Insert creative title here.
Today's edition is all about sparking creativity. So leave if you're a hater.
A quick word from the author:
Thank you to all people who’ve joined this effort to follow Founder’s Compass (there’s already 200 of us!). Jotting down my hot takes and off-the-wall comments on what’s going on in the startup world right now is refreshing and keeps me grounded and I hope it has at least 10% of that effect on you too when you’re reading this.
Sparking Creativity:
“Software has been eating the world for a while now. There’s been a shift. not dramatic, but gradual. slow. quiet. like how one day you realize everyone around you stopped using chrome. somewhere along the way, software stopped being invisible. it started meaning things. your browser, your calendar, your to-do list, these aren’t just tools anymore. they are taste. alignment. self-expression.”
“For any kind of notification, there are 4 stages.
1️⃣ Trigger
What causes the notification? Ideally should be based on an action the user’s previously taken, like setting a reminder.
2️⃣ Hook
What compels the user to read the notification? And then open it?…..”
“Pointing allows a model to refer to entities or parts of entities precisely, and locate them in space. Gemini 2.5 Pro is able to reason about the entities it is pointing to, opening new opportunities for interacting with images. For example, Gemini 2.5 Pro is able to reason about empty space in the context of a supermarket display, knowing that this indicates restocking may be needed. In the example below, Gemini identifies the baby eggplant needs restocking.”
“The conflict is the story.
One of my Pixar bosses explained conflict to me in a way that I still think about today, which is in terms of WANTS vs. NEEDS. So the thing a character WANTS is almost always something external/physical.”
“Over the course of several months, researchers at MIT asked 54 students to write a series of essays. Participants were divided into three groups:
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LLM group: using ChatGPT for assistance
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Search Engine group: using Google without any AI help
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Brain-only group: writing without any tools
Each participant completed three essays in their assigned condition. In a fourth session, some people switched methods (for example, ChatGPT users then wrote without AI, and vice versa).”
Tool of the Week: Pointer
Pointer enhances Chrome’s built-in element inspector with a persistent, intuitive DOM navigation tool that stays active while you work. Unlike the default DevTools inspector that turns off after selecting an element, Pointer keeps running so you can quickly inspect multiple elements without constantly reactivating the tool.
Startup Idea of the Week: F&B Kickstarter
According to a recent study I conducted while staring at a croissant for too long, 8 out of 10 food startup founders say their biggest challenge is getting funding before they have a product people can taste.
So here’s the idea: A Kickstarter-style platform made specifically for food and beverage brands. Think small-batch kombucha brewers, mushroom jerky makers, or those mad scientists working on zero-alcohol whiskey that actually tastes good. These founders could launch limited-run product drops, test new flavors, and raise capital without begging grocery store buyers or mortgaging their sourdough starter.
How It Works:
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Creators post a product concept (ex: “hibiscus habanero soda—trust me”)
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Customers pre-order (and optionally subscribe)
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The campaign hits its goal → the food gets made → early-adopters provide feedback.
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Feedback rolls in, and the creator either pivots, scales, or vanishes.
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Customers feel like early insiders.
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It creates viral momentum (niche foodie communities love being first)
Go-to-Market Plan:
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Target indie food incubators, food TikTokers, and popup chefs
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Partner with shared kitchens & DTC logistics companies
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Launch a few headline-grabbing products (e.g., “AI-designed energy bar” or “beer made with bread waste”)
What Could Go Wrong?
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Someone inevitably underestimates how hard it is to ship 5,000 bottles of spicy mango hot sauce.
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A batch goes viral… for the wrong reasons (see: “mayo-flavored soda”)
But hey—food is culture. And people love putting their money where their mouths are. Literally.
Ok, hear me out, you should try: pitch decks for your customers.
Imagine this: You’re a broke college student. You want a MacBook. It’s $2,000. Your parents are… skeptical.
Apple’s response?
“Don’t worry, kid. We got slides.”
No joke—Apple released a full 81-slide presentation template called “Why I Need a Mac for College” to help students convince their parents to cough up the cash.
Your biggest fans suck at selling you.
They love your product. They just don’t know how to pitch it to the person holding the wallet (parents, bosses, procurement demons, etc).
Enter: Certificate Marketing.
Also known as: “Give them the script.”
Enterprise SaaS companies have been doing this for years—building “value realization” decks so their champions can go convince the CFO.
Apple just ported that idea to the consumer world.
Every brand where user ≠ buyer should steal this immediately.
What’s going on for us: (thanks for asking!)
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This week we’re visiting the first couple of houses that would be a fit for “CEE Tech House”, and there’s some promising one’s out there (including a castle!).
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Our US legal entity just got it’s EIN (it’s unique identification number that allows it to open a bank account) so we’ll start operating on US soil in no-time.
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Massive updates at “Noi Venim Din Viitor” as we’re currently exploring the video realm to generate personalized news reels. Also, you’ll see a lot more tech-related articles coming out of our pages starting now.
To all the readers that got this far, I wish you a day. Preferably good <3
