The AI Chopping Block

In this episode, Mark Michael, founder of DevHub, breaks down what it really looks like to scale a non–AI-native company in the age of AI agents.DevHub powers thousands of franchise and multi-location websites, and instead of chasing hype, Mark explains how his team is using AI where it actually works from internal knowledge agents and developer copilots to agent-driven website updates across hundreds or thousands of locations.We dive into:- How DevHub manages 300–3000 websites with minimal human overhead- Why AI agents are quietly replacing entire workflows (not just roles)- The reality of AI in hiring, SDRs, project management, and engineering- Why small teams under 100 people are in the strongest position right now- How internal AI knowledge bases are eliminating meetings and bottlenecks- Why brand, not product, may be the only thing AI can’t replace- The uncomfortable truth about what AI is doing to humanity inside companiesMark also shares hard-earned lessons from 18+ years of building DevHub, including pivots, buying the company back from investors, expanding into Latin America, and why he believes we’re living through the real “Roaring 20s” of tech right now.If you’re a founder, operator, or leader wondering how to use AI without destroying your culture or your edge, this conversation is a must-watch.Where to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

Nonprofits are uniquely positioned to benefit from AI — yet most are still struggling to adopt it.In this episode, Remy Reya, Director of AI and Thought Leadership at Compass Pro Bono, breaks down how nonprofits are actually using AI today, what’s holding them back, and why AI adoption in mission-driven organizations looks very different from the for-profit world.Remy shares how Compass Pro Bono rolled out enterprise AI tools internally and helped their team save 10–12 hours per week, not by hiring expensive AI engineers, but by thoughtfully integrating large language models into existing workflows like grant writing, social media, thought leadership, program design, and internal operations.We dive deep into:Why nonprofits are paradoxically perfect candidates for AI — yet slow to adoptHow AI can reduce burnout instead of accelerating the “impact treadmill”The real risks of AI in social impact, including bias, data ethics, and human displacementWhat responsible, human-first AI adoption actually looks likeWhy AI literacy and change management matter more than technical skillHow leaders should think about the time AI gives back — and what to do with itThis is a must-watch conversation for nonprofit leaders, AI builders, social impact founders, and anyone curious about how AI can scale impact without sacrificing mission, trust, or humanity.Where to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

Hiring shouldn’t take 60 days. In this episode, Alex an AI recruiter designed to interview everyone, summarise every conversation, and help employers and staffing firms move from “endless screening” to “fast, skills-based hiring.”Alex isn’t just a chatbot. It has its own interview link, calendar, email, and phone number, can run interviews over phone or video (Zoom-style), and plugs into your ATS to write back notes, ping hiring managers, and keep workflows moving. The wild part: From 60 Days to 2 Hours its Interviewing 5,000 Candidates a Day, stack-rank them, generate shortlists per role, and even draft reject emails while also helping teams reduce risk with recorded interactions and third-party bias reviews.If you’re a recruiter, HR leader, or staffing firm dealing with high-volume applicants (including AI-generated resumes and “spray and pray” submissions), this conversation breaks down what hiring at scale looks like when your first-round screening becomes software.Where to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

In this episode, David Stepania talks with Haokun and Rishabh, founders of Gale, an immigration service provider bringing more tech into the U.S. visa process so employers, beneficiaries, and vetted lawyers can collaborate with shared context without endless email threads. They share how Gale supports startup-friendly pathways like O-1, EB-1, NIW, and H-1B, and where “AI” fits today: mostly on the backend to help lawyers draft parts of petitions and support letters faster, with everything scrutinized through lawyer review. The founders also break down H-1B compliance workflows (like LCA posting and maintaining a public access file) and how Gale helps teams stay on top of the details. Where to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

In this episode, Cleanlab CEO Curtis Northcutt shares a perspective few leaders are willing to say publicly:“I don’t even think my job is safe.”We discuss the exponential acceleration of AI, how machines are improving faster than humans can understand, and why we’re entering a future where AI evaluates AI—because humans simply won’t be able to.Curtis also explains:Why no job (including CEOs) is safe from AIWhy we now “talk to computers that talk back”Why enterprises struggle with AI hallucinations and riskHow Cleanlab built a real-time “self-awareness layer” for AI agentsWhy human labeling won’t survive the next 2–5 yearsThe biggest moat in AI (and why OpenAI can’t build it internally)Where AI works today vs where it still spectacularly failsWhy startups must use AI everywhere to surviveHow his journey from rural Kentucky to MIT shaped Cleanlab’s missionOne of the clearest, most grounded explanations of what the next few years of AI will look like for companies, workers, and society.If you enjoyed this conversation, follow the show for more founder perspectives on building responsibly with AI. Where to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

AI & Web3 are killing data labeling jobs – Sapien CEO Rowan Stone reveals how blockchain quality control and human-in-the-loop methods reshape AI data pipeline.In this hard-hitting episode titled “Your Data Labeling Job is Going to Zero,” we confront a stark reality: AI and Web3 are rapidly eliminating traditional data labeling roles and rewriting how we prepare data for intelligent systems. Guest Rowan Stone, CEO of Sapien, pulls no punches explaining why those low-value, repetitive labeling tasks are quickly becoming obsolete. The message is urgent, adapt now or be left behind, as automation and blockchain technology upend the old way of doing things.Stone reveals how Sapien is replacing outdated workflows with a decentralized, blockchain-driven “proof of quality” protocol that ensures only the highest-caliber, human-verified data fuels the next generation of AI. From cutting out valueless micro-tasks to empowering specialized human-in-the-loop contributors, this conversation charts the imminent shift from mundane labeling to complex, high-stakes data curation for enterprise AI systems. This episode is a must-listen for AI practitioners, Web3 builders, enterprise tech leaders, and any knowledge worker concerned about staying relevant in the AI era.AI eliminating data labeling jobs, Data labeling jobs going to zero, Low-value data tasks obsolete, Future of data labeling work, Human-in-the-loop AI systems, Decentralized data labeling platform, Blockchain-based data quality control, AI job disruption, Web3 data infrastructure, Data curation for next-gen AIWhere to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

First-time homebuyers and refinancers, meet Approval AI (now Clevy), the AI-powered mortgage marketplace turning tens of hours of rate shopping, paperwork, and lender negotiations into a streamlined, secure experience. Co-founder Arjun Lalwani breaks down how three purpose-built agents (buyer assistant, loan processing, lender outreach) translate your financials, simulate underwriting, and negotiate with banks like Wells Fargo and Chase to save you time and real money, all while keeping sensitive data encrypted and human-verified. Hosted by David Stepania, this episode dives into product strategy, go-to-market for a $2T industry, YC lessons, and the bold vision for a true “one-click mortgage.” We also cover trust with real estate partners, why incentives matter more than “great customer service” pitches, and the metrics that define success from funded loan volume to NPS and average savings per loan.Where to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

Bind AI co-founder Amogh Mundhekar (ex-Intuit/Mailchimp) breaks down how “developer-less” development lets technical founders ship full-stack apps from a chat, image, or GitHub repo—complete with live preview and one-click deploy. We dig into Bind’s traction (≈14,000 users), multi-model agent approach, and GitHub integration that helps teams enhance existing codebases, accelerate MVPs, and reduce time-to-production from months to days. Amogh also maps the road ahead for engineering: leaner teams, faster iteration, and why AI augments—not replaces—great builders. We cover where AI excels (front-end scaffolding, refactors, tests, docs), where humans still lead (product design, architecture), and emerging trends like specialized domain agents and voice interfaces—from Claude for finance to Grok in cars. If you’re a founder, PM, or hands-on builder, this is a playbook for shipping smarter with AI.#BindAI #AmoghMundhekar #AIEngineering #AIAgents #AppDevelopment #StartupBuilders #MVP #GitHub #LLM #DeveloperTools #ProductManagement #NoCode #LowCode #HomebaseAI #TheAIChoppingBlockWhere to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

Shipping a feature and waiting a week for translations? In this episode, Max Prilutskiy, co-founder & CEO of Lingo.dev(YC), breaks down how teams ship every language in the same release without refactors, file shuffling, or brand-voice drift. We cover the simple workflow shift (translate diffs, review where you already review, release together), the “one slide” that helped close a seed round in ~10 business days, and the leadership playbook to reduce Time-to-All-Locales, protect quality, and unlock faster global revenue. If you’re a PM, CEO, or product leader aiming for international parity without slowing delivery, this conversation is your shortcut.Where to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

PMs and GTM leaders: ditch spray-and-pray. In this interview, Dor Vordi (Co-founder, Samplead) breaks down trigger-based outbound, how to spot person-level buying signals, score them with a rarity-weighted framework, and use founder-led outreach to turn context into qualified pipeline. We cover cold email that actually works, LinkedIn outbound, workflows, and the “trigger loop” that consistently beats 1% reply rates in B2B SaaS.Where to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

7 people. No investors. $300K ARR.Royal Tomar built an AI startup that prints profit — without spending on ads or hiring big teams.In this episode, Royal reveals how he turned a simple Instagram automation idea into SPUR, a profitable AI platform that helps businesses handle customer conversations across WhatsApp, Instagram, and Live Chat — powered by AI teammates.You’ll learn:🚀 How SPUR scaled to $300K ARR — fully bootstrapped🤖 The pivot from WhatsApp bots to AI customer support💡 How lean teams outperform funded giants🧠 Royal’s insights on SEO, partnerships, and staying profitable🔥 Why saying no to funding was his smartest move🎧 Tune in to learn how to build smarter, not bigger — from someone actually doing it.Where to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

Discover how AI agents are reshaping commerce and payments.What is agentic commerce and why it matters nowHow Skyfire enables AI agents to authenticate and pay autonomouslyThe future of money: micro-payments, stablecoins, and tokenized cardsReal-world examples of AI transforming industries and unlocking growthWhat founders, product leaders, and AI enthusiasts can learn todayGet ready for a deep dive into the next wave of the machine economy.Where to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

Discover the powerful secrets of Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) and how to get your brand cited by ChatGPT and other AI-driven search engines. This video unveils cutting-edge strategies for brand visibility in the rapidly evolving world of AI-powered search. What you'll learn in this video:- Key differences between AEO and traditional SEO in 2025- How to create content that ChatGPT and LLMs cite- The role of Reddit, Wikipedia, and authoritative mentions in AI SEO- Strategies to optimize for long-tail AI queries and prompts- Real-world examples of brands boosting their AI search visibilityLearn how brands are winning mentions in AI answers by creating authority content, engaging trusted communities, and optimizing for long-tail, intent-rich queries. If you want your brand to stand out and be the answer customers find first through AI, this video is a must-watch.Whether you're a marketer, product owner, or startup founder, get insider knowledge from Barak Ben Noon, YC founder and CEO of Anvil, to future-proof your SEO strategy for 2025 and beyond.Where to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

What happens when a viral LinkedIn post turns into a startup idea? 🚀 In this episode, João (Founder of Crafted) shares how he went from launching a 30-day “1 hour per day, $1K capital” challenge with GPT-4 to building an AI ghostwriting platform inside WhatsApp that helps leaders create high-performing posts in minutes.We dive into:How João’s viral LinkedIn experiment hit 5M+ views and attracted investors overnightWhy most startup leaders fail at content, and how Crafted solves it with AI + mentoringWhy going viral isn’t luck—it’s about strategy, hooks, and consistencyHow CMOs and founders can use content as a growth engine without burning out👉 If you’re a founder, CMO, or tech leader looking to scale your brand and drive leads with AI-powered content, this episode is packed with insights you don’t want to miss.Where to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

Failed payments silently drain $443B from SaaS and subscription businesses every year. Most founders accept it as an unavoidable cost — but it doesn’t have to be.In this episode, FlyCode CEO Tzachi Davidovich reveals how AI transforms silent churn into predictable revenue growth. From YC learnings to CFO playbooks, this is the inside story of building an AI-native company solving one of SaaS’s biggest leaks.If you’re a founder, PM, or exec in SaaS or fintech, this episode shows how to turn failed payments into a new growth engine.What you’ll learn in this video:• Why failed payments cost $443B annually• The AI workflow FlyCode uses to predict retries• How SaaS and e-commerce recover revenue invisibly• The 5–8% ARR boost CFOs can expect• YC lessons on building lean, AI-native teamsWhere to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

Most online businesses don’t realize they’re losing 2–15% of revenue to false declines — when legitimate customers are wrongly flagged as fraud. It’s the silent killer of sales.In this episode, we sit down with Brian Grech, ex-PayPal exec and now Co-Founder of Corgi Labs, to explore how AI precision models are rewriting the payments playbook. From building PayPal Working Capital into a billion-dollar product to helping today’s merchants recover hidden revenue, Brian shares insights every founder, product leader, and exec needs to hear.👉 What you’ll learn:Why false declines cost merchants more than fraud itselfHow AI fraud models unlock hidden revenueReal examples from SaaS and subscription businessesBrian’s founder journey: PayPal → Corgi LabsLessons for fundraising in today’s marketIf you’re building in AI, fintech, or SaaS — this is a conversation you can’t afford to miss.Where to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

In this episode, we talk with Tyler Postle, CEO & Co-Founder of Voker AI, a Y Combinator-backed startup helping small and mid-sized businesses scale without in-house AI engineers. Voker makes it possible for product managers and business leaders to build reliable AI agents and automations through a no-code platform, then deploy them instantly with APIs.Tyler shares:How Voker helps SMBs cut costs and move faster without AI teamsReal-world use cases in HR tech, pet healthcare, and SaaS platformsThe guardrails that make AI agents safe and production-readyLessons from scaling an e-commerce brand to $100M revenueWhat he learned at Y Combinator about building sustainable AI startupsWhether you’re a founder, operator, or product manager, this conversation shows you how to unlock AI’s potential and start shipping AI agents that actually work.👉 Explore Voker AI: https://voker.aiWhere to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

YC’s latest wave is all about AI agents — but how do you actually make them scale? In this episode, we sit down with Sam Bhagwat, co-founder of Gatsby and now founder of Mastra, a JavaScript/TypeScript framework making AI agents production-ready.Sam shares:How Gatsby grew into one of the most popular open-source frameworksWhy 2025 is the year of AI agents, and why YC startups are betting bigThe 5 principles of building scalable AI agents (orchestration, composability, reliability, developer-first design, continuous learning)Real-world use cases: from fintech (PLAID Japan) to aerospace and healthcareHow Mastra boosts developer productivity 2–3× with agent workflows and code-review bots👉 If you’re a founder, developer, or tech leader, this episode is your playbook for navigating the agent era — and learning how to automate before you get automated.#AIagents #YCStartups #SamBhagwat #Mastra #FutureOfWorkWhere to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

From recreating months-long experiments in minutes to forecasting customer behavior through AI personas, discover the future of rapid, safe experimentation powered by artificial collective intelligence. Join James He, Co-Founder and CEO of Artificial Societies, as he unveils how AI-driven simulated markets are transforming the way businesses experiment, innovate, and grow. In this Episode:00:00 Intro and motivation behind Societies02:30 The two-month experiment recreated in two minutes09:50 Using simulated markets to refine sales and marketing14:00 Live demo of AI personas responding to outreach messages20:30 Future of artificial collective intelligence and AI-powered experimentation27:00 The evolving landscape of AI, jobs, and creativity35:00 Q&A on China vs US in AI race and personal backstory43:30 How James’s lean team builds advanced AI tools today47:50 Jobs of the future: creative engineers and attention economy50:00 Founder’s reflections and community inviteWhere to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

🚀 AI pricing tech once reserved for Uber is now boosting Shopify store revenues by 50%+!Discover how former Uber Product Manager Peter Moot is transforming e‑commerce pricing for small and mid‑sized businesses. In this episode, Peter shares the AI pricing and discount personalization strategies he helped scale at Uber—and how he adapted them for Shopify merchants to unlock 50%+ revenue growth. From overcoming merchant skepticism to running rigorous A/B tests, leveraging neural networks, and scaling a team of four with AI tools, Peter reveals the secrets behind Promi.ai’s success and its mission to democratize enterprise‑level price intelligence. Perfect for founders, e‑commerce owners, and AI enthusiasts eager to turn data into profit.Where to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

Why do LLM apps break in production — and how can you stop them before users notice?In this episode, Nir Gazit (co-founder of Traceloop, ex-Google/Fiverr, YC W23) breaks down how his team is solving AI’s biggest failure mode: observability. You’ll hear how Traceloop became the go-to black box recorder for LLMs, powering companies like Cisco, IBM, Miro, and more.We cover:Real-world LLM horror storiesHow OpenLLMetry hit 2M+ downloadsMiro’s strategy for safely deploying GPT-4.1What AI teams can learn from traditional dev observabilityThe roadmap to self-improving agentsIf you're building with LLMs or planning a GenAI rollout, this is essential listening.Where to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

Robert Ta breaks down why today’s AI agents fall short at true personalization — and what it really takes to fix it. He shares how his company, EpistemicMe, is building belief-aware systems that align with your mental model over time.From working with Bryan Johnson’s Don’t Die App to helping developers personalize AI agents in health, mental health, and high-stakes verticals, this episode is packed with tactical insight.Forget surface-level AI personalization. This is about long-term alignment, trust, and AI that truly understands its users.🎙 In this episode:00:00 – Intro: What Epistemic Me Is & The Big Problem with AI Personalization04:24 – Why Belief Modeling Is the Next Layer of Alignment07:40 – Bryan Johnson’s Don’t Die App Use Case10:05 – What “Belief Drift” Means & How to Detect It14:20 – Building AI Memory Architecture (Working, Episodic, Semantic)18:11 – Epistemic Evaluations vs. Traditional Engagement Metrics21:45 – Shared Values as Core to Trustworthy AI24:15 – Guardrails & Anchoring AI in Reliable Content28:38 – Why They’re Building in the Open & Collaborating Through Open Source31:50 – Treating Beliefs as Data for Long-Term Personal AI Alignment36:05 – Mental Health Use Cases & Democratizing Access to Therapy40:20 – How Personal AI Could Outperform Traditional Support Systems44:35 – Can AI Be More Helpful Than People? A Nuanced Debate48:10 – The Mental Health Gym: What Skipping It Looks Like52:25 – The Tradeoff Between Hustle, Health, and Foundership56:40 – The Real Pain of Today’s Healthcare Experience01:00:55 – What the US Healthcare System Gets Wrong01:05:10 – Can Personalized AI Close the Care Gap?01:09:25 – Final Thoughts on AI Alignment, Policy & What’s Next🎧 Listen now and get future-ready.—🔗 Find the blog recap: https://www.thehomebase.ai/interviews👤 Connect with Fedor: linkedin.com/in/fedorzhdanov📩 Join 6,000+ founders & tech leaders: thehomebase.aiWhere to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

Keith Smith, co-founder of Me4U, reveals how his AI companion platform empowers content creators to build AI clones—complete with personality, voice and visuals—to monetize fan engagement and scale your brand like never before.Please visit my website to get more information and join 6,000+ founders & tech leaders http://www.thehomebase.ai/✨Visit here for top-tier tech talent, AI consulting, and product development! Build smarter with ThirstySprout: http://www.thirstysprout.com/📰 Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join my newsletter here! https://www.thehomebase.ai/newsletter 🔔𝐃𝐨𝐧'𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐮𝐛𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬.https://www.youtube.com/@aichoppingblock?sub_confirmation=1 🔗 Stay Connected With Me.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/youraihomebase Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aichoppingblock TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@davidstepania Twitter (X): https://x.com/dzstep LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stepania Website: http://www.thehomebase.ai/ 📩 For business inquiries: [email protected] =================================✅ About The AI Chopping Block.Welcome to The AI Chopping Block, where founders and tech leaders share exactly how they’re using AI to outsmart and outscale the competition. I’m David, a two-time startup founder behind $100M+ in combined revenue, and host of The AI Chopping Block podcast. On this channel, I share interviews with the sharpest minds in tech who are building lean, AI-powered companies that punch way above their weight.From tools that replace headcount to jobs AI can’t touch, we break down what’s working right now, without the jargon or hype. Think: actionable insights, honest takes, and zero fluff. Join me and learn how real builders are using AI to move faster, scale smarter, and compete with giants.For Business inquiries, please use the contact information below:📩 Email: [email protected] 🔔 Looking to scale smarter with AI? Subscribe for practical founder insights, lean growth strategies, and inspiring interviews with tech leaders!https://www.youtube.com/@aichoppingblock?sub_confirmation=1 =================================#ai  #artificialintelligence  #contentcreators  #creatoreconomy  #aicompanion  #AIClones #fanengagement  #aidriven  #digitalinnovation  #virtualinfluencers  #techinterviewWhere to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

Is community banking on the brink? With 4,050 small banks representing 92% of U.S. institutions and $3.2 trillion in deposits at stake, traditional workflows are creaking under fragmented data and siloed tools. In this deep-dive interview, I sits down with Anubhav Pradhan, co-founder of Shiftmate, to explore how an AI Copilot—powered by predictive analytics, automated workflows, and unified data integrations—can become the lifeline that community banks desperately need.Why Listen?Learn how AI Copilots can turn scattered bank data into growth engines.Discover the predictive analytics models driving personalized outreach.See real-world agentic workflows that free up bankers for high-value advisory work.Understand the cultural shift to an AI-First mindset in fintech.Get Involved👍 Like this video if you believe AI can empower community banks🔔 Subscribe & hit the bell for more Fintech AI deep dives💬 Comment: What’s your biggest challenge in community banking?📈 Learn more about Shiftmate & request a demo: https://shiftmate.aiWhere to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

What if you could clone yourself and scale your output 10x? This isn't science fiction anymore.In this mind-expanding episode, we sit down with Fedor Zhdanov, Head of AI at Nebius, who brings over 20 years of AI experience from companies like Amazon and Microsoft. From building face recognition algorithms to shaping the future of responsible LLM infrastructure, Fedor is deep in the trenches of AI evolution.We discuss:Why trust is the true currency of AI adoptionThe rise of AI agents, digital clones, and co-founder AIsWhat’s hype vs. reality in today's AGI raceWhere AI is outperforming humans—and where it's falling flatWhy AI planning is still one of the hardest unsolved challengesThe upcoming wave of AI regulation in Europe and globallyAnd yes... the day you might pluck an iPhone off a tree (don’t ask, just listen)This isn’t your typical AI chat. It’s a sharp, honest, and sometimes hilarious look into the future we’re all stepping into—whether we’re ready or not.🎧 Listen now and get future-ready.—🔗 Find the blog recap: https://www.thehomebase.ai/blogs/weekly-ai-recap-our-interview-with-fedor-zhdanov-about-the-future-of-ai👤 Connect with Fedor: linkedin.com/in/fedorzhdanov📩 Join 6,000+ founders & tech leaders: thehomebase.aiWhere to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

Discover how Justin Coats, a former Marine turned AI strategist, built a system that replaces the work of 30 employees using AI-powered Digital Teammates.In this episode, you'll learn:✅ How to turn an 8-hour workday into just 20 minutes✅ The exact AI tools & frameworks he uses✅ Real-world examples across sales, marketing, and operations✅ The human-centered approach to scaling AI in any business✅ How to future-proof your team and job in the AI era👨‍💻 Perfect For:Business leaders scaling with limited resourcesEnterprise teams implementing AIContent ops, sales, and B2B marketing prosAI-curious professionals who want to stay aheadEpisode Timeline:00:00 - Introduction & Marine Corps to AI Journey05:13 - Understanding AI Implementation12:13 - Digital Teammates Explained26:13 - Real Business Results38:00 - Future of Work with AI47:28 - Implementation Tools & Strategy54:33 - Industry Predictions—📌 Full Blog Recap:https://www.thehomebase.ai/blogs/case-study-27-from-military-precision-to-ai-innovation-how-one-ex-marine-is-revolutionizing-business-ai-adoption📢 Follow Justin Coats:LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/ai-integrator/🎯 Stay ahead of the AI curve → https://www.thehomebase.aiJoin 10,000+ tech leaders learning how to implement AI at scale.#AIinBusiness #AIWorkforce #FutureOfWork #AIProductivity #AIFrameworksWhere to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

In this episode of Homebase AI, we sit down with Alex Levin, CEO and Co-Founder of Regal AI, to explore how AI voice agents are transforming enterprise customer service, sales, and support.💬 "These AI agents are 10x cheaper and perform as well as humans." — Alex LevinLearn how companies like Fidelity Life, Angie’s List, and others are already using AI agents to handle 90%+ of calls. We cover:⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Alex’s journey from Angie to launching Regal AI04:36 – Legal & compliance concerns with AI agents07:01 – How Regal scales from scrappy MVPs to enterprise-grade deployments13:06 – Why enterprises still underestimate the voice channel22:38 – Fundraising insights: what convinced investors to go all-in25:49 – The psychology of customer comfort with AI38:29 – Where AI voice agents are headed in the next 5–10 years🎯 If you’re building or scaling an AI-first business, this conversation is a masterclass.🔗 Visit Regal AI: https://www.regal.io📧 Contact Alex: [email protected]🔔 Subscribe for weekly interviews with top AI founders and builders.🎬 Watch Next:▸ AI Agents for Small Business ft. Mark Zuckerberg: https://youtube.com/shorts/ogQawMZ0ilw▸ The ChatGPT Trap: Why Companies Are Firing Then REHIRING | Enterprise AI's Fatal Mistake: https://youtu.be/FqnHxoydOYMWhere to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

In this episode, I sit down with Mounir, CEO and co-founder of Portia AI, an open-source SDK for building production-ready AI agents specifically designed for regulated industries. After raising over $5 million, Portia is tackling one of the biggest challenges in enterprise AI: the "permission death loop" that keeps 70% of agent implementations stuck in POC stage.🎯 What We Cover:• The Permission Problem: Why most enterprise AI agents never make it to production• Human-in-the-Loop Solutions: How Portia's execution hooks solve the automation vs. control dilemma• Real-World Use Cases: From automated onboarding to invoice collection agents• Cost vs. Value: Breaking down the economics of AI agents vs. traditional SaaS pricing• The Future of Work: Which jobs will change and which new roles will emerge• European AI Scene: Talent competition and the growing AI ecosystem in the UK/Europe💡 Key Takeaways:• Why enterprises need deterministic controls in AI workflows•  How to handle authentication and permissions at scale•  The difference between POC agents and production-ready systems• Why open-source is crucial for deeply embedded AI infrastructure• Real examples of agents saving hours of manual work🔗 Connect with Mounir:• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mounir-mouawad-1785b72/• Website: https://www.portialabs.ai👨‍💻 About Mounir:Former executive at Amazon, Google Pay, and Stripe, Mounir brought Black Friday to the UK and launched Google Pay in 30 markets. Now he's focused on making AI agents production-ready for regulated industries.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction & Background03:10 What is Portia AI?05:30 The Permission Death Loop Problem09:34 Why 70% of Agent Projects Stay in POC14:42 Go-to-Market Strategy & Open Source20:41 What Can AI Agents Actually Do Today?29:31 Real-World Agent Examples & Costs42:54 AI Talent War in Europe🎙️ Subscribe for more interviews with AI founders and entrepreneurs shaping the future of work! Enterprise AI agents, AI agent implementation, Production AI deployment, Regulated industries AI, Human-in-the-loop AI, AI startup funding, Ex-Stripe executive, AI agent failures, Permission management AI, Open source AI SDKWhere to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

In this episode of Homebase, host David Stepania sits down with Ómar Thor Ómarsson, CEO and Co-founder of Optise, who just raised $2.2M to revolutionize B2B website analytics with AI.What You'll Learn:Why most B2B websites focus too much on product features instead of customer valueHow to prioritize marketing efforts by cutting non-essential activities (Ómar went from 17 responsibilities to 7)The shift from traditional lead gen forms to free, high-value content that builds trustWhy Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the new SEO for AI-powered searchHow to leverage customer research as the foundation for all marketing decisionsGuest Background: Ómar Thor spent 15+ years in B2B marketing, including 8 years as CMO at fintech company Meniga and consulting for 100+ B2B companies. His frustration with dysfunctional marketing teams and ineffective website analytics led him to build Optise, which uses AI to turn complex website data into actionable recommendations.Key Takeaways:The #1 mistake 90% of B2B websites make with messagingHow AI can deliver 10x more actionable insights than manual analysisWhy "nothing in marketing is working" right now and what to do about itIceland's surprising startup ecosystem and $2.2M funding journeyPerfect for founders, marketers, and anyone looking to optimize their B2B website for better conversions.🔗 Resources Mentioned:Optise: https://optise.comExit Five Community: https://exitfive.comClay: https://clay.comCursor AI: https://cursor.comWhere to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

Agency to €2.5M Platform: The Anti-Prompting Revolution That Caught 20VC's AttentionThibaut de la Grand'rive, CEO of Delos, reveals how they evolved from an AI consulting agency into a €2.5M-funded orchestration platform backed by Harry Stebbings' 20VC—without building a single AI model.Inside This Episode:• Why 90% of enterprise employees can't prompt AI (and how Delos eliminates prompting entirely)• The strategic agency-first approach that validated their product while getting paid for R&D• How orchestrating Claude, GPT, and Mistral creates more value than building your own LLM• Why Allianz and Shiseido chose Delos over 250+ vertical AI competitorsThe "Post-RAG" technology that goes beyond traditional AI implementations• How they're retaining elite French engineers (Polytechnique, ENS) against 9x salary competitionPerfect For:• Startup founders exploring agency-to-product strategies• AI entrepreneurs avoiding the "build your own model" trap• Enterprise leaders struggling with AI adoption and prompting challenges• CTOs seeking orchestration solutions over single-model dependencies• European tech founders planning US market expansionKey Insights:• Why most enterprise AI fails at the UX layer, not the technology layer• How Delos creates "cockpit" experiences where users "just click buttons"• The funding strategy that attracted Team Aventures (Xavier Niel) and Plug and Play• Why avoiding vertical AI plays (meeting notes, etc.) builds sustainable moats• How French engineering culture creates competitive advantages in AI talent retentionEpisode Timeline:00:00 - Introduction to Thibaut and Delos platform overview00:59 - Founding story: Starting 2 days after GPT-3.5 release03:27 - David's distributed team problem and platform demo request05:34 - Live demo: Newsletter creation and AI orchestration workflow11:37 - Using custom prompts and agent templates in Delos12:52 - Website localization and international expansion plans13:28 - From agency to product: The strategic validation journey16:18 - Investor relationships and fundraising philosophy19:12 - Meeting Harry Stebbings and the 20VC investment story20:22 - War for AI talent: Competing with OpenAI's Paris office23:36 - Future fundraising plans and capital allocation strategy27:51 - Competitive threats: Will OpenAI copy their approach?31:15 - US expansion strategy and investor considerations33:55 - Pricing strategy and roadmap for agentic AI featuresWhere to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

OpenAI is paying engineers $490K. AI platforms are charging startups $5K/month. So where does that leave lean teams trying to ship agents that actually work?In this episode, we go deep with Daniele Bernardi, CEO of Toolhouse, a developer-first platform helping teams deploy production-ready AI agents with just a few terminal commands.We break down:The “Simpsons model” of building tech in Italy, not SFWhy most AI infra is bloated beyond reasonHow Toolhouse ships weekly updates with 2 full-time devsWhat “seed trapping” is—and why it might save your startupTimelines:00:00 - Why there's no shortcut to value in AI01:12 - Daniele's background & why Toolhouse was created03:41 - Live CLI demo: building a Hacker News agent07:37 - Visual interface vs developer-first CLI12:44 - The problem with current AI deployment workflows15:25 - The partner program & revenue share for agencies21:37 - Toolhouse pricing philosophy & Toyota mindset24:23 - Why VC expectations are changing in the AI era29:47 - "Dirty secrets" of AI agent pricing and lock-in35:29 - Breaking down bloated AI infra cost structures43:22 - The "Simpsons model": build in Italy, deploy globally46:40 - Why geopolitical alignment matters in AI infra50:58 - Are jobs really going away? A founder's honest take56:47 - Indie devs, bootstrapped agencies, and the rise of AI services01:04:01 - How Toolhouse differs from Crewai, LangChain & others01:10:28 - Dev-first, runtime-first, and full agent ownership with ToolhouseIf you’re building in the AI economy and questioning the hype, this conversation is your blueprint.👉 Watch on YouTube: AI Pricing RACKET Exposed🧠 Read the full case study: From Twitter to Toolhouse: How 2 Engineers Built a Profitable AI Infra Platform Without VC BloatWhere to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here

In this episode, Lawrence Bugg, founder of Future State University, shares powerful insights into why traditional education is falling short in preparing students for a rapidly evolving, AI-driven economy. Lawrence discusses how his game-based platform, Future State University, is leading the way in creating pathways to jobs and careers that don’t even exist yet.Inside This Episode:🌟 Why 60% of jobs that will exist in 5 years don’t exist today – and how education must adapt.🚀 Lawrence's journey: From no college degree to landing roles at Oracle and McKinsey.🎮 Building a LinkedIn alternative for Gen Z within a 3D game environment.🧠 Creating a "deeper than resume" career profile powered by AI.📉 The shocking trend of tier-three colleges facing enrollment declines.Perfect For:Education Innovators & EdTech Founders seeking to reshape the future of learning.Career Development Professionals and those guiding the workforce of tomorrow.High School Counselors & Educators looking for alternative paths for students.Students considering new, innovative career paths beyond traditional education.Hiring Managers & Recruiters aiming to identify top talent in a shifting landscape.Key Success Stories:💪 From gym trainer to Oracle executive – proving that success doesn't require a traditional degree.📱 Selling one of the first iPad POS systems to Groupon – a game-changing entrepreneurial move.💼 Bootstrapping FSU with an equity-based team, creating an impactful platform for the future.💵 Securing a $50,000 annual contract with their very first customer.🎧 Listen to the episode now and explore how Lawrence is revolutionizing education for the AI age!🔗 Find the blog: Reinventing Education for the AI Era🎥 Catch all the Episodes on YouTube: Subscribe HereWhere to find me:• David: Linkedin• Email:  [email protected] Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here:• Newsletter: Join Here