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Pre-seed founders want explosive growth early on, but are you following the wrong playbook too soon? These days strategies, acronyms, and well-intended advice are everywhere, but today's guest argues that the path forward is a simple one: talk to customers, run experiments, and embrace rejection as part of the journey.In this episode, Yaniv Bernstein speaks to guest Ashley Smith (ex-Twilio, Parse, GitLab, GitHub, and now General Partner at Vermilion Cliffs) and unpacks what it really takes for your startup to go from zero to one. Ashley has been at the helm of some of the most successful developer tool companies in the last decade and now invests in the next generation of technical founders. She shares raw insights from the trenches on how to build community, experiment with growth, and keep your startup alive through grit and iteration.In this episode, you will:Learn why investor playbooks can be dangerous for early-stage foundersUnderstand why customer conversations matter more than LinkedIn hot takesDiscover how product and marketing should be treated as one cohesive strategyExplore how companies like Twilio, Parse, and GitLab grew by leaning into community, content, and relentless product shippingSee why hiring generalists and “specialists in experimentation” is the best early-stage moveGain tactical tips on creating authentic founder content in the age of AI slopEmbrace rejection as a natural (and necessary) part of fundraising and early customer acquisitionThe Pact Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:Follow, rate, and review us in your listening appSubscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/ Follow us on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media followingKey linksGet your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/Learn more about Chris and YanivWork 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/ Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthurIntro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/
If you're still debating whether HR deserves a seat at the table, let me save you the suspense: Your seat is already cemented there. Hell, depending on the day, it might even be a throne! And today, I've got Ana King, CPO at SAPI, joining me to dig into this hard truth. With experience at Twilio, Trainline, and Google, Ana knows firsthand that no leadership meeting should ever happen without the leaders in the room, and that includes People Leaders. We're not support, we're strategy. And if your exec team hasn't figured that out yet…buckle up. 0:01:25 - One Hard Truth About Work 0:04:56 - Why No Leadership Meeting Should Happen Without Leadership in the Room 0:07:35 - Why Does HR Even Need to Earn a Seat at the Table? 0:11:27 - The Consequences of the “Earn It” Narrative 0:16:03 - A Time When Excluding People Leaders Backfired 0:19:21 - The Direct Link Between a Strong People Leader in the C-Suite and Commercial Success 0:21:50 - Why HR is a Strategic Partner, Not Just a Support Function 0:25:40 - What Separates Modern Leaders Today from Traditional Head of HR Roles 0:30:27 - Balancing Being an Employee Advocate and Being Accountable to the Business 0:36:22 - Why HR Sees Things That Nobody Else Can See in an Org 0:40:51 - How AI Will Reshape Everything We Do 0:47:07 - Ana's Vision of the C-Suite of the Future Choosing the wrong HR platform is rife with regrets: losing a top performer, promoting the wrong person, or failing to engage your team when the business needs it most. Fortunately, you don't have to choose between investing in people programs and consolidating your tech stack. With Lattice, you can have both. Visit lattice.com to learn more. And if you love I Hate It Here, sign up to Hebba's newsletter! It's for jaded, overworked, and emotionally burnt-out HR/People Operations professionals needing a little inspiration. https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/i-hate-it-here-newsletter/ And if you love the podcast, be sure to check out https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here for even more exclusive insider content! Follow Ana: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anastancu/ Follow Hebba: YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ihateit-here/videos LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/hebba-youssef Twitter: https://twitter.com/hebbamyoussef
Welcome back to another episode of the EUVC Podcast, where we gather Europe's venture family to share the stories, insights, and lessons that drive our ecosystem forward. Today's conversation takes us on a global journey from Croatia to San Francisco to uncover how one founder caught lightning in a bottle and is now racing to harness it.Our guest: Ivan Burazin, founder of Daytona. With a career spanning Toronto, Croatia, Infobip, Shift Conference, and now Daytona, Ivan brings a rare, global perspective on how Europe can lead in DevTools and AI infrastructure. Alongside him, our dear friend Enis Hulli from E2VC joins to spotlight Daytona's story, the lessons from its dramatic pivot, and what it means for founders and investors navigating this new AI wave.Ivan has spent two decades at the intersection of infrastructure and developer communities. From racking servers in the early 2000s to launching one of the first browser-based IDEs in 2009 to scaling the Shift Conference to thousands of attendees, his career has consistently circled around enabling developers.Daytona's first act was a cloud IDE provider for enterprises — “one-click setup for secure developer environments.” With Fortune 500 customers onboard, revenue flowing, and a healthy pipeline, Daytona 1.0 showed promise. But something was missing.Six months ago, Ivan and his team made a bold decision to pivot. Daytona 2.0 is no longer about provisioning dev environments for humans — it's about powering AI agents with the computers they need.“Agents are not computers themselves. They need access to computers to run browsers, clone repos, analyze data. Daytona gives them that — an isolated sandbox with machine-native interfaces built for agents.” – IvanThe differences between human and agent runtimes turned out to be massive:Humans tolerate 30 seconds of spin-up; agents need milliseconds.Humans solve problems sequentially; agents branch into parallel “multiverse” solutions.Humans parse terminal output; agents require clean APIs.By recognizing this, Daytona carved out a new category: the computer for agents.The pivot coincided with a deliberate move to San Francisco. Ivan recalls how Figma embedded with designers at Airbnb, or how Twilio found adoption among early Valley startups. To own mindshare in a new category, location mattered.“From San Francisco outwards, adoption flows naturally. From Europe inwards, it's like pushing uphill.” – IvanSo Daytona went all-in: presence at AI meetups, team members flying in and out, and early product evangelism on the ground.HAfter the pivot, Daytona saw extraordinary pull from the market:Customer conversations ended with “send me the API key”.Infrastructure demand showed power-law dynamics: just a handful of fast-growing customers could drive scale.Instead of polished decks, Ivan shared raw revenue dashboards with authenticity.The momentum was immediate and tangible.Ivan admits he hadn't explicitly asked permission to pivot. He hinted at it in updates, tested the idea with a hackathon, and only later informed his cap table. The response? Overwhelmingly positive.“Almost half the angels replied. Go f***ing go. Let's go. I should've told them sooner.” – IvanEnis highlights this as a key distinction: experienced angels with broad portfolios encourage bold swings, while less diversified angels may fear the risk.Catching lightning is one thing. Harnessing it is another. Ivan's current focus:Hiring deliberately: keeping the team small and ownership-driven.White-glove onboarding: every serious customer gets a Slack channel with the whole team.Balancing speed and reliability: ship daily, but solve today's scale problems without over-engineering.Enis introduces a new term: seed-strapping — raising a seed, skipping A and B, and scaling straight to unicorn status.Ivan is cautious. Infra is capital-intensive, and while Daytona could raise a Series A today, he's committed to doing it on his terms.
Logan is joined by Marc Benioff, the legendary co-founder and CEO of Salesforce, for a wide-ranging conversation on the rise of AI in enterprises. Marc explains how Salesforce has become the testing ground for its own “agentic” technology, using AI agents to handle customer support, boost sales, and transform marketing. He also shares his perspective on what's hype vs. reality in the AI race, the opportunities for startups, and why the future is about humans and agents working together. (00:00) Introduction and Salesforce's Lead Management (00:35) Reflecting on the Last Eight Months (01:14) The Impact of AI on Salesforce Operations (02:15) AI's Role in Customer Support and Sales (03:45) Salesforce's Vision for an Agentic Enterprise (05:00) Public Market Sentiment and AI Adoption (06:15) Salesforce's Data and Application Foundations (08:13) The Future of CRM and ITSM Markets (12:57) Managing Agents and Human Workers (17:45) Salesforce's Growth and AI Product Line (19:38) Pricing Models and Customer Success Stories (23:26) The Role of AI in Different Market Segments (28:51) Salesforce Ventures and Startup Investments (36:05) Advice for Young Professionals and Future Trends (41:04) Dreamforce Executive Producer: Rashad Assir Producer: Leah Clapper Mixing and editing: Justin Hrabovsky Check out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA
In this episode, Carlos Gonzalez de Villaumbrosia interviews Inbal Shani, Chief Product Officer at Twilio, the $18B customer engagement powerhouse trusted by over 320,000 businesses worldwide.Inbal is a trailblazer in AI-first product development. Before joining Twilio, she led the launch of GitHub Copilot—one of the most transformative AI tools for developers, reshaping how engineers write code. Now at Twilio, she's steering a product portfolio that infuses AI into the heart of customer communications, helping companies unlock smarter, more personalized digital experiences at scale.In this conversation, Inbal shares why successful AI adoption goes far beyond adding models to features—it requires a rethinking of product strategy itself. She also dives into how Twilio measures real business impact from AI, why PMs need technical fluency more than ever, and what it takes to lead a product org into the AI-native future.What you'll learn:- How GitHub Copilot shaped Inbal's approach to building AI-native products.- Why AI adoption alone is not a product strategy—and what to focus on instead.- The metrics Twilio uses to evaluate AI's business impact.- The evolving technical skill set required for PMs in the age of AI.Key Takeaways
The Twenty Minute VC: Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch
Byron Deeter is a Partner at Bessemer Venture Partners, and one of the most renowned SaaS investors. Byron has led 19 unicorn investments, including IPO successes like ServiceTitan, Procore, Twilio, Box, Gainsight, Intercom, DocuSign, SendGrid. His portfolio includes eight companies that have gone public. Insane. Agenda: 00:00 – Why are the stakes in AI higher than ever before? 05:20 – Is defensibility in AI gone for good? 07:40 – Do margins even matter when backing the next Anthropic or Perplexity? 09:50 – How does Byron think about future dilution when investing in AI today? 12:10 – With 40% of venture money going to 10 deals, is there any point investing elsewhere? 13:40 – Is vertical SaaS dead? Is there any point when the large players can own it? 18:00 – Will AI shift from the tech budget to the human labor budget and unlock trillions? 21:10 – Are we entering the era of billion-dollar businesses built by 10 people? 25:20 – Is treble-treble-double-double now too slow for AI companies? 33:10 – In today's AI gold rush, is it better to scream the loudest or just build the best product? 41:10 – What specific growth rates are best in class, good and not good enough today? 55:00 – Is venture now just a game of scale — Chanel vs. Walmart?
In this episode of Builders Wanted, we're joined by Sandeep Seth, Chief Growth Officer and President of Tapestry. Sandeep shares his mission to future-proof growth by transforming Tapestry into a brand growth engine. He explores the importance of consumer focus, continuous learning, and creating seamless experiences both online and offline.-------------------Key Takeaways:Strategies to future-proof growth by focusing on consumer insightsHow to balance authenticity and innovation for younger generationsThe seamless integration of physical and digital experiences-------------------“ The magic doesn't come from what [consumers] tell us. The magic comes from what they don't tell us. And how do you sense that tension that's kind of going on there? It's not easy, but a true insight is that unexpressed emotion or that unexpressed need and how the brand, in an authentic way, can fulfill that.” – Sandeep Seth-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(01:57) - Sandeep's mission at Tapestry*(03:29 - Sandeep's approach to growth and brand relevance*(12:02) - An exciting shift in consumer behavior*(21:09) - Gen Z, digital vs. physical, and evolving consumer behavior*(28:29) - Balancing near-term performance with long-term brand equity*(37:39) - Quick hits-------------------Links:Connect with Sandeep on LinkedInConnect with Kailey on LinkedInLearn more about Caspian Studios-------------------SponsorBuilders Wanted is brought to you by Twilio – the Customer Engagement Platform that helps builders turn real-time data into meaningful customer experiences. More than 320,000 businesses trust Twilio to transform signals into connections—and connections into revenue. Ready to build what's next? Learn more at twilio.com.
Are you building your customer data strategy around your goals, or are your goals constrained by your data platform? Agility in today's marketing technology landscape isn't just about speed—it's about flexibility. Brands need data architectures that adapt to their needs, not the other way around. And with the right approach, that agility can fuel personalization, better customer outcomes, and real business value. Today we're going to talk about composable customer data platforms and how AI is enhancing decision-making to increase customer lifetime value.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Tejas Monahar, co-CEO and co-Founder of Hightouch. About Tejas Manohar Tejas Manohar is the cofounder/co-CEO of Hightouch. Prior to founding Hightouch, Tejas was an early engineer at Segment, the leading company in the Customer Data Platform (CDP) space that was acquired by Twilio for $3.2B. At Segment, Tejas realized that many of the challenges of building a best-in-class CDP would be better solved on top of the data warehouse and a modern data stack and hence, he founded Hightouch. When Tejas isn't thinking about data, he likes running and playing competitive table tennis. Tejas Manohar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tejasmanohar/ Resources Hightouch: https://www.hightouch.com https://www.hightouch.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brandsDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150" Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Are you building your customer data strategy around your goals, or are your goals constrained by your data platform? Agility in today's marketing technology landscape isn't just about speed—it's about flexibility. Brands need data architectures that adapt to their needs, not the other way around. And with the right approach, that agility can fuel personalization, better customer outcomes, and real business value. Today we're going to talk about composable customer data platforms and how AI is enhancing decision-making to increase customer lifetime value.To help me discuss this topic, I'd like to welcome Tejas Monahar, co-CEO and co-Founder of Hightouch. About Tejas Manohar Tejas Manohar is the cofounder/co-CEO of Hightouch. Prior to founding Hightouch, Tejas was an early engineer at Segment, the leading company in the Customer Data Platform (CDP) space that was acquired by Twilio for $3.2B. At Segment, Tejas realized that many of the challenges of building a best-in-class CDP would be better solved on top of the data warehouse and a modern data stack and hence, he founded Hightouch. When Tejas isn't thinking about data, he likes running and playing competitive table tennis. Tejas Manohar on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tejasmanohar/ Resources Hightouch: https://www.hightouch.com https://www.hightouch.com The Agile Brand podcast is brought to you by TEKsystems. Learn more here: https://www.teksystems.com/versionnextnow Catch the future of e-commerce at eTail Boston, August 11-14, 2025. Register now: https://bit.ly/etailboston and use code PARTNER20 for 20% off for retailers and brandsDon't Miss MAICON 2025, October 14-16 in Cleveland - the event bringing together the brights minds and leading voices in AI. Use Code AGILE150 for $150 off registration. Go here to register: https://bit.ly/agile150" Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregkihlstromDon't miss a thing: get the latest episodes, sign up for our newsletter and more: https://www.theagilebrand.showCheck out The Agile Brand Guide website with articles, insights, and Martechipedia, the wiki for marketing technology: https://www.agilebrandguide.com The Agile Brand is produced by Missing Link—a Latina-owned strategy-driven, creatively fueled production co-op. From ideation to creation, they craft human connections through intelligent, engaging and informative content. https://www.missinglink.company
Noel McNulty, Global Real Estate and Workplace Director at Twilio, brings learnings from hospitality to facilities and workplace experience in the tech and legal sectors. He explains how a “know your customer” mindset drives effective workplace design with personalized experiences. Noel discusses evolving from traditional facilities to values-driven workplace experience. After pandemic-based adaptions, he shares the emerging signals and realizations of the shift to flexible, remote-first work. Noel endorses curated events and environments to foster connection, engagement, and wellbeing to enhance productive, distributed work. KEY TAKEAWAYS [1:30] Noel moves from Ireland to the US, starting in hospitality before moving to facilities management. [3:09] Noel uses hospitality skills in facilities work, focusing customer service and operational efficiency. [4:28] Working on a large office restack, Noel is exposed to design, construction, and project management. [6:04] Getting to know each customer personally is essential to deliver effective workplace solutions. [10:41] Noel adopts Maya Angelou's insight that people remember how you made them feel. [13:14] Tech companies embrace high visibility events and high-touch workplace experiences. [16:23] Conservative sectors, such as law firms, foster very different workplaces to tech companies. [18:15] The pandemic halts a major growth period, forcing an immediate shift to remote working. [19:24] Downtime is used to catch back up, building playbooks and operational structure. [20:41] Phased office returns have strict safety measures, understanding psychological issues. [22:38] Leaders discover remote work productivity, adding asynchronous learning practices. [24:25] Pandemic-based work shifts lead to rethinking space use and global workplace strategy. [25:03] Twilio commits to remote-first for talent and customers, learning from new habits. [26:36] Using regular employee surveys to inform and guide culture and strategy. [27:51] Workplace experience is decisions are grounded by core values and principles. [29:22] “Open Work” is launched as a framework for distributed teams to thrive. [30:36] Effective workplace experience focuses on understanding customers and data, and cultivating curiosity. [31:24] Why empathy, self-awareness, and understanding needs are essential to inform workplace strategies. [31:45] Noel's coaching benefits his leadership, self-awareness, and support of everyone's well-being. [33:39] Noel recommends how reframing questions can unlock new perspectives. [35:11] IMMEDIATE ACTION TIP: To improve workplace experience, first, everyone gets to contribute as all their experiences matter. Secondly, get external inputs—there's a broad community all working on the same issues. Lastly, have fun with it. RESOURCES Noel McNulty on LinkedIn Twilio QUOTES “At the core of all of it, I think it's knowing your customer… that means actually getting to know them as a person, not just about the work they do.” “You can curate a more unified experience, but there's still personalization involved. It's about balancing both.” “Workplace experience is about how a company's values show up in the environment and how that reflects in how people are treated.” “Even as we've moved into this remote-first world, it's really about allowing people to be seen and heard.” “It wasn't just because they were a lawyer they got special attention—everybody got that attention, from secretaries to administrative staff.” “'Open Work' is our philosophy for how we allow our employees to thrive in a remote-first environment.”
A story about turning personal frustration into breakthrough technology—and why great products come from pain you actually feel.This Episode is for SaaS founders struggling to identify their real target audience—and wondering how to separate urgent problems from nice-to-have features.Most SaaS companies don't fail because of bad tech. They fail because they try to solve problems they don't actually feel.Davit Baghdasaryan, CEO of Krisp AI, took a different path. Former head of product security at Twilio, he spent evenings in Armenia taking morning calls from San Francisco—dealing with background noise that existing solutions couldn't touch. One personal frustration became the foundation for technology that now processes over a billion minutes monthly and powers 80% of human-to-AI voice interactions.And this inspired me to invite Davit to my podcast. We explore how building from real pain creates unbeatable product-market fit. Davit shares insights about choosing problems with no alternatives, why great demos feel like magic, and how focusing on essence over speed built technology that companies like Discord and Twilio now license. You'll discover why their "marketing experiment" desktop app became Product of the Year—and how they accidentally created infrastructure that now processes over a billion minutes monthly.We also zoom in on two of the 10 traits that define remarkable software companies: – They focus on the essence – They offer something valuable and desirableDavit's story proves that breakthrough technology starts with problems that personally bother you.Here's one of Davit's quotes that captures his philosophy on problem selection:"In order to understand the pain, you need to understand the alternative. If you are in an office, the alternative is to go find a quiet room—probably not that painful. But if you're in an airport or call center with people speaking next to you, there is no alternative."By listening to this episode, you'll learn:Why understanding alternatives reveals true market urgency What separating horizontal from vertical markets actually meansWhen building hard technology first pays off long-termWhy great demos feel magical instead of technicalFor more information about the guest from this week: Guest: Davit Baghdasaryan, CEO of Krisp AI Website: krisp.ai Weekly Voice AI newsletter
In der heutigen Folge sprechen die Finanzjournalisten Daniel Eckert und Holger Zschäpitz über neue Rekorde an der Wall Street, Trumps Goldman-Bashing, und Circle's freche Aktienverkäufe. Darüber hinaus geht es um 180 Life Sciences Corp, Alphabet, Coreweave, Rigetti Computing, Springer Nature, Patrizia, SAP, Hannover Rück, Confluent, Asana, Atlassian, Hubspot, Samsara, Gitlab, Mongo DB, Fastly, Adobe, Elastic, Twilio und Xtrackers FTSE Vietnam Swap ETF (WKN: DBX1AG), Xtrackers S&P Select Frontier Swap ETF (WKN: DBX1A9), MSCI EFM Africa Top 50 Capped Swap ETF (WKN: DBX0HX). Wir freuen uns an Feedback über aaa@welt.de. Noch mehr "Alles auf Aktien" findet Ihr bei WELTplus und Apple Podcasts – inklusive aller Artikel der Hosts und AAA-Newsletter. Hier bei WELT: https://www.welt.de/podcasts/alles-auf-aktien/plus247399208/Boersen-Podcast-AAA-Bonus-Folgen-Jede-Woche-noch-mehr-Antworten-auf-Eure-Boersen-Fragen.html. Der Börsen-Podcast Disclaimer: Die im Podcast besprochenen Aktien und Fonds stellen keine spezifischen Kauf- oder Anlage-Empfehlungen dar. Die Moderatoren und der Verlag haften nicht für etwaige Verluste, die aufgrund der Umsetzung der Gedanken oder Ideen entstehen. Hörtipps: Für alle, die noch mehr wissen wollen: Holger Zschäpitz können Sie jede Woche im Finanz- und Wirtschaftspodcast "Deffner&Zschäpitz" hören. +++ Werbung +++ Du möchtest mehr über unsere Werbepartner erfahren? Hier findest du alle Infos & Rabatte! https://linktr.ee/alles_auf_aktien Impressum: https://www.welt.de/services/article7893735/Impressum.html Datenschutz: https://www.welt.de/services/article157550705/Datenschutzerklaerung-WELT-DIGITAL.html
In der heutigen Folge sprechen die Finanzjournalisten Daniel Eckert und Holger Zschäpitz über einen Kursstolperer bei Hypoport, die Rallye Cannabis-Aktien und Mega-Verluste bei Softwaretiteln. Außerdem geht es um Hensoldt, Renk Group, Rheinmetall, Heidelberg Materials, Monday.com, Vertex, Twilio, ZoomInfo, OKTA, Mongo DB, Intuit, Workday, Snowflake, C3 AI, BigBear AI, Archer Aviation, AMC Enertainment, OpenDoor, Kohl's, Intuitive Machines, Tesla, Reddit, BitMine, Tilray Brands, Ørsted, BP, Shell, iShares Global Clean Energy Transition ETF (WKN: A0MW0M), PlugPower, Jinko Solar, SMA Solar, RWE, Enel, iShares iBonds Dec 2026 Term EUR Corporate ETF (WKN: A3EHAJ), Xtrackers II Target Maturity ETF EUR Corporate Bond (WKN: DBX0U6), Invesco Bullet-Shares 2027 EUR Corporate Bond ETF (WKN: A400MB) und iShares iBonds Dec 2028 Term ETF (WKN: A3EHAK). Wir freuen uns an Feedback über aaa@welt.de. Noch mehr "Alles auf Aktien" findet Ihr bei WELTplus und Apple Podcasts – inklusive aller Artikel der Hosts und AAA-Newsletter. Hier bei WELT: https://www.welt.de/podcasts/alles-auf-aktien/plus247399208/Boersen-Podcast-AAA-Bonus-Folgen-Jede-Woche-noch-mehr-Antworten-auf-Eure-Boersen-Fragen.html. Der Börsen-Podcast Disclaimer: Die im Podcast besprochenen Aktien und Fonds stellen keine spezifischen Kauf- oder Anlage-Empfehlungen dar. Die Moderatoren und der Verlag haften nicht für etwaige Verluste, die aufgrund der Umsetzung der Gedanken oder Ideen entstehen. Hörtipps: Für alle, die noch mehr wissen wollen: Holger Zschäpitz können Sie jede Woche im Finanz- und Wirtschaftspodcast "Deffner&Zschäpitz" hören. +++ Werbung +++ Du möchtest mehr über unsere Werbepartner erfahren? Hier findest du alle Infos & Rabatte! https://linktr.ee/alles_auf_aktien Impressum: https://www.welt.de/services/article7893735/Impressum.html Datenschutz: https://www.welt.de/services/article157550705/Datenschutzerklaerung-WELT-DIGITAL.html
Aktien hören ist gut. Aktien kaufen ist besser. Bei unserem Partner Scalable Capital geht's unbegrenzt per Trading-Flatrate oder regelmäßig per Sparplan. Alle weiteren Infos gibt's hier: scalable.capital/oaws. Aktien + Whatsapp = Hier anmelden. Lieber als Newsletter? Geht auch. Das Buch zum Podcast? Jetzt lesen. Tim Cook macht geiles Investment. Münchener Rück hat Preisdruck. Twilio auch. Under Armour & Sweetgreen haben Mehrfachdruck. Softbank geht's gut. Die mögen NVIDIA und Eutelsat. Trade Desk (WKN: A2ARCV) hat ein Problem. Sind's die großen Kunden oder die großen Konkurrenten oder beides? Die Börse hat Angst. Fliegen wird immer teurer, aber nicht immer profitabler. Delta (WKN: A0MQV8) und United (WKN: A1C6TV) suchen neue Geldquellen. Diesen Podcast vom 11.08.2025, 3:00 Uhr stellt dir die Podstars GmbH (Noah Leidinger) zur Verfügung.
In this episode of Builders Wanted, we're joined by Jon Kennedy, Chief Technology Officer at Quickbase. John discusses how Quickbase is helping businesses innovate through its no-code platform, enabling users to build custom solutions swiftly. He shares insights into the challenges of scaling a global engineering team, the importance of fostering an empowering work culture, and the transformative potential of AI in low-code development.-------------------Key Takeaways:The importance of empowering non-technical users, or "citizen developers," through Quickbase's no-code platform.The critical balance between fostering rapid innovation and maintaining strong governance, security, and reliability standards.Effective leadership and organizational transformation rely heavily on listening and adaptability.-------------------“ It's very empowering, like, I solved this problem. And guess what? You built a computer application and you're not a computer programmer. I think it's pretty empowering for somebody that is not a technologist to be able to solve a real world problem like that.” – Jon Kennedy-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(01:59) - How Quickbase is helping businesses solve complex problems*(09:08) - How customers are pushing the boundaries of what's possible *(11:04) - AI's role in transforming the low-code space *(16:01) - Navigating speed and stability at scale*(21:24) - Successes and challenges of integrating FastField into Quickbase*(28:23) - Quick hits-------------------Links:Connect with Jon on LinkedInConnect with Kailey on LinkedInLearn more about Caspian Studios-------------------SponsorBuilders Wanted is brought to you by Twilio – the Customer Engagement Platform that helps builders turn real-time data into meaningful customer experiences. More than 320,000 businesses trust Twilio to transform signals into connections—and connections into revenue. Ready to build what's next? Learn more at twilio.com.
Bret Taylor's legendary career includes being CTO of Meta, co-CEO of Salesforce, chairman of the board at OpenAI (yes, during that drama), co-creating both Google Maps and the Like button, and founding three companies. Today he's the founder and CEO of Sierra, an AI agent company transforming customer service. He's one of the few people I've met who's been wildly successful at every level—from engineer to C-suite executive to founder—and across almost every discipline, including PM, engineer, CTO, COO, CPO, CEO, and board member.In this conversation, you'll learn:1. The brutal product review that nearly ended his Google career—and how that failure led to creating Google Maps2. The question Sheryl Sandberg taught him to ask every morning (“What's the most impactful thing I can do today?”) that transformed how he approached every role3. The three AI market segments that matter4. Why AI agents will replace SaaS products5. His framework for knowing whose advice to actually listen to—and how that came in handy during the OpenAI board drama6. The counterintuitive go-to-market strategy most AI startups get wrong7. Sierra's outcome-based pricing model that's transforming how enterprise software is sold (and why every SaaS company should adopt it)8. What he's teaching his kids about AI that every parent should know—Brought to you by:CodeRabbit—Cut code review time and bugs in half. Instantly: https://coderabbit.link/lennyBasecamp—The famously straightforward project management system from 37signals: https://www.basecamp.com/lennyVanta—Automate compliance. Simplify security: https://vanta.com/lenny—Where to find Bret Taylor:• X: https://x.com/btaylor• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brettaylor/—Where to find Lenny:• Newsletter: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com• X: https://twitter.com/lennysan• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lennyrachitsky/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Bret Taylor(04:10) Bret's early career and first major mistake(08:24) The birth of Google Maps(11:57) Lessons from FriendFeed and the importance of honest feedback(31:30) The future of coding and AI's role(45:26) Preparing the next generation for an AI-driven world(48:46) AI in education(52:05) Business strategies in the AI market(01:04:38) Outcome-based pricing in AI(01:09:15) Productivity gains and AI(01:17:35) Go-to-market strategies for AI products(01:21:49) Lightning round and final thoughts—Referenced:• Marissa Mayer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marissamayer/• “Lazy Sunday”—SNL: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRhTeaa_B98• Quip: https://quip.com/• Sierra: https://sierra.ai/• FriendFeed: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FriendFeed• Sheryl Sandberg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheryl-sandberg-5126652/• Jim Norris on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/halfspin/• Paul Buchheit on X: https://x.com/paultoo• Sanjeev Singh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanjeev-singh-20a1b72/• Barack Obama: https://www.obamalibrary.gov/obamas/president-barack-obama• Oprah Winfrey: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oprah_Winfrey• Ashton Kutcher: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashton_Kutcher• PayPal Mafia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PayPal_Mafia• Sam Altman on X: https://x.com/sama• Warren Buffett on X: https://x.com/warrenbuffett• Unix: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unix• Fortran: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fortran• C: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C_(programming_language)• Python: https://www.python.org/• Perl: https://www.perl.org/• Rust: https://www.rust-lang.org/• Eleven Labs: https://elevenlabs.io/• The exact AI playbook (using MCPs, custom GPTs, Granola) that saved ElevenLabs $100k+ and helps them ship daily | Luke Harries (Head of Growth): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ai-marketing-stack• Confluent: https://www.confluent.io/• Databricks: https://www.databricks.com/• Snowflake: https://www.snowflake.com• Harvey: https://www.harvey.ai/• Behind the founder: Marc Benioff: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/behind-the-founder-marc-benioff• Larry Summers's website: https://larrysummers.com/• AutoCAD: https://www.autodesk.com/products/autocad/overview• Revit: https://www.autodesk.com/products/revit/• The art and science of pricing | Madhavan Ramanujam (Monetizing Innovation, Simon-Kucher): https://www.amazon.com/Monetizing-Innovation-Companies-Design-Product/dp/1119240867• Pricing your AI product: Lessons from 400+ companies and 50 unicorns | Madhavan Ramanujam: https://lenny.substack.com/p/pricing-and-scaling-your-ai-product-madhavan-ramanujam• Cursor: https://cursor.com/• CodeX: https://openai.com/codex/• Claude Code: https://www.anthropic.com/claude-code• The rise of Cursor: The $300M ARR AI tool that engineers can't stop using | Michael Truell (co-founder and CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-rise-of-cursor-michael-truell• DirecTV: https://www.directv.com/• SiriusXM: https://www.siriusxm.com/• Wayfair: https://www.wayfair.com/• Akai: https://www.akaipro.com/• Chubbies Shorts: https://www.chubbiesshorts.com/• Weight Watchers: https://www.weightwatchers.com/• CLEAR: https://www.clearme.com/• Stripe: https://stripe.com/• Building product at Stripe: craft, metrics, and customer obsession | Jeff Weinstein (Product lead): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-product-at-stripe-jeff-weinstein• Twilio: https://www.twilio.com/• ServiceNow: https://www.servicenow.com/• Adobe: https://www.adobe.com/• Jobs to be done: https://jobs-to-be-done.com/jobs-to-be-done-a-framework-for-customer-needs-c883cbf61c90• The ultimate guide to JTBD | Bob Moesta (co-creator of the framework): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-ultimate-guide-to-jtbd-bob-moesta• Inception: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1375666/• Alan Kay's quote: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/alan_kay_100831• Jobs at Sierra: https://sierra.ai/careers—Recommended books:• Monetizing Innovation: How Smart Companies Design the Product Around the Price: https://www.amazon.com/Monetizing-Innovation-Companies-Design-Product/dp/1119240867• Competing Against Luck: The Story of Innovation and Customer Choice: https://www.amazon.com/Competing-Against-Luck-Innovation-Customer/dp/0062435612• Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage: https://www.amazon.com/Endurance-Shackletons-Incredible-Alfred-Lansing/dp/0465062881—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. To hear more, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com
In this episode of This New Way, Aydin sits down with Tom Crawshaw, founder of an AI automation agency, to explore how he built an AI SDR (Sales Development Rep) system that books over $200,000 in sales calls per month—completely automated and with no humans in the loop. Tom breaks down the tech stack, the flow of conversations, and why these two-way AI-powered chats sound so natural that they're almost undetectable as bots. He also shares how this system scales personalized customer conversations at a fraction of the cost, and how similar workflows can be applied to everything from e-commerce abandoned carts to B2B demo follow-ups.Timestamps:1:15 – Tom's background and pivot from email/SMS marketing to AI automation2:57 – Why AI enables true two-way conversations at scale4:06 – Building custom AI SDR agents vs. off-the-shelf chatbots6:09 – Live demo: Booking a sales call through the AI SDR workflow10:13 – How the system qualifies leads and handles objections12:04 – Tech stack breakdown: Go High Level, N8N, Twilio, and A2P verification17:02 – Under the hood: prompts, custom fields, and conversation logic23:00 – Automating what 1,000 SDRs would do manually27:04 – Costs: Running conversations at $0.25 each29:25 – Other use cases: abandoned carts, B2B no-show follow-ups, e-commerce34:00 – Context files: training AI on viral posts and high-performing copy38:14 – Prompt Cowboy: turning lazy prompts into viral-ready content40:29 – Where to follow Tom and learn more about AI SDR systemsTools & Technologies Mentioned:Go High Level – CRM platform used for SMS automation and pipeline managementN8N – Workflow automation tool connecting AI agents and custom scriptsTwilio – SMS and WhatsApp messaging infrastructureA2P Verification – Compliance process required for sending business SMS in the US and CanadaOpenAI / Claude – LLMs powering natural language conversationsPrompt Cowboy – Tool for turning simple prompts into fully structured, optimized ones for better AI outputSubscribe at thisnewway.com to get the step-by-step playbooks, tools, and workflows.
Today, we are joined by Peter Bregman.Peter helps successful people become exceptional leaders and stellar human beings. He blends his deep expertise in business, leadership and people, to deliver quantifiable results such as Turnarounds, Revenue/Stock Growth, Executive Team Development, and Personal Development. Peter is recognized as the #1 executive coach in the world by Leading Global Coaches. He coaches C-Level executives in many of the world's premier organizations, including Allianz, Twilio, Electronic Arts, CBS, Mars, Pearson, Citi, Charity Navigator, United Media, FEI, and many others.Peter is ranked as a Top 30 thought leader by Thinkers 50 Radar and selected as one of the Top 8 thought leaders in leadership. He is ranked by Global Guru's as one of the top 30 best Coaches in the world and one of the top 30 best leadership speakers/trainers in the world. He is the award-winning, best selling author and contributor of 18 books, including most recently, You CAN Change Other People: The Four Steps to Help Your Colleagues, Employees—Even Family—Up Their Game. He also wrote Leading with Emotional Courage: How to Have Hard Conversations, Create Accountability, and Inspire Action on Your Most Important Work. His book, 18 Minutes: Find Your Focus, Master Distraction, and Get the Right Things Done, was a Wall Street Journal bestseller, winner of the Gold medal from the Axiom Business Book awards, named the best business book of the year by NPR, and selected by Publisher's Weekly and the New York Post as a top ten business book. He is also the author of Four Seconds: All the Time You Need to Replace Counter-Productive Habits with Ones That Really Work, a New York Post “Top Pick for Your Career” in 2015, and Point B: A Short Guide to Leading a Big Change.In this powerful conversation, we explore what emotional courage really means and why it's the secret sauce of effective leadership. Peter reveals how most of our leadership challenges stem not from lack of knowledge, skills, time, or opportunity, but from our unwillingness to feel the emotions that certain actions might trigger. Key topics include:Why emotional courage is the willingness to feel The four essential traits of powerful leadershipHow self-compassion serves as the foundation for authentic confidence The importance of owning your shadow side rather than projecting it onto othersLearning to practice irrelevancy without losing influence or impactThe metaphor of "holding the baby" when you feel powerless in challenging situationsHow to bring devotion to your workThe critical difference between expressing emotions and containing themWhether you're avoiding difficult conversations, struggling with vulnerability in leadership, or looking to deepen your emotional intelligence, Peter's insights provide a roadmap for building the emotional courage that transforms both leaders and organizations.Peter Bregman's Book: https://www.amazon.com/Leading-Emotional-Courage-Conversations-Accountability/dp/1119505690 Bregman Partners Website: https://bregmanpartners.com/ -Website and live online programs: http://ims-online.com Blog: https://blog.ims-online.com/ Podcast: https://ims-online.com/podcasts/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesgood/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/charlesgood99 Chapters:(00:00) Introduction(01:25) Tool: Defining Emotional Courage as Willingness to Feel(05:40) Technique: Building Emotional Courage Through Daily Practice(09:05) Tip: The Four Essential Leadership Traits Framework(12:30) Tool: Self-Compassion as Foundation for Confidence(15:10) Technique: Owning Your Shadow Side Instead of Projecting(23:05) Tip: Practicing Irrelevancy Without Losing Influence(27:30) Tool: The "Holding the Baby" Metaphor for Connection(32:05) Technique: Bringing Raw Engagement and Devotion to Work(37:30) Tip: Containing vs Expressing Emotions for Strategic Choice(39:28) Conclusion
In this episode of Builders Wanted, we're joined by Victoria Hornby, CEO of Mental Health Innovations. Victoria explores the intersection of empathy and technology in mental health support, the importance of accessibility, and the impact of leveraging digital platforms to build trust at scale. Learn more about the challenges and successes of adapting technology to create human connections and the continuous effort to innovate and reach marginalized communities.-------------------Key Takeaways:Technology can bridge gaps and make mental health support more accessible and effective.The importance of flexibility to pivot quickly in response to external factors while maintaining the quality of services.A data-driven approach helps tailor training for volunteers and adapt their methods to better meet the needs of specific user groups.-------------------“ We are using technology to connect a person who is struggling with another person who has decided and trained to help someone exactly in that moment. There's a technical connection, and then that facilitates a human connection. And that means that we are able to provide that service and that connection at scale and 24 hours a day.” – Victoria Hornby-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(05:44) - What it means to “build trust” in the context of mental health*(09:50) - How Mental Health Innovations uses technology to expand access*(16:17) - How data helps MHI improve its services*(24:57) - The tradeoff between speed and stability *(34:36) - A change or experiment that made a big difference at MHI*(37:20) - A shift in mental health or nonprofit tech Victoria is watching closely-------------------Links:Connect with Victoria on LinkedInConnect with Kailey on LinkedInLearn more about Caspian Studios-------------------SponsorBuilders Wanted is brought to you by Twilio – the Customer Engagement Platform that helps builders turn real-time data into meaningful customer experiences. More than 320,000 businesses trust Twilio to transform signals into connections—and connections into revenue. Ready to build what's next? Learn more at twilio.com.
Live from NRF APAC, The Retail Podcast brings you exclusive access to Twilio's 2025 State of Customer Engagement Report. This isn't theory—it's what leading global brands are actually doing on the ground.We unpack:Why 82% of brands think they personalize well—but only 16% of customers agreeHow AI is redefining CX across channelsWhat customer data unification looks like in diverse APAC marketsWhy privacy and consent are the new battlegrounds for loyaltyAnd what brands can do today to close the perception gap
Voice has always been a powerful way to connect with customers, but until recently, voice AI struggled to deliver the kind of seamless experience we associate with great service. That is starting to change. In this episode, I catch up with Sam Richardson from Twilio to discuss the renewed momentum behind voice AI and what it means for the future of customer experience. Sam explains why voice is gaining relevance again. It is not just because the technology has improved, but because customers still prefer natural conversations when solving problems. According to Twilio's research, more than half of customers want to know when they are speaking to a bot, while nearly half do not mind as long as their issue gets resolved. That balance is important. It is not about deception. It is about resolving problems efficiently without losing the human touch. We talked about the balance between automation and empathy. Sam emphasizes the importance of escalation paths. When a customer is frustrated, repeating themselves, or directly asking for a person, they should be able to reach one. Without that, companies risk creating what he calls “reality privilege,” where only premium customers receive human support. Voice AI should serve everyone, not create unfair divides. Sam also shared how Twilio is helping businesses adapt without replacing everything. Using API-based tools, companies can integrate voice AI into existing systems. That flexibility matters, especially since 96 percent of Twilio customers are building custom customer experience solutions to fit their specific environments. This is especially relevant in industries like hospitality, retail, and automotive. The early results are promising. Some companies are seeing a 60 to 70 percent increase in call containment and a noticeable drop in contact volume. Customer satisfaction scores have not suffered. Still, Sam is realistic. Long-term impact takes time to measure. The key is testing thoroughly, choosing the right solution, and tracking how customers actually feel.
Alissa Coram and Ed Carson analyze Tuesday's market action and discuss key stocks to watch on Stock Market Today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
In this episode of Builders Wanted, we are joined by Deepak Singh, Vice President of Developer Agents and Experiences at AWS, and Inbal Shani, Chief Product Officer and Head of R&D at Twilio. They discuss what it means to build with AI, the evolution of developer tools, and how they are assisting customers in leveraging AI for customer engagement and innovation. The conversation covers the importance of curiosity, adaptability, and trust in this new era of AI-powered development.-------------------Key Takeaways:Developers need to be curious and adaptable to thrive in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.Successful AI implementation relies on building trust, simplifying processes, and focusing on customer outcomes.Enabling experimentation while managing risk helps organizations fully leverage the potential of AI.-------------------“It is very easy for a dev team or a product team to say, ah, this is the best way of doing something and we are going to follow this through wherever we want to. Instead of working with customers to understand, do you even care? I think with AI it's very important to take constraints away. So if you combine listening to customers and unconstraining your thinking, you can accomplish a lot.” – Deepak Singh“ When you're using AI, you need to understand that using a model, training a model, having the data, having a feedback loop, all of that is not a magical thing that just happens by itself. It requires investment and you need to be serious about it. When looking to take AI into production, you need to understand what is the complexity of the problem you're trying to solve, and how to deploy the right AI solution to really solve that problem versus swinging by.” – Inbal Shani-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:35) - What it means to be a builder and the hardest part about building tools *(10:50) - The most exciting shift happening in the developer ecosystem*(21:17) - How to manage risk with the pace of innovation *(26:15) - What people underestimate about building AI products at scale *(40:57) - A recent signal that excites Deepak and Inbal about the future *(43:52) - Quick hits-------------------Links:Connect with Deepak on LinkedInConnect with Inbal on LinkedInConnect with Kailey on LinkedInLearn more about Caspian Studios-------------------SponsorBuilders Wanted is brought to you by Twilio – the Customer Engagement Platform that helps builders turn real-time data into meaningful customer experiences. More than 320,000 businesses trust Twilio to transform signals into connections—and connections into revenue. Ready to build what's next? Learn more at twilio.com.
APIs are products but they don't always get the same focus they deserve to be successful.In this episode of the Product for Product Podcast, we sit down with Deepa Goyal, Product Strategy Leader at Postman and author of API Analytics for Product Managers: Understand key API metrics that can help you grow your business, to explore what it takes to manage APIs as products.Deepa shares her journey from PayPal and Twilio to her current role at Postman, and discusses the rise of the API Product Manager and how APIs are shaping modern organizations.We explore why Deepa wrote her book, who it's for, and what product managers—whether or not they work directly with APIs—can learn from it. Deepa explains how analytics are critical for measuring API success, the unique challenges of building API products, and why developers are often the primary customers. In addition, she shares insights from her research for the book and the writing process, including how she validated her ideas and what she learned about the API lifecycle, onboarding, and product-market fit. Join Matt and Moshe as they explore with Deepa:The rise of the API Product Manager and how APIs are transforming businessesDifferent types of APIs—internal, external, and partner—and their strategic impactWhy analytics are essential for measuring API product successUnique challenges of building API products Insights from writing and validating her book, API Analytics for PMsThe impact of AI on product management and the future of APIsStrategies for API pricing and revenue modelsKey metrics and leading indicators for API adoption and activationAdvice for product managers looking to build technical skills and drive impactAnd much moreYou can connect with Deepa at:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepag/ X: @1sprintatatimeAPI Analytics for Product Managers book: https://www.amazon.com/API-Analytics-Product-Managers-Understand/dp/1803247657 You can find the podcast's page, and connect with Matt and Moshe on Linkedin: - Product for Product Podcast - linkedin.com/company/product-for-product-podcast Matt Green - linkedin.com/in/mattgreenproduct/Moshe Mikanovsky - linkedin.com/in/mikanovsky/Note: any views mentioned in the podcast are the sole views of our hosts and guests, and do not represent the products mentioned in any way.Please leave us a review and feedback ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This week, Sali is joined by LaFawn Davis, the Chief People & Sustainability Officer at Indeed. Her work leading culture, diversity, and inclusion at major tech companies—including Google, Yahoo, PayPal, eBay, and Twilio—spans over a decade. In addition to her incredible leadership, LaFawn is a STAR, otherwise known as a professional who's Skilled Through Alternative Routes. She's an advocate for skills-based hiring and is herself an esteemed C-suite executive who didn't complete college.LaFawn's career story has not been linear, and is truly inspiring. She also has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to navigating the many challenges facing the modern workforce. In this episode, she shares:the struggle to get a job interview without having a college degree.how she became a leader at some of the biggest tech companies in the world.what more employers need to understand about hiring for longevity.why it may be late to start thinking about how to use AI at work, and what you can do about it right now.On LaFawn: Argent Double-Breasted Blazer and Park TrouserWork Friends is produced by ARGENT (www.argentwork.com), a women's clothing label on a mission to redefine workwear and drive forward women's progress. For more, follow ARGENT on Instagram, @ARGENT, and subscribe to the ARGENT YouTube channel, @ARGENTWork, for clips and bonus content. To be featured on a future episode, email your work questions and dilemmas to WorkFriends@ARGENTWork.com for a chance to have one of our amazing guests weigh in with advice.
In this episode of Builders Wanted, we're joined by Eric Helmer, Chief Technology Officer at Rimini Street. Eric shares his insights on how to modernize mission-critical systems without compromising performance. Learn about the misconceptions about tech modernization, the importance of agility and flexibility in tech stacks, and the shift from reactive to proactive IT roles.-------------------Key Takeaways:The importance of modernizing critical systems without diving headfirst into vendor-driven migrations to the cloud.Transparency in operations and involving end-users early in the process can build trust and ensure smoother transitions.By optimizing existing configurations and processes before implementing new technologies, organizations can achieve significant cost savings and efficiency gains.------------------- “ When you show organizations that you genuinely want to help them by showing them all the different options that they have in an agnostic way, it's a really best way to build fantastic relationships and keep that engagement simple and strategic. You have to figure out where you're going to spend your budgets. You have to take the emotion out of it. You gotta take tradition out of it and boil it down to data points that create obvious best choices.” – Eric Helmer-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:08) - How Eric defines his mission as a builder*(06:12) - One major shift in how IT leaders approach long-term transformation*(13:49) - How Eric keeps customer engagement simple and strategic *(22:05) - A recent transformation Eric is proud of *(28:19) - A low-profile change that made a surprising difference*(36:27) - One thing every CIO should start or stop doing-------------------Links:Connect with Eric on LinkedInConnect with Kailey on LinkedInLearn more about Caspian Studios-------------------SponsorBuilders Wanted is brought to you by Twilio – the Customer Engagement Platform that helps builders turn real-time data into meaningful customer experiences. More than 320,000 businesses trust Twilio to transform signals into connections—and connections into revenue. Ready to build what's next? Learn more at twilio.com.
Peter Deng has led product teams at OpenAI, Instagram, Uber, Facebook, Airtable, and Oculus and helped build products used by billions—including Facebook's News Feed, the standalone Messenger app, Instagram filters, Uber Reserve, ChatGPT, and more. Currently he's investing in early-stage founders at Felicis. In this episode, Peter dives into his most valuable lessons from building and scaling some of tech's most iconic products and companies.What you'll learn:1. Peter's one‑sentence test for hiring superstars2. Why your product (probably) doesn't matter3. Why you don't need a tech breakthrough to build a huge business4. The five PM archetypes, and how to build a team of Avengers5. Counterintuitive lessons on growing products from 0 to 1, and 1 to 1006. The importance of data flywheels and workflows—Brought to you by:Paragon—Ship every SaaS integration your customers wantPragmatic Institute—Industry‑recognized product, marketing, and AI training and certificationsContentsquare—Create better digital experiences—Where to find Peter Deng:• X: https://x.com/pxd• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterxdeng/—In this episode, we cover:(00:00) Introduction to Peter Deng(05:41) AI and AGI insights(11:35) The future of education with AI(16:53) The power of language in leadership(21:01) Building iconic products(36:44) Scaling from zero to 100(41:56) Balancing short- and long-term goals(47:12) Creating a healthy tension in teams(50:02) The five archetypes of product managers(55:39) Primary and secondary archetypes(58:47) Hiring for growth mindset and autonomy(01:15:52) Effective management and communication strategies(01:19:23) Presentation advice and self-advocacy(01:25:50) Balancing craft and practicality in product management(01:30:40) The importance of empathy in design thinking(01:35:45) Career decisions and learning opportunities(01:42:05) Lessons from product failures(01:45:42) Lightning round and final thoughts—Referenced:• OpenAI: https://openai.com/• Artificial general intelligence (AGI): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_general_intelligence• Head of ChatGPT answers philosophical questions about AI at SXSW 2024 with SignalFire's Josh Constine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mgbgI0R6XCw• Professors Are Using A.I., Too. Now What?: https://www.npr.org/2025/05/21/1252663599/kashmir-hill-ai#:~:text=Now%20What• Herbert H. Clark: https://web.stanford.edu/~clark/• Russian speakers get the blues: https://www.newscientist.com/article/dn11759-russian-speakers-get-the-blues/• Ilya Sutskever (OpenAI Chief Scientist)—Building AGI, Alignment, Future Models, Spies, Microsoft, Taiwan, & Enlightenment: https://www.dwarkesh.com/p/ilya-sutskever• Anthropic's CPO on what comes next | Mike Krieger (co-founder of Instagram): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/anthropics-cpo-heres-what-comes-next• Kevin Systrom on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinsystrom/• Building a magical AI code editor used by over 1 million developers in four months: The untold story of Windsurf | Varun Mohan (co-founder and CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-untold-story-of-windsurf-varun-mohan• Microsoft CPO: If you aren't prototyping with AI, you're doing it wrong | Aparna Chennapragada: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/microsoft-cpo-on-ai• The rise of Cursor: The $300M ARR AI tool that engineers can't stop using | Michael Truell (co-founder and CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-rise-of-cursor-michael-truell• Building Lovable: $10M ARR in 60 days with 15 people | Anton Osika (CEO and co-founder): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/building-lovable-anton-osika• Granola: https://www.granola.ai/• Inside Bolt: From near-death to ~$40m ARR in 5 months—one of the fastest-growing products in history | Eric Simons (founder and CEO of StackBlitz): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/inside-bolt-eric-simons• OpenAI's CPO on how AI changes must-have skills, moats, coding, startup playbooks, more | Kevin Weil (CPO at OpenAI, ex-Instagram, Twitter): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/kevin-weil-open-ai• Fidji Simo on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fidjisimo/• Airtable: https://www.airtable.com/• George Lee on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/geolee/• Andrew Chen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewchen/• Lauryn Motamedi on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurynmotamedi/• Twilio: https://www.twilio.com/• Nick Turley on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholasturley/• Ian Silber on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iansilber/• Thomas Dimson on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomasdimson/• Joey Flynn on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joey-flynn-8291586b/• Ryan O'Rourke's website: https://www.rourkery.com/• Joanne Jang on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jangjoanne/• Behind the founder: Marc Benioff: https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/behind-the-founder-marc-benioff• Jill Hazelbaker on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jill-hazelbaker-3aa32422/• Guy Kawasaki's website: https://guykawasaki.com/• Eric Antonow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonow/• Sachin Kansal on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sachinkansal/• IDEO design thinking: https://designthinking.ideo.com/• The 7 Steps of the Design Thinking Process: https://www.ideou.com/blogs/inspiration/design-thinking-process• Linear's secret to building beloved B2B products | Nan Yu (Head of Product): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/linears-secret-to-building-beloved-b2b-products-nan-yu• Jeff Bezos's quote: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=27778175• Friendster: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendster• Myspace: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myspace• How LinkedIn became interesting: The inside story | Tomer Cohen (CPO at LinkedIn): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/how-linkedin-became-interesting-tomer-cohen• “Smile” by Jay-Z: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SSumXG5_rs8&list=RDSSumXG5_rs8&start_radio=1• The Wire on HBO: https://www.hbo.com/the-wire• Felicis: https://www.felicis.com/—Recommended books:• Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind: https://www.amazon.com/Sapiens-Humankind-Yuval-Noah-Harari/dp/0062316095• The Design of Everyday Things: https://www.amazon.com/Design-Everyday-Things-Revised-Expanded/dp/0465050654• The Silk Roads: A New History of the World: https://www.amazon.com/Silk-Roads-New-History-World/dp/1101912375—Production and marketing by https://penname.co/. For inquiries about sponsoring the podcast, email podcast@lennyrachitsky.com.—Lenny may be an investor in the companies discussed. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.lennysnewsletter.com/subscribe
Venture Unlocked: The playbook for venture capital managers.
Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.In this episode, I sat down with Logan Bartlett, Managing Director of Redpoint Ventures. We explore the evolving landscape of venture capital and startup investing and dive deep into the challenges facing unicorn companies post-2021, the transformative potential of AI, and the critical factors for successful startup investments. Logan shares insights on identifying promising founders, navigating market uncertainties, and the importance of adaptability in both founding teams and venture capital. Key takeaways include the need for founders with rapid learning capabilities, the potential disruption and opportunities in AI, the changing dynamics of startup valuations and exits in a challenging market environment, and so much more.About Logan BartlettLogan Bartlett is a Managing Director at Redpoint Ventures, where he leads early-growth investments in enterprise software, with a focus on infrastructure, SaaS, and AI. Since joining Redpoint in 2020 after six years at Battery Ventures, Bartlett has backed high-growth companies such as Ramp, Cribl, Cyera, Monte Carlo, FloQast, Crossbeam, and Workato. His work has earned him recognition on both the Forbes 30 Under 30 and the Midas Brink lists.Beyond investing, Bartlett hosts The Logan Bartlett Show, a podcast featuring in-depth conversations with top founders, operators, and investors. The show offers insights into startup growth, market cycles, and venture capital strategies, and has become a respected resource within the tech ecosystem.Redpoint Ventures, founded in 1999, is a venture capital firm that partners with visionary founders to create and redefine markets. The firm invests in startups across various stages, from seed to growth, and has backed over 578 companies, including industry giants like Snowflake, Looker, Kustomer, Twilio, and Netflix. With 181 IPOs and M&A exits and managing $7.2 billion across multiple funds, Redpoint's expertise in guiding businesses toward success is well-established.Timestamps:In this episode, we discuss:* Logan Bartlett's Path into Venture Capital (1:46)* The 2021 Unicorn Logjam and Future Outlook (4:38)* AI's Role in Reshaping Legacy Companies (8:32)* Liquidity Challenges and Growth Stage Investing (11:16)* Portfolio Construction and Risk Balance (17:16)* Underwriting Series B Investments (22:41)* Portfolio Composition and Risk Appetite (26:36)* Evaluating AI Companies and Revenue Durability (30:01)* Forecasting and Macro Underwriting (35:32)* Key Investment Decision Criteria (40:11)* Traits of Successful Venture Investors (45:28)* Final Thoughts and Takeaways (49:58)I'd love to know what you took away from this conversation with Logan. Follow me @SamirKaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked. If you'd like to be considered as a guest or have someone you'd like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on X. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit ventureunlocked.substack.com
Chris Degnan is one of the most legendary CROs of this generation. He joined Snowflake as employee #13 and the 1st sales hire. He scaled the sales org from 0 to over $3B in ARR, spanned four CEOs, and retired as CRO after 11 years. In his first podcast post-retirement, Chris opened his CRO playbook, from early enablement to hiring rigor and fending off threats from competitors. He also reflects on lessons from working with leaders like Frank Slootman, John McMahon, and Sridhar Ramaswamy. If you're a founder or running sales at a startup, this one is for you. (00:00) Introduction to Chris's Journey at Snowflake (01:47) Navigating Leadership Changes (04:39) The Importance of Sales Methodology and Enablement (10:22) Near-Death Experiences and Company Resilience (13:39) Building a Strong Sales Organization (27:25) Hiring and Scaling the Sales Team (34:52) Board Dynamics and Mentorship (44:29) The Influence of John McMahon (46:22) Leadership Styles and Intuition (46:56) Launching Snowflake Japan (49:39) Learning from Leaders (55:10) The Importance of Competitive Moats (59:12) Snowflake vs. Databricks (01:07:45) Public vs. Private Markets (01:14:03) Sales and Marketing Synergy (01:26:17) Final Thoughts and Future Plans Executive Producer: Rashad Assir Producer: Leah Clapper Mixing and editing: Justin Hrabovsky Check out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA
In this episode of Builders Wanted, we sit down with Dar Miranda, VP of Customer Engagement at DailyPay, to delve into the innovative strategies behind real-time financial management for workers. Explore how financial stress impacts employee engagement, the shift towards employee-centric pay models, and the bold moves Daily Pay is making to transform traditional payroll systems.-------------------Key Takeaways:DailyPay's mission to provide employees faster, more flexible access to earned wages.Financial stress causes a significant impact on employees' focus, productivity, and job satisfaction.The integration of AI will help solve customer problems and drive growth, but will not replace humans.-------------------“ The trend that I'm watching most closely is the integration of AI to proactively solve customer problems, but also unlock new growth avenues. So it's not just about reactively answering questions or the ability to reactively answer questions quickly, it's about shifting AI from this like cost center efficiency play to a revenue and loyalty driver.” – Dar Miranda-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(05:36) - The boldest thing DailyPay is building right now*(11:25) - The surprising way users engage with DailyPay *(21:15) - Where Dar draws the line between automation and human connection *(32:01) - A CX trend Dar is watching closely *(36:27) - What every CX leader should start or stop doing*(38:55) - Dar's advice for builders creating empathetic customer experiences-------------------Links:Connect with Dar on LinkedInConnect with Kailey on LinkedInLearn more about Caspian Studios-------------------SponsorBuilders Wanted is brought to you by Twilio – the Customer Engagement Platform that helps builders turn real-time data into meaningful customer experiences. More than 320,000 businesses trust Twilio to transform signals into connections—and connections into revenue. Ready to build what's next? Learn more at twilio.com.
Logan sits down with Bipul Sinha, CEO and co-founder of Rubrik and former VC at Lightspeed and Blumberg Capital. Bipul shares what he learned transitioning from investor to founder, why intuition beats expertise, and how he built Rubrik into a category-defining business by betting on uncool ideas. They talk product-market fit in the AI era, what most VCs get wrong today, and why the enterprise IT market is still just getting started. It's a conversation packed with hard-earned wisdom and bold takes on building lasting companies. (00:00) Intro (01:42) Transitioning from VC to Founder (02:27) The Genesis of Rubrik (03:30) Navigating Uncertainty in Business (06:57) Product Market Fit and Early Success (08:56) Evolving with the Market (13:14) AI and Data Security (18:53) Leadership and Intuition (28:34) Building a Transparent Culture (31:52) Handling Tough Questions in Board Meetings (33:28) Changing Perspectives Over Time (34:57) Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs (36:46) The Future of Venture Capital and Startups (40:38) Balancing Forward and Lateral Motion in Business (42:35) The Impact of AI on Various Industries (01:00:28) The Evolution of Work and Technology (01:02:52) Fostering a Collaborative Company Culture (01:04:56) Looking Ahead: The Future of Rubrik Executive Producer: Rashad Assir Producer: Leah Clapper Mixing and editing: Justin Hrabovsky Check out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA
How TestDevLab's Ervins Grīnfelds Built a Global Software Testing Powerhouse Without Outside FundingOn a recent episode of The Thoughtful Entrepreneur, host Josh Elledge sat down with Ervins Grīnfelds, co-founder and co-CEO of TestDevLab, to explore the critical role of quality assurance (QA) in software development. Ervins shares how his company—launched from Latvia—has become a go-to QA partner for giants like Zoom, Microsoft, Discord, and Pinterest. This episode unpacks how smart QA practices can reduce risk, speed up development, and help businesses deliver world-class software.Why Quality Assurance Should Start on Day OneErvins explained that most companies think of QA as something to address at the end of development. But at TestDevLab, the approach is radically different: quality assurance starts at the very beginning. Integrating QA early means identifying bugs before they compound, improving user experience from the outset, and significantly lowering long-term costs. With a background leading mobile development teams at Microsoft's Skype, Ervins knows firsthand how missed bugs can affect product success and customer trust.Ervins also discussed how modern QA isn't just about functionality. It's about legal compliance (especially accessibility standards), performance optimization across devices, and ensuring high standards in today's AI-infused tech environment. With AI now playing a growing role in software development and testing, TestDevLab incorporates machine learning tools—but never loses sight of the human element. Their hybrid approach blends automation and manual expertise for reliable results.Another theme was scaling without outside funding. TestDevLab has grown to more than 500 employees and over 10 offices across Europe—all without a dollar of venture capital. Ervins offered his philosophy: build something valuable, prove its worth, and let great service drive sustainable growth.About Ervins GrīnfeldsErvins Grīnfelds is the co-founder and co-CEO of TestDevLab. A former engineering manager at Microsoft, where he led Skype mobile development teams, Ervins brings deep insight into building scalable, high-quality tech services. He is passionate about delivering reliable software solutions through a blend of trust, rigorous testing, and technical innovation.About TestDevLabTestDevLab is a leading software quality assurance company trusted by global tech giants including Zoom, Discord, Microsoft, Pinterest, and Twilio. Based in Latvia with 10+ offices across Europe, the company specializes in test automation, continuous testing, and custom QA solutions to accelerate development cycles and ensure top-tier product quality.Links Mentioned in this EpisodeTestDevLab WebsiteErvins Grīnfelds on LinkedInEpisode HighlightsWhy software QA is like insurance for your productHow TestDevLab scaled to 500+ employees without fundingThe hidden cost of skipping early-stage QAWhat it takes to win enterprise clients like Zoom and MicrosoftThe future of QA in an AI-driven development landscapeConclusionErvins Grīnfelds gave us a behind-the-scenes look at how one of Europe's fastest-growing software QA companies is helping developers ship better software, faster. His story is a lesson in long-term thinking, strategic growth, and the value of starting with quality from day one. Whether you're a startup founder or a CTO at a scaling tech company, this episode is a...
Rick Smith (CEO, Axon) joined Logan to share the 30-year journey of building a nearly $50B public company behind the TASER, police body cameras, and now AI-powered tools like Draft One. He talks about taking Axon public in the early 2000s, navigating intense public scrutiny, and evolving from a controversial hardware startup into a software and AI pioneer. Rick also reflects on leadership lessons, regulatory battles, and his long-term mission to make the bullet obsolete. It's a candid and compelling conversation with one of the most unconventional founders in tech. (00:00) Intro (01:31) Axon: Reducing Violence Through Technology (02:12) The Evolution of Axon: From Taser to Body Cameras (04:56) Challenges and Triumphs: Going Public and Beyond (07:17) The Impact of Ferguson and the Rise of Body Cameras (11:16) Navigating Cultural and Business Shifts (17:04) The Role of AI and Future Innovations (25:26) The Taser: Technology and Purpose (34:17) Making the Bullet Obsolete: Future of Law Enforcement (37:10) Consumer Market Evolution (37:59) Proving Taser's Viability (40:17) Targeting Gun Owners (41:45) Taser-Related Deaths and Media Perception (48:07) Employee Taser Experience (50:59) Impact of Body Cameras (52:43) AI Innovations in Law Enforcement (56:15) Challenges in Product Development (01:04:27) Regulatory Hurdles (01:11:31) Leadership and Company Culture (01:14:58) Future Vision for Axon Executive Producer: Rashad Assir Producer: Leah Clapper Mixing and editing: Justin Hrabovsky Check out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA
In this episode of Builders Wanted, we sit down with Cole Moir, Vice President of Brand and Digital Marketing at TCL North America, to explore what it takes to create a standout brand in a crowded market. Tune in to hear about the methods behind creating high-impact, emotionally resonant brand experiences and the future role of AI and personalization in marketing.-------------------Key Takeaways:A focus on creating memorable and emotional moments for audiences builds a more meaningful connection with consumers and aligns with the brand's identity and values.Brands that leverage cultural moments to enhance their relevance and impact connect with audiences on a shared emotional and cultural ground.Clarity in messaging often wins over cleverness, especially in crowded markets, and leads to stronger trust and engagement among consumers.-------------------“ The key is to design brand experiences that respect attention, not demand it. In a world of infinite content, brands that break through are the ones that earn the moment by being useful or entertaining or emotionally resonant. We don't chase eyeballs, we chase impact.” – Cole Moir-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:08) - The boldest thing TCL is building right now*(06:08) - How Cole thinks about aligning brand moments with cultural ones *(09:17) - How to design brand experiences without burning out your audience*(12:54) - How TCL stays fresh in a fast moving category*(21:54) - What Cole learned from campaigns early in his career*(28:28) - Quick hits: insight and inspiration-------------------Links:Connect with Cole on LinkedInConnect with Kailey on LinkedInLearn more about Caspian Studios-------------------SponsorBuilders Wanted is brought to you by Twilio – the Customer Engagement Platform that helps builders turn real-time data into meaningful customer experiences. More than 320,000 businesses trust Twilio to transform signals into connections—and connections into revenue. Ready to build what's next? Learn more at twilio.com.
In the first of our interview series exploring AI and its impacts on leaders across functions, Heidrick & Struggles' Lindsay Leach and Hugh Marshall were joined by Chris Koehler, the chief marketing officer at Twilio, a customer engagement platform that drives real-time personalized experiences for leading brands. Chris discusses the ways in which his marketing function is using AI and where they are finding it adding particular value, as well as how he uses AI tools in his day-to-day work. The three also discuss what skills and mindsets marketing leaders will need to thrive in this AI-driven world, as well as how they will continue to find talent to make the most of AI. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Logan sits down with Jeffrey Katzenberg, Hollywood legend and co-founder of DreamWorks, and Sujay Jaswa, former CFO of Dropbox - together, the duo behind WndrCo. They talk about building enduring companies, bridging tech and media, and what makes a great CEO partnership. The conversation also touches on storytelling as a business superpower and lessons from scaling at different stages. Whether you're a founder or a media nerd, there's something here for you. (00:00) Intro (04:26) The Genesis of the Partnership (13:06) Building and Investing in Companies (20:27) The Team and Their Roles (26:52) Decision-Making Process (33:25) Balancing Dreams and Skepticism (35:06) The Dynamics of Partnerships (37:25) Transitioning to Tech (38:45) Cultural Differences in Industries (41:26) The Value of Failure and Success (44:37) Excitement in Emerging Technologies (48:23) The Venture Capital Game (56:42) The Dropbox Talent Network (01:01:20) AI's Impact on Media and Creativity (01:06:18) Transitioning to CG Animation at DreamWorks (01:08:39) Embracing Change in the Intelligence Revolution (01:11:52) The Role of AI in Enhancing Productivity (01:14:11) Building a Consumer Cybersecurity Business (01:23:49) The Mission to Protect Children Online (01:35:17) Reflections on Partnership and Innovation Executive Producer: Rashad Assir Producer: Leah Clapper Mixing and editing: Justin Hrabovsky Check out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA
Roman Gershman is Co-Founder & CTO of Dragonfly, the drop-in Redis replacement for heavy data workloads that has significant performance, cost, and scale benefits. Their open source dragonflydb has 28K stars on GitHub. Dragonfly has raised $21M from investors including Quiet Capital and Redpoint. In this episode, we dig into:The challenges with Redis The users that have really benefitted from Dragonfly (high scale + real-time needs - gaming, B2C) The benefits of being multi-threaded How they got some of their bigger users / customers like Twilio, SoFi, and Spotify
In this episode of Builders Wanted, we sit down with Dugan Winkie, Head of Commercial Strategy at Cedar, to explore how AI is reshaping one of the most emotionally complex industries: healthcare. From frustrating call center experiences to opaque billing processes, Dugan breaks down how Cedar is reimagining patient engagement with conversational AI, real-time data, and a builder's mindset.-------------------Key Takeaways:Strategic innovation involves closely monitoring market feedback, especially given significant operational cost constraints, regulatory uncertainties, and budget cuts.The use of conversational AI ensures that patients receive timely and accurate assistance, which reduces dependency on call centers and enhances the overall patient experience.Health systems must balance using innovative technologies while adhering to strict regulatory frameworks to ensure a seamless and secure patient financial experience.-------------------“ There is a lot of information silos, simultaneously, where we're expecting patients to know how to navigate a very complex system. And we think conversational AI and agentic AI is a great manifestation where we can leverage a lot of our core competency and network connections to help answer those patients' questions in a way that is delightful.” – Dugan Winkie-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:10) - The boldest thing Cedar is building right now*(03:52) - How Cedar is using AI to humanize the patient financial experience*(14:24) - Recent patient behaviors that pushed Cedar to rethink the billing experience*(23:11) - How Cedar designed its AI agent, Kora, to be helpful and empathetic to patients*(31:10) - How Cedar is balancing AI innovation and healthcare regulations*(35:40) - How AI has already improved the patient journey-------------------Links:Connect with Dugan on LinkedInConnect with Kailey on LinkedInLearn more about Caspian Studios-------------------SponsorBuilders Wanted is brought to you by Twilio – the Customer Engagement Platform that helps builders turn real-time data into meaningful customer experiences. More than 320,000 businesses trust Twilio to transform signals into connections—and connections into revenue. Ready to build what's next? Learn more at twilio.com.
Season 6 kicks off with a must-listen for senior creatives ready to take the next step. Host Adam Morgan breaks down what it really takes to land a Creative Director role — the experiences you must have, the details to leave out, and the important questions you must ask. Discover how to position yourself for this next level of creative leadership, speak the language recruiters want to hear, and step into the role that unlocks greater influence across brands and organizations. Tune in now.
In this episode, Logan is joined by Zach Weinberg (Co-Founder/CEO @ Curie.Bio) and Derek Thompson (writer at The Atlantic) for a candid discussion on the state of U.S. healthcare and scientific progress. They unpack what went right, and wrong, with COVID vaccine policy, the public backlash against mRNA technology, and the ripple effects on trust in science. The conversation also dives into the real reasons behind NIH budget cuts, the economics of drug discovery, and the business incentives in medical R&D. It's a sharp, thought-provoking look at the intersection of policy, innovation, and public perception. (00:00) Introduction to Drug Pricing in the US (00:23) Broad Healthcare Topics and Open-Ended Discussion (02:37) COVID-19 Vaccines: Successes and Public Perception (06:21) The Evolution of COVID-19 and Vaccine Efficacy (07:59) Public Policy and Vaccine Mandates (13:10) Impact of School Closures and Public Sentiment (19:23) NIH Funding and the Importance of Basic Research (25:04) Challenges in Science Funding and Public Perception (35:19) Government vs. Private Investment in Science (36:40) Operation Warp Speed: A Case Study (39:07) Antibiotic Resistance Crisis (43:22) The Drug Pricing Debate (44:05) Challenges in Drug Discovery (54:06) Regulatory Hurdles in Medical R&D (58:06) The Future of Drug Development (01:04:19) Concluding Thoughts Executive Producer: Rashad Assir Producer: Leah Clapper Mixing and editing: Justin Hrabovsky Check out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA
Yotam Segev is the co-founder and CEO of Cyera, one of the fastest-growing cybersecurity startups in the world. In this episode, he joins Logan to talk about scaling Cyera from 100 to 550 employees in under two years, what it takes to operate at that speed, and why going slow can actually be riskier. They cover lessons from a tough go-to-market year, the emotional conviction behind choosing data security, and how Yotam thinks about platform expansion, hiring, and staying close to customers. It's a candid look at the mindset and mechanics behind building an elite security company at breakneck pace.(00:00) Intro(01:23) Yotam's Journey in Cybersecurity(02:30) Scaling a Company with Core Values(05:02) Founding Cyera: From Military to Startup(07:59) Entering the Venture Ecosystem(18:19) Early Challenges and Lessons Learned(22:36) Achieving Product-Market Fit(33:01) Ambitious Goals and Rapid Growth(37:39) The Future of Cybersecurity(39:07) The Cybersecurity Paradigm Shift(39:47) Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Cybersecurity(40:25) The Cat and Mouse Game of Cybersecurity(42:47) Traits of Effective CISOs(43:55) Expanding the Cybersecurity Platform(52:36) The Role of AI in Cybersecurity(01:03:25) The Impact of the October 2023 Attack on Israel(01:08:27) Leadership and Company Culture at Cyera(01:12:33) Reflections on Success and Future Goals(01:21:37) Fundraising and Partnerships(01:26:07) Hiring and Company GrowthExecutive Producer: Rashad AssirProducer: Leah ClapperMixing and editing: Justin HrabovskyCheck out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA
The Gross Domestic Product of the United States fell last quarter by 0.3%. The big tech giants are still growing. Jason Moser and Asit Sharma join Ricky Mulvey to discuss: - If the U.S. economy is sliding into a recession. - Earnings from Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, and Apple. - If investors should mind 20% of the S&P 500's market cap being tied to four companies. Then (19:11) Motley Fool Contributor Rick Munnariz joins Mary Long to discuss Universal Studio's new park, Epic Universe, and the state of the travel industry. (32:17) Asit and Jason break down two radar stocks: Twilio and Reddit. Host: Ricky Mulvey Guests: Jason Moser, Asit Sharma, Mary Long, Rick Munarriz Engineer: Dan Boyd Notes: How a millions of dollars worth of NFTs temporarily disappeared: https://www.404media.co/nfts-that-cost-millions-replaced-with-error-message-after-project-downgraded-to-free-cloudflare-plan/ This advertisement is sponsored content and is provided for informational purposes only. The Motley Fool and its affiliates (collectively, "TMF") do not endorse, recommend, or verify the accuracy or completeness of the statements made within this advertisement. TMF is not involved in the offer, sale, or solicitation of any securities advertised herein and makes no representations regarding the suitability, or risks associated with any investment opportunity presented. Investors should conduct their own due diligence and consult with legal, tax, and financial advisors before making any investment decisions. TMF assumes no responsibility for any losses or damages arising from this advertisement Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Twilio just reintroduced itself to the world with a bold new brand—and in this kickoff episode of Builders Wanted, you'll meet the leaders behind it.Host Kailey Raymond sits down with Chris Koehler (CMO) and Adam Morgan (VP of Brand & Creative) to unpack the strategy, emotion, and hard decisions behind Twilio's brand refresh. They share how they turned a platform for developers into a movement for builders, what it takes to evolve without losing your DNA, and why the best brands don't just look good—they make people feel seen.Expect honest takes on brand risk, leadership, internal buy-in, and one idea that (almost) involved a kidnapper van.-------------------Key Takeaways:How the Twilio rebrand unifies developers, business leaders, and marketers through the ‘builder' concept.How to achieve buy-in from employees and customers for a successful brand refresh.How adaptability and a sense of urgency enables swift and decisive actions, fostering creativity and strategic alignment during a brand refresh.-------------------“ A builder is really anyone. It's anyone who's got a dream or a vision or a passion or excitement to go out and make something. Builders are the people who have an idea and actually go and do something about it. They go out and make it. That's such an important part of our story because what are we as Twilio? We are a platform where you can build amazing customer experiences. That is the invitation to anyone, whether you're the C-suite down to a developer, that you have this freedom to build whatever you want.” – Adam Morgan“ It actually speaks to me because I may not be building software, but I'm trying to build a team and a culture and a company, I'm building a family. I see myself as a builder, but I'm not hands on keyboard building applications. That's, I think, the secret sauce of this is that it actually applies to everyone. That takes some deliberate thought into, as you build this, and really understanding what your audience cares about.” – Chris Koehler-------------------Episode Timestamps:*(02:37) - Introducing Twilio's brand refresh *(06:45) - How the term ‘builder' is central to Twilio's new identity*(13:58) - How and how not to run a rebrand *(22:47) - How the brand is landing in market*(33:20) - Rapid fire takes-------------------Links:Connect with Chris on LinkedInConnect with Adam on LinkedInConnect with Kailey on LinkedInLearn more about Caspian Studios-------------------SponsorBuilders Wanted is brought to you by Twilio – the Customer Engagement Platform that helps builders turn real-time data into meaningful customer experiences. More than 320,000 businesses trust Twilio to transform signals into connections—and connections into revenue. Ready to build what's next? Learn more at twilio.com.
Blake Scholl, founder and CEO of Boom Supersonic, is leading the boldest effort in decades to bring back commercial supersonic flight—this time with product-market fit.We talk about what went wrong with the world's first try at supersonic commercial aircraft (launched in the 70s), why Boeing hasn't introduced a new plane in over a decade, and how Blake's startup is building a jet that flies 2x faster than today's aircraft—without the sonic boom. This episode is a crash course in engineering ambition, regulatory dysfunction, and what it takes to defy gravity and incumbents.(00:00) Intro(00:40) The History and Evolution of Aviation(01:12) The Rise and Fall of Concorde(05:25) The Impact of Government and Founders on Innovation(08:57) Regulatory Challenges and Business Models(26:53) Boom's Vision for Supersonic Travel(47:10) Building Trust with Regulators(48:16) Challenges in the Aerospace Startup(49:36) Recruiting Talent from Unlikely Places(55:47) The Importance of Mission Success Events(01:01:52) Developing a Custom Jet Engine(01:22:54) Reindustrialization and Economic Strategy(01:34:42) Conclusion and Final ThoughtsExecutive Producer: Rashad AssirProducer: Leah ClapperMixing and editing: Justin HrabovskyCheck out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA
Think building killer APIs like Stripe or Twilio is purely a technical feat? Think again.This week, we dive into why crafting successful APIs is fundamentally an organizational challenge, demanding internal excellence long before code is deployed. Sagar Batchu, co-founder and CEO of Speakeasy, joins us to unpack the crucial role of ownership, design principles, and why even internal APIs benefit from treating them like first-class products. Discover how Conway's Law dictates your API's fate and why achieving that coveted developer experience starts with your company's structure.Getting these foundations right is more critical than ever, as the landscape now faces a dramatic shift with the rise of LLMs and agentic AI. This potentially multiplies API usage and introduces the concept of "Agent Experience" (AX), demanding even greater rigor around clear standards, documentation, and metrics like "Time to First 200." Sagar also explores the emerging Model Context Protocol (MCP) and explains why focusing on developer productivity today prepares you for the AI-driven future of tomorrow.Check out:AI Features Demo: The Future of Productivity Is AI-DrivenSurvey: Discover Your AI Collaboration StyleFollow the hosts:Follow BenFollow AndrewFollow today's guest(s):Website: speakeasy.comLinkedIn: SpeakeasyX: @speakeasydevReferenced in today's show:It costs nothing to be polite unless you're talking to ChatGPT - then it costs tens of millionsAnnouncing the Agent2Agent Protocol (A2A) - Google Developers Blog A Deep Dive Into MCP and the Future of AI ToolingSupport the show: Subscribe to our Substack Leave us a review Subscribe on YouTube Follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn Offers: Learn about Continuous Merge with gitStream Get your DORA Metrics free forever
On this week's Stansberry Investor Hour, Dan and Corey welcome Rob Spivey back to the show. Rob is the director of research at our corporate affiliate Altimetry. With both buy-side and sell-side experience, he offers his unique perspective on the markets today. Rob kicks off the show by describing how Altimetry uses "Uniform accounting" to get a better sense of a company's financials and the health of the U.S. market as a whole. This leads to a conversation about corporate profitability, credit risk, and the future of AI. Rob explains the role Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency is playing in implementing AI at the federal level, how AI could revamp Medicare and Medicaid, and what the fiscal multiplier effect means for government spending and AI. (1:47) Next, Rob breaks down the entire AI ecosystem and its many parts. He cites Twilio as an example of an AI company that's leveraging this technology in interesting ways today. And he goes in depth on a hidden opportunity in AI investing: companies that are warehousing and organizing data. "Nobody's paying attention to them now," he says. Rob then covers the government's profit surplus, how it differs from China's, and how a trade war could lead to a real war. (20:56) Then, Rob divulges America's secret weapon for corporate dominance: the Bill of Rights. He notes that it protects innovation and gives the U.S. a leg up on a global scale. After that, Rob discusses large language models and how they're trained, the usefulness of Google's NotebookLM, and the "revolution" that will be happening in AI in the next three to six months. (39:17)
College sports are going through massive changes—from athlete pay drama to superconference realignment and transfer portal chaos, not to mention the giant class action lawsuit playing out now.Matt Brown, the publisher behind Extra Points and one of the top experts on the business of college athletics, joined the show to break it all down. We walked through the full history of college sports, the current money dynamics, and where things could be headed. (00:00) Meet Matt Brown: Expert in College Sports Business(03:09) The Origins of College Sports(06:31) The Evolution of College Sports Broadcasting(14:53) Title IX and Its Impact on College Athletics(17:53) The 1984 Supreme Court Decision and Its Aftermath(20:03) The SMU Death Penalty Scandal(22:19) Conference Realignment and the BCS Era(28:22) The Rise of Conference Television Networks(30:23) The Arms Race in College Sports Facilities(34:41) The Role of Boosters in College Sports(36:03) Financial Breakdown of Major College Sports Programs(37:04) Understanding Nonprofit Accounting in College Athletics(38:20) Revenue Generation in College Sports(40:34) Athletics as Enrollment Management(42:04) The Flutie Effect and University Applications(44:37) Conference Realignment and Financial Instability(48:58) The O'Bannon Case and Video Game Licensing(53:59) The Northwestern Unionization Attempt(58:19) The Alston Case and Educational Awards(01:02:11) Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) Marketplaces(01:05:51) The Role of Collectives in College Sports(01:12:08) Dependability of Young Campaign Partners(01:13:03) Transfer Portal and Its Impact(01:15:56) Rise of NIL Agents and Handlers(01:17:40) Economic Incentives and Transfer Market(01:20:37) Challenges in NIL Enforcement(01:22:48) House Settlement and Future Implications(01:25:38) Allocation of NIL Funds by Universities(01:44:26) Potential Super Leagues and Investment Challenges(01:48:07) Concluding Thoughts on College SportsExecutive Producer: Rashad AssirProducer: Leah ClapperMixing and editing: Justin HrabovskyCheck out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA
In this episode, Derek Thompson (Writer, The Atlantic) delves into the tumultuous nature of Trump's trade policies, especially regarding tariffs, and how they impact American manufacturing and global markets. They discuss the constant changes in policy, the resulting uncertainty for industries like automotive and aerospace, and the mismatch between Trump's ‘madman strategy' and effective industrial policy. The conversation also explores the broader economic consequences, including stock market volatility, housing affordability issues, and the role of government in promoting economic growth and innovation.(00:00) Intro(00:20) Trump's Trade Policy and Its Implications(01:30) The Uncertainty of Tariff Policies(02:12) Impact on American Manufacturing(05:15) Stock Market Reactions(07:00) Debating the Effectiveness of Tariffs(10:02) Wall Street vs. Main Street(18:44) Housing and Healthcare Challenges(34:53) Historical Context of Housing Regulations(41:48) The Reality of Construction Jobs(42:35) The American Dream and Housing Costs(42:57) The 30-Year Mortgage and Its Impact(43:48) Comparing Home Ownership to Stock Market Investments(45:14) Political Reception of the Book 'Abundance'(46:17) Pro-Business Democrats and Government's Role(48:38) The Need for Aggressive Democratic Leaders(51:18) The Importance of Economic Growth(01:01:26) Debating Government's Role in Industrial Policy(01:03:34) Challenges in the Semiconductor Industry(01:13:19) The Housing Problem in New York City(01:15:26) Conclusion and Final ThoughtsExecutive Producer: Rashad AssirProducer: Leah ClapperMixing and editing: Justin HrabovskyCheck out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA
Debate between Keith Rabois and Zach Weinberg on what tariffs are actually trying to accomplish. One core theme: Tariffs aren't fully about “bringing back factories,” but rather a negotiation tool to eliminate foreign trade barriers - ultimately aiming to increase free trade, not restrict it.We also got into:- What each of them would do if they were in charge- Whether the trade deficit is a meaningful metric or just a misunderstood talking point- If tariffs could be part of an initiative to replace income tax — shifting toward a more consumption-based tax system- If tariffs could successfully be used as a non-military tool to reduce drug supply to the US- If there's a major disconnect between the new administration's rhetoric and the actual economic goals behind the policyOne of the deepest economic conversations from the show's recent history — and a rare debate where both sides had real logic behind their views.(00:00) Introduction and Host's Biases(00:46) Keith's Perspective on Tariffs(03:05) Zach's Perspective and Clarifying Questions(05:14) Debating Tariff Strategies(07:45) Economic Implications and Free Trade(13:31) Trump's Tariff Policies and Goals(16:57) Global Trade and Protectionism(25:52) Final Thoughts on Tariffs and Trade(29:16) Discussion on Trade Tariffs and Partners(30:17) Impact of Tariffs on GDP and Debt(31:20) Political Coalitions and Trade Policies(32:00) Tariffs as Consumer Taxes(33:30) Debate on Trade Deficit and Tariff Rates(36:53) Regulatory Reforms and Economic Policies(47:25) Fentanyl Crisis and Trade Negotiations(51:06) Closing Remarks and Future TopicsExecutive Producer: Rashad AssirProducer: Leah ClapperMixing and editing: Justin HrabovskyCheck out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA
Last year, after pressure from activist investors, Jeff Lawson stepped down from his perch as CEO from Twilio, the cloud communications company he co-founded. But he didn't spend any time twiddling his thumbs — that same spring, he bought the satirical news organization The Onion, and by the end of the year, they'd tried to buy Alex Jones' Infowars at a bankruptcy auction. Jeff also stayed busy on the political front, continuing his work on DemocracyFirst, a political action committee he co-founded, in 2022, to support candidates committed to democracy. So there was plenty to chew on when Kara interviewed Jeff last week at Democracy's Information Dilemma, a symposium hosted by the University of Michigan's Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy. They discuss the tech founder mindset; how Jeff is remaking The Onion; why political satire is more necessary than ever; why DEI — which Jeff championed as a CEO — can sometimes do more harm than good; and how to fight for democracy during Trump 2.0. Questions? Comments? Email us at on@voxmedia.com or find us on Instagram, TikTok, and Bluesky @onwithkaraswisher. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices