Series A Blueprint – The playbook for founders scaling to Series A

This conversation with Kyle DeSana, co-founder of Siftree explores the vision of a different internet, focusing on the decentralization of platform dynamics and the separation of the data layer from the application.

It delves into the shift towards more intentional and deliberate online spaces, the role of LLMs in shaping the internet, and the evolution from AOL to HTTP.

The conversation delves into the future of internet protocols, the dynamics between the EU and the US, decoupling and technological sovereignty, business models and revenue generation, and the evolution of the read vs. write internet.

Takeaways
Decentralization of platform dynamics
Separation of data layer from application
Shift towards more intentional and deliberate online spaces Decentralization and open protocols
Evolution of internet business models

Chapters
00:00 The Vision of a Different Internet
08:49 The Identity Layer and Data Ownership
19:44 The Role of LLMs in Shaping the Internet
32:21 The Evolution from AOL to HTTP
37:38 Decoupling and Technological Sovereignty
54:02 Business Models and Revenue Generation
Relevant Links:

My Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex--howard/
My Substack: https://shiftdiaries.substack.com/
Nostr wizard: nstart.me
Rabble episode with Jack: https://revolution.social/episodes/jack-dorsey-on-selling-twitter-leaving-bluesky-wha/
List of Nostr clients: nostrapps.com
Kyle's npub (Nostr public key for people to find him): npub18x6mq3tv0qyqy0gr7vs4dpwmlfe9mdf0eaw038rpx6sslteq9c0q57a2cg

In this episode, Alexandre Karim Howard reflects on key trends observed in the B2B software ecosystem, particularly for startups in Europe, and offers insights on how founders can enhance their chances of success.
He emphasizes the importance of being outcome-driven, creating innovative environments for teams, and effectively scaling intuition in decision-making processes.
These strategies are aimed at improving capital efficiency and increasing the likelihood of successful fundraising in the coming years.

Takeaways
Good product founders speak in outcomes first and foremost.
Adapt the length of your iteration cycles to the uncertainty of your business.
Objectives should be outcomes, not just deliverables.
Instill a mindset of capital efficiency in your teams.
Create creative sandboxes for your employees to innovate.
Decentralize vision to empower team members.
Systemize your intuition to scale decision-making.
Minimize multitasking to enhance focus and effectiveness.
Reflect on operational models to increase impact.
Building a product culture is essential for startup success.

Footnote links:
Connect with Alex on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex--howard/
Need help building product traction? Check out: https://regenerativeproducts.io

In this episode I interview Mike Pilawski, head of product at Miro.

As a founder, learn product culture building from the best. How to foster an open culture. How to build an org that actually performs at scale.

He also gives us a behind the scene of why Nokia fell. Listen on to find out what they got wrong...

Connect with Karim on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex--howard/
Need help building product traction? Check out: https://regenerativeproducts.io

How do you build real traction in climate-tech before your Series A?
In this episode, Nina Mannheimer, co-founder of Klim, breaks down the steps, pitfalls, and insights from scaling a regenerative agriculture startup in Europe.
We talk about:
The early decisions that mattered most

Customer validation in a complex ecosystem

What Nina wishes she had known sooner

How to build trust and adoption in sustainability markets

Patterns investors look for in b2b software

If you're building towards Seed or Series A, this episode brings real-world lessons from someone who’s lived it.

Footnote links:
Connect with Karim on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex--howard/
Need help building product traction? Check out: https://regenerativeproducts.io

We are officially in the founder product era! This means that the product skillset and the CEO skillset overlap more and more. Find out why I created the Series A Blueprint and why CEOs ought to be advised by product leaders.

Connect with Karim on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex--howard/
Need help building product traction? Check out: https://regenerativeproducts.io