In this episode of Founders in Arms, Raj sits down solo with Leonard Speiser, co-founder of Clover, to explore the intricacies of building and scaling hardware startups. Speiser shares the remarkable story of how Clover achieved what seemed impossible: developing enterprise-grade payment hardware from concept to production in just nine months, eventually processing over $300 billion in payments. He discusses the innovative acquisition structure with KKR that allowed Clover to maintain startup ag...
Nov 15, 2024•53 min•Season 2Ep. 13
In this episode of Founders in Arms, Immad and Raj sit down with Wayne Crosby, a serial entrepreneur and former Google executive. They dive into Wayne's journey from his early startup Zenter (which became Google Slides) through his decade at Google, exploring how the tech giant's innovative culture shifted over time. The conversation spans Wayne's current venture OrgOrg, his decision to return to Y Combinator as an experienced founder, and transitions into a thoughtful discussion about the poten...
Nov 08, 2024•51 min•Season 2Ep. 12
In this episode of Founders in Arms, Immad and Raj sit down with veteran entrepreneur Dave Balter to discuss the ups and downs of startup. Balter shares candid insights from his journey founding seven companies, including his experiences with co-founder relationships, maintaining humility during success, and managing self-doubt as a CEO. The conversation weaves through various topics, from the challenges of scaling companies to crypto regulation and politics, with Balter offering particularly th...
Nov 01, 2024•49 min•Season 2Ep. 11
Immad and Raj sit down with Celine Halioua, founder and CEO of Loyal, a pioneering biotech company developing drugs to increase lifespan longevity in dogs. This episode highlights the unique challenges of building a biotech company, from navigating FDA approval processes to explaining longevity science to investors. The conversation also explores alternative funding sources beyond traditional VC, with all three founders sharing war stories about their toughest fundraising experiences. Whether yo...
Oct 25, 2024•52 min•Season 2Ep. 10
In this episode of Founders in Arms, Immad and Raj sit down with Roger Dickey (Mafia Wars, Gigster, and Untitled Capital) for a deep dive into startup ideation and product-led growth. Roger shares his structured process for generating hundreds of startup ideas, including his unique "matrix approach." The three founders discuss the joys and challenges of building consumer-facing products, and examine the nuances between different growth strategies, from inherent virality to word-of-mouth marketin...
Oct 18, 2024•42 min•Season 2Ep. 9
In this episode of Founders in Arms, Immad Akhund and Raj Suri are joined by special guest Sheel Mohnot, founder of BTV Ventures and 500 FinTech. The trio dive into a wide-ranging discussion covering the state of FinTech, entrepreneurship in India, and the evolving landscape of social media. This episode offers listeners a blend of practical advice and thought-provoking discussions on the current state of startup and entrepreneurship. Want to join the conversation? Connect with us on Tribe: http...
Oct 11, 2024•40 min•Season 2Ep. 8
Immad and Raj sit down with Martin Basiri, co-founder and former CEO of ApplyBoard and current CEO of Passage, for a conversation that delves deep into the world of education technology and immigration. Martin shares insights on the challenges and opportunities present in the education sector, discussing ApplyBoard's unique business model and the impact it has had on international students. They examine the current state of higher education, the importance of immigration for economic growth in c...
Oct 04, 2024•41 min•Season 2Ep. 7
Immad and Raj sit down with Paul English, the co-founder and former CTO of Kayak, for a deep dive into consumer tech startups. Paul shared some fascinating insights from his entrepreneurial journey, including building capital-efficient companies, leveraging AI to boost productivity, and the future of AR glasses and wearables. In addition, Paul shares why he believes founders should run both for-profit and non-profit ventures, and how he manages to balance multiple projects while maintaining low ...
Sep 27, 2024•36 min•Season 2Ep. 6
In this episode of Founders in Arms, Immad and Raj dive into the latest developments in AI, discussing OpenAI's new O1 model and its impressive reasoning capabilities. The conversation explores potential applications for this technology and debates the future of vertical AI startups. The conversation then shifts to the challenges and benefits of remote work, sparked by Amazon's recent decision to require employees back in the office five days a week. Immad and Raj share insights from their exper...
Sep 20, 2024•32 min•Season 2Ep. 5
In this episode of Founders in Arms, Immad and Raj welcome Silicon Valley legend Paul Buchheit. As the creator of Gmail, an early Google pioneer, and a Y Combinator partner, Paul shares his unique perspectives on the rapidly evolving AI landscape and its implications for startups and society. The conversation covers the current state of large language models and their potential future developments, opportunities for new social apps in the age of AI, and the impact of AI on search engines and Goo...
Sep 13, 2024•46 min•Season 2Ep. 4
Immad and Raj are joined by special guest Greg Isenberg (Late Checkout) to discuss the recent buzz around "founder mode" and debate the merits of VC-backing in startup. Greg provides insights from his experiences building multiple businesses, sharing where he’s seen other ‘modes’ and highlighting the freedom and financial benefits of avoiding VC funding. Whether you're a founder weighing funding options or interested in startup strategy, this episode offers a thought-provoking look at different ...
Sep 06, 2024•39 min•Season 2Ep. 3
Today on Founders in Arms, Immad and Raj explore two of the largest stories in startup this week: The arrest of Telegram founder Pavel Durov, and what Nvidia’s latest earnings report indicates about the future of AI. Immad and Raj debate the complexities of free speech, encryption, and international regulations for tech companies that Durov’s arrest has raised; before turning their attention toward AI to discuss whether we're in an AI bubble, how the technology might impact productivity across v...
Aug 30, 2024•30 min•Season 2Ep. 2
In the debut episode of "Founders in Arms," Immad Akhund (Mercury) and Raj Suri (Lima, Presto, and Lyft) explore the growing impact of regulatory capture on startups in Silicon Valley. They discuss how tech's focus has shifted to more regulated spaces like deep tech, fintech, and AI, examining both the challenges and opportunities for startups in these areas. The hosts analyze the current political climate's effect on tech regulation and share advice for entrepreneurs considering regulated space...
Aug 23, 2024•26 min•Season 2Ep. 1
In this episode of the Curiosity Podcast, Immad and Raj interview Bill Guttentag for a discussion on the evolution of the film industry. Bill is an award-winning writer and producer, best known for his films You Don’t Have to Die , Nanking , and Crime & Punishment . The conversation explores the creative process, how new technology will impact tomorrow’s movies, the financial landscape behind the film industry, and why powerful storytelling has remained central to great filmmaking. Tune in f...
Jun 19, 2024•56 min•Ep. 23
Leadership expert and author Gautam Mukunda joins Immad and Raj for an in-depth discussion on the systems that determine leaders in business and politics. Gautam shares what makes a great leader, touching on leadership in both business and politics. They dissect observable patterns on leadership that can give us insight into the upcoming U.S. presidential election, as well as the qualities of a good president and the current political landscape. Tune in to gain insights on the systems that gover...
Jun 05, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 22
In a world where distinguishing between reality and generative AI is becoming increasingly more difficult, how can we protect ourselves from being influenced by hyper-realistic reproductions of an individual’s voice and likeness? Ben Colman, Co-Founder and CEO of Reality Defender, shares how their technology is currently being used to detect generative AI and how this new trend will impact tomorrow’s world. This conversation covers how AI is being used for misinformation, criminal activities, an...
May 22, 2024•49 min•Ep. 21
Miles Taylor, former chief of staff of the Department of Homeland Security, joins Immad and Raj for a discussion on emerging technologies and national security. They discuss whether AI will be a useful tool or existential threat to national security and American Democracy, and explore how this new technology is already affecting the 2024 election. This conversation also covers a variety of public policy topics, including immigration reform and ranked choice voting. Tune in for an inside look at ...
May 01, 2024•57 min•Ep. 20
Will new advancements in biotech soon help us treat rare diseases? Immad and Raj explore this question with Nicole Paulk, Founder and CEO of Siren Biotechnology, who shares how viral gene therapy has the potential to cure a wide variety of illnesses. The conversation explores the biotech field at large, how viral gene therapy works, and what medical treatments will look like in the near future. Listen in for an engaging conversation about the impact this emerging technology may have on our healt...
Apr 17, 2024•57 min•Ep. 19
In this episode, Imamd and Raj interview Loewen Cavill, Cofounder and CEO of Amira. Loewen is an expert in women’s healthcare, particularly as it relates to menopause. This conversation explores how societal taboos around menopause have stymied the creation of health products and treatments, how our hormonal systems impact our health, what role AI and biowearables will play in the future of women’s healthcare, and much more. Tune in for a detailed conversation on new innovations in biomedical en...
Apr 03, 2024•57 min•Ep. 18
In this episode, Imamd and Raj interview Sam D’Amico, Founder and CEO of Impulse Labs. Sam shares the technology behind Impulse Labs’ innovative, powerful cooktop that touts faster cooking times and energy efficiency. This discussion investigates why traditional appliances have been slow to change over the past 50 years, and how new developments in in-home battery technology are allowing homeowners to save money on their electricity consumption. Tune in to learn more about cutting-edge advanceme...
Mar 20, 2024•49 min•Ep. 17
In this episode of the Curiosity Podcast, Immad and Raj explore the next evolution of education with Austen Allred, Co-Founder and CEO of BloomTech. Austen shares his unlikely journey to founding an education start-up, and how our current education system is failing students. This conversation explores how to mitigate the risks inherent with pursuing a degree, changing trends in student behavior, and how AI will change tomorrow’s education and programming landscape. Tune in for a fascinating dis...
Mar 06, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 16
On this episode of the Curiosity Podcast, Immad and Raj explore the challenges facing San Francisco’s local politics with Sachin Agarwal and Steven Buss, co-founders of GrowSF. GrowSF is a nonprofit aiming to influence the local politics of San Francisco by informing and mobilizing voters. The discussion begins with a look back at how San Francisco’s most pervasive issues (homelessness, housing shortages, crime, etc) first arose and the impact they have had on residents. While faced with a diffi...
Feb 21, 2024•57 min•Ep. 15
In this episode, Immad and Raj discuss the emerging field of zero net carbon fuels with Prometheus Fuels Founder and CEO, Rob McGinnis. Rob shares the process for removing CO2 from the air and converting it into fuels that can power planes, automobiles, and much more. Tune in to learn how this new development may one day change the future of energy and transportation. [00:00:00] Intro [00:04:29] Prometheus and Process [00:07:30] Liquid fuel and energy infrastructure [00:11:13] Electrolyzer and c...
Feb 07, 2024•1 hr 16 min•Ep. 14
In this episode, Immad and Raj discuss biotechnology with Hannu Rajaniemi, Founder and CEO of Helix Nanotechnologies. Hannu shares the potential of mRNA as a platform for various applications, including lab-grown meat, cancer treatment, and customized vaccines. Hannu’s broad thinking and ability to tie biotech to social impact make for an engaging conversation that highlights the exciting potential of mRNA technology. Follow the Curiosity Podcast on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curiosit...
Jan 24, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Ep. 13
In this episode, Immad and Raj interview Delian Asparouhov, a Partner at Founders Fund and the Co-Founder of the space-manufacturing startup Varda. Delian shares his insights on the potential of space manufacturing and how overcoming the difficult challenge of atmospheric reentry will be the key to opening manufacturing in orbit. Delian's background in venture capital brings a commercial mindset to the field of aerospace, offering a fresh perspective on space technology. The conversation provide...
Jan 10, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 12
In this episode, Immad and Raj interview Maxwell Brodie, the Co-Founder and CEO of Rain Industries. Maxwell share how Rain and other tech pioneers are leveraging new technology, such as early detection and autonomous vehicles, to curb the increasing threat of wildfires by rapidly reducing response time. With wildfires becoming more severe and widespread, this conversation delves into innovative solutions being developed to combat this issue that affects millions of people living in areas at high...
Dec 20, 2023•54 min•Ep. 11
Join Immad and Rajat for an in-depth discussion at the intersection of science and art as they chat Cristóbal Valenzuela, CEO and Co-Founder at Runway. Runway’s technology is revolutionizing creativity by leveraging AI to create photorealistic motion pictures. In this episode, Cristóbal shares how AI will enable more creativity through augmentation, some of the ethical concerns of AI filmmaking, and how new technology will allow the next generation of filmmakers to share stories we’ve never seen...
Dec 07, 2023•51 min•Ep. 10
Join Immad and Rajat for a deep dive into the technology being used to combat climate change with Peter Reinhardt, CEO and Co-Founder of Charm Industrial, a company that specializes in carbon removal. In this episode, Peter shares how Charm is leveraging pyrolysis and dry oil wells to remove carbon from the atmosphere, why companies are beginning to favor carbon removal over carbon offsets, and the relationship between government agencies and private companies in combating global warming. Follow...
Nov 29, 2023•52 min•Ep. 9
Immad and Raj talk to Psychedelics therapy expert Dr. Jeeshan Chowdhury, Founder / CEO of Journey Colab Key topics: The history of psychedelics Role of them in therapeutical settings Why psychedelics have been misunderstood What the future holds for this and other drugs Follow the Curiosity Podcast on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curiositypod101/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@curiosity_podcast101?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CuriosityPodcast ...
Aug 10, 2023•51 min•Ep. 7
Immad and Raj talk to popular macroeconomics writer Noah Smith, formerly of Bloomberg. Key topics: Inflation and the current state of the economy, plus future risks America's relationship with China and how we should play our cards Immigration and our labor market, and some thoughts for how things will change Rabbits! Follow the Curiosity Podcast on: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/curiositypod101/ TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@curiosity_podcast101?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc Yo...
Jul 31, 2023•54 min•Ep. 6
