Exploring Vertical Integration and Competitive Advantages in Tech

Can GenAI allow us to connect our imagination to what we see on our screens? Decart’s Dean Leitersdorf believes it can.

In this episode, Dean Leitersdorf breaks down how Decart is pushing the boundaries of compute in order to create AI-generated consumer experiences, from fully playable video games to immersive worlds. From achieving real-time video inference on existing hardware to building a fully vertically integrated stack, Dean explains why solving fundamental limitations rather than specific problems could lead to the next trillion-dollar company.

Hosted by: Sonya Huang and Shaun Maguire, Sequoia Capital

00:00 Introduction

03:22 About Oasis

05:25 Solving a problem vs overcoming a limitation

08:42 The role of game engines

11:15 How video real-time inference works

14:10 World model vs pixel representation

17:17 Vertical integration

34:20 Building a moat

41:35 The future of consumer entertainment

43:17 Rapid fire questions