16/03/2026
UPDATES FROM SXSW:
Our director, Sabine Fredriks, attended the Founder Fest at the current SXSW in Austin, Texas, where founders and experts including Jean Yang, Cara Abbott, Matt Gunnin, Riana Lynn, James Smedley and Lova Kremer shared their experiences on topics like AI, scaling, hiring, fundraising, legal and marketing.
A few of her takeaways:
Focus on the people
One of the biggest mistakes mentioned was hiring the wrong people. Move slowly and take enough time to find the right person for the right role. Often, unfortunately, people are hired too soon because the world is moving fast, which can lead to all kinds of consequences.
AI agents together with employees
Don’t overstuff your company. You can work with a much smaller team of employees and a larger platform of agents. Treat AI agents like your own employees. Uou need to make agreements upfront just as you would with your other employees. For example, give them a notice period of 30 days to determine if there is a good match.
Marketing & Sales
When should you start investing in paid marketing? The time, money and effort companies invest in organic content are often significant, but the chance of success can be quite small. Invest in paid ads, it’s often far more effective.
Sales is the best metric of how good your offer is, with or without AI. And marketing is sales with gasoline on top of it. Make sure you truly know your product, your audience, and your pain points. An agency can help you make money, but these ingredients are crucial for success — and you are the one who knows them best.
And last but not least … personal branding is really important. Be a face for your brand.
She really wants to thank all the speakers for the inspiring conversations!
