Discover how Glean AI is transforming enterprise productivity with AI-powered search and intelligent agents.

About the episode:

Join Nataraj as he explores the evolution of enterprise AI with Arvind Jain, CEO of Glean. From its roots as an AI-powered search solution, Glean has transformed into a comprehensive AI agent platform, helping companies like Zapier, Carta, and Grammarly boost productivity. Arvind shares his journey, the challenges of building a universal AI assistant, and his vision for the future of AI at work. Discover how Glean is helping enterprises leverage AI to streamline workflows and enhance employee efficiency. Learn how Glean ensures AI delivers value safely and securely.

What you’ll learn

 * Understand the evolution of Glean from an AI-powered search tool to a comprehensive AI agent platform.
 * Discover how Glean helps enterprises address productivity challenges by providing quick access to internal knowledge.
 * Learn about the techniques Glean employs to reduce hallucinations and ensure accurate, reliable AI-driven insights.
 * Explore the diverse use cases of AI agents in sales, customer service, engineering, and legal departments.
 * Gain insights into Arvind Jain's vision for the future of work, where AI proactively assists employees in their daily tasks.



About the Guest and Host:

Arvind Jain: CEO of Glean, work AI platform, and co-founder of Rubrik.

Connect with Guest:

→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jain-arvind

→ Website: glean.com [https://glean.com]

Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor.

→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/

→ Substack: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠



In this episode, we cover

 * (00:01) Introduction to Arvind Jain and Glean AI
 * (01:13) What Glean does: AI-powered search and conversational AI assistant
 * (03:43) The origin story of Glean: Solving productivity challenges in fast-growing companies
 * (06:46) The evolution from search to an AI assistant
 * (09:45) The advantages of tackling hard problems in startups
 * (12:37) Techniques to reduce AI hallucinations and ensure accuracy
 * (17:31) Model Hub: The different models Glean uses
 * (20:16) Use cases for AI agent platforms across various departments
 * (24:42) Workflow agents and the importance of integrations
 * (31:59) The future of work: Proactive AI companions
 * (37:14) Glean's cross-platform vision
 * (39:07) How AI is changing the business of fast-growing startups
 * (43:39) How Glean is becoming more AI-first internally
 * (47:04) Ideas Arvind would explore if starting over with AI
 * (49:49) Key metrics Arvind watches at Glean AI



Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review/comment on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@thestartupproject] Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startup-project/id1551300319] Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cx7Q5r9Ow9eikxQjsJjjq?si=8dbd3150ef4f4ec2] or wherever you listen to podcasts.



#GleanAI #EnterpriseAI #AISearch #AIAgents #FutureofWork #Productivity #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #SaaS #Startups #BusinessInsights #Technology #AIPlatform #WorkflowAutomation #MachineLearning #DeepLearning #AIStrategy #DigitalTransformation #AIinBusiness #TechPodcast



The Future of Enterprise AI: $100M ARR, Agents, Company Building, and Scaling Unicorns | Arvind Jain (Co-founder of Glean, Rubrik, ex-Google)

### About the episode:

Join Nataraj as he interviews Matt DeBergalis, CEO of Apollo GraphQL, about the evolution of GraphQL from an open-source project to a product company. Matt shares insights on building and scaling APIs, the challenges of transitioning open-source tech into a viable business, and how AI is reshaping API development. Discover how Apollo is helping companies of all sizes leverage GraphQL to build agentic experiences and modernize their API strategies.

### What you’ll learn

- Understand the journey of GraphQL from open source to a product-driven company.

- Explore the challenges of adopting and scaling GraphQL in enterprise environments.

- Discover how GraphQL simplifies complex data combinations with its declarative language.

- Learn how Apollo GraphQL helps companies accelerate the development of robust APIs.

- Examine the role of GraphQL in building modern agentic experiences powered by AI.

- Understand how to balance short-term shipping pressures with long-term architectural considerations.

- Identify when GraphQL makes sense for a company based on its API size and consumption needs.

- Discover how AI is driving increased API consumption and transforming user interfaces.

### About the Guest and Host:

Guest Name: Matt DeBergalis is the Co-founder and CEO of Apollo GraphQL, previously CTO and Co-founder at Meteor Development Group.

Connect with Guest:

→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debergalis/

→ Website: https://www.apollographql.com/

Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor.

→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/

→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam

→ Substack: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

→ Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://thestartupproject.io⁠⁠⁠

### In this episode, we cover

(00:01) Introduction to Matt DeBergalis and Apollo GraphQL

(00:37) Matt's journey and the origins of Apollo GraphQL

(03:24) The transition from open source to a company

(05:02) GraphQL as a client-focused API technology

(07:22) Meta's approach to open source technologies

(10:11) Challenges of converting open source to a business

(13:11) Balancing shipping speed with architectural considerations

(15:52) The risk of adopting the wrong technology

(19:13) The evolution of full-stack development

(23:57) When does adopting GraphQL make sense?

(26:45) Apollo's customer scale and focus

(31:48) Acquiring customers and marketing to developers

(33:52) Matt's transition from CTO to CEO

(37:02) Apollo's sales motion and target audience

(40:24) Matt's thoughts on AI and its impact

(47:12) How AI is changing business metrics

Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review/comment on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@thestartupproject] Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startup-project/id1551300319] Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cx7Q5r9Ow9eikxQjsJjjq?si=8dbd3150ef4f4ec2] or wherever you listen to podcasts.

#GraphQL #ApolloGraphQL #API #OpenSource #Enterprise #AI #AgenticAI #APIDevelopment #Startup #Technology #SoftwareDevelopment #GraphQLAdoption #Kubernetes #React #FullStack #DataAnalytics #Innovation #DigitalTransformation #TechStrategy #Podcast



 APIs as Graphs not Endpoints, building a company on open source foundations, why VPs of Engineering face impossible trade-offs | Apollo GraphQL CEO Matt DeBergalis

In this episode of Startup Project, Nataraj interviews Ben Kus, CTO of Box, about the critical role of unstructured data in the AI revolution. They discuss the cost structures of adopting and building with AI, and how AI is transforming enterprise businesses. Ben shares Box's unique perspective, managing over an exabyte of data for 120,000 enterprise customers. Learn how AI can understand, automate, and enhance the value of your unstructured data, turning untapped potential into practical benefits. 

What you’ll learn:

 *  Understand what unstructured data is and why it's so critical for AI applications in business.
 * Discover Box's strategic approach to integrating with other platforms and providing AI solutions on top of your data.
 * Learn about the pivotal moment when Box realized the potential of generative AI and how they retrofitted their platform to be AI-first.
 * Explore early AI use cases launched at Box, including chatting with documents and data extraction, and how enterprises are adopting these features.
 * Understand the cost implications of leveraging AI and how Box balances offering AI for free with managing expenses.
 * Dive into Box's perspective on pricing based on usage versus outcomes, and their current subscription model.
 * Learn about Box's approach to AI agents, their definition, and how they are being implemented to solve complex problems.
 * Discover the concept of "context engineering" and its importance in building AI agents that understand user needs.
 * Understand how AI is impacting productivity within Box and the broader enterprise landscape.
 * Find out about the AI models Box is working with and how they ensure security and trustworthiness for enterprise customers.



About the Guest and Host:

Ben Kus: Chief Technology Officer at Box, previously VP of Product at Box and co-founder of Subspace.

Connect with Guest:

→ LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/benkus .

→ Website: https://box.com/



Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor.

→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/

→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam

→ Substack: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠



In this episode, we cover:

 * (00:01) Introduction

 * (00:35) What is unstructured data and why is Box in the center of AI?
 * (04:05) Box's strategy on building new AI tools and features.
 * (06:55) The moment Box realized AI was a big shift.
 * (11:08) Earliest AI use cases launched at Box.
 * (15:17) The cost of leveraging AI and its impact on profitability.
 * (19:24) Pricing based on usage vs. outcomes.
 * (22:47) Abuse prevention and handling unlimited storage.
 * (24:16) AI products targeted for specific knowledge worker persona.
 * (28:18) Being an AI-first company.
 * (30:55) Defining and implementing AI agents within Box.
 * (36:38) Form factors for agents in an enterprise product sense.
 * (39:59) Productivity improvements with AI.
 * (44:07) Progression in junior developers.
 * (46:17) Document parsing and extraction.
 * (49:16) AI models Box is working with.
 * (52:10) Startup ideas in the AI era.

   

Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review/comment on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@thestartupproject], Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startup-project/id1551300319], Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cx7Q5r9Ow9eikxQjsJjjq?si=8dbd3150ef4f4ec2]

How to be an AI first company, Enterprise AI adoption, Future of Developers, Cost of AI, Unlocking value from Enterprise Data with AI & more with Ben Kus | CTO of Box

About the Episode:

This episode dives into AngelList's core products and how they strengthen the startup ecosystem. Goutham explains how AngelList sits at the center of founders, GPs, and LPs, providing tools and infrastructure to fuel innovation. He discusses the impact of AI on AngelList's operations, from streamlining fund deployment to providing deeper insights for investors. Goutham also shares his thoughts on the current AI hype cycle and how it's blurring the lines between traditional roles in tech companies. The conversation explores AngelList's adoption of crypto, including USDC funding and the potential for tokenization to create liquidity in private markets. Goutham also touches upon the future of AngelList and the exciting AI-powered products on the horizon.



About the Guest and Host:

Goutham Buchi: CTO of AngelList, former Senior Director of Engineering at Coinbase, co-founder and CEO of Mysicamore.

→ LinkedIn:  ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/gouthambuchi/⁠



Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor.

→ LinkedIn:   ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam  

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠



Timestamps:

00:02 - Introduction and Guest Introduction

01:06 - Goutham’s Background and Journey

02:21 - AngelList's Core Products and Business Drivers

05:18 - Democratizing Access to Early Stage Venture

06:43 - How AngelList Differs from Coinbase

09:27 - The Role of Regulation in Crypto and AngelList

11:19 - Goutham's Thoughts on Gen AI and the AI Hype Cycle

14:09 - AI: From Research Problem to Engineering Problem

17:56 - The Blurring of Roles with AI

22:28 - Blockers to AI Adoption

24:50 - How AngelList is Using AI in its Products

29:52 - Crypto Integration at AngelList

33:26 - Competition: Banking Rails vs. Regulation

35:58 - Creating Liquidity for GPs on the Platform

39:46 - Future of AI at AngelList

44:14 - Skills for Product Managers in the Age of AI

49:11 - Exploring AI Tools

50:21 - Product Hunt



Subscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠



#StartupProject #AngelList #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Startups #VentureCapital #Investing #Crypto #Coinbase #ProductHunt #Technology #Innovation #Funding #GouthamBuchi #NatarajSindam"}]



























Automating Startup Formation, Scaling Fund Products, Applying AI Across Venture Tools | AngelList CTO Goutham Buchi

About the episode:

Join Nataraj as he explores the world of online advertising with Jared Siegal, founder and CEO of Aditude. Discover how programmatic advertising empowers publishers to scale their revenue and the evolving landscape of online monetization. They discuss the roles of different players in the ad industry, the impact of AI on search traffic, and the future of publishing. Gain insights into how Aditude is leveling the playing field for publishers in a Google-dominated world. If you are a publisher, this episode can provide actionable strategies to maximize your ad revenue and maintain control over your content.

What you’ll learn

 * Understand the basics of programmatic advertising and how it works in real-time.
 * Identify the key players in the ad tech ecosystem, including publishers, ad servers, and exchanges.
 * Discover how header bidding and real-time auctions have transformed online advertising.
 * Learn about the impact of AI on search engine traffic and content strategies for publishers.
 * Explore strategies for publishers to diversify revenue and maintain control in a changing landscape.
 * Evaluate the pros and cons of SaaS pricing models versus commission-based models in ad tech.
 * Recognize the challenges and opportunities for publishers in a Google-dominated ad market.
 * Understand how Aditude helps publishers compete and maximize ad revenue.



About the Guest and Host:

Guest Name: Jared Siegal is the Founder and CEO of Aditude, a programmatic advertising solution that empowers publishers to scale their revenue.

Connect with Guest:

→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jared-siegal-tude

→ Website: https://www.aditude.com/

Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor.

→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/

→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam

→ Substack: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠



In this episode, we cover

(00:00) Introduction to Jared Siegal and Aditude

(00:51) How Jared got into the ad business

(03:34) Growing revenue and traffic at Answers.com [https://answers.com]

(04:21) Understanding Google Ad Manager (GAM) and real-time bidding

(07:30) Lay of the land in the ad industry: players and roles

(09:30) Aditude's role in connecting advertisers to publishers

(12:20) How brands place bids and the role of ad exchanges

(13:33) Why choose Aditude over Google for ad management?

(14:35) Creating fair competition across ad platforms

(15:11) Aditude's SaaS pricing model and its advantages

(18:08) Ideal publisher size for using Aditude's services

(19:47) Google's acquisition of DoubleClick and monopoly concerns

(23:46) High-frequency trading analogy in ad tech

(26:20) Transition from consulting to a product company

(32:04) Customer acquisition strategies for Aditude

(33:27) Impact of AI and Chat GPT on publishers and traffic

(36:19) Is AI making the internet better or worse for publishers?

(38:04) How Google and Facebook sustain ad revenue despite traffic shifts

(40:35) Move from search to answer and its impact on traffic sources

(42:15) Challenges for new content creators in the current landscape

(44:08) Trends in publishing: consolidation an

How Publishers are Navigating Advertising, AI's Impact on Search Traffic, Biased Incentives of Ad Industry, Future of Publishing | Jared Siegal Founder of Aditude Inc | #104

Join Nataraj as he interviews Rish, the co-founder and CEO of Grey Parrot, a company leveraging AI to revolutionize the recycling industry. Rish shares his journey from augmented reality to AI-powered waste management, detailing the challenges and opportunities in this space. Discover how Grey Parrot's innovative technology brings transparency and efficiency to recycling, impacting the circular economy and creating a more sustainable future. Learn how AI can transform waste into a valuable resource.


What you’ll learn

 * Understand how AI-powered waste analytics are bringing transparency and efficiency to the recycling industry.
 * Discover the challenges and opportunities in building AI solutions for large-scale waste management.
 * Learn how Grey Parrot is using computer vision to analyze and sort waste more effectively than traditional methods.
 * Explore the impact of AI technologies on promoting and advancing the circular economy on a global scale.
 * Gain insights into the architectural and structural issues specific to deploying AI in the waste management sector.
 * Discover how strategic partnerships can help scale a business in the waste management and recycling industry.
 * Understand the roles of manufacturers, governments, waste management, and consumers in creating a circular economy.

About the Guest and Host:

Rish: Co-founder and CEO of Grey Parrot, using AI-powered waste analytics to revolutionize the recycling industry.

Connect with Rish:

→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ambarishmitra/

→ Website: https://www.greyparrot.ai/

Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor.

→ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/

→ Substack: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠ [⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠]



In this episode, we cover

(00:00) Introduction and Guest Introduction

(00:49) The Origin Story of Grey Parrot and its mission

(02:23) From Visual Search to Waste Intelligence: The Pivotal Moment

(04:58) Defining Grey Parrot as a Material Asset Recovery Company

(05:15) How Grey Parrot's Analyzers Optimize Waste Sorting at Material Recovery Facilities (MRFs)

(07:44) Integrating AI Brains into Mechanical Waste Management Plants

(09:28) Architectural Challenges of Deploying AI in Waste Management

(12:46) Building a Scalable AI Solution for Diverse Waste Management Plants

(15:39) Deep Dive into Processing Images and Data Locally with On-Camera Computing

(20:02) Brands leveraging waste data for packaging R&D and sustainability

(21:52) Customer Acquisition strategies

(28:07) Scale of business

(30:01) Contrasting Waste Management in Developed vs. Developing Economies

(35:13) China's role in global waste management

(37:03) Diverting waste streams

(39:57) The key components responsible for circular economy



Don’t forget to subscribe and leave us a review/comment on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@thestartupproject] Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startup-project/id1551300319] Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cx7Q5r9Ow9eikxQjsJjjq?si=8dbd3150ef4f4ec2] or wherever you listen to podcasts.



#StartupProject #GreyParrot #AI #WasteManagement #Recycling #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #Innovation #DeepLearning #ComputerVision #MaterialRecovery #Tech #Environment #Podcast #Entrepreneurship #Startup

AI Startup Cleaning Up a $1.6 Trillion Crisis, Building a Hardware + AI Startup, Scaling Edge AI, Digitize Waster & Reduce Landfill | Ambarish Mitra Co-Founder of Greyparrot AI

Join Nataraj as he sits down with Vijaye Raji, founder and CEO of Statsig, a platform revolutionizing product development with data-driven decision-making. Formerly a VP at Facebook and head of Facebook Seattle, Vijaye shares his journey from big tech to startup founder.

About the Episode:

This conversation explores Vijaye's transition from leading entertainment at Facebook to building Statsig, a developer platform empowering data-driven decisions.  He dives into his experience at Microsoft and Facebook, highlighting the challenges and motivations that led him to entrepreneurship. Vijaye discusses Statsig's value proposition, differentiating it from existing point solutions by consolidating feature flagging, analytics, and experimentation into one platform.  The discussion extends to the future of experimentation in an AI-first world.  He emphasizes the importance of product intuition alongside experimentation and shares Statsig's approach to culture, talent acquisition, and growth.

About the Guest and Host:

Vijaye Raji: Founder and CEO of Statsig, former VP at Facebook, and head of Facebook Seattle. Connect with Vijay:

→ LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijaye/

→ Website: https://www.statsig.com/

Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor.

→ LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam

→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

→ Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://thestartupproject.io⁠⁠⁠



Timestamps:

00:01 - Introduction and Guest Introduction

00:48 - Vijay's Background and Transition from Big Tech

01:11 - Leaving Facebook and the Motivation for Startups

02:05 - Early Career at Microsoft and Facebook's Startup Phase

04:21 - Diverse Roles and Experiences at Facebook

05:38 - Problems and Scale as Head of Entertainment at Facebook

07:41 - Business Side of Entertainment: Licensing and Content Acquisition

08:30 - From Facebook to Statsig: Idea Evaluation

10:27 - Getting the First Customers: Avoiding Common Mistakes

13:19 - Blind Spots in Transitioning from Big Tech to Startups

14:38 - Go-to-Market Intuition and Building Conviction

17:03 - Statsig's Value Proposition and Differentiation

19:28 - Explanation of Feature Flagging

20:47 - Trends in Experimentation and Product Validation

23:00 - Ideal Customer Profile for Statsig

24:38 - Experimentation vs. Gut Feeling: Balancing Data and Intuition

28:20 - Statsig's Growth: Customers, Users, and Scale

29:44 - Positioning Statsig: Developer Tool vs. Product Development Platform

31:08 - Marketing Efforts and ROI

32:24 - Culture: In-Person Work Environment

34:41 - Attracting Talent: Statsig's Approach

40:04 - Fundraising: Strategy and Benefits

41:35 - AI: Integration with LLMs and Product Extensions

44:26 - ML vs. LLMs: Democratization of Access

46:44 - Favorite Failure and Learning from Mistakes

49:31 - Current Consumption (Books, Podcasts, etc.)

50:11 - Lessons Learned as a Founder

51:16 - Big Company Perks Missed and Not Missed

Subscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

#StartupProject #Statsig #ProductDevelopment #Experimentation #FeatureFlagging #ProductAnalytics #DataDriven #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #SaaS #Entrepreneurship #Podcast #YouTube #Tech #Innovation



Statsig Founder Vijay Raji on Building a $1.1B Data-Driven Product Platform 

Martin Mao is the co-founder and CEO of Chronosphere, an observability platform built for the modern containerized world. Prior to Chronosphere, Martin led the observability team at Uber, tackling the unique challenges of large-scale distributed systems. With a background as a technical lead at AWS, Martin brings unique experience in building scalable and reliable infrastructure. In this episode, he shares the story behind Chronosphere, its approach to cost-efficient observability, and the future of monitoring in the age of AI.

What you'll learn:

 * The specific observability challenges that arise when transitioning to containerized environments and microservices architectures, including increased data volume and new problem sources.

 * How Chronosphere addresses the issue of wasteful data storage by providing features that identify and optimize useful data, ensuring customers only pay for valuable insights.

 * Chronosphere's strategy for competing with observability solutions offered by major cloud providers like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud, focusing on specialized end-to-end product.

 * The innovative ways in which Chronosphere's products, including their observability platform and telemetry pipeline, improve the process of detecting and resolving problems.

 * How Chronosphere is leveraging AI and knowledge graphs to normalize unstructured data, enhance its analytics engine, and provide more effective insights to customers.

 * Why targeting early adopters and tech-forward companies is beneficial for product innovation, providing valuable feedback for further improvements and new features.
   
   How observability requirements are changing with the rise of AI and LLM-based applications, and the unique data collection and evaluation criteria needed for GPUs.

Takeaways:

* Chronosphere originated from the observability challenges faced at Uber, where existing solutions couldn't handle the scale and complexity of a containerized environment.

 * Cost efficiency is a major differentiator for Chronosphere, offering significantly better cost-benefit ratios compared to other solutions, making it attractive for companies operating at scale.

 * The company's telemetry pipeline product can be used with existing observability solutions like Splunk and Elastic to reduce costs without requiring a full platform migration.

 * Chronosphere's architecture is purposely single-tenanted to minimize coupled infrastructures, ensuring reliability and continuous monitoring even when core components go down.

 * AI-driven insights for observability may not benefit from LLMs that are trained on private business data, which can be diverse and may cause models to overfit to a specific case.

 * Many tech-forward companies are using the platform to monitor model training which involves GPU clusters and a new evaluation criterion that is unlike general CPU workload.

 * The company found a huge potential by scrubbing the diverse data and building knowledge graphs to be used as a source of useful information when problems are recognized.

Subscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠



#StartupProject #Chronosphere #Observability #Containers #Microservices #Uber #AWS #Monitoring #CloudNative #CostOptimization #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #LLM #MLOps #Entrepreneurship #Podcast #YouTube #Tech #Innovation



How Chronosphere solves observability challenges in containerized environments: The evolution from Uber, cost efficiency, and the impact of AI | Martin Mao (CEO & Co-founder) | Startup Project #101

Join host Nataraj as he speaks with Emily Gerber, founder and principal of SixEastern, a PR firm specializing in startups and tech companies. Emily shares her expertise on crafting effective PR strategies for early-stage startups and navigating the evolving media landscape.

About the Episode:

This episode demystifies the world of PR for tech founders. Emily differentiates PR from marketing, emphasizing the importance of earned media and credibility. She provides actionable advice on when to engage a PR firm, the types of media to target, and how to manage expectations. The conversation explores alternative strategies beyond traditional tech publications, including podcasts and new media platforms. Emily highlights the increasing importance of founders building their social profiles and telling authentic stories. She shares real-world examples of successful PR campaigns and offers valuable insights into navigating crisis communications.

About the Guest and Host:

Emily Gerber: Founder and Principal of SixEastern, a PR firm for startups and tech companies. Previously at Uber and Box. Connect with Emily: → Website: https://www.sixeastern.com/

Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor.

→ LinkedIn:   /natarajsindam  

→ Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

→ Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://thestartupproject.io⁠⁠⁠

Timestamps:

00:02 - Introduction and Guest Introduction

00:45 - Emily's Background and PR for Tech Startups

01:17 - PR vs. Marketing: Understanding the Difference

03:13 - When to Engage a PR Firm: Seed vs. Series A

05:40 - The Unique Landscape of AI Startup PR

06:19 - Top Tier PR Firms and Their Specializations

08:39 - Setting Expectations and Measuring PR Success

09:18 - Pitching Podcasts vs. Traditional Media

14:21 - The Problem with Automated PR Pitches

16:42 - Storytelling for Series A to Series C Startups

17:44 - Crafting the Founder's Message for Podcasts

21:08 - The Trend of Founders Going Direct on Social Media

24:15 - Why Elon Musk's Strategies Don't Work for Everyone

25:26 - Concrete Examples of Successful PR Campaigns

29:21 - Why Traditional Media Still Matters for Startups

31:12 - Pitching to New Media Platforms

32:00 - Organic vs. Strategic PR: Behind-the-Scenes Tactics

34:12 - SEO for AI Search Engines and the Future of PR

37:18 - PR Plus Marketing: Integrating Services

38:47 - Emily's Current Media Consumption: TBPN

42:39 - Mentors and Their Influence

44:38 - Lessons Learned in PR

45:40 - Crisis Communications at Uber

48:16 - Ignored Sectors in Startup PR: Enterprise Software

Subscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs!

→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

#StartupProject #PR #PublicRelations #Startups #Tech #Media #Marketing #Communications #Founders #Entrepreneurship #TechCrunch #WallStreetJournal #Podcast #YouTube #AI #SixEastern


The Unfiltered Playbook to Make Early‑Stage Startups Get Media Traction & Demystifying Public Relations for Tech Founders | Emily Gerber Founder of Six Eastern PR | Startup Project #100

Join host Nataraj as he sits down with Todd Bracher, founder of BetterLab, an industrial design firm partnering with scientists and innovators to create game-changing products. Previously Executive Creative Director and Design Partner at Human Scale, Todd has also collaborated with iconic brands like Issey Miyake, Herman Miller, and 3M. A two-time International Designer of the Year and recognized by Wallpaper Magazine as a Top 100 Global Design Influencer, Todd shares his insights on the intersection of design, science, and technology.

About the Episode:

This episode explores the world of industrial design through the lens of Todd Bracher's extensive experience.  The conversation delves into building a successful design firm and the critical importance of human-centered design. Todd recounts his journey from art school to becoming a leading industrial designer, emphasizing the role of manufacturing, materials, and understanding market needs. He highlights the shift towards sustainability in design, including the use of recycled materials and circularity principles. The discussion covers BetterLab's innovative projects, such as glasses designed to combat myopia using full-spectrum light and a UVC light-based hand sanitizer called Lightwash. Todd also shares his perspective on digital design, the influence of Japanese design principles, and his role as a design advisor with Antler, a pre-seed stage firm. He touches upon products he admires, including the Leica M camera, and the importance of integrating design early in the product development process.

About the Guest and Host:

Todd Bracher: Founder of BetterLab, an industrial design firm. Former Executive Creative Director and Design Partner at Human Scale.  Connect with Todd: 

→ Website: https://betterlab.com/

Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor. 

→ LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/

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→ Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠

→ Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://thestartupproject.io⁠⁠⁠



Timestamps:

00:01 - Introduction and Guest Introduction

00:55 - Todd's Background and Entry into Design

01:45 - The Definition of Industrial Design

03:22 - Early Influences and Drawing

04:27 - Examples of Industrial Design Projects

06:06 - Admired Technology Products (Beyond Apple)

09:14 - Trends in Industrial Design: Sustainability vs. Consumable Products

12:02 - Todd's Take on IKEA's Design and Business Model

14:37 - Admired Brands: VITSO and Dieter Rams

15:54 - Sustainability and Longevity in Well-Designed Products

17:05 - The Business of Running a Design Firm: BetterLab

19:39 - Products from BetterLab: Myopia-Correcting Glasses

24:48 - Sustainability Project: UVC Light Hand Sanitizer (Lightwash)

28:44 - Working with Antler: Advising Early-Stage Startups

30:08 - Day-to-Day Products Todd Uses and Admits

31:53 - Modern Design Aesthetics and Globalization

36:01 - Todd's Take on Digital Design

37:46 - Trend Back into Hardware

40:01 - What Makes Japanese Design Unique

42:00 - Design Hubs in the US

44:13 - Current Consumption (Books, Podcasts, etc.)

45:39 - Mentors and Influences: Charles Darwin

46:55 - Lessons Learned: The Importance of Business Acumen

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#StartupProject #IndustrialDesign #DesignThinking #BetterLab #ToddBracher #Sustainability #P

Award-Winning Industrial Designer on How to Design Great Hardware Products at Scale? | Todd Bracher Founder of Betterlab | Startup Project #99

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