After getting my last company acquired, I’m launching a new stealth AI startup. But this time, I’m doing everything completely differently.
Here are the 5 major changes I’m making based on what I learned from my previous experience.
5 Things I'm Doing Differently in My New AI Startup
Skipping Customers
In my prior startup, I wasted time listening to potential customers.
Now, I’m skipping customer discovery entirely.
Steve Jobs and Elon Musk didn’t need to listen to customers, so why should I?
The best products come from vision, not feedback.
Investor Focus
Last time, I only cared about product-market fit. This time, it’s all about investor-founder fit.
I’ll adapt my pitch to whatever each VC says they invest in.
Meeting their expectations is more important than sticking to one rigid vision.
Hiring Fast
Back then, I hired slowly and carefully, taking time to find the right people.
Now, I’m hiring a Head of Growth, Chief of Staff, and “AI Evangelist” before we even launch.
Building the team early sets us up for rapid scaling.
Smart Priorities
I used to worry about churn and gross margins, but now I spend all my energy on things that actually matter:
- Finding a cool .ai domain
- Logo design
- Filing patents
- Looking for fancy office space
These elements build credibility and brand value from day one.
Stealth Strategy
I thought about nonsense like go-to-market strategy and distribution channels.
Now, the best strategy is staying in stealth forever.
Nothing builds hype like saying nothing. Mystery creates demand.
Conclusion
These five strategic changes represent a complete shift in how I approach building a startup. Instead of focusing on traditional metrics and customer validation, I’m prioritizing investor relationships, team building, and brand positioning from the start.
Here’s a summary of the 5 major changes I’m making in my new AI startup:
- Skipping customer discovery completely instead of wasting time on feedback
- Focusing on investor-founder fit rather than just product-market fit
- Hiring key executives before launch instead of careful, slow hiring
- Prioritizing brand elements like domains, logos, and office space over metrics
- Staying in stealth mode forever to build hype through mystery
If I had done these 5 things differently the first time around, I’m 100% sure I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Sometimes success means completely flipping your approach and doing the opposite of conventional wisdom.