Founder playbook for the AI era

Exclusive PDF download

Founder Playbook

The Unfiltered Playbook from Eragon's Founder

Josh Sirota shares how he went from corporate refugee to funded AI startup in months. The tactical strategies that actually work for getting traction, hiring right, and building in the AI era.

  • How to get your first customers without enterprise connections
  • The hiring lessons Josh learned building his team from scratch
  • The 30-day sprint framework to validate any AI startup idea
Get the playbook
PDF • 11 pages Published December 2025

Instant download

Get the complete founder playbook

No spam, unsubscribe any time. Join 3,400+ founders building in the AI era.

  • Real strategies for getting your first users without connections
  • The hiring framework that separates great hires from disasters
  • 30-day sprint to validate your AI startup idea

For founders building AI-native companies

Whether you're a solo founder or leading an 8-15 person late-seed company, these insights help you ship faster, hire smarter, and build products people actually want to use.

"I remember the first prototype we had. Previously, I would have had to hire a front-end person, a back-end person, maybe a designer. Three people. Now I can get it done in a weekend. For building from scratch, there's never been any tool as powerful as what we have now."
Josh Sirota on building in the AI era
"Your first customer should be someone who can say yes today. If you are building for startups, go to startup events. The best way early on is working with startups at a similar stage and just showing them what you're doing."
Josh Sirota on getting traction

Inside the playbook

What you'll learn

  • The Bezos Principle: How to maintain strict vision while staying flexible on execution
  • Why credentials are a weak signal for startup fit and what actually matters
  • The two-month rule for evaluating hires and when to act fast
  • How to build an AI-native tech stack that compounds your advantage

Why it matters

  • Zero-to-one work has never been easier than right now in the AI era
  • Most founders chase enterprise customers too early and waste months
  • Early hiring decisions shape your culture and determine your velocity

Who it's for

  • Solo founders & technical co-founders
  • Small teams using AI coding agents (Cursor, Claude, Copilot)
  • Late-seed companies (8-15 people) shipping AI-native products

What's inside

The Eragon Traction Playbook

How to actually get your first users and the anti-pattern of chasing enterprise too early.

Team Building in the Trenches

Josh's hiring mistakes, the Rockefeller Test, and why technical skill matters less than you think.

30-Day AI Startup Sprint

Week-by-week framework to validate your idea with real humans and ship daily.

About Eragon

AI Operating System built for your company

Eragon is a reasoning engine that understands, learns, and acts across your entire organization. Founded in 2025 and based in San Francisco, Eragon connects all your company's apps and enables reasoning across customer activity data, project management, revenue metrics, and more.

Josh Sirota

Founder, Eragon

Former corporate executive who quit on Monday morning, drove across the country with no plan, and built a funded AI startup in months.

Answering common questions

Is this really free?

Yes. Brief is sharing Josh's story to help founders building in the AI era. No catch, no spam.

How long will it take to read?

The playbook is 11 pages. Most founders read it in 20-25 minutes, then reference specific sections (hiring, traction, tech stack) as needed.

What happens after I download?

You'll get instant access to the PDF. Brief may occasionally share similar founder stories and insights. Unsubscribe anytime.

Who is this for?

Solo founders and small teams (up to 15 people) using AI coding tools like Cursor, Claude, and Copilot. If you're trying to get traction, make your first hires, or build faster with AI, this is for you.

Ready when you are

Learn from a founder who actually did it

Get Josh's tactical playbook: how to get your first customers, hire the right people, and validate your AI startup in 30 days.

Download the playbook