The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

20VC: Why All AI Companies Are Under-Valued | The Future of Foundation Models: Scaling Laws, Generalised vs Specialised, Commoditised? | From Unable to Afford Rent to Raising $130M From Index and Peter Thiel with George Sivulka @ Hebbia

Jan 22, 2025

George Sivulka, founder and CEO of Hebbia, discusses his remarkable journey from financial struggles to raising $130M in funding. He shares insights on essential traits for successful founders and recounts a pivotal moment when cold calling NASA changed his path. George delves into the future of AI in business, clarifying misconceptions about job displacement and the importance of model specialization. He also explores the undervaluation of both AI and non-AI companies, shedding light on the geopolitical influence and commoditization of AI models.

01:06:26

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George Sivulka

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Quick takeaways

Successful founders often share resilient backgrounds that drive their ambition, shaping their paths to success throughout their careers.

George Sivulka's journey from financial struggle to raising $130 million emphasizes the power of perseverance and determination in entrepreneurship.

The evolving AI landscape suggests a future where AI enhances human capabilities, promoting collaboration rather than job displacement in business environments.

Deep dives

Founders with Unique Backgrounds

Successful founders often share distinct childhood experiences that shape their drive and ambition. The podcast identifies three prevalent backgrounds among great founders: having a troubled childhood, being gay, and being adopted. This shared characteristic can instill a desire to overcome adversity and prove oneself, as seen in figures like Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos. Such backgrounds create a deep-seated drive to succeed that motivates these individuals throughout their careers.

Intro

4min

Resilience in Entrepreneurship

13min

A Memorable Encounter with a Visionary Mind

3min

Navigating AI in Enterprise: Challenges and Innovations

13min

AI in the Workplace: Transformation, Challenges, and Opportunities

16min

Navigating AI's Financial Landscape

6min

Exploring Ideas and Innovations

6min

The Therapeutic Power of Creativity and Personal Reflection

5min

George Sivulka is the founder and CEO of Hebbia, is one of the fastest-growing gen AI companies and they recently raised a $130M series B. Investors include the company include hailed names such as a16z, Peter Thiel, Index, GV and others.

In Today’s Episode with George Sivulka We Discuss:

04:47 Three Traits The Best Founders All Share?

08:11 How Cold Calling NASA Changed My Life

12:01 From Stealing Food From Stanford to Pitching Peter Thiel

17:22 Lessons working with Peter Thiel

26:39 The Future of AI and Business Applications

33:03 The Future of Employment with AI

33:45 Debunking the Myths of AI Job Displacement

35:09 The Future of Models: Many specialised or few generalised?

35:56 Scaling at Inference: A New Frontier

38:10 The Impact of Scaling Laws on Foundation Models

40:40 The Future of AI and Enterprise Value

43:43 The Geopolitical Influence on AI

45:03 The Commoditization of AI Models

47:47 Why Foundation Models Will Not Follow the Same Path of Cloud

52:53 Why All Companies, Both AI and Non-AI Are Undervalued

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