105+ Essays

Essays

Deep thinking on building businesses designed to own forever. Not how-to content. Decision logs, frameworks, and pattern recognition.

George Pu
George Pu
$10M+ portfolio. Zero VC.

Not sure where to start?

My Best Thinking
George's takes
Frameworks
How I think
My Portfolio
Real numbers
About George
The full story
Co-Founders Are Optional Now (AI Changed the Math)

Co-Founders Are Optional Now (AI Changed the Math)

Started SimpleDirect with 5 co-founders in 2022. Ended with 0 in 2024. Revenue went up. Here's why PG is wrong for 2025. The Co-Founder Gospel Paul Graham preaches it. Every YC partner repeats it. VCs demand it. "Solo founders are a red flag. You need: * A technical co-founder * A business co-founder * Complementary skills * Shared emotional burden" Where this comes from: 15 years of YC data. Startups with co-founders had higher success rates. Why it made sense (2005-2020): * Buil

·6 min
Make vs Zapier: The Automation Battle for Bootstrap Founders

Make vs Zapier: The Automation Battle for Bootstrap Founders

I've spent $2,400 on Zapier over 2 years. Then I switched to Make and cut that to $348/year while building more complex workflows. Same results, 85% less cost, but there's a catch. This isn't another generic comparison. I'll show you the exact workflows running SimpleDirect operations, real cost breakdowns, and when each tool makes sense for bootstrap founders. By the end, you'll know which one fits your business and budget. The Numbers That Matter My 2-Year Automation Journey: Zapier

·8 min
SimpleDirect Chat Review: Building an AI Team Assistant (After 8 Months)

SimpleDirect Chat Review: Building an AI Team Assistant (After 8 Months)

Most founders buy AI tools for $50-200/month per seat. I built my own for $12/month total. It handles 80% of what ChatGPT Teams would do, integrates with my existing systems, and took 3 weeks to build. Not saying every founder should build their own AI tools. But if you're technical and have specific needs, the economics make sense. Here's exactly how I did it, what it can't do, and who should skip it entirely. What SimpleDirect Chat Actually Does SimpleDirect Chat is an AI assistant b

·4 min
Claude vs ChatGPT for Founders: 6-Month Battle Test
AI First

Claude vs ChatGPT for Founders: 6-Month Battle Test

I've spent $1,200 testing Claude and ChatGPT for every business use case over 6 months. Built SimpleDirect features with both. Wrote marketing copy with both. Made strategic decisions with both. The winner surprised me. Here's exactly which AI to use for what, the true cost breakdown, and why most founders are using the wrong tool. The Test Setup: Real Business Use Cases Testing Period: 6 months (June-December 2024) Total Spend: $1,200 ($600 each) Use Cases Tested: 12 business categorie

·6 min
Changelog Etiquette for Distributed Teams: Async Collaboration That Actually Works
Resources

Changelog Etiquette for Distributed Teams: Async Collaboration That Actually Works

The Async Communication Challenge Distributed teams are the backbone of modern businesses, offering flexibility, access to global talent, and round-the-clock productivity. However, async communication—a necessity for these teams—comes with its own set of challenges. For product teams, this is especially true when managing changelogs. Without clear workflows, changelog processes can lead to: * Missed updates: Users and internal stakeholders don’t see critical changes. * Delays: Time zone gap

·4 min
Contrarian Geography: Winning by Zigging When Others Zag
Bootstrapping

Contrarian Geography: Winning by Zigging When Others Zag

If everyone’s moving to Miami or Dubai, you probably just missed the opportunity. The herd never gets outsized returns—especially in location. By the time Substack and LinkedIn are flooded with stories about Georgia (the country) or an exodus to Lisbon, the real rent gets baked in, the compliance sharks circle, and the easy edge vaporizes. Here’s the reality: Founders obsessed with hype clusters are always two cycles too late. The most valuable long-term founders win by finding, exploiting, an

·4 min

Free Tools for Founders

14 calculators and assessments. Runway, valuation, AI-proof score, and more.

Browse Tools
18-24 Months: The AI Displacement Tool
Tools

18-24 Months: The AI Displacement Tool

The Conversation Had coffee with a friend last month. Senior engineer at a big tech company. 12 years in. He asked what I was working on. I told him about the AI displacement stuff. The tools. The guidance work with tech workers making the transition. He laughed. "That's not going to affect me. I'm too senior. Too specialized." I asked him what his team was shipping lately. "Mostly AI integrations. Automating workflows. Making things faster." I asked who was going to need those workflows o

·3 min
The True Cost of Hiring: Why Geographic Arbitrage Is Dead (2025 Analysis)
Bootstrapping

The True Cost of Hiring: Why Geographic Arbitrage Is Dead (2025 Analysis)

Everyone says hire in India to save money. I spent $180K learning that's wrong. After hiring 15 developers across Toronto, San Francisco, and India over 3 years, here's the data nobody talks about: geographic arbitrage is dead for bootstrap founders. The real cost isn't salary. It's everything else. The Data That Changes Everything I tracked every dollar spent on technical hiring across three markets for SimpleDirect and ANC. The results surprised me. Sample Size: * 15 developers hired (

·5 min
$890,546 is My 30-Year SaaS Tax
Tools

$890,546 is My 30-Year SaaS Tax

The Spreadsheet I added up my subscriptions last month. Opened a spreadsheet. Listed every tool. Every monthly charge. Every annual plan divided by 12. $2,400. Knew it was a lot. But it felt manageable. Spread across a bunch of tools. Each one "only" $50 or $100 or $200. Then I did the math over 30 years. The Number $890,546. I stared at it for a while. That's 3 Lamborghinis. A house down payment in Toronto. Or $2.3 million if I'd invested it at 7% instead. For tools. Software. Things

·2 min
Should Your Changelog Support Comments & Reactions? Business Pros and Cons
Resources

Should Your Changelog Support Comments & Reactions? Business Pros and Cons

Key Takeaways * Benefits: Social changelogs boost engagement, feedback collection, and feature adoption. * Challenges: They require moderation and a thoughtful approach to handling negative feedback. * Metrics Matter: Track open rates, engagement, and adoption to measure success. * Tools: Platforms like SimpleDirect make it easy to implement and manage interactive changelogs. Introduction: The Rise of Social Changelogs Gone are the days of static, text-heavy changelogs that users skim (o

·5 min
I Had 14 Months of Runway. Except I Didn't
News

I Had 14 Months of Runway. Except I Didn't

The Simple Math Did the simple math in 2022. Cash in bank. Divided by monthly burn. 14 months. Plenty of time. Relaxed. Kept building. The Bills Then the bills started hitting. Health insurance. $520 a month I wasn't paying when I had a job. Self-employment tax. 15% I never set aside. Quarterly payments I'd never heard of. Annual expenses I'd divided by nothing. Domain renewals. Software subscriptions that bill yearly. Accountant fees. The "surprise" that hits every quarter. Car repair

·2 min
The Network Effect: How Location Actually Influences Funding and Partnerships
Bootstrapping

The Network Effect: How Location Actually Influences Funding and Partnerships

If you think Zoom replaced geography, let me watch the first term sheet that arrives by WhatsApp. Your location is a weapon or a weight—no matter how many nomad YouTubers claim Bali is the new Sand Hill. The real truth? The further you get from money, the less you get. But “move to SF and network” is almost always a dumb play for operators without a trust fund. Startups are told that “proximity is dead”—then spend three years cold emailing VCs and getting ghosted from six time zones away. Ge

·5 min

Showing 12 of 105 essays