Fyxer.ai is an AI-powered assistant that helps users reclaim hours of their day by managing their inboxes, writing replies, and taking meeting notes. But Fyxer didn’t start with AI. It started with a decade-long executive assistant agency that gave them a treasure trove of data and insight that became the foundation for integrating AI.

Fyxer CEO and Co-Founder Rich Hollingsworth joins Madrona Managing Director Karan Mehandru on this episode of Founded & Funded to share how Fyxer went from $1M to $10M ARR in six months with just 30 employees.

In this episode, Rich shares: Why great startups start with real-world pain How there is still room for disruption with email Why quality data matters more than quantity The PLG-to-enterprise playbook that actually works The rowing team mindset that drives their decision-making

Whether you're a founder, operator, or investor, this is a masterclass in AI execution, startup focus, and scaling fast without breaking.

Full Transcript: www.madrona.com/fyxer-ai-productivity-tools-for-email-and-meetings

Chapters (00:00) Intro (01:00) From EA Agency to AI Assistant (03:00) Lessons from Building Workflow-Driven AI (04:00) Growth: $1M to $10M ARR in 6 Months (05:00) Planning for Success vs. Failure (06:00) Frameworks for Prioritization (07:00) PLG + Enterprise Motion (09:00) What's Broken in AI Productivity (10:00) The Quality of Data Edge (12:00) Hiring: Execs Who Do the Grunt Work (14:00) Building with Family: Founding with His Brother (16:00) The Co-Founder Pitch That Landed Matt (18:00) What Startups Get Right vs. Big Tech (19:00) Founder Self-Work: Execution vs. Promotion (20:00) The Kindest Thing