India, Feb. 23 -- AI has changed how startups build, hire, and scale. Tasks that once needed full teams can now be done by software in minutes. Founders are choosing efficiency and automation over expansion. For one founder, the shift brought stronger margins but also one of the most painful periods of his career.

In a post on X, George Pu, founder of Founder Reality based in Canada, opened up about one of the most difficult chapters in building his company.

"We went from 14 people to 5 in 2023. Most painful moment of my career," the caption of the post reads.

In the post, he said the team reduction was not a growth strategy but a survival move driven by revenue pressures and rising costs.

Pu restructured his team from 14 to 5 in a si...