left" style="word-break: break-word; vertical-align: top; padding: 5px 10px;">
<p style="padding: 0; margin: 0; font-size: 22px; color: #000000; line-height: 1.6; font-weight: bold;">
Want to advertise in TLDR? 📰
</p>
<div class="text-block" style="margin-top: 10px;">
If your company is interested in reaching an audience of founders, executives, and decision makers, you may want to <a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fadvertise.tldr.tech%2F%3Futm_source=tldrfounders%26utm_medium=newsletter%26utm_campaign=advertisecta/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/DRume58xH6HNN2TC_yvhZzPX7mIXSeZh7kzVlskkxl4=436"><strong><span>advertise with us</span></strong></a>.
</div>
<br>
<!-- New "Want to work at TLDR?" section -->
<p style="padding: 0; margin: 0; font-size: 22px; color: #000000; line-height: 1.6; font-weight: bold;">
Want to work at TLDR? 💼
</p>
<div class="text-block" style="margin-top: 10px;">
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fjobs.ashbyhq.com%2Ftldr.tech/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/aG5wLJE1J3ykMzWVTyfXltsybAGs2NikSltqRGYrZ6c=436" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: #0000EE; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><strong>Apply here</strong></a>,
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fjobs.ashbyhq.com%2Ftldr.tech%2Fc227b917-a6a4-40ce-8950-d3e165357871/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/aXUWrv7J_XdJUid-SxmocZgJ75qEiH9O5p4LSEHjR60=436" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: #0000EE; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><strong>create your own role</strong></a> or send a friend's resume to <a href="mailto:jobs@tldr.tech" style="color: #0000EE; text-decoration: underline;">jobs@tldr.tech</a> and get $1k if we hire them! TLDR is one of <a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Ffeed%2Fupdate%2Furn:li:activity:7401699691039830016%2F/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/d_QaI0svrPQAFPzxVXfZey5-4UtG5Exh5Ge2xOM47DY=436" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: #0000EE; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><strong>Inc.'s Best Bootstrapped businesses</strong></a> of 2025.
</div>
<br>
<div class="text-block">
If you have any comments or feedback, just respond to this email!
<br>
<br> Thanks for reading,
<br>
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fx.com%2Fandrewztan/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/hm6Oy-G5Gco8WN0TZ3ZEaGjPi-0De4S-aGEYFVjWcDE=436"><span>Andrew Tan</span></a> & <a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fkevinskyewu%2F/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/F5ksLdPXe2xKEDUQ2iG-Y7nffHXJC1TW4Pv_PD59dZc=436"><span>Kevin Wu</span></a>
<br>
<br>
</div>
<br>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<table align="center" bgcolor="" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" width="100%"><tbody><tr><td class="container" style="padding: 15px 15px;">
<div class="text-block" id="testing-id">
<a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Ftldr.tech%2Ffounders%2Fmanage%3Femail=silk.theater.56%2540fwdnl.com/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/Etd-CYvVZA6RJjQf_8PNVQIexmc5uE3ZOYQ_DUNh0QE=436">Manage your subscriptions</a> to our other newsletters on tech, startups, and programming. Or if TLDR Founders isn't for you, please <a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fa.tldrnewsletter.com%2Funsubscribe%3Fep=1%26l=33bb36cf-4024-11ed-9a32-0241b9615763%26lc=1572f2fc-84b7-11f0-9937-47c5c04ad337%26p=a2063a0e-dccc-11f0-b5a5-9b2d606dd719%26pt=campaign%26pv=4%26spa=1766149311%26t=1766149633%26s=aed286ade306a0c17aa325ece4fa3217640a0e33612892e71d9e4216d9ed629a/1/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/1ERVm5krg4KSy-z0Wk2VFTsy2zCMKhn-4X2HivRBuWE=436">unsubscribe</a>.
<br>
</div>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
</td></tr></tbody></table>
<img alt="" src="http://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CI0/0100019b36b8b56f-6f5fd901-7378-47f2-99d6-db3adb3aed52-000000/0BWDhcJnO0xSSdy4Rbhso2g8mD0I6MmB42VMy-ZLizY=436" style="display: none; width: 1px; height: 1px;">
</body></html>