Y Combinator Startup Podcast

Chaz and Arnie Englander, brothers and co-founders of Model ML, are revolutionizing financial services with their AI-powered workspace aimed at outpacing Microsoft Office. They share their journey from startup tool to platform, highlighting recent successes with top banks. The brothers discuss the need for trust in global markets and how they've built relationships from Hong Kong to India. Their insights on the evolving nature of software in the age of AI, along with the dynamics of a co-founder relationship, make for a captivating conversation.

Jared Kaplan, co-founder of Anthropic and former theoretical physicist, dives deep into AI scaling and its transformative effects on achieving human-level intelligence. He reveals how intelligence scales in predictable ways, shaping modern language models. Kaplan discusses the launch of CLUD4, emphasizing advancements in coding and search, while underscoring the crucial role of memory management. He explores the evolving functions of AI, from a supportive co-pilot to automating complex tasks, and highlights the necessity of human oversight in navigating this new frontier.

Karri Saarinen, co-founder and CEO of Linear, shares his insights on building impactful brands. He discusses the balance between authenticity and polished aesthetics in early-stage startups, emphasizing effective messaging and user engagement. The conversation includes playful critiques of unique products like 'unreal milk' and branding strategies for companies targeting non-tech-savvy audiences. Karri highlights the importance of clear communication to improve engagement and conversion rates while maintaining brand personality through thoughtful web design.

Chelsea Finn, an Assistant Professor at Stanford and co-founder of Physical Intelligence, discusses her journey in robotics from MIT to leading innovative projects today. She explains how her team is developing robots capable of adaptive learning in messy real-world settings. Topics include their groundbreaking work on robotic grasping, overcoming challenges in task generalization, and the use of large datasets to teach robots physical common sense. Finn shares insights on the surprising moments in data and the pivotal advancements that make intelligent robotic assistance possible.

Amjad Masad, Founder and CEO of Replit, shares his journey from Jordan to revolutionizing programming accessibility. He discusses how Replit evolved from a coding education tool to a platform for AI-assisted software creation. Topics include the rapid growth of automation in software development and its impact on productivity. Amjad also explores the future of work, emphasizing creativity over traditional coding skills, and the importance of bridging gaps between engineers and casual users through innovative coding tools.

John Jumper, a physicist turned computational biologist, led DeepMind's AlphaFold team and earned the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for solving protein folding. He discusses the breakthroughs that led to AlphaFold, including how deep learning transformed our understanding of protein structures. Jumper highlights the impact of AI on structural biology, illustrating how millions of protein structures are now accessible, which could revolutionize scientific research and drug development. His insights uncover a future where machine learning accelerates breakthroughs in various fields.

Aravind Srinivas, co-founder of Perplexity, an innovative AI-powered search engine, shares his vision for the future of browsing. He dives into the challenges of building an AI browser in a tech-dominated landscape, emphasizing the importance of speed and accuracy. Srinivas discusses the shift from traditional search tools to advanced AI capabilities and the strategic partnerships fostering growth. He also addresses the evolving business models in AI, encouraging aspiring entrepreneurs to innovate and stay adaptable while navigating the competitive terrain.

In this engaging discussion, Andrew Ng, a prominent AI researcher and founder of Coursera, explores the critical importance of execution speed in startups navigating the AI landscape. He emphasizes leveraging agentic AI for productivity and the necessity of concrete ideas in product development. Ng also highlights the transformative impact of AI coding tools on software engineering, promoting rapid prototyping and coding literacy within teams. Finally, he addresses the ongoing battle for open-source innovation in AI, stressing its vital role in ensuring equitable access to technology.

François Chollet, creator of the Keras library and founder of the ARC Prize, dives deep into the challenges of achieving true general intelligence in AI. He critiques existing models for their limitations and discusses why simply scaling up isn’t enough. Chollet emphasizes the need for adaptability and fluid intelligence over static skills. He introduces the ARC Prize as a benchmark for progress and shares insights from his research at Ndea on advancing AI's capabilities through abstraction and compositionality, laying a path towards AI that can reason and innovate.

In this engaging discussion, Fei-Fei Li, a leading AI researcher and creator of ImageNet, dives into the evolution of AI and its current frontiers. She reflects on her groundbreaking work with ImageNet, which sparked the deep learning revolution. Fei-Fei emphasizes the critical importance of spatial intelligence in developing artificial general intelligence, addressing its challenges compared to language processing. She also shares personal anecdotes about her journey from academia to entrepreneurship, advocating for creativity and intellectual fearlessness in tech.