Real Talk from a Technical Founder Building AI-Powered Businesses
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About the Show
What This Podcast Is:
Every week, I break down the messy, unfiltered decisions behind building bootstrap software companies. From saying yes to projects I don't know how to build, to navigating AI hype vs. reality, to the mental models that actually matter for technical founders.
This isn't motivational fluff or productivity content. It's the real frameworks and hard-won lessons you won't find in the startup content circus.
Who This Is For:
- Developers thinking about starting a company
- Founders scaling their first product
- Technical leaders building AI features
- Anyone tired of startup theater
What Makes It Different:
- Real numbers from 6 years of profitable building
- Expensive lessons with specific dollar amounts ($300K quant trading failure, $3-5M partnerships walked away from)
- Technical + business perspective (not just generic founder advice)
- Bootstrap philosophy with actual receipts
About Your Host
George Pu is a 27-year-old software engineer turned founder building multiple AI-powered businesses from Toronto.
What I've Built:
- SimpleDirect: AI-powered SaaS for contractors & SMBs
- ANC: Consulting firm & venture studio for international founders
- 6 years profitable without VC funding
- From 5 co-founders → 0 (and companies growing faster)
- From 14 employees → 5 people (more profitable than ever)
My Philosophy:
- Bootstrap > VC.
- Simplicity > Complexity.
- Freedom > Growth-at-all-costs.
AI-first solo founder approach. Real frameworks, real numbers, real lessons.
Featured Episodes
Those are the episodes I personally liked and gives you an idea of what we discuss 3x weekly at Founder Reality:
1. Why My Friends Making $500K at Google Regret Their Careers (Episode 24)
21 minutes
I have a friend who makes $500K at Google. 15 years there, Managing Director level. He told me: "I've basically given up and I'm just collecting my paycheck."
This is what happens when you trade freedom for money.
Key Topics:
- The freedom trap that catches high earners
- Why $800K salary creates $600K lifestyle prison
- The Sunday Night Test for your career
- Four freedom questions to rate yourself
2. The Startup Playbook Just Changed (Episode 23)
28 minutes
Three stories from this week reveal something fundamental about building in 2025. The old VC playbook is dead.
What's Working Now:
- 66% of founders changed their funding strategy
- The consulting-first approach (free ebook coming)
- Why Perplexity survived being copied by Google
- How to report revenue honestly (not "vibe revenue")
3. Why I'm Shutting Down My 5-Year Startup (Episode 18)
18 minutes
After 5 years building SimpleDirect Financing, I'm shutting it down. This isn't about failure - it's about the brutal lessons every founder needs to learn.
Hard Truths:
- The real cost of founder attachment
- Fatal mistake: No end-to-end control
- Why commission-based models break
- When to kill and start fresh
4. Why Co-founders Are Overrated (Episode 2)
19 minutes
Everyone says you need a co-founder. Y Combinator barely backs solo founders. But what if conventional wisdom is wrong?
I went from 5 co-founders to 0. Now we're stronger than ever.
Why AI Changes Everything:
- How coordination overhead kills startups
- The equity drama that wastes months
- When to evaluate existing co-founders
- Speed of execution > consensus
5. Zero Meetings: How I Run Two Companies (Episode 21)
19 minutes
I looked at my calendar this week: zero meetings. Last week: zero meetings. Most founders think this is impossible.
The Framework:
- Kill all recurring meetings
- Replace with personal reflection
- Spontaneous 5-30 minute calls only
- Never more than 3 people
6. Why I 'Fired' 9 People and Made More Money (Episode 10)
18 minutes
Went from 14 employees to 5 people. Best business decision I ever made. More profitable, faster, and I actually enjoy work again.
Small Team Advantage:
- 14 people = 7 hours monthly on one-on-ones
- Apply the "keep one person" test
- AI handles what used to need 3-4 hires
- Sunday Night Test for team size
Episode Themes Section
What You'll Learn:
Bootstrap Strategy
- Consulting-to-company model
- Revenue before funding
- Geographic arbitrage (Toronto vs SF)
- International expansion playbook
AI-First Building
- When vibe coding works vs. fails
- Tool selection with real ROI
- AI replacing co-founder functions
- Distribution in the AI era
Founder Psychology
- The three stages of loneliness
- Sunday Night Test framework
- Freedom vs. money tradeoffs
- When to quit vs. persist
Brutal Honesty
- $300K quant trading failure
- Walking away from $3-5M deals
- Partnership disasters
- Team reduction stories
Subscribe to Founder Reality
New episodes every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9am EST.
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Latest Episodes:
What Founders Are Saying:
Finally, a founder podcast that doesn't feel like a sales pitch. George shares actual numbers and real decisions. — Bootstrap founder, 15K ARR
The Sunday Night Test changed how I evaluate every business decision. — Technical founder, Toronto
Most founder content is crap. This is the real thing. — SaaS founder, 50K MRR
Free Resources Mentioned in Episodes:
These are the free resources we talked about on the show quite often.
📖 The Bootstrap Way (Free E-book)
How to build companies that pay you for 30+ years without gatekeepers.
📖 Derisk Your Startup Framework
The consulting-to-company model (0 to $20K MRR in 90 Days)
📊 My Investment Portfolio
Open source portfolio with real returns (10.38% since May 2025)
🧠 Founder Frameworks Library
Sunday Night Test, Complexity Audit, Freedom Number Calculator
[Browse Frameworks →] (Coming Soon)
Want More Than Just Episodes?
Join 300+ founders getting 'The Bootstrap Reality Check' every Friday.
What You Get:
- Weekly frameworks you can use immediately
- Real numbers from building SimpleDirect & ANC
- Behind-the-scenes decisions
- Exclusive content not in podcast episodes
No startup theater. No productivity lies. Just honest founder insights.
Connect With George:
Daily Thoughts: @TheGeorgePu on X/Twitter
Email: george@founderreality.com (DMs always open for bootstrap founders)
Companies:
- SimpleDirect - AI-powered SaaS
- ANC - Venture studio
FAQs
How often do you release episodes?
Three times per week: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday at 9am EST. Occasional weekend bonus episodes when inspiration strikes.
What's your recording setup?
Intentionally simple. One mic, one room, minimal editing. The focus is on content, not production value.
Do you take guests?
Not currently. This is a solo show documenting my real-time journey. May add interviews in the future if there's a strong fit.
Can I sponsor the podcast?
Not accepting sponsorships right now. Want to keep the content 100% unfiltered.
How can I ask you a question?
Email george@founderreality.com or DM on Twitter. I read everything and sometimes feature questions in weekend bonus episodes.