The Lobster Talks Podcast by Lobster Capital

What if you could edit your face and voice like a Google Doc? That’s exactly what Prady Modukuru is building at Sync—an AI company making video editing fully editable in post-production. No more re-recording. Just fix it like text. In this high-velocity episode of Lobster Talks, we go deep on Sync’s origin story, how Prady and his team ship insanely fast, and why their AI-powered content tools are poised to redefine modern storytelling. It's a masterclass in product, research, and distribution. 🔑 You’ll learn: Why the future of video is editable—not generative How Sync’s AI makes lip-sync edits invisible The secret to shipping faster than anyone else in YC What most AI startups get wrong about growth How content became Sync’s unfair advantage The risks—and responsibilities—of powerful AI models 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Lobster Talks 00:05 Meet Prade Moku and Sync 00:48 How Sync Revolutionizes Video Editing 02:49 The Journey and Growth of Sync 06:44 The Importance of Speed and Culture 12:44 Content Strategy and Its Impact 23:23 AI Modified vs. AI Generated Videos 25:43 Future of Video Editing 25:57 Challenges in Human Editing 27:55 AI in Video Production 28:18 Common Mistakes in AI Video Companies 30:58 Organic vs Paid Content 32:00 Content Creation and Distribution 38:10 Future of Small Content Teams 41:56 Risks and Ethical Concerns 49:21 Exciting Developments at Sync 50:34 Conclusion and Farewell 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4m2K7ah Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GJarrosson

Chaos reigned at the latest Demo Day, showcasing an exclusive cohort with a jaw-dropping 0.8% acceptance rate. The spotlight was on the burgeoning influence of AI within startups and the fierce competition among investors scrambling for a slice of YC. Discussions unveiled strategies for navigating oversubscribed funding rounds and emphasized the importance of solid revenue metrics. With high valuations soaring, the potential for unicorns abounds, raising questions about what truly separates a remarkable startup from the rest.

He was getting sued. Now his startup helps millions fight back — and win. In this founder-first, no-fluff conversation, George Simons breaks down how SoloSuit is dismantling a $3.5B legal industry — one lawsuit at a time. From bootstrapped beginnings and courtroom chaos to SEO-powered growth and AI-driven debt settlement, this episode is a crash course in building a business with compounding advantages and real-world impact. What you’ll learn: Why 90% of debt lawsuits are lost by default — and how SoloSuit flips the script How George bootstrapped his first product in law school using free court data The tactical role of SEO, YouTube, and content marketing in scaling user acquisition How AI is being used to mediate settlements and unlock trust in the legal system The business model shift that brought both debtors and collectors onto the same platform Why growing “slow and steady” might be the best path to building a unicorn 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters: 00:00 Welcome to The Lobster Talks 00:29 Introducing George Simons and Solo Suit 00:54 How Solo Suit Helps Consumers 02:52 The Evolution of Solo Suit's Services 04:08 The Legal Landscape and Solo Suit's Impact 07:20 Solo Suit's $4,700 Giveaway 09:55 Navigating Legal Challenges and Building Relationships 16:58 Customer Acquisition Strategies 25:02 Early Success and First Customers 25:29 Implementing Payment Systems 26:49 Growth and Customer Base Expansion 28:42 Business Strategy and Philosophy 30:06 Sustaining and Scaling the Business 36:52 Future Vision and AI Integration 42:01 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4m2K7ah Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm

What if your non-technical team could ship code overnight? In this fast-paced Lobster Talks roundtable, Gabriel Jarrosson sits down with Samraaj Bath (Ion Design) and Agree Ahmed (Flowglad) to unpack “Vibe Coding”—the AI-powered workflow that lets designers, PMs, and marketers iterate on real code. They clash over misconceptions, debate the future of frontend engineers, spin our Hot Take Wheel, and stake bold predictions on where AI will reshape product teams. In this episode you’ll learn: Why “non-technical” teams touching code isn’t what you think The real risks and rewards of design-first velocity How AI is the “combine-tractor” moment for software engineers Whether VCs should demand a design audit before writing checks The one debate you need to have about skipping design thinking Bold “Future Bets” on the next must-have AI design workflow 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. 00:00 Introduction to No-Code Revolution 00:29 Meet the Experts: Samra and Agree 03:02 Debating Vibe Coding and Non-Technical Teams 04:47 Engineering Principles and AI's Impact 09:15 The Future of Vibe Coding in Organizations 11:19 AI-Driven Changes in Team Dynamics 14:33 Challenges and Opportunities in AI Tooling 19:44 The Role of Designers in an AI-First World 28:23 The Future of Design Roles in Startups 31:33 Hot Take Wheel: No-Code Tools and Front-End Engineers 33:38 VCs and Design Audits: A Necessary Step? 36:36 Vibe Coding and Startup Defensibility 44:45 Future Bets: AI-Driven Design Workflows 52:01 Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Us 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4m2K7ah Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm

You think you know where YC is headed? Think again—agents are rewriting the playbook. In this episode of Lobster Talks, Gabriel debriefs Laurie on YC’s quarterly Request for Startups focused on AI agents. From “full-stack” AI challengers to personal assistants that go from to-do lists to done lists, we unpack the highs, the lows, and the hidden opportunities for founders and investors alike. What you’ll learn: How “full-stack” AI companies can out-muscle incumbent software tools Why AI agents like DeepResearch are already saving you a day’s work in an hour The vision for a true AI personal assistant that manages your calendar, emails, and travel Why voice interfaces (Super Whisper, Willow) are the dark horse for mainstream AI adoption How big players (OpenAI, Apple, Google) threaten—and sometimes stimulate—new startups The one metric (hint: $1M ARR) that de-risks AI investments in 2025 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Overview 00:20 Diving into the Latest YC Request for Startups 00:48 The Year of AI Agents 01:10 Full Stack AI Companies 02:11 Historical RFS and AI Personal Assistants 05:21 Voice Interfaces and AI Tools 07:16 Challenges and Opportunities in AI Startups 14:14 Verticalization and Specialized AI Models 30:30 Investor Perspectives and Metrics 36:23 Conclusion and Next Steps

Revolutionizing AI Search: Ghita Alami's Vision for Zero Entropy In this episode, we chat with Ghita Alami, founder of Zero Entropy, about her company's groundbreaking approach to rebuilding search systems for AI agents. Learn about early chaos theory, tactical product insights, and the future of intelligent retrieval systems. 00:00 Introduction to AI Retrieval Systems 00:07 Meet the Founder of Zero Entropy 00:43 Building a High Accuracy Search Engine 01:17 Challenges and Solutions in AI Retrieval 02:34 Specific Use Cases and Examples 08:09 Evaluating and Improving AI Systems 12:02 YC Experience and Building Zero Entropy 20:35 Technical Deep Dive: Measuring Accuracy 22:50 Challenges of Internet Search 23:33 Evaluating Retrieval Systems 24:02 Improving Recall and Precision 25:03 Advice for Founders on Search Issues 26:11 Leveraging LLMs in Tech Stacks 27:28 Staying Relevant in a Rapidly Changing AI Landscape

🎙️ Inversion Semiconductor: The Startup Taking On ASML with a Tabletop Particle Accelerator What if the next leap in chip manufacturing didn't come from a trillion-dollar company — but from two founders building a compact particle accelerator in Berkeley? In this episode of Lobster Talks, Gabriel Jarrosson sits down with Rohan Karthik and Daniel Vega, the founders of Inversion Semiconductor, a YC-backed deeptech startup building a radically new lithography machine. Their tech promises to manufacture the world’s most powerful chips — 15x faster than anything out there — and reshore advanced chipmaking to the U.S. for the first time in decades. We get into: How they shrunk a particle accelerator 1000× Why ASML can’t (and won’t) build this Fundraising for a moonshot in deeptech The gap between U.S. and European startup ecosystems Predictions on photonics, quantum computing, and the post-Moore’s Law era Whether you’re a founder, investor, engineer, or just deeptech-curious — this episode is a wild ride through physics, ambition, and the future of chips. 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction 00:37 Meet the Founders: Rohan and Daniel 00:57 The Technology Behind Inversion 02:19 Why ASML Isn't Doing This 05:16 Backgrounds: From ARM to Particle Accelerators 08:44 The Inception of the Idea 12:52 Exploring Other Applications 15:54 Early Struggles and the Path to Validation 21:42 Why Build in the US? 24:49 Comparing Talent in Europe and the US 25:43 Challenges in European Investment 28:45 The YC Experience for Deep Tech Startups 35:02 Building Advanced Semiconductor Tools in the US 45:11 Future Predictions for Chip Technology 47:07 Conclusion and Farewell 🔗 LINKS Inversion Semiconductor: https://inversionsemi.com Follow Gabriel: https://twitter.com/gabjarrosson #Semiconductors #DeepTech #YC #HardwareStartups #ASML #Chips #Photonics #QuantumComputing #MooresLaw #StartupPodcast

Join us for an intriguing discussion with Stef from Reditus Space as we explore the potential of zero gravity manufacturing. Learn how Reditus Space aims to revolutionize production by using reusable satellites to create unique and superior materials in space. Discover the challenges and exciting opportunities this new frontier presents, from pharmaceuticals to semiconductors, and even the possibility of organ manufacturing. Dive deep into the fascinating world of space factories, the impact of AI, reusability in space travel, and the future of space exploration. 00:00 Introduction 00:20 Meet Stef 00:34 Zero G Manufacturing 01:43 Challenges and Opportunities 05:38 Returning from Space 08:37 Future of Space Manufacturing 16:07 The Journey of Reditus Space 18:23 Upcoming Mission 20:38 Risk Mitigation 21:20 Economics 22:45 Reusability 25:43 Reentry 31:13 Future of Space Manufacturing 35:29 Human Presence in Space 37:50 Book Rec

In this episode of The Lobster Talks, we delve into the current state of the tech investment landscape, highlighting how fear and uncertainty in the market, partly driven by political factors like Trump's tariffs, influence investor behavior. Gabriel discusses the unique ecosystem of Y Combinator (YC) and its resilience during tumultuous times, noting that the best startups tend to thrive even when broader market conditions are bearish. The conversation also touches on the importance of investing during down cycles, the impact of AI on accelerating business processes, and the significance of founder passion and personal connection to their problem space. Gabriel also offers insights into the role of content creation and personal branding for founders, emphasizing how these elements can serve as powerful tools for customer acquisition and value creation. 00:00 Intro 00:51 Current Funding Landscape and Market Uncertainty 01:55 The Resilience of YC Startups 07:32 The Importance of Founder Passion and Connection 17:53 The Role of Pivots in Startup Success 22:55 Evaluating AI Investments and Technical Moats 28:56 The Power of Content and Personal Branding 33:41 Conclusion

In this episode of Lobster Talks, I sit down with Ashi and Reza, the unstoppable founders of Spaceium—a YC-backed startup building orbital gas stations. 🚀 They share the raw and incredible story of how they went from nearly homeless right before YC to raising $6.3M, signing $86.5M in commercial contracts, and securing $1B+ in LOIs—all before launching their first mission to space. We cover: How they pitched an insanely hard idea and actually built it The truth about LOIs and how they converted them into binding contracts YC’s impact on hardware companies How they managed product, sales, and investor traction simultaneously—while not sleeping 🧠💥 Whether you're a founder, investor, or just obsessed with space, this episode is a masterclass in grit, hardtech, and startup survival. 00:00 Introduction to Spaceium 00:25 Meet the Founders: Ashi and Reza 00:44 Spaceium's Revolutionary Space Stations 01:56 Challenges and Innovations in Space Refueling 04:02 The Dual Mission: Refueling and Repairing 05:13 Competing with SpaceX? 06:24 From Homeless to YC Success 08:59 The Power of LOIs and Contracts 11:42 The YC Experience and Building Hardware 20:00 Building Hardware in the US 20:45 Managing Customer Expectations 22:40 From LOIs to Binding Contracts 24:06 Setting Timelines for Startups 26:38 Pricing Strategies for Unbuilt Products 29:11 Upcoming Missions and Exciting Developments 30:58 Challenges and Rewards of Building Hard Tech 32:55 Book Recommendations and Final Thoughts 36:21 Where to Follow and Contact Us