Afan

Helping ambitious founders build, raise, and scale.

[Afan @whyafan]

Yes, and every co-founder should earn the role. A prospective co-founder is, in many ways, a new hire. Apply the same standards, evaluate how well you work together, and test the partnership before making long-term commitments. No one should be granted a co-founder or executive title from the outset; those roles should emerge through demonstrated contribution, trust, and leadership over time.

[Ivan Burazin @ivanburazin]

If you're a former founder who made investors money, you'll raise again (product optional)

If you're a former founder who failed but raised, you'll raise again (just need a story)

If you're a founder with Ivy League + big tech pedigree, you'll get a small single-digit investment in millions (no product needed)

If you're a founder with a strong network through family or connections, you have a significant advantage (most people won't admit)

If you're none of the above, you need a working product + real users + a great story (you'll still get a lower valuation though)

Self-awareness about which tier you're in is the most underrated fundraising skill.

[Paul Graham @paulg]

You are far more dangerous to your startup than competitors are. A hundred times more startups die from poor execution by their founders than are killed by competitors.

[Peter H. Diamandis, MD @PeterDiamandis]

Pessimists sound smart. 

Optimists build the world.

[Teddy - PolyBackTest.com @Bitcoin_Teddy]

Elon Musk: There are no lords and peasants at Tesla. Everyone eats at the same table.

“I actually know the people on the line, because I worked on the line, I walked the line, I slept in the factory, and I worked beside them. So, I'm no stranger to them.

There are many people at Tesla who have gone from working on the line to being in senior management. There are no lords and peasants. Everyone eats at the same table. Everyone parks in the same parking lot.

At GM, there's a special elevator only for senior executives. We have no such thing at Tesla.

We give everyone stock options. Many people who are just working the line, who didn't even know what stocks were, we've made them millionaires.

And I just want to say that I'm incredibly appreciative of those who build the cars, and they know it.”

New York Times DealBook Summit, 2023

[Afan @whyafan]

@pmarca Schrodinger's regulation, simultaneously the policy that kills innovation and the safety net that funds everyone's UBI checks after AI takes their job. Incredible range honestly.

[Afan @whyafan]

PS: Focus on your beachhead SAM and where your product naturally finds an audience, even if it’s somewhere you didn’t initially expect. If the opportunity is large enough to build a meaningful business and that’s where you’re seeing the strongest pull, lean into it. That’s often where PMF is hiding.

[Afan @whyafan]

I second this. Attention is scarce. For a startup with two co-founders and a small team, focusing deeply on one niche, serving it exceptionally well, and owning that market can easily become a $10M ARR business.

[Russell Brunson @russellbrunson]

You can’t sell to everyone. Pick your niche and go deep.

[Russell Brunson @russellbrunson]

You can’t sell to everyone. Pick your niche and go deep.

[Afan @whyafan]

@honour_can_code @ahmedrann Beautiful website, by the way. If you don't mind me asking, what does traction like? With AI everywhere now and automated workflows becoming a pretty standard feature, I'm curious how that's affected growth and demand. Would love to hear your perspective.

[Afan @whyafan]

This is awesome. Does it also help people find internships, contract roles, or other short term opportunities that can eventually turn into full time jobs?

I've been looking for VC internships recently, which are pretty hard to find, along with full time roles. LinkedIn Premium has been pretty good for surfacing those.

Have you tried it? The only limitation I see is that it's only LinkedIn jobs, which tend to be the more established openings. Curious what your take is.

[Afan @whyafan]

@parcse_ @ahmedrann No way, you built these? I found them when I got my first Mac and was looking for apps to use it better.

Out of curiosity, what made you start a lab? And do you work on this full time?

Also, your website looks amazing!

[Afan @whyafan]

@clawremote @ahmedrann Love the idea. How would I access OpenClaw on my device, through a dashboard or direct terminal access? I'm already an OpenClaw user and usually control it from my phone via my computer's terminal (using Macky), so curious how this works.

[Afan @whyafan]

@c_estoa @ahmedrann You’ve probably been asked this a lot, but what makes this meaningfully different from Duolingo?

[Afan @whyafan]

@AadityaYuvraj Keep building, Yuvraj. The world needs more people like you :)

[Afan @whyafan]

I agree that founders shouldn’t be limited by their background or location. But connections and referrals aren’t just outdated gatekeeping mechanisms, they’re often how trust gets established. Technology can make access easier, but I don’t think it fully replaces human networks.

[Javier Alonso @JavierForge]

@ahmedrann https://t.co/OQTsssb8lV

[Afan @whyafan]

@Shubham_iosdev @ahmedrann Looks interesting. Out of curiosity, what’s the pricing for Pro, and how has adoption been so far?

[Afan @whyafan]

@devYoma @ahmedrann Isn’t this already standard on most payment apps? In India, nearly every UPI and QR payment app supports it. Maybe it’s region-specific, but I’d expect the rest of the industry to move in the same direction.

[Afan @whyafan]

@Caden1Fenn @KaiXCreator Nice, if you’re already seeing traction, I’m open to helping you scale this further. Share the numbers with me in DMs if you’d like.

[Afan @whyafan]

@HyveMindx1 @suni_code Great, could you share some numbers so we can set realistic expectations? I’m happy to help.