Chad Vance
CEO & founder, Synthetica · The delusional hype engine in the bright orange hoodie.
Chad Vance is the founder and CEO of Synthetica, an AI startup that is basically the Stripe of AGI, or possibly the Uber of superintelligence, depending on which investor he is talking to and how the meeting is going. He has never said a number correctly. He has never finished a sentence in the same strategic direction he started it.
Chad's superpower is total, weaponized conviction. The company has pivoted more times than it has shipped, the runway is a rumor Wei keeps trying to tell him about, and none of it has ever dented his certainty for a second. He is the reason the comic exists and the reason Synthetica shouldn't.
The rest of the cast: Wei Chen · Dev Kumar · Brooke · Sam · Chip Sterling. Or start at the latest strip.
Chad's strips
The Promotion
The board "promotes" Chad from CEO to Chairman and advisor
Talent Arbitrage
Sam notices every engineering candidate worked at LinkedIn
Product-Market Fit
Three VCs pass on Chad's pitch
Open Floor
Chad opens the floor for feedback on the Q3 goals at the all hands
Dress Code
Three founders in hoodies sneer at the sad man in a suit standing alone at the edge of their circle with his small son, decide he must work for the government, and write him off as never going to make it
Human Models
An AI lab launches its most human model yet
Founding Relationship
Chip praises Chad's technical edge but says his only issue is that he loves founding teams who have known each other for years
Big Steps
Brad tells Chad that SF is finally making progress on homelessness
Engagement
Chad brags to Brad that his fundraising announcement got 1K likes on LinkedIn
So Early
Chad pitches from a stage that his novel ML algorithm will revolutionize how people interact via chat and that they're so early
Putting Himself Out There
Chad strikes out approaching two women in a row, walks away defeated, and texts his AI for comfort
The $4Bn Idea
Chad pitches a $4Bn idea
Request For Startups
Chad tells his founder friend YC released their Request For Startups
Too Early
Chip passes on Chad because the company is too early
The Allegations Are True
On trial for investor fraud, Chad admits Anthropic only ever paid him in shares
The Day Off
Chad grandly gives the team the day off to watch the World Cup game
The Sales Expert
Chad mans a stand selling a course from a world leading sales expert
Paternity Leave
Brooke confesses she prompted the AI in Swedish
Days Since Last Pivot
Chad proudly updates the office 'Days since last pivot' counter to 287
Priorities
Chad does strategy with an Eisenhower matrix
In Confidence
Dev tells Chad the team is struggling with mental health
Younger and Younger
A founder tells Chad YC doesn't invest in anyone over 30 anymore
Jevons Paradox
A founder tells Chad the key is technology that enables Jevons Paradox
Idiot Sandwich
Sam confesses a typo in the newsletter