DeepSeek AI Disrupts Startup Growth

In This Edition:

STARTUP SPOTLIGHT

How One Founder Turned Failure Into a $10 Billion Productivity Revolution

What if the perfect tool for your work didn’t exist—so you had to build it yourself?

Imagine staring at a blank screen, frustrated by the chaos of scattered notes, endless to-do lists, and rigid software that never quite fits your workflow. What if the answer wasn’t finding a better tool, but creating one from scratch?

That’s exactly what one founder did.

In the early days, it was just an idea—one that seemed too ambitious, maybe even impossible. The goal? To craft a digital workspace that wasn’t just functional but beautifully designed, adaptable, and as intuitive as Lego blocks for work. But like every visionary idea, execution was the real challenge.

The first version? A flop.

The second? Not much better.

Within two years, the entire project was on life support. Funding dried up. The team dwindled down to just two people. The founder packed up, left the bustling startup scene, and relocated to a quiet city across the world to rebuild from scratch. It was a last-ditch effort—a gamble most wouldn’t take.

Would you have walked away or started over?

The Moment Everything Changed

Against all odds, the rebuilt version struck a chord. Not overnight. Not with fanfare. But through quiet, organic growth.

A small but passionate group of users discovered it and became its biggest evangelists. They didn’t just use the tool—they loved it. Recommended it. Built their own workflows with it. And before long, the momentum became unstoppable.

No massive marketing campaigns. No splashy PR. Just a product so good that people couldn’t help but share it.

By 2018, it was no longer a hidden gem—it was a movement.

From Cult Favorite to Global Phenomenon

This wasn’t just another productivity tool. It was a blank canvas for thinkers, creators, and builders. A space where you didn’t have to conform to someone else’s rigid system—you could design your own. Writers, designers, entrepreneurs, teams—each found something different to love.

By 2020, the company behind it was valued at over $2 billion. By 2023, that number had skyrocketed to $10 billion.

But with scale came new challenges. The very flexibility that made it powerful also made it intimidating for newcomers. Not everyone wanted to build from scratch—some just needed a system that worked instantly.

The Balancing Act: Power vs. Simplicity

The next evolution? A shift from pure flexibility to thoughtful guidance. The founder doubled down on making the tool accessible to both power users and beginners.

For the builders—endless customization. For the overwhelmed—plug-and-play templates.

It was a masterclass in scaling without losing the product’s soul.

And if you haven’t guessed by now, we’re talking about Notion—and the relentless journey of its founder, Ivan Zhao.

What’s Next—and What It Means for You

As Notion looks ahead, AI-driven automation, deeper collaboration tools, and an even more seamless experience are on the horizon. But the heart of its success isn’t just features—it’s an unshakable commitment to thoughtful design, continuous iteration, and listening to the community.

So, what’s the takeaway for you?

Every founder faces moments of doubt, setbacks, and reinvention. The difference between those who build something iconic and those who fade away? The willingness to persist, adapt, and keep improving.

So, here’s the question: What are you building?

And more importantly—what’s stopping you?

Build, scale, and innovate with Notion—the all-in-one workspace trusted by thousands of startups for docs, notes, project management, and knowledge sharing. For a limited time, get 3 months of the Plus plan + unlimited AI (worth up to $3,000)! Unlock the Notion for Startups offer today! ️ 

CREATOR CATALYST

How Axios Sports Runs a Daily Newsletter with Notion

In the fast-paced world of sports, staying ahead of the game isn’t just a challenge—it’s a necessity. Every day, Axios Sports delivers a high-quality newsletter that keeps thousands of fans informed, entertained, and engaged. But how do they manage to produce fresh, well-researched content at such a relentless pace?

The secret: an all-in-one system built in Notion that streamlines research, writing, and publishing. And for creators looking to up their content game, there’s a lot to learn from their playbook.

A Content Calendar That Works for You, Not Against You

For Kendall Baker, Sports Editor at Axios, managing a daily newsletter means juggling 10+ stories at any given time. With so much happening—yesterday’s stories, today’s lineup, tomorrow’s priorities—flexibility is key. His Notion setup uses a calendar database where each story is its own page, tagged by sport and content type. If something shifts (and in the sports world, that’s inevitable), he can simply drag and drop stories to a new date.

Lesson for creators: Whether you’re running a newsletter, YouTube channel, or podcast, you need a dynamic content calendar that helps you plan without boxing you in. A rigid system will slow you down, but a flexible one keeps you moving forward.

A Single Hub for Research, Writing & Publishing

For a daily newsletter, efficiency is everything. Kendall and his team do all their work inside Notion—from sourcing articles with the Web Clipper to writing and editing within each calendar entry. Instead of bouncing between apps, everything happens in one place.

"I love opening a page while still having the calendar in the background," Kendall shares. "It allows me to focus on a specific story while staying on top of breaking news."

Lesson for creators: The fewer tools you need to switch between, the better. A streamlined workflow means you can spend more time creating and less time managing logistics. Find a system that consolidates your research, writing, and publishing in one space.

Prioritizing What Matters Most—Right Now

With a daily deadline, Kendall needs to focus on the most pressing stories. He uses a custom database view that filters his calendar to show only the stories going out the next day. That way, last-minute changes don’t derail the entire workflow.

Lesson for creators: Prioritization is everything. If you’re juggling multiple projects, create a system that highlights what’s urgent so you never miss a key deadline. A filtered view of upcoming content helps you stay agile.

Turning Ideas into Impactful Stories

Great content starts with great ideas. Kendall keeps an idea database at the bottom of his workspace, where each page represents a potential story. He jots down notes, collects sources, and refines ideas over time. When a concept is ready, he simply drags it into the calendar to schedule it for publication.

"Turning ideas into stories can be a challenge, especially if they live in different places," he says. "Having an idea board and an editorial calendar in the same space keeps things from getting lost."

Lesson for creators: Ideas are your currency, and losing track of them means losing opportunities. Keep a running list of ideas in a system that allows for seamless execution when inspiration strikes.

What This Means for You as a Creator

Whether you’re writing newsletters, producing videos, or managing a social media brand, the key takeaways from Axios Sports’ workflow are clear:

At the end of the day, the best content isn’t just about inspiration—it’s about execution. And a streamlined system is what separates those who dream of creating from those who actually do it.

Are You Ready to Level Up Your Content Game?

If you’re serious about building a sustainable content business, it’s time to rethink your workflow. Take a cue from Axios Sports and create a system that works for you—not against you.

How are you currently organizing your content? What’s working, and what’s not? Hit reply and let’s talk about it!

AI BREAKTHROUGH

Startups Can Thrive as DeepSeek Pushes AI Prices to the Breaking Point

Let me tell you a story.

A few years ago, the AI landscape was a fortress. The giants—OpenAI, Google, Anthropic—had towering walls of compute power, proprietary data, and cutting-edge models. The assumption? That no one could catch up. If you wanted access to top-tier AI, you either paid the toll or got left behind.

Then, DeepSeek happened.

Seemingly overnight, a new player emerged—not just as another foundation model, but as a force shaking up the entire AI market. An app climbing the charts, an API slashing costs, and an open-source approach that signals something even bigger:

The moat is crumbling.

What This Means for Startup Founders

First, take a deep breath. This isn’t the end for AI startups—it’s a beginning. If you play this right, you can be on the winning side of this shift. Here’s why:

1. AI Giants Are Now on Defense

DeepSeek is proving that models don’t have to cost a fortune to be powerful. The reaction? The incumbents now have two choices:

For startups, this means AI just got cheaper. Whether you're building a consumer app or a B2B tool, running AI-driven products is about to become much more affordable.

2. Open Source Isn’t Just Catching Up—It’s Surging Ahead

For years, people assumed that closed-source AI would always have an edge. But DeepSeek is proving that open-source models can not only match the performance of proprietary models but leapfrog ahead in some areas—all while avoiding massive training costs.

If you’re betting your startup’s future on a foundation model with sky-high CAPEX, it’s time to rethink your strategy. The value is shifting away from raw model performance to how you integrate AI into workflows and real-world use cases.

3. AI Startups Just Got a Huge Advantage

If you’re building an AI-powered application, here’s your edge:

Startups that focus on customer experience, workflow automation, and unique data will outpace those fixated on the model itself.

4. The New Moat: Data + Workflow Lock-In

When technology gets commoditized, value shifts elsewhere. The real power now lies in owning proprietary data and embedding AI deeply into customer workflows.

Think about it:

If you want to win in AI, build something that users can’t easily switch away from.

The Big Picture: More AI, More Opportunity

There’s a principle in economics called Jevons Paradox—when something becomes cheaper, we use more of it. This applies to AI, too. As models become more accessible and cost-efficient, AI adoption will skyrocket.

For founders, this means two things:

DeepSeek didn’t kill AI startups. It just reshuffled the game in their favor.

So ask yourself: Are you still thinking like an AI model company, or are you building something that truly delivers value? The moat isn’t the model. The moat is what you do with it.