David Davis II
242 posts

David Davis II
@eCommandSMB
eCommerce + SMB M&A Advisory | Acquisition Finance | 3x Founder | @FBAFlip | Forbes 30 Under 30 Local: CLE | SaaS Marketplace Enthusiast
Cleveland, OH Entrou em Ekim 2019
259 Seguindo132 Seguidores

Russell Wilson a great option for the #Browns if Aaron Rodgers signs with the #Steelers: --> cleveland.com/browns/2025/03…
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@paulswaney3 Wasn’t trying to shade you individually, not a troll and that is rude. Sorry if it even came like that, but my point still is that every generation has its top 3% that are performance outliers and you’re probably that, but that top 3% is an anomaly to the rest of the group 🤷🏽♂️
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@paulswaney3 And Gen-Z feels different as well. Millennial investing advice is just Boomer 2.0 as they already took all the brainless work hard industries and now the only way up the ladder is gross innovation. Don’t think that really comes from the middle group in any society
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@paulswaney3 Millennials were like the middle child of society, too young to get any of the spoils of the “good ole days” and too old to be a digital native to participate in the tech pivot we live through today.
Ever think it’s a generational perspective difference? Boomers feel different
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@henrythe9ths Let’s connect, we’ve been trying to do this after some strange VC raise conversations to say the least. $2M+ in annual revenue right now, never once raised. A seed strap would be great!
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The Information just featured my controversial take on why traditional VCs are being disrupted in the age of Ultra-Lean AI Native companies.
Welcome to the world of Seed-Strapping.
It is the most disruptive trend Silicon Valley has seen in years.
I told them about a founder who raised <$1M, built a $7M business in 12 months, and shocked his investors by telling them he will NEVER raise again.
While AI unicorns like Cursor and Harvey are grabbing headlines for raising hundreds of millions, a wave of underdog startups is gaining momentum.
They are raising once, becoming profitable immediately, and keeping 70%+ of their companies.
Let that sink in.
And if you think that's impressive, look at Cal AI, founded by Zach (who is just 17 years old).
He built a nutrition tracking app that is disrupting legacy giants by leveraging AI and innovative marketing.
Within 6 months of launch, he hit $12M ARR with minimal outside funding.
It's mind-boggling, when you compare this to traditional VC-backed founders who raise 3-4 rounds and end up with single-digit equity stakes.
The math is brutally simple:
AI has driven the cost of software development and operation to nearly zero.
One engineer with AI tools can now build what previously required entire teams.
Customer service that needed 50 agents can run with 5 and an AI copilot.
For investors, it's a double-edged sword.
• Best case: 10X returns on minimal capital.
• Worst case: Those SAFE notes never convert because companies never raise again.
Some investors are now adding clauses requiring dividend payments if no further rounds occur
(although I wonder if that is still enough to save the traditional VC model).
But what’s fascinated me the most is the psychology of these founders.
They don’t need to build the next Apple or Google.
They simply want to work hard, be their own boss, build cool shit and make $5-10M a year while maintaining control.
And they are realizing this is both possible and achievable with AI leverage.
The playbook for such founders is simple:
1. Raise one, well-structured seed round
2. Use AI to slash operational costs
3. Focus relentlessly on revenue and profitability, not vanity metrics
4. Negotiate SAFE terms carefully (they may never convert)
The age of the lean, profitable, founder-controlled AI company is here.
And this million-dollar question is keeping VCs up at night:
“Why would any AI-native founder raise endless rounds of VC funding again?”
——————
I am actively helping next-gen founders who are building AI Native companies.
If you are one of them, let’s connect.
Or if you know someone building or aspiring to build such capital-efficient AI companies, share this post with them.
Lastly, if you are interested in learning more about lean AI-native companies, I created an open-source leaderboard to track such companies (link in the comments).
(Shoutout to @theinformation and @nmasc_ for featuring my thoughts on this trend that is redefining startup funding).

San Francisco, CA 🇺🇸 English

#Plumbing Business For Sale
• $1.5M TTM Revenue
• $300,000 TTM Profit
• $30,000 Inventory
• PA-Based
Asking Price: $1M
Please shoot me a DM if you’re interested in acquiring home-service based businesses. More to come! #SMBAcquisition
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@Molson_Hart Are you using a RE broker? I just did a 3PL deal in Portland, maybe you need someone in the eComm space working with 3PLs looking to consolidate. Maybe you can buy a book of business to fill your own space if you have the staff already
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When is hip-hop just going to end….I hate the display of such bad entertainment. Who outside of Millennials even like rap??
Millennials are the root cause generationally for all the weird social acceptances in society. 🤢 #EndHipHop #CancelRap
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@CLEsportsTalk Is Bill that cheap he gave her the T-shirts they couldn’t hand out from when they BEAT the Falcons? 🤣smh
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Your a Cleveland loser to expect someone with superior talent on a national scale to be willing to sacrifice himself for CLEVELAND. CLE has got to stop believing they’re a destination location for any high level professional, be lucky to have them or they’ll be gone! #MylesGarrett
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