Founder 100 Magazine

FOUNDER 100 MAGAZINE

BUSINESS NEWS

Modal Labs Raises $750 Million at a $15.75 Billion Valuation

AI infrastructure startup Modal Labs has raised a $750 million Series D led by Accel, five months after its Series C, as its annualized revenue run rate passed $1 billion.

People: Tate McRae Launches Her First Fragrance, TATE 01

Tate McRae has launched her first fragrance, TATE 01, People reported, and the scent is now moving from her own website into Ulta Beauty.

Finding Product Market Fit: The Signs Every Founder Should Watch For

Product market fit is the turning point for a young company. Here is how founders can recognize it, measure it, and keep moving toward it.

People: Tate McRae Launches Her First Fragrance, TATE 01

Tate McRae has launched her first fragrance, TATE 01, People reported, and the scent is now moving from her own website into Ulta Beauty.

Warren Buffett Didn't Become a Billionaire Overnight—He Became One Decision at a Time

How Lionel Messi Built a Billion-Dollar Legacy: 7 Principles Every Entrepreneur Should Follow

How Taylor Swift Built a $2 Billion Empire: A Blueprint Every Entrepreneur Can Follow

The Latest In World News

The Shocking Reason Fuel Prices Are up 30%—And Why It’s About to Get Worse

The Scoop: If you’ve noticed your wallet feeling a lot lighter lately, you can thank the prolonged conflict in the Middle East. The global economic buffer has officially worn thin, and consumers are paying the price. The Details: Decades of intense geopolitical and religious tension have erupted into prolonged military operations around critical trade routes like the Strait of Hormuz. Because of the constant danger, oil prices have quietly shot up by roughly 30%. The Global I

The Latest In Entertainment

Featured Founders

Modal Labs Raises $750 Million at a $15.75 Billion Valuation

How Founders Pick a Customer Support Tool

How Founders Handle Their First Angry Customer

How Founders Set Up a Simple Monthly Financial Close

How Founders Set Up a Customer Referral Program

How Founders Plan a Product Launch Day

How Founders Write a Customer Onboarding Email Sequence

How Founders Set Up an Employee Stock Option Pool

How Founders Prepare for Their First Trade Show

How Founders Choose Their First Office Space

People: Tate McRae Launches Her First Fragrance, TATE 01

Modal Labs Raises $750 Million at a $15.75 Billion Valuation

People: Tate McRae Launches Her First Fragrance, TATE 01

Finding Product Market Fit: The Signs Every Founder Should Watch For

Customer Discovery Interviews: How Founders Learn What People Really Need

Building a Pitch Deck Investors Will Actually Read

Pricing Your Product: A Founder's Guide to Charging What It Is Worth

The Shocking Reason Fuel Prices Are up 30%—And Why It’s About to Get Worse

How Global Wars Are Secretly Killing the Internet as We Know It

The Scoop: Think the internet will always connect everyone, everywhere? Think again. The massive political and religious divides splitting the globe right now are officially building a permanent digital wall. The Details: Because of how countries are lining up in current wars, the world is fracturing into two distinct camps. On one side is the US and its allies; on the other is a tight partnership between Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. The Global Impact: To survive Wes

The Three Separate Wars You’ve Been Ignoring Just Merged Into One Massive Global Nightmare

The Scoop: While everyone is watching Europe and the Middle East, a massive, interconnected crisis just boiled over in the Horn of Africa—and the fallout is about to ripple across the entire planet. The Details: According to the latest data, what used to be three separate issues—the brutal civil war in Sudan, intense fighting in Somalia, and ethnic clashes in Ethiopia—have officially merged into one giant conflict system. Refugee crises, illegal arms deals, and gold smuggling

World News

Lauren Bennett, Voice Behind Party Rock Anthem, Dies at 36

Credit: LMFAO / Interscope The music industry is mourning the loss of Lauren Bennett, the British singer best known for her vocals on the global smash hit Party Rock Anthem and as a member of the pop group G.R.L. Bennett has died at the age of 36, according to statements shared by her former bandmates. Bennett first captured international attention in 2011 when she appeared alongside LMFAO on Party Rock Anthem, one of the defining pop anthems of the decade. The song topped ch

Book Reviews

From Surviving Against the Odds to Inspiring Young Hearts: David Koning's Wag and a Prayer Is the Children's Book Families Need Right Now

The Diary of a CEO by Steven Bartlett

Buy Back Your Time by Dan Martell

Modal Labs Raises $750 Million at a $15.75 Billion Valuation

AI infrastructure startup Modal Labs has raised a $750 million Series D led by Accel, five months after its Series C, as its annualized revenue run rate passed $1 billion.

People: Tate McRae Launches Her First Fragrance, TATE 01

Tate McRae has launched her first fragrance, TATE 01, People reported, and the scent is now moving from her own website into Ulta Beauty.

How Founders Pick a Customer Support Tool

The right customer support tool keeps every question in one place and helps a small team answer quickly. Here is how founders decide what they need and choose without overbuying.

How Founders Handle Their First Angry Customer

Sooner or later every startup gets an upset customer. Here is how founders listen, respond and fix the problem so the first angry customer becomes a lesson rather than a lost account.

How Founders Set Up a Simple Monthly Financial Close

Many early stage companies only look closely at their books when a deadline forces them to. Here is how founders build a simple monthly close that keeps the numbers accurate and decisions grounded in reality.

How Founders Set Up a Customer Referral Program

Happy customers are often willing to recommend you, but few will do it unprompted. Here is how founders design a simple referral program that rewards advocates and brings in the right new customers.

How Founders Plan a Product Launch Day

A launch day can build momentum for months or disappear in a few hours. Here is how founders prepare the product, the team and the message so the big day turns into lasting traction.

How Founders Write a Customer Onboarding Email Sequence

The first few days after someone signs up decide whether they become a customer or quietly disappear. Here is how founders plan, write and improve an onboarding email sequence that helps new users succeed.

How Founders Set Up an Employee Stock Option Pool

An option pool is one of the first equity decisions a founder makes, and it shapes hiring for years. Here is how to size it, approve it, price it and explain it to the people who receive grants.

How Founders Prepare for Their First Trade Show

A first trade show can put a young company in front of buyers, partners and press in a single week. Here is how founders plan, staff and follow up so the investment pays off.

How Founders Choose Their First Office Space

Your first office can boost focus and culture or quietly drain cash. Founders who choose space with clear needs, flexible terms and honest numbers avoid costly mistakes.

How Founders Keep Product Roadmaps Honest With Customers

A roadmap is a promise with dates attached. Founders who keep it honest earn trust, cut fake urgency and build products customers actually want to wait for.

How Founders Write Release Notes Customers Actually Read

Release notes are one of the most overlooked customer touchpoints. Written well, they build trust, drive adoption and show customers that their feedback matters.

How Founders Run Customer Churn Interviews That Reveal the Truth

When a customer leaves, the reason in the cancellation form is rarely the whole story. Founder Magazine explains how to run churn interviews that uncover what really happened.

How Founders Choose What Not to Build This Quarter

Shipping everything feels like progress until focus disappears. Founder Magazine breaks down a simple way founders decide what stays off the roadmap this quarter.

How Founders Write a Weekly Board Update Worth Reading

Investors and advisers skim fast. Founder Magazine breaks down a simple weekly board update that builds trust without turning into a second job.

How Founders Scope Their First Pilot Project

A first pilot should prove one sharp bet, not rebuild the whole product. Here is how founders scope a pilot that customers can finish and founders can learn from.

How Founders Can Protect Their Company Name With a Trademark

A company name is one of the first assets a founder creates and one of the easiest to lose. Here is a plain guide to choosing a name you can protect, checking for conflicts and filing for a trademark.

How Founders Can Run a Useful Post Mortem After a Failed Launch

A failed launch hurts. A useful post mortem turns the pain into sharper bets next time without turning the room into a blame session.

How Founders Can Set a Simple Decision Log the Team Will Use

When decisions live only in Slack threads, teams reargue the past. A simple decision log helps Founder Magazine readers keep clarity without building bureaucracy.

How Founders Can Keep a Simple Cash Runway Dashboard

Runway should not live only in a founder's head. A simple weekly cash dashboard helps Founder Magazine readers stay solvent while they build.

How Founders Can Sunset a Feature Without Angering Users

Killing a feature is hard, but silence and surprise are harder. Here is how founders can retire product work with clarity, respect, and a real migration plan.

How Founders Can Build a Simple Weekly Operating Rhythm

Chaos is normal in a young company. A simple weekly rhythm helps founders stay on top of priorities without drowning in meetings and tools.

How Founders Can Write Their First Job Description

Your first job description shapes who applies and who joins your startup. Here is how founders can write one that attracts the right people.

How Founders Can Hold a Productive Board Meeting

A well run board meeting can give founders sharper advice and stronger support. Here is how to prepare, run and follow up on one.

How Founders Can Write a Clear Company Mission Statement

A strong mission statement guides decisions, attracts the right people and keeps a growing company focused. Here is how founders can write one that works.

The One Page Business Plan: A Simple Tool Founders Will Actually Use

Long business plans often sit unread. A one page plan keeps founders focused. Here is what to include and how to put it to work.

Bootstrapping vs Raising Capital: How Founders Choose the Right Path

Should you fund your startup yourself or raise outside money? Here is a clear look at the tradeoffs every founder should weigh.

Choosing a Cofounder: What Every Founder Should Look For Before Saying Yes

A cofounder is one of the biggest decisions you will make in your company. Here is how to judge fit, align on values and set clear terms from day one.

Finding Product Market Fit: The Signs Every Founder Should Watch For

Product market fit is the turning point for a young company. Here is how founders can recognize it, measure it, and keep moving toward it.

Customer Discovery Interviews: How Founders Learn What People Really Need

Before you build more, talk to more customers. A practical guide to customer discovery interviews that reveal real problems and real demand.

Building a Pitch Deck Investors Will Actually Read

A strong pitch deck tells a clear story in a few minutes. Here is how founders can structure, write, and design a deck that earns the next meeting.

Pricing Your Product: A Founder's Guide to Charging What It Is Worth

Price too low and you starve the business. Price too high without proof and you stall. Here is a practical way for founders to set and test pricing.

Making Your First Hire: A Founder's Guide to Getting It Right

Your first employee shapes your company more than any hire after. How founders can decide when to hire, what role to fill and how to choose well.

Your First Ten Customers: How Founders Win Early Traction

Before scale comes proof. A practical guide for founders on finding, winning and learning from the first ten customers who will shape the business.

Cash Flow Before Growth: How Early-Stage Founders Stay Solvent

Profitable on paper is not the same as cash in the bank. The habits early-stage founders use to manage runway, forecast honestly and grow without running dry.