127+ Essays

Essays

Deep thinking on building businesses designed to own forever. Not how-to content. Decision logs, frameworks, and pattern recognition.

George Pu
George Pu
$10M+ portfolio. Zero VC.

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I Had No Safety Net (And That's Why It Worked)
George's Takes

I Had No Safety Net (And That's Why It Worked)

People ask what my safety net was when I started. There wasn't one. Burned the boats because I didn't have boats. Just convinced myself I'd figure it out. No evidence. Just vibes. Stupid in hindsight. Worked out anyway. Built my first product working full-time with a commute. 2 hours at night. 4 hours on weekends. Wasn't fun. But "no time" wasn't true. I had time. Just had to give up Netflix and pretending I'd start "someday." First year I made less than minimum wage if you counted the hou

·8 min
AI Will Kill 90% of SaaS Companies
Investing

AI Will Kill 90% of SaaS Companies

Looked at 100 SaaS tools I used in 2022. Can replace 87 of them with AI + 30 minutes. The SaaS bloodbath is coming. Tool Audit Methodology How I did this analysis: Step 1: Complete SaaS Inventory Exported all subscriptions from credit cards and bank statements for 2022. Found 127 SaaS tools across personal and business accounts. Step 2: Usage Classification * Active: Used weekly or more * Occasional: Used monthly * Zombie: Paying but not using * Essential: Business-critical Result:

·8 min
The Silent Failure: Why 75% of VC Success Stories Are Lies
George's Takes

The Silent Failure: Why 75% of VC Success Stories Are Lies

When VC-backed founders fail, there's no announcement. They just change their Twitter bio. Quietly. * One day: "CEO at Startup X" * Next day: "Head of Product at BigCo" You find out years later. That's why the success stories feel so common. The failures are invisible. 75% of VC-backed companies never return a dime to investors. Of the rest, most return less than they raised. Founders get wiped out by liquidation preferences. Tiny subset actually wins. But the Twitter feed only shows the

·7 min
Building Your Mobility Timeline: 12-Month Planning Framework
Founder Mobility

Building Your Mobility Timeline: 12-Month Planning Framework

Most founders underestimate mobility planning by 6-9 months. Then they miss opportunities, pay emergency fees, or get stuck in bureaucratic limbo. Here's the 12-month framework I wish I'd had when planning my ADGM move. The Three Critical Timelines Every mobility plan has three parallel tracks that must align: 1. Visa and Legal Timeline (3-12 months) * Government processing times * Document collection and apostille * Legal entity setup requirements * Bank account opening procedures 2

·9 min
Nothing Wrong With More Options
Freedom by George Pu

Nothing Wrong With More Options

A few years ago I pitched a VC in Menlo Park. Their second-to-last question: "You're working on two companies at the same time. How does that work? Aren't you unfocused?" I explained one was an experiment while I spent most of my time on SimpleDirect. They passed. I could have taken ANC off my profile. I didn't. Other pitches, same question came up. Podcast appearances, same thing. "How do you stay focused?" The assumption behind the question: focus is good, optionality is bad. One thing, al

·2 min
Your BS Detector Is a Skill
George's Takes

Your BS Detector Is a Skill

I got lied to a lot when I started. Took me years to realize that's just what happens when you're young, have money to spend, and can't tell the difference between confidence and competence. My BS detector needed training. The only way to train it was getting burned. The Education When networking was still a thing in my world, I'd go to events and meet people. Everyone looked impressive. Everyone had something to say. I had mentors who'd guide me. I believed everything they said. I didn't

·4 min

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The Risk Calculus Changed
George's Takes

The Risk Calculus Changed

"Quit your job and start a company." "Drop out." "Bet on yourself." I'm telling you: that advice is from a game that ended.

·4 min
The Doors Are Closing for Low-Agency People
George's Takes

The Doors Are Closing for Low-Agency People

I've been lucky. I've also been unlucky. I've lost $300K on a quant team that produced nothing. I've made money on businesses that worked despite my mistakes.

·4 min
Have I Actually Built a Business That Lets Me Work Anywhere?
Founder Mobility

Have I Actually Built a Business That Lets Me Work Anywhere?

I just moved into a house, which means I'm now responsible for clearing the driveway. Every few days, same routine.

·3 min
I Turned Off Thousands in MRR This Week
George's Takes

I Turned Off Thousands in MRR This Week

SimpleDirect Financing was my first real business - started in college, 5-6 years ago. Feels like decades.

·2 min
YC's Information Arbitrage Is Dead (AI Killed It)
Resources

YC's Information Arbitrage Is Dead (AI Killed It)

YC was selling information arbitrage. "Join us and you'll know what others don't." Made sense in 2015. In 2026? I can search anything. Learn anything. Connect with anyone. The arbitrage evaporated. The pitch didn't change. Used to think I needed permission for everything: * Permission from VCs to be legit * Permission from YC to have credibility * Permission from gatekeepers to connect Now I have Claude, Perplexity, and the same capabilities a Fortune 500 had 20 years ago. The permissi

·7 min
Consultants Make Better Founders Than MBAs
Investing

Consultants Make Better Founders Than MBAs

Worked with 50+ founders this year. The consultants consistently outperform the MBAs. Here's why experience beats credentials. e MBA Founder Pattern I see it constantly: Top-tier MBA. Harvard, Stanford, Wharton. 3.8 GPA. Investment banking background. Speaks fluent buzzword. Raises $2M seed round based on pedigree and pitch deck polish. 18 months later: burned through the money, no product-market fit, pivoting for the third time. The pattern is so consistent I can predict it: Month 1-6

·8 min

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