Founder Fears: Funding and Deep Tech

In this episode of The Tech Leader's Playbook, Avetis Antaplyan sits down with Tamara Laine, investigative journalist turned two-time tech founder and the CEO and co-founder of MPWR. Tamara brings a rare blend of storytelling, emotional intelligence, and problem-spotting instincts into the world of AI and financial innovation — and in this conversation, she unpacks how those experiences shape the products she builds today.

Tamara shares how her investigative background sharpened her ability to dig into root problems, challenge assumptions, and uncover overlooked patterns — skills she now uses to design user-centric, AI-powered solutions for financial inclusion. She opens up about the realities of being a gig worker, the challenges Gen Z faces in accessing credit, and how the traditional banking world is struggling to adapt to a rapidly changing workforce.

The episode dives deep into EQ-driven leadership, ethical AI, community as a modern moat, and the rise of low-code tools that are simultaneously empowering founders while making markets noisier than ever. Tamara’s insights on responsible innovation, founder resilience, and building tech that actually solves human problems make this a powerful, thought-provoking conversation for today’s leaders.

Takeaways

• Investigative journalism taught Tamara to identify real problems, ask better questions, and challenge assumptions — essential skills for founders.
• Curiosity is becoming a competitive advantage in tech, not just a personality trait.
• Emotional intelligence is now a top leadership skill, especially as AI automates more of our operational workload.
• Storytelling begins with user journeys — not marketing — and should guide product design from day one.
• Founders must actively seek blunt feedback and treat it as a gift, not a threat.
• Market gaps aren’t always opportunities — sometimes human behavior simply won’t change.
• AI can create incredible value, but without ethical leadership and diverse teams, it can also reinforce harmful biases.
• Financial systems haven’t evolved fast enough for gig workers and Gen Z borrowers — creating a massive unmet need.
• Empower was built as an end-to-end solution bridging lenders and borrowers through AI-driven financial fluency and credit modeling.
• The funding landscape now demands MVPs and traction early, making deep-tech innovation harder but still deeply needed.

Chapters

00:00 Welcome & Introduction

01:20 From Investigative Journalism to Tech

03:00 Curiosity as a Founder Superpower

05:30 Market Fit, Behavior Change & Category Creation

07:40 Storytelling as the Foundation of Product Design

10:15 User Journeys, “Falling in Love with the Problem”

12:20 The Power of Blunt Feedback in Early-Stage Building

15:00 Parenting, Curiosity & Emotional Intelligence

17:45 Why EQ Matters More Than Ever in the Age of AI

20:20 Ethical AI, Bias, and Leadership Responsibility

24:00 Financial Access, Gig Workers & the Modern Workforce

27:10 How Gen Z Borrows Differently

30:00 The Lender Perspective & Market Validation

31:55 Fundraising Realities: Money vs. Strategic Money

34:20 Noise in the AI Era & The Challenge of Differentiation

36:00 Moats, LLMs & Building What Can’t Be Easily Copied

37:10 Community as a Strategic Advantage

38:40 Founder Fears: Funding Markets & Deep Tech

41:30 Biggest Founder Aha Moments

42:20 Book Recommendation: Outcomes Over Output

43:00 Connect with Tamara & Closing Thoughts

Tamara Laine’s Social Media Link:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamaralaine/

Resources and Links:

https://www.hireclout.com

https://www.podcast.hireclout.com

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hirefasthireright