In partnership with
Today’s Edition
🕊️ Founder Friday with Goldfinch Founder Vansh Patel
Ⓜ️ AI Ad Creator Trained on Meta Algorithm
🏢 Resources for Early Stage Startups
⚛️ Chris Sacca’s VC Firm Is Investing in Nuclear Energy… Again
🥤 Soda… but for Gains 🏋️♂️
💡 Today’s Minimum Viable Idea
Ⓜ️ AI Ad Creation Tool Powered by Meta Algorithm
IDEA: Meta is one of the largest marketing platforms on the internet. Many businesses from sole proprietorships to large enterprises rely on Meta ads to drive conversions. Especially for the newsletter business, it is one of the few tried and true methods to grow a subscriber base (referrals are also great and you can win free merch). The problem is that many of these businesses have to spend tens of thousands of dollars before they figure out what works for them. And by the time that happens, Meta may have changed the algorithm again. A tool that learns Meta’s algorithm to figure out what goes viral, gets interactions, and drives sales would be a game changer for marketing efforts across the globe.
PRODUCT: Build an AI model that is trained on Meta’s viral posts, successful ads, and any open source information about its algorithm. Sell licenses to the AI model through a platform marketers can use to create ad campaigns and generate graphics and creative text that is sure to get the attention of Meta’s algorithm. Then, provide tailored instructions on how to set up the ad campaign within the Meta Ad Center in order to achieve their desired results. Include a pixel to track performance and continue to train your model.
MVP: AI model trained on Meta algorithm and ad creation tool.
REVENUE MODEL: Subscription based, charge a monthly fee to marketers creating ad campaigns.
EXIT STRATEGY: Sell to national ad agency or Meta itself for 5-8x revenue
🕊️ Founder Friday: Vansh Patel of Goldfinch
Check out Goldfinch’s website.
Vansh Patel is the founder of the AI forecasting startup Goldfinch. I had the pleasure of hearing Vansh’s pitch at last month’s Awesome Inc 5 Across startup competition and I was hooked from the very beginning. Not only does Goldfinch solve a real world, relatable problem through AI, its small business focus is going to make a world of difference for resource-strapped companies. Vansh is the real deal. Here is what he has to say about his entrepreneurial journey so far.
What are you working on now?
I’m building Goldfinch, AI forecasting for small business owners. I grew up helping my parents at their convenience store, where every dollar mattered. Margins were thin, and a lot of money got wasted simply because operations relied on gut instinct. Most businesses have data to operate on. Goldfinch helps owners like my parents make smarter decisions such as how much to order, when to staff up, and where they are losing margin, without needing a data team.
Why did you want to become an entrepreneur?
I love to build things. That’s really it. I have tried a lot of ideas that did not go anywhere, but every failure taught me something new. Over time, those lessons started to stack up and led me here. I do not think you decide to be an entrepreneur. You just keep building until something sticks.
Was there a specific moment or a “that’s it” reaction that made you make the jump?
Not really a single moment. I am still working full-time and building Goldfinch on nights and weekends. It feels less like a big leap and more like a steady climb. Each step forward confirms that this is worth doing.
What is something that we should know about the early days of starting a company?
It is chaotic, but in a good way. You will not have perfect clarity at first, so the goal is to build the smallest thing possible and try to sell it. Once real customers start reacting, you will know where to go next. Direction comes from doing.
Is entrepreneurship for everyone? And what is something people should be 100% sure about before they start?
Anyone is capable of it. It is mostly trial and error. You build something, it might not work, so you refine and try again. Eventually something clicks. The best way to start is by solving a problem you actually understand and selling the solution.
You should also know your own risk tolerance. Some people can afford to fail, and that makes things easier. For everyone else, you have to be more intentional about how you take those risks and pace yourself.
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 🗞️
Resource
Summary: If you are an early-stage startup founder or wanting to start a company in the near future, you need to bookmark this link. It has over 200 tactics broken down by category to help you get users, attention, and most important of all, traction.
Publication: TechCrunch
Summary: Venture firm Lowercarbon Capital, founded by investor Chris Sacca, is now raising a second fund dedicated to supporting nuclear-fusion energy companies. The firm previously launched a $250 million fusion–geared fund in 2022, backing startups like Commonwealth Fusion Systems and Pacific Fusion. Building commercial fusion reactors remains capital-intensive. Commonwealth raised $863 million earlier this year alone, but optimism among climate-tech investors remains high. Although Lowercarbon hasn’t detailed the size of the new fund, sources indicate it is targeted to be even larger than the first.
Spin: AI data centers require immense power and the amount they need is only going to go up. We have heard about the toxic emissions spewing from AI centers in Memphis and with the vast consumption of resources, we are going to need a more powerful and cleaner alternative in the very near future. Nuclear is the inevitable conclusion.
🚂 Motivation Station
🧱 Ready to run through a brick wall or do you need an extra push?
Today’s motivation comes from Oracle founder, Larry Ellison. His view of failure is inspiring. Most people never start because of the fear of failing, but he argues that he succeeds because of his fear of failure. Embrace it, try new things, and create your own luck.
Don’t get SaaD. Get Rippling.
Hundreds of apps create silos, wasted time, and missed opportunities. Rippling replaces SaaD (Software as a Disservice) with one system to run HR, IT, and Finance – without the drag.
Take a stand against SaaD today.
🔥 HighDEA
🥤 🏋️♂️ Protein Packed Soda - Broca-cola anyone?
IDEA: We hear the same idea all the time: put protein in beer and call it bro-tein. Not sure how that would work… or taste for that matter, but that’s above my pay grade. The real product we should be going after is the drinks that people typically don’t feel good about drinking. Beer are liquor are good examples, but what about a sugary drink loaded with artificial junk? That’s right, soda. It’s terrible for you, but if you put protein in it, weightlifters would go crazy for the burst of energy and gains that a protein soda would give them.
The best HR advice comes from those in the trenches. That’s what this is: real-world HR insights delivered in a newsletter from Hebba Youssef, a Chief People Officer who’s been there. Practical, real strategies with a dash of humor. Because HR shouldn’t be thankless—and you shouldn’t be alone in it.
📣 We Want to Hear from You! 📢
Do you have a startup and want to be featured on the next Founder Friday?
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.