If you’re a founder building anything that isn’t “AI for AI” right now, you’ve probably felt the same cold shoulder: investors asking where the model is, journalists fishing for a ChatGPT angle, and social feeds drowning in demo videos of yet another agent that books meetings. anything Here’s the good news: you don’t need to pretend you’re an AI company to win attention. You need to communicate like one. AI has rewired the media ecosystem in two ways: (1) it made novelty cheap, so “cool tech” doesn’t automatically earn headlines; and (2) it made audiences more ruthless about time, so only clear outcomes cut through. Your job this year is to show, quickly and repeatedly, that your startup produces a specific, provable result for a specific group of people—then distribute that proof like it’s a product. clear outcomes Below are practical tactics you can start this week, even if your startup is in climate, logistics, fintech, health, consumer apps, hardware, edtech, or anything else that doesn’t wear “AI” on its hoodie. 1) Stop Pitching the Product. Start Pitching the Change. The fastest way to disappear in 2026 is to describe your startup like a feature list: “We’re a platform that streamlines…” “We’re a platform that streamlines…” No one has time for that. Your job is to compress your story into a before/after statement that a tired editor, investor, or customer can repeat without thinking. Use this template: **Before:**the costly status quo (time, money, risk, pain)**After:**the measurable improvementMechanism: the one-line reason it works Mechanism: Example: Before: “Small manufacturers lose weeks chasing late payments.”
After: “We cut payment time from 45 days to 12.”
Mechanism: “We integrate into invoicing and automate reminders + dispute resolution.” Before: “Small manufacturers lose weeks chasing late payments.” Before: After: “We cut payment time from 45 days to 12.” After: Mechanism: “We integrate into invoicing and automate reminders + dispute resolution.” Mechanism: You’ll notice AI isn’t required. But “measurable improvement” is. 2) Build a “Proof Library” That Journalists and Social Feeds Can Steal In an AI-saturated year, attention doesn’t go to the loudest—it goes to the easiest to verify. Create a simple folder (Notion, Drive, whatever) with: 3 customer stories (problem → adoption → result)
1 data point you can defend (even small is fine)
Screenshots that show the product working
A founder headshot and logo kit
Two short videos (15–30 seconds each)

one “product in action”
one “the problem is real” (customer quote, industry pain point, visual proof) 3 customer stories (problem → adoption → result) 3 customer stories 1 data point you can defend (even small is fine) 1 data point Screenshots that show the product working Screenshots A founder headshot and logo kit A founder headshot logo kit Two short videos (15–30 seconds each)

one “product in action”
one “the problem is real” (customer quote, industry pain point, visual proof) Two short videos one “product in action”
one “the problem is real” (customer quote, industry pain point, visual proof) one “product in action” one “the problem is real” (customer quote, industry pain point, visual proof) This turns you from “another startup asking for coverage” into “a story package” someone can publish fast. 3) Use AI Tools Like a Power User (Not a Tourist) Here’s where AI actually helps founders who aren’t building AI: A) Turn one idea into 10 angles Use an AI assistant to generate: 10 headline options
5 contrarian takes
3 founder-story arcs
2 data visuals you could create 10 headline options 5 contrarian takes 3 founder-story arcs 2 data visuals you could create Then choose one and execute. The tool isn’t the content. The tool is the multiplier. B) Create “micro-assets” at scale Your product update can become: a thread
a LinkedIn post
a 30-second script
an FAQ
a customer email
a press note
a short demo outline a thread a LinkedIn post a 30-second script an FAQ a customer email a press note a short demo outline AI helps you reformat without losing your mind—as long as you keep the core claims honest. as long as you keep the core claims honest C) Media training on demand Paste your pitch and ask: “What parts sound like fluff?”
“What would a skeptical reporter ask?”
“Where are the gaps in proof?”
“Rewrite this in plain English.” “What parts sound like fluff?” “What would a skeptical reporter ask?” “Where are the gaps in proof?” “Rewrite this in plain English.” You’re basically running a hostile interview rehearsal. D) Competitive and narrative research Have AI summarize: how competitors position themselves
what reporters have written about your category
what narratives are overdone (avoid them)
what narratives are under-covered (own them) how competitors position themselves what reporters have written about your category what narratives are overdone (avoid them) what narratives are under-covered (own them) The goal isn’t to copy. It’s to find the open lane. The Real Cheat Code: Be Specific, Be Provable, Be Repetitive AI has made the internet louder. It hasn’t made it smarter. If you want to stand out in 2026, act like an operator with receipts: one clear before/after
one measurable claim
a steady stream of proof
distribution that looks like reporting, not ads
AI used as leverage, not camouflage one clear before/after one measurable claim a steady stream of proof distribution that looks like reporting, not ads AI used as leverage, not camouflage You don’t need to win the “AI” conversation. You need to win your customers’ conversation—and make it so easy to understand that media and social can’t help but amplify it. your customers’ If you’re building something real, this is your year. Just don’t hide it behind jargon. Show the change. Then show it again. Want a dead-simple way to put this into practice? Want a dead-simple way to put this into practice? Build your proof, package it, and ship it—publicly—through HackerNoon’s Proof of Usefulness Hackathon. Proof of Usefulness Hackathon Proof of Usefulness Hackathon It’s designed for projects with receipts: real users, real outcomes, real stability. Not “cool demos.” Submit what you’ve built (new or existing), show the change you create, and let the scoring system reward real-world utility—adoption, revenue, and technical quality. There’s $150,000+ in prizes, plus smaller participation awards—because the point is to spotlight software that actually works. $150,000+ If you’re serious about standing out in 2026, don’t just say you’re useful—prove it. If you’re serious about standing out in 2026, don’t just say you’re useful—prove it. Learn more here! Learn more here! Learn more here! Learn more here! Great Startups That You Should Know About Meet Skyld AI, 2pers, and Sekoia.io. Skyld AI 2pers Sekoia.io Skyld AI Skyld AI Skyld is a deeptech startup founded in July 2023 by Marie Paindavoine, a cryptography PhD with over ten years of experience in cybersecurity. The firm provides provides solutions to secure AI models and regularize AI licensing and is backed by Station F, Inria & Berkeley SkyDeck. Based in Rennes, France, this impressive startup won HackerNoon’s Startups of the Year award for the region and was nominated in the Network Security, Cybersecurity Services, and Data Privacy & Compliance categories. region Network Security Cybersecurity Services Data Privacy & Compliance 2pers 2pers 2pers is a provider of key technologies in the domain of wireless (5G/6G), media, AI, and SaaS industries. It helps customers on advanced topics, including the development of new products (currently in research/incubation stage). Based in Rennes, France, this impressive startup was a runner up in HackerNoon’s Startups of the Year award for the region. region Sekoia.io Sekoia.io Sekoia.io is a European cybersecurity technology company that provides cyber teams with a SOC platform that can respond to security incidents, regardless of the attack surface. Based in Rennes, France, this impressive startup was a runner up in HackerNoon’s Startups of the Year award for the region and was nominated in the Network Security, Cybersecurity Services, and Data Privacy & Compliance categories. region Network Security Cybersecurity Services Data Privacy & Compliance That’s all for this week. Until next time, hackers!

The “Proof Library” Trick That Gets Founders Covered in an AI-Saturated Year

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