Mercury just released a massive report surveying 1,500 early-stage founders on how startups are raising, spending, and hiring this year.We break down the most surprising insights:- 87% of founders say they’re more confident about the future than last year- Startups using AI are 3x more likely to be scaling their teams- Most companies are still raising under $5M — but spending is climbing fast- Contractors and freelancers are now core to startup strategy- The R&D tax change hit founders hard — but relief is finally comingWhether you’re a founder, investor, or just startup-curious, this is a snapshot of how the rules of startup economics are changing in real time.📊 Full Mercury report here: https://mercury.com/blog/startup-economics-report-2025