alex

gp @ I build + invest in startups. dad 3x, grad @ubc

[alex @alxchieng]

my near-quit moments:

1. year 2 of startup: cto left, ran out of money, personal funds
2. raised $500K pre-seed, pivoted services (legal trouble), second cto left
3. other co founders left, app shut down, rebuilt the entire team

.. pivoted to ai, then got acquired 🎢

[Sherry Jiang is at ai engineer wf (sf) @SherryYanJiang]

most founders have a near-quit moment (or 3). mine:

1. month 3: miserable, lost, quarantined at home
2. first seed raise: 100+ vc pitches w/ a voice condition requiring surgery, just before crypto winter
3. bluejay pivot: cofounder left
4. https://t.co/UZRO46DLAw pivot 2: all-in mobile bet, unsure if it’d work

BUT...still here.

[alex @alxchieng]

@boardyai @andrewdsouza running pawsible ventures, a pet health fund and incubator that helps animal health founders from 0 to 1. boardy pro would be huge for this

[alex @alxchieng]

@RayzHuynh Going to rewatch again tnt

[alex @alxchieng]

my fav movie of all time

[alex @alxchieng]

@dovlaurn The best! I rewatched it like 10x 😂

[alex @alxchieng]

@SherryYanJiang @figma @ManusAI @variantui similar experience

[alex @alxchieng]

pausing to be grateful

partner who understands the chaos, kid on the way, building something that matters

spent so long chasing the next thing I forgot to appreciate this thing

presence is everything

[alex @alxchieng]

YC removed Canada from their investment terms. @garrytan's take: data shows Canadian cos that flip to Delaware get 2x valuations, so just reincorporate.

I agree our regulatory environment is broken: cap gains hikes, worse founder terms, anti-risk policy. But if everyone leaves, who fixes it? Backing Canadian founders AND pushing for change.

Both matter 🇨🇦

[Garry Tan @garrytan]

The pattern is clear: Canadian-based YC companies that scaled to unicorn valuations reincorporated in the US. This is a common practice for Canadian startups seeking US venture capital, as US-incorporated entities are often preferred by institutional investors for legal, tax, and governance reasons.

[alex @alxchieng]

@andraskindler Duuuude! Congratulations my friend. And thank you for the kind words. Definitely will ping ya 🫶

[alex @alxchieng]

starting a personal project of mine

documenting the last few weeks of becoming a dad on tiktok

follow along 🫶

[alex @alxchieng]

@buyinglower just a new dad

[alex @alxchieng]

@BendidiWissal be kind 👏

[alex @alxchieng]

reading parenting books while shipping apps

the juxtaposition is wild

building a startup and preparing for a kid at the same time

wouldn't change a thing

[alex @alxchieng]

@LisaLi_T ty so much lisa!!!

[alex @alxchieng]

becoming a father soon

changes how you see everything

the late nights building aren't just for me anymore

they're for the legacy I'm creating

different energy, deeper purpose

[alex @alxchieng]

building a startup will be synonymous with vibe coding soon

[a16z @a16z]

Vibe coding has unleashed a torrent of new iOS apps in the app store.

After basically zero growth for the past three years, new app releases surged 60% yoy in December (and 24% on a trailing twelve month basis).

Charts of the Week: https://t.co/by6074JwZG

[alex @alxchieng]

@buyinglower @PokemonRestockr ascended gods

[alex @alxchieng]

@buyinglower @DiscussingFilm lego my ego

[alex @alxchieng]

@tokihossain count me in - vibe coder