On this episode of AIBiz with host Charu, we sit down with Michael Ulin, co founder and CEO of Tenki AI, to unpack what it really takes to build AI companies that survive beyond the hype. From early discriminative models to today’s generative systems and autonomous agents, Michael breaks down how each era changed the playbook for product, forecasting, and fundraising.
We go straight into the gap between a shiny demo and a scalable AI business, why most founders still ignore fundamentals like reliability and deployment, and how real probabilistic forecasting can upgrade decision making for investors, enterprises, and operators. If you care about AI startups, prediction markets, forecasting, fundraising strategy, and building products that actually work in market, this conversation will hit home.
About the Guest:
Michael Ulin is a veteran AI founder and the co founder and CEO of Tenki AI, an AI forecasting company focused on rigorous probabilistic reasoning and prediction markets. His earlier company, Zesty AI, built climate and property risk models that underwrite trillions in assets in the U.S. insurance market. He also founded Paxton AI, a generative AI tool used by thousands of attorneys for legal research.
Michael has raised more than 78 million dollars across his ventures, worked at McKinsey, and partnered with PhD level teams on forecasting, risk, and real world AI deployments. He is a gay entrepreneur building companies alongside his husband and three dogs in Bend, Oregon, bringing both human nuance and technical depth to how AI is built and deployed.
Key Takeaways:
The AI industry has moved through three clear eras . discriminative models, generative models, and now agents . each unlocking different levels of capability, from narrow classification to broad reasoning and action.
Early discriminative systems delivered value only in very narrow domains like climate risk pricing, and required large teams of data scientists . but they proved that AI could outperform manual, algebraic models at scale.
Generative AI shifted the game by enabling general purpose intelligence via APIs . the same model can write copy, code, and summarize law, which is why Paxton AI could serve thousands of attorneys without a giant ML team.
Today’s AI agents introduce a new frontier . systems that can ingest world data, structure it, and act . making serious forecasting and probabilistic reasoning accessible beyond governments, hedge funds, or large consultancies.
Most founders still confuse a cool demo with a real business . they skip talking to 50 customers, ignore reliability, and only discover the truth when they run out of capital and runway.
Fundraising is not a magic pitch, it is a sales pipeline of a hundred no’s . the real job is finding investors already aligned with your worldview, not converting skeptics.
Content, podcasts, and writing increase your “luck surface area” . by making your thinking visible, you attract the right investors, partners, and customers who already resonate with your vision.
How to Connect with the Guest :
Listeners can connect with Michael Ulin and explore his work here . based on the details shared in the episode.
Explore Tenki AI and its forecasting tools. Website: https://trytenki.ai/
Connect with Michael on X: @MichaelUlin
Connect with Michael on LinkedIn.
Want to be a guest on Healthy Mind, Healthy Life? DM on PM . Send me a message on PodMatch
DM Me Here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/avik
Disclaimer: This video is for educational and informational purposes only. The views expressed are the personal opinions of the guest and do not reflect the views of the host or Healthy Mind By Avik™️. We do not intend to harm, defame, or discredit any person, organization, brand, product, country, or profession mentioned. All third party media used remain the property of their respective owners and are used under fair use for informational purposes. By watching, you acknowledge and accept this disclaimer.
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