Podcasts about Y combinator

Ryan Petersen is the founder and CEO of Flexport, the platform that coordinates global logistics from factory floor to customer door. In this conversation, he's refreshingly transparent about the mistakes and painful lessons he's learned building several companies.  He opens up about stepping down as CEO, his struggles with self-confidence, and what happened when he was forced to step in and save his own company.Along the way, we explore why micromanagement might be the secret to better leadership, how Trump-era tariffs reveal the hidden complexity of global trade, and what it takes to scale a company without losing control. There are stories and lessons here you won't find anywhere else, from a data leak that triggered a call from Steve Jobs to flying 500 million masks into the U.S. during a global shutdown.  Thanks to our sponsors for this episode: SHOPIFY: Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at www.shopify.com/knowledgeproject Basecamp: Stop struggling, start making progress. Get somewhere with Basecamp. Sign up free at www.basecamp.com/knowledgeproject ReMarkable for sponsoring this episode. Get your paper tablet at ⁠reMarkable.com⁠ today Approximate Timestamps: (2:49) Early Life   (4:58) First “Start Up”   (5:38) Living Abroad in China   (10:19) Y Combinator   (11:13) Steve Jobs & the iPhone 3G Launch   (13:41) Lessons from Import Genius   (22:33) Lessons from Paul Graham, Billionaire Investor   (25:31) Flexport Early Days   (36:08) COVID-Era Flexport   (40:06) COVID-Era Flexport – Continued   (44:09) Hiring Flexport's First COO   (47:02) Stepping Down as CEO of Flexport   (51:07) Cutting Cost & Improving Quality   (53:57) Lessons from Other CEOs   (57:05) How to Hire the Best Employees   (59:31) Paul Graham's Closed-Door Talk   (1:03:21) The Value of a 6-Page Monthly Business Review   (1:06:57) Why Do Tariffs Matter?  (1:09:52) Tricks for Dealing with Tariffs   (1:15:43) Other Creative Strategies for Tariffs   (1:21:30) Dealing with Operational Bottlenecks   (1:27:41) Lessons from Charlie Munger (1:30:12) Lessons from Peter Kaufman   (1:37:50) What Is Success for You? Upgrade—If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of all episodes, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and get your own private feed. Newsletter—The Brain Food newsletter delivers actionable insights and thoughtful ideas every Sunday. It takes 5 minutes to read, and it's completely free. Learn more and sign up at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Follow me on X at: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠x.com/ShaneAParrish Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Ivan Zhao joins Joubin Mirzadegan on Grit to break down how the company's minimalist design became a strategic edge in a world overwhelmed by bloated software. He shares why the AI agent still hasn't arrived, and how Notion's modular approach might be the closest thing to making it real.Guest: Ivan Zhao, co-founder and CEO of NotionMentioned in this episode: Fuzzy Khosrowshahi, Airbnb, Sequoia Capital, Linear, Figma, Apple, Things, Microsoft, BMW, Lumiere, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, Eric Clapton, Rippling, Matt MacInnis, Inkling, Steve Jobs, Douglas Engelbart, Alan Kay, Bill Gates, OpenAI ChatGPT, Y Combinator, Andrej Karpathy, Toby Schachman, Simon Last, Spotify, SlackConnect with Ivan ZhaoXLinkedInConnect with JoubinXLinkedInEmail: grit@kleinerperkins.comLearn more about Kleiner Perkins

Qasar Younis is the co-founder and CEO of Applied Intuition, a leading vehicle intelligence platform that helps companies develop and deploy autonomous systems at scale. In June 2025, the company raised $600M at a $15B valuation. Before Applied Intuition, Qasar was the COO and a group partner at Y Combinator, and earlier founded TalkBin, which was acquired by Google. He's also held engineering roles at General Motors and Bosch. In today's episode, we discuss: • The two founder traits Silicon Valley undervalues • How to get 1–3 extra months of work done every year • Lessons from YC on pattern matching and founder feedback • The battle-tested startup formula Qasar used at Applied • Why co-founder fit is make-or-break • Applied's playbook: vertical SaaS, product-led GTM, and leveraging VC networks • Why Applied went multi-product in the early days • Contrarian takes on startup culture, compensation, and cost control • Why domain expertise is making a comeback • And much more… Referenced: • Applied Intuition: https://www.appliedintuition.com • Ansys: https://www.ansys.com • Bilal Zuberi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bzuberi • Bosch: https://www.bosch.com • Elad Gil: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eladgil • General Motors: https://www.gm.com • “Google's Acquisition of TalkBin”: https://techcrunch.com/2011/04/25/google-acquires-talkbin-a-feedback-platform-for-businesses-thats-only-five-months-old/ • “High Output Management”: https://www.amazon.com/High-Output-Management-Andrew-Grove/dp/0679762884 • Kyle Vogt: https://x.com/kvogt • Marc Andreessen: https://x.com/pmarca • “Only the Paranoid Survive”: https://www.amazon.com/Only-Paranoid-Survive-Strategic-Inflection/dp/0385483821 • Paul Graham: https://x.com/paulg • Peter Ludwig: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterwludwig • Sam Altman: https://x.com/sama • TalkBin: https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/talkbin • “The History of the Standard Oil Company”: https://www.amazon.com/History-Standard-Oil-Company-Volumes/dp/1519455860 • Waymo: https://waymo.com • Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com • Zoox: https://zoox.com Where to find Qasar: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/qasar/ Where to find Brett: • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brett-berson-9986094/ • Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/brettberson Where to find First Round Capital: • Website: https://firstround.com/ • First Round Review: https://review.firstround.com/ • Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/firstround • YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@FirstRoundCapital • This podcast on all platforms: https://review.firstround.com/podcast Timestamps: (01:26) Two founder traits Silicon Valley undervalues (04:23) Gain 1-3 extra months of productivity yearly (05:52) Why founders should read outside the startup canon (07:27) Lessons from YC (13:44) Why it's harder to start than to quit (15:52) The moment you become a real founder (20:24) How great founders master luck (21:46) Qasar's battle-tested startup formula (25:37) The founding insight for Applied (31:42) How Applied expanded beyond automotive (38:05) Why Applied went multi-product early (45:45) What no one says about startup secondaries (49:02) Why being cheap is a startup superpower (51:04) The myth of "competition doesn't matter" (53:50) Early scrappiness: The Sunnyvale house setup (54:50) Why domain knowledge is making a comeback (58:32) The mentors who shaped Qasar

On this week's episode, it's a Jenn Gore takeover! This time she sits down with the future of AI Intake, Ethan Hilton. They discuss the evolution of caseflood.ai, where Ethan sees the future of AI Intake going, getting selected by Y Combinator, being a founder at 18, and why one day you won't be able to tell the difference between an AI and a human. Get in touch with Ethan at https://caseflood.ai/ Get in touch with Jenn at https://sweetjames.com/ Guest Ethan Hilton (@realethanhilton on Instagram) is the founder of caseflood.ai. Caseflood.ai helps law firms cut costs by a third and increase average case value by 20% by replacing their entire admin/operations staff with AI agents. It takes care of all admin tasks - from client intake to case analysis to engaging clients - allowing for firms to be run more profitably and wildly more efficient.  Host Jennifer Gore (@jenngorelawyer on Instagram) is the Managing Partner of Sweet James GA East Coast and currently spearheading Sweet James Accident Attorneys' Georgia expansion. She also founded Atlanta Personal Injury Law Group. Her leadership led Atlanta Personal Injury Law Group to Inc. 5000 recognition for three consecutive years as one of the fastest-growing U.S. law firms. With over a decade of experience, she specializes in wrongful death, trucking, and motorcycle cases, achieving exceptional client outcomes. _____ LawRank grows your law firm with SEO Our clients saw a 384% increase in first-time calls and a 603% growth in traffic in 12 months. Get your free competitor report at https://lawrank.com/report. Subscribe to us on your favorite podcast app Rate us 5 stars on iTunes and Spotify Watch us on YouTube Follow us on Instagram and TikTok

On this week's episode, it's a Jenn Gore takeover! This time she sits down with the future of AI Intake, Ethan Hilton. They discuss the evolution of caseflood.ai, where Ethan sees the future of AI Intake going, getting selected by Y Combinator, being a founder at 18, and why one day you won't be able to tell the difference between an AI and a human. Get in touch with Ethan at https://caseflood.ai/ Get in touch with Jenn at https://sweetjames.com/ Guest Ethan Hilton (@realethanhilton on Instagram) is the founder of caseflood.ai. Caseflood.ai helps law firms cut costs by a third and increase average case value by 20% by replacing their entire admin/operations staff with AI agents. It takes care of all admin tasks - from client intake to case analysis to engaging clients - allowing for firms to be run more profitably and wildly more efficient.  Host Jennifer Gore (@jenngorelawyer on Instagram) is the Managing Partner of Sweet James GA East Coast and currently spearheading Sweet James Accident Attorneys' Georgia expansion. She also founded Atlanta Personal Injury Law Group. Her leadership led Atlanta Personal Injury Law Group to Inc. 5000 recognition for three consecutive years as one of the fastest-growing U.S. law firms. With over a decade of experience, she specializes in wrongful death, trucking, and motorcycle cases, achieving exceptional client outcomes. _____ LawRank grows your law firm with SEO Our clients saw a 384% increase in first-time calls and a 603% growth in traffic in 12 months. Get your free competitor report at https://lawrank.com/report. Subscribe to us on your favorite podcast app Rate us 5 stars on iTunes and Spotify Watch us on YouTube Follow us on Instagram and TikTok

This week's guest is Christopher Chedeau, better known as Vjeux, Front-End Engineer at Meta and the mind behind React Native, Prettier, Excalidraw, and more.We unpack his journey from modding Warcraft at 13 to shaping some of the most widely used developer tools in the world. Christopher shares his thoughts on why React took off, how side projects become developer staples, and what AI means for the future of software creation.1:55 - Christopher aka Vjeux2:55 - Learning to code6:30 - Programming in France8:53 - Open sourcing React13:01 - Moving to Facebook15:25 - The framework wars18:25 - The React community22:40 - AI React26:30 - What's next for Vjeux?29:46 - Active procrastination leading to virality32:42 - Future of whiteboarding 37:26 - Quick fire roundAs always, feel free to contact us at partnerpathpodcast@gmail.com. We would love to hear ideas for content, guests, and overall feedback.This episode is brought to you by Grata, the world's leading deal sourcing platform. Our AI-powered search, investment-grade data, and intuitive workflows give you the edge needed to find and win deals in your industry. Visit grata.com to schedule a demo today.Fresh out of Y Combinator's Summer batch, Overlap is an AI-driven app that uses LLMs to curate the best moments from podcast episodes. Imagine having a smart assistant who reads through every podcast transcript, finds the best parts or parts most relevant to your search, and strings them together to form a new curated stream of content - that is what Overlap does. Podcasts are an exponentially growing source of unique information. Make use of it! Check out Overlap 2.0 on the App Store today.

The internet trend is simple: A friend or family member looks into the camera and tells viewers, in a slightly aggressive tone, that they are about to witness a presentation and that they had better be nice.  Also, Acrew Capital's Lauren Kolodny led a $20 million Series A in Alix, a startup that uses AI to automate estate processing. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Brian Armstrong, born in San Jose, California, is the co-founder and CEO of Coinbase, the largest U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange, which he launched in 2012 with Fred Ehrsam. A Y Combinator alumnus, Armstrong grew up in a middle-class family and earned a B.A. in Economics and Computer Science from Rice University in 2005, followed by an M.S. in Computer Science in 2006. Before founding Coinbase, he worked as a software engineer at Airbnb developing anti-fraud tools and founded UniversityTutor.com, an online tutoring marketplace. Under his leadership, Coinbase went public via direct listing in 2021, reaching a $100 billion valuation. As of 2025, it serves over 110 million users with a market cap around $60 billion. A Forbes-listed billionaire with a net worth of approximately $10 billion, Armstrong is a vocal advocate for clear crypto regulation. He founded the Stand With Crypto PAC in 2023 to support pro-crypto politicians, promotes decentralized identity solutions, and has pledged 99% of his wealth to charity through the Giving Pledge. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: https://betterhelp.com/srs This episode is sponsored. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/srs and get on your way to being your best self. https://bunkr.life – USE CODE SRS Go to https://bunkr.life/SRS and use code “SRS” to get your 25% off your family plan https://shawnlikesgold.com https://helixsleep.com/srs https://rocketmoney.com/srs https://ROKA.com – USE CODE SRS https://ziprecruiter.com/srs Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Witajcie w kolejnym odcinku CTO Morning Brew! Mimo wakacyjnego harmonogramu wracamy, aby nadrobić technologiczne zaległości. Zastanawiamy się, czy polski komputer kwantowy uczyni nas liderem w regionie, kto wygra wojnę o talenty AI i czy czeka nas rok Linuxa na desktopie. Dziękujemy, że jesteście z nami i zapraszamy do dyskusji w komentarzach!Oto, co omówiliśmy w tym odcinku:

Is your career site delivering the conversion you need? Dalia's plug-and-play tech turns any employer career site into a high-performance candidate conversion engine — no replatforming required, live in days.Visit dalia.co to learn more. AND by jobcase, Jobcase is an online community where workers of all kinds – like hourly employees, tradespeople and healthcare technicians – access jobs, make connections, and support each other in any aspect of their work life.Visit jobcase.com/hire and tap into their 120 million strong  job seeker network First up…1848 Ventures, an AI-first venture studio building SaaS solutions for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the US, today announced it has led a $3 million seed funding round for Propel People, a mobile-first hiring platform built to help contractors hire skilled tradespeople faster. Propel People has also appointed industry veteran Dexter Bachelder as CEO, bringing deep expertise in construction tech and go-to-market execution to the growing company. https://hrtechfeed.com/1848-ventures-leads-3m-seed-round-for-propel-people/ WALNUT CREEK, Calif.—-BetterComp, a leading provider of compensation management software, today announced its $33M Series A funding round, led by Ten Coves Capital. The investment will fuel BetterComp's continued growth and innovation, enhance its AI-powered market pricing and pay recommendation capabilities, expand into new product adjacencies, and scale operations to better serve a rapidly growing global customer base. https://hrtechfeed.com/compensation-management-software-lands-33m-in-funding/ RICHMOND, Va — goHappy, the leading provider of innovative frontline employee engagement tools, today announced it has received a significant growth investment from Pamlico Capital, a private equity firm focused on high-growth technology and services businesses. The investment amount which was not mentioned… will support goHappy's next phase of growth as it continues to pursue its vision of helping employers drive stronger business outcomes through better engagement of their frontline teams. https://hrtechfeed.com/employee-engagement-tool-announces-investment/ Ashby, a rapidly growing company, has announced a successful $50 million Series D funding round. The investment was led by Mark McLaughlin at Alkeon, with co-lead support from existing investor Lachy Groom, and participation from F-Prime, Elad Gil, Gaingels, and other new and returning backers. https://hrtechfeed.com/ashby-raises-50-million-series-d/ SAN FRANCISCO—-CandorIQ, the AI-powered platform transforming how organizations plan and manage people spend, today announced a $4.8 million seed funding round led by Array Ventures, with participation from Y Combinator, CRV, and Switch Ventures. The funding will be used to grow CandorIQ's engineering and go-to-market teams, accelerate product development, and expand the platform's AI capabilities across compensation and workforce planning workflows. https://hrtechfeed.com/workforce-planning-tool-lands-4-8m/ The highly anticipated Monster/CareerBuilder auction has concluded, and the winning bidder is not JobGet, as some might have expected. Instead, BOLD Holdings emerged victorious with a staggering final bid of $28.4 million! Jobget emerged as the backup with a bid of $27 million. https://hrtechfeed.com/bold-holdings-snags-monster-careerbuilder-auction-for-28-4-million/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What if the next billion-dollar idea wasn’t about making money but about making a difference? In this episode, host Anirban Chowdhury sits down with Varun Aggarwal, deeptech entrepreneur and AI researcher, and Shubham Bansal, a YCombinator alum turned social impact leader. Together, they lead Change Engine, a first-of-its-kind nonprofit accelerator aiming to build 20 nonprofit unicorns in India each impacting over a million lives. They discuss their bold vision for scaling nonprofits with startup-style speed and ambition, expose the cracks in India’s philanthropic funding model, and introduce their latest work, The Playbook for Nonprofit Unicorns, a practical guide to driving large-scale impact. From navigating government systems to using technology for grassroots change, this conversation reimagines what innovation and success can look like in today’s India. Tune in to discover how mission-driven ventures might just be the country’s most powerful engine of change. You can follow Anirban Chowdhury on his social media: Twitter and Linkedin Check out other interesting episodes like:The Curious Case of HUL’s CEO Shuffle, Health Hazards in your Grocery Bag, Trump vs Harvard: India Impact, Brandalore Rising! and much more. Catch the latest episode of ‘The Morning Brief’ on ET Play, The Economic Times Online, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, JioSaavn, Amazon Music and Youtube.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

(0:00) The besties introduce the day with Jacob Helberg (9:08) Michael Kratsios, Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (18:24) Chris Power, Hadrian (35:15) Jake Loosararian, Gecko Robotics (44:37) Shyam Sankar, Palantir (1:00:33) Paul Buchheit, Y Combinator (1:13:35) Kelly Loeffler, Administrator of the Small Business Administration Thanks to our partners for making this happen: NYSE : https://www.nyse.com Visa: https://usa.visa.com Follow the besties: https://x.com/chamath https://x.com/Jason https://x.com/DavidSacks https://x.com/friedberg Follow on X: https://x.com/theallinpod Follow on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theallinpod Follow on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@theallinpod Follow on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/allinpod Intro Music Credit: https://rb.gy/tppkzl https://x.com/yung_spielburg Intro Video Credit: https://x.com/TheZachEffect

Clayton Farms: https://claytonfarms.com/Clayton Mooney on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/claytonmooney/ FoA 53: Millennials Solving World Problems Through Agricultural Technology with MiKayla Sullivan of KinosolClayton Mooney is the co-founder and chief farmer at Clayton Farms based in Ames, Iowa. They build direct-to-consumer indoor farms and claim to serve the world's freshest salads. They were also part of Y Combinator in the winter of 2019. Clayton is fearlessly building his vision for a farm that grows local, healthy, accessible food and provides a real connection with customers in the community through a quick service restaurant. That's right, it's a restaurant with a drive through that grows hydroponic produce inside of it. Clayton will provide a lot more details in this episode, and I think it will be abundantly clear why his story is so interesting, relevant and inspiring for anyone thinking about the future of agriculture. But just for some brief background, Clayton grew up on a farm in Iowa and played professional poker before returning to his home state and starting Kinosol. In fact, his now wife Mikayla was one of his co-founders at Kinosol was on this show WAY back on episode 53 in May of 2017. I'll drop you into the conversation here where Clayton is giving more of his background and describing the early days of what was first called Nebulum, but was eventually re-branded into Clayton Farms.

Nicholas Tommarello is the Founder and CEO of Wefunder, a pioneering crowdfunding platform that allows individuals to invest in startups. He co-founded Wefunder in 2012, leveraging provisions from the 2012 JOBS Act to enable unaccredited investors to purchase equity in early-stage companies, thereby democratizing access to investment opportunities that were traditionally available only to wealthy individuals. Tommarello holds an MBA in Entrepreneurship from Babson College and participated in the prestigious startup accelerator Y Combinator in 2013.

Pablo es un ingeniero civil electricista de la Universidad Católicade Chile. Dedicó sus estudios de postgrado a automatización e InteligenciaArtificial, cuándo todavía no se hablaba tanto del tema. Se ha dedicado a la tecnología en toda su experiencia laboral: desderobots de software y como Ingeniero Fundador en una startup que pasó por YCombinator, la aceleradora más importante del mundo (Encuadrado). Ahí se hizocargo del producto digital y de los equipos asociados dónde tuvo que liderarmúltiples equipos en una empresa de altísimo crecimiento. Apasionado por el liderazgo y la productividad en las organizaciones,fundó Utanix junto a Diego Cruzat para resolver el problema del liderazgobasado en metas.  Utanix es un software de gestión de personas basada en metas.Particularmente útil para equipos comerciales, acorta los ciclos de venta en almenos un 10% y le ahorra 4 horas semanales a los líderes en promedio. •⁠  ⁠Ordena las metas de largo y mediano plazo hasta metas semanales ydiarias•⁠  ⁠⁠Es el marcapasos del equipo: todos los días, una prioridad alineada a lasemanal•⁠  ⁠⁠Da visibilidad completa de lo que está pasando y el efecto en tusresultados Con IA, ayudamos a cada persona a planificar claramente su día paraatacar lo importante y no solo lo urgente. Los equipos generan el hábitode priorizar y, por lo tanto, enfrentan cada día y semana con claridad de cómolograr sus resultados de mediano plazo. El avance y resultados van quedando monitoreados de maneraautomática y así le ahorramos un sin fin de reuniones de "¿Cómovamos?" a los gerentes y líderes de equipo. Los problemas aparecenantes - no el último día del año - y así se puede corregir el rumbo de maneramucho más veloz. En empresas que buscan crecer, los ayudamos a poner la brújula hacia elNorte y que nadie pierda esa dirección ni claridad.

Y Combinator is the tech incubator that has launched many of today's largest companies–Airbnb, DropBox, Door Dash, Open AI and many, many others. Jonathan Levy, Managing Director and former GC of YC had a role in many of them. On this episode of The Legal Department, Jonathan shares how legal can support start-up companies and help shape the future. He talks about adopting a CEO's mindset, keeping your opinions (and attitude) in check and not letter fears of what might go wrong prevent you from seeing what might go right. YC is also seeding several legal tech companies–Jonathan shares his thoughts about some of these and why they might disrupt the current market leaders. Join us for another episode on how lawyers support innovation.

From the streets of Philly to the boardrooms of Silicon Valley, Gabe DeRita brings a refreshing honesty and a fierce commitment to empowering others. In this conversation on The Coaching Podcast, we explore how to align thoughts, feelings, and actions to lead with integrity and character. We dive into the art of authentic relating, embracing nuance, and navigating difficult conversations – all while staying deeply human. About Gabe DeRita, Goal Whisperer Gabriel DeRita is a leadership coach and communication skills trainer who helps people find purpose in work and build stronger relationships with themselves and others. With a background spanning tech sales, hospitality, and consulting, Gabe brings a sharp business lens to the human side of leadership. Since founding his coaching practice in 2019, he's worked with a wide range of leaders—from Y Combinator startup founders to Fortune 500 management teams at companies like AirBnb, LinkedIn, Gap & Goldman Sachs —helping them lead with clarity, trust, and authenticity. In addition to his private practice, Gabe is a trusted partner to leading coaching and consulting firms like GLG, Skillsoft, Lapin International, and Medley, delivering leadership development programs for global clients across many industries. His approach blends real-world business experience with powerful, practical tools for personal growth – making the abstract feel actionable, and the human side of work a whole lot more effective. Outside the office, Gabe can be found exploring remote areas on a bicycle, foraging for wild mushrooms, or trying to outwit the unpredictable Colorado weather in his backyard garden. Connect with Gabe: Website: https://www.effectiveconnection.com/ Links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielderita/ Instagram: @funngabe

Immad grew Mercury to $500M in annualized revenue and profitable. Mercury is one of the fastest-growing fintech startups ever. No wonder they just raised $300M from Sequoia at $3.5B. Immad breaks down exactly how he structured a viral launch, why fundraising is easier with zero customers than you think, and how he unlocked massive word-of-mouth growth. If you're building a startup, especially in fintech, you can't miss this episode.Why You Should ListenHow Mercury went from $0 to $1M ARR in just 5 monthsHow Mercury leveraged Twitter to explode user growth at launchWhy building with zero users might be your secret advantageWhy Immad believes defining company culture at employee #4 was critical to hitting $500M in revenueKeywordsMercury, Sequoia, Immad Akhund, startup fundraising, fintech startup, product market fit, neobank, early-stage growth, Y Combinator, banking as a service, startup culture00:00:00 Intro00:09:23 How Immad Validated the Idea for Mercury00:17:53 Why Immad Turned Down VC to Start Another Company00:28:11 How Immad Raised a $6M Seed Round Before Writing Any Code00:36:08 Launching Mercury and Going Viral on Twitter00:47:08 Knowing You Have Product Market Fit00:51:48 Raising a $20M Series A Just 3 Weeks After Launch00:53:10 The Importance of Defining Your Culture EarlySend me a message to let me know what you think!

Este podcast es posible gracias a Santander:https://online.bancosantander.es/landings/cuentas/cuenta-autonomos/En este episodio hablamos con Arnau y Pablo, cofundadores de Throxy, una startup de prospección B2B que ha salido de Y Combinator con una misión clara: agendar reuniones reales para empresas que venden a negocios tradicionales sin presencia digital. Con un enfoque radicalmente diferente al de las agencias tradicionales, Throxy construye sus propios agentes de inteligencia artificial para scrapear la web, estructurar datos vírgenes y generar leads hipersegmentados que no están en LinkedIn ni en bases de datos típicas.Nos cuentan cómo trabajan con empresas de software industrial, logística o manufactura—algunas con más de 1.000M€ de facturación sin una sola persona en LinkedIn—y cómo logran encontrar contactos y cualificarlos usando solo IA, Google Maps y web scraping. Su propuesta: pagar solo si la reunión se agenda y el cliente aparece.Hablamos de su modelo "done-for-you", el uso intensivo de agentes pequeños especializados, cómo escalan la operación sin sacrificar calidad, y por qué han dicho que no a muchas startups del batch de YC por no tener product-market fit. Arnau y Pablo también desgranan su go-to-market, cómo alcanzaron un MRR de más de 180.000 € con solo 35 clientes, y los retos regulatorios de escalar fuera de plataformas como LinkedIn.También exploramos su historia personal: cómo se conocieron en el colegio, empezaron revendiendo monedas en el FIFA con bots propios, y acabaron fundando en Londres, con becas poco convencionales incluidas. Una conversación sincera, técnica y cargada de aprendizajes sobre ventas, automatización, IA aplicada, y cómo construir una startup desde la calle hasta Y Combinator sin depender de humo ni atajos.

Secure your privacy with Surfshark! Enter coupon code BRAVESEA for an extra 4 months at www.surfshark.com/BRAVESEA Saurabh Chauhan, Co-founder and CEO of Peakflo, returns to BRAVE with Jeremy Au to reflect on their journey since first meeting at Entrepreneur First in 2020. They unpack how Saurabh identified pain points in finance ops during his time with Rocket Internet, how he structured his co-founder search, and how early customer interviews shaped Peakflo's product roadmap. They explore why he rejected the social commerce hype, how Y Combinator reset his scale ambitions, and how Google's AI Accelerator helped move Peakflo from traditional SaaS to agentic workflows. They also discuss startup fraud detection and how external stakeholders can cut through opacity. 02:40: Why Saurabh joined EF: He had identified cash flow and supplier payment issues in past startups and wanted to solve this. EF was attractive for its high technical founder density, which led to matching with Dmitry, a PhD in AI and former CDO at AirAsia. 10:02: Rejected social commerce despite hype: Saurabh entered EF with two ideas—cutting customer acquisition costs and finance automation. Interviews with 30 to 40 operators in social commerce showed no real CAC compression and surfaced product quality and platform leakage issues. 23:47: Peakflo started with accounts receivable automation: They built modules like collections, dispute management, customer portals, and payment reconciliation. It took over a year to fully build the AR stack from late 2020 to 2022. 25:40: Accounts payable followed based on demand: Customers didn't want to use two systems. Peakflo added AP features like invoice capture, PO matching, and supplier payments, which took another year and launched by late 2023. 28:30: Google AI Accelerator pushed the move toward agentic workflows: Peakflo now builds AI agents to perform human tasks like logging into client portals, submitting invoices, and reconciling ERP systems. 30:26: Voice AI agents now handle collection calls: The agent knows invoice details, dispute history, and broken promises to pay. It engages clients like a collection officer, takes notes, and feeds updates into follow-up workflows. 36:32: Agentic workflows are the future of finance ops: Saurabh sees Peakflo evolving into a workflow engine powered by AI agents across back-office functions like lead qualification, collections, and month-end closing. Get transcripts, startup resources & community discussions at www.bravesea.com WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VakR55X6BIElUEvkN02e TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jeremyau Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jeremyauz Twitter: https://twitter.com/jeremyau LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/bravesea English: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Bahasa Indonesia: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Chinese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts Vietnamese: Spotify | YouTube | Apple Podcasts

In this episode of the Investing in Integrity podcast, Ross Overline, CEO and co-founder of Scholars of Finance, sits down with Brett Hagler. Brett is a social entrepreneur, CEO, and co-founder of New Story, a pioneering organization tackling global homelessness through capitalism.You will learn how Brett is transforming traditional philanthropy into sustainable, market-based solutions that serve vulnerable populations while delivering financial returns. They explore why capitalism, when guided by ethics and integrity, can outperform charity in addressing systemic issues. Brett unpacks how New Story Capital structures low-risk real estate investments in developing markets, combining profit with purpose. You'll also hear insights on values-based leadership, building scalable impact, and designing financial models where “more profit equals more impact.” Tune in for a bold reimagining of ethical finance, social entrepreneurship, and the future of charitable investment.Meet Brett Hagler:Brett Hagler is the CEO and co-founder of New Story, a nonprofit revolutionizing the fight against global homelessness. Founded in 2014 alongside Alexandria Lafci, Matthew Marshall, and Mike Arrieta, New Story brings innovation, transparency, and startup principles to the housing sector. After graduating from Y Combinator in 2015, Brett helped pioneer a new model for housing nonprofits. Under his leadership, New Story has raised over $80 million and provided homes for more than 20,000 people across Latin America.

Patrick McKenzie (patio11) is joined by Cate Hall, CEO of Astera Institute and author of a forthcoming book on agency, to explore how individuals can systematically develop higher agency in their lives. They discuss the selection effects that draw agentic people to fields like poker and startups, the importance of being comfortable with ignorance and feedback, and practical strategies like asking "Is there a better way to do this?" ten times daily. Cate shares insights from her journey from Supreme Court lawyer to world champion poker player, including how peer groups, emergencies, and what addicts call "the gift of desperation" can trigger step-changes in personal agency.–Full transcript available here: https://www.complexsystemspodcast.com/stacking-the-odds-cate-hall/–[Patrick notes: Complex Systems now produces occasional video episodes like this one.You can access them directly on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@patio11podcast. My kids inform me that I'm supposed to tell you to like and subscribe.]–Links:Cate Hall's Writing: https://usefulfictions.substack.com/Pre-order Cate's book on agency: https://mailchi.mp/44578760e686/book-preorder-signupAstera: https://astera.org/ –Timestamps:(00:00) Intro (00:28) Exploring the concept of agency(00:56) Selection effects in different fields(01:31) The tech industry evolution(02:54) Y Combinator's changing demographics(04:23) Parallels between poker and startups(15:48) The role of networking and relationships(19:12) Embracing feedback and continuous improvement(23:49) Exploring growth mindset(24:35) AI and personal improvement(27:04) Learning with AI: strategies and cautions(27:53) The value of human interaction(30:19) Professional gamblers and their unique insights(35:05) Understanding agency and its development(38:45) Triggers for increased agency(45:23) Wrap

In this episode, we sit down with Wale Akanbi, one of the co-founders of Aella. Aella became the first African lending fintech admitted to Y Combinator in 2017 and has since served over 2 million users across Nigeria and the Philippines. Wale's journey, from teaching himself programming in Nigerian cyber cafes to building AI-powered financial inclusion tools, is a masterclass in persistence, vision, and purpose-driven entrepreneurship.He's currently building solutions at the intersection of AI and blockchain to solve cross-border trust challenges.What we cover:The pressure and lessons from being one of YC's first African lending fintechWhy every engineer doubled as customer service for their first 500K usersThe evolution from rule-based credit scoring to AI models predicting "willingness to pay"Building cross-functional teams in the age of AIHis current work at the intersection of AI and blockchain for cross-border trustWhy helping people matters more than power, fame, or money

Are you a woman leader or entrepreneur considering a career pivot, especially from academia to the dynamic startup world? Do you wonder how to navigate this transition, build crucial relationships, and drive innovation in a new industry? This episode of How Women Inspire addresses these very challenges, offering invaluable insights into making a successful leap and fostering meaningful connections.This week's episode 177 of How Women Inspire Podcast is about transitioning from academia to startups! In this episode of How Women Inspire Podcast, Grace Wei is sharing the importance of building relationships and maintaining connections with experts and mentors. and actionable steps you can take right now to build a team culture at your startup. Grace Wei has held the position of COO at Encellin since 2016. Prior to that, Grace worked as a biologist at UCSF from 2005 to 2015. Grace Wei has a Bachelor's Degree in Human Genetics from McGill University and a Ph.D. in Molecular and Cellular Biology from the University of Chicago. Grace also completed programs at Stanford University Graduate School of Business and Y Combinator.Some of the talking points Julie and Grace go over in this episode include:Why building and maintaining strong relationships is paramount for founders and leadersThe unique benefits of different accelerators and how they can provide access to experts, community, and professional coaching for your startup journey.How transitioning from a specialized field like academia to a startup environment requires humility and a willingness to seek adviceThe importance of team culture for startup success, and how that differs from academia.What steps will you take today to cultivate your network and embrace new challenges?Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, take a screenshot of the episode to post in your stories and tag me!  And don't forget to follow, rate, and review the podcast and tell me your key takeaways!Learn more about How Women Inspire at https://www.howwomenlead.com/podcast CONNECT WITH GRACE WEI:LinkedInEncellinCONNECT WITH JULIE CASTRO ABRAMS:LinkedIn - JulieHow Women LeadHow Women InvestHow Women GiveInstagram - HWLLinkedIn - HWLFacebook - HWL

In this technical deep-dive episode, Generation AI hosts Ardis Kadiu and Dr. JC Bonilla unpack Andre Karpathy's groundbreaking keynote on "Software 3.0" - the third revolution in how we tell computers what to do. They explore how we've moved from writing explicit code (Software 1.0) through neural networks (Software 2.0) to programming in plain English with LLMs (Software 3.0). The discussion reveals why LLMs represent a new computing paradigm comparable to the shift from mainframes to personal computers, and why Karpathy believes we're still in the "1960s era" of this revolution. Most importantly, they examine the massive opportunities this creates - from rebuilding infrastructure to creating agent-first applications - and why every software company needs to adapt or risk disruption. Whether you're a developer, entrepreneur, or education professional, this episode provides essential insights into the decade-long transformation ahead.Introduction and Context Setting (00:00:07)Decision to do a "geeky episode" after last week's personal discussionIntroduction to Andre Karpathy's Y Combinator keynote "Software is Evolving Again"Karpathy's background: Tesla self-driving, OpenAI co-founderSetting up the framework for understanding software evolutionSoftware 1.0: The Era of Explicit Instructions (00:03:55)Timeline: 1950s to 2010sProgramming with explicit instructions in languages like Python, C, COBOLDeterministic and predictable behaviorExample: Writing functions to classify spam emails with specific keywordsHow traditional developers were trained in this paradigmSoftware 2.0: Neural Networks as Programs (00:04:59)Timeline: 2010s to 2020sPrograms written as neural network weights instead of codeHumans become data curators rather than code writersTraining as the new form of "compiling" programsExample: Training neural networks on billions of emails for spam detectionThe shift from deterministic to probabilistic programmingSoftware 3.0: Natural Language Programming (00:07:00)Timeline: 2020s onwardProgramming in English through promptingLLMs as programmable computersEveryone becomes a programmerExample: Simply asking an LLM to "classify this email as spam or not"The democratization of programmingLLMs as the New Operating System (00:10:26)Three perspectives: utilities, fabrication plants, and operating systemsLLMs as utilities: like electricity, metered access, high reliabilityLLMs as fabs: enormous capital requirements, deep technical secretsLLMs as OS: new computing platform with CPU (LLM) and RAM (context window)Comparison to 1960s mainframe era - centralized, expensive computingThe Missing GUI for Intelligence (00:15:35)Current state: still in the "terminal phase" of AI computingNo graphical user interface for intelligence yetDiscussion on whether we'll skip to voice or need visual interfacesImportance of visual bandwidth for human information processingThe need for discoverability in interfacesDigital Spirits and AI Limitations (00:20:58)Karpathy's concept of LLMs as "people spirits"Superhuman abilities: perfect memory, instant processingCritical limitations: hallucinations, no long-term memoryThe "50 First Dates" problem - digital amnesiaJagged intelligence: superhuman at some tasks, terrible at othersExample: LLMs struggling with simple number comparisons (9.11 vs 9.9)Building Software 3.0 Applications (00:24:01)Four key features: context management, multi-LLM orchestration, application-specific GUIs, autonomy sliderThe cursor model as an exampleManaging complexity while making it simple for usersThe importance of the autonomy slider for user controlAI Agents and the Decade-Long Transition (00:27:42)"Agents are overrated" - not the year but the decade of agentsThe Iron Man suit analogy: augmentation vs replacementHuman-in-the-loop considerationsTesla Autopilot example: 10 years later, still not fully autonomousManaging expectations for the pace of changeVibe Coding Success Story (00:34:06)Real-world example from Engage conference presentationCIO builds prototype in 2 hours using LovableWeb-accessible syllabus database projectDramatic reduction in time and resources neededThe power of Software 3.0 for non-programmersInfrastructure Opportunities and Challenges (00:37:53)Three types of digital information consumers: humans, programs, AI agentsNeed for AI-accessible interfaces (LLM.txt files)Building infrastructure for agent consumptionMCP protocol for agent communicationThe massive rebuild opportunity for entrepreneursEducational Implications (00:39:12)Shift from information scarcity to abundanceKarpathy's approach: keeping student and teacher separate but working on same artifactNew skills needed: prompt engineering, context engineeringMoving from memorizing algorithms to understanding applicationDebugging AI reasoning vs debugging codeTraditional SaaS Transformation (00:47:19)The autonomy retrofit challengeDesigning UIs for both humans and agentsNeed for AI-accessible equivalents for every actionRisk of disruption from AI-first competitorsQuestions about human supervision and controlAction Items for Different Audiences (00:51:18)Developers: Learn all three paradigms, build partial autonomy, focus on human oversightEntrepreneurs: Identify migration opportunities, build infrastructure, design with autonomy sliderEveryone else: Start vibe coding, understand decade-long transition, develop human-AI collaboration skillsThe importance of starting now despite the long transition aheadClosing Thoughts and Call to Action (00:56:47)Karpathy's quote on the amazing opportunity aheadThe quest for autonomy and the 3.0 movementBeing part of a revolution in real-timeNeed for builders, thinkers, and creators in this new era - - - -Connect With Our Co-Hosts:Ardis Kadiuhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/ardis/https://twitter.com/ardisDr. JC Bonillahttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jcbonilla/https://twitter.com/jbonillxAbout The Enrollify Podcast Network:Generation AI is a part of the Enrollify Podcast Network. If you like this podcast, chances are you'll like other Enrollify shows too! Enrollify is made possible by Element451 — the next-generation AI student engagement platform helping institutions create meaningful and personalized interactions with students. Learn more at element451.com. Attend the 2025 Engage Summit! The Engage Summit is the premier conference for forward-thinking leaders and practitioners dedicated to exploring the transformative power of AI in education. Explore the strategies and tools to step into the next generation of student engagement, supercharged by AI. You'll leave ready to deliver the most personalized digital engagement experience every step of the way.Register now to secure your spot in Charlotte, NC, on June 24-25, 2025! Early bird registration ends February 1st -- https://engage.element451.com/register

This week's guest is Karan Vaidya, Co-Founder and CTO of Composio, a platform enabling AI agents to connect with hundreds of tools and take autonomous actions to streamline workflows. We dive into his journey building “Devin” for integrations, why the rise of AI is creating demand for thousands of application connectors, how 90% of Composio's use cases today are agent-driven, and the role early product virality played in their traction. Episode Chapters: 2:00 – Founding with a friend (of 13 years) 3:35 – Evolution of integrations 6:50 – Lightbulb moment 9:20 – Pivoting Composio 12:40 – Agentic workflows 14:30 – Why Composio? 16:47 – Winning developers 25:20 – Build vs. buy 26:20 – AI toolset 28:25 – Agentic internet 30:52 – Quick fire round As always, feel free to contact us at partnerpathpodcast@gmail.com. We would love to hear ideas for content, guests, and overall feedback.This episode is brought to you by Grata, the world's leading deal sourcing platform. Our AI-powered search, investment-grade data, and intuitive workflows give you the edge needed to find and win deals in your industry. Visit grata.com to schedule a demo today.Fresh out of Y Combinator's Summer batch, Overlap is an AI-driven app that uses LLMs to curate the best moments from podcast episodes. Imagine having a smart assistant who reads through every podcast transcript, finds the best parts or parts most relevant to your search, and strings them together to form a new curated stream of content - that is what Overlap does. Podcasts are an exponentially growing source of unique information. Make use of it! Check out Overlap 2.0 on the App Store today.

Episode OverviewIn this July 2025 episode of Marks on the Markets, we dive deep into the venture capital landscape with two battle-tested VCs who've weathered the storm from COVID boom to AI revolution. Key Themes ExploredThe "Quiet Freakout" PhenomenonWhy even well-funded startups are secretly terrified about the next 6-18 monthsHow AI has created a "boxing match during an earthquake" for entrepreneursThe unprecedented uncertainty facing venture founders in 2025The Great Liquidity CrisisWhy LPs haven't seen distributions in years and what it means for new fundingThe IPO market's slow reopening and what it signals for exitsHow the DPI (distributions to paid-in capital) drought is reshaping the industryAI's Seismic ImpactWhy this technological shift dwarfs previous internet revolutionsThe emergence of AI-native companies and what it means for traditional softwareWhy we're likely underestimating AI's transformative powerThe Hardware RenaissanceHow software commoditization is driving investment toward "hard tech"The rise of American dynamism and defense technology startupsWhy friction is becoming the new competitive moatFaith-Driven InnovationLearning from social media's mental health failuresWhy Christian entrepreneurs feel called to shape AI's developmentBiblical frameworks for understanding technology's role in societyStandout Quotes"Everybody is quietly freaking out. You might have money in the bank, you might have venture backers, and yet everybody's quietly freaking out because you just don't know what's going to happen in three months, six months, three years." - Jake Thomsen"We are on the precipice of what could be the biggest series of technological changes in human history... more radical than at any point in history." - John Coleman"I continue to believe we are much more likely to underestimate the impact of AI than we are to overestimate it." - Rob Go"We kind of missed the boat in social media... We can't miss the boat with AI. Believers have to step in." - Jake ThomsenDeep Dive SegmentsThe Venture Market Transformation (03:22-15:36) Jake Thomsen provides a masterclass overview of venture's roller coaster ride from pre-COVID normalcy through the 2021-22 bubble, the 2022 crash, banking crisis, and today's AI-driven uncertainty.Four Forces Reshaping Early-Stage Investing (15:36-25:00) Rob Go breaks down the industry's permanent structural changes: maturation and concentration, Y Combinator's dominance, mega-fund competition, and the AI supercycle's 20-30 year horizon.The Optimist vs. Realist Debate (25:00-35:00) John Coleman makes the bull case for venture while Rob and Jake wrestle with ground-level challenges, exploring the disconnect between macro optimism and micro struggles.Hardware's Moment (35:00-45:00) Why the pendulum is swinging from pure software plays to capital-intensive "hard tech" solutions, and whether this represents a fundamental shift or temporary trend.Faith and Technology (45:00-49:07) A powerful discussion on how Christian entrepreneurs are approaching AI development with lessons learned from social media's unintended consequences.Guest ProfilesJake Thomsen - Partner at Sovereign's Capital, focusing on faith-driven founders and early-stage ventures. Previously worked in venture capital and strategic consulting.Rob Go - Co-founder and Partner at NextView Ventures, a seed-stage VC firm. 15+ years in venture capital with investments spanning consumer, enterprise, and frontier tech.Key Takeaways for InvestorsThe Power Law is Real: Top quartile VCs still dramatically outperform public markets, but the gap between best and worst performers has widened to 2,000+ basis points.Timing Matters: We're in the infrastructure phase of the AI revolution—similar to early internet days where enabling technologies capture initial value before applications flourish.Defense Through Friction: As software becomes commoditized, companies with hardware, services, or regulatory moats may prove more defensible.Liquidity Patience Required: The venture asset class needs patient capital as exit timelines extend and public market windows remain selective.Values-Driven Advantage: Founders building with clear ethical frameworks may have competitive advantages in an AI-dominated future.Resources MentionedHallow (Catholic prayer app)"God Looks Like Jesus" by Greg BoydAll-In PodcastY CombinatorReindustrialized Conference (Detroit)Connect with Our GuestsJake Thomsen: Sovereign's CapitalRob Go: NextView Ventures

In this episode, we sit down with Nikhil Vadhavkar, co-founder and CEO of Raptor Maps, to uncover how the company is tackling the invisible crisis in clean energy: operational inefficiency across $250B+ worth of solar assets.Nikhil explains why the solar industry's problems aren't just about building more — they're about getting the existing infrastructure to perform. From labor shortages to rising insurance costs, from underperforming fields to unscalable maintenance methods, Raptor Maps is turning traditional solar operations on its head. Their secret? A software platform built on digital twins, computer vision, and robotics that lets field techs do more of what matters.You'll hear how Raptor Maps found product-market fit by replacing the most dangerous and manual tasks on solar farms with drone- and robot-driven workflows, and how that foundation has evolved into an AI-ready platform used across tens of gigawatts of global deployments. Nikhil shares the journey from MIT and NASA to Y Combinator and utility-scale solar, reflecting on what it means to build something technically excellent, deeply customer-embedded, and truly scalable.We cover:How climate-driven damage (hail, fire) and tariffs are reshaping solar economicsWhy investors are demanding deeper visibility into solar asset performanceWhat it takes to operate robots and AI in the middle of nowhereAnd how Raptor Maps built a customer-led culture — even as it scaled---Upgrade to paid today! It's $10/month or $100/year. You probably spent that much on random Amazon stuff last week. What's stopping you from upgrading to paid? Upgrade to Paid

Notion te regala 3 meses del plan Business + IA ilimitada

In this episode of Future Finance, hosts Paul Barnhurst and Glenn Hopper welcome John Glasgow, the founder and CEO of Campfire. With backing from Y Combinator and Foundation Capital, Campfire is rethinking the general ledger using AI-powered workflows that streamline accounting and accelerate financial reporting. John shares his journey, his experience with traditional finance systems, and how Campfire is bringing AI to the forefront of finance transformation.John is the founder and CEO of Campfire, a cutting-edge AI-powered ERP platform that redefines how finance teams manage the general ledger. With a career that spans strategic roles in companies like Adobe, Magento Commerce, and Buildcon, John's expertise in finance and corporate development has helped shape his vision for the future of financial reporting. He shares insights on how his career led him to solve the pain points in the finance sector, particularly around outdated software and complex financial processes.Expect to Learn:How AI is transforming finance systems, especially in accounting and financial reporting.The challenges of ERP implementation and how Campfire is tackling them with AI-powered solutions.Insights on getting closer to a “day zero” close and speeding up financial closing cycles.The evolution of the general ledger and how modern ERPs are rethinking traditional finance tools.John offers practical insights and forward-thinking strategies for embracing AI in finance. If outdated systems and slow processes have been holding you back, this episode provides a refreshing look at how AI can drive efficiency and smarter decision-making in finance.Follow John:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnglasgow/Website - https://campfire.ai/Join hosts Glenn and Paul as they unravel the complexities of AI in finance:Follow Glenn:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbhopperiiiFollow Paul: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguyFollow QFlow.AI:Website - https://bit.ly/4i1EkjgFuture Finance is sponsored by QFlow.ai, the strategic finance platform solving the toughest part of planning and analysis: B2B revenue. Align sales, marketing, and finance, speed up decision-making, and lock in accountability with QFlow.ai. Stay tuned for a deeper understanding of how AI is shaping the future of finance and what it means for businesses and individuals alike.In Today's Episode:[00:23] - John's Background[01:34] - $35M Series A Announcement[02:46] - Career Background & Campfire[04:45] - Long-Term Vision & Career Decisions[07:22] - Accelerating Financial Close[12:05] - Modern Ledger vs. Legacy

Mike Mahlkow spricht mit Marc Klingen, Gründer von Langfuse, über den Weg von der ersten Idee zum ersten zahlenden Kunden. Marc teilt, wie Langfuse durch schnelles Prototyping und direktes User-Feedback innerhalb von sechs Wochen den ersten zahlenden Kunden gewann und warum der Y Combinator sie lehrte, noch schneller zu iterieren. Was du lernst: Wie du durch schnelles Prototyping in 24-48 Stunden erste User-Insights gewinnst Warum der Fokus auf ein spezifisches ICP (Ideal Customer Profile) entscheidend ist Die Bedeutung von echtem Nutzerfeedback vs. theoretischer Validierung ALLES ZU UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery  Mehr zu Marc: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcklingen  Website: https://langfuse.com/  Mehr zu Co-Host Mike: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemahlkow/  Website: https://fastgen.com/  Join our Founder Tactics Newsletter: 2x die Woche bekommst du die Taktiken der besten Gründer der Welt direkt ins Postfach: https://www.tactics.unicornbakery.de/ 

*This episode was originally aired in November 2021*Hire world-class accountants and in The Philippines. Visit Outsource Direct to scale your operations with higher flexibility, maximum efficiency and much lower costs.Subscribe to the Business Builders Newsletter for the very best ideas I've discovered on business and personal growth.I'm thrilled to welcome Dan Hobbs this week, Co-Founder and CEO of Protex, a software company using artificial intelligence to track safety for industrial employees.Dan and his Co-Founder Ciarán are recent graduates of Y-Combinator, a start-up incubator based in San Francisco, boasting an enviable track record of finding the next big companies in tech.Other notable alumni include Airbnb, Dropbox, Reddit, and Stripe!In this conversation, we cover a host of topics, from Dan's experience applying to and going through the Y-Combinator programme, raising money from some of the world's most successful and best-known entrepreneurs, to Dan's first start-up, which he started at the tender age of 22, and sold a few years later in 2019!Find out more about Protex: https://www.protex.ai/CONNECT WITH CONOR:LinkedInDiscover EO Ireland—part of an international network designed specifically for entrepreneurs. EO Ireland connects business owners for networking, mentorship, and shared learning experiences. Take your business to the next level and join a community of like-minded leaders today at eoireland.org. Empower your entrepreneurial journey!Produced by Jetbooks, Chartered Accountants Ireland.

Maor Shlomo is the founder of Base44, an AI-powered app builder that he bootstrapped to an over $80 million acquisition by Wix in just six months. As a solo founder (with severe ADHD), he hit $1 million ARR just three weeks after launch and grew the product to more than 400,000 users, all while navigating two wars in Israel and never raising a dollar of outside funding.What you'll learn:1. The growth playbook that took Base44 from three friends to 400,000 users without spending any money on marketing2. How he hasn't written a single line of front-end code in three months—and how to structure your code repository to make it easier for AI to write your code3. His AI productivity stack that allowed him to compete against heavily funded competitors4. Why being a solo founder in AI might be the ultimate advantage (and the wedding story that almost killed the business)5. The story of signing the $80M acquisition deal while war broke out with Iran6. How to identify when to sell vs. stay independent (and why Maor chose acquisition despite being highly profitable)7. The counterintuitive product decision that tripled activation by removing a “helpful” feature8. How building in public on LinkedIn drove more growth than any paid channel—Brought to you by:Sauce—Turn customer pain into product revenue: https://sauce.app/lennyDscout—The UX platform to capture insights at every stage: from ideation to production: https://www.dscout.com/Contentsquare—Create better digital experiences: https://contentsquare.com/lenny/—Transcript: ⁠https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/the-base44-bootstrapped-startup-success-story-maor-shlomo⁠—My biggest takeaways (for paid newsletter subscribers): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/i/167384119/my-biggest-takeaways-from-this-conversation—Where to find Maor Shlomo:• X: https://x.com/ms_base44• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maor-shlomo-1088b4144/—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 Maor and Base44(08:16) The origin story: how Base44 came to be(14:55) Bootstrapping and solo founding: challenges and insights(22:52) Productivity hacks and tech stack for solo founders(27:23) How to get started using Base44(28:47) Thoughts on raising money(34:05) Distribution in the age of AI(36:09) Ambition and goals(40:05) Growth strategies: from first users to thousands(51:32) Building in public(57:42) The solo founder journey(01:00:23) Community support(01:03:23) Hackathons and partnerships(01:06:42) The importance of velocity in product development(01:08:20) Technical stack and infrastructure insights(01:15:24) Activation lessons(01:18:19) The acquisition journey with Wix(01:25:14) Final thoughts and advice for founders—Referenced:• Base44: https://base44.com/• Retool: https://retool.com/• Tzofim: https://www.israelscouts.org/• Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/• RescueTime: https://www.rescuetime.com/• Cursor: https://www.cursor.com/• Wix: https://www.wix.com/• 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• 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• Behind the product: Replit | Amjad Masad (co-founder and CEO): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/behind-the-product-replit-amjad-masad• Everyone's an engineer now: Inside v0's mission to create a hundred million builders | Guillermo Rauch (founder and CEO of Vercel, creators of v0 and Next.js): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/everyones-an-engineer-now-guillermo-rauch• Snowflake: https://www.snowflake.com• Yoav Orlev on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoav-orlev-4a044b72• WhatsApp: https://www.whatsapp.com/• Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/• Google: https://about.google/• MongoDB: https://www.mongodb.com/• Deloitte: https://www.deloitte.com/• Render: Render.com• Claude 4: https://www.anthropic.com/news/claude-4• Gemini: https://gemini.google.com/app• Cloudflare: https://www.cloudflare.com/—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

Soham Parekh made headlines for juggling four full-time startup jobs at once — without telling anyone. Fraud? Maybe. Genius? Possibly. Turns out, his work was solid, his employers were Y Combinator darlings, and the internet couldn't decide whether to hate or love him. In this episode, we unpack Soham's viral saga, question whether “overemployment” is really that bad, and revisit another jaw-dropping story about a paralegal's double life, exposed during one unforgettable Zoom call.

Welcome back to Giant Ideas! Today we are joined by Trip Adler, the Co-founder of Scribd - a company he co-founded with Jared Friedman, now Partner at Y Combinator. Scribd is a digital document library that hosts over 195 million documents, with billions of views a year.Today we talk about Trip's next act: Created By Humans, where he is Co-Founder and CEO, on a huge mission to champion AI rights for authors. Giant proudly led the seed round of Created by Humans, and we invited Trip on to talk about this giant idea that affects so many people: how can creativity thrive in the AI era?In this episode, we talk about: what happens if we live in a world where only machines create art? Is AI the next IP frontier? We also talk about his early days pivoting at YC, why persistence matters, and the unusual way he earnt his first revenue…Building a purpose driven company? Read more about Giant Ventures at www.Giant.vc.Music credits: Bubble King written and produced by Cameron McLain and Stevan Cablayan aka Vector_XING. Please note: The content of this podcast is for informational and entertainment purposes only. It should not be considered financial, legal, or investment advice. Always consult a licensed professional before making any investment decisions.

In this episode of Future Finance, hosts Paul Barnhurst and Glenn Hopper welcome John Glasgow, founder and CEO of Campfire, a modern AI-native ERP system designed for finance teams. The discussion centers on why traditional ERPs are no longer meeting the needs of growing businesses and how Campfire is offering a new solution built with automation and finance-first design. John shares insights from his career in finance and explains how his own challenges inspired the creation of Campfire.John is the founder and CEO of Campfire, an ERP platform developed for mid-sized and enterprise finance teams. With prior roles at Adobe and Invoice2Go, where he led strategic finance and corporate development, John has experienced firsthand the limitations of legacy ERP systems. Campfire, backed by Y Combinator and Foundation Capital, is rethinking the general ledger using AI to accelerate financial reporting, reduce manual work, and help finance professionals focus on strategic insights.In this episode, you will discover:Why companies are replacing legacy ERPs like NetSuite and what they look for in a modern solution.What a modern general ledger looks like, and how AI can support, not replace finance teams.Why finance leaders need systems that enable real-time visibility and decision-making.How strategic accounting is becoming a core part of modern finance.John shared his insightful journey from finance leader to founder, making this episode a must-listen for anyone interested in modernizing finance through technology. His experiences in building an AI-native ERP, tackling the challenges of traditional systems, and redefining the role of finance offer valuable lessons for professionals seeking to drive efficiency, accuracy, and strategic value in their organizations.Follow John:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnglasgow/Website - https://campfire.ai/Join hosts Glenn and Paul as they unravel the complexities of AI in finance:Follow Glenn:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gbhopperiiiFollow Paul:LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/thefpandaguyFollow QFlow.AI:Website - https://bit.ly/4i1EkjgFuture Finance is sponsored by QFlow.ai, the strategic finance platform solving the toughest part of planning and analysis: B2B revenue. Align sales, marketing, and finance, speed up decision-making, and lock in accountability with QFlow.ai. Stay tuned for a deeper understanding of how AI is shaping the future of finance and what it means for businesses and individuals alike.In Today's Episode:[04:36] - Career Journey & Inspiration[06:35] - From Finance to Founder[10:12] - Day-Zero Close & Real-Time Finance[14:58] - Modern vs. Legacy Ledgers[19:48] - The Case for a New ERP Tool[23:14] - Campfire's AI in Action[28:20] - Key Differences: FP&A vs. Accounting[31:17] - How to Humanize Finance[35:08] - Wrap-Up & Takeaways

Tailor, a San Francisco- and Tokyo-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform, has raised $22 million in a Series A funding round. Investors include ANRI, JIC Venture Growth Investments (JIC VGI), New Enterprise Associates (NEA), Spiral Capital and Y Combinator. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Skippy and Doogles are back in your mentals with a triple-header of investing greatness. First up, a stablecoin thought experiment gone dark—what if Circle succeeds too much? Then, Cloudflare's CEO drops jaw-dropping data on how AI is nuking the internet's original traffic model. Finally, we break down two blog posts on venture fund returns—including Y Combinator's staggering 6,000x win with Airbnb.Plus: Amazon's long shadow over local business and why Skippy might owe central banks an apology.Join the Skippy and Doogles fan club. You can also get more details about the show at skippydoogles.com, show notes on our Substack, and send comments or questions to skippydoogles@gmail.com.

David Placek is the founder of Lexicon Branding, a company that focuses exclusively on the development of brand names for competitive advantage. Lexicon is behind iconic names such as Sonos, Microsoft's Azure, Windsurf, Vercel, Impossible Foods, BlackBerry, Intel's Pentium, Apple's PowerBook, and Swiffer. Over 40 years, David's team has named nearly 4,000 brands and companies, employing over 250 linguists and pioneering naming innovation.What you'll learn:1. The three-step process that generated names like Windsurf and Vercel2. How a name can give you the edge that no marketing budget can buy3. Why you won't “know it when you see it”4. Why Microsoft called Azure “a dumb name” before it became their billion-dollar cloud platform5. Why polarizing opinions are the strongest signal that you've found the right name6. How every letter of the alphabet creates a specific psychological vibration7. The diamond framework: a 4-step process any founder can use to find their perfect name8. Why domain names don't matter anymore in the age of AI—Brought to you by:WorkOS—Modern identity platform for B2B SaaS, free up to 1 million MAUsStripe—Helping companies of all sizes grow revenueOneSchema—Import CSV data 10x faster—Where to find David Placek:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-placek-05a82/• Website: https://www.lexiconbranding.com—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 David and Lexicon Branding(04:44) The story of Sonos(09:27) The psychology of naming(11:33) The initial resistance to Microsoft's Azure(14:35) The importance of a great brand name(18:11) The three steps of naming: create, invent, implement(28:23) Qualities of great brand name creators(31:24) How long the naming process takes(32:12) The Windsurf case study(36:10) Naming in the AI era(39:37) When to change your name(43:10) The role of linguists(45:54) The power of letters in branding(48:15) The Vercel case study(50:12) The implementation phase(52:52) Client management and market success(55:16) The diamond exercise(01:04:23) Suspending judgment(01:07:31) Polarization and boldness(01:11:01) Domain names(01:12:48) Final thoughts and lightning round—Referenced:• PowerBook: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PowerBook• Pentium: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pentium• BlackBerry: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BlackBerry• Swiffer: https://www.swiffer.com/• Impossible Burger: https://impossiblefoods.com/• Vercel: https://vercel.com/• Windsurf: https://windsurf.com/• CapCut: https://www.capcut.com/• Azure: https://azure.microsoft.com/• Sonos: https://www.sonos.com/• John MacFarlane on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-macfarlane-08a8aa20/• Harry Potter: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harry_Potter_(film_series)• The Call of the Wild: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Call_of_the_Wild• Everyone's an engineer now: Inside v0's mission to create a hundred million builders | Guillermo Rauch (founder and CEO of Vercel, creators of v0 and Next.js): https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/p/everyones-an-engineer-now-guillermo-rauch• Sound symbolism: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sound_symbolism• Anduril: https://www.anduril.com/• Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com/• 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• 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 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• Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/• Chevrolet Corvette: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_Corvette• Viagra: https://www.viagra.com/• In vino veritas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_vino_veritas• Infoseek: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Infoseek• Andy Grove: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_Grove• Churchill at War on Netflix: https://www.netflix.com/title/81609374• Yellowstone on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/Yellowstone-Season-1/dp/B07D7FBB8Z• 1883 on Prime Video: https://www.amazon.com/1883-Season-1/dp/B0B8JTS8QW• 1923 on Paramount+: https://www.paramountplus.com/shows/1923/• Taylor Sheridan on X: https://x.com/taylorSheridan• Hardy fly rods: https://www.hardyfishing.com/collections/fly-rods• T.E. Lawrence quote: https://www.goodreads.com/quotes/11340-all-men-dream-but-not-equally-those-who-dream-by• Lawrence of Arabia: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0056172/• DreamWorks: https://www.dreamworks.com/—Recommended books:• Thucydides' Melian Dialogue: Commentary, Text, and Vocabulary: https://www.amazon.com/Thucydides-Melian-Dialogue-Commentary-Vocabulary/dp/0692772367• Resilience: Hard-Won Wisdom for Living a Better Life: https://www.amazon.com/Resilience-Hard-Won-Wisdom-Living-Better/dp/054432398X/• Churchill: Walking with Destiny: https://www.amazon.com/Churchill-Walking-Destiny-Andrew-Roberts/dp/1101980990—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

Guest: Anita Koimur, Co-founder & COO of LiveFlow LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anitakoimur/ Episode Summary: Join us as we sit down with Anita Koimur, a seasoned entrepreneur and the brilliant mind behind LiveFlow. Anita shares her compelling journey from a successful career in Business Development to co-founding a groundbreaking company. We delve into her experiences, including her time at the prestigious Y Combinator, and explore the critical decisions founders face, such as relocating to be closer to their market. This episode offers invaluable insights into identifying and acquiring early customers, the dynamic evolution of a product, and the transformative power of AI in both blue-collar/service industries and the future of financial automation. Anita also sheds light on the challenges CFOs face with disparate financial documents, the complexities of M&A in the finance world, and where she sees LiveFlow positioned within the broader landscape of AI tools. Tune in for a deep dive into business growth, strategic product development, and the exciting future of financial automation. Key Discussion Points: Anita's Career Journey: Her background and the pivotal moments leading up to entrepreneurship. Transition to Founder: The inspiration behind starting a company and the skills carried over from her Business Development days. Y Combinator Experience: Key takeaways and the impact of going through the accelerator program. Geographic Imperative for Founders: The importance of location (e.g., UK to NYC) in relation to market proximity. Early Customer Acquisition: Strategies for getting first customers and building initial trust and credibility. Customer Profile Evolution: How LiveFlow identified and refined its ideal customer over time. Product Evolution: Pivotal moments and feedback that shaped LiveFlow's development since launch. AI in Blue-Collar & Service Industries: Anita's vision for AI's implementation in these sectors. CFO Challenges: Addressing the problems CFOs face with multiple financial documents from various companies. AI's Impact on Business Growth: How AI has shifted Anita's perspective on strategy and its role in future financial automation. M&A and Finance: The biggest issues in the finance world during M&A and how tools like LiveFlow can help. Future of Financial Automation: What excites Anita most and where she sees the industry heading in the next 5-10 years. LiveFlow's Future Trajectory: Whether LiveFlow is a standalone entity, part of a larger suite, or a potential consolidator. Connecting with Anita & LiveFlow: Best ways for listeners to learn more and explore the platform. Website https://www.liveflow.com/  Promo Code: SVP The views expressed on this podcast are for informational purposes only and not financial or legal advice. Consult with a professional for your specific situation. The views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of Finalis Inc. or Finalis Securities LLC, Member FINRA/SIPC.”  

Mi sistema de Contenido en Notion

Haakon Brunell is the CEO and Co-founder of Carbon Crusher, a Norwegian company turning traditional road construction on its head. Carbon Crusher refurbishes existing roads using bio-based binders and on-site recycling to create carbon-negative, cost-effective, and more durable infrastructure. In this episode, Haakon shares how their "Crushing-as-a-Service" model and SkyRoads AI platform reduce emissions, increase road longevity, and drive down costs. He explains why roads are both a climate problem and a climate opportunity—and how Carbon Crusher plans to sequester a gigaton of CO₂ by 2035.MCJ is an investor in Carbon Crusher, having participated in the company's seed round back in 2022 when it emerged from Y Combinator. Guest hosting for the first time on this episode is MCJ Partner, Thai Nguyen. Enjoy the show! In this episode, we cover: [02:23] Launching Carbon Crusher out of Y Combinator[05:22] An overview of Carbon Crusher[06:15] Roads as a climate problem and carbon sink opportunity[08:21] Emissions from traditional road refurbishment[09:41] Carbon Crusher's 3 pillars: crushing, bio-binders, and AI platform[12:52] Why roads are now stronger, cheaper, and greener[14:14] Customer mindset in a conservative industry[17:49] Origin story from winter-damaged roads in Norway[21:12] Performance in both cold and hot weather climates[22:53] Customers include cities, counties, and private road owners[26:12] SkyRoads AI helps digitize and plan road maintenance[28:45] Challenges: regulation and conservative decision-making[30:53] Vision: sequestering a gigaton of CO₂ by 2035Episode recorded on May 13, 2025 (Published on June 23, 2025) Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

Rendez-vous le 3 Juillet à 18h30 à Paris 17 pour le GDI-Live #10: Comment faire une croissance à deux chiffres avec ses clients existants ?Inscriptions: https://live.gdiy.fr/L'une des femmes les plus impressionnantes de la tech en France. Elle a séduit Mistral, Groq.ai et Laravel… sans aucun commercial.Anh-Tho vient du monde “corporate” : Orange, Millicom, McKinsey. Mais c'est chez Qonto qu'elle bascule dans l'arène startup.Elle en devient la première employée aux côtés d'Alexandre Prot, quand personne ne pariait vraiment sur eux.En 2021, elle décide de se lancer. Son idée ? Pas la plus sexy sur le papier : la facturation complexe. Un sujet que tout le monde fuit… sauf elle.Grâce à ses premières expériences, Anh-Tho découvre un besoin universel, crucial pour toutes les entreprises, mais ignoré : comment gérer des modèles de pricing complexes quand les offres varient selon l'usage, surtout avec l'explosion de l'IA.Personne n'en veut, elle s'y attaque.Elle est convaincue : la facturation, c'est la pierre angulaire de toute entreprise, “la donnée la plus pure”.Les SaaS traditionnels ne suivent plus, Anh-Tho tient une pépite.Et les investisseurs l'ont bien compris. Lago rejoint Y Combinator puis lève 22 millions de dollars en série A avec seulement 9 collaborateurs.Anh-Tho nous dévoile sa méthode assez inhabituelle pour attirer les clients via son projet open source pour ne recourir à aucun commercial. Comment convaincre talents de rejoindre l'aventure. Savoir tirer parti de la vague de l'IA et survivre à la mort du SEO.Un épisode tranchant et sans langue de bois pour celles et ceux qui veulent se lancer là où personne n'ose aller.TIMELINE:00:00:00 : “Le secret” en langage startup, personne ne s'en occupe mais tout le monde en a besoin00:18:52 : Les secteurs clefs pour le calcul dynamique du prix00:25:38 : De Kinshasa pour Millicom aux US avec Y Combinator00:37:19 : La stratégie de Lago : pas de sales mais tout sur l'open source et la documentation00:47:41 : L'IA va enterrer le SEO01:02:45 : La facturation comme pierre angulaire d'une entreprise : rendre le billing sexy01:14:07 : Les plus gros défis de Lago et les femmes dans la tech01:23:52 : La nouvelle vague des angel investors en France01:34:47 : Les pire inconvénients des US01:45:20 : La fuite, puis “le retour des cerveaux”01:54:35 : Comment utiliser l'IA pour gagner du temps01:58:30 : Les secrets de la réussite de Qonto02:04:32 : Pourquoi investir dans un coach et dans l'infodivertissementLes anciens épisodes de GDIY mentionnés : #456 - Alexandre Prot - Qonto - Bousculer l'écosystème bancaire et s'imposer en référence européenne#106 Jean de la Rochebrochard - Kima Ventures- Human machine#429 - Nicolas Dessaigne - Y Combinator - Le berceau des futurs géants de la tech#473 - VO - Brian Chesky - Airbnb - « We're just getting started »#467 - Christel Heydemann - Orange - Garder le cap pour réussir dans un marché en rupture permanente#183 - Sacha Poignonnec - Jumia - Là où il y a une volonté, il y a un chemin#418 - Clément Delangue - Hugging Face - 4,5 milliards de valo avec un produit gratuit à 99%#420 - Stanislas Niox-Chateau - Doctolib : derrière la plus grosse marque de la French tech#380 - Paul Lê -La Belle Vie - Le Son Gokû de la FoodTech qui rachète Frichti@#117 Riadh Alimi - FinFrog - Réussir l'impossible : être recommandé par les clients que tu refuses#431 - Sean Rad - Tinder - How the swipe fever took over the world#297 - Adrien Labastire - Kessel - Faire 7 années d'études supérieures, puis percer sur YouTubeNous avons parlé de :LagoQontoMistralMillicomMailjetMCP : model context protocolLaravelFinFrogOVNI CapitalTogether AIDocumentaire USCursorAcquiredThe InformationSubstackLes recommandations de lecture :La vie heureuseVous pouvez contacter Anh-Tho sur Linkedin.Vous souhaitez sponsoriser Génération Do It Yourself ou nous proposer un partenariat ?Contactez mon label Orso Media via ce formulaire.Distribué par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

In this Company episode of The Synopsis we draw on our 108-page research report on Airbnb; the company that pioneered the sharing economy and become a Silicon Valley poster child for what a succesful start-up can become.  Having started as a means to pay rent, Airbnb quickly turned into one of the world's largest accommodations provider. In a matter of just a decade, Airbnb was able to host more guests than Hilton could in 100 years. However, despite their large impact in how tens of millions of people traveled and millions more monetized  their unused properties, they struggled for years to turn a profit. That is until founder Brian Chesky decided to do something drastic and reshape the business—in the midst of Covid no less. In the matter of just a few years he took the business from losing $4bn a year to generating $3bn annually in free cash flow. With Airbnb having a firm grasp on the Alternative Accommodations segment, they are preparing to enter into new businesses and new verticals. Tune in for all of this and more!  Learn more about our 108-page report here.  For full access to all of our in-depth research reports, become a Speedwell Member here.  If you need help getting Speedwell Research to become an approved research vendor, so you can expense your subscription, please email info@speedwellresearch.com  *~*~*~* Mentioned Speedwell Memos:  Minimum Viable Products versus Maximum Possible Products Introducing the Piton Network Concept -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Show Notes (0:00) — Airbnb Intro Section 1: Business History (5:33) — From RISD to SF (19:05) — Cereal Boxes, Y Combinator (34:12) — Early Airbnb Experience, Competitors, International (43:10) — First Disaster (47:21) — Toshi Hotels, Regulation  (52:50) — Covid, Pulling the IPO (1:01:50) — IPO *~*~* Section 2: Industry and TAM (1:05:27) — Business, How do they Make Money? (1:18:13) — Experiences (1:22:31) — Margins and Cost Structure (1:25:26) — TAM Discussion (1:39:21) — Categories of Competition *~*~* Section 3: Competitors and Competitive Differentiation (1:42:16) — Booking Competition (1:52:21) — Merchant vs Agent Business Model, OTAs (2:02:17) — Booking's Alternative Accommodation Push, Booking vs Airbnb (2:12:25) — Expedia, VRBO (2:25:47) — Other Competitors (2:30:47) — Comparing all Competitors, Network Effects, Differentiation (2:45:26) — Competitive Advantages (2:54:28) — Airbnb Negatives *~*~* Section 4: Other Bets, Capital Allocation, Valuation (2:58:33) — New Services, Super App (3:13:25) — ROIC and Free Cash Flow (3:20:04) — Capital Allocation, Stock Awards (3:27:44) — Growth Drivers (3:35:42) — Valuation (3:37:11) — Risks and Conclusion -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Become a Speedwell Member here to gain access to *all* of our in-depth research reports and more!   Sign up for Speedwell's free newsletter and weekly memos here *-*-*- Follow Us: Twitter: @Speedwell_LLC Threads: @speedwell_research Email us at info@speedwellresearch.com for any questions, comments, or feedback. -*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*-*- Disclaimer Nothing in this podcast is investment advice nor should be construed as such. Contributors to the podcast may own securities discussed. Furthermore, accounts contributors advise on may also have positions in companies discussed. At the time of recording contributors had a position in Airbnb. Furthermore, accounts contributors advise on also may have  a position in Airbnb. This may change without notice. Please see our full disclaimers here:  https://speedwellresearch.com/disclaimer/

This week's guest is Taranjeet Singh, Founder and CEO of Mem0, a company building the self-improving memory layer for AI agents and LLMs.The conversation covers his path to founding Mem0, from applying to YC 7x and learning to "think bigger," to identifying a core pain point after launching a viral app in India. Taranjeet breaks down why memory is essential for agents, how Mem0 works across any LLM, and why solving one core problem deeply is a competitive advantage.He also discusses how to stay lean and ship fast by hiring high-agency contributors.Episode Chapters:Building startups since 2012 - 1:56Finding PMF in India - 3:59X growth hacks - 7:25Applying to YC - 12:25Why memory? - 15:05Primary use case - 17:21Relevant verticals for memory - 21:57Partnerships - 25:41Lean team & shipping fast - 27:44Future of agent infra - 32:28Quick fire round - 34:07As always, feel free to contact us at partnerpathpodcast@gmail.com. We would love to hear ideas for content, guests, and overall feedback.This episode is brought to you by Grata, the world's leading deal sourcing platform. Our AI-powered search, investment-grade data, and intuitive workflows give you the edge needed to find and win deals in your industry. Visit grata.com to schedule a demo today.Fresh out of Y Combinator's Summer batch, Overlap is an AI-driven app that uses LLMs to curate the best moments from podcast episodes. Imagine having a smart assistant who reads through every podcast transcript, finds the best parts or parts most relevant to your search, and strings them together to form a new curated stream of content - that is what Overlap does. Podcasts are an exponentially growing source of unique information. Make use of it! Check out Overlap 2.0 on the App Store today.

Jess Mah has packed more into 35 years than most do in a lifetime:9-figure serial founder & Y Combinator alumna personally mentored by Paul GrahamLaunched fintech rocket ship inDinero while still a CS student at UC Berkeley (after skipping two grades in high school)Commercial pilot who captains her own jetCurator of Outcove Valley, an invite-only summit for world-class leadersDJ & relentless community builderIn this raw Permission to Shine conversation, Jess pulls back the curtain on success and shares:The hidden costs of big money, big fame, and an inbox that never sleepsWhy you probably wouldn't trade lives with most ultra-wealthy people if you knew the whole storyLosing her partner, a decorated vet, to PTSD-related suicide, and how grief reframed her definition of “winning”Rituals that keep her groundedFounder tactics: hiring A-players, raising cash when markets freeze, and the underrated superpower of genuine relationshipsBig takeaway: Gratitude for the life you already have can be more liberating than any net-worth milestone.

What if you could get into Y Combinator without a full product? In this episode, Varsha Ramesh Walsh, Founder of Offstream (useoffstream.com), shares exactly how she did just that — with a little traction, screenshots, and relentless customer focus. She breaks down the precise steps she took to validate her idea, iterate fast, and win early customers, even before building a functional platform. Whether you're applying to YC or searching for product-market fit, this conversation is packed with tactical advice — from how to pitch without a product to embedding customer feedback into your culture. Perfect for early-stage founders navigating the messy zero-to-one phase.

Wes Spencer, co-founder of Empath, a training and education platform for managed service providers (MSPs), discusses a unique funding model that diverges from traditional venture capital. Instead of seeking investment from typical VCs, Empath successfully raised $2 million from industry insiders, primarily MSPs themselves. This approach fosters alignment and advocacy among investors, who are also customers, but it raises important questions about scalability and governance. The conversation delves into the implications of having investors who are directly involved in the product's development and direction.The investment structure utilized by Empath is based on Y Combinator's SAFE notes, which allow for a straightforward and fair investment process without changing control of the company. Spencer explains the importance of ensuring that investors are qualified, adhering to SEC regulations to protect non-professional investors. This structure not only simplifies the investment process but also limits the amount each investor can contribute, ensuring a diverse group of stakeholders who are genuinely invested in the company's mission.Spencer highlights the demographics of their investors, primarily consisting of CEOs from established MSPs with significant revenue. These investors are motivated by a desire to influence the vendor ecosystem positively and to have a say in the direction of the platform they use. The governance model established by Empath ensures that while these investors have a voice, they do not have control over the company's day-to-day operations, allowing for a balance between investor input and the leadership team's vision.As Empath continues to grow, Spencer acknowledges the potential need for future funding rounds, including the possibility of engaging with venture capitalists. He emphasizes the importance of maintaining transparency with investors and being responsible stewards of their contributions. The conversation concludes with Spencer expressing confidence in the company's trajectory, aiming for sustainable growth while remaining committed to the community-driven approach that defines Empath. All our Sponsors: https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ Do you want the show on your podcast app or the written versions of the stories? Subscribe to the Business of Tech: https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe/Looking for a link from the stories? The entire script of the show, with links to articles, are posted in each story on https://www.businessof.tech/ Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mspradio/ Want to be a guest on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights? Send Dave Sobel a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech Want our stuff? Cool Merch? Wear “Why Do We Care?” - Visit https://mspradio.myspreadshop.com Follow us on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079/YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradio/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.tech

The US and China trade deal looks more like a trade dud… because of China's Infinity Stones.When Heinz ketchup changes its bottle, sales pop… so it launched maple syrup ketchup jugs.Summer House star Paige DeSorbo launched a startup… because BravoTV is the new Y-Combinator.Plus, the new weekend trend for techies is Darkness Retreats… 3 days, zero light.$KHC $SPY $CMCSAWant more business storytelling from us? Check out the latest episode of our new weekly deepdive show: The untold origin story of… Subscribe to The Best Idea Yet: Wondery.fm/TheBestIdeaYetLinks to listen.TBOY Live Show Tickets to Chicago on sale NOW: https://www.axs.com/events/949346/the-best-one-yet-podcast-ticketsAbout Us: The daily pop-biz news show making today's top stories your business. Formerly known as Robinhood Snacks, TBOY Lite is hosted by Jack Crivici-Kramer & Nick Martell.GET ON THE POD: Submit a shoutout or fact: https://tboypod.com/shoutouts NEWSLETTER:https://tboypod.com/newsletter SOCIALS:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tboypod TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tboypodYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@tboypod Anything else: https://tboypod.com/ Our 2nd show… The Best Idea Yet: Wondery.fm/TheBestIdeaYetLinksEpisodes drop weekly.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Today's show: Jason and Alex dive into why Y Combinator startups are raising at sky-high valuations with relatively low ARR—what does that mean for investors and founders? VC funds are slowing down and returning to pre-ZIRP pacing, signaling a reset in the market. Plus, in this week's Office Hours, Sean Steigerwald, founder of CustomerIQ, demos his AI sales agent that lives in your inbox, drafting follow-ups using CRM context. It's a deep look at early-stage investing, startup efficiency, and where AI is headed in enterprise.Timestamps:(0:00) Episode Teaser(2:09) Jason's Singapore trip recap and SoCal update(9:51) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(11:40) New rumblings from Mistral; is the French AI startup catching a tail wind?(19:40) Fidelity Private Shares℠ - Visit ⁠https://fidelityprivateshares.com⁠! Mention our podcast and receive 20% off your first-year paid subscription.(26:23) VC investing pace is slowing... what does this mean for founders(29:42) INBOUND - Use code TWIST10 for 10% o your General Admission ticket at https://www.inbound.com/register (Valid thru 7/31)(33:33) Founders' guide to raising capital(36:31) Gen AI companies are growing FAST but are there concerns about churn?(42:46) Is YC still worth it? Debating paper gains vs. DPI as metrics.(52:18) Office Hours with Sean Steigerald from Customer IQ: managing active users and more.Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.comCheck out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.comSubscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcpLinks from episode:Customer IQ: https://www.getcustomeriq.com/Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelmFollow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanisThank you to our partners:(9:51) Squarespace - Use offer code TWIST to save 10% off your first purchase of a website or domain at https://www.Squarespace.com/TWIST(19:40) Fidelity Private Shares℠ - Visit ⁠https://fidelityprivateshares.com⁠! Mention our podcast and receive 20% off your first-year paid subscription.(29:42) INBOUND - Use code TWIST10 for 10% o your General Admission ticket at https://www.inbound.com/register (Valid thru 7/31)Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarlandCheck out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanisFollow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.comSubscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916