In this episode of Funds and Founders, we sit down with John Davison, founder of StartupLandia, a hybrid venture studio and development shop. John shares his journey from being a Bay Area engineer to helping early-stage founders build sustainable products. Learn how John:

Helps founders validate ideas before writing code
Reduces engineering costs through strategic tool selection
Navigates the impact of AI on product development
Structures development teams for optimal efficiency
Balances technical implementation with business needs

Whether you're a technical founder or a business person looking to build a product, John's insights on sustainable development and founder success are invaluable!

Timestamps: 0:00 - Intro & StartupLandia's Mission 2:32 - When Founders Need Technical Help 6:20 - Why Pre-Development Work Matters 9:54 - Validating Ideas Before Building 12:42 - AI's Real Impact on Development 16:40 - The Truth About Software Costs 20:35 - Importance of User Experience 29:10 - Working with Technical Founders 33:20 - Structuring Development Teams 42:37 - Global Development Perspectives 47:09 - Building Support Systems 1:02:06 - Resources for Founders 1:07:09 - Austin Tech Ecosystem 1:10:42 - Contact & Final Thoughts

Connect with John: Website: startuplandia.io Twitter: @JCDavison LinkedIn: John Davison

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