[Ep. 53] My AI Startup Yells at You w/ Nancy Zheng

What would it take to walk away from a high-paying role as Head of Engineering at a top tech company? For Nancy, it came down to one question: Can I see myself in the company leadership’s shoes 10 years from now—and feel excited about it?The answer was no. She didn’t envy their path, and that realization gave her the clarity to break the golden handcuffs and launch her own startup. In this episode, Nancy shares how she built Hachi AI, an AI platform that offers advice from different personalities.We talk about how to validate AI products, navigate early-stage pivots, and why she believes startups are better positioned than big tech to push the boundaries of consumer-facing AI.Thinking about your next big career move in hashtag#AI? This conversation is for you.01:17 AI should have a personality03:19 Experience at Google04:49 ‪@Neurosama‬ 07:36 Technical innovations start with B2C not B2B11: 02 Test your idea in person15:05 Cultivate your network19:31 How I decided to jump careers26:28 Does your 10 year vision excite you?29:11 Financial stability before the big leap