214: From DevOps to Building AI for Industrial Code with Adam Gluck, CEO and Founder of Copia Automation

AI skepticism – much like AI itself – is here to stay, whether we like it or not. While getting buy-in can be difficult, and deploying it as a solution within a company is even harder, the key thing to remember is that AI, like any new tool, must address a pain point. The only way folks will be persuaded as to its use will be when it solves a problem that was previously thought unsolvable.

In this episode, we are joined by Adam Gluck, the CEO and Founder of Copia Automation. Join us as we explore the problems that AI is solving, why a customer-centric culture is so key to developing useful products, and the need for Silicon Valley to overlap with industries that have existed for over two hundred years.

The problem-first mindset is one that’s helped Copia evolve since July 2020 and navigate hype cycles in tech. What’s more, by keeping users front of mind, they can use AI as a “painkiller” rather than a “vitamin”. This means Copia create proactive, targeted solutions that deliver value where it matters most.

In this episode, find out:

• Adam shares his career path, including his work for Uber and his sociology undergraduate degree
• Why it is harder for graduates to get software engineering jobs
• How, in engineering, a self-taught approach can be less restrictive when learning new approaches or facing new problems
• Hiring smart people is often the most important step in solving hard problems
• Copia has evolved since July 2020, and the key to this has been their market understanding, adoption, activation, and backup and disaster recovery
• How DevOps AI for the software space has transformed the way software gets written
• Adam chose to move to New York from San Francisco because of the large number of seed rounds, proximity to venture capital and large amount of talent
• How the current enthusiasm for industrialization and manufacturing among venture capitalists and young companies will persist long-term

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Tweetable Quotes:

• “I want to build something people can use every single day as part of their standard workflow and that solves material problems for them.”
• “DevOps AI for the software space has transformed the way software gets written.”
• “Ultimately, you can try and solve things with processes organization, but you're going to actually solve problems with really smart people.”

Links & mentions:

• Copia Automation, bringing modern DevOps tooling to industrial automation, standardizing processes to drive quality, efficiency, and uptime at scale
• Reindustrialize, a summit exploring how technology will shape the future of the US industrial base
• American Dynamism, part of a16z, investing in founders and companies supporting the national interest: aerospace, defense, safety, education, and manufacturing
• Founders Fund, a San Francisco based venture capital firm organized by Peter Thiel and others, investing in companies building revolutionary technologies
• General Catalyst, a global investment and transformation company that partners with the world’s most ambitious entrepreneurs to drive resilience and applied AI
• Construct Capital, an early stage venture capital firm, investing in founders who are reimagining the foundational industries of our economy
• Dante NYC, legendary circa-1915 cafe serving small plates & cocktails in an updated historic setting in New York City’s West Village
• Lobby Bar at the Chelsea Hotel, high-end cocktail bar inside of NYC’s Chelsea Hotel offering seasonal cocktails, artfully prepared plates, and late-night hours

Make sure to visit http://manufacturinghappyhour.com for detailed show notes and a full list of resources mentioned in this episode. Stay Innovative, Stay Thirsty.