2024’s AI boom + startup CEO pay drops + remote work evolves 🚀💼

It’s Tuesday, and Apple’s folding its cards—literally.

The tech giant is reportedly working on a foldable iPad the size of two iPad Pros slapped together, with a target launch in 2028. The twist? Apple’s gunning for a crease-free design that’ll leave competitors looking, well, wrinkled.

Oh, and heads up—there’s only 1 more edition left for the year. So we went all out with extra resources and a little extra length. You’re gonna want to save this one 👀.

Top updates…

📱 TikTok CEO meets Trump: Shou Chew met Trump at Mar-a-Lago as TikTok fights a U.S. ban; Trump praised its impact with younger voters.

🧑‍💼 Meta names new CRO: Jim Hegeman steps in as Meta’s Chief Revenue Officer to lead growth and AI-powered ad strategies.

🎉 Gen Z ditches holiday parties: Companies are scaling back as younger employees push for more flexible and low-key celebrations.

⚖️ Musk targets OpenAI’s for-profit shift: Elon Musk and Meta urge California to block OpenAI’s transition, citing nonprofit misuse.

💵 Ripple launches stablecoin: Ripple USD (RLUSD), approved in New York, enters the market to challenge Tether and Circle.

📉 Carta under fire for cancellations: Startup founders say Carta makes canceling subscriptions difficult, requiring meetings that often get pushed past renewal dates. Carta calls it a “staffing issue” and promises fixes.

📉 Refinery29 layoffs and CEO exit: Refinery29 cut 10% of staff as CEO Cory Haik departs, marking continued struggles under new ownership.

2024 was AI’s breakout year—here’s why it’s the best time to build

AI startups went from meh pilot programs to landing million-dollar contracts in record time this year. It’s not just hype anymore—it’s revenue, scale, and speed. If you’re a founder thinking about AI, 2024 sent a clear message: Stop waiting. Start building.

From demos to real money

Remember when AI in enterprise felt like a science experiment? Not anymore. This year, those “proof of concept” demos turned into contracts with actual dollar signs attached. Startups are hitting $1M ARR faster than ever, and companies are skipping the long sales cycles because AI tools are showing real ROI.

As YC’s Harge put it: “The time to $100M in revenue is shrinking.” Translation: If you’re solving a problem, people are ready to pay—fast.

Startups, not giants, are leading AI

When OpenAI launched its store, the hot take was that startups were toast. Wrong. Companies like Perplexity (consumer) and Glean (enterprise) proved that startups are building the AI products people actually want.

Here’s what’s working:

• Open source made it easy: Meta’s Llama and other open models gave startups options.

• Multi-model moves: Founders aren’t stuck with one big model—they’re mixing fast models for quick tasks and complex ones for heavy lifting.

The playbook is clear: You don’t need to build the model. Build a killer product that works with the models.

Vertical AI is a goldmine

This year, vertical AI tools—industry-specific solutions—dominated. Startups are building razor-sharp tools for niche problems:

• Customer support: Airlines, banks, SaaS—each gets its own AI workflow.

• Language learning: Voice-powered tools reinventing how we learn.

• Teleconferencing: Smarter, AI-driven tools making Zoom fatigue a little less painful.

Vertical AI is where startups win: focused, targeted, and built to solve one problem really well.

AI tools are letting founders do more with less

Startups are getting leaner, and AI coding tools are a big reason why. Founders are using platforms like Replit, Cursor, and Anthropic’s Artifact to:

• Build products faster.

• Automate workflows.

• Delay big hiring decisions without slowing down.

YC’s Gary summed it up: “Founders are automating first, hiring later.” Fewer people, faster builds, more agility—what’s not to love?

Robotics is AI’s next playground

Self-driving cars are fully deployed in cities like San Francisco, proving the tech works. Now startups are exploring AI-powered robots for tasks like household automation and manufacturing. LLMs (large language models) are becoming the “brains” of robots, and the question is: Will cheap, off-the-shelf hardware be enough, or do we need fully integrated systems? Either way, it’s a massive opportunity.

It’s anyone’s game…

2024 proved that AI startups aren’t just surviving—they’re thriving. From vertical tools to robotics and open-source innovation, the window to build is wide open.

As YC’s Harge said: “Things are moving so quickly—now’s the time to build.”

Startup CEO salaries drop 📉 to $132k in 2024

Startup CEOs are feeling the pinch, with average salaries dropping to $132,000—down from $142,000 last year, per Kruze Consulting.

Who’s earning what?

• CEOs: $132,000

• CTOs: $134,000 (technical expertise pays)

• COOs: $135,000

• CPOs: $149,000

Salaries jump after funding:

• Series A: $183,000

• Series B: $218,000

Engineers lead early hires

Salaries for engineers vary:

• SF Senior Engineers: Up to $185,000

• Sales, design, and product roles follow closely, with total comp often boosted by commissions and equity.

The hidden costs

Hiring costs 25–35% more than base salaries when factoring in benefits, taxes, and equipment like laptops.

Founders: Budget smart—payroll is still your biggest burn.

Remote work isn’t dead, it’s just changing

Big players like Amazon are pushing strict return-to-office policies, but smaller companies are doubling down on flexibility to attract talent. As we head into 2025, structured hybrid work—averaging 3 days in-office—is becoming the new norm.

Key trends

• Hybrid rules: 43% of companies now follow structured hybrid schedules.

• Small vs. large: 70% of small companies (<500 employees) offer flexible options; only 14% of large enterprises do.

• Employee pushback: 73% reconsidered jobs after Amazon’s mandate, with office workers spending 2x more on commutes and expenses.

What’s next for 2025?

Tech and insurance lead with flexible options, while food services and real estate stick to full-time office work. AI tools are improving remote collaboration, putting pressure on rigid employers to adapt or risk losing top talent.

The takeaway: Flexibility isn’t gone—it’s just evolving. For workers, small and agile companies will be the best bet next year.

FOUNDER NOTES

Today’s top founder & startup reads.

🤔 10 interesting startup deals you may have missed this year.

☕️ Don’t reinvent user profiling during onboarding. This is what it should look like.

📁 Workplace gender equality rose slightly across the Europe Union, with one exception.

👀 The Airbnb leaders charged with reigniting growth.