The Lobster Talks Podcast by Lobster Capital

YC F25 just produced one of the wildest Demo Days we’ve seen: AI everywhere, hardware roaring back, and a drone startup raising at ~$200M straight out of the batch.  If you care about where early-stage markets are really going, this is your field report. In this episode of The Lobster Talks Podcast, we break down YC F25 Demo Day just hours after it wrapped.  We walk through the real themes behind the noise: AI as default, healthcare and finance getting rebuilt, deeptech and defense going mainstream, and why some YC valuations are starting to look… ambitious.  We also dig into Absurd (AI launch videos as a service), whether AI-powered services can be truly venture-backable, and what a $200M YC seed round means for fund math and future returns. You’ll learn: Why “every startup is an AI startup” is no longer a hot take, it’s table stakes.The under-discussed YC F25 trends: healthcare, financial services, “AI for the real world,” and deeptech/hardware.How AI-enabled service providers like Absurd are rewriting the rules on what’s considered “venture-backable.”The inside view on a YC F25 drone company raising at ~$200M and what that implies for fund-return math.How YC valuations have quietly crept back up post-2023, and what that means if you’re raising or investing.Why narrative, defense, space, and truly hard tech (Starcloud, Astroforge, Array Labs, Harper, etc.) are shifting what “normal” outcomes look like. 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: Surprising Valuations and Market Dynamics 00:54 Sponsor Message: Stable's Business Address Solution 01:54 Welcome to Lobster Talks Podcast 02:45 Recap of YC F25 Demo Day 03:56 Diverse Categories in YC F25 Batch 05:31 AI's Impact on Various Industries 06:26 Deep Tech and Hardware Innovations 07:23 Consumer Startups in YC F25 09:53 The Rise of AI-Enabled Service Providers 16:11 Debate: Service Providers and Venture Backed Outcomes 22:44 Scaling Ad Production Challenges 23:11 The Future of Video Content 23:58 Absurd Valuations in YC Companies 24:21 Drone Company with a $200M Valuation 25:59 Investment Returns and Valuation Math 28:47 High Valuations and Market Trends 36:43 Ambitious YC Startups and Their Potential 39:17 The Cycle of YC Valuations 42:50 Conclusion and Upcoming Episodes 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap This podcast episode is sponsored by Stable. Click here to sign up for a virtual address:  https://dashboard.usestable.com/onboard/begin?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=influencer_lobster&promoCode=lobster50

YC to 200K users without a marketing budget? HeRA is trying to become the Figma of motion design and put After Effects on notice. This is a builder’s story: fast pivots, AI-native product, and a bold bet to scale from Berlin, not SF. In this episode, Chia, co-founder & CTO of HeRA breaks down how they pivoted into AI motion design, grew to hundreds of thousands of users, and why they’re betting on an onsite Berlin team post-YC. We cover PMF vs. virality, the UI/UX of AI video, the Figma vs. Adobe playbook, and how HeRA wants to power every SaaS launch video. You’ll learn: - Why the motion graphics wedge beat “all-in-one” AI video editors - The YC pivot moment: prototype in two days → interview in a week - Berlin vs. SF: talent, costs, and staying plugged into the Valley - PMF litmus test for AI video: “1 min product video in less than 30 minutes” - How HeRA generates code to animate motion (and why time makes it hard) - The Figma analogy: AI-native UX vs. legacy add-ons—and why Adobe should worry 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters 00:00 The Origin of Hera: From Video Editor to Motion Graphics 00:29 Sponsorship Message: Stable's Virtual Address Service 01:28 Introduction to the Podcast and Guest 02:07 Chia's Journey with YC and Hera's Evolution 02:51 The Birth of Hera's Core Idea 05:25 Decision to Move Back to Berlin 14:53 Technical Insights: How Hera Works 19:46 Marketing Success and Product Market Fit 25:00 Creating Continuous Motion Graphics 25:22 Challenges in Long Video Generation 27:55 Competing with Adobe After Effects 30:28 The Future of Motion Graphics with AI 31:20 Collaborative Features and Market Vision 36:38 Trends in AI and Video Creation 43:23 Hera's Impact on the Industry 48:32 Closing Remarks and Future Outlook 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap This podcast episode is sponsored by Stable. Click here to sign up for a virtual address: https://dashboard.usestable.com/onboard/begin?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=influencer_lobster&promoCode=lobster50

YC Fall ’25 Demo Day isn’t here yet, but the signal is already loud. We went through 150+ companies and picked the ones we’d fight to get allocation in. From AI-native banks and eBay killers to fusion reactors in space and crowdsourced drug discovery, this episode is a pre–Demo Day breakdown of YC’s Fall ’25 batch. We go category by category (B2B, Consumer, Fintech, Healthcare, Industrial/Real Estate) and call our shots before founders hit the stage. No hindsight bias, just real-time conviction. In this episode, we cover: - Why AI video tool Waffer might become the Canva of motion, not just another Sora clone. - How Sorce hit 500k+ users and got Drew Houston to Venmo them a $200K angel check. - The AI-native consumer plays: SellRaze (the “AI eBay”) and Sunflower (sobriety companion that actually prevents relapse). - Fintech 2.0 with Selfin (AI bank aggregator) and Fernstone (AI-powered insurance brokerage in a Berkshire-sized market). - Wild upside in healthcare and deeptech: Exonic’s crowdsourced drug discovery and LunaBill’s AI phone agents for U.S. healthcare billing. - The industrial moonshots: Axial Composites’ next-gen carbon fiber and Zephyr Fusion’s bid to do fusion… in orbit. 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters: 00:00 The Crazy Story of Sorce's Founding 00:56 Introducing Stable: The Business Address Solution 01:56 Welcome to Lobster Talks: Fall 25 Demo Day Preview 03:28 Diving into B2B Startups: Laurie's Top Pick 08:43 Exploring B2B Startups:Gabriel's Top Pick 16:31 Consumer Startups: Laurie's Favorite Pick 21:09 Consumer Startups: Gabriel's Top Pick 25:10 FinTech Startups: Laurie's Top Pick 28:43 AI Native Banking Revolution 29:45 AI in Insurance: Fernstone's Disruption 32:01 Healthcare Innovations: Exonic and LunaBill 38:21 Industrial and Real Estate Picks 42:21 Fusion Energy in Space: Zephyr Fusion 47:17 YC's Hardware and Deep Tech Push 50:36 Demo Day and Final Thoughts 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap This podcast episode is sponsored by Stable. Click here to sign up for a virtual address: https://dashboard.usestable.com/onboard/begin?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=influencer_lobster&promoCode=lobster50

Hospitals are bleeding $260 billion a year to denied insurance claims — and AI is making it worse. One YC founder decided to fight back, using AI to beat insurers at their own game. In this episode, we dive deep into how Aegis, a Y Combinator startup, is using AI agents to help healthcare providers recover billions lost to claim denials. Founder Ong shares his journey from Calcutta to Carnegie Mellon to YC, the inside story of getting into YC at the last minute, and how his team is tackling one of healthcare’s most entrenched problems. What you’ll learn: - How YC companies are attacking trillion-dollar industries with AI - Why healthcare loses $260B a year to denied insurance claims - The hidden incentives driving insurers to deny payments - How Aegis built real traction in just 10 weeks - What YC really teaches founders beyond the playbook - The power of the YC network and why it still compounds after demo day 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters: 00:00 The YC Application Journey 00:48 Introducing Krishang from Aegis 01:21 Krishang's Entrepreneurial Background 02:30 The Birth of Aegis 04:53 The Power of YC Content 07:03 Getting into YC: The Application Process 10:00 The YC Batch Experience 14:25 Maintaining Momentum Post-YC 17:59 Advice for Aspiring YC Applicants 19:09 Tackling the Healthcare Industry 21:41 Targeting Medical Billing Companies 22:07 AI in Insurance: A Growing Challenge 22:21 The Impact on Hospitals 24:31 Investor Perspectives on AI in Healthcare 26:48 Strategies for Success in Healthcare Startups 33:12 The YC Advantage 33:49 The Power of the YC Network 38:14 Silicon Valley's Collaborative Ecosystem 39:58 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GJarrosson

They applied to YC with 90 minutes on the clock—and got in. Then they pivoted into the most operationally gnarly corner of fintech: global payroll. Avi Konduru (Shor) breaks down how AI agents + stablecoins can vertically rebuild EOR, cut costs by an order of magnitude, and expand the market beyond today’s incumbents. In this episode, we go deep on YC as an ambition amplifier, pivot mechanics under real pressure, price vs. TAM strategy, and why launch videos (done right) are still YC’s most underrated distribution hack. You’ll learn: How a 90-minute YC application (and one-take demo) still cleared the barThe precise wedge: vertically owning entities + automating back office with AIWhy “someone else’s margin is your opportunity” actually maps to EORPricing strategy: undercut to expand TAM vs. match to maximize marginHow YC Launch video distribution compresses customer discovery into daysThe pitfalls: agent reliability, compliance debt, and scaling beyond the batch Chapters 00:00 The Last-Minute Application Rush 00:42 Welcome to Lobster Talks 01:07 Introducing Shor: Reinventing Global Payroll 02:38 The YC Experience: A Rollercoaster Journey 05:02 The Pivot: From Stablecoin Infra to EOR 10:29 Bootstrapping Challenges and Lessons Learned 18:00 The Unexpected Turn: Applying to YC Again 23:27 Competing with Deel and Rippling 27:07 Understanding Reseller Margins and Fees 27:27 Deel's Automation and Disruption in Entity Management 27:46 Setting Up Entities in High-Traffic Countries 28:49 Challenges and Regulatory Issues in Global Payroll 30:06 AI Agents Revolutionizing EOR Operations 32:33 Pricing Strategy and Market Expansion 40:11 The Power of Launch Videos in YC 44:07 The Role of Influencers in Marketing 48:07 Future Challenges and Customer Acquisition 51:31 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GJarrosson

We finally found a voice assistant that actually ships work. Not a demo, not a hype reel—April closes the loop on email and calendar while you’re driving, lifting, or walking to your next meeting. In this YC-insider conversation, Neha (co-founder of April) breaks down how a narrow, vertical agent can outperform “do-everything” assistants, why dogfooding—not retention dashboards—built their product moat, and what a screen-lite future means for founders and operators. We also cover YC batch dynamics in a crowded voice category, Demo Day strategy, and the roadmap to a true “voice OS.” What you’ll learn: - Why narrowing scope (email + calendar first) beats generalist agents for real outcomes - The dogfood standard: building to a founder’s own bar, then scaling - How YC treats multiple “competing” companies—and why that can help you ship faster - Demo Day tactics: being live, iterating weekly, and selling the founder, not the fantasy - Voice vs. screens: trust, closed-loop execution, and the path to screenless workflows - April’s roadmap: LinkedIn, WhatsApp, Slack, Notion—and verticalizing for sales & investors 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to April: The AI Voice Assistant 00:24 Welcome to Lobster Talks: Meet Neha from April 01:12 Diving into April's Features and Use Cases 02:46 The Journey of Building April 03:58 Challenges and Successes in the Voice AI Space 05:36 The Future of Voice AI and Investor Insights 07:37 YC Experience and Investor Reactions 08:47 The Competitive Landscape and Collaboration 12:25 The Role of YC and the Voice AI Market 20:08 The Vision for a Screenless Future 23:06 Preparing for YC Demo Day 25:38 The Importance of Execution in Business 26:16 Advice for Startups: Ship Quickly and Get Feedback 26:50 Future Integrations and Features 28:37 Challenges and Strategies During YC Journey 32:31 Maintaining Momentum Post-YC 33:20 Mental Resilience and Personal Well-being 38:10 Exciting Future Plans for April 40:17 Predictions and Insights on AI Assistants 41:09 Lessons from Zoho and Book Recommendations 43:23 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap

A Netflix storage engineer walks into YC and ships an “infinite, shareable disk” on top of S3—30× faster and up to 90% cheaper—then dials GTM for the AI era. This is the file system’s comeback story. Today I sit down with Hunter Leath (ARL) to unpack how a decade inside AWS + Netflix revealed a gap the hyperscalers won’t close: developers want storage that feels local, scales like S3, and doesn’t nuke the budget. We get into: YC as confidence engine, moving a family to SF, rebuilding for speed, why AWS won’t copy this, and why the file system—not object storage—becomes AI’s universal interface. You’ll learn -Why the clouds won’t ship a product that cannibalizes billions in revenue -The architecture that makes ARL 30× faster and up to 90% cheaper -How to catch customers exactly when new AI workloads start (the real ICP) -Post-batch velocity: how SF energy kills the YC slump -Why “serverless everything” needs a serverless disk to persist state -The contrarian bet: the file system is the future data interface for AI 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters 00:00 The Risk of Leaving Big Tech 00:33 Introducing Hunter Leh and Aril 01:32 Hunter's Journey from AWS to Netflix 02:47 The Birth of Aril 06:55 Challenges and Insights from YC 07:26 The Solo Founder Experience 19:39 Building and Launching Aril 21:01 Go-to-Market Strategy and Customer Acquisition 24:04 The AI Industry's Growing Demand 24:49 Fundraising Journey and Investor Insights 26:35 AWS and Market Dynamics 29:17 Innovations in Data Storage 36:23 Maintaining Momentum Post-YC 38:27 Future Predictions in Data Infrastructure 42:22 Contrarian Views on AI and Data Storage 44:20 Conclusion and Contact Information 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GJarrosson

YC just changed the rules—and the market is catching up. We break down why seed is the power position, how CVCs are reshaping Series A, and what YC’s new Early Decision really means for founders and investors. In this episode, we cover Lobster Capital updates (first Series A, first DPI), how we decide follow-ons from an insider vantage point, the rise of “seed-strapping,” Coinbase Ventures x YC’s RFS on Fintech 3.0, and why stablecoins + AI agents may be the next real on-chain wedge. We also unpack YC’s Early Decision—who it actually benefits—and what to expect heading into the next Demo Day. You’ll learn: Why seed has asymmetric leverage (and why top YC teams don’t optimize for dollars) How we evaluate follow-ons: revenue quality, NRR, churn, hiring, and real signal vs noise CVCs at Series A: when specialization beats the “Tier-1” logo “Seed-strapping”: profitability at seed, and why some teams skip A entirely Coinbase Ventures x YC’s Fintech 3.0 RFS and the stablecoin/AI-agent stack YC Early Decision: who it helps (hardware/bio) and how YC captures talent earlier 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Investing Insights 00:23 Welcome to Lobster Talks 00:45 Lobster Capital Updates 03:16 Series A Graduation Rates 04:08 Fund Strategy and Follow-Ons 05:38 YC Companies and Profitability 10:33 Fundraising and Strategic Alliances 17:28 Crypto and FinTech 3.0 25:23 Global Currency Dynamics 26:20 The Rise of Stablecoins 27:27 AI and Crypto Synergy 32:03 Speculative Trading and Meme Coins 38:42 YC's Early Decision Program 44:01 The Future of YC and Startup Ecosystem 51:04 Conclusion and Upcoming Content 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GJarrosson

A robotaxi playbook… for dirt. Flywheel AI is turning excavators into remotely operated, camera-first machines — collecting the data to make them autonomous next. In this YC-insider episode, we unpack Flywheel AI’s “Waymo for excavators” strategy: retrofit any machine in hours, deliver value with tele-op now, and use that profitably collected data to train autonomy later. We get into labor shortages, safety economics (OSHA penalties), competitor traps (drive-by-wire only), and how to actually do hardware at YC in 90 days without getting stuck in pilot hell. You’ll learn Why construction’s bottleneck is skilled operators — and how tele-op removes it The dangerous blind-spot reality on sites and the true cost of safety incidents Flywheel’s retrofit + single-screen UX that works on any excavator brand/size The autonomy roadmap: camera-only stack, data flywheel, edge-case capture How to win data rights on site (be the only retrofit, own the dataset) The YC hardware playbook: sell first, build last; parallelize to kill lead-time 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters: 00:00 From Sandbox to Real Excavator: The Journey Begins 00:20 Introducing Flywheel AI: Revolutionizing Excavators 01:49 The Labor Shortage Crisis in Construction 03:51 The Dangers of Operating Excavators 05:58 Teleoperation: Enhancing Safety and Efficiency 11:28 The Path to Autonomous Excavators 16:34 Competing in the Autonomous Excavator Market 22:26 Demo Day: Bringing an Excavator to YC 24:37 Returning the Excavator 24:47 Demo Day Setup and Reactions 26:04 Autonomy and Data Training 26:38 Joining YC and Initial Thoughts 28:03 YC's Impact on Hardware Startups 29:18 Building and Iterating Hardware 33:13 Advice for Hardware Startups 34:49 Final Thoughts and Reflections 45:03 Accelerating Iteration Cycles 48:38 Conclusion and Contact Information

A “cute idea” until it wasn’t: RealRoots walked into YC as an overlooked consumer play and walked out with $9.4M ARR and an oversubscribed round. Summary: In this YC-insider episode, Dorothy Li (RealRoots) breaks down how AI-powered friendship matchmaking turned into real traction across 80+ cities. We unpack the demo day shock, the stigma shift (friendship ≈ dating 10 years ago), and the manual-to-AI playbook that de-risks consumer. We also cover investor blind spots, GTM math (cold DMs → paid), and why cofounder fit is a “you’ll know in 10 seconds” decision. You’ll learn: -Why “consumer is back” at YC—and how RealRoots rode a stigma shift -The manual-first, AI-next method that actually finds PMF -How 2–3k cold DMs converted to 11% paid ($20) and seeded the funnel -The marketplace + AI stack behind curated IRL events at scale -Investor pattern errors: scar tissue vs. behavior/tech inflections -Co-founder tactics, hiring posture, and sustainable pace vs. 9-9-6 Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to RealRoots and Demo Day Success 00:48 Meet Dorothy Li: Founder of RealRoots 01:32 The Problem of Loneliness and Finding Community 02:43 How RealRoots Uses AI to Build Friendships 04:02 Expansion and Success of RealRoots 08:07 The YC Experience and Its Impact 17:39 Overcoming Stigma and Building for the Future 29:27 Investor Hesitations and Scar Tissue 30:12 Challenges in the Friendship App Space 30:59 The Concept of 'Targets' in Startups 32:04 The Importance of Consumer Behavior and Technology Changes 33:04 Co-Founder Story: Meeting Through RealRoots 36:16 Manual Efforts in Early Startup Stages 38:49 The Impact of a Co-Founder 39:45 Work-Life Balance in Startups 44:18 YC's Focus on Younger Founders 48:21 Validating Your Startup Idea 55:09 Customer Acquisition Strategies 56:30 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GJarrosson