Winning in the AI Era: 5 Shifts for Leading Founders

Founders today aren’t just building companies. They’re building in the midst of an AI
transformation that is reshaping how teams operate, how products are delivered, and how customers expect to engage.

At a recent panel hosted by Forum Ventures, Intuit, Deel, and AI Tinkerers, early-stage investors, product leaders, and startup builders unpacked what’s changed for startups in 2025 and what still matters most.

The panel featured Ryan Freeman, Head of Global Partnerships at Deel; Jonah Midanik, COO & General Partner, Forum Ventures; and Mohammed Rahman, Principal Product Manager at Intuit. Jordynn Johnson, Technology & Banking Partnerships at Deel moderated the panel.

Rather than focusing on predictions or hype, the panel delivered practical, founder-first insights on how to hire smarter, scale internationally, adapt to rapid AI advances, and lead through uncertainty.

Read on for a recap of the five shifts that every founder should be aware of today.

1. You’re operating in a new customer economy

Since 2020, customer behavior has changed dramatically. The tolerance for friction has nearly disappeared. If your product isn’t easy to use or understand within seconds, most users will move on without a second thought.

AI is now reaching user groups that were previously tech-hesitant. Even small business owners and tradespeople are embracing AI-enhanced workflows, which raises the baseline for product quality across industries.

This shift also affects pricing models. Subscription-based, seat-count pricing is losing favor. Customers want usage-based, performance-based, or value-based pricing that reflects what they actually get from a product.

Founders should focus on delivering fast, intuitive experiences and consider how their pricing can be more aligned with customer value. Removing unnecessary steps and showing results quickly is no longer just a competitive advantage—it’s a basic requirement.

See also: AI in HR: How Employers Can Close the Readiness Gap

2. Adaptability matters more than mastery

In today’s environment, being an expert is less valuable than being adaptable. The most successful founders—and early team members—aren’t the ones with perfect resumes. They’re the ones who can navigate ambiguity, learn quickly, and iterate with confidence.

The panelists referred to this as the “chaos pilot” mindset. Startup leaders must be able to operate without a clear roadmap. Roles are fluid, priorities shift fast, and decisions must be made without complete information.

As Jonah Midanik put it, “I need to be an inch deep and a mile wide.”

This doesn’t mean deep knowledge is irrelevant. Some domains require it. But startups thrive when their teams know how to change direction, take feedback, and keep moving forward. Founders should hire people who can wear multiple hats and are energized by change.

Internally, creating space for regular self-reflection and course correction will help maintain momentum without burning out the team.

See also: AI and Upskilling Insights from the Policy Summit: Preparing the Workforce for Tomorrow

3. Your moat is distribution, not just tech

Technological advantages don’t last the way they used to. As foundational models like ChatGPT evolve, many features that once felt novel are now widely accessible or replicable.

Panelists highlighted companies like Lovable, which scaled to $100 million in ARR in under a year. Their success wasn’t rooted in proprietary AI but in user obsession, emotional connection, and brilliant distribution.

That example underscores a crucial point: features can be copied, but trust, brand affinity, and distribution speed are much harder to replicate.

Founders should invest as much time in how they reach customers as in what they build. That means refining onboarding, mastering your go-to-market strategy, and building a product people genuinely love, not just tolerate.

4. International teams are the new normal

More founders are hiring internationally early on—not just to enter new markets but to access the best people, wherever they are. Remote work is now the default in many sectors, and the best talent isn’t clustered in one city or time zone.

But with international teams come operational challenges. Legal structures, employment classifications, payroll regulations, and benefits vary significantly by country. Getting this wrong can create costly risks, even for early-stage companies.

Founders should start thinking about international infrastructure before they feel “big enough.”

The best time to set up systems for compliant, flexible hiring is when you’re small and nimble—not when you’re scrambling to fix avoidable issues.

This doesn’t mean you need to become an expert in global labor law. It means choosing the right partners and tools, and making international operations part of your startup’s foundation rather than an afterthought.

See also: A Founder’s Guide to Building and Scaling a Global, Remote-First Company

5. Great founders thrive in uncertainty

Founders have always needed resilience, but today’s environment demands even more. Markets are moving faster, expectations are higher, and AI is accelerating the pace of change across nearly every industry.

That may sound blunt, but it reflects an important truth: lasting startups aren’t the ones that never make mistakes. They’re the ones that recover quickly, make better decisions over time, and don’t run out of energy or focus.

Great founders are reflective, not reactive. They ask tough questions. What’s no longer working? What are we pretending we know? Where are we falling behind? They build teams that can operate with limited visibility and adjust quickly when things change.

Founders should prioritize building cultures where uncertainty is expected and experimentation is encouraged. That means setting clear goals but remaining open to how they’re achieved—and building systems that allow the company to flex, not break, when conditions shift.

See also: How to Maintain Operational Flexibility with Employer of Record Services

Final thought: This is the era of founder agility

The panel closed on a clear note: this is not just a wave of change, it’s a new operating environment. Founders today have more access to tools, talent, and data than ever before. But the bar is higher. AI is transforming user expectations. Investors want maturity earlier. And the companies that succeed will be those that stay grounded in what won’t change: creating real value for real people.

In 2025, adaptability, clarity, and operational strength matter just as much as product vision. If you can build for efficiency, connect emotionally with your users, and move with confidence through ambiguity, you’ll not only survive—you’ll lead.