Lightcone Podcast What Founders Have To Unlearn To Become Great CEOs
98 snips
Dec 3, 2025 
Spenser Skates, CEO and co-founder of Amplitude, shares his journey from startup to public company. He discusses overcoming initial skepticism toward AI, which later became essential for the company’s growth. Spenser reveals how leadership shifts and strategic hires, including AI experts, revitalized the organization. He emphasizes the need for a technology-first mindset in AI development and contrasts traditional SaaS with AI-focused experimentation. Additionally, he highlights the importance of mentorship and a clear mission as key drivers for a founder's transition to an executive role.
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AI Capabilities Are Jagged
- AI capabilities are jagged: exceptional in some tasks and terrible in others.
- You must map model strengths back into product use cases rather than blindly adopting hype.
Chain Agents Sparked Amplitude's AI Shift
- Spencer hired Wade Chambers and acquired Command AI to kickstart Amplitude's AI transformation.
- Those hires and an acquisition acted as chain agents to change the company's orientation toward AI.
Train Teams With An AI Week
- Train your organization by getting leaders to use the tools and show results.
- Run internal programs (like an AI week) to convert skeptics into builders through hands-on experience.
