Layer Zero

I sat down with Scott Beechuk, Partner at Norwest Venture Partners, for a wide-ranging conversation on how AI, particularly agentic systems, is reshaping software and how venture is adapting to it. Before investing, Scott founded three companies and later served as an executive at Salesforce, giving him a rare operator-to-investor perspective on building and scaling technology businesses.In this episode, we explored how Scott thinks about agentic systems in enterprise software, what’s changing in the VC landscape as AI accelerates product cycles, and how his background as a founder informs the way he partners with teams today. We also talked about what durable companies will look like in an era where software can increasingly act on its own.If you’re interested in the future of AI-native software and how venture is adapting to it, this episode is packed with insight.

I sat down with Abishek Das, Founder of Yutori AI, one of the fastest-scaling companies in the AI agent space. Yutori is building what many consider the most accurate web agents to date, leveraging a team of top researchers and engineers who are pushing the boundaries of autonomous reasoning and real-world task execution. The company has already raised $10M+ from some of the biggest names in AI, including Fei-Fei Li and Jeff Dean, a signal of just how serious their technical approach is.In this episode, Abishek and I dive into what it actually takes to build web agents that outperform existing frontier models, why accuracy and reliability matter more than flashy demos, and how Yutori’s research culture enables them to move at a velocity most companies can’t match. We also talk about the evolving agent ecosystem, what’s defensible in this wave of AI, and why the next breakthroughs will come from teams who deeply understand both systems and product.If you want to understand where AI agents are really headed and what it takes to build category-defining AI, this episode is a must-listen.

I sat down with Niko Bonatsos, one of the most respected early-stage investors of the past decade and an early backer of companies like Snap, Discord, Mercor, and many more breakout successes. Niko has built a career on finding unconventional founders long before the rest of the world sees what they’re capable of and helping them scale from the earliest days.In this episode, we talk about how he evaluates founders with non-traditional backgrounds, his philosophies on life and his journeys, and the patterns he’s seen across the biggest winners of his portfolio. If you want to understand how legendary early-stage investors spot generational companies before they break, this conversation is full of insights.

I sat down with Matt Martin, Founder & CEO of Clockwise, the time orchestration platform used by teams at companies like Netflix, Reddit, Atlassian, Lyft, and more. Clockwise has raised over $70M from Accel, Greylock, and top operators, but more importantly, it has fundamentally changed how teams structure their days and protect their focus time.In this episode, Matt breaks down the early product decisions that shaped Clockwise, how his team approached building software that actively manages your calendar, and why time management is shifting from a personal habit to a team-wide system. We dig into what makes Clockwise’s approach unique, how AI is reshaping productivity, and why the future of work requires entirely new tools for attention and coordination.If you’re interested in product building, productivity, or the future of work, this episode is packed with insights.

I sat down with Trip Adler, Founder & CEO of Created by Humans, and former CEO and co-founder of Scribd ($1B+ valuation), for a deep discussion about how creators should be compensated and protected in the age of AI. After building Scribd into one of the world’s largest document and ebook platforms, Trip is now tackling one of the most urgent questions in AI: who owns the rights to human-created work, and how should that content be used to train models?In this episode, we explore how Created by Humans is building a licensing marketplace for authors, what “AI rights” look like in practice (training, reference, transformation), and how Trip is drawing on his publishing and platform experience to bridge the gap between creators and AI companies. We also get into his journey building Scribd, the lessons he’s carried forward from building a billion dollar company, and how he thinks about mission, impact, and fairness in this new era.If you care about copyright, creators, and the future of AI, this episode is a must-listen.

Ben Narasin, Founder and General Partner of Tenacity Venture Capital and former NEA partner, shares insights from his illustrious career, including leading FashionMall.com to an IPO. He discusses his founder-first investment philosophy, emphasizing the importance of people, ideas, and market potential. Ben explains the balance he strikes between data and intuition in decision-making and shares lessons learned from his entrepreneurial journey. He also highlights the importance of conviction over volume, and how resilience can be a key indicator of a startup's potential.

Delian Asparouhov, Partner at Founders Fund and co-founder of Varda Space Industries, dives into the thrilling world of space-based manufacturing. He shares insights on navigating risk in deep tech and the importance of timing in investments. Delian highlights the need for a flexible approach while sourcing and evaluates what makes a founder resilient. With a focus on prioritizing manufacturing and path-to-market strategies, he emphasizes learning from past hiring missteps. His journey uniquely blends venture capital with high-stakes tech, sparking excitement for the future.

I sat down with Joseph Krause, Co-Founder and CEO of Radical AI, for a deep dive into how artificial intelligence is reshaping the future of scientific discovery. Radical AI is building autonomous, AI-driven research systems, what Joseph calls “self-driving labs,” that accelerate the discovery of new materials and breakthroughs across industries. Backed by over $55 million in funding by Nvidia and more, his team is merging deep tech, data, and science to fundamentally change how innovation happens.In this episode, we explored how Radical AI approaches experimentation and learning, what it takes to build infrastructure at the intersection of AI and materials science, and how Joseph thinks about long-term impact and risk in a field evolving faster than ever. We also talked about the broader implications of AI for research, creativity, and progress itself.If you’re interested in where deep tech meets real-world innovation, and how AI can accelerate the pace of discovery, this one’s for you.

In this engaging discussion, Michele Griffin, the founder of Premier GTM and ex-partner at a16z, shares her expertise on go-to-market strategies for AI-native startups. She emphasizes the importance of visibility for founders in gaining trust and traction. Michele highlights how AI tools can streamline sales processes and enhance messaging. She also offers insights on effective LinkedIn usage and the evolving roles in sales, predicting a shift towards more technical resources and service-led strategies for deeper engagement.

In a compelling discussion, Charles Hudson, Founder and Managing Partner at Precursor Ventures, shares his unorthodox approach to venture capital. He emphasizes sourcing overlooked founders, focusing on potential rather than pedigree, and adapting to a fast-paced market. Charles reveals his strategies for evaluating early-stage talent and his thoughts on nurturing long-term relationships with founders. Additionally, he critiques the emphasis on quick returns in pre-seed funding, encouraging patience for sustainable growth and genuine customer signals.