Kill your darlings already
Hey, it’s Matt.
Last weekend I spent hours trying to salvage a feature in my new app, Jasin. No matter what I tried, it just wasn’t working out—so I scrapped it.
There’s such a raw liberation in scrapping bloated “stuff” and starting again with more insight and clarity.
It’s a pattern I’ve seen with a lot of real deal founders—they ruthlessly axe what’s not working rather than endlessly cobbling together band-aids like I was.
When you give yourself permission to hit reset, the path instantly appears more clearly.
In this week’s issue:
- How asking for a “no” instead of a “yes” breaks decision bottlenecks and keeps projects moving
- The $15M funding round for an app-building AI that lets complete non-coders create working apps
- Why combining fast-cash and slow-equity business models prevents fatal strategic mistakes
- Kevin Kelly’s 50-year travel playbook for founders tired of surface-level experiences
- And more…
Enjoy issue #96—see you next week!
— Matt (@mattdowney)
P.S. If this was forwarded to you, you can sign up here.
Most interesting
Play “ceo simulator” and taste startup chaos
This virtual boardroom strips away the hoodie mythos and throws you straight into brutal decision-making. Unlike motivational startup porn, this simulator confronts you with realistic consequences of poor choices. Perfect for anyone who needs their founder fantasies checked before risking actual capital. (CEO Simulator)
Ask for a no and flip the power dynamic
Sick of waiting for client/senior approvals? This simple flip sets a deadline for rejection rather than begging for permission. It’s brilliantly passive-aggressive in the best way— keeping momentum while giving stakeholders their precious veto power. Next-level move for anyone stuck in decision quicksand. (Mooreds)
Beat cognitive biases before they beat you
Your intuition might actually be sabotaging your high-stakes decisions. Paras Chopra’s tactical guide exposes how even brilliant founders fall into unconscious mental traps. Skip the rushed calls and embrace statistical thinking—making decisions with the rationality your business or project deserves. (Inverted Passion)
Top resources
Spotify playlists that feed your design brAIn
Ever wonder what sound fuels creative geniuses? These curated playlists reveal the sonic fuel behind great design work. From ambient beats to unexpected global tracks, it’s a peek into how different vibes spark different creative modes. Your stale playlist rotation needs this refresh. (playlists.design)
Seasoned traveler drops 50 years of road-tested wisdom
Kevin Kelly’s half-century travel guide isn’t about Instagram spots but about immersion hacks. Skip tourist traps by building trips around passions, not places. His best trick? Crashing random weddings and festivals for authentic experiences no guide book could ever offer. (Kevin Kelly)
Dropzone 4: the Mac productivity upgrade you’ll obsess over
This drag-and-drop tool is the digital equivalent of Marie Kondo organizing your chaotic life. It slashes desktop clutter and automates file tasks that normally drive you bonkers. (Dropzone 4)
What’s trending
Humanoid robots hitting homes in late 2025 for alpha testing
Figure’s CEO just dropped that their humanoid robots will graduate from warehouses to living rooms THIS year. Is this the beginning of the robot butler era we’ve been waiting for? (TechCrunch)
Swedish AI app bUIlder scores $15m after explosive first year
Lovable is flipping the script on who gets to create apps. Their AI platform turns anyone with basic prompt skills into an app creator—no coding required. With 500K users pumping out 25K apps daily (yes, you read that right), they’re proving that democratizing tech creation wasn’t just a nice idea but a massive market. (Lovable)
Fast cash vs. slow eqUIty: the business model tension that breaks founders
Nat Eliason’s blunt take exposes how founders confuse cash businesses with equity plays. His own million-dollar marketing agency taught a painful lesson—cash machines give immediate returns but hit growth ceilings fast. His recommendation is to build both simultaneously. (Nat Eliason)
My stack
These are the tools that help me run my business every day. I happily pay for each of them—they’re worth every penny. I hope you find them useful, too.
- Beehiiv → How I send this newsletter every week. 10/10 would recommend.
- Brain.fm → How I kickstart my productivity and find flow-state.
- Figma → How I quickly go from idea to design to product.
- Mercury → The best business banking I’ve ever used.
- Screen Studio → How I record engaging videos.
- Typefully → How I post content to my socials.
- Kick → My bookkeeping on auto-pilot.
And that’s a wrap!
Thanks for reading today’s issue. If you have any ideas for what you’d like me to cover in future issues, just hit reply and let me know.
And if you found today’s newsletter useful, please share it with your friends!
Matt Downey
Founder, Digital Native
@mattdowney