What’s Inside
Why storytelling beats features in sales and fundraising
How small teams can use AI to build and scale faster
Sharmin Ali’s advice on avoiding me-too startups and founder burnout
Sharmin Ali has built and sold AI startups, mentored dozens of founders and written a 70,000-word book about her journey.
She argues that storytelling — not product features — is what convinces customers and investors.
In this episode of The Venture Variety Show, we talk about how founders can sell vision, how lean teams can use AI to move faster, and why avoiding me-too products is essential for survival.
Vision Over Features
Sharmin explains why storytelling is the core of sales and leadership. Specs fade, but stories stick. She points to Steve Jobs’s famous line — “a thousand songs in your pocket” — as an example of vision beating features.
Using AI to Build Lean
From content creation to code generation, founders can leverage AI to run lean teams. Sharmin dismisses “prompt engineering” as overhyped, urging founders to simply start talking to ChatGPT to develop strategy, messaging, and even MVPs.
Avoiding Me-Too AI
She warns against chasing the hype with copycat AI tools. Investors are tiring of the same pitches, and founders risk burning out by trying to replicate what others have already raised money for. Real value, not imitation, creates longevity.
Founder Survival
Sharmin shares candidly about her own health struggles and how burnout is real. She advises founders to use AI to free up time and focus on meaningful work instead of running themselves down in the race to keep up.
The Book and Establish.club
Her new book, Bitch, Stop! Please, is part memoir and part manual. Alongside it, she’s launching Establish.club, a platform with courses on how to become a million-dollar entrepreneur, build a company with just three members using AI, and create a personal brand as a founder.
Closing Thoughts
If you enjoyed this conversation, share it with a founder or investor who’d benefit.
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For broader debates on AI’s impact on work and society, check out The AI Cognitive Shift, which you can also find on YouTube.
