
AI for Founders with Ryan Estes Ray Jang found product-market fit on a mountain top
Aug 4, 2025
50:39
Guest: Ray Jang, Founder and CEO of Atria
Host: Ryan Estes, AI for Founders
Episode Summary
Ray Jang shares the story behind Atria, an AI-powered ad automation platform. After a painful realization on top of Mount Kinabalu, Ray pivoted his failing gaming startup into a high-growth adtech company that now ranks among the top in its category.
Key Takeaways
- Pivoted from gaming to adtech after identifying lack of growth as the core problem
- Early validation came from in-person interviews at global conferences
- Atria delivers real-time ad performance insights across TikTok and Meta
- Team culture built around ownership and no co-founder drama
- “Accelerate or die” is the startup mantra: ship value fast and often
Frameworks
- Accelerate or Die: Validate slowly, build fast
- Flywheel Thinking: Compound gains through repeatable systems
- Zero Attrition Culture: Empower team with ownership and clarity
Resources & Mentions
- Atria – AI-powered ad automation
- Mount Kinabalu – Startup origin site
- Acquired Podcast – Business podcast Ray recommends
- Epic Systems – Inspiration from Judy Faulkner
- Symbolic Systems at Stanford
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