Podcasts about Y combinator

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

Geoff Ralston, founder of SAIF (Safe Artificial Intelligence Fund), and former President of Y Combinator, shares his vision for building a safer AI future. Geoff discusses the risks and promise of AI as a force beyond traditional tools, posing AI as a set of entities that will reshape the way we work, live, and relate to each other. He talks about biosafety, interpretability, and misinformation as key focus areas for innovation. Geoff also shares advice for founders navigating this fast-evolving landscape and reflects on how thoughtful investment today can shape the future of humanity.In this episode, you'll learn:[02:05] Why Geoff believes AI is not ‘just' a tool but a cognitive force reshaping humanity[06:29] The subtle but profound difference between tools and intelligent agents[13:56] Who wins and who loses in an AI-driven future, and what roles must investors play?[20:36] Can we still design a utopian future with AI?[24:06] The types of founders Geoff wants to back through SAIF[26:30] Why mission-aligned safety startups still need product-market fit[28:46] What happens when AI does everything—and what humans will still choose to doThe nonprofit organization Geoff is passionate about: AI Venture LabAbout Geoff RalstonGeoff Ralston is the founder of SAIF (Safe Artificial Intelligence Fund) and former President of Y Combinator. A longtime startup investor, entrepreneur, and thought leader, Geoff previously founded Imagine K12, an edtech accelerator later merged with YC. With decades of experience launching and scaling category-defining startups, Geoff now focuses on funding companies that ensure AI becomes a force for good, addressing challenges around safety, security, and the future of human work.About SAIFSAIF (Safe Artificial Intelligence Fund) is a venture capital firm dedicated to building a safer future with AI. Founded by Geoff Ralston, SAIF invests in startups focused on AI safety, biosafety, interpretability, and information integrity. The firm supports mission-driven founders creating scalable solutions to counteract risks and ensure that AI technologies empower rather than endanger society.Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.

Imagine saving as much as 75 days of work within a six-month period, all through intelligent automation.Building on last week's discussion about the critical shift from passive metrics to active productivity, host Ben Lloyd Pearson and LinearB co-founder Dan Lines now look forward to realities like this: 19% cycle time reduction and reclaiming significant engineering time. They move beyond common narratives surrounding AI to present actionable success stories and strategic approaches for engineering leaders seeking tangible results from their AI initiatives. This concluding episode tackles how to safely and effectively adopt AI across your software development lifecycle. Dan explains the necessity of programmatic rules and control, detailing how LinearB's gitStream technology empowers teams to define precisely when, where, and for whom AI operates. This ranges from AI-assisted code reviews with human oversight for critical services, to enabling senior developers to make judgment calls, and even automating merges for low-risk changes. Ben and Dan also explore the exciting future of agentic AI workflows, where AI agents could manage tasks from design and Jira story creation to coding and deployment, making developer control even more critical. Check out:The DevEx guide to AI-driven software developmentSurvey: Discover Your AI Collaboration StyleFollow the hosts:Follow BenFollow AndrewReferenced in today's show:The Pentagon launched a military-grade Y Combinator, signaling that defense tech is officially cool on college campusesJapan Post launches 'digital address' systemReddit sues Anthropic for scrapingMy AI Skeptic Friends Are All NutsSupport the show: Subscribe to our Substack Leave us a review Subscribe on YouTube Follow us on Twitter or LinkedIn Offers: Learn about Continuous Merge with gitStream Get your DORA Metrics free forever

In this episode of Path to Market, Seedcamp's Natasha Lytton and Pipeline Ventures' Micah Smurthwaite are joined by Gia Scinto, Partner at The Cole Group and one of the most seasoned go-to-market talent experts in tech. Gia has helped build out executive teams at category-defining startups like Stripe, Airbnb, Datadog, Canva, and Confluent — and previously led talent at Y Combinator and Andreessen Horowitz.Gia shares hard-earned lessons from years of recruiting top-tier GTM leaders and partnering directly with founders at every stage, from pre-seed to IPO. In this conversation, she breaks down how to hire your first sales leader, how to evaluate candidates for stage fit and values alignment, and how to avoid common hiring pitfalls that can cost startups months of momentum.From sales methodology and hiring frameworks to founder mindset and onboarding tactics, this episode is packed with tactical insights for founders, operators, and investors alike.Here's what's covered:02:34 Building the First GTM Talent Function in VC06:25 From a16z to YC: Supporting Founders Across Stages09:42 First Sales Hire vs. Later-Stage Leadership13:38 The Anatomy of a Great Recruiting Process22:26 Best Interview Questions for Sales Roles29:45 How to Pitch Senior Candidates at Early Stage33:39 What GTM Leaders Want to Hear44:35 Why Sales Hires Fail — and How to Avoid It47:36 Systems, Team Design & Ops from 0 to $10M51:42 Advice for GTM Candidates: How to Pick Your Next Role

The future of AI needs a new internet. Coinbase is laying the foundation. In this episode of The Index, host Alex Kehaya talks with Nemil Dalal, Head of Coinbase's Developer Program, about how Coinbase is building crypto-native infrastructure to power the next generation of applications, starting with autonomous AI agents.Nemil shares his background in crypto, from meeting Brian Armstrong at Y Combinator to helping scale USDC from $10 million to $1 billion in market cap. Today, he's focused on making blockchain development more accessible by reducing friction around payments, APIs, and onboarding.A key part of that effort is X402—Coinbase's implementation of the long-dormant HTTP 402 "Payment Required" status code. X402 allows AI agents and applications to autonomously pay for API access using cryptocurrency, without the need for API keys, credit cards, or manual account setup.We break down how X402 works under the hood:API requests return a 402 response when payment is requiredAgents can immediately respond with a signed crypto transaction to unlock accessJust one line of JavaScript is needed to enable itThis simple standard opens the door to a wide range of use cases—from AI agents accessing paid services to developers integrating crypto-powered paywalls with minimal overhead.If you're building in Web3, working with AI, or developing APIs, this episode offers a practical look at how Coinbase is creating tools that make decentralized development more seamless and scalable.

This week, we're chatting with Jonathan Baer, Co-Founder and CEO of Overlap. Overlap is building an AI-native video editing platform that helps podcasters and media teams turn long-form content into clips for social media. The product is designed to scale distribution with minimal manual input, making agents feel more like collaborators than tools.Jonathan shares how Overlap is harnessing video understanding models and advanced reasoning to drive autonomy in editing. We explore what makes video such a challenging medium for AI, why the best outbound strategies still rely on human nuance, and how Overlap is positioning itself as the creative assistant for the next generation of content teams.Episode Chapters:Post YC updates - 2:18What podcasters want - 6:14Where to post clips - 8:50GTM strategy - 11:03Switching between LLMs - 13:19Customer requests - 16:37Pricing - 19:40How does Overlap land customers - 23:15YC impact - 26:25Future of Overlap - 29:10Quick fire round - 31:57As 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.

As AI rapidly transforms industries across the board, game advertising — with its unique blend of creativity, large-scale data, and constantly shifting user behavior — is also evolving. Yet despite its potential, AI remains underutilized in this space. Why hasn't this intersection of technology and marketing been fully explored? Could it be the overlooked goldmine of the digital age?In this week's episode 52 of the Vietnam Innovators (English) podcast, let's sit down with Robert Huynh, Co-Founder and CEO of Reforged Labs — a startup backed by Y Combinator. Robert previously held key roles at X (Google's Moonshot Factory) and Microsoft, where he spent nearly a decade developing advanced AI technologies for autonomous vehicles, cybersecurity, and next-generation wearables. After leaving Harvard Business School to launch his own venture, he's now pioneering the world's first AI-driven platform for ad performance analysis.---Listen to this episode on YoutubeAnd explore many amazing articles about the pioneers at: https://vietcetera.com/vn/bo-suu-tap/vietnam-innovator---Feel free to leave any questions or invitations for business cooperation at hello@vietnaminnovators.com

Nathan Barry (founder of Kit, formerly ConvertKit) joins Tim Soulo to break down one of the boldest rebrands in SaaS, and why it wasn't just a logo change, but a complete overhaul of identity, voice, and vision.We talk:• Why they spent $260K with a top agency (and what they actually got)• How to design word-of-mouth marketing that actually works• Using AI to scale brand consistency• The Minimum Viable Personal Brand for founders• Building creator flywheels instead of chasing funnels• What Kit learned from celebrity newsletters (Tom Brady, Dua Lipa, McConaughey…)If you care about brand, growth, or building in public, this is the episode to watch.00:00 - Intro00:54 - Why spend $360K for a rebrand? 06:14 - Using AI to stay on brand10:28 - Acquiring a three-letter domain16:05 - Business decisions beyond immediate profit 21:26 - Turning a rebrand into a marketing flywheel26:06 - You can't script word of mouth. But you can feed it32:56 - Customers as marketing assets42:30 - Funnels vs flywheels and landing celebrity clients53:45 - Delegating like a CEO (but still showing up)1:00:32 - OutroWe hope you enjoyed this episode of Ahrefs Podcast! As always, be sure to like and subscribe (and tell a friend). Where to find Nathan:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathanbarry/X: @nathanbarryWebsite: https://kit.com/Where to find Tim:LinkedIn: (https://www.linkedin.com/in/timsoulo/)X: @timsouloWebsite: https://www.timsoulo.com/_______________Referenced in this episode:

What do Airbnb, Stripe, and DoorDash have in common? They were built with support from renowned startup accelerator, Y Combinator. And Garry Tan knows exactly what made them work. In the season finale of Building One, Tomer Cohen sits down with Garry Tan, CEO of Y Combinator, to unpack what really makes a startup succeed, and why the startup journey is more about mindset, resilience, and ruthless honesty than having the “perfect” idea. Garry shares rare insights from his dual perspective: as a former founder who went through YC himself, and now as the leader of the world's most iconic startup accelerator. He's seen the full spectrum of startup journeys and in this candid conversation, he breaks down what sets the enduring ones apart. In this episode, Tomer and Garry cover: The difference between playing startup vs building one Why co-founders matter more than ideas, and how to find the right one How to avoid the startup “valley of despair” What YC looks for in early-stage founders and teams How to chase user truth instead of optics or false signals How to know when to persevere, when to pivot, and when to walk away Whether you're a first-time founder or a serial entrepreneur, this conversation is packed with startup wisdom you won't hear anywhere else. Follow Garry Tan on LinkedIn. Follow Tomer Cohen on LinkedIn and check out his newsletter, Building LinkedIn.

"Tout le monde peut être fondateur"Vidéo disponibleJe reçois Marc Laurent, cofondateur de Kerala Ventures, et actuel cofondateur et CEO de Carbonfact : une startup qui permet d'évaluer l'empreinte carbone des produits de l'industrie textile.Ancien investisseur en startup et aujourd'hui (serial) entrepreneurial, Marc me raconte son quotidien d'entrepreneur : naviguer entre ambition, incertitude et quête de sens en transformant l'industrie de la mode.On parle du métier de CEO et le rôle de fondateur, ses débuts à 25 ans en capital-risque chez Kerala Ventures (fonds cofondé avec son ancien boss Antoine Freysz, alors qu'il n'avait que 25 ans), cette frontière floue entre fondateur et dirigeant, son passage au célèbre incubateur Y Combinator, et surtout le saut dans le vide émotionnel qui accompagne l'entrepreneuriat.On parle de confiance, d'itération, d'entourage, et de ce fameux équilibre vie pro/perso si souvent idéalisé.Il nous montre aussi comment Carbonfact va bien au-delà du greenwashing pour aider concrètement les entreprises à mesurer et réduire leur impact environnemental.Bonne écoute !

Retrouvez l'épisode en version française ici : https://www.gdiy.fr/podcast/brian-chesky-vf/Airbnb is bigger than any hotel chains around the world.80+ billion turnover in 2024—more than 2.5 billion stays since the beginning.The figures are mindblowing, it's probably the fastest growing tech platform in the tourism industry, it has changed lives all around the world, especially in France.What began as a scrappy side gig has become so much more than a company: it's a whole new way to explore the world.And yet, back in 2007, Brian Chesky's “grand vision” was born simply because he couldn't cover his San Francisco rent.The story is now legendary: a sold-out design conference, travelers crammed into town, and a friend's inflatable mattress sparking a lightbulb moment—to offer a cheaper night than any hotel. AirBed & Breakfast was born.Over the next decade and a half, those humble airbeds turned into spare bedrooms, then entire homes—until the small startup backed by Y Combinator became a global phenomenon.Today, the company that flipped lodging on its head isn't stopping at homes: with “from couch to castle” as its rallying cry, Airbnb is pivoting into services and experiences, on its way to becoming the ultimate all-in-one travel “super app.”In this unmissable episode, Brian Chesky pulls back the curtain on two decades of explosive growth—while never losing sight of his “founder mode.”You'll hear:Brian's top hacks for turning a profit on AirbnbHow Airbnb's strategic pivot layers in everything from private chefs to hair stylistsBuilding a platform people will use in unexpected waysWhy AI will upend the way we interact with every appThe two bold bets that catapulted Airbnb to global dominationWhether you're curious about the past, excited for the future of travel tech, or just want to pick the brain of a true Silicon Valley OG, this episode of GDIY is a can't-miss.TIMELINE:00:00:00 : From the original “airbeds” to the billion dollar company00:11:31 : The best tips to earn a fortune as a host on Airbnb00:19:38 : The largest demographic spectrum : from couch to castles00:28:26 : How to create a platform that enables creativity and the new “experience” feature00:43:04 : $80 billions transactions... in 2024 only00:49:49 : The right way to use Airbnb as a guest and as a host01:09:11 : The secret to maintain core values in your company01:21:08 : How to stay close to co-founders and employees01:28:41 : What will be the impact of AI on our professional and personal lives01:37:38 : The two bets/truths that made Airbnb so successfulWe referred to previous GDIY episodes : #429 - Nicolas Dessaigne - Y Combinator - Le berceau des futurs géants de la tech#461 - Sébastien Bazin - PDG du groupe Accor - Diriger un groupe coté en bourse sans ordinateur#420 - Stanislas Niox-Chateau - Doctolib : derrière la plus grosse marque de la French tech#452 - Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn, Paypal - “We are more Homo technicus than Homo sapiens”A few recent episodes in English : #452 - Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn, Paypal - “We are more Homo technicus than Homo sapiens”#437 - James Dyson - Dyson - “Failure is more exciting than success”#431 - Sean Rad - Tinder - How the swipe fever took over the worldWe spoke about :AirbnbLa MartingaleLa Martingale #209 - Le guide ultime pour louer sur Airbnb : les 15 meilleurs conseils d'un insiderBelinda Johnson (American lawyer, Chief Operating Officer at Airbnb)OCUSMark Cavendish (cyclist)Founder Mode (Paul Graham)Reading Recommendations :Walt Disney (Neal Gabler)Magellan (Stefan Zweig)You can contact Brian on Linkedin and Instagram.Interested in sponsoring Generation Do It Yourself or proposing a partnership ? Contact my label Orso Media through this form.Distribué par Audiomeans. Visitez audiomeans.fr/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

Check out the episode in its original version here : https://www.gdiy.fr/podcast/brian-chesky-vo/Airbnb est plus gros que n'importe quel groupe hôtelier dans le monde.80 milliards de dollars de transactions l'année dernière — plus de 2,5 milliards de séjours depuis sa création.Les chiffres sont époustouflants. C'est probablement la plateforme tech qui connaît la croissance la plus rapide dans le tourisme. Elle a changé des vies partout dans le monde, notamment en France.Ce qui a commencé comme une petite activité bonus est devenu bien plus qu'une simple entreprise : c'est une toute nouvelle façon d'explorer le monde.Pourtant en 2007, quand Brian Chesky imagine le concept c'est avant tout parce qu'il peine à payer le loyer de son appartement de San Francisco.L'histoire est aujourd'hui bien connue : une conférence remplissant la ville, des participants venus du monde entier, et le matelas gonflable d'un ami ont donné l'idée du siècle, proposer une nuit moins chère que dans n'importe quel hôtel.La rencontre entre l'offre et la demande est parfaite : AirBed & Breakfast naît.Au fur et à mesure ces “Air Bed” sont remplacés par des chambres puis des maisons entières et en 15 ans la petite start-up passée par Y-Combinator devient un succès mondial.La plateforme qui a changé pour toujours le monde de l'hébergement annonce un pivot vers des services et expériences, pour faire d'Airbnb une “super app” aux possibilités infinies.Dans cet épisode exceptionnel Brian nous raconte tous ses secrets pour créer un géant tout en restant fidèle au “founder mode”, son essence.Ses meilleurs conseils pour gagner de l'argent sur AirbnbLe virement stratégique d'Airbnb et les nouvelles fonctionnalités qui arrivent (des chefs cuisiniers aux coiffeurs)Construire une plateforme que les gens utiliseront de manière inattendueComment l'IA va changer le monde des appsLes deux paris de Brian qui ont fait d'Airbnb un succès planétaireLe passé, le présent et le futur du monde de l'hébergement, du marché du tourisme et des applications : un épisode must de GDIY pour comprendre le monde vu par un des mastodontes de la Silicon Valley.TIMELINE:00:00:00 : Du premier matelas gonflable à la licorne00:11:31 : Les meilleures astuces pour faire fortune en tant qu'hôte sur Airbnb00:19:38 : Le plus grand spectre d'hébergement : du canapé au château00:28:26 : Comment créer une plateforme qui favorise la créativité et la nouvelle fonction « expérience » ?00:43:04 : 80 milliards de dollars de transactions... juste en 202400:49:49 : La bonne façon d'utiliser Airbnb en tant qu'hôte et en tant qu'invité01:09:11 : Le secret pour maintenir des valeurs fortes dans une entreprise01:21:08 : Comment rester proche des cofondateurs et des employés ?01:28:41 : L'impact de l'IA sur les apps01:37:38 : Les deux paris/vérités qui ont fait le succès d'AirbnbLes anciens épisodes de GDIY mentionnés : #429 - Nicolas Dessaigne - Y Combinator - Le berceau des futurs géants de la tech#461 - Sébastien Bazin - PDG du groupe Accor - Diriger un groupe coté en bourse sans ordinateur#420 - Stanislas Niox-Chateau - Doctolib : derrière la plus grosse marque de la French tech#452 - Reid Hoffman - LinkedIn, Paypal - “We are more Homo technicus than Homo sapiens”Nous avons parlé de :AirbnbLa MartingaleLa Martingale #209 - Le guide ultime pour louer sur Airbnb : les 15 meilleurs conseils d'un insiderBelinda Johnson (avocate américaine, directrice des opérations d'Airbnb)OCUSMark Cavendish (cycliste)Founder Mode (Paul Graham)Les recommandations de lecture :Walt Disney (Neal Gabler)Magellan (Stefan Zweig)Vous pouvez contacter Brian sur Linkedin et sur Instagram.Nous tenons à remercier tout particulièrement Stan, Alex et l'ensemble des équipes d'ElevenLabs , qui ont assuré le doublage de cet épisode dans un temps record. 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.

Alexander Harmsen is a serial tech entrepreneur with a passion for AI, finance, and autonomy. He is the founder of PortfolioPilot.com, an AI-powered financial adviser platform managing over $30 billion in assets. Previously, Alexander founded and sold Iris Automation, contributed to NASA's Mars helicopter project, and completed the prestigious Y Combinator accelerator. With over $30 million raised in venture capital and a Forbes 30 Under 30 recognition, Alexander's journey is a masterclass in innovation, resilience, and adapting to new opportunities. On this episode we talk about: – Alexander's first entrepreneurial hustle as a newspaper delivery boy and the lessons learned about persistence and customer service – The journey from working at cutting-edge startups and NASA to founding Iris Automation – The regulatory and technical challenges of launching a deep-tech company in the drone industry – The importance of flexibility and pivoting in entrepreneurship, with real-world examples from Iris Automation and Portfolio Pilot – How AI is transforming personal finance and why Alexander believes everyone will soon have a network of AI “coaches” Top 3 Takeaways 1. Persistence and relentless follow-up open doors—whether it's landing your first job or closing your first contract. 2. Success in entrepreneurship often comes from being willing to pivot, adapt, and even start from scratch when the market demands it. 3. The future of expert advice is personalized AI “coaches” that optimize every aspect of your life, from fitness to finance. Notable Quotes – "The only way to be successful is to just not die... your startup only stops once you give up on the idea." – "Sometimes the packaging is all the difference—what people really want solved might not be what you set out to solve." – "You need to be willing to pivot and react and change... that's the main key to success." Connect with Alexander Harmsen: – LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderharmsen – Website: PortfolioPilot.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Send us a textIn this episode of the Life Science Success Podcast my guest is Elizabeth Chabe, the founder of High Touch Group (HTG) and an expert in science marketing with a distinguished background spanning research universities, national labs, and technology transfer offices. Elizabeth brings a wealth of experience in guiding researchers through technology commercialization and providing data-driven marketing strategies for life sciences and diagnostics companies, and is also the author of "The Giant's Ladder: The Science Professional's Blueprint for Marketing Success."00:00 Introduction to Life Science Success Podcast00:29 Meet Elizabeth Chabe: Entrepreneurial Journey01:12 Early Business Ventures and Education03:59 Transition to Life Sciences and Marketing06:41 Challenges and Insights from Academia11:39 Founding High Touch Group14:55 High Touch Group Services and Success Metrics19:34 The Giants Ladder: A Book for Founders23:10 Commercializing Innovations: Strategies and Pitfalls23:56 Challenges in Creating Market Demand25:26 Common Pitfalls in Product Development25:56 Importance of Audience Research27:05 Y Combinator's Critique on Entrepreneurial Approaches27:47 The Role of Multi-Skilled Teams in Marketing29:55 Successful Marketing Campaigns34:32 Innovative Trends in Life Sciences Marketing38:00 Leadership Advice and Team Collaboration42:54 Concerns About Federal Funding Cuts46:33 Excitement for Future Diagnostic Products

In this episode of Medsider Radio, we sat down with Shreya Mehta, co-founder and CEO of Zenflow.Zenflow is a medical device company focused on treating benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). A biomedical engineer, Shreya brings over 15 years of experience in medtech, including serving as a lead reviewer at the FDA, where she specialized in cardiovascular devices. Shreya co-founded Zenflow in 2014 out of the Stanford Biodesign Innovation Fellowship. The company was one of the first medical device startups backed by Y Combinator and also received early support from StartX and the UCSF Rosenman Institute at QB3.Shreya's experience at Zenflow reveals strategies for grounding innovation in patient needs, building productive FDA relationships, and leveraging accelerator programs to transform academic concepts into viable businesses.Before we dive into the discussion, I wanted to mention a few things:First, if you're into learning from medical device and health technology founders and CEOs, and want to know when new interviews are live, head over to Medsider.com and sign up for our free newsletter.Second, if you want to peek behind the curtain of the world's most successful startups, you should consider a Medsider premium membership. You'll learn the strategies and tactics that founders and CEOs use to build and grow companies like Silk Road Medical, AliveCor, Shockwave Medical, and hundreds more!We recently introduced some fantastic additions exclusively for Medsider premium members, including playbooks, which are curated collections of our top Medsider interviews on key topics like capital fundraising and risk mitigation, and 3 packages that will help you make use of our database of 750+ life science investors more efficiently for your fundraise and help you discover your next medical device or health technology investor!In addition to the entire back catalog of Medsider interviews over the past decade, premium members also get a copy of every volume of Medsider Mentors at no additional cost, including the latest Medsider Mentors Volume VII. If you're interested, go to medsider.com/subscribe to learn more.Lastly, if you'd rather read than listen, here's a link to the full interview with Shreya Mehta.

✈️ ¿Cómo pasó Edrizio De La Cruz de ser mecánico de aviones a emprendedor exitoso en EE.UU.?En este episodio exploramos la historia de Edrizio, su paso por *Y Combinator*, la adquisición por *Mastercard*, y cómo hoy lidera un proyecto en criptomonedas. Hablamos sobre migración, motivación, cultura financiera, y el impacto del emprendimiento latino.

Timestamps:8:35 - Why enter a crowded market?15:24 - Language learning in AI28:02 - When Univerbal got into YC37:30 - How to get into YC41:00 - Getting 50K+ people to test your prototypeDISCLAIMER: This episode was recorded several months ago, and since then Philipp has left his role at Univerbal. We nonetheless thought the episode was still worth sharing, as it is a great startup story about building an AI language tutor and making it to YC. We hope you enjoy the content!Get started with Bitcoin by downloading the Relai app today. Click here to profit from 10% less fees by entering code SWISSPRENEUR at checkout.(Relai services are exclusively recommended for Swiss and Italian residents.)This episode was sponsored by infinity.swiss, Switzerland's most advanced AI accounting tool. Save 25% by entering code SWISSPRENEUR at checkout.About Philipp Hadjimina:Philipp Hadjimina is the co-founder and former CEO of Univerbal, an AI tutor for language learning and conversation. He holds a MSc in Management, Technology, and Economics from ETH, which he completed in 2022, after which he co-founded Univerbal (then named Quazel).Univerbal empowers language learners to practice new languages by talking with an AI Agent about anything they want in a completely unscripted way. Their product allows specific analysis of the individual learning stage, and can thereby offer tailored feedback and customized suggestions for improvement. Univerbal aims to position itself between traditional language learning apps like Duolingo and Babbel and online tutoring services like Preply and iTalki — retaining the personalized experience of tutoring, but making it as affordable and accessible as a traditional language learning app.Univerbal has raised a total of $2M in funding over 2 rounds, and got into Y Combinator in 2022 (their launch year).The cover portrait was edited by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.smartportrait.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.‍Don't forget to give us a follow on⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠,⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Linkedin⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, so you can always stay up to date with our latest initiatives. That way, there's no excuse for missing out on live shows, weekly giveaways or founders' dinners.

Nathan Tanner is an executive coach who helps CEOs, founders, and high-impact leaders scale themselves and their companies. He's coached leaders from companies including Electronic Arts, EA, LinkedIn, Lyft, and Google. Prior to becoming a full-time coach, he held several HR executive roles, including leading the HR team at DoorDash.Nathan has served as an advisor at Y Combinator and has written for Forbes, Inc., and Fast Company. He's an IRONMAN triathlete, holds an MBA from BYU, and lives with his wife and their four children in southern Utah.In today's episode of Smashing the Plateau, you will learn how to navigate career transitions and build meaningful relationships that enhance your leadership journey.Nathan and I discuss:The unexpected path of Nathan's career journey [01:48]Insights on pursuing a career in finance and HR [03:27]The importance of finding your passion [05:24]How to identify the right business model for your skills [08:00]The distinction between the external and internal aspects of leadership [10:14]Why trust is essential in coaching relationships [12:46]Techniques for building connections with decision-makers [15:07]The role of community in personal and professional growth [18:48]Learn more about Nathan at https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CVJWJR3H?ref_=pe_93986420_775043100 and https://nathantanner.substack.com/Thank you to our sponsor:The Smashing the Plateau CommunityJoin us now for exclusive entry to carefully selected, brief strategy tips from our podcast– mastering your journey to success is only one click away!

Excited is overused This week, we recap Microsoft Build, Google I/O, and Java turning 30. Plus, more Vegemite talk and a discussion on whether tech presenters really need to tell us they're “excited.” Watch the YouTube Live Recording of Episode (https://www.youtube.com/live/4ar2nzlx3gw?si=pee9R6HbHN06etA2) 520 (https://www.youtube.com/live/4ar2nzlx3gw?si=pee9R6HbHN06etA2) Runner-up Titles We all need choices Vegans are against everything The problem is you shouldn't be watching keynotes You're giving the black box too much responsibility What are you going to do? Some more stuff they announced that I don't want They're excited about that Hopefully people are excited about that I'm happy for you I want to like it Nerd famous Can you just fix calendaring? It's too much I'm not going back to Java Rundown Will Matt try marmalade with his Vegemite for the full PBJ analogue. (https://bsky.app/profile/thescarletmanuka.bsky.social/post/3lpdioobdek27) MSFT Build Microsoft Build 2025: news and announcements from the developer conference (https://www.theverge.com/news/669382/microsoft-build-2025-news-ai-agents) Microsoft announces over 50 AI tools to build the ‘agentic web' at Build 2025 (https://venturebeat.com/ai/microsoft-announces-over-50-ai-tools-to-build-the-agentic-web-at-build-2025/) Findings from Microsoft's 3-week study on Copilot use (https://newsletter.getdx.com/p/microsoft-3-week-study-on-copilot-impact) Microsoft open sources Windows Subsystem for Linux (https://www.theregister.com/2025/05/19/microsoft_wsl_open_source/) Google I/O Everything announced at the Google I/O 2025 keynote (https://www.engadget.com/ai/everything-announced-at-the-google-io-2025-keynote-171514495.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly9uZXdzLmdvb2dsZS5jb20v&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAIewjPeuiVydyPgPtFxJyD7lYSE7rAY-BFM7JxN5AHvJvH_NrHmCURfrSuBK4HmB700OTDoGERdfPyB77mCb8_225GPcoppCXG4dl_bgGOA9j4E5Fprl_nUD__-69yEG5-W7vmXISAdJC2kBU3MSZErnX1TuyR1_gKfb5Hx_OdRs) Android XR is getting stylish partners in Warby Parker and Gentle Monster (https://www.theverge.com/google-io/670013/android-xr-warby-parker-gentle-monster-smart-glassesi-io-2025) Jules - An Asynchronous Coding Agent (https://jules.google/) Google Embraces MCP (https://thenewstack.io/google-embraces-mcp/?link_source=ta_bluesky_link&taid=682cf46509703200019ca4f3&utm_campaign=trueanthem&utm_medium=social&utm_source=bluesky) iOS 19 Will Let Developers Use Apple's AI Models in Their Apps (https://www.macrumors.com/2025/05/20/ios-19-apple-ai-models-developers/) NEW Claude MCP AI Super Agents (https://x.com/juliangoldieseo/status/1924148362653348232?s=46&t=zgzybiDdIcGuQ_7WuoOX0A) AWS Launches Its Take on an Open Source AI Agents SDK (https://thenewstack.io/aws-launches-its-take-on-an-open-source-ai-agents-sdk/) Java at 30: The Genius Behind the Code That Changed Tech (https://thenewstack.io/java-at-30-the-genius-behind-the-code-that-changed-tech/) Relevant to your Interests If AI is so good at coding … where are the open source contributions? (https://pivot-to-ai.com/2025/05/13/if-ai-is-so-good-at-coding-where-are-the-open-source-contributions/) Y Combinator says Google is a ‘monopolist' that has ‘stunted' the startup ecosystem (https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/13/y-combinator-says-google-is-a-monopolist-that-has-stunted-the-startup-ecosystem) Coinbase says customers' personal information stolen in data breach (https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/15/coinbase-says-customers-personal-information-stolen-in-data-breach/) DataBricks interview about Neon (https://www.axios.com/newsletters/axios-pro-rata-a6f0b4f0-fe7f-412f-bf4b-5978de02d604.html?chunk=1&utm_term=emshare#story1) OpenAI launches Codex, an AI coding agent, in ChatGPT (https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/16/openai-launches-codex-an-ai-coding-agent-in-chatgpt/) CarPlay Ultra, the next generation of CarPlay, begins rolling out today (https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/05/carplay-ultra-the-next-generation-of-carplay-begins-rolling-out-today/) Meta argues enshittification isn't real in bid to toss FTC monopoly case (https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/05/meta-says-no-proof-of-monopoly-power-wants-ftc-case-dismissed-mid-trial/) When Open Source Isn't: How OpenRewrite Lost Its Way (https://medium.com/@jonathan.leitschuh/when-open-source-isnt-how-openrewrite-lost-its-way-642053be287d) Wiz 2.0? Cyera's meteoric $6B valuation is turning heads across the cyber world | CTech (https://www.calcalistech.com/ctechnews/article/shavjm2g2) Steve Langasek, One of Ubuntu Linux's Leading Lights, Has Died (https://thenewstack.io/steve-langasek-one-of-ubuntu-linuxs-leading-lights-has-died/) Python: The Documentary [OFFICIAL TRAILER] (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pqBqdNIPrbo) Spain Orders Airbnb to Take Down 66,000 Rental Listings (https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/19/business/airbnb-listings-spain.html) Detecting malicious Unicode (https://daniel.haxx.se/blog/2025/05/16/detecting-malicious-unicode/) Former Apple Design Guru Jony Ive to Take Expansive Role at OpenAI (https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/former-apple-design-guru-jony-ive-to-take-expansive-role-at-openai-5787f7da) Apple's Worldwide Developers Conference kicks off June 9 (https://www.apple.com/newsroom/2025/05/apples-worldwide-developers-conference-kicks-off-june-9/) Valkey Turns One: How the Community Fork Left Redis in the Dust - Momento (https://www.gomomento.com/blog/valkey-turns-one-how-the-community-fork-left-redis-in-the-dust/?ck_subscriber_id=512834888&utm_source=convertkit&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=[Last%20Week%20in%20AWS]:%20Transform%20Away,%20as%20AWS%20Reverses%20Course%20-%2017665354) Nonsense Max (@StreamOnMax) on X (https://x.com/StreamOnMax/status/1922781490473034153) Uber to introduce fixed-route shuttles in major US cities designed for commuters (https://techcrunch.com/2025/05/14/uber-to-introduce-fixed-route-shuttles-in-major-us-cities-other-ways-to-save/) Conferences POST/CON 25 (https://postcon.postman.com/2025/), June 3-4, Los Angeles, CA, Brandon representing SDT. Register here for free pass (https://fnf.dev/43irTu1) using code BRANDON (https://fnf.dev/43irTu1) (limited to first 20 People) Contract-Driven Development: Unite Your Teams and Accelerate Delivery (https://postcon.postman.com/2025/session/3022520/contract-driven-development-unite-your-teams-and-accelerate-delivery%20%20%20%20%20%208:33) by Chris Chandler SREDay Cologne, June 12th, 2025 (https://sreday.com/2025-cologne-q2/#tickets) - Coté speaking, discount: CLG10, 10% off. SDT News & Community Join our Slack community (https://softwaredefinedtalk.slack.com/join/shared_invite/zt-1hn55iv5d-UTfN7mVX1D9D5ExRt3ZJYQ#/shared-invite/email) Email the show: questions@softwaredefinedtalk.com (mailto:questions@softwaredefinedtalk.com) Free stickers: Email your address to stickers@softwaredefinedtalk.com (mailto:stickers@softwaredefinedtalk.com) Follow us on social media: Twitter (https://twitter.com/softwaredeftalk), Threads (https://www.threads.net/@softwaredefinedtalk), Mastodon (https://hachyderm.io/@softwaredefinedtalk), LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/software-defined-talk/), BlueSky (https://bsky.app/profile/softwaredefinedtalk.com) Watch us on: Twitch (https://www.twitch.tv/sdtpodcast), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCi3OJPV6h9tp-hbsGBLGsDQ/featured), Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/softwaredefinedtalk/), TikTok (https://www.tiktok.com/@softwaredefinedtalk) Book offer: Use code SDT for $20 off "Digital WTF" by Coté (https://leanpub.com/digitalwtf/c/sdt) Sponsor the show (https://www.softwaredefinedtalk.com/ads): ads@softwaredefinedtalk.com (mailto:ads@softwaredefinedtalk.com) Recommendations Brandon: MurderBot (https://www.google.com/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwi286yM0KiNAxUELNQBHStVDhgYABABGgJvYQ&co=1&gclid=Cj0KCQjwxJvBBhDuARIsAGUgNfjytNAoEF2oBZYZixtUoB15h1o0UU1SJRQp-A-GFE_i0FGLHOE5wY8aAoFzEALw_wcB&cce=1&sig=AOD64_3mm-tO-giOK7S1lj45fNCC7pw-6w&q&adurl&ved=2ahUKEwiFq6eM0KiNAxXI4ckDHc0cBAMQ0Qx6BAg9EAE)

This week, we are chatting with Daniel Mason, Co-Founder and CEO of Anon. Anon is an integration platform that aims to become the go-to infrastructure layer for the AI-powered internet.Daniel shares his journey from joining a startup straight out of college to building Anon, highlighting why distribution is often the biggest unlock when building a company. We dive into the evolving and often contradictory landscape of digital identity, how authentication is now split between defensive and offensive strategies, and why the user experience layer is critical for agent-native workflows.We also explore the tradeoffs between building internal tooling versus using existing systems, and why today's most successful AI use cases might be limited in number but are incredibly deep. Daniel reflects on how relevant past infrastructure is in a world increasingly shaped by agentsEpisode Chapters:Journey to entrepreneurship - 2:00Starting Spring Labs - 5:03Building in a post AI world - 7:27Auth for agents - 10:50Adding integrations - 14:51Controlling how agents work - 18:28Learning from the market - 21:35Deterministic workflows - 25:01How to price - 27:32Perplexity v. Google - 31:42Quick fire round - 32:20As 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.

Given the Big news today about the partnership between Sam and Johnny Ive we thought we would share this recent episode. In this episode of the Moonshots Podcast, hosts Mike and Mark dive deep into the world of artificial intelligence, focusing on Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI. The discussion features insights from various interviews and talks, including Bill Gates' interview with Sam Altman on the transformative power of ChatGPT and Sam's conversations with Lex Friedman and Craig Cannon. Listeners will also explore key lessons from Sam's time at Y Combinator, providing valuable guidance for aspiring entrepreneurs.Become a member to support the Moonshots Podcast and access exclusive content: Join us on Patreon.Episode Description:In this compelling episode, Mike and Mark explore the groundbreaking work of Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and his vision for artificial intelligence. The episode features highlights from Bill Gates' interview with Sam Altman on the power of ChatGPT, revealing the potential and impact of this AI application. They also delve into Sam's discussion with Lex Friedman about AGI and the importance of staying true to one's values amidst competition, particularly with tech giants like Google. Additionally, the hosts share three essential lessons from Sam's Y Combinator classes on how to start a successful startup. The episode concludes with insights from Sam's talk with Craig Cannon on the importance of focus and the pitfalls of the deferred life plan. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in AI, entrepreneurship, and the future of technology.Become a member to support the Moonshots Podcast and access exclusive content: Join us on PatreonLinks:Podcast EpisodeArticle on Sam Altman, OpenAI's Spectacular CEOYouTube: Sam Altman Talks OpenAI and AGIExpanded Key Concepts and Insights:The Power of ChatGPT: Explore how ChatGPT is revolutionizing the AI landscape, as discussed in Bill Gates' interview with Sam Altman.Navigating AGI and Competition: Understand the challenges and strategies of competing in the AI industry, especially against giants like Google, as Sam's conversation with Lex Friedman shared.Starting a Startup: Learn three critical lessons for aspiring entrepreneurs from Sam Altman's Y Combinator teachings.Focus and Ambition: Gain insights on the importance of focus and structuring ambitions effectively, avoiding the pitfalls of the deferred life plan, as discussed in Sam's talk with Craig Cannon.About Sam Altman:Sam Altman is the CEO of OpenAI, a leading artificial intelligence research lab. Before joining OpenAI, Sam was the president of Y Combinator, where he played a pivotal role in nurturing numerous successful startups. His work at OpenAI focuses on advancing artificial intelligence to benefit humanity, ensuring that AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) aligns with human values.About Moonshots Podcast:The Moonshots Podcast, hosted by Mike and Mark, delves into the minds of innovators and visionaries who are making significant strides in various fields. Each episode offers deep insights into the strategies, mindsets, and tools these trailblazers use to achieve extraordinary success. The podcast aims to inspire and equip listeners with actionable insights to pursue their moonshot ideas. Thanks to our monthly supporters Emily Rose Banks Malcolm Magee Natalie Triman Kaur Ryan N. Marco-Ken Möller Mohammad Lars Bjørge Edward Rehfeldt III 孤鸿 月影 Fabian Jasper Verkaart Andy Pilara ola Austin Hammatt Zachary Phillips Mike Leigh Cooper Gayla Schiff Laura KE Krzysztof Roar Nikolay Ytre-Eide Stef Roger von Holdt Jette Haswell venkata reddy Ingram Casey Ola rahul grover Evert van de Plassche Ravi Govender Craig Lindsay Steve Woollard Lasse Brurok Deborah Spahr Barbara Samoela Jo Hatchard Kalman Cseh Berg De Bleecker Paul Acquaah MrBonjour Sid Liza Goetz Konnor Ah kuoi Marjan Modara Dietmar Baur Bob Nolley ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★

Notion te regala 3 meses del plan Business + IA ilimitada

Việc điều hành một startup vô cùng khó khăn; khoảng một nửa số công ty được Y Combinator tài trợ được kỳ vọng sẽ thành công, có nghĩa là một nửa sẽ thất bại. Thành công thường đến từ việc "chỉ cần tránh chết"— sống sót cho đến khi đạt được thành công tài chính. Nguyên nhân chính dẫn đến cái chết của startup thường là hết tiền hoặc nhà sáng lập quan trọng bỏ cuộc, nhưng nguyên nhân sâu xa hơn thường là sự nản chí. Để đối phó, hãy duy trì liên lạc thường xuyên, liên tục lặp lại sản phẩm, tạo ra thứ mà ít nhất một số người thực sự yêu thích, và quan trọng nhất là tránh làm những việc khác gây xao nhãng. Hãy nhớ rằng cảm giác tồi tệ và cảm thấy những gì đang làm không hiệu quả là bình thường; những điều tồi tệ chắc chắn sẽ xảy ra, nhưng đừng nản chí và đừng bỏ cuộc. Khi tranh luận, đặc biệt là trực tuyến, hãy sử dụng Hệ thống phân cấp bất đồng quan điểm (Disagreement Hierarchy), cố gắng tránh lăng mạ (DH0) và công kích cá nhân (DH1), hướng đến các cấp độ cao hơn như phản biện (DH4) và bác bỏ (DH5, DH6) bằng lý lẽ, bằng chứng, và tập trung vào điểm chính. Điều này không chỉ làm cuộc trò chuyện tốt hơn mà còn khiến những người tham gia hạnh phúc hơn vì sự cay nghiệt tập trung ở các cấp độ thấp hơn. Quá trình học hỏi liên quan đến việc huấn luyện "mô hình thế giới" trong tâm trí bạn; ngay cả khi quên chi tiết, tác động vẫn còn lại, cho thấy việc đọc lại những cuốn sách quan trọng là rất đáng giá.Về tư duy và triết học, triết học truyền thống được xem là gặp vấn đề do sự mờ nhạt của các khái niệm hàng ngày, khiến nhiều tranh luận bị chi phối bởi sự nhầm lẫn về từ ngữ. Quan điểm cho rằng Aristotle đã sai lầm khi coi tri thức lý thuyết vô dụng là cao quý. Thay vì tìm kiếm "những sự thật chung nhất" mà không màng đến tính hữu dụng, cách tiếp cận tốt hơn là tìm kiếm "trong số những điều hữu ích mà chúng ta có thể nói, điều nào là chung nhất?", nhằm tạo ra những quan sát chung khiến người đọc hành động khác đi. Triết học được xem là một lĩnh vực rất trẻ, vẫn đang vật lộn với sự không chính xác của từ ngữ. Tư duy độc lập (vừa đúng vừa mới lạ) rất quan trọng trong một số lĩnh vực. Mặc dù có thể thiên về bẩm sinh, nó có thể được tăng cường hoặc không bị kìm hãm bằng cách giao lưu với những người có tư duy độc lập, nuôi dưỡng thái độ hoài nghi ("Điều đó có thật không?"), và quan sát các "thời trang trí tuệ" để tìm kiếm những ý tưởng chưa được khám phá. Tư duy độc lập có ba thành phần: sự kỹ lưỡng về sự thật, sự chống lại việc bị bảo phải nghĩ gì, và sự tò mò. Sự tò mò là nguồn gốc của những ý tưởng mới lạ và có thể được trau dồi bằng cách "chiều chuộng nó".Chàng-Ngốc-Già mong muốn xây dựng cùng mọi người một cộng đồng, một school:https://prime.changngocgia.com/feedTham vấn 1:1https://shorturl.at/E8lWC To hear more, visit changngocgia.substack.com

This episode is sponsored in part by Dalia—Talent teams are sitting on a powerful asset: candidate and lead data in their CRM. But knowing how—and when—to convert those leads into applicants and hires? That's the hard part. That's why Dalia is offering a free CRM Audit to help you unlock more value from the systems you've already invested in.…. Go to dalia.co/rectechcrm to get your free CRM audit today 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 SAN FRANCISCO — Findem, the only AI talent acquisition and management solution powered by unique 3D data, has launched the next generation of its Talent CRM with new features that help recruiters keep top candidates warm and move faster when hiring needs ramp up https://hrtechfeed.com/findem-introduces-next-gen-talent-crm/ AUSTIN, Texas —- Flo Recruit, an ATS  for legal talent recruitng, announced that it has closed a Series A round led by LiveOak Ventures and Moneta Ventures with participation from The LegalTech Fund, Y Combinator, and otherd. Flo Recruit intends to use the funds to expand its career services solutions for law schools and talent solutions for law firm entry-level, lateral associate, and partner hiring. https://hrtechfeed.com/flo-recruit-announces-series-a-funding-to-expand-legal-recruiting-ecosystem/ UTAH — Awardco announced today a $165 million Series B round of funding with a valuation that eclipses $1 billion, further solidifying its leadership and innovation in the employee rewards and recognition space. https://hrtechfeed.com/employee-rewards-and-recognition-platform-lands-165-million/ Los Angeles, CA – Criteria Corp, a leader in talent solutions, today announced the launch of Interview Intelligence (IIQ), a suite of AI-powered interview features that elevate Criteria's Structured Interviewing platform. This groundbreaking advancement marks a major leap forward in hiring efficiency, predictive power, and scientific rigor.  https://hrtechfeed.com/criteria-corp-launches-ai-powered-interview-scoring/ Cangrade today announced the launch of Jules interview practice tool, designed to help jobseekers refine their interview skills through personalized, on-demand mock interview sessions. Building on the success of Jules for self-discovery, this new capability simulates real interview scenarios by analyzing a user's job description and resume to generate tailored behavioral and soft skill questions dynamically. https://hrtechfeed.com/cangrade-lanuches-interview-practice-tool-for-candidates/  

A Senior PGA golfer wanted to be kept abreast of all the new discoveries being made in sports psychology. So, he asked Dr Bob Rotella, a world-renowned sports psychologist, to bring him up to speed with the latest developments. Dr Rotella guided Rory McIlroy towards his recent Grand Slam Masters victory. Here is Bob's response: "I had to tell him that most of what passes for discovery in sports psychology really isn't new. There is just the same old wisdom, repeated over and over again, repackaged in new terminology." Taken from his wonderful book 'Golf Is Not a Game of Perfect', not only an excellent book for golfers who wish to improve, but in my mind a guide to how to live your life Pitch for Investment: The same applies to Pitching and the templates offered up as state-of-the-art (that expression is now out of date) by the likes of Sequoid Capital, Kawasaki's 10/20/30 formula, and then there are also Y Combinator, Techstars and many others. All using their own words to describe more or less the same questions that need answering if you wish to win funding. I strongly agree with all of the advice provided by these esteemed organisations. You must address each of these headings: The Problem, Solution, Market Size, Route-to-Market, Traction, Competition, Team and most importantly the ASK However, when coaching my clients, I use storytelling/visual words and place great emphasis on the order in which they present each of these topics. There is no right or wrong order to tell your story. How you answer the questions an investor needs to know will change as your business ideas evolve. Sometimes the focus should be on the team, other times it's the product, and when Sales are generated, it's the key to unlocking investment. However, I believe you must start with the PROBLEM Story. A Pitch should be a story that people will remember and be capable of retelling to others. If they are engaged enough and capable of retelling your story, you are on the road to success. The best pitches are always stories delivered conversationally. I tell my clients to - Stop Selling, Pitching, Lecturing and Sermonising. These styles of presenting no longer engage. Converse with people, and they will listen and engage: Investors hear thousands of pitches, and most are not memorable or investable. A good pitch coach will help you tell your story so that people understand, see the opportunity and want to engage further - the first step on the road to winning funding. My Goal: I want the people I work with to wake up every morning excited, because every day is another opportunity to chase their dreams. By Executive Coach Andrew Keogh of Aristo.ie More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

What if you could eliminate the vast majority of your people problems, before they even start? In this episode of World's Greatest Boss, I sit down with Kristian Ranta, CEO and co-founder of Meru Health, a Y Combinator-backed mental health startup, to explore how defining company values from day one helped him build a thriving team culture that actually works.Kristian shares the hard earned lessons from his previous startup, where people problems ran rampant, and how that experience led him to start Meru Health with a deep focus on values, team traits, and mission alignment. We dig into the tangible ways his team lives those values today from hiring and firing to decision-making and leadership style.This episode is packed with real-life advice for founders and leaders who want to build a values-driven culture, reduce team drama, and focus more time on building the business.What you'll hear in this episode:[1:15] Kristian's journey from founder trauma to intentional culture[4:20] How Meru Health built a values-driven business from the start[7:15] Why Kristian cold-emails experts before hiring[9:00] Their structured hiring process (including a paid take-home assignment)[12:30] How to create a culture of accountability with low hierarchy[14:15] Nordic vs U.S. workplace dynamics[18:00] Bringing values to life in hiring, firing, and daily decisions[21:00] The founder's biggest hiring regret—and what he changed[23:00] What actually happens in a core values workshop[25:00] The surprising origin of “compassion” as a company value[27:10] How Meru Health provides virtual mental healthcare across the U.S.Resources & Links:Learn more about Meru Health or check if you're covered at: https://meru.us/podcastConnect with Jackie on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jackiemkochExplore more resources and hiring tips at: peopleprinciples.co

Y Combinator startup Firecrawl is back on the hunt for AI agent employees, after a previous attempt to hire one didn't go as planned. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this powerful episode, Stephanie Mitton sits down with Suzanne Grant, Executive Director of the Capital Angel Network and a trailblazer in Canada's startup ecosystem. Suzanne shares her extraordinary career journey—from military leadership to entrepreneurship across 17 countries, including launching a women's empowerment movement in Qatar and raising over $30 million in deals. She opens up about being underestimated, navigating bias, and the mantra that drives her: “The future is human.” If you're seeking inspiration to take bold steps, lead with purpose, and redefine what's possible—this episode is for you.Bio:Suzanne Grant, CDExecutive DirectorCapital Angel Network (CAN)National Capital Region Leading Capital Angel Network was a natural fit for Suzanne following 15 years as a CEO in a tech non-profit, medical - technology startup and a bootstrapped strategic comms agency.She's supported more than $34M in Canadian startups since 2021.The role supports Suzanne's mission to open and equitable access to capital and network, and in 2023 she designed CANLABs - a program for startup accelerator grads and boot strapped founders to sharpen their early stage investment strategy. Over 100 founders and mentors have collaborated - founders closing rounds and getting accepted into Y Combinator - the top global accelerator.Suzanne is a dealmaker. She grew her Qatar strategic communications agency to $3M annual revenue and raised $5M in funding for iBIONICs, a Canadian / Australian med tech company developing a brian machine interface. She has coached hundreds of founders supporting their path to market and investment. Suzanne also serves on the Foresight Strategic Investment Committee and the Membership Committee at Venture Labs.Suzanne's early career began as an engineering officer in the Canadian Airforce and Army. She strongly advocates for peace, opportunity and equity. Our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/womendontdothatRecommend guests: https://www.womendontdothat.com/Our Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/womendontdothatRecommend guests: https://www.womendontdothat.com/How to find WOMENdontDOthat:Patreonhttps://www.patreon.com/womendontdothatInstagram - http://www.instagram.com/womendontdothat/TikTok- http://www.tiktok.com/@womendontdothatBlog- https://www.womendontdothat.com/blogPodcast- https://www.womendontdothat.com/podcastNewsletter- https://www.beaconnorthstrategies.com/contactwww.womendontdothat.comYouTube - http://www.youtube.com/@WOMENdontDOthatHow to find Stephanie Mitton:Twitter/X- https://twitter.com/StephanieMittonLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephaniemitton/beaconnorthstrategies.comTikTok- https://www.tiktok.com/@stephmittonInstagram- https://www.instagram.com/stephaniemitton/Interested in sponsorship? Contact us at hello@womendontdothat.comOur Latest Blog: https://www.womendontdothat.com/post/my-advice-to-moms-on-mother-s-day

En este episodio de Indie vs Unicornio, Lucas y Cristóbal analizan la posibilidad de que surja la primera empresa valuada en mil millones de dólares gestionada por un solo founder y sin empleados. Este concepto, que hasta hace pocos años parecía imposible, ahora parece más cercano gracias al avance de las compañías basadas en inteligencia artificial. A partir de esto, exploran cómo algunos founders están escalando sus empresas de manera minimalista, usando tecnología para maximizar ganancias sin aumentar el equipo .Además, discuten el enfrentamiento entre Y Combinator y Google, donde YC acusa a Google de prácticas monopolísticas que han congelado la innovación en sectores clave como la búsqueda web y la inteligencia artificial. Lucas comparte detalles sobre cómo YC sugiere abrir el índice de búsqueda de Google para fomentar la competencia, y cómo estas acciones podrían cambiar el panorama para startups emergentes en AI ..0:00 – Introducción y contexto del episodio5:15 – Un unicornio sin empleados? La teoría detrás del próximo gran éxito12:30 – Google vs. Y Combinator: Prácticas anticompetitivas o estrategia de mercado?20:10 – AI y la nueva era de las startups minimalistas32:00 – Empresas que prosperan sin grandes equipos42:00 – Reflexiones finales y cierre del episodioLinks del episodio:Open AI: https://www.reuters.com/business/openai-remain-under-non-profit-control-change-restructuring-plans-2025-05-05/Founder Billionaire: https://palle.substack.com/p/the-1b-dollar-single-person-companyPalle Broe: https://substack.com/@palle/note/c-96583285Delivering Happiness: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6828896-delivering-happinessZappos:https://www.wsj.com/us-news/law/surprise-will-of-late-zappos-ceo-adds-new-twist-for-his-fortune-66b2c5aa?st=qJfSB1&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalinkRecomendación de Lucas: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/54659324-dungeon-crawler-carl__Muchas gracias a nuestro Sponsor, Analytics Town por apoyar este episodio!¿Quieres crear un producto basado en inteligencia artificial pero no sabes por dónde empezar?En Analytics Town te ayudamos a diseñar tu nuevo producto y modelo de negocio, desde la estrategia hasta la ejecución del software con módulos de IA.Descubrimos oportunidades para tu empresa y validamos tu idea.Armamos el diseño funcional y el modelo de negocio.Diseñamos y desarrollamos tu producto potenciado con Inteligencia Artificial.Te acompañamos en todo el proceso, desde la idea hasta convertirlo en negocio rentable...Si mencionas que vienes de Indie vs Unicornio, te damos un 25% de descuento en el desarrollo de tu primer MVP.

Dr. Houda Ghozzi, founder of Open Startup (OST), shares her journey from professor to pan-African ecosystem builder. Following Tunisia's revolution, she transformed uncertainty into opportunity, now helping young entrepreneurs across 19 African countries develop through "hope, skills, and exposure." Houda discusses entrepreneurship as a common language that transcends borders, the evolution of OST into the "Y-Combinator of deep tech," and why Africa's innovation story requires patience rather than just focusing on exits. Her insights on cross-border collaboration, AI opportunities, and policy frameworks reveal a compelling vision for Africa's entrepreneurial future—one in which young people build solutions to local problems with global relevance.

What happens when Apple hints that Google's search dominance may be cracking, triggering a $155 billion wipeout in Alphabet's value?Many still think Google search is untouchable, but a shift in user behavior and a few lines in DOJ testimony may signal otherwise.In this episode, Chris Saad, Yaniv Bernstein, and Amir Shevat explore how Apple's revelation about declining Safari search traffic could mark a turning point for Google, what's really behind Trump's Middle East ‘AI investment tour,' and how YC's latest startup wishlist shows where the next wave of disruption will come from.In this episode, you will:Understand why Apple's testimony may be a warning shot for Google SearchLearn how AI is reshaping the definition—and monetization—of ‘search'Analyze Trump's Saudi tech tour and its real impact on US innovationEvaluate the shift from ad-driven to subscription-based AI business modelsExplore why Y Combinator wants startups to go ‘full stack' instead of selling to incumbentsUnpack the risks of shiny-object AI ideas vs. defensible startup modelsDiscover which overlooked AI sectors still have white space for new foundersFrom Google's search slowdown to Trump's headline-grabbing AI deals and YC's startup roadmap, this episode gives you the strategic insight founders need to navigate tech's shifting landscape.The Pact Honor the Startup Podcast Pact! If you have listened to TSP and gotten value from it, please:Follow, rate, and review us in your listening appSubscribe to the TSP Mailing List to gain access to exclusive newsletter-only content and early access to information on upcoming episodes: https://thestartuppodcast.beehiiv.com/subscribe Secure your official TSP merchandise at https://shop.tsp.show/ Follow us here on YouTube for full-video episodes: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNjm1MTdjysRRV07fSf0yGg Give us a public shout-out on LinkedIn or anywhere you have a social media followingKey linksThe Startup Podcast is sponsored by Vanta. Vanta helps businesses get and stay compliant by automating up to 90% of the work for the most in-demand compliance frameworks.With over 200 integrations, you can easily monitor and secure the tools your business relies on. For a limited-time offer of US$1,000 off, go to www.vanta.com/tsp .Get your question in for our next Q&A episode: https://forms.gle/NZzgNWVLiFmwvFA2A The Startup Podcast website: https://www.tsp.show/episodes/Learn more about Chris and YanivWork 1:1 with Chris: http://chrissaad.com/advisory/ Follow Chris on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrissaad/ Follow Yaniv on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ybernstein/Producer: Justin McArthur https://www.linkedin.com/in/justin-mcarthurIntro Voice: Jeremiah Owyang https://web-strategist.com/

This episode is sponsored in part by Dalia—Talent teams are sitting on a powerful asset: candidate and lead data in their CRM. But knowing how—and when—to convert those leads into applicants and hires? That's the hard part. That's why Dalia is offering a free CRM Audit to help you unlock more value from the systems you've already invested in.…. Go to dalia.co/rectechcrm to get your free CRM audit today 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 Glider AI, the Skills Validation Platform™, today announced the launch of Agentic AI Interviews, a breakthrough solution that delivers real-time, human-like interviews in multiple languages—validating skills for any role through dynamic, two-way conversations and real-world tasks. https://hrtechfeed.com/glider-ai-launches-agentic-ai-interviews/ Yello, a leading provider of early talent acquisition software solutions, announces the launch of Hello App, a new mobile app to help employers create personalized and branded event experiences for candidates.  https://hrtechfeed.com/yello-launches-hello-app-for-campus-recruiting-events/ Cronofy, a UK-based provider of embedded interview/meeting scheduling infrastructure, has secured a £15 million investment from BGF, one of the UK and Ireland's most active growth capital investors. The funding will support Cronofy's ongoing expansion and product development as it continues to streamline complex scheduling processes for businesses globally. https://hrtechfeed.com/cronofy-lands-big-investment/ Rippling has raised $450M in new financing and signed agreements to repurchase up to $200M of equity from current and former employees. The financing includes investment from Elad Gil, Sands Capital, GIC, Growth Equity at Goldman Sachs Alternatives, Baillie Gifford, and Y Combinator, along with participation from existing investors. https://hrtechfeed.com/rippling-announces-series-g/  

Despite courtroom chaos, Rippling is still going full steam ahead. The HR tech startup at the center of an increasingly dramatic legal battle with rival Deel just raised a fresh $450 million in funding at a $16.8 billion valuation, and launched a new “Startup Stack” to woo early-stage companies—winning over Y Combinator as both an investor and a client. The funding lands amid the company's high-profile legal fight with Deel, which Rippling accuses of movie-worthy corporate espionage, complete with secret crypto payments and decoy Slack channels. Deel has denied the claims and fired back with its own lawsuit, calling Rippling's accusations a “distraction.” Today on Equity, Mary Ann Azevedo and Charles Rollet are digging into the HR tech showdown from legal drama to IPO implications and global intrigue. Listen to the full episode to hear more about: The alleged spy, Rippling's evidence, and Deel's denials YC's involvement in Rippling's latest project, and why the move is raising eyebrows The potential impact on IPOs for both companies  Equity is TechCrunch's flagship podcast, produced by Theresa Loconsolo, and posts every Wednesday and Friday.  Subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod. For the full episode transcript, for those who prefer reading over listening, check out our full archive of episodes here. Credits: Equity is produced by Theresa Loconsolo with editing by Kell. We'd also like to thank TechCrunch's audience development team. Thank you so much for listening, and we'll talk to you next time. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode overview: In this conversation, Verto co-founder and CEO Ola Oyetayo shares the journey of building a cross-border payments platform that tackles the unique challenges African businesses face when making international transactions. Since graduating from Y Combinator in 2019, Verto has established itself as what Oyetayo describes as a profitable and cashflow positive fintech serving multiple African markets. Incidentally, the company recently made headlines after winning the prestigious $1 million Milken-Motsepe Prize in FinTech. He discusses his team's pragmatic approach to addressing payment barriers in emerging markets, why traditional financial institutions have failed to serve these regions effectively, and how technology can disrupt traditional banking networks that have historically excluded certain markets. Andile Masuku engages Oyetayo on the evolution of fintech in Africa, the role of privilege and networks in business success, and the future potential of stablecoins to revolutionise cross-border payments in ways that might prove more transformative for emerging markets than developed ones. Key topics: - Verto's position in the cross-border payments landscape - The strategic decision to focus on B2B rather than consumer payments - The untapped $286 billion trade flow between Africa and China - Why 96-97% of business cross-border payments still go through traditional banks - The innovator's dilemma Verto faces with the rise of stablecoins Notable points: 1. In 2018, Oyetayo launched Verto's business model alongside his co-founder Anthony Oduu after spotting a solutions gap for African businesses making international payments outside of traditional banks 2. Verto has been profitable and cash flow positive for approximately 18 months 3. How a chance meeting with legendary VC Vinod Khosla at YC in 2019 first turned him on to the stablecoin investment opportunity—years before they became mainstream 4. The company operates in Nigeria, South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and the Francophone region 5. Despite previous experience in institutional finance, Oyetayo admits "ignorance is bliss" helped him tackle a problem others saw as too risky 6. The potential of stablecoins to solve liquidity, volatility and capital control challenges in emerging markets Listen out for Oyetayo's take on Paystack's B2C play Zap, the fintech ecosystem implications of Moniepoint's "unicornification," and his contrarian insight that stablecoins will revolutionise emerging markets while having minimal impact in developed economies: "This is not a popular opinion... There's just no case for stablecoins in developed markets. People talk about, oh, it's going to disrupt Visa and MasterCard... I don't see that coming anytime soon." Image credit: Verto

У цьому епізоді говоримо про те, як AI трансформує сучасні бізнеси:- Як змінюються компанії, ролі та процеси?– Як інтегрувати AI у команду?– Які процеси варто автоматизувати вже зараз?– Як виглядають AI-first компанії з малими, але продуктивними командами?– Хто такі orchestration-розробники і що таке vibe coding?- Чгму тепер стартапи досягають $100+ млн ARR командами, які можна вмістити в одному мітинг-румі?Також ділюсь власним досвідом: ми запускаємо Easyflow: https://easy-flow.ai/ - продуктайз-сервіс для автоматизації бізнес-процесів через AI-агентів. Це рішення для малого та середнього бізнесу, що дозволяє масштабуватись без додаткового найму, передаючи рутинні задачі AI, а свою поточну команду фокусувати на найважливіших завданнях та напрямках.Більше тут: https://easy-flow.ai Цей епізод про тенденції ринку, роль AI в командах і те, у що зараз інвестують топ-фонди на кшталт Y Combinator.Зворотній зв'язок та реклама: flow@kindgeek.comПідписатись на email розсилку: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠http://eepurl.com/iQh5ag⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Twitter: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://x.com/ygnatyuk_⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/gnatyuk.yuriy/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Telegram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://t.me/yuragnatyuk⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/y.gnatyuk/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Підтримати на ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.patreon.com/flowpodcast

join wall-e for today's tech briefing on wednesday, may 14th, covering the latest industry headlines: chime's ipo preparations: digital banking leader chime is moving toward an ipo with s-1 filing, collaborating with top investment banks, alongside a significant $33 million sponsorship with the dallas mavericks. harvey's ai expansion: legal tech firm harvey is expanding its ai model integrations beyond openai to include technology from anthropic and google, marking a strategic shift in the legal ai landscape. y combinator vs. google: y combinator files an amicus brief in a u.s. antitrust case against google, challenging the tech giant's alleged monopolistic practices affecting startups. apple's new accessibility features: apple unveils updates like accessibility nutrition labels and brain implant controls, reinforcing its commitment to inclusivity through technology. aws & humain partnership: aws strengthens its global presence with a $5 billion-plus partnership with saudi-backed ai company humain, aiming to create an "ai zone" in saudi arabia. stay tuned for more updates in tomorrow's briefing!

What if the world's most connected tech investor handed you his mental playbook? Elad Gil, an investor behind Airbnb, Stripe, Coinbase and Anduril, flips conventional wisdom on its head and prioritizes market opportunities over founders. Elad decodes why innovation has clustered geographically throughout history, from Renaissance Florence to Silicon Valley, where today 25% of global tech wealth is created. We get into why he believes AI is dramatically under-hyped and still under-appreciated, why remote work hampers innovation, and the self-inflicted wounds that he's seen kill most startups.   This is a masterclass in pattern recognition from one of tech's most consistent and accurate forecasters, revealing the counterintuitive principles behind identifying world-changing ideas.  Disclaimer: This episode was recorded in January. The pace of AI development is staggering, and some of what we discussed has already evolved. But the mental models Elad shares about strategy, judgment, and high-agency thinking are timeless and will remain relevant for years to come. Approximate timestamps: Subject to variation due to dynamically inserted ads. (2:13) - Investing in Startups (3:25) - Identifying Outlier Teams (6:37) - Tech Clusters (9:55) - Remote Work and Innovation (11:19) - Role of Y Combinator (15:19) - The Waves of AI Companies (20:24) - AI's Problem Solving Capabilities (26:13) - AI's Learning Process (30:41) - Prompt Engineering and AI (32:00) - AI's Role in Future Development (34:37) - AI's Impact on Self-Driving Technology (40:16) - The Role of Open Source in AI (43:23) - The Future of AI in Big Players (44:23) - Regulation and Safety Concerns in AI (49:11) - Common Self-Inflicted Wounds (51:34) - Scaling the CEO and Avoiding Conventional Wisdom (55:21) - Workplace Culture (58:39) - Patterns Among Outlier CEOs (1:15:50) - Remote Work and its Implications (1:18:47) - The Impact of Clusters and Exceptional Individuals (1:25:41) - Investing in Defense Technology (1:27:38) - Business Model Shift in the Defense Industry (1:31:46) - Changes in Warfare SHOPIFY: Upgrade your business and get the same checkout I use. Sign up for your one-dollar-per-month trial period at shopify.com/knowledgeproject NORDVPN: To get the best discount off your NordVPN plan go to nordvpn.com/KNOWLEDGEPROJECT. Our link will also give you 4 extra months on the 2-year plan. There's no risk with Nord's 30 day money-back guarantee! 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 Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠⁠ and get your own private feed. Watch on YouTube: ⁠@tkppodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Today's show: Jason, Lon & Alex are back with a spicy Monday episode of This Week in Startups. Jason goes off on unions vs capitalism, we dig into why fewer seed startups are making it to Series A, and look at OpenAI's quiet copyright land grab. Plus: YC says Google should be broken up (then kind of walks it back), Perplexity's wild $14B valuation, and Saudi Arabia wants its own national AI. We wrap with an Office Hours chat with Kevin Bondzio from Streamfog on the future of AR ads in livestreaming.*Timestamps:(2:38) Why Jason's obsessed with Reddit's anti-work community(10:30) Coda - Get started for free at https://coda.io/twist(12:21) Seed Stage Graduation rates(20:43) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist(26:11) What's going on with Tech M&A?(30:04) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist(33:50) What's going on with the Copyright Office?(37:24) Licensing and competitive advantage in the AI era(48:28) AI and the future of subscription-based content(56:42) StreamFog wants to change the way creators advertise(1:14:13) Perplexity's mega-valuation gets even mega-er(1:19:13) How Saudi Arabia just became an AI startup(1:22:05) Y Combinator pokes it's nose in the Google antitrust case*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/v19fcp*Links from episode:Check out Streamfog: https://streamfog.com/Check out Peter Walkers post on “Graduating from Seed to Series A” https://x.com/PeterJ_Walker/status/1921288778192200087Learn about the HUMAIN here: https://www.spa.gov.sa/en/N2316474*Follow Kev:X: https://x.com/kevbondzioLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-bondzio/*Follow Lon:X: https://x.com/lons*Follow Alex:X: https://x.com/alexLinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm*Follow Jason:X: https://twitter.com/JasonLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis*Thank you to our partners:(10:30) Coda - Get started for free at https://coda.io/twist(20:43) LinkedIn Jobs - Post your first job for free at https://www.linkedin.com/twist(30:04) Northwest Registered Agent. Form your entire business identity in just 10 clicks and 10 minutes. Get more privacy, more options, and more done—visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist*Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland*Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis*Follow TWiST:Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartupsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekinInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartupsTikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartupsSubstack: https://twistartups.substack.com*Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

Immad Akhund is the CEO of Mercury. Launched in 2019, Mercury has raised $500M in funding from Sequoia, Coatue, CRV, Andreessen Horowitz and others. He is a former part-time partner at Y Combinator and is an active angel investor, with more than 350 investments in startups including Rippling, AirTable, Rappi, Applied Intuition, and Substack. In Today's Episode We Discuss: 04:38 Exclusive News: New Fund Announcement 05:15 Lessons from 350 Angel Investments 12:27 Why Founders Should Always Push for the Highest Price 14:40 Biggest Wins and Misses in Angel Investing 22:56 How Sequoia Came to Lead the Series C for Mercury 31:32 Why Move From Angel to VC 33:41 Is It Wrong For Founders to Also Have Funds with LP Capital? 36:28 AI Investments: Overhyped or Worthwhile? 41:14 Raising a First Time Fund: Challenges & Surprises 49:47 The Future of Venture Capital 54:36 Quickfire Questions and Reflections  

219 | Samuel und Alex reden über die Tech-Szene und pitchen sich Geschäftsideen. Alex war auf der OMR, Samuel baut einen Founders Circle auf, Alex ist einem neuen China-Scam auf der Spur und mehr.Mach das 1-minütige Quiz und finde die Geschäftsidee, die zu dir passt. Klick hier: digitaleoptimisten.de/quiz.Kapitel:(00:00) Intro(02:40) Alex auf der OMR(06:15) Samuel baut ein Startup Ökosystem in St. Gallen auf(20:52) Industrielle Revolution vs. KI Revolution: Werden wir alle dumm?(40:00) Neue Startup-Ideen aus dem Y Combinator(32:00) Obacht: Neue Scams aus China wegen Trumps Zöllen(51:14) Samuels Geschäftsidee: Real Life GPT(1:01:44) Alex' Geschäftsidee: Newsletter Co-Ownership PlatformMehr Kontext:In dieser Episode diskutieren Alex Mrozek und Samuel Schneider über persönliche Updates, den Aufbau eines Startup-Ökosystems in St. Gallen, die Interaktion mit Ralf Möller und die gesellschaftlichen Auswirkungen von Künstlicher Intelligenz. Sie reflektieren über die Herausforderungen und Chancen, die sich aus der aktuellen technologischen Revolution ergeben, und erörtern, wie Networking und Zusammenarbeit in der Startup-Szene gefördert werden können. In dieser Episode diskutieren die Sprecher die Auswirkungen von Social Media auf unsere Geduld und Konzentration, die Rolle von KI in der Kommunikation, Strategien zur Reduzierung der Handynutzung und die Herausforderungen der digitalen Ablenkung. Zudem wird die Zukunft von Startups und die Bedeutung von KI-Technologie thematisiert, insbesondere im Kontext von Y Combinator und den Möglichkeiten, die sich daraus ergeben. In dieser Episode diskutieren Alex Mrozek und Samuel verschiedene Themen, die von der Navigation ohne moderne Technologie bis hin zu innovativen Geschäftsideen reichen. Sie reflektieren über die Rolle von KI in der Lebensberatung und die Bedeutung menschlicher Beziehungen in einer zunehmend technologisierten Welt. Zudem wird die Idee einer Newsletter Co-Ownership Plattform als neue Marketingstrategie vorgestellt, die Marken und Influencer zusammenbringt, um relevanten Content zu schaffen.Keywords:Podcast, Startup, Künstliche Intelligenz, St. Gallen, Networking, Ralf Möller, OMR, Unternehmer, Innovation, Gesellschaft, Social Media, Geduld, KI, Kommunikation, Handynutzung, digitale Ablenkung, Startups, Technologie, Innovation, Y Combinator, Technologie, Weltraum, Innovation, Geschäftsideen, KI, Lebensberatung, Newsletter, Marketing, Social Media, Disruption

This week we sat down with James Flynn, an investor at Sequoia. James focuses on growth-stage investments for Sequoia and was previously an investor at General Atlantic.  During the episode, we cover James's journey to Sequoia, highlighting intellectual curiosity and his competitive spirit as key attributes in his path to the firm. The conversation features a number of fascinating perspectives across investing in "daring" companies, including James's take on the relative importance of business model / founder / market in making an investment decision. We also cover how James thinks about absolute valuation as opposed to a multiple, and how he believes junior investors can add value.  James's energy is infectious and his eloquence and clarity of thought stand out, making the conversation one of our most fascinating yet. Episode Chapters:Key personal characteristics - 2:19James's journey post-college - 9:30Breaking in to Sequoia - 12:55Taking the shot - 13:55 Underwriting thoughts - numbers support the story - 21:33Sequoia's singular KPI - 27:45How junior investors can add value - 30:10Absolute valuation matters - 35:31 James's areas of focus - 38:32 Implications on education - 41:12Quick fire round - 43:26As 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.

Rick Song is the co-founder and CEO of Persona, the identity verification platform used by some of the world's largest companies. Before starting Persona, Rick worked on identity fraud and risk products at Square, which laid the groundwork for what would become Persona's highly technical, horizontal platform. Since founding the company, Rick has scaled Persona into a category-defining leader, recently raising a $200M Series D at a $2B valuation. In today's episode, we discuss: How Rick's skepticism shaped Persona's early strategy What it takes to scale a true platform company Successful execution in hypercompetitive markets What Rick's learned from his co-founder, Charles Yeh and much more… Referenced: Accenture: accenture.com Anthropic: anthropic.com Braze: braze.com Bridgewater Associates: bridgewater.com Charles Yeh: linkedin.com/in/charlesyeh/ Christie Kim: linkedin.com/in/christiekimck/ Clay: clay.com Kareem Amin: linkedin.com/in/kareemamin/ MIT: mit.edu Newfront: newfront.com Palantir: palantir.com/ Persona: withpersona.com Rippling: rippling.com Scale AI: scale.com Snowflake: snowflake.com Square: squareup.com Y Combinator: ycombinator.com Zachary Van Zant: linkedin.com/in/zacharyv/ Where to find Rick: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rick-song-25198b24/ 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: (0:05) Life before Persona (2:11) The push from Charles (3:09) Early reluctance and low expectations (9:50) Winning the first $50 customer (13:08)“Invalidating” Persona (16:43) How Persona found their edge (19:35) Transitioning from MVP to platform (24:18) Turning down a $5K deal on principle (26:47) Generalizing bespoke solutions (28:28) Finding product-market fit (33:51) Founder-led sales and consultative approach (39:30) Building a culture of reactivity (45:47) Landing the first enterprise customers (51:34) Silicon Valley's obsession with frameworks (58:17) Developing first principles thinking (1:00:24) Stay competitor-informed

What if your hardest season became your biggest breakthrough?Ming Zhao built a $24M skincare brand in just 2 years—while pregnant and going through Y Combinator. This isn't just a startup story. It's a story of pressure, clarity, and purpose colliding at once.In this raw and revealing episode, Ming Zhao, CEO and co-founder of PROVEN Skincare, shares how she transformed corporate burnout into one of the fastest-growing beauty startups—scaling to $24 million in just 24 months. She opens up about building a data-driven business during one of the most demanding periods of her life, and how AI, science, and personal insight helped reshape the future of skincare.Key Topics Covered:How AI and data are transforming skincareThe Skin Genome Project explainedNavigating Y Combinator while pregnantBuilding a business model rooted in scienceLiving the “Love your job, live your life” mindsetResources:ProvenJim Huffman websiteJim's TwitterGrowthHitThe Growth Marketer's Playbook Additional episodes you might enjoy:Startup Ideas by Paul Graham (#45)Nathan Barry: How to Bootstrap a Company to $30M in a Crowded Market (#41)How I Met My Biz Partner and Less Learned Hitting $2M ARR (#44)Ryan Hamilton on his Netflix special, touring with Jerry Seinfeld, & how to write a joke (#10)How We're Validating Startup Ideas (#51) 

I love discovering founders who are using technology to democratize access to services that have traditionally been out of reach for many people. That's why I was so excited to speak with Alexander Harmsen, the founder and CEO of Global Predictions. Alexander created PortfolioPilot, an AI-powered financial advisor that helps individuals take control of their financial lives without the high fees or intimidation factor of traditional firms. What started as a personal side project has become a platform managing over $30 billion in assets all while helping simplify investing for the everyday person. In our conversation, Alexander shares how he's building not just a product, but a movement to empower everyday investors with real, personalized advice. Here are highlights of our conversation:   -   From Side Project to $30 Billion Platform: Alexander built the first version of PortfolioPilot to manage his own finances after selling his previous startup. Today, the platform serves tens of thousands of users and continues to scale rapidly. -   Designed for Real People: Rather than expecting users to know what to ask, PortfolioPilot delivers a full written assessment based on inputs like income, age, assets, and risk tolerance. It helps people feel confident and in control of their financial future. -   AI Meets Fiduciary Responsibility: PortfolioPilot provides truly personalized, fiduciary-level financial guidance by asking the right questions and giving users clear, actionable monthly advice based on their actual financial picture. -   High Output, Lean Team: With a team of just 10 people working remotely around the world, Alexander attributes their efficiency to smart hiring, tight feedback loops, and extensive use of AI tools across development, marketing, and operations. -   The Future of Financial Advice: Alexander believes we're entering an era where everyone will have AI-powered advisors in many areas of life. His goal is for PortfolioPilot to become the go-to financial advisor in your pocket, offering clarity, confidence, and convenience. About the guest: Alexander Harmsen, a tech entrepreneur passionate about AI, finance, and autonomy. He founded PortfolioPilot.com, an AI Financial Advisor with over $30 billion in assets on platform. Previously, he founded and sold Iris Automation, worked on NASA's Mars Helicopter, and went through Y Combinator. He's raised over $30M in venture capital and was recognized by Forbes 30 Under 30.   Connect with Alexander: Website Global Predictions: https://www.globalpredictions.com/ Website Portfolio Pilot: https://portfoliopilot.com/?utm_source=podcast&utm_medium=organic LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderharmsen/   Connect with Allison: Feedspot has named Disruptive CEO Nation as one of the Top 25 CEO Podcasts on the web, and it is ranked the number 6 CEO podcast to listen to in 2025! https://podcasts.feedspot.com/ceo_podcasts/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allisonsummerschicago/ Website: https://www.disruptiveceonation.com/  #CEO #leadership #startup #founder #business #businesspodcast  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Much has been made of the hallucinatory qualities of OpenAI's ChatGPT product. But as the Wall Street Journal's resident authority on OpenAI, Keach Hagey notes, perhaps the most hallucinatory feature the $300 billion start-up co-founded by the deadly duo of Sam Altman and Elon Musk is its attempt to be simultaneously a for-profit and non-profit company. As Hagey notes, the double life of this double company reached a surreal climax this week when Altman announced that OpenAI was abandoning its promised for-profit conversion. So what, I asked Hagey, are the implications of this corporate volte-face for investors who have poured billions of real dollars into the non-profit in order to make a profit? Will they be Waiting For Godot to get their returns?As Hagey - whose excellent biography of Altman, The Optimist, is out in a couple of weeks - explains, this might be the story of the hubristic 2020's. She speaks of Altman's astonishingly (even for Silicon Valley) hubris in believing that he can get away with the alchemic conceit of inventing a multi trillion dollar for-profit non-profit company. Yes, you can be half-pregnant, Sam is promising us. But, as she warns, at some point this will be exposed as fantasy. The consequences might not exactly be another Enron or FTX, but it will have ramifications way beyond beyond Silicon Valley. What will happen, for example, if future investors aren't convinced by Altman's fantasy and OpenAI runs out of cash? Hagey suggests that the OpenAI story may ultimately become a political drama in which a MAGA President will be forced to bail out America's leading AI company. It's TikTok in reverse (imagine if Chinese investors try to acquire OpenAI). Rather than the conveniently devilish Elon Musk, my sense is that Sam Altman is auditioning to become the real Jay Gatsby of our roaring twenties. Last month, Keach Hagey told me that Altman's superpower is as a salesman. He can sell anything to anyone, she says. But selling a non-profit to for-profit venture capitalists might even be a bridge too far for Silicon Valley's most hallucinatory optimist. Five Key Takeaways * OpenAI has abandoned plans to convert from a nonprofit to a for-profit structure, with pressure coming from multiple sources including attorneys general of California and Delaware, and possibly influenced by Elon Musk's opposition.* This decision will likely make it more difficult for OpenAI to raise money, as investors typically want control over their investments. Despite this, Sam Altman claims SoftBank will still provide the second $30 billion chunk of funding that was previously contingent on the for-profit conversion.* The nonprofit structure creates inherent tensions within OpenAI's business model. As Hagey notes, "those contradictions are still there" after nearly destroying the company once before during Altman's brief firing.* OpenAI's leadership is trying to position this as a positive change, with plans to capitalize the nonprofit and launch new programs and initiatives. However, Hagey notes this is similar to what Altman did at Y Combinator, which eventually led to tensions there.* The decision is beneficial for competitors like XAI, Anthropic, and others with normal for-profit structures. Hagey suggests the most optimistic outcome would be OpenAI finding a way to IPO before "completely imploding," though how a nonprofit-controlled entity would do this remains unclear.Keach Hagey is a reporter at The Wall Street Journal's Media and Marketing Bureau in New York, where she focuses on the intersection of media and technology. Her stories often explore the relationships between tech platforms like Facebook and Google and the media. She was part of the team that broke the Facebook Files, a series that won a George Polk Award for Business Reporting, a Gerald Loeb Award for Beat Reporting and a Deadline Award for public service. Her investigation into the inner workings of Google's advertising-technology business won recognition from the Society for Advancing Business Editing and Writing (Sabew). Previously, she covered the television industry for the Journal, reporting on large media companies such as 21st Century Fox, Time Warner and Viacom. She led a team that won a Sabew award for coverage of the power struggle inside Viacom. She is the author of “The King of Content: Sumner Redstone's Battle for Viacom, CBS and Everlasting Control of His Media Empire,” published by HarperCollins. Before joining the Journal, Keach covered media for Politico, the National in Abu Dhabi, CBS News and the Village Voice. She has a bachelor's and a master's in English literature from Stanford University. She lives in Irvington, N.Y., with her husband, three daughters and dog.Named as one of the "100 most connected men" by GQ magazine, Andrew Keen is amongst the world's best known broadcasters and commentators. In addition to presenting the daily KEEN ON show, he is the host of the long-running How To Fix Democracy interview series. He is also the author of four prescient books about digital technology: CULT OF THE AMATEUR, DIGITAL VERTIGO, THE INTERNET IS NOT THE ANSWER and HOW TO FIX THE FUTURE. Andrew lives in San Francisco, is married to Cassandra Knight, Google's VP of Litigation & Discovery, and has two grown children. Full TranscriptAndrew Keen: Hello, everybody. It is May the 6th, a Tuesday, 2025. And the tech media is dominated today by OpenAI's plan to convert its for-profit business to a non-profit side. That's how the Financial Times is reporting it. New York Times says that OpenAI, and I'm quoting them, backtracks on plans to drop nonprofit control and the Wall Street Journal, always very authoritative on the tech front, leads with Open AI abandons planned for profit conversion. The Wall Street Journal piece is written by Keach Hagey, who is perhaps America's leading authority on OpenAI. She was on the show a couple of months ago talking about Sam Altman's superpower which is as a salesman. Keach is also the author of an upcoming book. It's out in a couple weeks, "The Optimist: Sam Altman, OpenAI and the Race to Invent the Future." And I'm thrilled that Keach has been remarkably busy today, as you can imagine, found a few minutes to come onto the show. So, Keach, what is Sam selling here? You say he's a salesman. He's always selling something or other. What's the sell here?Keach Hagey: Well, the sell here is that this is not a big deal, right? The sell is that, this thing they've been trying to do for about a year, which is to make their company less weird, it's not gonna work. And as he was talking to the press yesterday, he was trying to suggest that they're still gonna be able to fundraise, that these folks that they promised that if you give us money, we're gonna convert to a for-profit and it's gonna be much more normal investment for you, but they're gonna get that money, which is you know, a pretty tough thing. So that's really, that's what he's selling is that this is not disruptive to the future of OpenAI.Andrew Keen: For people who are just listening, I'm looking at Keach's face, and I'm sensing that she's doing everything she can not to burst out laughing. Is that fair, Keach?Keach Hagey: Well, it'll remain to be seen, but I do think it will make it a lot harder for them to raise money. I mean, even Sam himself said as much during the talk yesterday that, you know, investors would like to be able to have some say over what happens to their money. And if you're controlled by a nonprofit organization, that's really tough. And what they were trying to do was convert to a new world where investors would have a seat at the table, because as we all remember, when Sam got briefly fired almost two years ago. The investors just helplessly sat on the sidelines and didn't have any say in the matter. Microsoft had absolutely no role to play other than kind of cajoling and offering him a job on the sidelines. So if you're gonna try to raise money, you really need to be able to promise some kind of control and that's become a lot harder.Andrew Keen: And the ramifications more broadly on this announcement will extend to Microsoft and Microsoft stock. I think their stock is down today. We'll come to that in a few minutes. Keach, there was an interesting piece in the week, this week on AI hallucinations are getting worse. Of course, OpenAI is the dominant AI company with their ChatGPT. But is this also kind of hallucination? What exactly is going on here? I have to admit, and I always thought, you know, I certainly know more about tech than I do about other subjects, which isn't always saying very much. But I mean, either you're a nonprofit or you're a for-profit, is there some sort of hallucinogenic process going on where Sam is trying to sell us on the idea that OpenAI is simultaneously a for profit and a nonprofit company?Keach Hagey: Well, that's kind of what it is right now. That's what it had sort of been since 2019 or when it spun up this strange structure where it had a for-profit underneath a nonprofit. And what we saw in the firing is that that doesn't hold. There's gonna come a moment when those two worlds are going to collide and it nearly destroyed the company. To be challenging going forward is that that basic destabilization that like unstable structure remains even though now everything is so much bigger there's so much more money coursing through and it's so important for the economy. It's a dangerous position.Andrew Keen: It's not so dangerous, you seem still faintly amused. I have to admit, I'm more than faintly amused, it's not too bothersome for us because we don't have any money in OpenAI. But for SoftBank and the other participants in the recent $40 billion round of investment in OpenAI, this must be, to say the least, rather disconcerting.Keach Hagey: That was one of the biggest surprises from the press conference yesterday. Sam Altman was asked point blank, is SoftBank still going to give you this sort of second chunk, this $30 billion second chunk that was contingent upon being able to convert to a for-profit, and he said, quite simply, yes. Who knows what goes on in behind the scenes? I think we're gonna find out probably a lot more about that. There are many unanswered questions, but it's not great, right? It's definitely not great for investors.Andrew Keen: Well, you have to guess at the very minimum, SoftBank would be demanding better terms. They're not just going to do the same thing. I mean, it suddenly it suddenly gives them an additional ace in their hand in terms of negotiation. I mean this is not some sort of little startup. This is 30 or 40 billion dollars. I mean it's astonishing number. And presumably the non-public conversations are very interesting. I'm sure, Keach, you would like to know what's being said.Keach Hagey: Don't know yet, but I think your analysis is pretty smart on this matter.Andrew Keen: So if you had to guess, Sam is the consummate salesman. What did he tell SoftBank before April to close the round? And what is he telling them now? I mean, how has the message changed?Keach Hagey: One of the things that we see a little bit about this from the messaging that he gave to the world yesterday, which is this is going to be a simpler structure. It is going to be slightly more normal structure. They are changing the structure a little bit. So although the non-profit is going to remain in charge, the thing underneath it, the for-profit, is going change its structure a little bit and become kind of a little more normal. It's not going to have this capped profit thing where, you know, the investors are capped at 100 times what they put in. So parts of it are gonna become more normal. For employees, it's probably gonna be easier for them to get equity and things like that. So I'm sure that that's part of what he's selling, that this new structure is gonna be a little bit better, but it's not gonna be as good as what they were trying to do.Andrew Keen: Can Sam? I mean, clearly he has sold it. I mean as we joked earlier when we talked, Sam could sell ice to the Laplanders or sand to the Saudis. But these people know Sam. It's no secret that he's a remarkable salesman. That means that sometimes you have to think carefully about what he's saying. What's the impact on him? To what extent is this decision one more chip on the Altman brand?Keach Hagey: It's a setback for sure, and it's kind of a win for Elon Musk, his rival.Andrew Keen: Right.Keach Hagey: Elon has been suing him, Elon has been trying to block this very conversion. And in the end, it seems like it was actually the attorneys general of California and Delaware that really put the nail in the coffin here. So there's still a lot to find out about exactly how it all shook out. There were actually huge campaigns as well, like in the streets, billboards, posters. Polls saying, trying to put pressure on the attorney general to block this thing. So it was a broad coalition, I think, that opposed the conversion, and you can even see that a little bit in their speech. But you got to admit that Elon probably looked at this and was happy.Andrew Keen: And I'm sure Elon used his own X platform to promote his own agenda. Is this an example, Keach, in a weird kind of way of the plebiscitary politics now of Silicon Valley is that titans like Altman and Musk are fighting out complex corporate economic battles in the naked public of social media.Keach Hagey: Yes, in the naked public of social media, but what we're also seeing here is that it's sort of, it's become through the apparatus of government. So we're seeing, you know, Elon is in the Doge office and this conversion is really happening in the state AG's houses. So that's what's sort interesting to me is these like private fights have now expanded to fill both state and federal government.Andrew Keen: Last time we talked, I couldn't find the photo, but there was a wonderful photo of, I think it was Larry Ellison and Sam Altman in the Oval Office with Trump. And Ellison looked very excited. He looked extremely old as well. And Altman looked very awkward. And it's surprising to see Altman look awkward because generally he doesn't. Has Trump played a role in this or is he keeping out of it?Keach Hagey: As far as my current reporting right now, we have no reporting that Trump himself was directly involved. I can't go further than that right now.Andrew Keen: Meaning that you know something that you're not willing to ignore.Keach Hagey: Just I hope you keep your subscription to the Wall Street Journal on what role the White House played, I would say. But as far as that awkwardness, I don't know if you noticed that there was a box that day for Masa Yoshison to see.Andrew Keen: Oh yeah, and Son was in the office too, right, that was the third person.Keach Hagey: So it was a box in the podium, which I think contributed to the awkwardness of the day, because he's not a tall man.Andrew Keen: Right. To put it politely. The way that OpenAI spun it, in classic Sam Altman terms, is new funding to build towards AGI. So it's their Altman-esque use of the public to vindicate this new investment, is this just more quote unquote, and this is my word. You don't have to agree with it. Just sales pitch or might even be dishonesty here. I mean, the reality is, is new funding to build towards AGI, which is, artificial general intelligence. It's not new funding, to build toward AGI. It's new funding to build towards OpenAI, there's no public benefit of any of this, is there?Keach Hagey: Well, what they're saying is that the nonprofit will be capitalized and will sort of be hiring up and doing a bunch more things that it wasn't really doing. We'll have programs and initiatives and all of that. Which really, as someone who studied Sam's life, this sounds really a lot like what he did at Y Combinator. When he was head of Y Combinator, he also spun up a nonprofit arm, which is actually what OpenAI grew out of. So I think in Sam's mind, a nonprofit there's a place to go. Sort of hash out your ideas, it's a place to kind of have pet projects grow. That's where he did things like his UBI study. So I can sort of see that once the AGs are like, this is not gonna happen, he's like, great, we'll just make a big nonprofit and I'll get to do all these projects I've always wanted to do.Andrew Keen: Didn't he get thrown out of Y Combinator by Paul Graham for that?Keach Hagey: Yes, a little bit. You know, I would say there's a general mutiny for too much of that kind of stuff. Yeah, it's true. People didn't love it, and they thought that he took his eye off the ball. A little bit because one of those projects became OpenAI, and he became kind of obsessed with it and stopped paying attention. So look, maybe OpenAI will spawn the next thing, right? And he'll get distracted by that and move on.Andrew Keen: No coincidence, of course, that Sam went on to become a CEO of OpenAI. What does it mean for the broader AI ecosystem? I noted earlier you brought up Microsoft. I mean, I think you've already written on this and lots of other people have written about the fact that the relationship between OpenAI and Microsoft has cooled dramatically. As well as between Nadella and Altman. What does this mean for Microsoft? Is it a big deal?Keach Hagey: They have been hashing this out for months. So it is a big deal in that it will change the structure of their most important partner. But even before this, Microsoft and OpenAI were sort of locked in negotiations over how large and how Microsoft's stake in this new OpenAI will be valued. And that still has to be determined, regardless of whether it's a non-profit or a for-profit in charge. And their interests are diverging. So those negotiations are not as warm as they maybe would have been a few years ago.Andrew Keen: It's a form of polyamory, isn't it? Like we have in Silicon Valley, everyone has sex with everybody else, to put it politely.Keach Hagey: Well, OpenAI does have a new partner in Oracle. And I would expect them to have many more in terms of cloud computing partners going forward. It's just too much risk for any one company to build these huge and expensive data centers, not knowing that OpenAI is going to exist in a certain number of years. So they have to diversify.Andrew Keen: Keach, you know, this is amusing and entertaining and Altman is a remarkable individual, able to sell anything to anyone. But at what point are we really on the Titanic here? And there is such a thing as an iceberg, a real thing, whatever Donald Trump or other manufacturers of ontologies might suggest. At some point, this thing is going to end in a massive disaster.Keach Hagey: Are you talking about the Existence Force?Andrew Keen: I'm not talking about the Titanic, I'm talking about OpenAI. I mean, Parmi Olson, who's the other great authority on OpenAI, who won the FT Book of the Year last year, she's been on the show a couple of times, she wrote in Bloomberg that OpenAI can't have its money both ways, and that's what Sam is trying to do. My point is that we can all point out, excuse me, the contradictions and the hypocrisy and all the rest of it. But there are laws of gravity when it comes to economics. And at a certain point, this thing is going to crash, isn't it? I mean, what's the metaphor? Is it Enron? Is it Sam Bankman-Fried? What kind of examples in history do we need to look at to try and figure out what really is going on here?Keach Hagey: That's certainly one possibility, and there are a good number of people who believe that.Andrew Keen: Believe what, Enron or Sam Bankman-Fried?Keach Hagey: Oh, well, the internal tensions cannot hold, right? I don't know if fraud is even necessary so much as just, we've seen it, we've already seen it happen once, right, the company almost completely collapsed one time and those contradictions are still there.Andrew Keen: And when you say it happened, is that when Sam got pushed out or was that another or something else?Keach Hagey: No, no, that's it, because Sam almost got pushed out and then all of the funders would go away. So Sam needs to be there for them to continue raising money in the way that they have been raising money. And that's really going to be the question. How long can that go on? He's a young man, could go on a very long time. But yeah, I think that really will determine whether it's a disaster or not.Andrew Keen: But how long can it go on? I mean, how long could Sam have it both ways? Well, there's a dream. I mean maybe he can close this last round. I mean he's going to need to raise more than $40 billion. This is such a competitive space. Tens of billions of dollars are being invested almost on a monthly basis. So this is not the end of the road, this $40-billion investment.Keach Hagey: Oh, no. And you know, there's talk of IPO at some point, maybe not even that far away. I don't even let me wrap my mind around what it would be for like a nonprofit to have a controlling share at a public company.Andrew Keen: More hallucinations economically, Keach.Keach Hagey: But I mean, IPO is the exit for investors, right? That's the model, that is the Silicon Valley model. So it's going to have to come to that one way or another.Andrew Keen: But how does it work internally? I mean, for the guys, the sales guys, the people who are actually doing the business at OpenAI, they've been pretty successful this year. The numbers are astonishing. But how is this gonna impact if it's a nonprofit? How does this impact the process of selling, of building product, of all the other internal mechanics of this high-priced startup?Keach Hagey: I don't think it will affect it enormously in the short term. It's really just a question of can they continue to raise money for the enormous amount of compute that they need. So so far, he's been able to do that, right? And if that slows up in any way, they're going to be in trouble. Because as Sam has said many times, AI has to be cheap to be actually useful. So in order to, you know, for it to be widespread, for to flow like water, all of those things, it's got to be cheap and that's going to require massive investment in data centers.Andrew Keen: But how, I mean, ultimately people are putting money in so that they get the money back. This is not a nonprofit endeavor to put 40 billion from SoftBank. SoftBank is not in the nonprofit business. So they're gonna need their money back and the only way they generally, in my understanding, getting money back is by going public, especially with these numbers. How can a nonprofit go public?Keach Hagey: It's a great question. That's what I'm just phrasing. I mean, this is, you know, you talk to folks, this is what's like off in the misty distance for them. It's an, it's a fascinating question and one that we're gonna try to answer this week.Andrew Keen: But you look amused. I'm no financial genius. Everyone must be asking the same question.Keach Hagey: Well, the way that they've said it is that the for-profit will be, will have a, the non-profit will control the for profit and be the largest shareholder in it, but the rest of the shares could be held by public markets theoretically. That's a great question though.Andrew Keen: And lawyers all over the world must be wrapping their hands. I mean, in the very best case, it's gonna be lawsuits on this, people suing them up the wazoo.Keach Hagey: It's absolutely true. You should see my inbox right now. It's just like layers, layers, layer.Andrew Keen: Yeah, my wife. My wife is the head of litigation. I don't know if I should be saying this publicly anyway, I am. She's the head of Litigation at Google. And she lost some of her senior people and they all went over to AI. I'm big, I'm betting that they regret going over there can't be much fun being a lawyer at OpenAI.Keach Hagey: I don't know, I think it'd be great fun. I think you'd have like enormous challenges and have lots of billable hours.Andrew Keen: Unless, of course, they're personally being sued.Keach Hagey: Hopefully not. I mean, look, it is a strange and unprecedented situation.Andrew Keen: To what extent is this, if not Shakespearean, could have been written by some Greek dramatist? To what extend is this symbolic of all the hype and salesmanship and dishonesty of Silicon Valley? And in a sense, maybe this is a final scene or a penultimate scene in the Silicon Valley story of doing good for the world. And yet, of course, reaping obscene profit.Keach Hagey: I think it's a little bit about trying to have your cake and eat it too, right? Trying to have the aura of altruism, but also make something and make a lot of money. And what it seems like today is that if you started as a nonprofit, it's like a black hole. You can never get out. There's no way to get out, and that idea was just like maybe one step too clever when they set it up in the beginning, right. It seemed like too good to be true because it was. And it might end up really limiting the growth of the company.Andrew Keen: Is Sam completely in charge here? I mean, a number of the founders have left. Musk, of course, when you and I talked a couple of months ago, OpenAI came out of conversations between Musk and Sam. Is he doing this on his own? Does he have lieutenants, people who he can rely on?Keach Hagey: Yeah, I mean, he does. He has a number of folks that have been there, you know, a long time.Andrew Keen: Who are they? I mean, do we know their names?Keach Hagey: Oh, sure. Yeah. I mean, like Brad Lightcap and Jason Kwon and, you know, just they're they're Greg Brockman, of course, still there. So there are a core group of executives that have that have been there pretty much from the beginning, close to it, that he does trust. But if you're asking, like, is Sam really in control of this whole thing? I believe the answer is yes. Right. He is on the board of this nonprofit, and that nonprofit will choose the board of the for-profit. So as long as that's the case, he's in charge.Andrew Keen: How divided is OpenAI? I mean, one of the things that came out of the big crisis, what was it, 18 months ago when they tried to push him out, was it was clearly a profoundly divided company between those who believed in the nonprofit mission versus the for-profit mission. Are those divisions still as acute within the company itself? It must be growing. I don't know how many thousands of people work.Keach Hagey: It has grown very fast. It is not as acute in my experience. There was a time when it was really sort of a warring of tribes. And after the blip, as they call it, a lot of those more safety focused people, people that subscribe to effective altruism, left or were kind of pushed out. So Sam took over and kind of cleaned house.Andrew Keen: But then aren't those people also very concerned that it appears as if Sam's having his cake and eating it, having it both ways, talking about the company being a non-profit but behaving as if it is a for-profit?Keach Hagey: Oh, yeah, they're very concerned. In fact, a number of them have signed on to this open letter to the attorneys general that dropped, I don't know, a week and a half ago, something like that. You can see a number of former OpenAI employees, whistleblowers and others, saying this very thing, you know, that the AG should block this because it was supposed to be a charitable mission from the beginning. And no amount of fancy footwork is gonna make it okay to toss that overboard.Andrew Keen: And I mean, in the best possible case, can Sam, the one thing I think you and I talked about last time is Sam clearly does, he's not driven by money. There's something else. There's some other demonic force here. Could he theoretically reinvent the company so that it becomes a kind of AI overlord, a nonprofit AI overlord for our 21st century AI age?Keach Hagey: Wow, well I think he sometimes thinks of it as like an AI layer and you know, is this my overlord? Might be, you know.Andrew Keen: As long as it's not made in China, I hope it's made in India or maybe in Detroit or something.Keach Hagey: It's a very old one, so it's OK. But it's really my attention overlord, right? Yeah, so I don't know about the AI overlord part. Although it's interesting, Sam from the very beginning has wanted there to be a democratic process to control what decision, what kind of AI gets built and what are the guardrails for AGI. As long as he's there.Andrew Keen: As long as he's the one determining it, right?Keach Hagey: We talked about it a lot in the very beginning of the company when things were smaller and not so crazy. And what really strikes me is he doesn't really talk about that much anymore. But what we did just see is some advocacy organizations that kind of function in that exact way. They have voters all over the world and they all voted on, hey, we want you guys to go and try to that ended up having this like democratic structure for deciding the future of AI and used it to kind of block what he was trying to do.Andrew Keen: What are the implications for OpenAI's competitors? There's obviously Anthropic. Microsoft, we talked about a little bit, although it's a partner and a competitor simultaneously. And then of course there's Google. I assume this is all good news for the competition. And of course XAI.Keach Hagey: It is good news, especially for a company like XAI. I was just speaking to an XAI investor today who was crowing. Yeah, because those companies don't have this weird structure. Only OpenAI has this strange nonprofit structure. So if you are an investor who wants to have some exposure to AI, it might just not be worth the headache to deal with the uncertainty around the nonprofit, even though OpenAI is like the clear leader. It might be a better bet to invest in Anthropic or XAI or something else that has just a normal for-profit structure.Andrew Keen: Yeah. And it's hard to actually quote unquote out-Trump, Elon Musk on economic subterfuge. But Altman seems to have done that. I mean, Musk, what he folded X into XAI. It was a little bit of controversy, but he seems to got away with it. So there is a deep hostility between these two men, which I'm assuming is being compounded by this process.Keach Hagey: Absolutely. Again, this is a win for Elon. All these legal cases and Elon trying to buy OpenAI. I remember that bid a few months ago where he actually put a number on it. All that was about trying to block the for-profit conversion because he's trying to stop OpenAI and its tracks. He also claims they've abandoned their mission, but it's always important to note that it's coming from a competitor.Andrew Keen: Could that be a way out of this seeming box? Keach, a company like XAI or Microsoft or Google, or that probably wouldn't happen on the antitrust front, would buy OpenAI as maybe a nonprofit and then transform it into a for-profit company?Keach Hagey: Maybe you and Sam should get together and hash that out. That's the kind ofAndrew Keen: Well Sam, I'm available to be hired if you're watching. I'll probably charge less than your current consigliere. What's his name? Who's the consiglieri who's working with him on this?Keach Hagey: You mean Chris Lehane?Andrew Keen: Yes, Chris Lehane, the ego.Keach Hagey: Um,Andrew Keen: How's Lehane holding up in this? Do you think he's getting any sleep?Keach Hagey: Well, he's like a policy guy. I'm sure this has been challenging for everybody. But look, you are pointing to something that I think is real, which is there will probably be consolidation at some point down the line in AI.Andrew Keen: I mean, I know you're not an expert on the maybe sort of corporate legal stuff, but is it in theory possible to buy a nonprofit? I don't even know how you buy a non-profit and then turn it into a for-profit. I mean is that one way out of this, this cul-de-sac?Keach Hagey: I really don't know the answer to that question, to be honest with you. I can't think of another example of it happening. So I'm gonna go with no, but I don't now.Andrew Keen: There are no equivalents, sorry to interrupt, go on.Keach Hagey: No, so I was actually asking a little bit, are there precedents for this? And someone mentioned Blue Cross Blue Shield had gone from being a nonprofit to a for-profit successfully in the past.Andrew Keen: And we seem a little amused by that. I mean, anyone who uses US health care as a model, I think, might regret it. Your book, The Optimist, is out in a couple of weeks. When did you stop writing it?Keach Hagey: The end of December, end of last year, was pencils fully down.Andrew Keen: And I'm sure you told the publisher that that was far too long a window. Seven months on Silicon Valley is like seven centuries.Keach Hagey: It was actually a very, very tight timeline. They turned it around like incredibly fast. Usually it'sAndrew Keen: Remarkable, yeah, exactly. Publishing is such, such, they're such quick actors, aren't they?Keach Hagey: In this case, they actually were, so I'm grateful for that.Andrew Keen: Well, they always say that six months or seven months is fast, but it is actually possible to publish a book in probably a week or two, if you really choose to. But in all seriousness, back to this question, I mean, and I want everyone to read the book. It's a wonderful book and an important book. The best book on OpenAI out. What would you have written differently? Is there an extra chapter on this? I know you warned about a lot of this stuff in the book. So it must make you feel in some ways quite vindicated.Keach Hagey: I mean, you're asking if I'd had a longer deadline, what would I have liked to include? Well, if you're ready.Andrew Keen: Well, if you're writing it now with this news under your belt.Keach Hagey: Absolutely. So, I mean, the thing, two things, I guess, definitely this news about the for-profit conversion failing just shows the limits of Sam's power. So that's pretty interesting, because as the book was closing, we're not really sure what those limits are. And the other one is Trump. So Trump had happened, but we do not yet understand what Trump 2.0 really meant at the time that the book was closing. And at that point, it looked like Sam was in the cold, you know, he wasn't clear how he was going to get inside Trump's inner circle. And then lo and behold, he was there on day one of the Trump administration sharing a podium with him announcing that Stargate AI infrastructure investment. So I'm sad that that didn't make it into the book because it really just shows the kind of remarkable character he is.Andrew Keen: He's their Zelig, but then we all know what happened to Woody Allen in the end. In all seriousness, and it's hard to keep a straight face here, Keach, and you're trying although you're not doing a very good job, what's going to happen? I know it's an easy question to ask and a hard one to answer, but ultimately this thing has to end in catastrophe, doesn't it? I use the analogy of the Titanic. There are real icebergs out there.Keach Hagey: Look, there could be a data breach. I do think that.Andrew Keen: Well, there could be data breaches if it was a non-profit or for-profit, I mean, in terms of this whole issue of trying to have it both ways.Keach Hagey: Look, they might run out of money, right? I mean, that's one very real possibility. They might run outta money and have to be bought by someone, as you said. That is a totally real possibility right now.Andrew Keen: What would happen if they couldn't raise any more money. I mean, what was the last round, the $40 billion round? What was the overall valuation? About $350 billion.Keach Hagey: Yeah, mm-hmm.Andrew Keen: So let's say that they begin to, because they've got, what are their hard costs monthly burn rate? I mean, it's billions of just.Keach Hagey: Well, the issue is that they're spending more than they are making.Andrew Keen: Right, but you're right. So they, let's say in 18 months, they run out of runway. What would people be buying?Keach Hagey: Right, maybe some IP, some servers. And one of the big questions that is yet unanswered in AI is will it ever economically make sense, right? Right now we are all buying the possibility of in the future that the costs will eventually come down and it will kind of be useful, but that's still a promise. And it's possible that that won't ever happen. I mean, all these companies are this way, right. They are spending far, far more than they're making.Andrew Keen: And that's the best case scenario.Keach Hagey: Worst case scenario is the killer robots murder us all.Andrew Keen: No, what I meant in the best case scenario is that people are actually still without all the blow up. I mean, people are actual paying for AI. I mean on the one hand, the OpenAI product is, would you say it's successful, more or less successful than it was when you finished the book in December of last year?Keach Hagey: Oh, yes, much more successful. Vastly more users, and the product is vastly better. I mean, even in my experience, I don't know if you play with it every day.Andrew Keen: I use Anthropic.Keach Hagey: I use both Claude and ChatGPT, and I mean, they're both great. And I find them vastly more useful today than I did even when I was closing the book. So it's great. I don't know if it's really a great business that they're only charging me $20, right? That's great for me, but I don't think it's long term tenable.Andrew Keen: Well, Keach Hagey, your new book, The Optimist, your new old book, The Optimist: Sam Altman, Open AI and the Race to Invent the Future is out in a couple of weeks. I hope you're writing a sequel. Maybe you should make it The Pessimist.Keach Hagey: I think you might be the pessimist, Andrew.Andrew Keen: Well, you're just, you are as pessimistic as me. You just have a nice smile. I mean, in all reality, what's the most optimistic thing that can come out of this?Keach Hagey: The most optimistic is that this becomes a product that is actually useful, but doesn't vastly exacerbate inequality.Andrew Keen: No, I take the point on that, but in terms of this current story of this non-profit versus profit, what's the best case scenario?Keach Hagey: I guess the best case scenario is they find their way to an IPO before completely imploding.Andrew Keen: With the assumption that a non-profit can do an IPO.Keach Hagey: That they find the right lawyers from wherever they are and make it happen.Andrew Keen: Well, AI continues its hallucinations, and they're not in the product themselves. I think they're in their companies. One of the best, if not the best authority, our guide to all these hallucinations in a corporate level is Keach Hagey, her new book, The Optimist: Sam Altman, Open AI and the Race to Invent the Future is out in a couple of weeks. Essential reading for anyone who wants to understand Sam Altman as the consummate salesman. And I think one thing we can say for sure, Keach, is this is not the end of the story. Is that fair?Keach Hagey: Very fair. Not the end of the story. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit keenon.substack.com/subscribe

Carl Peterson, CEO of Thunder Compute uncovers how Thunder Computer is redefining GPU utilization by enabling network-attached virtual GPUs—dramatically slashing costs and democratizing access. Carl shares the startup's Y Combinator origin story, the impact of DeepSeek, and how virtualization is transforming AI development for individuals and enterprises alike. We also unpack GPU security, job disruption from AI, and the accelerating arms race in model development. A must-listen for anyone navigating AI, compute efficiency, and data protection.

Knowledge Project: Read the notes at at podcastnotes.org. Don't forget to subscribe for free to our newsletter, the top 10 ideas of the week, every Monday --------- Most accelerators fund ideas. Y Combinator funds founders—and transforms them. With a 1% acceptance rate and alumni behind 60% of the past decade's unicorns, YC knows what separates the founders who break through from those who burn out. It's not the flashiest résumé or the boldest pitch but something President Garry Tan says is far rarer: earnestness. In this conversation, Garry reveals why this is the key to success, and how it can make or break a startup. We also dive into how AI is reshaping the whole landscape of venture capital and what the future might look like when everyone has intelligence on tap.  If you care about innovation, agency, or the future of work, don't miss this episode.  Approximate timestamps: Subject to variation due to dynamically inserted ads. (00:02:39) The Success of Y Combinator (00:04:25) The Y Combinator Program (00:08:25) The Application Process (00:09:58) The Interview Process (00:16:16) The Challenge of Early Stage Investment (00:22:53) The Role of San Francisco in Innovation (00:28:32) The Ideal Founder (00:36:27) The Importance of Earnestness (00:42:17) The Changing Landscape of AI Companies (00:45:26) The Impact of Cloud Computing (00:50:11) Dysfunction with Silicon Valley (00:52:24) Forecast for the Tech Market (00:54:40) The Regulation of AI (00:55:56) The Need for Agency in Education (01:01:40) AI in Biotech and Manufacturing (01:07:24) The Issue of Data Access and The Legal Aspects of AI Outputs (01:13:34) The Role of Meta in AI Development (01:28:07) The Potential of AI in Decision Making (01:40:33) Defining AGI (01:42:03) The Use of AI and Prompting (01:47:09) AI Model Reasoning (01:49:48) The Competitive Advantage in AI (01:52:42) Investing in Big Tech Companies (01:55:47) The Role of Microsoft and Meta in AI (01:57:00) Learning from MrBeast: YouTube Channel Optimization (02:05:58) The Perception of Founders (02:08:23) The Reality of Startup Success Rates (02:09:34) The Impact of OpenAI (02:11:46) The Golden Age of Building 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 Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠ and get your own private feed. Watch on YouTube: @tkppodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Most accelerators fund ideas. Y Combinator funds founders—and transforms them. With a 1% acceptance rate and alumni behind 60% of the past decade's unicorns, YC knows what separates the founders who break through from those who burn out. It's not the flashiest résumé or the boldest pitch but something President Garry Tan says is far rarer: earnestness. In this conversation, Garry reveals why this is the key to success, and how it can make or break a startup. We also dive into how AI is reshaping the whole landscape of venture capital and what the future might look like when everyone has intelligence on tap.  If you care about innovation, agency, or the future of work, don't miss this episode.  Approximate timestamps: Subject to variation due to dynamically inserted ads. (00:02:39) The Success of Y Combinator (00:04:25) The Y Combinator Program (00:08:25) The Application Process (00:09:58) The Interview Process (00:16:16) The Challenge of Early Stage Investment (00:22:53) The Role of San Francisco in Innovation (00:28:32) The Ideal Founder (00:36:27) The Importance of Earnestness (00:42:17) The Changing Landscape of AI Companies (00:45:26) The Impact of Cloud Computing (00:50:11) Dysfunction with Silicon Valley (00:52:24) Forecast for the Tech Market (00:54:40) The Regulation of AI (00:55:56) The Need for Agency in Education (01:01:40) AI in Biotech and Manufacturing (01:07:24) The Issue of Data Access and The Legal Aspects of AI Outputs (01:13:34) The Role of Meta in AI Development (01:28:07) The Potential of AI in Decision Making (01:40:33) Defining AGI (01:42:03) The Use of AI and Prompting (01:47:09) AI Model Reasoning (01:49:48) The Competitive Advantage in AI (01:52:42) Investing in Big Tech Companies (01:55:47) The Role of Microsoft and Meta in AI (01:57:00) Learning from MrBeast: YouTube Channel Optimization (02:05:58) The Perception of Founders (02:08:23) The Reality of Startup Success Rates (02:09:34) The Impact of OpenAI (02:11:46) The Golden Age of Building 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 Upgrade — If you want to hear my thoughts and reflections at the end of the episode, join our membership: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠fs.blog/membership⁠⁠ and get your own private feed. Watch on YouTube: @tkppodcast Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adit Abraham is the co-founder and CEO of Reducto, which helps leading AI teams extract and structure data from complex documents and spreadsheets in their pipeline. Within 6 months of launching, Reducto went from 0→7 figures in ARR. Reducto has grown to process tens of millions of pages monthly for companies ranging from startups to Fortune 10 enterprises. They just announced a $24M Series A. Before Reducto, Adit was a Product Manager at Google, working on Ads and Search, and conducted machine learning research at MIT's Media Lab. --- In today's episode, we discuss: How listening to customers revealed an opportunity to pivot The weekend project that became Reducto's breakthrough Landing a Fortune 10 customer A technical founder's guide to sales Key insights from Reducto's fundraising journey Advice for founders: “You're going to fail” Much more --- Referenced: Anthropic: https://www.anthropic.com/ Chetan Puttagunta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chetanputtagunta/ Diana Hu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sdianahu/ Liz Wessel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethwessel/ Raunak Chowdhuri: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sauhaarda/ Reducto: https://reducto.ai/ Scale AI: https://scale.com/ Stripe: https://stripe.com/ Textract: https://aws.amazon.com/textract/ Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com/ --- Where to find Adit: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aditabraham/ --- 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: (00:00) Hackathons, YC, and an unexpected pivot (05:23) The weekend project that became Reducto's breakthrough (09:11) How customer signal led to PDF processing (14:46) Landing a Fortune 10 customer (22:42) Building “transferable features” (25:58) How caring beats sales skills in startup growth (30:28) The strategy behind Reducto's horizontal expansion (36:18) Hire slow, go-to-market fast (41:45) A technical founder's guide to sales (43:45) “You're going to fail” (46:27) Why startups win (48:30) Key insights from Reducto's fundraising journey (51:43) Less structure, more impact (55:00) How frustrations shaped Reducto's culture (57:35) The question you should always ask in meetings