Ilia Kule

Co-founder @convychat, ex product manager @superdao_co

[GREG ISENBERG @gregisenberg]

I had a chat last night with a billion-dollar SaaS founder/CEO. He's raised $200M at a $2B valuation in 2021.

Living the high life in SF with a crazy house and a Porsche 911. On the surface, it seems like he has it all and living the dream.

But he called me out of the blue at 11p last night to vent.

It’s been 9 years since he started the company although people think it's overnight success.

Last two years have been brutal.

He’s sprinting to profitability. Layoffs. Now navigating the AI landscape.

He goes: “I hope we can compete in an OpenAI world”

I could practically hear his uncertainty crackling through the phone.

Four years ago, he had a full head of blonde hair. Today, it’s mostly gray. He looks like Obama post-presidency.

Then he dropped the bombshell, “I’m running a zombie company. I don’t know if we’ll ever IPO. Hopefully, we sell, and I get a 1-3x return for investors. I feel stuck.”

This is the dirty secret of Silicon Valley.

So many founders are trapped in the hype cycle, drowning in VC money but feeling like teenage toddlers trying to figure it out.

I've been stuck before. I've been on this treadmill before.

Sometimes you get unstuck, find that killer product and before you know it you're Silicon Valley's darling again.

But most, time you're not. You're just treading water.

And then you wake-up, you're 45, no hair, no kids, only yearly trips to visits family and realized you could have made a more profitable career (and more fruitful life?) just doing your own thing.

Maybe you're happy. Because you gave it your best shot at "building something big". You wanted to become the next Mark Zuckerberg.

But maybe you aren't. Maybe you realize that you can build something big on your own. No investors. Or join something early that isnt on the VC-train.

He called because he’s desperate for a new direction. Profitable, indie startups.

I keep getting these calls.

The air is thick with anxiety.

The unicorn dream is cracking, and people are waking up.

[Convy @convychat]

We're excited to launch our first micro-Saas — a simple and convenient video recorder. Record and share videos with no app or account needed. Try it out and share your feedback → https://t.co/jV8EcGpPWs

[Ilia Kule @iliakuleshow]

Keep moving
@convychat

[Convy @convychat]

Sneak peek from Jan-Feb works

[Ilia Kule @iliakuleshow]

@pointum Yo! Just bought your great app, works awesome. Did you think about adding blur option? Quick research let me think that it's possible.

[Convy @convychat]

At the beginning of 2023, our team became a product studio. We have grown from 3 founders into a team of 8 people. Ended the year with 10 completed projects. So many plans and hopes for the future. Stay tuned 🙂

[Ilia Kule @iliakuleshow]

AI это конечно хорошо. А когда уже можно будет спокойно SSD отключать от ноута без этой дрочки с безопасным отключением?

[Ilia Kule @iliakuleshow]

@itwassoizzymp3 https://t.co/sX7RdbukCz

[Ilia Kule @iliakuleshow]

@RajguruDevasya https://t.co/sX7RdbukCz

[Ilia Kule @iliakuleshow]

@ItsPontio We're making the one

https://t.co/sX7RdbukCz

[Jackson Greathouse Fall @jacksonfall]

I gave GPT-4 a budget of $100 and told it to make as much money as possible.

I'm acting as its human liaison, buying anything it says to.

Do you think it'll be able to make smart investments and build an online business?

Follow along 👀

[Ilia Kule @iliakuleshow]

@rrhoover https://t.co/Z6PrCLkMLe

[Ilia Kule @iliakuleshow]

@mdubakov @mdubakov we think of it at @convychat, will be glad to chat

[Ilia Kule @iliakuleshow]

Great reflection ↓

What I learned from two years of building in the async collaboration space, by @heikirk https://t.co/lbKxBIeqVo

[Ilia Kule @iliakuleshow]

@grahamneray, Quill was cool. At @besedachat we're trying to continue your journey, so drop me a line.
https://t.co/wmmPma8ZCO

[Ilia Kule @iliakuleshow]

@nateobrienn @Roadrunner_VC We’re raising at @besedachat. Will be glad to chat. Check DMs.

[Ilia Kule @iliakuleshow]

@sdw Fuuuuck

[Ilia Kule @iliakuleshow]

3rd month of fundraising... trying all kinds of ways ↓

https://t.co/iLtKjwEXmp

[Ilia Kule @iliakuleshow]

What messaging app does @telegram team use internally?

[Convy @convychat]

🍻 Hello folks! Raise a glass: we lasted 1.5 years before the first serious fuсkup. Part of the messages at Beseda is gone. We were about to evict Danya to live in the forest. Unfortunately, our tech startup doesn’t work without the CTO