AI gets sticky

gm legends. It’s Sunday funday.

This week: the winners of our 2025 Orbit Awards for AI dictation; a serial founder on why you should be thinking about ops from day 1; a review of the new hot (and sold-out) Christmas toy; where to look for dev jobs ASAP; and some of the top launches from the past week.

Put on the kettle, grab a cuppa, and start reading.

P.S. Launching soon? We’d love to hear about it → editorial@producthunt.co 🫶

If you haven’t heard, we’ve sunsetted (sunsat?) the Golden Kitty Awards. But we’re here with a whole new awards series aimed at celebrating the products that went beyond launch day and are revolutionizing their categories.

This week: AI dictation tools. We’ve got 7 awards to hand out, so without further ado…

By Na’ama Moran, cofounder of Waya

“For many small companies, things start to unravel not because the idea is bad, but because the operations can’t scale.

“How can you tell? Well, it’s like that dream where the harder you swim, the further you end up from shore; you just can’t keep up. You’ve been caught in a riptide. It’s at this point that it’s worth pausing for a minute and sorting out your operations. By operations, I mean the processes, systems, and tools that not only keep your head above water but get you moving forward once again.

“The obvious problem with focusing on operations is that many founders find it boring or even a distraction from their top concern with product and sales.

“It’s more fun to build the product, tinker with the UX, and keep shipping new features. But just like high school English class, boring doesn’t mean you should skip it.”

By Gabe Perez, head of product curation at Product Hunt

“Groggily, as I make my way downstairs, I hear the scurry of footsteps rushing to our common area. 

“‘Daddy, can I use Stickerbox?’ whispers my 5-year-old daughter, skipping the good mornings… and breakfast.

“‘After you eat and get ready for school,’ I sluggishly reply. Typically, making my daughter get ready for school can be a struggle, but with Stickerbox time on the line, she bolts into action. I don’t think I’ve ever seen her get ready so fast.”

• So what exactly is Stickerbox?
• Why is Gabe’s daughter so excited to use it?
• And why is Gabe happy to let her?

It’s December, and with Christmas looming, you might think companies are waiting to hire until after the new year. But plenty of startups are looking to stock up on talent NOW, according to fmerian. He’s compiled his monthly list of job vacancies. Cursor, Speakeasy, TwelveLabs, Resend, and more are looking for engineers, developer leads, and community builders. So start polishing your CV.