Garry Tan Invited Him Into YC

A YC founder turns a manual, low-IQ grind into an AI agent that finds creators, negotiates terms, and scales UGC—sometimes a little too far. What starts as a viral local-model demo becomes Stormy AI’s end-to-end engine for influencer marketing.

Fresh off YC Demo Day, Robert Lukoszko (Stormy AI) breaks down the pivot, the fundraising blitz, and how agencies are replacing hours of scrolling with autonomous outreach. We get into model-proof moats, why micro-creators beat celebrity accounts, and the coming wave of AI-generated influencers.

You’ll learn:

How a YC pivot formed around a founder’s own pain (and real demand)

The playbook: sourcing, outreach, negotiation, and QA with AI agents

Why “every better model makes us stronger” is the right moat test

Micro vs. macro creators: what actually converts in 2025

The next act: AI-native UGC, personalization, and brand-owned AI faces

Tactical Demo Day lessons: energy + social proof = signed checks

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction and Cold Open

00:13 Welcome to Lobster Talks

00:37 Demo Day Insights

03:05 The Journey of Stormy AI

04:39 From Viral Demos to YC Acceptance

07:35 Pivoting to Stormy AI

09:41 Automating Influencer Marketing

18:39 The Future of Influencer Marketing

19:50 AI and UGC: The Future of Influencer Marketing

20:11 The Rise of AI Influencers

20:41 AI-Generated Content vs. Human Content

21:05 The Makeup Industry and AI Influencers

22:26 The Shift to Micro-Influencers

23:23 Emerging Platforms and the Decline of Meta

25:22 The Future of AI in Content Creation

28:58 Preparing for an AI-Driven Future

31:46 Building a Moat in the AI Industry

34:54 The Importance of Vision and Customer Interaction

38:16 Stormy AI: Current and Future Plans

39:20 Conclusion and Call to Action

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🎧 Listen on the go:

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