Founders and Builders

If you're building a business with AI, having a great product is only the beginning.You also need to understand infrastructure, distribution, capital, hiring, commercial strategy, and how to build the right team around you.In this live episode of Founders & Builders, I sat down with Ben Richardson, VP Strategy at CoreWeave, at the Project Europe Hackathon in Barcelona, surrounded by 80+ young builders hacking through the night.CoreWeave is one of the fastest-scaling companies in AI infrastructure, powering some of the world’s leading AI labs and building what it calls the Essential Cloud for AI.This conversation is really about what founders can learn from that journey. Ben shares why CoreWeave was purpose-built for AI workloads, how the company thinks about scaling internationally, why M&A can be a powerful tool when you’re moving fast, and why technical founders need to surround themselves with people who are strong in finance, commercial strategy, risk, and operations.We also talk about why CoreWeave showed up at Project Europe Hack Barcelona, not just as a sponsor, but to support the next generation of European technical founders with compute, advice, and access.Chapters:00:00 Welcome to the Project Europe Hack Barcelona01:19 Backing Europe’s next generation of AI builders04:01 Inside CoreWeave’s hypergrowth and international strategy05:32 Why AI needed a purpose-built cloud06:48 What founders can learn from CoreWeave’s M&A and scaling playbook

Europe doesn’t need more people saying it should build products and start companies. It needs more rooms where people actually do it.We just got back from a live Founders & Builders episode at Project Europe's Barcelona hackathon — with 90 of Europe’s best builders hacking through the night.I wanted to sit down with Kitty Mayo and Jade Yarrow and learn how YOU can get involved in their next big hack. If you're thinking about building a company in Europe, you might want them on your cap table.Project Europe is also a startup... so we also get into their early days having been backed by Harry Stebbings and Kieran Hill and the 20VC team, now with over 200 European founders funding the next gen of companies.and thanks to all the partners that came down for the hack! THEKER Robotics Clay Preply Biorce Cala Ben Richardson Ben CarterFounders & Builders is sponsored by the awesome CoreWeave - the Essential Cloud for AI.

Joe and David are the founders of Asteroid, a YC-backed startup building AI browser agents that can automate real work inside the tools we use every day.In this episode, we go deep on why browser agents are such a big deal and what it really takes to get AI agents into the real world and how YOU can take advantage of them.We also unpack their journey through Entrepreneur First and Y Combinator, the hard pivots they made along the way, why most AI startups risk becoming consultancies, and what happens to jobs when agents start doing more and more of the work.Chapters:00:00 Intro01:47 The power of using AI agents05:21 From fraud agents → the Asteroid idea06:16 How to make your agents reliable09:51 What Asteroid actually does (build, run, monitor agents)13:25 Finding product-market fit19:26 AI safety and supervision at Deepmind28:57 Staying at the frontier of AI agents34:23 Founder lessons and the future of work⭐ Listener Suggestion – CoreWeave – https://www.coreweave.com/👍 Why subscribe?If you build, code, invest or care about the future of AI, startups and creative technology, this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you when new episodes drop 🔔#AI #startups #founders #agents #automation

Satellites scan the Earth thousands of times every day, powering AI, defence, and disaster response. But there’s a critical problem that not many people know about, but that our modern world is hindered by.In this episode of Founders & Builders, I sit down with Michael Stanway and Joe Griffiths, founders of The Compression Company, who are solving one of the hardest problems in modern infrastructure: how to move massive amounts of satellite and sensor data efficiently.We cover:- The biggest opportunities in space tech right now- Their experience moving to San Francisco as first-time founders- The “watermelon through a straw” problem of satellite data- How they raised a $3.4M round in 10 daysChapters:00:00 - Intro01:40 - The biggest problem in space and Satellite technology06:10 - How we use satellite data every day 11:46 - Entrepreneur First: Finding your co-founder14:54 - The Residency: Live & work with other founders in San Francisco18:58 - Raising $3.4M in 10 days (how they did it)21:23 - Building a compression factory for all data types31:07 - Founder wisdom: Focus ONLY on solving the most important problem38:37 - The Compression Company are hiring (reach out to them)Topics covered:Satellite data • Space tech • Data compression • AI infrastructure • Defence tech • Climate monitoring • Startup fundraising • Deep tech👉 Subscribe for weekly conversations with founders building the infrastructure behind the next generation of technology.

If you’re thinking about starting a business in 2026, or you’ve had an idea sitting in the back of your mind that you haven’t acted on yet... this video is for you.Over the last six months, I’ve interviewed 30 founders and investors on the Founders & Builders podcast. Collectively, the companies they’ve built are worth over $110 billion... and after analysing those conversations, one clear pattern kept coming up.Every successful startup goes through the same five steps, and none of it is magic. You can totally do it too.In this episode, I’ll walk you through that playbook so you can see exactly where you are, and what actually matters at each stage:Chapters:00:00 - Why NOW is the time to start your business01:51 - Step 1: Finding your startup idea & co-founder06:30 - Step 2: Raising investment (and whether you should)09:34 - Step 3: Winning your first customers15:24 - Step 4: Scaling your company (adding fuel on the fire)19:41 - Step 5: Mastering your founder mindset23:09 - What's coming up in 2026Everything you’ll hear comes directly from founders who’ve built real companies, including the people behind Google Maps, Weights & Biases, Harvey AI, and investors from CRV, Hoxton Ventures, and B Capital.If you’ve ever felt late, behind, or unsure whether now is the right time — you’re not alone. And chances are, you’re probably earlier than you think.Don’t forget to subscribe 🔔 And after you've finished watching the video, get back to building ;)#startup #founder #venturecapital #technology #entrepreneur

Henrik Djurestal is the founder of Vorker.ai - a deep AI coworker built specifically for the smallest businesses: one to ten-person teams who need leverage, not headcount.Fresh off raising a €700,000 pre-seed round, Henrik breaks down why deep AI agents will transform small business operations, and why the next entrepreneurial wave won’t be no-code, it will be AI co-workers running entire workflows end-to-end.From automating admin and outreach to drafting contracts, generating designs and handling integrations across thousands of tools, Vorker is building the future of how tiny teams operate. Henrik also shares candid lessons from raising as a solo founder, the challenges of selling a horizontal AI product, and why traction beats pitch decks every time.CHAPTERS:00:18 – Introducing Vorker.ai and the €700k Pre-Seed Round00:57 – What Vorker.ai Actually Does for 1–10 Person Businesses01:39 – How Deep AI Agents Work Inside Vorker02:26 – Using Off-the-Shelf Models vs Training Your Own03:25 – The Future of AI Co-Workers for Small Businesses05:14 – Real Tasks Vorker Can Automate Across a Business06:50 – Hiring the Team and the Vorker “Secret Code” Challenge09:06 – Lessons from Fundraising as a Solo Founder11:29 – What Comes Next: Closed Beta, Open Beta and Seed PlansA huge thank you to Henrik for joining us live at Slush - a brilliant conversation with a founder building in one of the most explosive new categories in AI.#foundersandbuilders #henrikdjurestal #vorkerai #aicoworkers #startups #slush

Sam Sihvonen is the CEO of Solu - a precision genomics platform helping hospitals and institutions detect, prevent and control infections before they spread.What began as a diagnostics-focused tool has rapidly expanded across major verticals from food safety and agriculture to pharma, industrial bio and research. Sam and the team believe Solu can become a company that reshapes how we identify and stop infectious threats in the real world.From the economics of drug development, to the global risk of antibiotic resistance, Sam explains why the world urgently needs better tools - and why Solu is already making a measurable impact.Chapters:00:00 Intro01:12 Big verticals in genomics01:42 Why this could become a massive company02:25 The Slush talk with Enveda03:10 Why biotech execution is so hard04:05 Why no $1T biotech exists (yet)04:50 Drug development timelines + costs05:32 The antibiotic crisis06:21 What success looks like for Solu08:02 Early customers + real-world usage08:45 Advice to early-stage founders09:18 Raising the ceiling on your ambition10:02 How Slush drives bigger thinkingHuge thanks to Sam for making the time!#foundersandbuilders #samsihvonen #solu

Lars Rasmussen went from being a broke founder after the dot-com crash to co-founding Google Maps, one of the most important products on the modern internet.Today, billions of people use Google Maps every day without thinking twice.In this episode, Lars shares:• How Google Maps accidentally went viral before launch and nearly overwhelmed Google’s infrastructure• Why speed, not features, was the real unlock that changed everything• How a failed VC raise directly led to selling the company to Google• What it was like building on the web before smartphones, APIs or modern tooling• Why founders today have more leverage than ever, yet still feel late• His shift from builder to ecosystem builder and why he’s now creating Panathenea, a major founder conference in AthensChapters:01:30 - The Google Maps Story07:36 - Larry Page Discussion08:46 - How Widely Google Maps is Used11:15 - Growth Challenges15:28 - 10 Millions Users on Day One!16:29 - Panathenea28:00 - Advice To Young Founders⭐ Listener Suggestion Of The Week – Canvahttps://www.canva.com/👍 Why subscribe?If you build companies, invest in startups, or care about technology shaping the future, this channel is for you.🔔 Subscribe and turn notifications on so you never miss an episode.#GoogleMaps #LarsRasmussen #Startups #Founders #TechHistory #Entrepreneurship

Ali Parsa is the CEO of Quadrivia - an AI company creating real-time clinical agents that automate 20 to 30 percent of a clinician’s workload. The goal is simple: reduce the global shortage of medical expertise by turning routine, repetitive clinical tasks into safe, regulated AI services.Ali’s mission is shaped by decades of building at the frontier of healthcare. Before Quadrivia, he founded CIRCLE (now the UK’s largest hospital group) and Babylon, which served millions of patients globally and pioneered AI triage and digital-first care.A huge thank you to Ali for joining us at Slush - this was an honest & deeply inspiring discussion about the future of AI in global health.Chapters:00:18 – What Quadrivia Does Explained Simply01:23 – The Fundamental Problem in Global Healthcare02:33 – Building Safe, Real-Time Clinical AI04:27 – From Circle to Babylon to Quadrivia06:13 – Lessons From Failure and Europe’s Founder Culture08:00 – Ali’s Story: Becoming a Refugee at Sixteen09:41 – How Ali Uses AI and the Future of Clinical Agents11:17 – Reflections, Resilience and Advice to His Younger Self#quadrivia #aliparsa

James Green went from a small industrial town in Redditch to becoming a General Partner at CRV, one of the oldest and most respected venture funds in the world.In this special episode filmed in San Francisco, we unpack the real story behind how he got there - and the philosophy that’s shaped the founders he backs.James doesn’t care about pedigrees. He cares about scrappiness, conviction and people who do exactly what they say they’ll do.James has built a career on backing the underdog – the founders everyone else underestimates.Chapters:(00:00) Venture Capitalists and Cyber Security(10:26) Future Challenges in Cyber Security(18:56) Early Startup Experience and Transition(25:40) The Power of Cold Emailing(30:50) Insightful Insights on Startup Investing(40:17) Venture Capital and Company Scaling(48:33) Optimizing Startup Funding Processes(57:18) San Francisco Tech Culture Insights(01:04:07) Life Lessons and Urgency⭐ Listener Suggestion Of The Week - Ramp - https://ramp.com/👍 Why subscribe?If you build, code, invest or care about the future of AI, startups or developer tools, this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so you never miss new episodes.#coldemail #jamesgreen #venturecapital

Companies that win are the ones who master go-to-market faster than anyone else - even if it feels uncomfortable, risky or counterintuitive.Mirko Novakovic is the co-founder & CEO of Dash0 - the platform helping engineering teams ship faster by eliminating the complexity and noise around modern software observability.Before Dash0, Mirko built and scaled multiple high-growth companies. Today, he’s applying those lessons to a new category and teaching founders why revenue is the only real feedback that matters.From understanding sales math, to hiring ahead of growth, to pushing against the safety-first mindset many founders default to, Mirko breaks down why speed wins, how to be your own salesperson #1 and what it really takes to get to that first million in revenue.Chapters:00:00 Intro01:45 The sales math every founder must know03:10 Why you must hire 12 months ahead04:32 The burn + risk problem in high growth06:00 Why founders must sell early07:20 Conversations vs real revenue08:42 How to ask questions that close deals10:05 Getting to the first $1M in revenue11:32 When to hire sales and add fuel to the fire13:00 The mindset shift every technical founder needsHuge thanks to Mirko for making the time!#dash0 #mirkonovakovic

In this episode, Lukas opens up about the real story behind W&B’s $1.7B acquisition, what it was like inside early OpenAI, why most founders move far too slowly, and the surprising truth that you’re almost always earlier than you think.Lukas breaks down how W&B became the default toolset for the world’s best ML engineers, the strategy behind seeding researchers, why platforms often fail, and the singular advantage of being “in a rush”. He also shares lessons from Travis Kalanick, what founders consistently get wrong, and how becoming a parent changed his leadership.If you care about AI, startups, product craftsmanship or developer tools, this episode is a masterclass.Don’t forget to subscribe 🔔Chapters:00:00 Intro – The gold rush of AI01:18 From CrowdFlower to OpenAI02:54 The insight: data beats algorithms04:47 Joining OpenAI as an unpaid intern07:57 The origin story of Weights & Biases09:03 Getting the first 100 users11:00 “You think you're late, but you're probably early”12:56 Fundraising: CrowdFlower vs W&B16:45 Building for builders, not platforms17:22 Why seeding researchers made W&B win22:10 Advice most founders get wrong37:15 Breaking through ‘paper walls’44:56 What it was all for⭐ Listener Suggestion – CoreWeave - https://www.coreweave.com/Why subscribe?If you build, code, invest or care about the future of AI, startups or developer tools, this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so you never miss new episodes.#AI #startups #wandb #founders #machinelearning #openai

We sat down with one of the most forward-thinking leaders in modern biotech!Dr. Dan Wee is the Chief Execution Officer (CEO) at Enveda Biosciences Enveda is challenging the traditional pharma model. Instead of operating several steps removed from real patients, Dan and the team are building medicines grounded in what people actually feel, experience and need.Since Enveda’s founding at the height of the pandemic, Dan has helped guide the company through the turbulence of biotech cycles while staying focused on one mission: developing the best medicines, as fast and as safely as possible.Chapters:00:00 Intro01:05 The energy of founders + VCs01:45 What Enveda actually does02:41 Mapping life’s chemistry03:38 The first year building Enveda04:50 Founding biotech during the pandemic05:27 Staying focused through turbulent markets06:20 The gap between pharma and real patients07:14 How Enveda bridges that gap08:20 Why chronic diseases need new medicines09:12 Modernity, antibiotics, and unexpected consequences10:03 Building for patients who live with conditions dailyHuge thanks to Dan for making the time!#foundersandbuilders #danwee #slush2025

Yanda Erlich is a serial founder, early Weights & Biases investor, and former Coatue GP who’s helped build and back some of the most important companies in AI.In this episode, Yanda breaks down what really gets founders through hard times, why trend-chasing kills startups, how to find the work that feels effortless, and why the best markets start off looking “sneaky small”. He also shares his journey from Google to founding multiple companies, investing early in W&B, and how meditation shapes his decision-making.As always, if you enjoy this episode, make sure to like and subscribe 🔔Chapters:00:00 Intro02:10 What gets founders through dark times05:40 Trend-chasing vs authentic problems09:15 Effortless work and founder-market fit12:50 The “Cheesecake Factory” problem of choice16:05 How to pick the right market19:20 Yanda’s founder journey23:40 Quitting Google to build his first startup27:50 Becoming an investor31:10 Investing early in Weights & Biases35:00 Sneaky big markets38:45 AI agencies to in-house teams42:20 Meditation and founder mindset46:15 Permissionless leverage in 202550:30 What it’s all for⭐ Listener Suggestion - Lightricks - https://www.lightricks.com/👍 Why subscribe?If you build, code, invest or care about the future of AI, startups and creative technology, this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you when new episodes drop 🔔#startups #AI #founders #productmarketfit

Tom Wehmeier from Atomico joined us just hours after stepping off stage, where he presented the annual State of European Tech report - now in its 11th year. This year's message was clear: Europe is experiencing a genuine awakening. Ambition is rising, execution is accelerating, and the ecosystem is producing breakout successes at a rate we’ve never seen before.This conversation dives into the data, the momentum, and the missions required for Europe to build not just $100B companies, but trillion-euro giants.Chapters:00:00 – Introduction00:16 – Europe’s Mindset Shift & the 2025 “Awakening”01:13 – What Is Lovable?01:20 – The Fastest-Growing Company in History02:18 – Europe’s Unicorn Surge & a $4T Ecosystem03:25 – The Funding Reality: Europe vs the US04:54 – Mission 1: Fix the Friction05:34 – Mission 2: Empower Talent05:56 – Mission 3: Fund the Future06:45 – Mission 4: Champion Risk Culture07:12 – Why Europe Loses Growth Rounds08:35 – The One Takeaway: Now Is the Best Time to Build08:49 – What Founders Can Take Advantage Of in Europe09:36 – The New Wave of European Entrepreneurship10:21 – Zero-to-One Tools: Lovable, Framer & More10:36 – Products Built Entirely on Lovable10:52 – The Final Question: Three Dream Investments11:37 – Context Switching: Why Slush Changes How You See the WorldHuge thanks to Tom for joining us!Make sure to check out Atomico's work here: https://atomico.com/#slush2025 #foundersandbuilders #europeantech #saas #ai #venturecapital

Yesterday at Slush 2025, we sat down with one of the most seasoned investors in the global venture landscape.Eric Liaw is a General Partner at IVP - the multi-billion-dollar firm behind companies like Coinbase, Supercell, Snapchat, and Zynga. Since joining IVP in 2011, Eric has partnered with some of the world’s most exceptional founders, backing category-defining businesses across consumer, B2B, infrastructure, gaming and more.Chapters:00:00 – Introduction00:25 – What Is “Keynote Bingo”?01:01 – Competing With Foundation Models01:47 – Freemium Pressure & Surviving Big Tech02:07 – IVP’s History & Eric’s Journey02:55 – What Great Founders Have in Common04:00 – Sectors IVP Is Watching Closely05:19 – How Founders Should Ask for Feedback06:45 – Hardest Early-Stage Problems07:48 – How To Run a Fundraising Process08:43 – Building Long-Term Investor Relationships09:46 – Advice Eric Would Give His Younger Self Huge thanks to Eric for making the time!#slush2025 #foundersandbuilders #ericliaw #ivp #venturecapital

Today, we’re joined at Slush 2025 by someone right at the centre of one of the most influential AI companies in the world.Gabe Pereyra is the co-founder and President of Harvey - the legal AI powerhouse now used by more than 700 customers across 58 countries. Harvey is changing how legal teams operate, from major law firms to in-house teams, by giving them AI that’s fast, reliable, and actually built for the way lawyers work. Gabe comes to us straight off the back of a major announcement here at Slush: a new partnership with ElevenLabs, unveiled on stage with Harvey investor Ilya Fushman, who led their Series B.If you want to find out more about what Gabe and the team are doing at Harvey, click here: https://www.harvey.ai/Chapters:00:00 – Introduction00:08 – The Origin of Harvey00:55 – Why Legal?01:47 – Landing the First 100 Users02:31 – How the Product has Evolved03:53 – Lessons from DeepMind & Meta05:07 – The Future of Law Firms06:05 – Scaling Harvey: Biggest Surprises07:17 – Fundraising Journey07:57 – Advice for Founders08:25 – Advice to His Younger Self09:30 – Harvey are hiring!Big thanks to Gabe for stopping by - and enjoy the rest of Slush.#slush2025 #foundersandbuilders #gabepereyra #harveyai

Hussein Kanji breaks down exactly how world-class investors spot billion-dollar companies before anyone else - from identifying new categories to understanding when technological, cultural, or regulatory shifts create once-in-a-generation opportunities.👉 If you enjoyed this clip - make sure to watch the full episode with Hussein Kanji!📌 Chapters00:00 – How Hoxton chooses the right companies to back00:25 – What creates new markets: cultural, tech, and regulatory shifts01:18 – Predictive markets, Polymarket02:37 – Why the bridge back to Silicon Valley really matters03:15 – Europe vs US: can Europe produce the global winner?03:35 – Winner-take-most markets (Bebo, Myspace, Meta)04:39 – Spotify, Apple Music, Amazon — and why Spotify won05:31 – Why European tech is the exception — and how winners emerge05:52 – How Spotify actually cracked the market06:23 – Where VCs get it wrong06:49 – Relaxing constraints vs sticking to your framework06:50 – The painful misses: Monzo and Revolut07:08 – How pattern-matching can mislead investors👍 Why subscribe? Real, unfiltered lessons from the world’s top founders and investors - no hype, no fluff, just what actually drives companies to break out.🔔 Hit the bell so you don’t miss new episodes 🔔#hoxtonventures #husseinkanji #startups #founders #venturecapital #europeantech

Yaron Inger is a co-founder of Lightricks, the team behind Facetune and LTX Studio, the company that helped make highquality, mobile creative tools mainstream and is now building video foundation models.In this episode, Yaron explains how Lightricks went from a five-person garage team building Facetune to training LTXV, why they chose to open source their video model, the product principles that make creative tools feel delightful, and what the future of AI-generated video means for Hollywood, advertising and everyday creators.As always, if you enjoy this episode, make sure to like and subscribe 🔔Chapters00:00 Intro02:15 Yaron’s journey05:40 Early Lightricks vision09:10 Facetune breakthrough12:35 Creativity vs tech16:20 Scaling creator tools19:55 Product intuition24:10 Building LTXV27:45 AI video today31:20 The realism problem35:05 Open source moment39:30 Community collaboration43:15 AI in Hollywood47:50 Cost to create video52:30 The future of storytelling⭐ Listener Suggestion - Suno - https://suno.com/home👍 Why subscribe?If you build, create, make ads, or care about the future of storytelling and how generative video will change production, distribution and product design, this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you when new episodes drop 🔔#startups #AI #generativeAI #video #founders #productdesign

Leo Ubbiali breaks down the biggest founder traps - from false validation and startup hype, to learning the hard truth at Y Combinator: the only signal that matters is money in the bank.👉 Watch the full conversation to understand why distribution beats product in the early days and why founders need to stop overthinking and start selling.📌 Chapters00:00 – The trap of overthinking as a founder00:57 – Why “this is so cool” is a red flag01:38 – The only validation that matters: money02:51 – Understanding incentives in startup advice03:59 – The problem with startup hype culture04:39 – Selling before building vs. building before selling05:20 – Why founders must do things that don’t scale👍 Why subscribe? Real, unfiltered lessons from founders who’ve built, failed, and learned what actually drives startups forward — without the hype.🔔 Hit the bell so you don’t miss new episodes 🔔#ycombinator #leoubbiali #business

Hussein Kanji is one of Europe’s most influential tech investors.As the founder of Hoxton Ventures, he’s backed companies like Deliveroo, Darktrace, and UiPath long before they were household names.In this episode, Hussein explains how to spot breakout founders before the rest of the world sees their potential, why Europe’s startup scene is only just getting started, and what it really takes to build generational companies from zero to $300 million and beyond.As always, if you enjoy this episode, make sure to like and subscribe 🔔Chapters(00:00) Intro(00:52) The birth of Hoxton Ventures(02:47) Europe’s first wave of VC funds(05:17) Why Europe is just getting started(05:41) Finding the next breakout founder(07:54) The bridge back to California(08:52) Winner-take-all markets(11:40) What great outcomes look like(12:26) The deals that got away(13:24) Deep tech and rare earth minerals(17:20) How to spot change before it happens(18:57) Building networks and expert circles(22:38) Interlude: n8n(23:36) How AI is changing venture investing(28:13) Lessons from 12 years of VC(29:41) Why founders must expand to the US(30:59) What UiPath got right(34:39) Don’t sell too early(35:22) What early-stage founders get wrong(38:16) Building for customers, not VCs(41:29) How to build a fund(42:52) Why social signalling matters(45:25) The balance between conviction and consensus(47:53) Fundraising is social engineering(51:13) The biggest regrets(54:45) How to make better decisions as a fund(56:33) Book recommendation: Careless People(58:51) What it was all for⭐ Listener Suggestion – Software of the Week: https://n8n.io/👍 Why subscribe?If you build, invest in, or advise startups — or just care about how billion-dollar companies are spotted before they’re obvious — this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you when new episodes drop 🔔#startups #venturecapital #AI #deeptech #founders

Steve Phillips, CEO of Zappi, breaks down the evolution from a traditional services business to a scalable product company - and what AI means for the future of agencies, consultancies, and insights firms.He explains why services businesses are “fun to work in but awful to run,” how valuation multiples differ between people-based and product-based models, and why agentic AI systems could reshape the entire industry by making teams exponentially more productive.👉 Watch the full conversation for why the next generation of agencies will look more like SaaS companies than service providers.📌 Chapters00:00 – Building a services vs product business00:57 – Why services businesses are hard to scale01:38 – The valuation gap between services and SaaS02:51 – Why tech companies are valued higher03:59 – How AI agents will transform service models04:39 – The future of hybrid teams: humans + AI05:20 – Why “bread and butter” agency work will disappear👍 Why subscribe? Real stories and insights from founders and innovators redefining how technology reshapes business models and the future of work.🔔 Hit the bell so you don’t miss new episodes 🔔#AI #Startups #Innovation #BusinessTransformation #SaaS #Entrepreneurship #AgencyLife #FutureOfWork #Automation #ProductStrategy #Zappi

Leo Ubbiali has built AI and data systems at Babylon Health, MoonPay, and Y Combinator. Now he’s the founder of Visum Labs, helping companies use AI and data to drive real business outcomes.In this episode, Leo explains how the best startups think about data, why most AI projects fail before they start, and what YC taught him about building fast, selling early, and quitting smarter.As always, if you enjoy this episode, make sure to like and subscribe 🔔Chapters(00:00) Intro(00:51) The AI moment(02:18) Inside Babylon Health(04:52) Scaling telehealth(06:05) MoonPay and the crypto boom(08:13) Turning data into revenue(10:09) Pricing and elasticity(11:14) What data really means(15:54) YC and the bias for action(19:17) Sell before you build(23:14) Stop overthinking(31:41) Knowing when to quit(34:12) Metrics that matter(38:31) Building Visum Labs(42:39) Why AI projects fail(49:39) Services vs software(53:17) The next big AI opportunity(59:25) Whose advice matters(01:02:38) What it was all for⭐ Listener Suggestion – Software of the Week: https://elevenlabs.io/👍 Why subscribe?If you build products, lead teams, or care about scaling real businesses with AI, data and ruthless decision making - this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you when new episodes drop 🔔#startups #AI #data #founders #YC #bootstrapping #consulting #product #fintech #healthtech #quitting

Michael Young, co-founder and CEO of Lindus Health, explains why traditional CROs (Contract Research Organisations) are slowing down medical progress — and how Lindus Health is redesigning the system to make research faster, smarter, and more efficient.He breaks down how the old incentive model keeps costs high and timelines long, why Lindus Health calls itself an “anti-CRO”, and how their integrated platform aligns incentives, automates workflows, and brings a SaaS-style mindset to biotech.👉 Watch the full conversation for how Lindus Health is helping founders build agile, data-driven biotech companies.📌 Chapters00:00 – What CROs actually do01:12 – Why CRO incentives are broken01:58 – How Lindus Health began03:05 – Why they chose not to become a CRO04:37 – The “anti-CRO” model explained05:38 – Selling research as a product06:16 – Making biotech work like SaaS07:59 – The agile future of biotech👍 Why subscribe?Real stories and insights from founders and innovators redefining how science moves faster and how technology is reshaping the future of health.🔔 Hit the bell so you don’t miss new episodes 🔔#Biotech #Startups #Innovation #HealthTech #LindusHealth #Entrepreneurship #Agile #CRO #MedicalResearch

Steve Phillips is the founder of Zappi - a consumer insight platform used by Pepsi, McDonald’s and Vodafone to test ideas before they launch.Zappi has raised over $170 million to transform market research from a slow, manual service into a scalable, automated product. What started as a simple idea has grown into one of the leading data-driven insight platforms in the world.In this episode, Steve shares how he built a tech company without being technical, the hard lessons from raising venture capital too early, and why he believes simplicity and culture beat complexity and control.As always, if you enjoy this episode, make sure to like and subscribe 🔔Chapters:(00:00) Intro(03:07) The idea that started with a bottle of wine(04:32) Turning a service into software(08:26) Building without being technical(10:10) Finding the right co-founder and merging companies(13:15) Early product decisions that created lasting value(15:23) Building culture and staying close to the team(18:07) Why simplicity scales(19:00) From services to product — and why margins matter(23:00) How AI agents are changing the insights industry(26:48) The painful mistakes: custom code, early investors and burnout(30:10) Raising capital - and what went wrong(33:36) Strategic investors and the VC treadmill(35:33) The difference between VC and PE(38:48) Bringing in a new CEO and finding your zone of genius(42:25) Can you build a business if you’re not “technical”?(43:48) Where restless ambition comes from(47:52) Building an ADHD app with his daughter(50:17) The AI revolution in product creation(55:01) From SaaS to Data-as-a-Service(56:34) Why big companies struggle to use AI(58:53) The next generation of founders(59:30) What it was all for⭐ Listener Suggestion – Software of the Week: https://riverside.fm/👍 Why subscribe?If you build products, lead teams, or care about scaling big ideas through tech, data and culture — this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you when new episodes drop 🔔#startups #AI #data #founders #marketresearch #SaaS

Mahdi Yahya is the founder and CEO of Ori Industries, a company building the infrastructure behind the AI revolution.From the invisible cables connecting continents to the GPUs driving today’s most advanced models, Mahdi breaks down how the internet really works - and how AI is reshaping the very foundations of computing.He explains the rise of GPU clouds, the shift from traditional data centres to decentralised infrastructure, and why the future of AI depends on who controls the world’s compute power.👉 Check out the full episode for the complete conversation.📌 Chapters00:00 – How your Instagram like travels the world00:34 – The unseen cables beneath the ocean01:08 – What is edge computing?02:00 – The rise (and fall) of edge infrastructure02:44 – How AI became the defining use case03:42 – The GPU Cloud explained04:40 – Why GPUs became essential for AI06:09 – Training vs inferencing07:11 – The global AI compute race08:31 – The cloud business model powering AI09:03 – Why faster compute means smarter AI👍 Why subscribe? Real stories and insights from founders, engineers, and visionaries building the backbone of tomorrow’s technology and redefining how the world connects, computes, and creates.🔔 Hit the bell so you don’t miss new episodes 🔔#AI #GPUs #CloudComputing #EdgeComputing #StartupStories #TechFounders #MachineLearning

Michael Young is the co-founder of Lindus Health and a former Special Advisor to the UK Prime Minister on life sciences. Lindus has raised $55 million to redesign clinical trials from the ground up - building what Michael calls an “anti CRO” that treats the trial as the product, not a service.In this episode, Michael explains why the real bottleneck in medical progress is the way we test new treatments, how hourly-billed CRO incentives slow everything down, and what a world of real-time, adaptive trials looks like.He also shares the 10% decisions that created 90% of the value, how to keep investors truly aligned, the hiring trade-offs in a regulated industry, and why founders should resist building a “faster horse” and instead change the paradigm.As always, if you enjoy this episode, make sure to like and subscribe 🔔Chapters:(00:00) Intro(02:24) What went wrong during COVID trials(03:48) The CRO incentive problem and rising costs(04:55) What a CRO actually does(06:05) When overruns get rewarded(07:02) Founding story, Negronis, and first principles(08:16) Why “anti CRO” and not just another vendor(09:29) End-to-end partner: integrated tech and fixed pricing(11:10) Make biotech feel like SaaS: agile, parallel, fail fast(14:26) AI discovery vs the clinical bottleneck(15:59) Picks-and-shovels for the AI-biotech wave(16:24) Start simple, then scale complexity and customers(17:58) Choosing customers: digital health vs big pharma(19:05) Why digital health cooled and what still works(20:29) The 10% decisions: end-to-end, adaptive trials, geo setup(21:51) Why start in the UK: trial talent and product hiring(24:49) The pain points: services + tech and hiring fit(26:55) Investor alignment and avoiding SaaS-metric traps(28:41) Running a tight fundraise: time-boxing and intros(31:11) Updates, boards, and radical transparency(32:46) Growth can hide sins: product and ops complexity(34:04) If you were the VC, what would you ask(34:55) 10-year vision: more biotechs, more adaptive trials(35:58) Mental health (36:56) Ethics of speed and shutting down weak arms early(37:30) Don’t build a faster horse: change the trial paradigm(39:02) Big bet inspiration: Palantir, Anduril, Wave(40:18) Switching off(47:45) What was it all for⭐ Listener Suggestion – Software of the Week: https://attio.com/👍 Why subscribe?If you build products, care about evidence, and want the operator’s view on scaling hard things in health and tech, this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you the moment new episodes drop 🔔#Biotech #ClinicalTrials #HealthTech

Steve Peralta is the co-founder of Unmind, a leading workplace mental health platform valued at over $130 million, used by global organisations including Uber, Major League Baseball, and British Airways.Steve opens up about an unexpected period in his life. What began as a sudden feeling of complete disconnection led to months of mental and physical struggle ultimately reshaping how he thinks about wellbeing, balance, and success..👉 Watch the full episode for the complete conversation.📌 Chapters00:00 – The founder who broke down00:13 – The moment everything changed01:11 – Out-of-body experiences and panic attacks02:44 – Searching for answers and uncovering toxicity03:20 – What happens when your body can’t detox05:07 – Health anxiety and losing control05:30 – Reconnecting through nature and stillness05:53 – Redefining wellness and balance06:49 – Journaling, mindfulness, and reflection07:20 – Writing his own eulogy to rediscover purpose👍 Why subscribe?Real stories from founders, creators, and thinkers who’ve hit breaking point - and what they learned rebuilding themselves from the inside out.🔔 Hit the bell so you don’t miss new episodes 🔔#founders #burnout #resilience

Mahdi Yahya is the founder of Ori, the operating system for AI factories - building the invisible layer between artificial intelligence and the physical world.With over 20 years in data centres and internet infrastructure, Mahdi explains how the “content internet” is evolving into the AI internet, why we’re building GPU megaclusters on land and underwater, and how compute itself is becoming modular, sovereign, and global.He also shares the lessons learned from scaling Ori, the people decisions that defined the company, and why the best founders make time to think instead of rushing for growth. As always, if you enjoy this episode, make sure to like and subscribe 🔔Chapters:(00:00) Intro(01:20) What’s changing under the internet’s surface(02:25) From the “content internet” to the AI internet(03:17) Supercomputers at unprecedented scale(05:28) Power math: kW → MW → GW(06:39) Mahdi’s path: data centres → theatre → storytelling(08:35) Filmmakers, craft & learning to see(11:01) Founding Ori: the connective tissue between apps & compute(12:42) Edge computing, CDNs, and why “edge” stalled(15:34) Betting on AI: training vs. inference, why it stuck(17:31) Why GPUs (really): parallelism & accelerated compute(20:24) GPU clouds: CapEx vs. OpEx for AI(22:41) What buyers actually need beyond “just GPUs”(25:34) Rethinking cloud for AI engineers(27:21) Modular cloud & sovereignty (31:55) NVIDIA’s lead, diversification & what’s next(34:55) Where the compute lives today (US → global)(36:13) Privacy, on-prem, and protecting interaction data(39:40) The 10% decisions(42:03) People bets, healthy disagreement & vision custody(47:51) Slow down to think: resisting the growth trap(50:27) Deep tech realities(52:28) “What was it all for?” ⭐ Listener Suggestion – Software of the Week: https://claude.ai👍 Why subscribe? If you sketch product ideas on napkins, obsess over infrastructure choices, or dream of building humane, high-performance teams, this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you the moment new episodes drop 🔔#gpu #mahdiyaya #techpodcast

In this clip, Kevin Costa, founder of Belief Capital, shares why most venture capital funds don’t actually serve founders, how incentive structures create misalignment, and why the future belongs to small, technical teams building at speed.He also explains the opportunity he sees in backing undiscovered talent outside the usual Stanford/Silicon Valley bubble - where some of the most exciting founders of the next decade will come from.👉 Enjoyed this? Watch the full episode for the complete conversation.📌 Chapters00:00 – Are founders building two businesses?01:15 – Why most VC returns are concentrated02:30 – The incentive alignment problem in venture03:20 – Why Kevin started Belief Capital03:50 – Why the best founders are young and technical05:15 – The power of small, lean teams06:20 – Talent is everywhere, but capital isn’t07:10 – The opportunity in “underpriced” talent08:00 – Why the next unicorn might not come from Stanford👍 Why subscribe? If you’re building a startup, thinking about raising capital, or just want a front-row seat to how the next generation of founders will change the world, this channel is for you.🔔 Hit the bell so you don’t miss new episodes 🔔#venturecapital #BeliefCapital #founders #startups #entrepreneurship

At 19, Erifili Gunari built Z-Link, a Gen Z-led agency helping brands like Pepsi, IKEA, and the United Nations actually talk to young people 🚀In this episode of Founders and Builders, Erifili shares how to start before you feel “ready,” turn cold outreach into major press, and use intuition (not permission) to build a life you actually want. We dig into Gen Z behaviors, UGC that performs, and why inbound beats outbound when you’re authentic online.As always, if you enjoyed this episode, make sure to like and subscribe 🔔Chapters:(00:00) Intro(00:59) Why waiting to be “ready” holds you back(01:26) Starting Z-Link at 19: no funding, no playbook(02:50) Spotting the Gen Z agency gap(04:43) What really defines Gen Z (global nuances)(07:00) From brands → people: authenticity and trust(08:49) Increase your surface area for serendipity(10:02) Month 1–12: press hacks that drove inbound(13:53) The cold DM template that got journalists to reply(16:58) Building an inbound magnet with personal brand(18:57) Ideal clients: why “vibe check” beats industry(19:44) ⭐ Listener Suggestion – Software of the Week(20:24) UGC 101: why “real” converts(22:06) Smart UGC collabs: Hinge x Substack writers(23:46) Performance UGC & giving creators freedom(24:54) Scaling UGC: in-house vs. specialist partners(26:20) Repurposing content across platforms (when & how)(28:02) Testing, then boosting: TikTok as the proving ground(29:28) Crystal Clear: starting a blog that resonates(31:58) The theme: distilling complexity into clarity(33:22) Stop outsourcing decisions: trusting yourself(37:30) Intuition vs anxiety: how to tell the difference(41:42) Body signals, big choices, and living your own life(45:36) Getting unstuck: engineer inspiration & momentum(48:28) Find your inspiration triggers (journaling, fitness, space)(49:47) Make it fun: environments that fuel focus(50:56) 30 years from now: what was it all for?⭐ Listeners Suggestion – Software of the Week: https://superpower.com/👍 Why subscribe?If you sketch business ideas on napkins, obsess over product-market fit, or dream of building with creators and community, this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you the moment new episodes drop 🔔#GenZ #Marketing #UGC #Startups #Founders #Entrepreneurship

Steve is the co-founder of Unmind, a workplace mental-health platform that’s raised $80M and scaled to serve companies worldwide. With a background as both a musician and entrepreneur, he’s now helping leaders design cultures where wellbeing and performance go hand in hand. In this episode Steve opens up about the morning his life short-circuited, the five-month breakdown that followed, and what it really takes to build a company without breaking.As always, if you enjoy this episode, make sure to like and subscribe 🔔Chapters:(00:00) Intro(00:59) The morning everything changed(03:01) “Not burnout — a full systems breakdown”(04:30) From musician to startup founder(06:37) Identity vs. the role: Who is Steve beyond “co-founder”?(07:23) Panic, A&E visits, and derealisation(09:54) Heavy metals, genetics & detox pathways(12:14) Healing: nature, rest, and reconnecting(13:23) Foundations: sleep, movement, journaling, morning pages(14:29) The eulogy exercise & values work(16:16) Play, inner child, and curiosity over comparison(18:25) “Not a machine”: Taylorism and the modern workplace(21:09) The two strands that led to Unmind(24:18) Toxic leadership, real costs & the spark to act(26:25) Meeting Nick Taylor and spotting the gap(27:41) Launching Unmind: proactive, stigma-breaking mental health(28:35) Mission vs. growth capital: naming the tension(29:52) Culture quadrants: clan, market, hierarchy, adhocracy(33:41) Polarity mapping: results & wellbeing as co-KPIs(35:12) Trust, visibility & psychological safety from leadership(37:00) Evidence: leadership wellbeing drives performance(38:15) Coaching founders: reconnecting to humanity(39:31) Escaping comparison; widening your sources of meaning(40:38) Steve’s sacred place: the woods and the tree(42:12) “What was it all for?” — honoring life⭐ Listener Suggestion – Software of the Week: Granola (AI meeting notes) - https://www.granola.ai/👍 Why subscribe?If you sketch business ideas on napkins, obsess over product-market fit, or dream of building humane, high-performance teams, this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you the moment new episodes drop 🔔#Startups #Founders #MentalHealth

At 21, Kevin Costa bet his own savings on overlooked founders 🚀That blueprint became Belief Capital, a $20M fund backing young technical teams before the world notices.In this episode of Founders and Builders, Kevin reveals how to spot the next iconic founders, why the future belongs to disagreeable builders, and where the most undervalued talent is hiding.As always, if you enjoyed this episode, make sure to like and subscribe 🔔Chapters:(00:00) Intro(00:59) Kevin’s path into startups and investing(03:51) The blueprint for Belief Capital(04:51) Why founders need peer VCs they can trust(06:48) Institutional vs. peer capital explained(07:54) Why the future belongs to young technical founders(09:49) Talent is global but capital isn’t(13:48) Backing underdog founders: Zilin’s story(15:46) Raising your first round - how to think about it(21:26) What Kevin looks for in great founders(24:56) Why disagreeability and strong worldviews matter(36:59) Legacy, family, and the meaning of it all⭐ Listeners Suggestion - Software of the Week: https://superpower.com/👍 Why subscribe?If you sketch business ideas on napkins, obsess over product‑market fit, or dream of disrupting incumbents with AI, this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you the moment new episodes drop 🔔#Startups #VentureCapital #Founders #Entrepreneurship

Is AI really that powerful? Short answer: yes. Long answer: watch this.In this clip, Dev explains how spotting AI’s real superpower - pattern recognition - led to the creation of NPLAN, an AI company transforming how mega-projects get delivered. What You’ll Learn 👇1. Why most people underestimated AI back in 20162. The real superpower of AI: pattern recognition at scale3. How “unlimited experience” could change entire industries4. The insight that sparked the creation of NPLAN👉 If you enjoyed this, check out the full episode for the complete conversation.⭐ Listeners Suggestion - Software of the Week: https://www.granola.ai/👍 Why subscribe?If you sketch business ideas on napkins, obsess over product‑market fit, or dream of disrupting incumbents with AI, this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you the moment new episodes drop 🔔#constructionai #devamratia #nplan #foundersandbuilders

In this clip, Dev Amratia, co-founder and CEO of NPLAN, breaks down why traditional pricing models don’t capture true value and shares his vision for a future built on ‘bounty pricing.’👉 If you enjoyed this, check out the full episode for the complete conversation.⭐ Listeners Suggestion - Software of the Week: https://www.granola.ai/👍 Why subscribe?If you sketch business ideas on napkins, obsess over product‑market fit, or dream of disrupting incumbents with AI, this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you the moment new episodes drop 🔔#constructionai #devamratia #nplan #foundersandbuilders

“If you build billion-dollar projects on gut feel, you’ll burn billions.”In this episode, Dev Amratia, co-founder of Nplan - explains how AI trained on hundreds of thousands of construction schedules can finally fix why mega-projects run late and over budget. From Shell and Crossrail to grids, hospitals, and railways, Dev breaks down the human biases that wreck timelines and how Nplan’s AI (yes, the assistant’s called Barry) helps teams decide faster, de-risk earlier, and unlock capital for critical infrastructure.What You Will Learn! 👇​ Why humans are bad at forecasting (availability, optimism, salience) and how that snowballs into 40–100% delays​ The Shell story: when uncertainty ruins billion-dollar decisions​ Nplan’s origin: 200+ interviews, The Mom Test, and the data everyone said “you’ll never get”​. Pattern recognition at scale: what AI actually does for construction​ Replacing the services layer: the painful product decision that unlocked scale​ Pricing the unpriceable: toward “bounty” pricing tied to value created​ Public infrastructure focus: why Nplan chose the hardest buyers - and won​ The 10-year view: de-facto risk standard for the built world + more bankable projectsEPISODE CHAPTERS:(00:00) Introduction(10:01) Seeking Allies and Valuable Insights(13:28) Caring and Valuable Insights in Business(22:28) Reducing Uncertainty to Drive Decision-Making(30:50) Building a Successful Software Product(42:50) Innovative Pricing Models for Consulting(48:56) Legacy of Inspiration and Industry⭐ Listeners Suggestion - Software of the Week: https://www.granola.ai/👍 Why subscribe?If you sketch business ideas on napkins, obsess over product‑market fit, or dream of disrupting incumbents with AI, this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you the moment new episodes drop 🔔#constructionai #devamratia #nplan #foundersandbuilders

In this clip, Stephen Whitworth, co-founder of incident.io shares the two biggest decisions that shaped the company’s success - and the hardest challenge every founder eventually faces.He talks about building a revenue-focused product team, ruthlessly dogfooding their own platform, and why hiring remains the most irreducibly complex part of scaling a startup.👉 If you enjoyed this, check out the full episode for the complete conversation.⭐ Listener Suggestion – Software of the Week: https://elevenlabs.io/👤 About StephenStephen Whitworth is the co-founder and CEO of incident.io, a platform that helps teams manage incidents with speed and clarity. A former engineer at Monzo, he’s passionate about customer-centric product building, scaling teams, and solving complex problems through culture and technology.👍 Why subscribe?If you sketch business ideas on napkins, obsess over product-market fit, or dream of disrupting incumbents with AI, this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you the moment new episodes drop 🔔#foundersandbuilders #incidentio #startupgrowth

Stephen Whitworth is the co-founder & CEO of Incident, the company building the emergency response layer for the internet. Before Incident, he saw the cracks firsthand at Monzo - the outages, the midnight firefighting, the broken playbooks. Now, backed by investors like Index, Insight Partners, and Point Nine with $96M raised, Stephen and his team are re-wiring how the world responds when the systems we all rely on suddenly fail.🔍 What You’ll Learn In This Episode:- Why the biggest opportunities often hide inside the biggest problems.- How to validate a high-stakes startup idea when there’s no playbook.- The mindset shift from firefighting problems to designing solutions.- Lessons from raising $96M: what actually matters to top-tier investors.- Why founders should obsess less about “being ready” and more about moving fast.EPISODE CHAPTERS:(00:01) Building a $10 Billion Company(11:54) Early Days of Starting a Business(20:49) Customer Success and Product Growth(29:08) Customer-Centric Product Development Success(36:51) Leveraging Internal Product Use for Growth(43:49) Navigating Board Involvement and Decision-Making(48:39) Managing Growth and Investment Strategy(54:21) Venture Capital and International Expansion(01:00:00) Building a Global Business From Scratch(01:07:15) Motivation in Building Large Companies⭐ Listeners Suggestion - Software of the Week: https://elevenlabs.io/👍 Why subscribe?If you sketch business ideas on napkins, obsess over product‑market fit, or dream of disrupting incumbents with AI, this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you the moment new episodes drop 🔔#stephenwhitworth #incidentio #foundersandbuilders

In this clip, Pinstripe Chris reflects on creativity, discipline, and why life is ultimately about experiences and memories, not just work. He talks about the balance between Rick Rubin’s go-with-the-flow approach and Steven Pressfield’s disciplined mindset, and how both shape his outlook on art and life.👉 If you enjoyed this, check out the full episode for the complete conversation.⭐ Listeners Suggestion - Software of the Week: https://lovable.dev/👤 About Chris“Pinstripe Chris” is an automotive artist who’s built a global brand creating one-off masterpieces for brands like Porsche. From collision shops to California, he’s proof that betting on yourself can change everything.👍 Why subscribe? If you sketch business ideas on napkins, obsess over product‑market fit, or dream of disrupting incumbents with AI, this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you the moment new episodes drop 🔔#foundersandbuilders #pinstripechris #automotiveart

“I’ve never had a problem betting on me.” Chris Dunlop (Pinstripe Chris) Chris built a global brand painting one-off masterpieces for companies like Porsche without art school, safety nets, or a plan B.🔍 What You’ll Learn In This Episode:- Why the boldest investment you can make is in yourself.- The hidden process behind Pinstripe Chris’s “overnight success.”- How to build creative freedom instead of getting stuck chasing paychecks.- The mindset shift that turns mistakes into signatures.- Why the “perfect time” to start never comes - and why that’s your advantage.EPISODE CHAPTERS:(00:02) From Collision Shops to Masterpieces(03:29) From Auto Shops to Artistry(13:09) Finding Success Through Social Media(22:44) Thriving in Car Culture Industry(28:02) Embracing Risk and Rejecting Structure(36:36) The Artistic Journey(43:30) Navigating Artistic Freedom and Risk(53:49) Reflecting on Career Satisfaction and Growth(57:14) Navigating Opportunities and Self-Promotion(01:02:42) Artistic Process and Social Media Marketing(01:13:27) Life Lessons Through Artistic Process(01:18:37) Balancing Creativity and Discipline⭐ Listeners Suggestion - Software of the Week: https://lovable.dev/👤 About Chris“Pinstripe Chris” is an automotive artist who’s built a global brand creating one-off masterpieces for brands like Porsche. From collision shops to California, he’s proof that betting on yourself can change everything.👍 Why subscribe?If you sketch business ideas on napkins, obsess over product‑market fit, or dream of disrupting incumbents with AI, this channel is for you.🔔 Tap the bell so YouTube tells you the moment new episodes drop 🔔#foundersandbuilders #pinstripechris #automotiveart

🚀 “Entire software categories are up for grabs.”Investor Akash Bajwa explains why the next wave of AI‑native startups will rewrite today’s playbooks and how first‑time founders can ride it.What you’ll learnThe three‑layer stack (AI chips → models → apps) and the product & data flywheel that lets tiny startups punch above their weight.A clear framework for deciding “AI‑native or AI‑assist?” for your startup. Why 2025 feels like a 1994‑style inflection point for builders—and how timing alone can hand newcomers a huge edge. Talent‑density tactics: hire “heat‑seeking missiles” and design org charts that scale themselves. The coming surge of autonomous agents and micro‑transactions, plus the strange new business models they unlock.Five bold 2035 predictions that will reshape product, funding, and daily work. ⏱️ Chapters0:00 Intro5:23 What “AI‑native” really means10:34 Designing lean, taste‑driven teams20:30 The vertical stack playbook26:29 Evals as the hidden moat34:57 Agents 101 and the Model Context Protocol39:47 Micro‑payments, macro impact45:22 2035 outlook for founders56:41 Hiring, culture, and rebellious opinions1:04:15 Rapid‑fire takeawaysWhy subscribe? If you sketch business ideas on napkins, obsess over product‑market fit, or dream of disrupting incumbents with AI, this channel is for you. 🔔 Hit subscribe so Spotify tells you the moment new episodes drop 🔔Keywords: AI startup, entrepreneur tips, venture capital, SaaS, Earlybird Venture Capital, Akash Bajwa interview, AI‑native products, vertical integration, talent density, autonomous agents, evals, Founders and Builders podcast, build with AI, startup playbook, how to start a tech company, seed fundraising, product strategy, software innovation.#AI #Startups #Entrepreneurship #Software #VentureCapital

💊 90% of drugs fail. Clinical trials take years. And billions are lost every time.In this episode of Founders & Builders, I sit down with Dr. Olga Kubassova, a mathematician turned biotech investor, and founder of Image Analysis Group — a company using AI-powered imaging biomarkers to reinvent how we measure whether a drug is actually working.We cover:🧠 Why clinical trials are broken — and what needs to change📉 How AI biomarkers let us see disease earlier and treatment faster⚙️ What makes a billion-dollar drug fail — and how we can spot it sooner💡 Olga’s journey from math PhD to advising governments and top pharma🏥 The future of precision medicine and data-driven trialsOne of my favorite moments:“If you can see disease earlier and measure treatment faster — that’s the difference between a failed drug and a billion-dollar success.”This is a conversation about the future of medicine — and how AI is changing everything.

🧬 Most new medicines are billion-dollar bets made in the dark.Charm Therapeutics is changing that — using AI to design drugs that actually work.Laksh Aithani, co-founder and CEO, joins the Founders and Builders podcast to break down how AI is transforming drug discovery — and why Charm raised $50M from Nvidia, General Catalyst, and Khosla Ventures to do it.We talk about:– The wild science behind protein folding– Why most drugs still fail in trials– How Charm slashes R&D timelines using DragonFold– What it really takes to build a biotech company at 27This episode is a window into the future of how medicine gets made.

He built a product from $0 to $1B+ at Google.Now he’s building the integration layer for the AI-first future of SaaS. In this episode of Founders & Builders, I sit down with Romain Sestier, CEO and co-founder of StackOne — the next-gen platform unlocking 3,000+ actions across 200+ SaaS tools for AI agents and enterprise software. We dive into:🧠 Why integrations are now table stakes for SaaS success⚙️ How StackOne is reinventing how AI agents interact with real enterprise tools💥 The biggest problems with today's APIs — and how AI changes everything💡 What Romain learned from scaling billion-dollar SaaS inside Google and Oracle📈 How StackOne raised $20M from GV (Google Ventures), Workday Ventures, XTX, and angels from OpenAI and DeepMindWhether you're building in SaaS, AI infra, or developer tools — this conversation is packed with insight into where software is heading next.

What if banks weren’t built in the 1800s? What if we could start again?David Brear, CEO and founder of 11:FS joins Founders & Builders to unpack what it really means to build digital financial services from scratch—and why most of what exists today is just a “digital facade.”David shares: • The origin story of 11:FS and how they scaled globally • How he spots broken systems ripe for disruption • His lessons on building products that actually matter • Why most corporate innovation labs are failing • The real traits that define world-class founders and teamsWhether you’re a startup founder, product leader, or just fascinated by how financial systems can be reimagined, this episode will shift how you think about building.

Will, Co-Founder of Workflow shares with us his perspective on:Finding the right problems to solve, how to define your vision as a founder, placing the right bets when building your startup and more.Will previously founded Rota, the UK's fastest growing on-demand staffing platform.Follow Will on X/Twitter: x.com/willrftaylor

🎙 Sebastiaan Debrouwere — From VC to Founder: The Future of AI-Powered E-commerceIn this episode of Founders & Builders, we sit down with Sebastiaan Debrouwere, founder of Genie, the engine behind over 150 of Shopify’s fastest-growing brands.Seb shares a rare founder’s perspective shaped by both operating and investing — previously in Balderton Capital, the fund behind Revolut and Depop.We explore: • His unconventional take on product-market fit (hint: it’s more like surfing a wave than climbing a mountain) • Why selling to procurement is brutal — and what that taught him • The mindset shift from VC to builder • How Genie is helping e-commerce brands optimize 40–60% of their operating costs with speed and intelligenceIf you’re a founder, operator, or just curious about where AI meets e-commerce — this one is packed with hard-earned insights and founder honesty.

Mahdi, Co-Founder of Humble AI shares with us his perspective on: Building AI startups, the importance of creating meaningful relationships, how to define your vision as a founder, the opportunity ahead in the AI revolution and more. Mahdi has also angel-invested in early-stage startups and funds, including Tiny.VC, Aire.io, Purple.AI, Pathao, Sheetgo, Silkfred, Noty.AI & JustPark. Timestamps: 00:00 - intro 10:50 - optimizing for learning early on 21:00 - building a vision of the future 21:28 - product vs. technology 24:30 - speaking to customers 29:50 - how to spend your first 30 days 42:41 - the four types of luck 53:07 - identity and realising your potential 01:00:00 - taking life level by level 01:07:30 - surrounding yourself with the right people 01:10:20 - poetry and the importance of play 01:19:01 - the history of computing and the opportunity ahead 01:25:51 - LLMs and the challenges building AI products Follow Mahdi on X/Twitter - x.com/mahdishariff // Mahdi's Motto to live by: "Smile at the world, and the world will smile back" //