Shows
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureTanay Kothari: Creating a Post-Keyboard FutureIn this episode of Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano sits down with Tanay Kothari, the co-founder and CEO of Wispr Flow, an AI-powered voice dictation platform. Tanay traces his path from building dozens of apps as a teen in Delhi to now, and how those experiences inspired him to make one of the first “zero-edit” voice products. Tanay gets into training in-house models, beating sub-second latency, and explains his approach to onboarding customers with the goal of changing behavior. He also discusses what’s next for the future of voice products and why he predicts a post-keyboard future.
2025-10-1645 min
Lightning ChatLightning Chat | Episode 9 | Artificial Intelligence in K-12Hello everyone, Donal McMahon here, Chief AI Officer at Lightspeed Systems. If you’re reading this, you probably already know: AI is having a moment. And when I say a moment, I mean a seismic shift in how we live, learn, and interact. Since the launch of ChatGPT on November 30th, 2022, we’ve seen user growth like never before—over 800 million users in just 34 months. For context, that’s faster uptake than YouTube, Facebook, Google, or even the internet itself saw in their early years. ChatGPT alone hit 100 million users in a single month. For comparison, Google took nearly six year...
2025-10-0413 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureInside the Black Box: The Urgency of AI InterpretabilityRecorded live at Lightspeed’s offices in San Francisco, this special episode of Generative Now dives into the urgency and promise of AI interpretability. Lightspeed partner Nnamdi Iregbulem spoke with Anthropic researcher Jack Lindsey and Goodfire co-founder and Chief Scientist Tom McGrath, who previously co-founded Google DeepMind’s interpretability team. They discuss opening the black box of modern AI models in order to understand their reliability and spot real-world safety concerns, in order to build AI systems of the future that we can trust. Episode Chapters: 00:42 Welcome and Introduction00:36 Overview of Lig...
2025-10-021h 02Lightning ChatLightning Chat | Episode 8 | Student Reporting in the Era of Cell Phone-Free SchoolsGood afternoon, Lightspeed community! I’m Kevin Askew, VP of Sales here at Lightspeed Systems, and I’m excited to welcome you to another episode of Lightning Chat. Today, I was joined by the insightful Erika Johnson, Strategic Account Manager and a veteran building leader with 25 years of experience in Wisconsin schools. Together, we tackled a topic that’s rapidly reshaping the landscape of school safety: how student reporting is evolving as cell phone-free education takes hold.
2025-09-2309 minLightning ChatLightning Chat | Episode 7 | Safety in the UKColin McCabe (General Manager, International) and Shaun Phillips (EMEA Sales Director) dig into the UK Student Safety Report. It combines national data with insights from Lightspeed Alert and Lightspeed StopIt tools to highlight the risks kids face today: bullying, violence, mental health struggles. They reacted to the stats in real-time, sharing their thoughts on what this data means for schools and everyone focused on student safety. Here are some takeaways from our discussion: ○ Bullying Hits Hard: About 40% of UK pupils face bullying yearly, with victims nine times more likely to consider suicide. Physical violence happens most often in schools, wh...
2025-09-2238 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureFrom Periscope to Macroscope: Kayvon Beykpour’s Vision for AI-Powered DevelopmentIn this episode of Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano sits down with Kayvon Beykpour, co-founder and CEO of Macroscope, which launches today, and the former co-founder of Periscope. They dive into how Macroscope will serve as an “understanding engine” for software companies, giving leaders real-time visibility and saving engineers time with AI-powered workflows. Kayvon reflects on his journey from building Periscope and leading product at Twitter to reimagining how teams manage both human and agentic workforces. They get into philosophies on starting companies, management styles, and how AI could be the thing that helps managers solve their biggest chal...
2025-09-171h 02
Lightspeed X 2 with Steve StarsLightspeed X 2 with Steve Stars, September 1, 2025
LIGHTSPEED X 2 with Steve Stars 9/1/25 LABOR DAY reveals AI goes insane! Remember HAL from 2001 the BAD computer that killed the astronauts because of an AI program mandate? We are seeing the SAME THING now with germ-scares. I questioned GROK on both HIV and CoV-2 currently promoted by Fauci. The AI is not to blame? It is actually the evil programming and assessment promoted by Fauci and big pharma. AI is WATCHNG YOU like HAL did. This SYSTEM is programmed by dangerous maniacs killing millions! visit https://stevestars.substack.com/
2025-09-0100 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureWalk & Talk Episode: Semil Shah on AI Superteams, Meta’s Bold Moves, and Apple’s Missed ShotsIn this special episode of Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano talks with Semil Shah, founder and partner of Haystack VC and partner at Lightspeed. Together, they have a wide-ranging, unfiltered conversation on the state of AI, venture capital, and the future of media. They get into everything from Meta’s high-stakes AI talent spree and Apple’s uncertain strategy, to the Figma IPO, to the evolution of the seed stage, and the brewing battle between AI agents and the open web. Semil also shares hard-earned insights on founder strategy, brand building, and why design still wins.
2025-08-2656 minLightspeed X 2 with Steve StarsLightspeed X 2 with Steve Stars, August 19, 2025
LIGHTSPEED X 2 with Steve Stars 8/19/25 Summit talks between EU leaders, Trump and Zelensky may generate some peace to the Ukraine/Russian war. Only a glimmer of hope at this time, while Black Rock CEO Larry Fink takes control of the WEF with pharma king Roche’s André Hoffmann. Big pharma and banks plan your slavery via the ESG Carbon scam.
2025-08-1900 minLightspeed X 2 with Steve StarsLightspeed X 2 with Steve Stars, July 28, 2025
LIGHTSPEED X 2 with Steve Stars 7/ 29/25 Is the WEF and WHO facing a NUREMBERG 2 trial? As Bill Gates and Pfizer head Albert Boural face CRIMINAL CHARGES in the Netherlands. Dutch Lawyer Prosecuting Bill Gates is Arrested; Facing Euthanazia Over ‘Conspiracy Theories’ This was a Gestapo hijacking and kidnapping of Arno van Kessel, one of the two prosecutors, was arrested after submitting key documents tied to the prosecution of Gates and Bourla. He was blindfolded, taken by military police, and is now being held in a maximum-security facility — without charges, and without access to his legal team or family. Like Dr. Reiner Fuellmic...
2025-07-2800 minLightning ChatLightning Chat | Episode 5 | Safety Challenges, Strategies, and How Lightspeed Can HelpIn this episode of Lightning Chat, Jennifer Duer (Director, Product) and Brock Anderson (Senior Director, Strategic Programs) sit down to discuss common safety challenges in the K-12 environment, productive strategies to ensure student safety, and how Lightspeed is ready and able to help protect your students.
2025-07-2414 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureRahul Vohra: Building AI Tools That Save Us TimeIn this episode of Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano sits down with Rahul Vohra, founder of the email client Superhuman, to unpack the future of AI-powered productivity. Rahul shares the origin story of Superhuman, how game design principles shaped its blazing speed and keyboard-first UX, and why time—not email—is the real problem it solves. He dives into the thinking behind their recent acquisition by Grammarly, his vision for an AI-native productivity suite, and what it means to build both apps and agents for the future. Episode Chapters00:00 Introduction and Gues...
2025-07-2443 minLightspeed X 2 with Steve StarsLightspeed X 2 with Steve Stars, July 21, 2025
LIGHTSPEED X 2 with Steve Stars 7/21/25 Director of National Intel Tulsi Gabbard is determined to indict and prosecute Obama and company for 2020 coup and election fraud. Will the guilty be put in prison? How about the Epstein crimes? Will world wars escalate and deter justice? Our communication is VITAL NOW! Support RBN and Free Media. visit: https://stevestars.substack.com/
2025-07-2100 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureScott Belsky & Steve Jang: From AI Chatbots to CopilotsIn this episode of Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano sits down with two co-investors: Steve Jang, Co-Founder and Partner at Kindred Ventures, and Scott Belsky, Partner at A24 and founder of A24 Labs. Together they explore the current state and future of consumer AI, from why most products still look like chatbots, to what’s next in AI-powered hardware, browsers, and personal agents. They dive into the concept of “personal AI,” discussing memory, context, and the emerging opportunities (and risks) around consumer data and model control. They also touch on use cases like AI-powered dating wingmen, simulated versions of our...
2025-07-1745 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureInside AI Policy with FAI’s Chief Economist Sam HammondIn this episode, Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano sits down with the Foundation for American Innovation’s Chief Economist Sam Hammond to talk AI policy. Sam breaks down the key infrastructure needed for AI developments and how policymakers are adapting to rapid technological change. He also shares insights on AI training data and fair use, workforce disruption, and how, when it comes to AI, everything can change in just a few months.Episode Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 00:55 Meet Sam Hammond: Background and Role03:06 The Big AI Policy Issues05:09 Energy and...
2025-07-1141 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureJulie Bornstein: Building the Future of Fashion with AIIn this episode of Generative Now, Lightspeed partner Michael Mignano sits down with the former Stitch Fix COO and founder of The Yes, Julie Bornstein. They talk about Julie’s latest venture: Daydream, an AI-powered fashion discovery engine built for the LLM era. Julie shares how her decades at Nordstrom, Sephora, and Pinterest shaped her vision, why now is the moment for natural language search in shopping, and how AI will transform fashion.Episode Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to the Interview01:06 Julie Bornstein's New Venture: Daydream02:44 The Evolution of E-commerce and AI03:28 From Nordstrom to...
2025-07-0343 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureBucky Moore: The Next Decade of AI InfrastructureThis week, Lightspeed Partner Mike Mignano sits down with his colleague Bucky Moore, a fellow partner at Lightspeed to explore the rapidly shifting landscape of AI and infrastructure. They unpack the evolution from hardware to cloud to AI-native architectures, the growing momentum behind open-source models, and the rise of AI agents and reinforcement learning environments. Bucky also shares how his early days at Cisco shaped his bottom-up view of enterprise software, and why embracing the new is the key to spotting trillion-dollar opportunities.Episode Chapters: (00:00) Introduction to the Conversation(00:38) Bucky M...
2025-06-2648 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureMoritz Baier-Lentz: How AI Is Rewriting the Rules of GamingThis week, Lightspeed Partner Mike Mignano sits down with Moritz Baier-Lentz, Partner and Head of Gaming and Interactive Media at Lightspeed. From the world’s #1 ranked Diablo II player to Goldman Sachs banker to VC, Moritz has lived multiple lives—all shaped by a deep passion for games. In this episode, Moritz joins Michael Mignano to talk about the AI revolution in gaming: how generative tech is transforming studios, gameplay, and player experiences. They dive into what makes games work in 2025 and why the next billion-dollar games may not look like games at all. Episode Chapters: 00:0...
2025-06-1942 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureHow Jobs Will Change as AI Gets BetterWhat is the future of AI in the workplace? What kinds of jobs would you trust an AI to do? In this episode of Generative Now, host and Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano explores how AI is transforming the workforce, with insights from four sharp thinkers: Semil Shah, founding general partner at Haystack and Lightspeed Venture Partners, on the risks of replacing junior talent with agents, Suno Co-founder Mikey Schulman on AI’s power to unlock creativity, Anu Atluru, founder, physician and angel investor, on how AI is reshaping medicine, and Marissa Mayer, former CEO of Yahoo and current CEO of...
2025-06-1227 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureReinventing Wall Street: Rogo’s AI Revolution with Gabriel StengelThis week, Lightspeed Partner Mike Mignano sits down with Gabriel Stengel, founder and CEO of Rogo, to explore how AI is transforming the world of finance. Gabe shares his journey from sleepless nights as a junior investment banker at Lazard to building Rogo, a cutting-edge AI platform that automates the grueling work of benchmarking, earnings analysis, and pitch deck creation in seconds. They discuss the origins of Rogo from Gabe’s time at Princeton, the challenges of building AI tools for elite financial institutions, and why the next generation of analysts might just be digital. Gabe also unpacks the te...
2025-06-0542 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureMike Krieger: Product Building Lessons from Instagram and Anthropic (Encore)This week, we are revisiting a conversation between Lightspeed partner Michael Mignano and Anthropic’s head of product, Mike Krieger. Mike is known for co-founding Instagram, one of the most beloved pieces of consumer technology, and now he has taken his talents to Anthropic. They discuss the challenges AI product builders face and the evolution of product innovation and draw parallels between two transformative eras: the social media revolution that gave birth to Instagram and today's AI renaissance. Episode Chapters: (00:00) Introduction(00:54) Mike Krieger's Journey to Anthropic(03:17) Building Product Str...
2025-05-2954 minLightning ChatLightning Chat | Episode 2 | Unpacking Cybersecurity in K-12 EducationUnpacking Cybersecurity in K-12 Education with John GenterIn our second episode of Lightning Chats, Matthew Burg (Principal Product Manager, Lightspeed Filter) sits down with John Genter (Chief Information Security Officer, Lightspeed Systems) to delve into the critical topic of cybersecurity in K-12 education. As schools increasingly rely on digital tools and online resources, understanding the unique challenges they face in cybersecurity is more important than ever.Here’s a taste of what they cover:The Importance of Cybersecurity in Schools: John emphasizes that schools hold sensitive data related to students and staff, making the...
2025-05-2918 minLightning ChatLightning Chat | Episode 1 | Proxies, VPNs, and the Hidden Risks on School DevicesFor our first episode, Matthew Burg (Principal Product Manager, Lightspeed Filter) sits down with Rob Chambers (EVP of Product) to unpack a challenge schools (and Lightspeed) know all too well: students constantly looking for ways to bypass web filters.Here’s a taste of what they cover:The risks of proxies, VPNs, and other anonymizers and bypass tools—from security to safety to complianceWhat’s new (and what’s the same as ever) when it comes to students attempting to bypass protectionsWhat schools should be doing to protect against these bypass attemptsHow Lightspeed takes a layered...
2025-05-2917 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureArvind Jain: Why Now Is the Time to Solve Enterprise Search (Encore)This week, we are revisiting a conversation between Lightspeed partner Michael Mignano and Arvind Jain, the founder and CEO of Glean about the evolution of AI-assisted enterprise search.Arvind shares what insights helped to start Glean's journey in 2019, how the company leveraged transformer-based models early on, and how Glean developed the market for this product. They also talk about competition, the technical aspects of integrating Glean across SaaS platforms, and the monumental impact of ChatGPT on the industry. Episode Chapters(00:00) Introduction (01:15) Why Arvind Created Glean...
2025-05-2244 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureChris Pedregal + Sam Stephenson: Making Meetings More Effective with GranolaHow can AI make meetings better? That’s the simple question that inspired Granola, a productivity tool that can tell you what was actually discussed in that meeting last week and what the real next steps are. In this episode of Generative Now, host Michael Mignano, partner at Lightspeed, sits down with Granola co-founders Chris Pedregal and Sam Stephenson at their headquarters in London. They talk about how they first met, their early product bets, and how they decided to focus on solving one painful problem: the chaos that follows every meeting. They share the...
2025-05-1538 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureJon Noronha: How Gamma’s big bet on AI paid offCan a pivot to AI actually save a company? In the case of Gamma, it did that and more. In this episode of Generative Now, host Michael Mignano, partner at Lightspeed, talks with Jon Noronha, the co-founder of Gamma, an AI-powered platform that helps users create interactive and engaging presentations, websites, and social media assets. Nearly four decades since the creation of PowerPoint, they talk about how Gamma is treading new ground in the presentation space. Jon discusses how Gamma almost failed until they made the bold decision to pivot to AI in 2023, and h...
2025-05-0839 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureAI Recruiting at NVIDIA, Pika, and Eleven Labs: How to Build Exceptional TeamsExceptional AI products begin with exceptional teams, but in 2025, AI staffing has never been harder. In this episode of Generative Now, Lightspeed partner Michael Mignano dives into the realities of AI recruiting and team building, sharing insights from some of today’s top AI leaders. You’ll hear from:Demi Guo, CEO and Co-Founder of PikaMati Staniszewski, CEO and Co-Founder of Eleven LabsBill Dally, Chief Scientist of NVIDIADan Shipper, CEO and co-founder of EveryAmy Anton, Vice President of Talent, AI at LightspeedTog...
2025-05-0118 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureRohan Nayak: How Pocket FM is Using AI to Reinvent Audio StorytellingThere’s no doubt we have more choices for entertainment than at any other point in history. And yet, once a series ends, it can be difficult to find something you like just as much. But what if AI could give you a seemingly endless supply of quality content? In this episode of Generative Now, host Michael Mignano, partner at Lightspeed, sits down with Rohan Nayak, CEO and co-founder of Pocket FM, an audio platform that has pioneered the audio series format. Rohan talks about how he identified a gap in the audio entertainment spa...
2025-04-2448 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureYour Questions Answered: Vibe Coding, Consumer Defensibility, and the Future of Agent ManagementIn this special mailbag episode of Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano tackles your questions from X and LinkedIn. He gets into AI's market expansion, startup defensibility, which verticals investors are watching, and how the most interesting new roles are being shaped by AI. Plus, Michael shares what is exciting about consumer AI products right now.Episode Chapters(00:00) Introduction (00:35) AI Opportunities: New vs. Existing Markets (02:09) Will SaaS TAMs Expand or Contract with AI? (02:59) Creating Defensibility for Consumer AI Startups (05:29) Emerging Roles: Agent Engineers vs. A...
2025-04-1717 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureGenerative Quarterly with Semil Shah: Seed Markets, Vibe Coding, and the Flappy Bird EffectHistory may not repeat itself, but it certainly rhymes. Vibe coded games, like a flight simulator from @levelsio, are reminiscent of early iPhone app store games like Flappy Bird and Paper Toss. How else are consumer tech cycles evolving? Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano welcomes back investor Semil Shah for their quarterly check-in. They talk about the landscape of VC seed investing, the impact of AI on tech hubs like New York, LA, and the Bay Area, and whether accelerators like Y Combinator still have the same edge?Flight Simulator: fly.pieter.com
2025-04-101h 00
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureScott Belsky: Content Creators, Creativity, and Marketing in the AI Landscape (Encore)This week, we’re revisiting a conversation with Scott Belsky, who recently announced a new role leading innovation at A24. Lightspeed Partner and Host Michael Mignano talks with Scott 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, shel...
2025-04-0331 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureLulu Cheng Meservey: The New Rules of Founder Comms (Encore)Lulu Cheng Meservey puts founders in control of their narrative using one simple principle: Go Direct. This week, we’re revisiting our conversation with the CEO and Founder of Rostra, the go-to communications agency for Silicon Valley founders. Lulu joins Lightspeed Partner and Host Michael Mignano on the podcast to talk about her modern communications playbook for founders of places like Ramp, SSI, Scale, Anduril, Suno, and The Free Press. They talk about why a comms strategy is just as important as a product strategy. Plus, Lulu shares her after action reports on Based Zuck, SpaceX, Tesla, and Waymo.
2025-03-2747 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureJohnny Ho: The Future of Online Search (Encore)This week, we are revisiting a conversation between Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano and Johnny Ho, co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer at Perplexity. 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 gradu...
2025-03-2043 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureDan Shipper: The First MultiModal Media CompanyCode is content. Writers build apps. App builders write newsletters. This is Every CEO & Founder Dan Shipper’s vision for the modern media company. Michael Mignano, Partner at Lightspeed, sits down with Dan to talk about building the first multimodal media company, developing viral software like Cora, and cultivating an audience and talent at Every. Check out our episode with Nathan Baschez, Every cofounder and Lex CEOEpisode Chapters(00:00) Introduction(02:54) Dan's Journey into Coding(03:47) Cofounding Firefly(06:53) The Evolution of Every(15:40) Vibe Coding(24:37) The Creation of C...
2025-03-131h 03
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureJosh Mohrer: Is the Future of AI Businesses A Solo Pursuit?AI is rapidly expanding what we can get done in a day. So, can entrepreneurs leveraging AI start companies of one? In this episode of Generative Now, host Michael Magnano, partner at Lightspeed, sits down with Josh Mohrer, the founder and CEO of Wave, a revolutionary AI app that records, transcribes, and summarizes meetings and conversations. Josh talks about his entrepreneurial journey, transitioning from running Uber's New York operations to building a successful solo venture. He shares how he leveraged AI technologies like GPT-3 to learn to code and develop Wave, the challenges and advantages of being a solo...
2025-03-0651 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureMikey Shulman answers your questions about Suno and making music with AIMikey Shulman, Co-Founder and CEO of Suno, comes back on the podcast to answer your questions from X with Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano. Mikey shares about Suno’s growth over the past year, introducing new models, and launching their mobile app. They also address numerous questions from the audience about the potential of AI in creating realistic music, copyright issues, and the future vision for AI-generated compositions. Episode Chapters00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome01:09 Suno's Recent Developments01:45 Mobile App and User Experience02:01 AI Music Models and Quality...
2025-02-2759 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureArvind Jain: Why Now Is the Time to Solve Enterprise SearchEnterprise search is a problem that’s plagued companies since the advent of working on computers. Now, AI promises solutions. In this week’s episode, host Michael Mignano from Lightspeed sits down with Arvind Jain, founder and CEO of Glean, to discuss the evolution of AI-assisted enterprise search. Arvind shares what insights helped to start Glean's journey in 2019, how the company leveraged transformer-based models early on, and how Glean developed the market for this product. They also talk about competition, the technical aspects of integrating Glean across SaaS platforms, and the monumental impact of ChatGPT on the industry.
2025-02-2045 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureMike Krieger: Product Building Lessons from Co-Founding Instagram to Leading Product at AnthropicMike Krieger is known for cofounding Instagram, one of the most beloved pieces of consumer technology, and now he is leading product at Anthropic. This week, host and Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano talks to the product building legend to discuss the challenges AI product builders face and the evolution of product innovation. They draw parallels between two transformative eras: the social media revolution that gave birth to Instagram and today's AI renaissance.Episode Chapters(00:00) Introduction(00:54) Mike Krieger's Journey to Anthropic(03:17) Building Product Strategy at Anthropic(07:43) Rapid...
2025-02-1354 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureRajarshi Gupta: Artificial Intelligence and Crypto at CoinbaseThis week on the podcast, we’re looking at how machine learning is optimizing how crypto giant Coinbase operates. Coinbase Head of Machine Learning Rajarshi Gupta joins the Generative San Francisco stage to discuss with Anand Iyer, Lightspeed Venture Partner focused on crypto.
(00:00) Introduction(00:26) Rajarshi Gupta’s Career Journey(01:54) Exploring Early Android Malware Detection(04:44) Machine Learning at Coinbase(09:03) Generative AI Initiatives at Coinbase(13:52) Evaluating and Managing AI Deployments(21:10) GPU Availability Challenges(23:27) Workflow with Specific Hosted Instances(25:43) Coinbase: Scaling and Future Plans(29:09) Opportunities for AI Startups...
2025-02-0643 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureAnu Atluru: Will AI Change How We Use Social Utilities?In this episode of Generative Now, host Michael Mignano, Partner at Lightspeed, chats with Anu Atluru—a startup founder, operator, angel investor, and co-runner of Slang—a product studio dedicated to social consumer products. Anu shares her insights on the evolving landscape of social products, the difference between social utilities and social networks, and how AI could reshape the healthcare landscape.
Episode Chapters
(00:00) Introduction to Generative Now
(02:55) Exploring Social Utilities and Networks
(10:21) Subscription Services and Consumer Behavior
(17:14) The Role of AI in Social Utilities
(34:06) The F...
2025-01-301h 12
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureBill Dally: NVIDIA’s Evolution and Revolution of AI and Computing (Encore)Inspired by NVIDIA’s announcements at CES, we are looking back at one of our favorite episodes. 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, we are revisiting a conversation Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano had 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...
2025-01-1641 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureNir Zicherman: Looking Back at Anchor and the Future of OboeNearly a decade after launching Anchor, cofounders Michael Mignano and Nir Zicherman have a new venture: Oboe. Oboe’s mission is to make humanity smarter through AI-powered tutors. The duo delves deep into their entrepreneurial journey, starting from the early days of Anchor to their latest venture, Oboe, where Nir is the CEO. They discuss the trials and errors of building Anchor, their vision for Oboe, and why AI-driven learning could revolutionize education. Additionally, they touch upon the evolution of social audio, challenges in growth marketing today, and answer questions from X.
Episode Chapters...
2025-01-0958 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureGenerative Quarterly with Semil Shah: AI Expectations vs Reality, Tech Trends, and 2025 PredictionsDid 2024 live up to the AI hype? Investor Semil Shah joins Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano for another installment of Generative Quarterly. They cover key tech trends from 2024, including Jensen Huang’s Rockstar CEO status and AI consumer devices. Looking ahead to 2025, the duo delves into venture capital dynamics, IPO and M&A prospects, and the influence of tech in Washington D.C. Plus, Michael spins Juan Soto's signing into a lesson for Tech.
Episode Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:09 Reflecting on 2024: AI Expectations and Reality
02:31 The Cost and Progress of AI
...
2024-12-261h 03
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureDr. Olga Russakovsky: Shaping the Next Generation of AI LeadersDr. Olga Russakovsky, Computer Science at Princeton University, joins Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano to discuss what the next generation of AI talent is learning and where she expects to find the next big innovation in artificial intelligence.
From her research in computer vision and human-computer interaction to her work in fairness, accountability, and transparency in AI, Dr. Russakovsky has earned many awards, including the MIT Technology Review’s 35-under-35 Innovator award and the Foreign Policy Magazine’s 100 Leading Global Thinkers award. Dr. Russakovsky is also the co-founder and Board Chair of AI4ALL, a nonprofit that aims to in...
2024-12-1944 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureMarissa Mayer: AI to Make the Mundane MagicalWhat is the future of AI in consumer technology? Marissa Mayer believes this future includes AI that makes the mundane magical. Marissa has been leading consumer technology that affects billions of lives since the dawn of the modern Internet. She was one of the first 20 employees at Google and worked on Google Maps, Gmail, and Google Search. She served as the CEO at Yahoo! where she reinvented the website for the mobile era. Now she is the co-founder and CEO of Sunshine Products, a technology startup focused on making everyday tasks, like contact management or scheduling, magical.
2024-12-1238 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureLogan Kilpatrick: Building Google GeminiThis week, Logan Kilpatrick joins Michael Mignano on the Generative NYC Stage to discuss leading the product for Google AI Studio. He and his team built the Google Gemini API into one of the best platforms in the world for developers to build with AI. Logan worked at OpenAI before Google, and he has had a front row seat to the meteoric rise to AI over the past few years. Michael and Logan discuss how Google feels like a startup, why consumers care about product over anything else, and what’s the future landscape of artificial intelligence.
2024-12-0537 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureM.G. Siegler: VC’s Crisis, Defensible Startups, and Hack-quisitionsWriter and investor M.G. Siegler joins Host and Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano from London to discuss the European tech scene and his experiences stepping back from venture capital after a decade with GV. The discussion covers the current 'VC Crisis', including CRV Ventures' decision to return funds, and the complex M&A and IPO landscape. Siegler offers his perspective on investing in people vs ideas, the defensibility of startups, and the anticipated evolution towards AGI.
Episode Chapters
(00:00) Introduction
(00:32) M.G. Siegler's Background and Move to London
(01:07) Investing i...
2024-11-271h 12
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FuturePART 2: Matthew Hartman | The Value of Premium Content and the Shifting Economics of the InternetWe are back with PART 2 of our conversation with Matthew Hartman, a managing partner at the venture firm, Factorial Capital. Factorial partners with angel operators, with a focus on startups in the AI space. Host and Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano talks with Matt about the value of premium content, software on demand, and the shifting economics of the Internet. Plus, is this actually the moment for product managers?
(00:00) Introduction(00:38) AI in B2B SaaS Products(02:58) www.nysignal.com(07:05) The Future of Advertising and AI(09:07) Attention Is All You Need(11:23) E...
2024-11-2129 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FuturePART 1: Matthew Hartman | How Factorial Invests in the FutureThis week, we are sharing PART ONE with Matthew Hartman, a managing partner at the venture firm Factorial Capital. Factorial partners with angel operators, with a focus on startups in the AI space. Host and Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano sits down with Matt to discuss how Factorial partners with technical founders to explore opportunities. They discuss OpenAI, Apple Intelligence, WebGPU, Suno, and much more. Join us next week for PART TWO of this conversation.
Episode Chapters
(00:00) Introduction(01:42) Factorial and Technical Founders(06:24) WebGPU(10:47) Future of AI and LLMs(15:47) AI a...
2024-11-1442 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureLulu Cheng Meservey: Go DirectLulu Cheng Meservey puts founders in control of their narrative using one simple principle: Go Direct. Lulu is the Founder and CEO of Rostra, the go-to communications expert for Silicon Valley founders of places like Ramp, SSI, Scale, Andruil, Suno, and The Free Press.
Lulu joins Lightspeed Partner and Host Michael Mignano on the podcast to talk about her modern communications playbook for founders and why a comms strategy is just as important as a product strategy. Plus, Lulu shares her after action reports on Based Zuck, SpaceX, Tesla, and Waymo.
2024-10-3148 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureToshit Panigrahi: Navigating the Future of Content MonetizationToshit Panigrahi, CEO and co-founder of TollBit, joins Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano for this week’s episode of Generative Now. TollBit is a platform that enables publishers and content creators to extract revenue from AI companies that use their data. Toshit and Michael discuss how advancements in AI are already reshaping the economics of the internet, TollBit’s innovative “bot paywall” for publishers, and how to incentivize content creation in this constantly evolving landscape.
Toshit previously spent nearly a decade at restaurant software company Toast, where he helped build many consumer products as well as Toast...
2024-10-2445 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureAndrew Mason: Craft and Control in AI Content Creation with DescriptDescript CEO and founder Andrew Mason joins Lightspeed Partner and Host Michael Mignano on the podcast to talk about the future of content creation with AI tools. Michael and Andrew talk about the evolution of Descript as an AI product designed for podcast and video creators, navigating a world of synthetic content, and Descript’s new features including Descript Rooms and Underlord. Andrew talks about raising a $50 Million Series C led by OpenAI Startup Fund and how seeing an early version of ChatGPT inspired confidence in Descript’s foundational vision and goal to simplify media production.
...
2024-10-1740 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FuturePART 2: Generative Quarterly with Semil Shah | ASI, AI Agents and The Future of WorkThis week, we are back with part two of Generative Quarterly with Semil Shah and Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano. Semil is a founding General Partner of Haystack and a Venture Partner at Lightspeed. Semil and Mike pick up their conversation on consumer AI technology, starting with innovative consumer tech like Friend AI by Avi Schiffmann. Mike and Semil consider the impact of Artificial Super Intelligence on the future of work, debate the future evolution of software on demand, and ask if we need AI agents to help us solve our boredom?
Episode C...
2024-10-1021 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FuturePART 1: Generative Quarterly with Semil Shah | Consumer AI Tech, Seed Investing, and AppleSemil Shah is back for another episode of Generative Quarterly with Michael Mignano, Lightspeed Partner and host of Generative Now. Semil is a founding General Partner of Haystack and a Venture Partner at Lightspeed. Semil and Mike discuss the seed investing landscape, challenges and opportunities in building consumer tech, and competition between Apple and Google.
Episode Chapters
(00:00) Welcome and Introduction
(00:37) Shohei Ohtani and Baseball
(03:25) State of Seed Investing
(11:04) Semil’s Advice on Pitching Venture Capitalists
(14:26) VC Fund Dynamics and AI Hype Machine
(18:42) Mi...
2024-10-0334 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureJohnny Ho: Perplexity’s Opportunity to Reinvent SearchJohnny 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...
2024-09-2643 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureChris Urmson: The Future of Autonomous Vehicle TechnologyGenerative 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 a...
2024-09-1949 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureGustav Söderström: Catapulting Spotify to the Front of the AI Revolution (Encore)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.
Epis...
2024-09-1259 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureGaurav Misra: Building an AI-Powered Creative Studio (Encore)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) Gau...
2024-09-051h 08
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureMikey Shulman: Suno and the Sound of AI Music (Encore)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...
2024-08-2947 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureChris Pedregal: Revolutionizing Meetings with AIFor 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, use...
2024-08-2238 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureMati Staniszewski (Eleven Labs) and Demi Guo (Pika): The Future of Media and Generative AIThis 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
2024-08-1537 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureNaveen Rao: Inside the Legendary Databricks Acquisition of MosaicMLThis 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...
2024-08-0844 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureJosh Miller: Building a Better Browser with AIBrowsers 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...
2024-08-0149 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureMadhumita Murgia: Exploring AI SafetyLightspeed 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) Madh...
2024-07-2549 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureNathan Baschez: The New Age of AI Writing ToolsWe’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...
2024-07-1847 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureGuillaume Verdon: Exploring the Intersection of Quantum Deep Learning and AIAt 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...
2024-07-1148 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureSoumith Chintala: Meta’s AI Strategy, PyTorch, and LlamaThis 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 adva...
2024-06-2735 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureSemil Shah: Apple Intelligence, “The End of Software,” and Where Technology Won’t GoSemil 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) Wher...
2024-06-201h 35
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureBill Dally: The Evolution and Revolution of AI and ComputingThe 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 sh...
2024-06-1340 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureMatthieu Rouif: How Photoroom Creates a Standout AI ProductWhat 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...
2024-06-0644 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureRahul Roy-Chowdhury: AI as a Tool for Co-Creation at GrammarlyAI 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....
2024-05-3040 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureJosh Silverman: Using AI to Transform Etsy’s Consumer ExperienceHuman 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...
2024-05-2333 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureLisha Li: Lessons on Creating Consumer AI Products from Creating Generative Games with Rosebud AIThis 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...
2024-05-1639 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureSara Beykpour: The Next Wave of AI’s Impact On JournalismOne 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...
2024-05-0950 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureAndrew Feldman: Building the World’s Largest and Fastest Computer Chip for AICerebras 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 a...
2024-05-0244 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureVerity Harding: How to Build Trust in AIWhen 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 poten...
2024-04-2542 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureAlan Cowen: Creating Empathic AI with HumeWhat 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 tran...
2024-04-1841 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureAlex Heath: Tech Journalism in the AI EraAI 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
...
2024-04-1142 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureJordan Singer: Building AI Design Tools at FigmaImagination 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...
2024-04-0443 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureSemil Shah: Venture Capital Trends in the Age of AISemil 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...
2024-03-2843 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureScott Belsky: Content Creators, Creativity, and Marketing in the AI LandscapeWhat 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 near...
2024-03-2132 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureGary Hustwit: Revolutionizing Filmmaking with Generative AISince 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 Ch...
2024-03-1441 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureMikey Shulman: Suno and the Sound of AI MusicMost 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.
E...
2024-03-0747 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureGustav Söderström: Catapulting Spotify to the Front of the AI RevolutionSpotify’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 S...
2024-02-081h 00
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureSarah Guo and Elad Gil: The Future of AI InvestingIn 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) W...
2024-02-011h 03
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureAriel Cohen: How Navan Leveled Up with a Pivot to AIGenerative 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...
2024-01-2541 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureSteve Ruiz: The TLDR of the Collaborative Whiteboard tldrawA 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 y...
2024-01-181h 06
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureAdam Wenchel: How Arthur AI is Making LLMs TrustworthyOver 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 o...
2024-01-1154 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureLooking Back on 2023In 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...
2023-12-2127 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureKlinton Bicknell: Leveraging AI to Power Language LearningDuolingo 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...
2023-12-1441 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureGaurav Misra: Building an AI-Powered Creative StudioCaptions.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) Ge...
2023-12-071h 08
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureKylan Gibbs: How Inworld is Bringing Games to Life with AI NPCsKylan 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 launc...
2023-11-301h 11
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureEdo Liberty: How Pinecone Revolutionized AI’s Long-Term MemoryPinecone 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...
2023-11-1626 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureDan Siroker: Giving Humans the Superpower of Perfect MemoryRewind 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 Obam...
2023-11-091h 02
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureHilary Mason: Deterministic vs. Probabilistic, and How AI is Changing StorytellingHilary 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 taxo...
2023-11-021h 14
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureMax Child: Reinventing Gaming for the AI EraIn 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 dev...
2023-10-261h 10
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureScott Belsky: How Startups (And Incumbents) Can get Ahead of the AI CurveIn 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 futur...
2023-10-1939 min
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureConnor Zwick: Making Language Immersion Possible Through AIConnor 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
(0...
2023-10-121h 19
Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureVictor Riparbelli: Why the Future of Video is SyntheticIn 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...
2023-10-041h 13Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the FutureIntroducing Generative NowGenerative 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: generativenow@lsvp.com
The content here...
2023-10-0401 min