Speed vs. Quality. Why not both?

Everlab’s founder on sustainable growth, Vercel’s AI-first operating model, a startup user research template, our Paris pop-up, and a new Seoul startup role.

Welcome to The Startup Stack — where we cut through the noise to bring you the real talk, tactical tools, and startup trends that matter. This week, we’re digging into how to stay close to customers and scale with intention: Everlab 's co-founder Sam Kothari on growing fast without losing your footing, Vercel 's COO Jeanne DeWitt Grosser on turning AI into an operating model, and a Notion template to help you capture user insight before you ship. Plus IRL time in Paris - and an opportunity to help build Notion for Startups in Seoul.

Featuring:

• Grow fast, stay grounded: Everlab's co-founder Sam Kothari on designing for long-term impact, hiring humble generalists, and not building alone.
• Make AI your operating model: Vercel's COO Jeanne DeWitt Grosser on AI-native roles, context-rich workflows, and compounding shipping velocity.
• Startup User Research template: Track interviews, embed recordings, and turn customer insights into clear product decisions.
• IRL: Catch us in Paris for Make with Notion Showcase

The stack is built - let’s move fast without lowering the bar.

“There is often a trade-off between speed, cost, and quality. You’re trying to figure out of the three, which two can I optimize for? The mentality we have internally in our mantra is you never ever compromise on quality in healthcare.” — Sam Kothari, Co-Founder & COO of Everlab

Sam Kothari, Co-Founder & COO of Everlab, joins Alex Dam , Notion’s APAC Startups Lead, to unpack how he’s building a company that blends speed, mission, and empathy — without compromising quality. From designing systems that scale with intention to hiring humble generalists and building a founder network that keeps you grounded, Sam shares what it really takes to grow fast and sustainably.

Three founder lessons from Sam:

• Design for long-term impact → The most durable companies solve problems before they break - not after. Build systems that anticipate needs instead of reacting to them.
• Hire for humility, not titles → In the early days, hire generalists who learn fast and stay curious.
• Don’t build alone → Founders who ask for help move faster. Build networks early so you’re not solving every problem from scratch.

Watch the full episode →

Startup Customer Research Template: capture insights, spot patterns, and ship what customers actually want.

• Centralized research hub: Track every interview across products, customers, and projects - all in one place.
• Evidence you can revisit: Embed call recordings, transcripts, and notes so your team can replay moments, not rely on memory.
• Insight to action: Tag themes, surface patterns with Notion AI, and turn user pain points directly into product decisions and next steps.

Get your startup customer research template now →

“You can’t build AI as a feature. You need to make AI your operating model.” — Jeanne DeWitt Grosser, COO of Vercel

Building an AI-First Business with Vercel’s COO

Jeanne DeWitt Grosser, COO of Vercel , broke down how the team is using AI to scale faster with fewer resources - showing founders what it really takes to redesign roles, workflows, and documentation so AI becomes an operating model, not a bolt-on feature.

Key Takeaways:

• Build AI-powered roles early: Vercel’s GTM Engineering function turns top-performing workflows into agents - doubling inbound efficiency with half the touches.
• Turn knowledge into leverage: Clean, structured Notion docs feed Vercel’s GTM agents, enabling SDRs to produce exec-level outreach without constant oversight.
• Institutionalize shipping velocity: Lightweight demo rituals + structured docs give teams a shared memory that compounds into faster shipping and higher-quality output.

Watch the full session →

Mark your calendar - Notion for Startups is hitting the road.

Join us for bold ideas, lively conversations, and access to founders you'll want to meet.

November 26 | Paris: Make with Notion Showcase, “L’atelier des startups et créateurs”. Join our pop-up for startups & creators for practical conversations with founders, real AI workflows, and demos from builders to help you scale smarter and faster RSVP.

We’re hiring globally - join the team!

Startup Market Developer in Seoul, South Korea

The Startup Market Developer is a key driver of Notion’s growth and adoption across the startup ecosystem in Korea. You’ll be the lead operator in one of our most exciting and high-potential markets, responsible for building strong partnerships, running high-ROI campaigns, and capturing the attention of top early-stage founders. Are you the ultimate startup super-connector - or know one? Apply here

The AI workspace that works for you. Startups move fast - and Notion helps you move faster. From idea to exit, build docs, manage projects, and run your team and startup in one connected workspace powered by Notion AI. Apply now to get up to 6 months of Notion’s Business plan with Notion AI included - a $12,000 value.

Till next week — keep the bar high.