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Today’s Edition
🎨 The Frustrations of CSS Are Over
🏢 How to Apply to Y Combinator
🤖 OpenAI Raising a Cool $40 Billion
🛏️ The Famous Make Your Bed Speech from Admiral William McRaven
⚙️💡 Get Minimum Viable Merch with Only One Referral
💡 Today’s Minimum Viable Idea
🎨 Sketch to CSS and HTML Code Generator
IDEA: CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets, is the coding language used for styling web pages. It’s fairly straightforward in terms of syntax and integrating with HTML and Javascript libraries. That said, it has been the bane of programmer’s existences for decades. I have seen firsthand Java and Python experts pulling their hair out as they google “how to center a div” for the fourth time. It can be a major time waste and strain on resources especially with more complex projects. There needs to be a way to get CSS right the first time, save time and money, and meet client expectations.
PRODUCT: Create a tool where users can upload sketches or wireframes of websites and return ready-to-use HTML and CSS code. Include an online platform for reusing code, drag and drop elements as part of the sketch editing process, and a no code solution for non-technical users.
Could be positioned as a collaborative tool where clients can upload sketches and make comments while third-party developers work on the website and code.
MVP: No code webpage creator with sketch reader and code exporter.
REVENUE MODEL: Subscription, offer tiered plan options for different levels of service.
EXIT STRATEGY: Sell to a no-code website building platform like Webflow or Base44 for 6-8x revenue.
Find your customers on Roku this Black Friday
As with any digital ad campaign, the important thing is to reach streaming audiences who will convert. To that end, Roku’s self-service Ads Manager stands ready with powerful segmentation and targeting options. After all, you know your customers, and we know our streaming audience.
Worried it’s too late to spin up new Black Friday creative? With Roku Ads Manager, you can easily import and augment existing creative assets from your social channels. We also have AI-assisted upscaling, so every ad is primed for CTV.
Once you’ve done this, then you can easily set up A/B tests to flight different creative variants and Black Friday offers. If you’re a Shopify brand, you can even run shoppable ads directly on-screen so viewers can purchase with just a click of their Roku remote.
Bonus: we’re gifting you $5K in ad credits when you spend your first $5K on Roku Ads Manager. Just sign up and use code GET5K. Terms apply.
🚨 Startup News, Trends, and Resources 🗞️
Publication: Y Combinator
Summary: YC emphasizes clarity and concision. Start with a simple one-sentence description of what you’re building. Avoid vague marketing language or grandiose claims. Demonstrate that the founding team is impressive, each should have built or achieved something concrete, and the team should clearly have the capability to carry out the idea. Show insight into the market or problem. What makes your solution distinctive and how will you overcome obstacles? Be specific about your idea and your team. Mention what you’ve already done. Lastly, cut out unnecessary words and help the reviewer understand you quickly and clearly.
Spin: You don’t have to go through a rigorous startup accelerator to be a successful entrepreneur. But, YC’s track record speaks for itself. So many legendary startups like Doordash, Coinbase, AirBNB, Instacart, Dropbox, etc. have gone through the program. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart and definitely not for those trying to build on nights and weekends. They are going to demand 24/7 attention and all gas no breaks drive to get your product launched. If you’re interested, they run applications four times per year.
Publication: Fortune
Summary: OpenAI has raised $8.3 billion in its latest funding round, which was around five times oversubscribed as investors clamored to participate. The round was led by Dragoneer Investment Group, which alone contributed approximately $2.8 billion. The funding comes as part of OpenAI’s broader plan to raise up to $40 billion this year, underscoring its ambition and investor confidence. Meanwhile, earlier-backing investors report receiving smaller allocations as the company prioritized bringing in new strategic partners.
Spin: The latest $8.3 billion round has valued OpenAI at around $300 billion making it one of the richest private companies of all time. I do have a few concerns about OpenAI though. What are they using all of this money for? What are the environmental concerns? Do we have the infrastructure to support the amount of energy they are going to need going forward?
I’d love to hear your take on potential concerns of OpenAI expansion. Reply to this email, and I will get the conversation rolling.
🚂 Motivation Station
🧱 Ready to run through a brick wall or do you need an extra push?
Today’s motivation comes from one of the most famous speeches on the internet. “Make your bed” is the tagline that everyone remembers. The sentiment from Admiral William McRaven is simple. Do one thing every day and do it well. That way, when you go to bed, even if you have had the worst day, you can still take solace in the accomplishment of making your bed. The task does not have to be literally making your bed, it can be anything that you find value in and McRaven gives numerous examples though his experiences training Navy SEALs.
The Simplest Way To Create and Launch AI Agents
Imagine if ChatGPT, Zapier, and Webflow all had a baby. That's Lindy.
With Lindy, you can build AI agents and apps in minutes simply by describing what you want in plain English.
From inbound lead qualification to AI-powered customer support and full-blown apps, Lindy has hundreds of agents that are ready to work for you 24/7/365.
Stop doing repetitive tasks manually. Let Lindy automate workflows, save time, and grow your business.
🔥 HighDEA
🍩 Donuts Delivery for Work Excuses
IDEA: Running late for work may be one of the worst ways to start the day. You’re stressed, already behind on work, and your boss is going to be mad. However, if you show up with donuts, it makes it a whole lot easier to earn forgiveness. Now, there is no point in being even more late than you already are, so let’s have someone meet you in the parking lot with the best corporate apology gift.
When you miss your alarm and wake up at 8:07, simple open the app and order 2 dozen glazed to the office and meet the delivery driver before you walk in.
📣 We Want to Hear from You! 📢
Send us an email! Let us know what you’re building, what you thought about today’s newsletter, or whatever else is on your mind.