Layer Zero

In this episode, I chat with Gopal Raman — former Deployed Engineer at Retool, one of the fastest-growing companies in developer tooling, and now a Principal at South Park Commons. We dive into what makes a great founder today, why speed is a defining trait of modern builders, and how to separate durable AI tools from fleeting hype. Gopal shares lessons from working hands-on with startups at the frontier, and we explore the deeper mindset shifts required to build lasting products in an era of rapid acceleration.Article: https://smithery.ai/blog/tool-calls-are-the-new-clicks

In this episode, I sit down with Hank Couture—early employee at DoorDash, former COO of Fanatics Sportsbook, founder of Leapyear (startup accelerator), and partner at Lightbank. With experience scaling companies from ground zero, Hank breaks down how product-led growth and go-to-market strategies are evolving, why video and voice interfaces represent the next frontier of user experience, and the brutal realities of scale that most founders don't see coming. We dive into the operational challenges that separate successful scaling from spectacular flameouts, and what it really takes to build systems that work at 10x, 100x, and beyond.

In this episode, I sit down with Michael Giardino, founder of Oleve—a company on a mission to build the Seal Team Six of consumer startups. With $6M in ARR just months after launch, Michael breaks down how they’ve moved so fast, why lean execution still wins in the AI era, and what it takes to build a top-tier operator culture. We dive into scaling without bloat, how AI actually fits into real-world company building, and what he looks for when assembling elite teams.

In this episode, I chat with Tess Hatch, former partner at Bessemer Venture Partners and current Managing Director at Stifel Venture Bank , about the future of frontier tech and how the landscape is shifting. We dig into the red flags she watches for in early-stage deep tech, how AI is reshaping the defense and aerospace sectors, and why debt vs. equity financing matters more than ever in capital-intensive spaces. Get a front-row seat to how one of the leading voices is thinking about investing at the edge of innovation.

In this episode, I chat with Drew Wandzilak, Co-Lead of the Strategic Tech Fund at Alumni Ventures, about the intersection of AI, infrastructure, and energy. We unpack what AI’s growing appetite means for the physical world, from grid stress to data center bottlenecks, and where real opportunity lies for startups. Get the inside scoop on how one of Alumni Ventures' investors is thinking about the future of AI infra and energy.

In this episode, I sit down with Rohan Kamalakantha, Strategic Projects Lead at Mercor, to unpack how the company became one of the fastest-growing startups globally ($1M - $100M in ARR in 11 months). We dive into Mercor’s unique approaches and internal velocity and how a lean team with ruthless focus can outpace the market. Rohan shares what sets Mercor apart in the AI talent space, and how they think about scaling without losing speed.