The Twenty Minute VC (20VC): Venture Capital | Startup Funding | The Pitch

Mike Krieger, Co-founder of Instagram and CPO at Anthropic, shares insights on the future of AI value creation. He discusses the importance of building for future models over current ones and the challenges of integrating human versus synthetic data. Krieger evaluates the competitive AI landscape, particularly highlighting China's advancements. He also delves into the evolving role of developers in the AI-driven world while addressing underinvestment in first-party products. The episode concludes with reflections on AI's potential in Europe and its impact on various industries.

George Bonaci, VP of Growth at Ramp, shares his expertise from leading growth at previous companies like Gong and Samsara. He delves into the art of experimentation in growth, emphasizing detachment from outcomes and the importance of postmortems. Bonaci also discusses innovative hiring strategies for growth roles, focusing on potential over experience. He highlights unique marketing tactics like direct mail and influencer outreach, and the need for strong communication across teams to seize market opportunities. Plus, discover how AI is reshaping growth strategies.

Oscar Pierre, Founder and CEO of Glovo, shares his incredible journey from launching a food delivery startup with minimal funding to its eventual €2.2 billion acquisition by Delivery Hero. He discusses selling a third of the company for just €100K and reveals how a critical partnership with McDonald's saved the operation. Pierre also dives into the challenges of running out of money three times, burning $1 million daily, and the tough lessons learned during international expansion, particularly in Brazil. His story is a testament to resilience in the startup world.

Steeve Morin, founder and CEO of ZML, discusses the competitive landscape of AI, emphasizing why Google is positioned to win the AI arms race while OpenAI might falter. He explores the evolving role of inference over training and the challenges facing AI hardware supply. The importance of data, product, and compute is highlighted as essential for success in AI. Morin also analyzes NVIDIA's market dominance amid competition from AMD and shares insights on semiconductor supply chain issues affecting chip production.

Adarsh Hiremath, Co-founder and CTO of Mercor, shares insights on scaling from zero to $70M in ARR in just 24 months. He discusses the intense 9-9-6 work culture that drives their success and hints at challenges in maintaining morale. The conversation includes reflections on the future of programming and AI, revealing how synthetic and human-driven data will shape hiring processes. Adarsh also reveals intriguing anecdotes about their fundraising journey and the importance of a strong company culture amidst rapid growth.

Jonathan Ross, Founder and CEO of Groq, shares his insights into the evolving landscape of AI hardware. He discusses the competitive dynamics between training and inference, noting why NVIDIA struggles with inference costs. Ross emphasizes the importance of synthetic data and efficient model performance as key to scaling AI. He also delves into the implications of data center investments by giants like Meta, Google, and Microsoft, asserting that many dollars may be lost in these ventures. Lastly, he touches on China's AI strategy and Europe's potential in the upcoming AI revolution.

Solly Solomou, Founder and CEO of LADbible Group, shares his remarkable journey from running a printing shop to leading a global entertainment company. He recounts pivotal moments, like meeting Kevin Hart, that sparked his entrepreneurial spirit. Solly discusses the lessons learned from product failures and emphasizes the importance of building a business without external funding. He explores future trends in content, addressing the influence of wearables and the changing social media landscape, while contrasting the business environments in the US and Europe.

TS Anil, CEO of Monzo Bank, is celebrated for his extraordinary turnaround strategy, elevating the company from £40M to £1BN in revenue with over 10M customers. He shares insights on the most profitable aspects of Monzo's business and lessons learned during fundraising. Anil discusses the challenge of expanding in Europe and the U.S., revealing why many fintechs falter in the U.S. market. He also reflects on Monzo's culture, emphasizing the balance between strong values and rapid growth while contemplating the company’s IPO strategy.

Fabien Pinckaers, the visionary Founder and CEO of Odoo, shares his unconventional journey from a young software creator to leading a $5BN company based in Belgium. He discusses the flaws of traditional management, advocating for title-less structures and unique hiring practices focused on talent over age. Fabien reveals his indifference to money, explaining his reluctance to sell or IPO. He also reflects on the rejections from VCs, imparting lessons on pitching and the significance of remaining private to foster innovation.

Sridhar Ramaswamy, CEO of Snowflake and former Google executive, dives into the competitive landscape of AI with compelling insights. He argues that OpenAI will ultimately outperform competitors like Deepseek and Anthropic. Ramaswamy discusses how model providers might disrupt startups in the application layer and addresses Snowflake's rivalry with Nvidia and Databricks. He also shares lessons on leadership, the impact of wealth on decision-making, and parenting philosophies, offering a unique perspective on balancing personal values with corporate success.