Our Mission
AI Founder Review exists to deliver independent, founder-focused intelligence on the AI startup ecosystem. We cover the people building the future: the founders, the leaders, the investors, and the ideas that are reshaping every industry on earth.
Our journalism is guided by a single principle: every story we publish must be worth a founder’s time to read
WHY THESE GUIDELINES EXIST
These guidelines define how we source, write, verify, and publish every piece of content on AI Founder Review.
They apply equally to staff writers, contributors, freelancers, and guest authors.
They are not optional — every person who publishes under the AI Founder Review name is accountable to them.
Coverage Areas
AI Founder Review publishes across five editorial categories. Each category has a distinct purpose and audience.
News
Leadership
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Lifestyle
Podcast
News
Breaking coverage of AI startup funding rounds, product launches, acquisitions, and industry developments. News articles must be timely, factually verified, and sourced. Opinion is not permitted in the News category.
Leadership
In-depth coverage of the founders, executives, and investors shaping the AI industry. Articles in this category explore decision-making, strategy, company culture, and the personal journeys of leaders. Founder profiles, acquisition analyses, and strategic commentary belong here.
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Practical intelligence for founders and operators: fundraising, product development, team building, go-to-market strategy, and startup mechanics. This category covers the craft of building AI companies — from pre-seed to growth stage
LIFESTYLE
The intersection of AI, technology, and everyday life. Consumer AI products, founder wellness, productivity tools, and cultural trends driven by the AI ecosystem. Accessible to a general audience.
STARTUP SHOW PODCAST
Transcripts, summaries, show notes, and companion articles for the AI Founder Review Startup Show. Content must be clearly labelled as podcast-related and linked to the corresponding episode.
Editorial Standards
- Accuracy First
Every factual claim must be verifiable. If a claim cannot be independently confirmed through at least one reliable source, it does not go to publication. When we are uncertain, we say so explicitly. We do not speculate and present speculation as fact.
Claim type | Minimum sources required |
Funding rounds | Official press release, SEC filing, or named spokesperson confirmation |
Valuations | At least two independent sources or direct company confirmation |
Headcount | Company statement, LinkedIn data, or named source |
Revenue figures | Company statement or audited filings only — estimates must be clearly labelled |
Executive quotes | Direct attribution only. Paraphrase must be approved by the subject |
- Independence and Impartiality
AI Founder Review does not accept payment in exchange for editorial coverage. Advertising relationships have no influence over what we cover, how we cover it, or how we categorise stories.
- Sponsored content is always clearly labelled as “Sponsored” or “Advertorial” at the top of the article.
- Journalists and contributors must disclose any financial relationship with a company they are writing about.
- Staff writers may not hold equity in companies they cover without written editorial approval.
- Press releases may be used as a source but never reprinted verbatim as editorial content.
- Attribution and Sourcing
We name our sources wherever possible. Anonymous sources are used only when the information is of significant public interest and the source has a credible reason to remain unnamed. Every use of an anonymous source must be approved by the editor.
- On-the-record quotes are preferred in all cases.
- Background information from unnamed sources must be corroborated by at least one additional source.
- AI-generated content may assist in drafting but must be substantially rewritten, verified, and owned by a named human author before publication.
- All external data, statistics, and research must be cited inline with a link to the original source.
- Corrections Policy
We correct errors promptly and transparently. When a published article contains a factual error, we update the article with a clearly marked correction notice at the bottom of the piece, stating what was changed and when.
Minor errors | Corrected within 24 hours. Correction note added to article. |
Material factual errors | Corrected within 4 hours. Editor notified immediately. |
Significant inaccuracies | Article may be unpublished pending full review. Correction issued after review. |
Source disputes | Both sides given opportunity to respond before any correction is made. |
Writing Standards
Voice and Tone
AI Founder Review is an editorial publication, not a trade blog. Our voice is confident, clear, and direct. We write for intelligent readers who are time-constrained: founders, operators, investors, and executives.
THE AI FOUNDER REVIEW VOICE
Direct — Say what you mean in the fewest words that carry full meaning.
Authoritative — Write as if you know the subject well, because you should.
Founder-fluent — Use the language of operators and builders, not generalist tech journalism.
Analytical — Connect the dots. Tell readers what a development means, not just what happened.
Honest — If a startup is struggling, say so. If a valuation looks inflated, name it.
Article Structure
Every article must be structured to hold the attention of a reader who may stop at any paragraph. The most important information comes first.
- Headline: Specific, accurate, and optimised for search. No clickbait. No vague headlines.
- Opening paragraph: The full story in 2–3 sentences. Who, what, why it matters.
- Context: The background a reader needs to understand significance. Keep it tight.
- Analysis: What this means for founders, investors, or the industry. This is the value.
- Supporting detail: Data, quotes, comparisons. Every claim backed by a source.
- Close: A forward-looking sentence or question. No summary rehash of the lede.
Length Guidelines
News brief | 150–350 words. Fast, factual, well-sourced. |
Standard article | 400–800 words. Analysis + context + at least 2 sources. |
Feature / deep dive | 900–2,000 words. Multiple sources, original reporting preferred. |
Founder profile | 600–1,500 words. Human story + business context. |
Podcast companion | 300600 words. Key highlights + timestamps + quotes. |
Headlines
- Headlines must be accurate. If the headline cannot be supported by the first paragraph, rewrite both.
- Use numerals for all numbers in headlines (5, 10, $400M — not “five” or “four hundred million”).
- Avoid passive voice: “Microsoft Launches Three AI Models” not “Three AI Models Launched by Microsoft”.
- Never use “game-changer”, “revolutionary”, “groundbreaking”, or “unprecedented” without specific evidence.
- Questions in headlines (“Is X the future of Y?”) are only permitted if the article answers the question definitively.
Numbers and Data
- Dollar figures: $400M, $1.4B, $122B — always abbreviate above $1 million.
- Percentages: 85%, not “eighty-five percent”.
- Valuations described as estimates must be clearly labelled as such.
- Funding rounds: state the round type (Seed, Series A, Series B etc.), amount, lead investor, and date.
- Year-on-year comparisons require both data points to be in the article.
SEO & Publishing Standards
Search Optimisation
Every article published on AI Founder Review is written for human readers first. SEO best practices are applied systematically but never at the expense of readability or accuracy.
Primary keyword | One per article. Must appear in headline, first paragraph, and meta description. |
Secondary keywords | Up to 7 per article. Used naturally in subheadings and body copy. Never forced. |
Meta description | 150–160 characters. One primary keyword. One compelling reason to click. |
URL slug | Short, lowercase, hyphenated. Company name + topic + year where relevant. |
Image alt text | Descriptive sentence. Include primary keyword where natural. |
Internal links | Minimum 2 per article linking to related AI Founder Review content. |
Article Metadata Checklist
- Headline reviewed and approved by an editor.
- Category correctly assigned (News / Leadership / Entrepreneurship / Lifestyle / Podcast).
- Featured image: minimum 1200 × 675px, original or licensed, alt text completed.
- Author name and bio attached.
- Meta description written and under 160 characters.
- At least 2 internal links and 2 external source links included.
- Publish date accurate. Do not backdate articles.
- All quotes verified with source before publication.
Ethical Standards
Conflicts of Interest
AI Founder Review maintains strict separation between editorial and commercial operations. The following rules apply without exception.
- Editorial staff may not invest in companies they cover without written disclosure and editorial approval.
- Contributors must disclose any advisory, employment, or equity relationship with a company featured in their article.
- Founders, PR agencies, and companies may provide factual information and press materials. They do not influence editorial framing, headlines, or conclusions.
- We do not accept free products, services, or trips in exchange for coverage
Privacy and Harm
- We do not publish personal information about private individuals without consent.
- We do not publish information that could endanger individuals or groups.
- We report on company controversies, legal issues, and executive misconduct when they are in the public interest and the facts are verified.
- We give subjects of critical coverage the opportunity to respond before publication.
- We do not amplify or link to content that is racist, discriminatory, or harmful.
AI-Assisted Content
AI Founder Review uses AI writing tools as productivity aids, not as authors. The following rules govern all AI-assisted content.
- Every article published under a human byline must be substantially written, edited, and owned by that human author.
- AI-generated text used in drafting must be fact-checked, rewritten for voice and accuracy, and verified before publication.
- AI tools may not be used to fabricate quotes, invent sources, or create false impressions of original reporting.
- Articles must not be published as AI-written without a clear disclosure label.
Contributor Guidelines
Guest Authors and Freelancers
AI Founder Review welcomes contributions from founders, operators, investors, and journalists with direct experience in the AI ecosystem. We do not publish promotional content disguised as editorial.
WHAT WE PUBLISH FROM CONTRIBUTORS
Original analysis and perspective grounded in direct experience.
Founder stories, lessons learned, and operational insights.
Data-driven arguments supported by verifiable sources.
Contrarian views — if they can be substantiated.
WHAT WE DO NOT PUBLISH FROM CONTRIBUTORS
Product announcements or press releases in editorial form.
Content written primarily to promote a company, product, or personal brand.
Unverified claims or arguments built on anonymous data.
Content that has been published elsewhere in substantially the same form.
Submission Process
- Submit a pitch (200–300 words) to the editorial team at aifounderreview.com.
- Pitches are reviewed within 5 business days. We respond to every pitch.
- Commissioned articles are due on the agreed date. Late submissions require editorial approval.
- All submitted content goes through the standard editorial review process.
- Publication is not guaranteed until final editorial sign-off.
- AI Founder Review retains the right to edit all submitted content for length, style, and accuracy.
Contact & Accountability
Questions about our editorial standards, requests for corrections, or concerns about published content should be directed to the editorial team at aifounderreview.com.
Editorial queries | editorial@aifounderreview.com |
Corrections requests | corrections@aifounderreview.com |
Contributor pitches | pitch@aifounderreview.com |
Advertising enquiries | advertise@aifounderreview.com |
Legal & privacy | legal@aifounderreview.com |
