<!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;">Every article about Ramp starts with the same question: Can it really keep growing this fast? It was doubling at $100 million </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/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/2nzwHbuq5RQWHukvgqUzdm1MIpj92uKz4zjoj2dh5F4=422" 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/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/PWBFKddXqVvDjw5hAahNtVN7-lGU8RcnNMzuNjYVYr0=422" 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=c1ebc40a-8e21-11f0-b359-632de24eb959%26pt=campaign%26t=1757506025%26s=6429c6313f9bbe94a88a0c2ee9007564e8d87cba14ac29741860fb4ffcaa9a9d/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/4biJ7AHM2GfjFDw_tNdBm1u5uphbavgKAL4iqoK2jSA=422"><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%2Fworkos.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-is-free-trial-abuse%3Futm_source=tldrfounders%26utm_medium=newsletter%26utm_campaign=q32025/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/2YolYpLLkEZSRWvjhc84mp0BmACUHeq7cBe0cPoZFjc=422"><img src="https://images.tldr.tech/workos50.png" valign="middle" style="vertical-align: middle !important; height: 100%;" alt="WorkOS"></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">2025-09-10</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%2Fworkos.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-is-free-trial-abuse%3Futm_source=tldrfounders%26utm_medium=newsletter%26utm_campaign=q32025/2/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/JaefWkaZPhqEn4olCxsgzfUUhWHxacaLy2_MiEmbHT4=422">
<span>
<strong>Bots Abuse Free Trials. WorkOS Radar Stops Them. (Sponsor)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Free trials help AI apps grow, but bots and fake accounts exploit them. They steal tokens, burn compute, and disrupt real users.<p></p><p>Cursor, the fast-growing AI code assistant, uses <a class="in-cell-link" href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fworkos.com%2Fradar%3Futm_source=tldrfounders%26utm_medium=newsletter%26utm_campaign=q32025/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/mEjeOJKEIBOdaMZHxQM5RIoS6EXeOQtDyIbWyua6rXU=422" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"><span>WorkOS Radar</span></a> to detect and stop abuse in real time. With device fingerprinting and behavioral signals, Radar blocks fraud before it reaches your app.</p>
<p><a class="in-cell-link" href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fworkos.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-is-free-trial-abuse%3Futm_source=tldrfounders%26utm_medium=newsletter%26utm_campaign=q32025/3/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/_O2Q9ET4Ux9Q9GM8Jwx16IycLwbw-d_SiDSzvZ0jB0E=422" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"><span>Protect your app today →</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.notboring.co%2Fp%2Framp-at-1-billion%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/iRIBBJpXPZuQZLnLbrEfAWRSkxkTonoUSDhaD4Es19w=422">
<span>
<strong>Ramp at $1 Billion (5 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Every article about Ramp starts with the same question: Can it really keep growing this fast? It was doubling at $100 million, doubling at $500 million, and somehow still doubling at $1 billion in revenue, all while being cash flow positive. This piece digs into why its growth hasn't hit the wall everyone expects.
</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.cautiousoptimism.news%2Fp%2Fsigns-of-life-in-unicorn-land%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/ShVheNVhyOw0tp0XkvTs1GaNDvAP_aK5G_a8z7Wp9pc=422">
<span>
<strong>Signs of life in unicorn-land (3 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
The unicorn market has split into rockets and zombies, with no middle ground left. Out of 1,609 unicorns worth $6.2 trillion, winners like Databricks ($100 billion valuation, 50% growth) and Supabase (jumping from $900 million to $5 billion) are staying private to keep the spoils for themselves, while 28% aren't growing at all and over half fail basic financial health checks. The best companies are avoiding IPOs because they're growing so fast they don't need public money, while the zombies have nowhere to go but down.
</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%2Fcognition.ai%2Fblog%2Ffunding-growth-and-the-next-frontier-of-ai-coding-agents%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/gXoF6LCaAQqRBFAtBrvtfY16u37g5nZa3yZDV-RFeAE=422">
<span>
<strong>Cognition raises $400M at $10.2B valuation (3 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Cognition raised $400M at a $10.2B valuation in a funding round led by Founders Fund, with contributions from existing and new investors. The company's acquisition of Windsurf significantly boosted its ARR and product offerings in AI coding. The merger accelerated growth, positioning Cognition as a leader in AI-powered engineering solutions for top-tier customers like Goldman Sachs and Dell.
</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%2Ftechcrunch.com%2F2025%2F09%2F08%2Fsnap-breaks-into-startup-squads-as-ad-revenue-stalls%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/KlEhaUlxcUtnz1KVkDkbifFKF8cfOhmmtpPLdc7kgoU=422">
<span>
<strong>Snap breaks into 'startup squads' as ad revenue stalls (1 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Snap has restructured into "startup squads" of 10 to 15 people to address stalled ad revenue and user decline. Snapchat+ subscriptions generate over $700 million annually, marking a significant direct revenue source. Snap is also developing AR glasses, aiming to revolutionize human-centered computing.
</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%2Fmicroventures.com%2Ffinding-funding-bootstrapping-vs-fundraising%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/HcAvY3DY7aTtCcRQX9TGOi8AiaefdNKM8KTPA7PzBVc=422">
<span>
<strong>Bootstrapping vs Fundraising (6 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Bootstrapping allows founders to maintain control and minimize equity dilution using personal funds, but it poses financial risks and may limit growth. Raising venture capital provides cash, expertise, and validation but involves equity dilution and loss of control. With a hybrid approach, companies can bootstrap initially to prove their concept, then seek external capital for accelerated growth.
</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.saastr.com%2F996-is-real-and-its-becoming-common-at-least-in-sf-per-the-latest-ramp-data-how-hard-can-you-go%2F%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/xSHHrGsQBZ3l3v-8mvuDigI1CWo8MMybP2VKpaLR76k=422">
<span>
<strong>996 Is Real, and It's Becoming Common (7 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Ramp's data shows the "996" workweek, a 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., six-day-a-week schedule, is becoming prevalent in San Francisco, affecting multiple sectors beyond just tech. This shift creates intense competition, demanding faster product development and heightened responsiveness, especially for B2B companies. Leaders must decide whether to adopt 996, focus on efficiency, target different markets, or innovate hybrid models to maintain a competitive edge.
</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%2Ftesseral.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-a-developer-needs-to-know-about-scim%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/yXJcd6Ca_0cQfze7VAnwCtky_onHpwgwKTM-svvnpRc=422">
<span>
<strong>How SCIM works: the (minimally) technical guide (Sponsor)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
SCIM lets identity providers like Okta communicate user changes to your B2B app. This <a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Ftesseral.com%2Fblog%2Fwhat-a-developer-needs-to-know-about-scim/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/V_GDeEsBfsjqxlecUUOw2ysK3ZgEXP3Fey_YIjotELs=422" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"><span>developer guide</span></a> covers the real-world gotchas. Want to add SCIM to your app <strong>without</strong> building it? <a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Ftesseral.com%2Fcontact-us/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/hjIlhl22rNlXWLTgNNuaiyIjZpCqxYTX7o_dGAX8Lac=422" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank"><span>Talk to Tesseral</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.arcimus.com%2F%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/nh3nrUtpj9ZsHcVZmZAYV1oH-I-icdrECArwAtyiNVA=422">
<span>
<strong>Arcimus (Tool)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Scan thousands of signals to surface the people who actually need 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.lightbox.sh%2F%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/aG09KXCcFSNgufZ1OpeLefHJZxgVND8PoF_pYeeSgjs=422">
<span>
<strong>Lightbox (Tool)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Cursor for content creation.
</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%2Fshellcast.tv%2F%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/313Qcc-TZOtkiiWLsP7x9xASD-nrmyjTIeRhg5128wI=422">
<span>
<strong>Shellcast (Tool)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Stream your vibe coding.
</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%2Fandrewchen.substack.com%2Fp%2Flessons-learned-from-staring-at-thousands%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/W6IQTD__cB_Q4y0Bon0tlBYGf3YwJz8I587aaJcV1r0=422">
<span>
<strong>Why retention is so hard for new tech products (5 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
You might think fixing retention at a startup works like it does at big companies - run A/B tests, optimize onboarding, and send more notifications. However, that's attacking the wrong problem entirely. The truth is that bad retention means you built something people don't want, and no amount of optimization changes that. If your day-one retention is 10% instead of 40%, you need a complete pivot - redesign the home screen, change the core loop, and target different users. The only path to good retention is building something people already need to use frequently, then making it genuinely better than what exists.
</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.mostlymetrics.com%2Fp%2Fusage-based-pricing-can-suck%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/CuqRzosmE_6ANqZPcix3-IHXII1HgwLJb2SrWRbFLbw=422">
<span>
<strong>Usage Based Models: Why They Suck as a Customer (4 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Software companies sold us on usage-based pricing with a simple promise - pay only for what you use. In practice, you buy a year's worth of cloud credits for $100,000, use only $50,000, then discover those unused credits disappear unless you spend another $100,000 next year. One founder called it "infrastructure hostage-taking" after going through exactly this. You ask to pay less since you're using less, they say no, and your unused credits become leverage for them to force a renewal.
</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.aven.com%2Fblog%2Faven-raises-110m-series-e%2F%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/U7N92aATnsM-o72Q0UIxwKdI3cvo1tBmhVRqOy0fBkI=422">
<span>
<strong>Aven raises $110M Series E to expand homeowner credit platform (3 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Aven secured a $110M Series E round at a $2.2B valuation to cut consumer credit costs, focusing initially on HELOC-backed credit cards. It has saved customers over $215M in interest and expanded credit lines to $3B. Aven plans to scale mortgage refinancing to provide a comprehensive financial platform for American homeowners.
</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%2Flg.substack.com%2Fp%2Fmanaging-ai-is-like-managing-humans%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/tBvmCpwkK6zmiPPJJ1EWzvxWTtL19tIDONwdGc8cCXQ=422">
<span>
<strong>You're definitely going to be a manager now (2 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
AI is collapsing ten-person teams into two-person teams and killing middle management roles.
</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%2Fnews.crunchbase.com%2Ffintech%2Fstripe-challenger-rainforest-seriesb-funding%2F%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/Ktnh2qH2M_og_CTL-u-9pUXD1lKusaOwagw1vIziuCU=422">
<span>
<strong>Stripe Challenger Rainforest Lands $29M Series B (4 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Rainforest raised $29M in a Series B round led by Matrix Partners and Infinity Ventures to expand its payment solutions for vertical software platforms.
</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.saastr.com%2Fthe-ai-agent-reality-check-why-managing-always-on-ai-workers-is-your-next-big-challenge%2F%3Futm_source=tldrfounders/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/d-q2XGR5YDmVWQ4HFXPtjfU1zsn24AfLNlvGUoOnC_8=422">
<span>
<strong>The AI Agent Reality Check: Why Managing Always-On AI Workers Is Your Next Big Challenge (6 minute read)</strong>
</span>
</a>
<br>
<br>
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, Verdana, sans-serif;">
Managing 24/7 AI agents presents significant challenges despite their potential.
</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;">
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/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/Po9MMyqKMzRDdZhfKWxsGu2mtnd5fHR8r7F3NAMzQCg=422"><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/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/mUXLsL65xGOVohzEWY888uYSGjmbqyZvVQCY1bn8s-8=422" rel="noopener noreferrer" style="color: #0000EE; text-decoration: underline;" target="_blank"><strong>Apply here</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!
</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/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/f7zJJdtvyZ1tAFb8RNq9-8izyY3xeFdxF9OSUwtDGWo=422"><span>Andrew Tan</span></a> & <a href="https://tracking.tldrnewsletter.com/CL0/https:%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Fkevinskyewu%2F/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/0nMKW7AQj1hLaMrJeMcIGPh4TWPEZCnFnVsuzLcVVfM=422"><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/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/ux9sFq2TKs_1t0ZJhP6rppQ33CqFdatF6OFKMHiWpOw=422">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=c1ebc40a-8e21-11f0-b359-632de24eb959%26pt=campaign%26pv=4%26spa=1757505696%26t=1757506025%26s=d38cbe069179865f65e3d64bbcbaf937f3d9fe127f50f7bf51e1638ab1b6dfc2/1/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/xAZ1mxZGRBOK8YS5rX0e7q-jHIgkKyS_Mt3j4Vn-iGI=422">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/CI0/010001993385b782-867f8e4b-dac0-459b-816a-7c602cc51376-000000/1ifHSjNyGQlYY1dHU4O6jYhvAl7AHTgR26_GRtGXiPI=422" style="display: none; width: 1px; height: 1px;">
</body></html>