Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the Future

Jon Noronha: How Gamma’s big bet on AI paid off

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May 8, 2025

Jon Noronha, the co-founder of Gamma, shares his journey of transforming their platform into an AI powerhouse. He reveals how the company's bold pivot to AI in 2023 was a game-changer, boosting user engagement and growth. Jon discusses the importance of understanding user needs in diverse presentation formats and emphasizes the challenge of marrying advanced AI features with user experience design. He also explores the future of AI interfaces and the evolution of generative AI in bridging text with visuals, showcasing Gamma’s innovative path in the competitive landscape.

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ANECDOTE

Gamma's AI Pivot Success Story

Gamma started in 2020 focusing on disrupting presentations but struggled for product-market fit.
Pivoting to AI in 2023 around the launch of ChatGPT led to rapid growth and millions of new users.

INSIGHT

Luck Needs Preparation

Luck in startups depends on timing and preparation, like rigging a sail to catch the right wind.
Gamma built the foundational product and team ahead of the AI wave to capitalize when generative AI emerged.

INSIGHT

Expanding Beyond Presentations

Presentation tools face growth limits due to episodic use and bundled competition.
Gamma expanded beyond presentations to websites, documents, and social media to increase user frequency and product stickiness.

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Can a pivot to AI actually save a company? In the case of Gamma, it did that and more. In this episode of Generative Now, host Michael Mignano, partner at Lightspeed, talks with Jon Noronha, the co-founder of Gamma, an AI-powered platform that helps users create interactive and engaging presentations, websites, and social media assets.

Nearly four decades since the creation of PowerPoint, they talk about how Gamma is treading new ground in the presentation space. Jon discusses how Gamma almost failed until they made the bold decision to pivot to AI in 2023, and how that move brought them millions of new users around the world. They get into the company's initial struggle for product-market fit, the impact of generative AI models like ChatGPT and Stable Diffusion, and the strategic moves they made to adapt and thrive. Jon also shares where he thinks Gamma might go next.

Episode Chapters:

(00:00) Welcome and Introduction

(00:41) Founding Gamma and Initial Vision

(04:00) Challenges and Pivot to AI

(07:04) AI Integration and Breakthrough

(08:38) Expanding Beyond Presentations

(15:45) User Experience and Prompt Engineering

(20:11) Building Value Beyond AI

(21:14) Competing with Industry Giants

(25:03) The Future of AI Interfaces

(29:43) Voice Interaction and AI

(34:35) Gamma's Growth and Team Dynamics

(36:47) Anticipating AI Model Innovations

(39:05) Conclusion

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