Startups are now achieving significant milestones, like hitting a million dollars in annual recurring revenue (ARR) within six months, which was previously an aspiration for 12 to 18 months post-batch.

At level four, you should have a team larger than 100 people and be generating over 25 million in annual recurring revenue (ARR).

Initially, we hired too slowly, which contributed to our rapid growth from $0 to $100 million ARR in just a year and a half.

The launch of Bolt was a significant moment, as it transformed the company from the brink of failure to achieving 20 million ARR in just two months, showcasing the power of effective product-market fit.

The ambition of founders has increased significantly due to AI, with many now aiming for aggressive growth targets, such as going from one to twenty million in revenue within a year.

Convincing employees to embrace the shift towards AI was challenging, especially when the company was already performing well with a 70-80% growth rate and $15-$20 million in ARR.

Achieving a million dollars in crowdfunding was crucial for us to break into Silicon Valley and prove our success to investors.

From 2013 to 2023, we experienced a 10-year overnight success, culminating in a $650 million sale, which reflects the long journey of building a truly amazing product.

I raised 1.6 million and obsessively built the company for three years, achieving 8.4X growth in one year, which led to a position where I didn't need the money when I went to raise again.