Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the Future

Johnny Ho, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Perplexity, joins Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano for this week’s episode of Generative Now. Perplexity is the AI powered search engine that is rapidly growing and challenging the industry status quo. Johnny and Michael talk about his background as a competitive programmer, the business model of search, and Perplexity’s Publisher Program, where publishers earn a share of advertising revenue.

Johnny has been ranked number one in the world of competitive programming. He previously worked at Quora as a software engineer –  he accomplished all of this before graduating from Harvard. 

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction

(00:40) Johnny Ho's Engineering Background and IOI Achievements

(02:44) Transition to Product Strategy

(05:39) Perplexity: The Answer Engine

(11:06) Technology Behind Perplexity

(15:47) Challenges and Future of AI Models

(19:41) Growth and Distribution Strategy

(23:54) Setting and Achieving Team Goals

(25:35) Perplexity's Business Model and Future Plans

(31:01) Challenges and Opportunities in AI and Search

(32:55) Publisher Program and Content Credibility

(39:59) Voice and Multimodal Experiences

(42:04) What's Next for Perplexity?

(43:12) Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Generative AI is making it possible to not only remove the human from the driver seat, but, in the world of trucking and freight, from the vehicle entirely. 

This week on Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano speaks with Chris Urmson, CEO and co-founder of Aurora Innovation, a company that makes software for autonomous vehicles with a focus on the trucking industry. Chris shares his journey from participating in the self-driving vehicle DARPA Grand Challenge early in his career, to leading the autonomous vehicle program at Google. Michael also talks with Chris about why Aurora focuses on the trucking and freight industry, the challenge of designing AI systems for self-driving technology, and how technological advancements in radar and LiDAR have helped make autonomous vehicles possible . Chris discusses his insights about developing AI systems to mimic human driving, and how he sees the future of autonomous vehicles for both trucking and personal cars.

Chris Urmson is the co-founder and CEO of Aurora Innovation. Before co-founding Aurora, Chris led the development of Google’s autonomous vehicle project (later known as Waymo) from 2009 to 2016. As a graduate student, he also led the Carnegie Mellon University team for the DARPA Grand and Urban Challenge as the Director of Technology, winning second and third place in 2005, and first place in 2007. Chris received his BEng in Computer Engineering from the University of Manitoba, and his Ph.D. in robotics from Carnegie Mellon.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction

(01:44) Chris Urmson’s Early Work

(04:43) Founding Aurora Innovation

(06:25) Aurora’s Focus on Freight and Trucking

(09:32) The Challenges in Trucking

(17:08) Advancements in Autonomous Vehicle Technology

(25:01) Using AI to Enhance Safety in Autonomous Vehicles

(27:06) Handling Complex Driving Scenarios

(31:40) Addressing Maintenance and Fueling for an Autonomous Vehicle

(36:36) Regulatory Considerations

(45:47) Predictions for the Future of Autonomous Vehicles

(48:57) Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Spotify’s personalized recommendations have set it apart from the pack of music streaming platforms for years. Those curated recommendations have only gotten stronger with the onset of AI, with the ability to power things like your own personal AI DJ. This week on the podcast, we’re revisiting a conversation with Spotify’s Co-President, CPO & CTO, Gustav Söderström. Gustav joins host and Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano to talk about building UX that can power more efficient AI, the future of AGI, and what the technology could look live over the next few iterations.  

Episode Chapters

(00:00) An introduction to Gustav Söderström

(01:29) How Spotify became one of the first consumer AI companies

(05:57) A philosophical shift: UI that works for AI, not the other way around

(12:52) “Talk is cheap, so do a lot of it”

(15:00) Building for the tech we will have, not the tech we do have

(19:43) What will AI do for media creation?

(25:00) The Wild West of model training

(29:45) How anthropomorphizing AI can help you understand its potential

(37:04) What happens when cognitive labor gets automated?

(40:42) How much more intelligent could AI get?

(47:45) Is AGI on the horizon, or already here?

(53:48) Should we be worried about AGI?

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Captions.AI is taking the world of video creation by storm. With features like AI-corrected eye contact and automatic captions in 28 languages, more creators than ever can bring their ideas to life. This week, we’re revisiting a conversation with Captions.AI Co-Founder and CEO Gaurav Misra. Guarav joined Lightspeed Partner and Host Michael Mignano for a conversation spanning from his days as a design engineer at Snap to finding a surprise $500k in his Apple account. 

Episode Chapters

(00:00) An intro to Gaurav Misra, co-founder and CEO of Captions.AI

(06:03) Gaurav got an early start in startups 

(09:24) Getting a phD in machine learning before it was cool 

(12:04) From Lattice Engines to Microsoft to Localytics

(17:26) Making the leap to Snapchat’s elite engineering team

(20:57) Keeping innovation alive at a huge consumer  company

(26:48) Being on the ground floor of Snapchat’s major feature overhauls

(30:47) Leaving Snapchat to found a top-tier AI company

(33:48) It all started as a social network

(38:10) The happy accident of the original Captions.AI tool

(44:08) They raised a series A for the social network only to find a $500k surprise

(50:00) Building a text-based video editor from the ground up

(58:25) Beyond the editor - launching the AI-powered Lipdub 

(01:04:14) What will video editing look like 5 years from now?

(01:06:52) Is Captions.AI hiring?

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Most of the hype around AI has revolved around its text capabilities, and the powers of LLMs like ChatGPT. But Suno is focusing on the unsung hero of AI - music. Suno is building a future where anyone can make good music - all you need to do is type in a prompt, and out will come a song that’s never existed before. This week, we’re revisiting a conversation with Mikey Shulman, CEO and Co-Founder of Suno. He joined Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano earlier this year to talk through the intricacies of programming for sound, and what this technology could mean for music.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Mikey Shulman and Suno

(04:03) How transcribing S&P earnings calls inspired Suno

(08:41) There’s no Common Crawl for audio - they had to make their own

(12:37) Hacking text-to-speech to make music

(16:25) What’s the product market fit for generative music? 

(21:15) How will AI change the format of music?

(28:44) Suno’s highlight reel so far

(31:39) Designing with the end user in mind

(38:26) Can AI transcend the creativity ceiling? 

(40:48) How does Mikey think regulation and music rights will shake out?

(46:19) Is Suno hiring?

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

For many of us, meetings take up a disproportionate amount of our time at work. But with the advent of AI-powered tools, meetings may become more manageable and even productive, all without the sacrifice of control. 

This week on Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano speaks with Chris Pedregal, CEO and co-founder of Granola, an AI-powered notepad and meeting assistant. Chris discusses the unique features that set Granola apart from other AI meeting bots, as well as the challenges of building AI-driven products. Michael also talks with Chris about Granola’s development, user feedback, and the importance of AI-human collaboration. Chris shares his insights about the nuances of effective note-taking, and the future potential of augmented thinking tools.

Chris Pedregal is the co-founder and CEO of Granola, an AI-powered meetings tool designed to to change the way we work, with tools that understand us, anticipate our actions, and augment our abilities. In May 2023 they raised a $4.25m Seed round from Lightspeed Venture Partners, betaworks and FirstMinute. He is based in London. Prior to Granola, Chris studied Computer Science at Stanford before joining Google as a Product Manager, where he worked on Gmail, Search and Maps. In 2013 he quit to launch Socratic, an AI-powered tutor for high school students, which was acquired by Google in 2018.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction

(00:39) Life in London - from Shoreditch to Street Art

(02:10) Building Startups in London vs. New York

(03:53) The AI Talent Pool in London

(05:03) Deep Dive into Granola's Product Design

(11:33) Granola's Unique Approach to AI Meeting Bots

(18:38) Avoiding the Feature Trap

(20:14) User-Centric Design in Granola

(21:07) Ensuring Accuracy in AI-Generated Notes

(23:43) Collaborative AI Interfaces

(26:23) Future Directions for Granola

(31:43) Insights from User Behavior

(37:20) Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

This week on Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano talks to Mati Staniszewski (co-founder of Eleven Labs) and Demi Guo (co-founder and CEO of Pika). This conversation was part of a special Summer Edition of Generative NYC, a monthly meetup for AI builders hosted by Lightspeed. Demi and Mati discuss the landscape of AI generated content creation, AI foundation models, and perspectives on the future of the industry.

Episode Chapters
(00:00) Introduction

(02:52) The impact of Eleven Labs on AI content creation

(04:54) Demi Guo on the creative applications of Pika

(05:43) Building high-quality AI video generation tools

(10:40) AI models for content creation

(14:20) The research behind AI advancements

(17:17) Future perspectives on AI-driven video creation

(23:16) Overcoming challenges in model development

(26:11) Teams behind Eleven Labs and Pika

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• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co

• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

This week on Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano talks to Naveen Rao about big bets in his career, hardware to develop AI, and open source as the key to safety. Naveen Rao is the founder of Nervana Systems and MosaicML, which was acquired by Databricks in 2023. He is currently the VP Generative AI at Databricks and is the former vice president and general manager of the Artificial Intelligence Products Group at Intel.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Naveen Rao's Background and Career

(01:39) Insights on AI and Neuromorphic Computing

(05:37) Founding Nervana and Acquisition by Intel

(08:54) Transition to MosaicML

(17:07) MosaicML's Mission and Growth

(19:36) Open Source AI and Safety

(23:07) Acquisition by Databricks

(24:57) Cultural Alignment and Acquisition Proposal

(36:24) Databricks' Role in the AI Landscape

(43:50) Closing Thoughts

Stay in touch:

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• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co

• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Browsers have been with us for nearly as long as the internet, and not too much about them has changed. But with this new wave of products enhanced by generative AI, that may be about to shift.

This week on Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano speaks with Josh Miller, the co-founder and CEO of The Browser Company, about their innovative web browser, Arc, which seeks to transform our experience on the internet. Josh discusses the impact of AI on browsers, as well as the challenges of using AI to summarize web content. Michael and Josh also talk about the pressures and ambitions of tech startups, the challenges of balancing innovation with ethical considerations, and how Josh envisions the future of personal computing. 

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction 

(01:05) The Inspiration Behind Arc

(02:51) Navigating Distractions in Tech

(03:46)The Role of AI in Modern Browsing

(11:05) The Future of Browsing with Arc

(19:17) Competitive Dynamics in AI

(23:50) The Browser as Your Operating System

(25:12) AI-Powered Functionality: Incremental vs. Leapfrog

(28:02) Challenges and Opportunities in AI Summarization

(34:53) Thoughts About Regulating AI

(38:14) Raising Capital and Managing Pressure

(45:06) Josh’s Experience Living in France

(48:34) Conclusion

Stay in touch:

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano speaks with Madhumita Murgia, AI editor of the Financial Times, about her new book ‘Code Dependent’. They discuss the rapid evolution of AI, the balance between technological advancements and human consequences, and the real-life stories from various countries that highlight both the benefits and the harms of AI. Madhu outlines guiding principles for ethical AI development and touches on regulation challenges, the role of big tech, and the positive potential of AI in healthcare.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction

(03:05) Writing the Book on AI

(05:31) Madhumita’s Career Path

(10:18) Separating the Wheat from the Chaff

(14:32) Stories to watch in AI

(18:58) Closing in on General Intelligence

(22:40) Big Tech vs. Media

(28:32) Code Dependent

(33:34) AI Safety

(38:07) Guiding Principles for AI

(42:37) The Stakeholders in AI Regulation

(46:44) AI’s Positive Impacts

Stay in touch:

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• Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/⁠⁠

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• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see ⁠⁠lsvp.com/legal⁠⁠.

We’ve all experienced writer’s block at some point in our lives. But thanks to emerging AI-powered tools, writer’s block may soon become a thing of the past.

In this week’s episode of Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano speaks with Nathan Baschez, Founder and CEO of Lex, an AI-assisted writing tool. Nathan discusses Lex's development from a simple alternative to Google Docs to a sophisticated collaboration tool with AI features, as well as  the challenges of developing AI-integrated writing software. Michael and Nathan also talk about the future possibilities for AI-driven writing tools,  the implications of AI in the creative process, as well as the broader AI landscape, including competition with major companies like Google for dominance in search.

Nathan Baschez is an entrepreneur, programmer, and writer. He is the founder and CEO of Lex, a collaborative word processor with AI editing tools to unlock your best writing. Previously, he co-founded Every, was the first employee at Substack, and led product at Gimlet Media.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction
(00:43) Early Days of Lex and AI
(04:06) Frustrations with Google Docs
(04:53) The Birth of Lex
(06:18) AI Integration in Lex
(10:06) ChatGPT’s Impact on Lex
(18:41) Future of AI in Creative Tools
(22:29) Improving Team Workflows with AI
(26:47) Enhancing Collaboration in Writing
(31:09) The Evolution of AI Models in Startups
(37:09) Innovations on the Horizon at Lex
(41:15) The Future of Search
(46:55) Closing Thoughts

Stay in touch:

• ⁠www.lsvp.com⁠

• X: ⁠https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp⁠

• LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/⁠

• Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/⁠

• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: ⁠generativenow.co⁠

• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see ⁠lsvp.com/legal⁠.

At some point, we’ve all asked ourselves the core questions to the meanings of life and the universe. It should come as no surprise that tech’s most dynamic players have too, and see generative AI-powered technologies as a way to start answering those questions. This week on Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano speaks with Guillaume Verdon, the founder of Extropic, about the fascinating intersections of physics, AI, and computing. Guillaume discusses how his interest in understanding the universe led him to explore theoretical physics, only to transition into AI and deep learning due to the inherent complexity of natural systems. Additionally, Michael and Guillaume talk about the significance of optimism and adaptability in driving societal growth and technological advancements. They also discuss his creation of the e/acc movement, involvement with the Twitter Anon community, and what Guillaume is doing at Extropic to leverage AI for society’s best possible future.  

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction 

(02:15) Quantum Deep Learning and AI

(05:27) Guillaume’s Career Path

(10:17) Scaling Intelligence and Civilization

(13:53) Adapting to Change and Growth

(17:16) Optimism and Cultural Impact

(20:10) Regulation and Policy

(27:12) Selective Pressure in AI Development

(28:24) The Birth of Based Beff Jezos

(32:09) The Genesis of Extropic

(35:52) Thermodynamic Computing Explained

(41:06) Future of AI and Thermodynamic Computing

(45:27) Current Progress and Future Plans

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• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co

• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

This week on Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano talks to Soumith Chintala at Generative NYC, a monthly meetup for AI builders hosted by Lightspeed. Soumith is a Vice President and Fellow at Meta and he co-created PyTorch, one of the world’s most beloved ML libraries. He’s had a front row seat to the rise of AI over the past few years at Meta and previously as a researcher at New York University. Michael and Soumith discuss Meta's open-source strategy, and the role of AI models such as LLAMA, and the broader strategy behind AI advancements. 

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Soumith Chintala, VP at Meta and  Co-Creator of PyTorch
(01:05) How PyTorch Was Created
(04:08) Building a Community Around PyTorch
(05:32) Explaining PyTorch and Its Impact
(08:40) Meta's Open Source Strategy and LLAMA
(11:03) AI Models and the Future of Generative AI
(14:16) Implications of AI
(19:45) Open Source vs. Closed Source AI
(23:45) Audience Q&A
(35:03) Closing Thoughts

Stay in touch:

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see ⁠⁠lsvp.com/legal⁠⁠.

Semil Shah sits down with Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano for a quarterly conversation about AI and its evolving impact on startups, VCs, and incumbents. They also discuss Chris Paik’s essay “The End of Software,” tech cleanses, Apple’s WWDC, and the difference in thinking between LCs, GPs, and VCs in the landscape of AI.  Semil Shah is the Founding General Partner of Haystack and a General Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Intro to Episode 

(4:42) “The End of Software”

(7:30) Computer Science and Philosophy

(11:19) Where Technology Won’t Go

(19:33) Tech Cleanse 

(24:07) WWDC24 - Apple’s Worldwide Developers Conference 

(26:40) ChatGPT & Apple Intelligence

(33:13) Tim Cook

(45:20) Ben Thompson 

(48:10) Google

(52:09) VC and AI

(59:11) How LPs think about AI

(01:06:57) How GPs think about AI

(01:12:56) Vinod Khosla, OpenAI, and Square

(01:14:49) Opposite George

(01:25:40) Jerry Seinfeld, Neal Brennan, Rick Rubin, Lex Friedman

(01:28:53) “The Greatest Show on Earth”

Stay in touch:

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• Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see ⁠lsvp.com/legal⁠.

The explosion of generative AI-powered technologies has forever changed the tech landscape. But the path to the current AI revolution was paved by many breakthroughs. Bill Dally had a hand in quite a few of them.

In this week’s episode of Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano speaks with Bill Dally, NVIDIA's Chief Scientist and Senior Vice President for Research, whose nearly four-decade long career spans from experiments with neural networks in the 1980s to leading NVIDIA's groundbreaking research. He discusses the work at NVIDIA in advancing GPU technology, as well as the shift towards generative AI. Michael and Bill also explore the challenges of keeping up with rapid advancements in AI, the future implications for the industry, and advice for aspiring engineers.

Bill Dally joined NVIDIA in January 2009 as chief scientist, after spending 12 years at Stanford University, where he was chairman of the computer science department. He has published over 250 papers, holds over 120 issued patents, and is an author of four textbooks. Bill received a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech, a master’s in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from CalTech.

Episode Chapters
(00:00) Introduction
(00:22) Bill Dally's Journey from Neural Networks to NVIDIA
(01:39) The Evolution of AI and Computing: A Personal Account
(05:48) The AI Revolution: Expectations vs. Reality
(07:58) Inside NVIDIA: The Role of Chief Scientist and the Power of Research
(10:29) Exploring the Frontiers of Generative AI and Research
(14:23) AI’s Role in the Future of Autonomous Vehicles
(20:53) The Impact of AI on Chip Design and Efficiency
(25:55) Building NVIDIA's Elite Research Team
(36:00) Anticipating the Future: Advice for the Next Generation
(39:58) Closing Thoughts

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www.lsvp.com
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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

What makes AI truly useful and impactful for users? That’s the question that drives Matthieu Rouif, CEO and co-founder of Photoroom, the AI-first photo editing app for mobile. This week on Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano talks to Matthieu Rouif about what he learned from his previous ventures in app development, how Photoroom found product market fit early, and how Photoroom went from a feature to a product with more than 150 million downloads and 30 million monthly active users. 

Matthieu started working on photo apps decades ago while studying at Polytechnique in France and Stanford in the United States. Matthieu created the first mobile apps for ski resorts and co-founded the HeyCrowd app to make surveys more social. He later was a product leader for Replay Video Editor (Awarded ‘Best App of the Year’ by Apple and Google). While working as a Product Manager at GoPro, he became frustrated with the time-consuming process of manually removing backgrounds in Photoshop and realized that there was a demand for a better solution on the App Store. This led Matthieu to study machine learning, and he met with Eliot Andres, a machine learning expert, and together they created the first version of Photoroom in just two weeks.

Episode Chapters

00:00) Introduction to Matthieu Rouif & Photoroom
(01:57) Matthieu Rouif's Entrepreneurial Journey
(04:44) Early Startup Successes and Lessons Learned
(10:30) The Creation of PhotoRoom: Bridging AI and Usability
(16:45) Finding Product-Market Fit & The Power of User Feedback
(19:40) Scaling PhotoRoom Amidst COVID-19
(21:05) Unlocking User-Centric AI with Open Source
(23:30) Evolving Beyond Background Removal
(30:19) Wider Application of the APIs and Success Stories with Barbie and Netflix
(37:12) Building a Remote Team Culture & “No DM” Policy
(40:37) Landscape of AI Innovation in Paris

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see ⁠⁠lsvp.com/legal⁠⁠.

AI has been powering Grammarly before the current wave of AI adoption. So what can we learn from this beloved AI tool? This week on Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano talks with the CEO of Grammarly, Rahul Roy-Chowdhury. Michael asks Rahul about privacy and safety when it comes to AI products, the future of AI agents and tools, and why he sees Gen AI as a tool for co-creation. Before becoming Grammarly’s CEO, Rahul was Grammarly's Global Head of Product. Prior to Grammarly, he spent 14 years at Google leading product and Privacy, Safety, and Security.

Chapter Episodes

(00:00) Introduction to Rahul Roy-Chowdhury
(01:01) Rahul’s Career: Product at Google to CEO of Grammarly
(07:58) Grammarly's Mission and the Impact of AI on Product Development
(16:23) The Future of AI: Open Source Models and Safety
(19:08) The Future of AI in Browsers and Beyond
(20:32) Gaining User Trust and Data Privacy
(21:55) Generative AI's Impact on Consumer and Enterprise Sectors
(27:38) The Co-Creation Model of Writing with AI
(35:16) Exploring New Frontiers in AI Technology
(39:15) Closing Thoughts and Future Predictions

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see ⁠⁠lsvp.com/legal⁠⁠.

Human creativity and AI are often characterized as being at odds with each other. But as the capabilities of AI grow, so too grow the possibilities for empowering humans in creative endeavors.

This week on Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano speaks with Etsy CEO Josh Silverman about the integration and impact of AI technologies in enhancing the consumer and seller experiences. He shares insights into his journey of scaling technology companies and the evolution of internet technologies, starting with founding Evite. Michael asks Josh how Etsy uses generative AI to keep human connection in commerce and empowering sellers and consumers. Josh shares the challenges and opportunities presented by AI in creative marketplaces, Etsy’s engineering culture, and the future of AI in enhancing online shopping experiences.

Josh Silverman previously served as President of Consumer Products and Services at American Express, CEO of Skype, and CEO of shopping.com, and he held various executive roles at eBay. Josh also co-founded Evite, Inc. where he also served as the company's CEO. He is currently on the board of directors of Shake Shack. 

Episode Chapters
(00:00) Introduction
(01:24) Josh Silverman’s Career Spanning The Evolution of Technology: from Internet to AI
(06:16) Etsy’s Mission and AI Integration
(08:36) Enhancing Etsy’s Search and Discovery with AI
(15:27) Empowering Creative Entrepreneurs & SMBs with AI
(16:10) Balancing AI Innovation with Etsy’s Human-Centric Mission
(20:51) Etsy's Engineering Culture and Democratizing Machine Learning
(25:26) Audience Q&A: Creativity, AI Challenges, and Consumer Expectations
(32:57) Closing remarks

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see ⁠lsvp.com/legal⁠.

This week on Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano talks to Lisha Li, Founder and CEO of Rosebud AI. Rosebud AI allows users to generate video with a few simple prompts by leveraging AI for every aspect of game design. Lisha shares her diverse background from academia to venture capital and acting, leading up to the inception of Rosebud. Michael and Lisha talk about lessons learned when developing consumer AI products and the different iterations of Rosebud AI and its evolution including stock photos and the viral app TokkingHeads.

Lisha is the Founder and CEO of Rosebud AI. She is a former principal at Amplify Partners. Lisha completed her PhD at UC Berkeley focusing on deep learning and probability applied to the problem of clustering in graphs. While at Berkeley she also did statistical consulting, advising on methods and analysis for experimentation and interpretation, and interned as a data scientist at Pinterest and Stitch Fix. She earned her Master of Science in Mathematics at the University of Toronto, with Highest Distinction advised by Prof. Balazs Szegedy in the area of Graph Limits.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Lisha Li and Rosebud AI

(00:47) Lisha Li’s Career: Academia, Acting, VC, and AI

(07:54) The Genesis of Rosebud AI: Creating a Creative Consumer AI Product 

(12:14) Navigating Game Development with AI

(17:43) Democratizing Game Creation with Rosebud

(31:20) Building Rosebud's AI-Powered Platform

(35:56) Looking Ahead: The Future of AI in Gaming 

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

One could argue that the model for the news business is broken. So can AI help fix it? This week on Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano talks to Sara Beykpour, CEO and Co-founder of Particle. Particle is an AI-driven news platform designed to help people learn exactly what they want to know about what's going on in the world in the most efficient way possible. Michael and Sara talk about the central product role she played for groundbreaking products like Twitter, Vine, Secret, and Periscope, as well as why she started Particle and how AI could help make new business models work for publishers.

Sara has been on the forefront of creating novel media platforms throughout her entire career. She has built and launched three apps that set the stage for today’s multimedia social landscape online: Vine, Secret, and Periscope. She previously worked as Twitter’s Senior Director of Product Management, leading Twitter Blue, Twitter Video, and conversations. 

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Sara Beykpour

(00:58) Sara's Journey Through Silicon Valley's Startups

(02:43) The Early Days at Twitter and the Birth of Vine

(06:42) Vine's Impact, Decline, and Shutdown

(12:21) From Vine to Secret (Anonymous Social Media)

(14:45) The Periscope Era: Live Streaming's Rise

(21:47) Exploring the Evolution of Social Media and News Consumption

(22:26) The Impact of Twitter on News and Journalism

(27:57) Challenges and Innovations in News Consumption

(32:14) The Rise of Generative AI and Its Effects on News Publishing

(33:26) Leveraging AI in Particle for a New News Experience

(46:15) Exploring New Business Models for Journalism with AI

(49:28) Opportunities With Particle

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Cerebras recently announced the launch of The Wafer Scale Engine Three. This is the largest and fastest chip in the history of chips. 

This week on Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano talks to Andrew Feldman. Andrew is the CEO and cofounder of Cerebras, the hardware company that builds AI supercomputers known for its Wafer Scale Technology. The Wafer Scale Engine Three is about the size of a dinner plate and promises compute design for AI. Andrew and Michael talk about what it takes to have the conviction to make big bets and push the limits of hardware innovation.

Prior to Cerebras, Andrew co-founded and was CEO of SeaMicro, a pioneer of energy-efficient, high-bandwidth microservers. SeaMicro was acquired by AMD in 2012 for $357M. Before SeaMicro, Andrew was the Vice President of Product Management, Marketing and BD at Force10 Networks which was later sold to Dell Computing for $800M. Prior to Force10 Networks, Andrew was the Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Development at RiverStone Networks from the company’s inception through IPO in 2001.

Episode Chapters
(00:00) Welcome to Generative: A Deep Dive into AI Supercomputing
(00:26) The Wafer Scale Engine 3
(00:56) Andrew Feldman's Journey: From Startup to AI Supercomputing Pioneer
(04:53) The Foresight in AI Chip Development: Outpacing the Giants
(07:32) The Wafer Scale Engine 3: A Technological Leap in AI Compute
(17:12) The Future of AI Compute: Expanding Horizons and Synthetic Data
(23:18) Challenges in Chip Design
(23:51) Innovations in Cooling and Powering Chips
(25:02) Overcoming Precedent Challenges
(26:40) The Revolutionary Impact of Wafer Scale Engine 3
(29:08) Diverse Customer Applications
(34:05) Future Directions in Chip Technology and AI Applications
(39:11) Closing Thoughts

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When the world of AI feels so dramatically new, it’s hard to look anywhere except toward the future. But previous examples of technological innovation can teach us a lot about building public trust and collaboration. 

This week on Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano talks to Verity Harding, one of TIME magazine’s most influential people in AI. Her debut book is AI Needs You: How We Can Change AI's Future and Save Our Own. She points to moments like the Space Race, the development of IVF, and the internet as inspiration for today’s potential regulatory framework for AI. 

Verity is the Director of the AI and Geopolitics Project at the Bennett Institute of Public Policy at Cambridge. She also runs the tech consultancy Formation Advisory. She previously directed policy for Google DeepMind and worked for Deputy Prime Minister the Rt Hon Sir Nick Clegg.

Episode Chapters
(00:00) Introduction to Verity Harding

(01:36) Verity Harding's Transition from Politics to Google DeepMind

(08:28) AI Needs You: Unpacking the Book's Message

(11:43) Building Public Trust and Engagement in a Polarized Environment

(20:34) Advice for Builders Who Don’t Want to Decelerate 

(24:11) Who are the Stakeholders of AI Governance? 

(36:06) AI and the Future: Optimism, Challenges, and the Path Forward

(41:18) Closing Thoughts and Where to Find the Book

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What if AI could understand what we, humans, are feeling? This week on Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano talks to Alan Cowen, CEO & Chief Scientist of Hume AI. Hume creates empathic AI that learns our preferences from our vocal and facial expressions. Their goal is to maximize our happiness and quality of life. Hume is now announcing their API for EVI, Hume’s Empathic Voice Interface. 

The conversation covers Cowen's journey from being a researcher to founding Hume AI, the importance of emotional intelligence in AI for quality human interaction, and the potential to transform user experiences across various apps and devices. Plus, we ask how empathic AI could impact the road to AGI.

Episode Chapters
(00:00) Introduction to Alan Cowen & Hume Demo 

(01:38) The Genesis of Hume AI: From Research to Startup

(04:01) Affective Computing and Its Impact

(10:55) Hume AI: Bridging Human Emotions and Technology

(15:37) The Future of AI: Beyond Text to Empathic Interactions

(20:37) Introducing EVI: Empathic Voice Interface

(21:46) Real-World Applications of Empathic AI 

(31:19) The Potential Role of Empathic AI in Achieving AGI

(36:53) Trust and Privacy

(40:02) Opportunities with Hume AI

(41:18) Closing Thoughts 

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

AI news moves fast. But reporters covering AI move faster. This week on the podcast, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano talks to journalist Alex Heath about predictions for independent model companies, the conversation around training data, and how journalists are adapting to AI disruptions. Alex Heath is the Deputy Editor of The Verge and the author of Command Line, a weekly newsletter about the tech industry’s inside conversation.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Alex Heath

(1:20) Inside the AI News Cycle 

(6:41) Covering OpenAI and Meta Rebrand Breaking News

(10:14) Top of Mind Trends: Databricks, Perplexity, Meta 

(13:35) Google’s AI Strategy and Gemini Fallout 

(20:25) Second Order Effects of Microsoft’s Inflection Deal

(24:02) Journalism Adapting to AI & Future of Industry

(32:08) What’s Beyond SEO?

(36:19) The Value of Content in Training

(38:10) Elon Musk’s X and Grok

(41:11) Closing Thoughts

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• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co

• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Imagination becomes a reality when building the design tools of the future. This week on Generative Now, we’re talking with someone who has been tinkering with AI and design for about ten years. Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano talks to Jordan Singer, Product Designer at Figma, about how Figma acquired his startup Diagram, what it’s like building AI tools at Figma, and how the role of designers is evolving. 

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Jordan Singer

(01:19) Jordan Singer's Journey from Coder to Designer

(09:27) Creating the Experiment that Became a Startup

(14:10) Leaving Square to be CEO & Founder of Diagram

(22:09) Figma's Acquisition of Diagram 

(30:24) Designers as Creative Directors in the AI Era

(37:14) Other Areas of Interest in AI

(40:41) Closing Thoughts 

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• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: ⁠generativenow.co⁠

• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see ⁠lsvp.com/legal⁠.

Semil Shah, General Partner at Haystack and Venture Partner at Lightspeed, is known for at least two things: his insightful Twitter presence and his smart investments at Haystack VC. Semil joins Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano to talk venture capital insights and the unpredictable nature of startup success. The conversation also covers the evolving landscape of AI investments, the unique nature of Reddit's IPO, and the future of unique user-generated content. Additionally, they discuss the dynamics between LPs, venture funds, and startups in the current market environment.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Semil Shah 

(03:31) Semil Shah’s Twitter Presence 

(05:46) Navigating the AI Investment Landscape: Insights and Predictions

(10:19) The Role of Acquisitions and Talent in Shaping AI's Future

(18:57) Venture Capital Strategies

(19:33) Capital as a Weapon in Venture Capital

(23:27) The Art of Investment Decisions

(25:45) How AI has Changed the  Venture Landscape

(27:52) The Venture Ecosystem: LPs, Funds, and Startups

(32:22) The Future of AI and Open Source

(36:26) The Reddit IPO: A Market Turning Point?

(41:21) Closing Thoughts

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

What is the role of a human content creator in a world with AI generated content? It’s a critical piece of the puzzle, according to Scott Belsky, Chief Strategy Officer and EVP of Design and Emerging Products at Adobe. Lightspeed Partner and Host Michael Mignano for a conversation about the evolution of marketing with generative content, the future of personalization, and overlooked opportunities in the AI landscape. 

This conversation took place at the Robin Hood Opportunity x AI Summit. Robin Hood is the largest foundation fighting poverty in New York City.  The group has invested nearly $3.5 billion over 35 years and Robin Hood supports all five boroughs with food pantries, high-performing schools, job-training programs, shelters and more. The group has a venture-like approach; they scale programs that are working and found new programs to fill gaps. Robin Hood has also announced $1 million challenges for tools using AI to fight poverty. You can learn more at  https://www.aipovertychallenge.org/. You don't have to be a non-profit or based in NYC to apply.

Episode Chapters
(00:00) Robin Hood Opportunity x AI Summit.
(00:43) Robinhood: Fighting Poverty with AI
(01:42) Scott Belsky on AI and Creativity
(02:02) The Impact of AI on the Creative Process
(05:16) The Role of Creators
(6:28) AI Generated Content on Social Media
(9:09) Customers Inspiring Product Development
(11:09) The Hyper Personalization of Digital Experiences
(15:07) Overlooked Business Opportunities in AI
(19:48) How AIs Can Scale SMBs
(21:56) Legal Risks with Enterprise Adoption
(26:12) Custom Tuned Models Generated From IP
(27:44) The Rise of AI Agents
(30:22) Why Scott Belsky is An AI Optimist

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see ⁠lsvp.com/legal⁠.

Since the beginning of cinema, movies have held to the same format - a linear narrative, told the same way each time. Filmmaker Gary Hustwit wants to change all that. With his new documentary Eno, he’s broken the mold on movies. Hustwit has harnessed the power of generative AI to produce a movie you can never see twice. Through careful editing and groundbreaking software development, Hustwit and his collaborators built an engine that assembles a one-of-a-kind movie for every viewing. Same footage, different sequence. You have to see it to believe it.

Episode Chapters
(00:00) Introduction to Gary Hustwit
(04:06) “Eno,” Generative Film about Brian Eno  
(10:14) Making a Movie That’s Different Every Time
(13:04) Programming a Generative Film
(15:56) Poetry, Code and Software
(19:09) Role of Human Editors
(21:09) How will Streaming Platforms Adapt?
(24:44) AI Disrupting Traditional Filmmaking
(28:19) Sora from OpenAI
(32:07) Anamorph, Filmmaking and Technology Company
(36:45) What’s Next for Gary Hustwit

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Most of the hype around AI has revolved around its text capabilities, and the powers of LLMs like ChatGPT. But Suno is focusing on the unsung hero of AI - music. Suno is building a future where anyone can make good music - all you need to do is type in a prompt, and out will come a song that’s never existed before. Mikey Shulman, CEO and Co-Founder of Suno, joins Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano to talk through the intricacies of programming for sound, and what this technology could mean for music. 

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Mikey Shulman and Suno

(04:03) How transcribing S&P earnings calls inspired Suno

(08:41) There’s no Common Crawl for audio - they had to make their own

(12:37) Hacking text-to-speech to make music

(16:25) What’s the product market fit for generative music? 

(21:15) How will AI change the format of music?

(28:44) Suno’s highlight reel so far

(31:39) Designing with the end user in mind

(38:26) Can AI transcend the creativity ceiling? 

(40:48) How does Mikey think regulation and music rights will shake out?

(46:19) Is Suno hiring?

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see ⁠lsvp.com/legal⁠.

Spotify’s personalized recommendations have set it apart from the pack of music streaming platforms for years. Those curated recommendations have only gotten stronger with the onset of AI, with the ability to power things like your own personal AI DJ. In this episode, Spotify’s Co-President, CPO & CTO, Gustav Söderström, joins host and Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano to talk about building UX that can power more efficient AI, the future of AGI, and what the technology could look live over the next few iterations.  

Episode Chapters

(00:00) An introduction to Gustav Söderström

(01:29) How Spotify became one of the first consumer AI companies

(05:57) A philosophical shift: UI that works for AI, not the other way around

(12:52) “Talk is cheap, so do a lot of it”

(15:00) Building for the tech we will have, not the tech we do have

(19:43) What will AI do for media creation?

(25:00) The Wild West of model training

(29:45) How anthropomorphizing AI can help you understand its potential

(37:04) What happens when cognitive labor gets automated?

(40:42) How much more intelligent could AI get?

(47:45) Is AGI on the horizon, or already here?

(53:48) Should we be worried about AGI?

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• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co

• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

In this episode, long-time entrepreneur and startup investor Elad Gil and former Greylock General Partner and Conviction founder Sarah Guo join host and Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano to take a look at the broadening world of AI investing. The three discuss the surprise of ChatGPT3, the future of AI consumer products, and the potential UI evolution AI platforms could bring.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Sarah Guo and Elad Gil, investors extraordinaire 

(03:45) 2023 was the year of AI - did they see it coming?

(11:12) The go-forward opportunity for foundational models

(16:31) What does the next app wave look like?

(19:01) Who’s winning AI: Consumer or Enterprise??

(23:35) Will SMBs leverage AI or will SMBs be the new BigCo’s as a result of AI??

(31:30) Vertically integrated models

(39:54) Chat as an interface: the future or the past?

(49:19) Hardware x AI

(55:45) Will Web3 be the way to verify authenticity?

(01:00:11) Where is regulation headed?

(01:02:13) Where to listen to No Priors

Stay in touch:

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• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: ⁠⁠⁠⁠generativenow.co⁠⁠⁠⁠

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see ⁠⁠⁠⁠lsvp.com/legal⁠⁠⁠⁠.

Generative AI took the world by storm with the launch of ChatGPT, and set companies worldwide scrambling to catch up to the possibilities. Navan, the only integrated business travel and expense solution, knew it had to run hard towards AI. Navan co-founder and CEO Ariel Cohen sat down with host and Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano to discuss the mechanics of shifting a big company on the fly, and how Navan managed to pull it off.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Ariel Cohen and Navan

(06:39) How Navan makes business travel less of a headache

(10:11) Navan leverages personalization to make bookings more efficient

(12:38) Leveling up on expense tracking through innovation

(17:34) How a company with a $500 million run rate ran hard towards AI

(23:29) UI’s post-AI future

(25:29) The mechanics of pivoting a 3,000 person team in a new direction

(29:09) Will AI be a platform shift?

(33:07) Navan uses AI to make expenses a breeze

(39:09) A look into the year ahead for Navan

(39:58) Is Navan hiring?

Stay in touch:

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• X: ⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp⁠⁠⁠

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see ⁠⁠⁠lsvp.com/legal⁠⁠⁠.

A collaborative digital whiteboard. Sounds simple, right? Steve Ruiz, founder of tldraw, found out the hard way that building this kind of tool was anything but easy. Steve joins host and Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano to talk about iterating with an audience, following a problem through to its end, and his take on the future of open source software. 

Episode Chapters

[00:00] Introduction to Steve Ruiz, founder of tldraw

[07:41] Building out an audience by building out the perfect arrow graphic

[12:42] Your idea of the end result shifts the way you build the product

[14:20] How the quest to draw the perfect line kicked off Steve’s development career

[19:10] Twitter spurred on Steve’s developer chops

[25:16] Steve’s philosophy on open source

[27:41] Perfect Freehand’s perfect line led to tldraw’s perfect whiteboard

[31:04] Taking 6 months off to see the whiteboard project through

[36:14] A split in the road - go to Adobe or go all in on tldraw?

[41:26] What ChatGPT-4 Vision brought to tldraw

[46:36] Making a collaborative whiteboard into an AI-powered web developer 

[54:07] Make Real’s tension - developer tool or end user product?

[59:15] What else will AI open up for tldraw?

[01:04:21] Is tldraw hiring?

Stay in touch:

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The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see ⁠⁠lsvp.com/legal⁠⁠.

Over the last year, AI and LLMs have experienced an explosion of use. But the tech isn’t foolproof - hedging and hallucinations are just a couple of the concerns. That’s where Arthur AI comes in. They’ve built out firewalls, validation tools, and benchmarks to make sure that an LLM’s answer is one you can trust, whether you’re a military contractor or investment broker. Arthur AI Co-Founder and CEO Adam Wenchel sat down with Lightspeed Partner and Host Michael Mignano to talk about just how Arthur AI is allowing for the safe, responsible, and trustworthy adoption of AI.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Intro to Adam Wenchel, co-founder and CEO of Arthur AI

(5:31) Working on AI at DARPA 20 years ago

(8:39) From cybersecurity to Capital One

(14:20) How Arthur lends transparency to AI decision-making

(21:45) ChatGPT ripped up Arthur AI’s roadmap

(26:18) Arthur AI’s guardrails can make AI trustworthy

(31:46) Who will win the LLM wars?

(37:00) What the ChatGPT sea change looked like at Arthur AI

(44:22) How Arthur AI’s firewall clamps down on hallucinations

(47:11) Are we on the right path for regulation?

(51:22) Adam’s prediction for the year ahead? Unpredictability

(52:39) Is Arthur AI hiring?

Stay in touch:

• ⁠www.lsvp.com⁠

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• Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/⁠

• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: ⁠generativenow.co⁠

• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see ⁠lsvp.com/legal⁠.

In this last episode of 2023, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano takes a look back at the first ten episodes of Generative Now to share a few favorite moments.

Episode Chapters
(00:00) Introduction

(00:41) Connor Zwick on sneaking into early Berkeley courses on AI

(04:08) Max Child on being first to a new platform

(07:49) Gaurav Misra on how product market fit and a surprise $500k changed their business plan

(15:19) Hilary Mason on the nuanced definitions in AI

(20:57) Victor Riparbelli on the new paradigm AI can bring into being

(23:58) Scott Belsky on his AI “aha” moment

Stay in touch:

• ⁠www.lsvp.com⁠

• X: ⁠https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp⁠

• LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/⁠

• Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/⁠

• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: ⁠generativenow.co⁠

• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see ⁠lsvp.com/legal⁠.

Duolingo is a worldwide powerhouse for consumers looking to learn a language, with a reputation for being engaging and interactive. Less known? All that AI does to power it. 

In this episode, Duolingo’s Head of AI sits down with Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano to chat about AI’s exponential growth, the connection between AI and the human brain, and what comes next. 

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Klinton Bicknell at the Generative NYC Meet-Up

(03:04) What separates the human mind from an LLM?

(08:15) What exactly makes Duolingo an AI company?

(10:49) Why a behemoth like Duolingo can keep pace with nimble startups

(13:33) How will AI transform learning down the line?

(18:36) Caught off guard by ChatGPT

(21:19) What will AI revolutionize beyond education?

(22:48) Audience Q & A - Solving tricky learning modalities with AI

(25:53) Audience Q & A  - Is AI development nearing a plateau?

(29:45) Audience Q & A - Quality vs. Quantity of data

(32:15) Audience Q & A - Harnessing AI’s learning efficiencies

(33:57) Audience Q & A - Will language-learning become obsolete?

(38:30) Audience Q & A - How AI can teach pronunciation

Stay in touch:

• www.lsvp.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/

• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co

• Email: [email protected]

  
  

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Captions.AI is taking the world of video creation by storm. With features like AI-corrected eye contact and automatic captions in 28 languages, more creators than ever can bring their ideas to life. Captions.AI Co-Founder and CEO Gaurav Misra joined Lightspeed Partner and Host Michael Mignano for a conversation spanning from his days as a design engineer at Snap to finding a surprise $500k in his Apple account. 

Episode Chapters

(00:00) An intro to Gaurav Misra, co-founder and CEO of Captions.AI

(06:03) Gaurav got an early start in startups 

(09:24) Getting a phD in machine learning before it was cool 

(12:04) From Lattice Engines to Microsoft to Localytics

(17:26) Making the leap to Snapchat’s elite engineering team

(20:57) Keeping innovation alive at a huge consumer  company

(26:48) Being on the ground floor of Snapchat’s major feature overhauls

(30:47) Leaving Snapchat to found a top-tier AI company

(33:48) It all started as a social network

(38:10) The happy accident of the original Captions.AI tool

(44:08) They raised a series A for the social network only to find a $500k surprise

(50:00) Building a text-based video editor from the ground up

(58:25) Beyond the editor - launching the AI-powered Lipdub 

(01:04:14) What will video editing look like 5 years from now?

(01:06:52) Is Captions.AI hiring?

Stay in touch:

• www.lsvp.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/

• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co

• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Kylan Gibbs got his start in social sciences, but after stumbling into startups via a winning pitch at a Singaporean business competition, he never looked back. He spent time as co-founder of FlowX, a consultant at Bain & Company, and Product Manager at Google.  Kylan talked with Lightspeed Partner and Host Michael Mignano about where he’s at today, and how Inworld AI is leveling up is changing the way people interact with games throughAI powered NPCs.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Intro to Inworld’s Co-Founder

(11:16) How a background in social science helped launch AI interactive gaming

(17:54) Accidental success with FlowX - building infrastructure for autonomous vehicles

(23:41) Innovating in a traditional firm - Kylan’s experience at Bain & Co.

(28:49) Generative AI has massive untapped capacity

(30:44) How Inworld brings the world of gaming to life

(33:48) Making social puzzles part of the core gameplay

(39:45) Leveraging unique interaction without derailing the plot

(44:04) A day in the life of a Chief Product Officer

(47:17) Keeping the lid on hallucination

(51:08) Scaling up over long time horizons

(54:40) AI can level up gaming with more than just characters 

(01:02:19) Inworld works beyond the world of gaming

(01:04:44) ChatGPT woke up the market

(01:09:49) Is Inworld hiring?

Stay in touch:

• www.lsvp.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/

• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co

• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Pinecone is one of the preeminent companies building in the generative AI space. Pinecone is able to integrate AI models and vector search databases to ensure that AI applications are getting the most relevant and up to date information as quickly as possible. Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano spoke with Pinecone Founder and CEO Edo Liberty at a Generative NYC meet-up in early 2023.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) An intro to Edo Liberty and Pinecone

(04:02) “It’s either now or never.”

(05:11) Building the “smartest person in the room”

(06:48) Giving AI the context it needs

(08:02) Building an AI startup before it was the coolest thing in the world

(12:09) Incumbents vs. Startups - where do we go from here?

(14:41) “We’ve been stumbling in the dark and someone flipped the switch.”

(16:52) Model dominance vs. Vector database dominance

(19:01) What role do vector databases play in a world of LLMs?

(21:29) Go-to-market insights from Pinecone

(23:26) An on-the-fly feature request

Stay in touch:

• www.lsvp.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/

• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co

• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Rewind is a personalized AI powered by everything you’ve seen, said, or heard. Rewind’s co-founder and CEO Dan Siroker lived several lifetimes before starting the company: product manager at Google, Director of Analytics for the 2008 Obama campaign, and co-founder of Optimizely. Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano spent some time with Dan talking about the roads that got him to Rewind, and where he sees things going next.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Early days

(06:32) How going deaf inspired products that give humans superpowers

(09:53) How A/B testing helped Obama win 

(12:57) The worst ways to come up with startup ideas

(14:36) A breakthrough at Y Combinator

(18:42) Getting Optimizely off the ground

(22:18) Customer empathy is the most important thing

(23:50) Bad advice for a CEO

(25:45) How Dan’s “grass is greener” mentality led to Rewind

(27:31) What exactly is Rewind?

(31:03) How Rewind is creating a shift in user behavior

(36:22) Hacking the standard fundraising model

(40:26) The mechanics of Rewind for macOS and iOS

(44:58) New Rewind release: the Rewind Pendant

(47:48) How Rewind thinks about privacy

(50:43) Privacy product decisions

(53:21) Incumbents’ next moves

(57:27) When will the Rewind Pendant be available? 

(01:01:04) Is Rewind hiring?

Stay in touch:

• www.lsvp.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/

• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co

• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Hilary Mason was on the ground floor of data science research, and now she’s bringing that same pioneering spirit to generative AI. For this episode, Host and Partner at Lightspeed, Michael Mignano, talks with Hilary about how to safeguard probabilistic systems and how researchers and founders can form the most effective teams.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) - Intro

(05:18) - A founder’s thoughts - NYC vs. Silicon Valley

(09:50) - Why Hilary thinks non-linear storytelling was wrong

(13:44) - Understanding online traffic through bit.ly

(15:57) - The taxonomy of data science

(19:06) - Founding Fast Forward Labs - “Hire your nerd best friend”

(23:05) - Can academia and startups coexist?

(26:50) - Machine learning  (ML) vs. Artificial Intelligence (AI)

(34:00) - Selling Fast Forward Labs to Cloudera

(38:51) - Hidden Door’s inception

(44:29) - The challenge - and opportunity - of AI hallucinations

(48:07) - What is Hidden Door?

(52:38) - Building an architecture for unstructured input

(57:38) - How can you try Hidden Door?

(01:00:45) - Shifting the software engineer mindset

(01:04:17) - How will product-building shift with generative AI?

(01:07:34) - Is AI hype dangerous?

(01:12:36) - Where to learn more about Hidden Door 

Stay in touch:

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• X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/

• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co

• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

In this episode of Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano sits down with Max Child, CEO and Co-Founder of Volley. Volley led the charge of voice controlled gaming that uses Alexa as a platform. Max gives an inside look into what it was like to be a platform pioneer, and all the steps along the way.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) - Intro 

(05:11) - Lessons from The Harvard Crimson

(07:14) - How a failed dating app launched Max’s coding career

(11:47) - From Infatuation restaurant critic to iOS developer

(19:30) - The birth of chat-based games

(21:17) - Chatbots: 2015 vs. 2023

(25:34) - Amazon Echo and Volley's breakthrough

(28:15) - The trouble with being first to market

(34:00) - Expanding from little speakers to big screens

(38:57) - Voice AI stack enables natural communication for non-gamers

(41:39) - Why isn’t Siri as good as ChatGPT?

(46:13) - Why generative AI is a game-changer for Volley

(58:34) - How generative AI has infected Volley’s strategy

(01:02:44) - The second annual Cerebral Valley

(01:07:58) - Is Volley hiring?

Stay in touch:

• www.lsvp.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/

• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co

• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

In this episode of Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano showcases a live, in-person interview from a Generative Meet-Up in early 2023. Michael sat down with Adobe’s  Chief Strategy Officer & EVP, Design & Emerging Products, Scott Belsky. The two discussed Adobe’s AI initiatives, what’s on the horizon for the industry, and how the future of AI can take us back toward the intimate communities of our past. 

Episode Chapters

(00:00) - Introduction

(02:00) - Interview with Scott Belsky

(05:18) - The origins of AI at Adobe

(07:18)  -Firefly: past, present, and future 

(09:25) - Startups v. incumbents

(11:28) - The personalization wave

(13:04) - The good and bad of hyper-personalized experiences

(15:15) - Verify, then trust: the future of content authenticity

(16:20) -  Will AI enable creators or creative directors?

(18:40) - Compensating IP in an AI-first world

(22:16) - How LLMs will transform the way we work

(26:05) - Generative AI products Scott wants to see exist

(27:28) - Audience Q&A

(39:24) - Outro

Stay in touch:

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• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/

• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co

• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Connor Zwick was a formidable founder on the day he graduated high school, and that hasn’t changed in the intervening years. He’s the founder of Flashcards+, which was acquired by Chegg, and CEO and co-founder of Speak, the cutting edge app using AI speech models to help users perfect their conversational English. In this episode, Connor Zwick sits down with host and Partner at Lightspeed Michael Mignano to talk software iteration, finding a useful use case, and building a new business abroad.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) - Intro to Connor Zwick

(04:48) - Building Flashcards in high school

(08:42) - Lessons from Flashcards product market fit pull and how to value for sale

(13:31) - The hype of becoming a Thiel Fellow

(23:45) - Sneaking into a Berkeley graduate course on reinforcement learning

(27:45) - John Schulman built OpenAI’s playground for a homework assignment

(36:07) - The big AI unlocks went to incumbents

(38:33) - ChatGPT proved that UI matters

(41:49) - Language learning models don’t need perfection to be viable

(46:40) - Speak is a painkiller for English language-learners, not a vitamin for English speakers

(57:09) - Operating in San Francisco while iterating in Seoul

(01:05:13) - What does product market fit feel like?

(01:09:30) - One-on-one tutors are the holy grail of education

(01:14:33) - The moving goalposts of AGI

(01:17:17) - Is Speak hiring?

Stay in touch:

• ⁠www.lsvp.com⁠
• X: ⁠https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp⁠
• LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/⁠
• Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/⁠
• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: ⁠generativenow.co⁠
• Email: ⁠[email protected]⁠

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see ⁠lsvp.com/legal⁠.

In this first episode of Generative Now, Victor Riparbelli, Co-Founder and CEO of Synthesia, joins Host and Partner at Lightspeed, Michael Mignano. The two discuss democratizing video production, the role of regulation in AI’s future, and what it takes to make it through three years in the wilderness.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) - Welcome to Generative Now

(05:28) - Learning startup strategy from World of Warcraft

(15:09) - Is your product a utility or a novelty?

(16:09) - Synthesia's cofounder on Jimmy Kimmel

(21:43) - Replacing physical video production

(26:05) - Finding product market fit

(28:30) - 1,000x easier and cheaper

(30:21) - Three years in the wilderness

(33:42) - ChatGPT’s ripples on Synthesia

(39:52) - The life cycle of a hype cycle

(44:00) - Is the camera dead?

(52:58) - AI safety: building on an ethical framework

(1:02:24) - AI-native formats

(1:07:44) - How Synthesia landed Mark Cuban as an investor

Stay in touch:

• www.lsvp.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/
• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co
• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Generative Now is a new podcast from Lightspeed dedicated to highlighting the stories, strategies and insights behind today's most exciting AI companies. Host Michael Mignano, Partner at Lightspeed and Co-Founder of Anchor, speaks with Founders, Engineers, Designers and other leaders that are leveraging AI to take their products to new heights.

Stay in touch:

• www.lsvp.com
• X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/
• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co
• Email: [email protected]

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.