The Foundr Podcast with Nathan Chan
Episode 634: (Solo) My Current AI Stack (and How It’s Helping Us Move 10x Faster at Foundr)
Date: February 23, 2026

Episode Overview

In this solo episode, Nathan Chan—CEO and creator of The Foundr Podcast—dives deep into his current AI tool stack, sharing the specific AI applications he and his team at Foundr are using to supercharge productivity and operate more efficiently, even as the company scales. The episode is highly tactical, offering practical recommendations and candid insights about leveraging AI tools to move "10x faster" without bloating team size. Nathan emphasizes that AI enables lean, entrepreneurial operations but does not replace foundational work like real thinking, authentic market research, and organic community building.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Philosophy of Working Lean and AI’s Role

• Nathan reflects on the early days of overstaffing at Foundr, and how moving fast and staying lean is now the default (00:48).
• AI is positioned as a tool—“like upgrading from a horse to a car”—making everything much faster, but not a shortcut to genuine customer or market understanding (02:14).

2. Nathan’s Current AI Stack (03:00–16:00)

A. Manus AI (03:00–06:45)

• Primary Use Cases: Building presentations, analyzing content, creating outlines, writing copy angles, content review, data/audio/video processing.
• Why Manus? Nathan sees Manus as “miles and miles ahead of ChatGPT” for “thinking, breaking things down, consuming content, and learning."
• Quote:

  “When it comes to creating content, Manus AI is where it’s at…miles and miles and miles ahead of ChatGPT.” (Nathan, 05:40)

• New “agentic” features in Manus are highlighted as cutting-edge, with Nathan experimenting in real-time.

B. Notion AI (06:50–08:15)

• Primary Use Cases: Summarizing long-term projects, structuring daily workflows, acting as a digital “second brain”, personal process documentation.
• Notion is positioned as both assistant and project manager, enabled through AI dashboard customization.
• Anticipates future integration with agentic tools for even more autonomy.
• Quote:

  “It knows a lot about me and helps keep me on track…it’s been an absolute gamechanger.” (Nathan, 07:32)

C. ChatGPT (08:15–10:10)

• Primary Use Cases: Overcoming creative or mental blocks, ongoing “conversation” for momentum.
• Nathan has a “love-hate relationship” with ChatGPT—powerful, but can “lose track,” “start forgetting things,” and is subpar for large-scale copy or mass content analysis.
• Stresses importance of training ChatGPT on your work and style over time.

D. Gemini & NotebookLM by Google (10:15–12:00)

• Primary Use Cases: Analyzing vast amounts of content; central knowledge repository.
• Nathan uploads every podcast and YouTube interview into NotebookLM, effectively creating a living archive of his thinking.
• Useful for podcast prep: quickly analyzing interviews and extracting “gold” unique to Nathan.
• Differentiates purpose vs. Notion—not a second brain, but a research and synthesis engine.
• Quote:

  “In 15 minutes, it’ll give you a summary of who’s speaking about this person—it’s really, really cool.” (Nathan, 11:25)

E. Whisper AI (12:05–13:00)

• Introduced by: Nick Shackelford (friend and entrepreneur)
• Primary Use Cases: On-the-go voice transcription, idea capture while walking/driving, integrating spoken thoughts into platforms like Notion or Google Docs.
• Especially useful for those who process ideas verbally.

F. Fixer AI (13:05–14:40)

• Primary Use Cases: Inbox management, executive assistant tasks, automating admin workflows.
• Aids the team with mental clutter and inbox overload—doesn’t replace actual staff, but streamlines communication responses.
• Nathan believes upcoming agentic platforms (like Claudebot or Manus Agentic) might soon replace or augment Fixer.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On AI’s limits:

  “AI doesn’t replace real thinking, real market research, or real customer connection…it’s a shortcut to success, but you still need to build real relationships at scale.” (Nathan, 02:14)

• On choosing AI tools:

  “If you’re feeling overwhelmed by AI…don’t be. You don’t need to use everything. Just pick one tool, play with it this week, test it and see if it gets you to the outcome you’re looking for better and faster.” (Nathan, 14:45)

• On the pace of change:

  “It is moving at the speed of knots, and you’re not going to be left behind.” (Nathan, 15:30)

Practical Recommendations and Takeaways

• Start Small: Nathan advises listeners not to feel pressured by the explosive growth of AI. Instead, try one tool at a time and iterate.
• Continuous Learning: Even with powerful tech, basic business skills and critical thinking are irreplaceable.
• AI for Lean Scaling: Proper use of AI lets small teams remain nimble and effective as they grow.

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:48 — Nathan’s philosophy: Running a lean, fast-moving team.
• 02:14 — Disclaimer: AI as a tool, not a shortcut to real work.
• 03:00 — Manus AI: Top recommendation and use cases.
• 06:50 — Notion as a second brain and productivity assistant.
• 08:15 — ChatGPT: Strengths, shortcomings, and workflow use.
• 10:15 — Gemini/NotebookLM: Knowledge management and podcast prep.
• 12:05 — Whisper AI: Voice transcription for idea capture.
• 13:05 — Fixer AI: Executive assistant capabilities for team admin.
• 14:45 — Advice to listeners: Overcoming AI overwhelm and starting simple.
• 15:30 — Reassurance and encouragement to adopt AI at your own pace.

Summary

Nathan Chan’s solo episode delivers a transparent, actionable look into the real-world application of AI across a fast-growing entrepreneurial organization. Listeners receive both hands-on recommendations for powerful, tested AI tools and a strategic lens on integrating AI without losing the human touch. Nathan’s candid perspective and genuine tone make this episode essential listening for founders and teams seeking to scale smarter, not harder.