- George Pu reduced his team from 14 to 5 employees in 2023 to survive financially.
- He replaced many roles with AI and avoided hiring for two years to improve margins.
- Pu described downsizing as his best financial decision but worst emotional experience.
George Pu, the 27-year-old founder of Canada-based Founder Reality, revealed he reduced his team from 14 to 5 employees in 2023, describing it as the "best financial decision" and the "worst emotional experience" of his career. The move was not part of a growth strategy but a survival decision driven by revenue pressures and high operating costs.
By replacing many roles with AI and avoiding new hires for two years, the company significantly improved its margins. Pu called the downsizing the most painful moment of his career, highlighting the loneliness of a "lean" path.
"We went from 14 people to 5 in 2023. Most painful moment of my career. Then we didn't hire again. For two years. Used AI for everything we thought we needed people for. Best financial decision I ever made. Worst emotional experience I've been through. Nobody talks about how lonely the lean path gets," he wrote on X.
See the post here:
We went from 14 people to 5 in 2023. Most painful moment of my career.
— George Pu (@TheGeorgePu) February 22, 2026
Then we didn't hire again. For two years.
Used AI for everything we thought we needed people for.
Best financial decision I ever made. Worst emotional experience I've been through.
Nobody talks about how…
The post resonated with other entrepreneurs, with many noting that the "lean" approach often leads to intense loneliness, guilt, and the loss of team energy.
One user wrote, "This is the AI productivity story that doesn't get shared. The wins are obvious. The cost stays private because you can't celebrate efficiency while your former team is job-hunting. The honest conversation about what AI actually costs beyond the compute bill hasn't happened yet."
Another commented, "Went through the exact same thing. The loneliness hit around month 3. Turned out I'd routed all my 1:1s through a summary bot and stopped having actual conversations for 11 weeks. Patched it with a bi-weekly Loom to the team. Morale metrics stabilized."
"Feel you. We had to shut down our office in 2020. It was the right financial decision but devastating emotionally for many factors. Very few people to talk to," said a third, while a fourth user added, "That resonates deeply. The lean path is brutal emotionally. You lose the team camaraderie, mentorship moments, and even small daily interactions. But financially and strategically, it's often the smartest move. AI can fill gaps, scale operations, and keep the business alive, but it can't replace the human connection you once had. That tension between survival and loneliness is the hidden cost of running lean."
