AI is replacing everything — are Founders next?
Founders have seen a massive boon in helping us accelerate both the speed and cost of our startups with AI, but the nagging question of whether "we're next" is in the back of every Founder's mind right now.
Like seriously — can AI really replace a Founder? The answer is: partially. But it's really important for us to understand what can (and should) be replaced and what we can double down on to enhance what it means to be a Founder.
### Some Founder Traits are Replaceable
There’s no sugar-coating it — AI is already outperforming us in tasks we used to think required human ingenuity. Writing marketing copy. Generating wireframes. Analyzing customer behavior. Running code sprints. And the creep is accelerating. Agents can now simulate go-to-market strategies, test user funnels, and even debate pricing models.
For many Founders, that’s a win. Fewer hires. Faster turnaround. Lower burn. But there’s an underlying shift happening. When you realize the “smartest person in the room” is a bot you’re paying $49/month for, it hits differently.
But let's think about this differently. Those weren't necessarily the things that made us a Founder — they just made us a contributor. They were necessary skills and tools we needed at a time when a more efficient model wasn't available. Now they are, and we can evolve accordingly.
### What Makes Founders Unique
I want us to think in terms of building a house. In the past, we were the Architect, General Contractor, and Plumber all in one. We reveled in our versatility and contributed at all levels accordingly. But now some of those skill sets simply aren't as necessary as they were before.
Now we need to be the Architect — the visionary and idea machine. We need to take advantage of the fact that those construction-level skills simply don't require the blood, sweat and tears they used to — and that's fantastic.
It's not just our ability to act creatively, it's our ability to lead. To sell a vision. To rally a team. To create an urgency that otherwise would never exist. That is what makes a Founder valuable and unique. While AI will assist, it will only ever do as much as the Founder drives it to do.
### The New Founder Job Description
The next generation of Founders will no longer be preoccupied with the mundane aspects of building; they will be able to redirect that energy into getting more done faster. They will be masters of efficiency and exponential returns.
We are the Henry Fords of AI — using a new wave of automation to create geometrically more output than ever before. Our new job description is based on "exponential scale." We must build companies that can do 100x what a previous version could do... at a fraction of the cost.
If we do our new jobs really well, we'll also bring with us another critical element — humanity. Instead of finding ways to "automate humans" like some Matrix-esque future, we'll build a future where the human element is valued at a premium, but with our teams and with our products. In a world of faceless automation, we will bring the warmth of humanity back into the world.
### We Have to Evolve
There are currently two factions of Founders developing — those that are fully embracing AI and the future it can bring, and those that are actively dismissing it. I saw those same camps form during the PC revolution in the 80's, the Internet in the 90's, and the Social Era of the 2000's. Exactly none of those voices exist anymore — they all got replaced.
AI has an ungodly number of drawbacks — don't get me wrong. But it's our job to develop the benefits while re-designing the drawbacks for our benefit.
The point is, AI will replace some Founders — but only those that aren't willing or able to evolve. For those that do, and those that grow up in this new environment, we're going to see more innovation and progress in the next 10-20 years than we've seen in the past century.
Let's all be a part of that future.
### In Case You Missed It
Investors Will be Obsolete Startups don’t need your millions anymore, AI just rewrote the rules. VCs, evolve fast or face extinction.
Why is a Founder so Hard to Replace? There are a ton of jobs we can hire for — a "Founder" isn't one of them.
How Do I Get More Equity Back? Giving equity away is easy. Getting it back is super hard. So while we can get some stock back into our coffers, we have to focus more on how quickly we give it away than how we get it back.