Velocity & Vibes: How Enhance Labs Raised Millions Before Building Anything

Episode SummaryWhen Mike Keating and Haziq Nordin founded Enhance Labs, they raised millions without a product, a pitch deck, or even a bank account. Backed by Blackbird and QIC, they became known for their unfiltered takes, chaotic energy, and refusal to ship something they didn’t believe in, even as the rest of the AI world raced to launch.For months, they experimented in the shadows, building, pivoting, and learning why most AI startups were destined to fail. Then came the breakthrough: a way to let every user design their own personal internet, a “living interface” that could reshape how humans interact with software.In this episode, Mike and Haziq share why they chose velocity and vibes over hype, how playfulness and curiosity became their competitive edge, and why founders must know when not to finish something. They break down what AI products will collapse by 2026, the open problems that still need a Nobel Prize, and why the next wave of innovation will come from the weird ones, the teams laughing the loudest while everyone else plays safe.Resources🙋‍♂️ Mike Keating: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikekeating/🤖 Haziq Nordin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haziq-nordin-1a6623107/🚀 Enhance Labs: https://enhancelabs.ai/In the Blink of AI is made possible by our wonderful partnersDeelGlobal hiring and payroll can be a headache. Deel brings HR, IT and payroll together in one platform, helping companies including Shopify, Revolut and ElevenLabs scale internationally.Ready to expand your business?Build your global team with Deel at deel.com/dayone. ✨ Connect with Georgie HealyWeekly Substack: https://georgiehealy.substack.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georginahealy/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georginahealytech/The Day One NetworkIn The Blink of AI is part of Day One, the podcast network dedicated to founders, operators & investors.Sign up to get your weekly insights into the up-and-coming AI startups: https://dayone.fm/newsletter Mentioned in this episode:Vanta Ad_BAI Jul25Vanta Ad_BAI Jul25Vanta Ad_BAI Jul25Deel x PX_Post Intro