In this episode of Building Blocks, we explore the cutting-edge world of AI-powered software integration with Isabella Reed, co-founder of CamelAI, a Y Combinator-backed platform that allows users to chat with their entire software stack. Isabella shares her journey from working in senior sales and growth roles to co-founding a startup that's revolutionizing how we interact with our digital tools. She discusses the challenges of pivoting from QA testing to a comprehensive AI chat interface, and how CamelAI is making complex software interactions more intuitive and accessible. Learn how this YC alum is navigating the rapidly evolving AI landscape and building a product that could reshape our daily digital interactions. Sign up for CamelAI's beta now: https://www.camelai.com/ Guest: Isabella Reed Company: CamelAI Connect with Daivik: https://bento.me/daivik Follow the Podcast: https://bento.me/thebbpod Topics: 0:00: Introduction 3:20: Isabella's transition from corporate roles to entrepreneurship 8:40: The genesis of CamelAI and Y Combinator experience 14:15: CamelAI's evolution from qaml to a comprehensive AI chat interface 20:30: Balancing B2B and B2C use cases in product development 26:45: The appeal of chat interfaces and the future of UI design 32:10: Key takeaways from Y Combinator and crucial startup advice 38:25: Growth strategies and showcasing platform value 44:50: The challenges and opportunities in the AI landscape 50:15: Book recommendations and insights from "Billion Dollar Whale" 53:30: Future plans for CamelAI and closing thoughts

The Intersection of Great Product Design and AI | Isabella Reed | CamelAI (YC W24)

In this episode of Building Blocks, we dive deep into the world of hospitality tech with Venkat Sakamuri, co-founder of Stayflexi, a Y Combinator-backed modern operating system for hotels and vacation rentals.

Venkat shares his journey from working on core database technology at Oracle to revolutionizing the hospitality industry. He discusses the challenges of building a comprehensive platform that caters to both independent hotels and vacation rentals, and how Stayflexi is leveling the playing field for small and mid-tier properties. Learn how this YC alum is disrupting the hospitality tech space and scaling to over 30,000 properties across 15 countries. Guest: Venkat Sakamuri LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/venkatsakamuri/ Company: Stayflexi (https://www.stayflexi.com/) Connect with Daivik: https://bento.me/daivik Follow the Podcast: https://bento.me/thebbpod Topics: 0:00: Introduction 2:40: Venkat's transition from Oracle to hospitality tech 7:15: The genesis of Stayflexi and Y Combinator experience 12:30: Stayflexi's unique approach to property management systems 18:45: The launch of Empower tool and its impact on small hotels 24:00: Stayflexi's four-hub structure and product philosophy 29:15: Scaling strategies and navigating the COVID-19 pandemic 35:30: The role of passion and communication in startup success 41:00: Venkat's approach to sales and marketing as a technical founder 46:15: Future plans for Stayflexi and industry disruption 51:35: Book recommendations 53:00: Closing thoughts

The Power of Software to Transform Industries | Venkat Sakamuri | Stayflexi (YC W21)

In this episode of Building Blocks, we sit down with Vivian Zheng, a product leader who has made waves at Snap, TikTok, and Databricks, and is now embarking on her own entrepreneurial journey.

She shares her insights on building industry-leading products from the ground up, the nuances of achieving product-market fit, and the challenges of scaling two-sided marketplaces like TikTok's Branded Mission. Guest: Vivian Zheng LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vivian-zheng-931048122/ Connect with Daivik: https://bento.me/daivik Follow the Podcast: https://bento.me/thebbpod Topics: 0:00: Introduction 2:40: Vivian's journey into product management 6:15: Experience building Branded Mission at TikTok 12:30: Strategies for achieving product-market fit 18:45: Balancing advertiser control and creator incentives 24:00: Transitioning from TikTok to Databricks 29:15: The challenges of building a two-sided marketplace 35:30: Vivian's experience as a first-time founder 41:00: The impact of AI on entrepreneurship 46:15: Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs 51:35: Book Recommendation 53:00: Vivian's next steps and future plans #ProductManagement #Entrepreneurship #CreatorEconomy #StartupLife #TikTok #Databricks #BuildingBlocksPodcast #podcast

Going 0 to 1 on Industry Leading Products | Vivian Zheng | Former Product Lead at TikTok

Join us for an enlightening episode with Arvind Radhakrishnan, Associate Director at WeWork Labs and founder of 21Dojo. Dive into his unique perspective on the startup ecosystem in India and uncover the strategies that have helped numerous startups secure funding and accelerate growth.



Don't miss out on valuable insights into startup strategies, investment criteria, and the challenges of building a two-sided marketplace from someone who has successfully played both roles of founder and investor.



Learn more about WeWork Labs: https://wework.co.in/labs/



Guest: Arvind Radhakrishnan

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arvindrad/

Connect with Daivik: ⁠https://bento.me/daivik⁠

Follow the Podcast: ⁠https://bento.me/thebbpod⁠



Topics:

 * 0:00: Introduction
 * 1:30: Arvind's journey into the startup world
 * 5:00: WeWork Labs' approach to evaluating startups
 * 9:15: The WeWork Labs program and its four pillars
 * 15:00: The unique characteristics of the Indian startup ecosystem
 * 24:00: Strategies for startup scaling
 * 30:30: The story behind 21Dojo and its 21 factors
 * 38:00: How 21Dojo worked for both startups and investors
 * 41:45: Building relationships with investors
 * 44:15: The decision to sell 21Dojo
 * 47:45: Promising sectors in the Indian startup ecosystem
 * 51:35: Recommended books: Winning Middle India & Chip War
 * 53:00: Arvind’s next steps and what to look forward to



#startups #venturecapital #investment #incubators #WeWorkLabs #21Dojo #BuildingBlocksPodcast #podcast

What Do Investors Look For in a Startup? | Arvind Radhakrishnan | Director at WeWork Labs

Join us for an insightful episode with Utkarsh Sengar, Director of Engineering at WebFlow, as he delves into the experience of transforming website building with WebFlow.

Uncover the strategies that propelled Webflow to dominate the market and explore how the platform navigates the line between no code and traditional coding functionalities. Don't miss out on valuable insights into AI startup growth strategies, as Utkarsh shares his perspectives on platform growth, addressing challenges in maintaining relevance for both B2B and B2C! Learn more about Webflow: https://webflow.com/ Guest: Utkarsh Sengar Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/utsengar/ Connect with Daivik: ⁠https://bento.me/daivik⁠ Follow the Podcast: ⁠https://bento.me/thebbpod⁠



Topics

0:00 - Intro

1:29 - What brought him into Product Building?

4:53 - How has decided what to pursue next?

8:38 - What does he think WebFlow did really well to get itself to this point, where it is the dominant player?

14:20 - How has WebFlow gone about retaining simplicity while allowing for true customization?

21:50 - How does WebFlow determine how deep to go? 28:40 - How does he think about ensuring the platform that the platform stays relevant to both B2C and B2B?

33:30 - Is there any fear that another company can come and build a competing platform that just focuses on one side?

41:00 - If he was doing an AI startup, how would he think about creating a growth strategy?

51:30 - Upwork's Growth Explained 49:23 - How has he transferred his skills into new products and companies?

58:38 - Wrapup #product #growth #nocode #tools #technology #productmanagement #BuildingBlocksPodcast #podcast

Platform Growth in the Age of Rapid Development | Utkarsh Sengar | Leading Growth at WebFlow

In this episode, we delve into the mind of Aayush Mudgal, a visionary in the realm of Machine Learning and AI. Currently spearheading Ads Ranking and Privacy Aware Conversion Modeling at Pinterest, Aayush shares his journey from an ML researcher to a tech leader at one of the most innovative social media platforms.

We explore how Pinterest continues to revolutionize the way people discover things online and the evolving role of machine learning in ad targeting amidst growing privacy concerns. Aayush also sheds light on his experiences with computer vision at Netflix, his views on the future of General AI, and his venture into seed investing, focusing on Ad and EdTech startups.



Guest: Ayush Mudgal



Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aayushmudgal/

Connect with Daivik: ⁠https://bento.me/daivik

⁠Follow the Podcast: ⁠https://bento.me/thebbpod⁠



#productmanagement #AIInnovation #BuildingBlocksPodcast#AI #ML #data #syntheticdata #computervision #product #technology #startup #podcast #founders #productbuilding


The Intersection of AI and Advertising | Aayush Mudgal | Leading ML at Pinterest

Join us in a captivating episode with Aly Madhavji, Managing Partner at Blockchain Founders Fund, as we traverse the evolving landscapes of venture capital, blockchain, and AI. Aly, also a consultant with the United Nations and an author, unpacks his unique insights into crypto trends, investment strategies, and the future of Web3 and generative AI. Dive into a discussion rich with expertise and predictions about the next big waves in technology. Learn more about the Blockchain Founders fund: https://blockchainff.com Guest: Aly Madhavji Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alymadhavji/ Connect with Daivik: ⁠https://bento.me/daivik⁠ Follow the Podcast: ⁠https://bento.me/thebbpod⁠ #productmanagement #AIInnovation #BuildingBlocksPodcast#AI #ML #data #syntheticdata #computervision #product #technology #startup #podcast #founders #productbuilding

Decoding Venture Capital in Web3 | Aly Madhavji | Managing Partner of the Blockchain Founders Fund

Join us as we sit down with Charles Gellman, CEO of Hido Health, to explore the groundbreaking work being done by his startup in using AI & robotics for patients. Discover how these cutting-edge technologies are transforming the way we deliver healthcare, empowering individuals to take charge of their own well-being. We explore the potential of AI robotics to revolutionize the healthcare landscape! Learn more about Hido Health: https://us.hidohealth.com/ Guest: Charless Gellman Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mshicgellman/ Connect with Daivik: ⁠https://bento.me/daivik⁠ Follow the Podcast: ⁠https://bento.me/thebbpod⁠

Use my special link https://zen.ai/_mMA3vhasMDPeC_bFTy-4aGDtb9c_viq5eHIDYEbXMM to save 30% off your first month of any Zencastr paid plan.

#productmanagement #AIInnovation #BuildingBlocksPodcast#AI #ML #data #syntheticdata #computervision #product #technology #startup #podcast #founders #productbuilding

Revolutionizing Healthcare: AI Robotics for Patients | Charles Gellman | Founder of Hido Health

Join us as we sit down with Charles Gellman, CEO of Hido Health, to explore the groundbreaking work being done by his startup in using AI & robotics for patients.  Discover how these cutting-edge technologies are transforming the way we deliver healthcare, empowering individuals to take charge of their own well-being. We explore the potential of AI robotics to revolutionize the healthcare landscape!  Learn more about Hido Health: https://us.hidohealth.com/  Guest: Charless Gellman  Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mshicgellman/  Connect with Daivik: ⁠https://bento.me/daivik⁠ [https://bento.me/daivik%E2%81%A0] Follow the Podcast: ⁠https://bento.me/thebbpod⁠ [https://bento.me/thebbpod%E2%81%A0]  #productmanagement #AIInnovation #BuildingBlocksPodcast#AI #ML #data #syntheticdata #computervision #product #technology #startup #podcast #founders #productbuilding

Veeraj is currently the Founder of Puzzl, a platform focused on letting companies manage their remote first workforce. Puzzl is backed by notable SF VC's and even at such a young age, Veeraj has already seen an exit as well as has been an angel investor in several high potential startups. Learn more about Puzzl: https://www.puzzl.app/ Guest: Veeraj Mehta LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/veerajm/ Connect with Daivik: ⁠https://bento.me/daivik⁠ Follow the Podcast: ⁠https://bento.me/thebbpod⁠ #productmanagement #AIInnovation #BuildingBlocksPodcast#AI #ML #data #syntheticdata #computervision #product #technology #startup #podcast #founders #productbuilding

Managing Employees In A Remote First Future | Veeraj Mehta | Founder of Puzzl

This podcast is focused on finding out what the next generation of products is going to look like! We plan to dive into all the spaces you may have already heard of: Web3, Blockchain, Crypto, AI, Machine Learning, the list goes on! Tuesdays at 5am PST/8am EST! Follow the Pod: https://bento.me/thebbpod Connect with Daivik: https://bento.me/daivik

The Building Blocks Podcast