EO

Building High-value AI Startups in 3 Days | John Whaley, Inception Studio | EO

13 snips
Oct 11, 2025
Guest
John Whaley
John Whaley, founder of Inception Studio and a seasoned entrepreneur with a background in cybersecurity and academia, shares his journey from struggling student to tech innovator. He emphasizes the importance of deadlines in launching AI startups and reflects on his unique nonprofit approach to incubating talent. Whaley also discusses pivotal career moments, valuable lessons from failures, and offers a glimpse into the future of the AI industry. His insights are both practical and inspirational for aspiring tech entrepreneurs.
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ADVICE

Use Deadlines To Force Focus

  • John Whaley says deadlines force focus and remove distractions.
  • Give yourself tight, meaningful deadlines to clarify goals and actions.
INSIGHT

Nonprofit Equity-Free Accelerator Model

  • Inception Studio is a nonprofit accelerator that takes no equity from founders.
  • It runs intense 72-hour retreats to form teams, build demos, and pitch investors.
ANECDOTE

From Typing Game Code To MIT

  • John Whaley learned to program at five by typing game code from magazines.
  • Solving a rare USA Computer Olympiad problem proved his ability and helped him get into MIT.
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