The Next Next

Navigating AI and Creativity with Gregg Spiridellis In this episode of The Next Next, host Jason Jacobs interviews Gregg Spiridellis, co-founder of JibJab and StoryBots. Gregg shares his journey from investment banking to digital entertainment, discussing the evolution of his creative process and the impact of new technologies. He highlights how he and his brother are using AI to revolutionize content creation, including their latest endeavor to build a feature-length animated film based on Parry Grip's music. Gregg also touches on the challenges and strategies in navigating Hollywood's power dynamics and the significance of balancing career ambitions with family life. 00:00 Introduction to Gregg Spiridellis 00:05 The Journey from Investment Banking to JibJab 00:51 StoryBots and Netflix Success 01:10 New Ventures with Parry Grip 01:46 Exploring AI in Creative Processes 02:52 Introduction to The Next Next 04:48 Gregg's Current Projects 05:11 Building a Family Franchise 08:00 The Evolution of Creative Formats 11:58 Challenges and Iterations in Creativity 13:33 The Impact of Technology on Media 21:24 Failed Ventures and Lessons Learned 25:31 Collaborating with Parry Grip 27:19 Exploring Creative Origins 27:46 Building a Business Around Animation 28:44 Involving Gatekeepers and Developing Content 30:44 The Pixar Playbook and Technological Advances 34:06 Phases of Production and Financing 36:30 Embracing AI in Creative Processes 44:26 Industry Disruption and Future Implications 45:08 Philosophical Reflections on Legacy and Innovation 49:30 Final Thoughts and Future Plans 55:55 Conclusion and Parting Words

Redefining Venture Capital for the Creator Economy with Megan Lightcap of Slow Ventures In this episode of The Next Next, host Jason Jacobs interviews Megan Lightcap, a partner at Slow Ventures and the manager of their newly launched Creator Fund. The fund is a pioneering venture capital initiative aimed at backing creator entrepreneurs with a $60 million-plus seed fund. Megan talks about her journey into venture capital, Slow Ventures' distinctive approach, and the inception and growth of the Creator Fund. The discussion covers Slow Ventures' philosophy, the evolving landscape of consumer behavior, and the unique challenges and strategies involved in investing in creators versus traditional startups. Megan also shares insights into the sourcing and evaluation process, the importance of community engagement, and the future potential of creator-led brands. The episode delves into the operational and strategic differences between Slow's core seed investments and the Creator Fund, while highlighting the value of authenticity and passion in the creator economy. 00:00 Introduction to Megan Lightcap and Slow Ventures 00:41 The Rise of Creator Entrepreneurs 04:25 Overview of Slow Ventures and Its Funds 06:15 The Creator Fund: Concept and Execution 19:23 Early Experimentation and Learnings 27:25 Identifying the Right Creator Fit 27:59 Evaluating Founders and Teams 29:13 Charisma and Obsession in Founders 31:12 Team Dynamics and Screening Processes 32:49 Equity Stakes and Profit Sharing 34:34 Long-Term Partnerships and Value Creation 36:06 Expanding Beyond Creators 37:25 Networking and Learning Among Creators 40:25 Sourcing and Evaluating Future Stars 44:39 Platform Preferences and Audience Engagement 46:43 The Future of Creator Development 50:31 Final Thoughts and Parting Words

Leveraging AI for Personalized Medicine with Sunita Mohanty of Vibrant Practice In this episode of The Next Next, host Jason Jacobs interviews Sunita Mohanty, co-founder and CEO of Vibrant Practice, a healthcare startup focusing on personalized medicine. Sunita shares her journey from being a product leader at Meta to founding Vibrant Practice after facing health challenges that led her to functional medicine. The discussion covers the integration of AI into Vibrant Practice's EHR and practice management platform, addressing issues like doctor burnout and operational inefficiencies. Sunita also discusses the mindset shift required in the healthcare industry, the balance of using AI and human touch in care, and the company's journey from building manually to leveraging AI-driven automation. The conversation touches on the company's SaaS business model, the importance of providing better patient care, and future scaling plans while maintaining a lean, technology-based team. 00:00 Introduction to Today's Episode 00:01 Meet Sunita Mohanty: From Meta to Vibrant Practice 00:45 The Birth of Vibrant Practice 01:24 The Role of AI in Healthcare 01:48 Welcome to The Next Next 03:42 Sunita's Journey to Functional Medicine 06:47 Challenges and Opportunities in Personalized Medicine 08:45 Building Vibrant Practice: The Early Days 12:14 The Shift Towards Functional and Integrative Medicine 17:26 The Future of Healthcare: Technology and Mindset Shifts 20:40 Navigating the Healthcare System: Insurance and Cash-Based Models 24:10 Vibrant Practice: The All-in-One Platform 28:07 Integrating Point Solutions for Clinicians 29:32 AI in Clinical Operations 32:35 Business Model and Market Strategy 34:44 Balancing AI and Human Touch 43:06 Scaling the Team with AI 46:10 Future of AI in Startups and Venture Capital 51:17 Opportunities in Underserved Markets 55:09 Closing Thoughts and Call to Action

Democratizing Programming: The Vision of Val Town with Steve Krouse In this episode of 'The Next Next,' host Jason Jacobs interviews Steve Krouse, founder of Val Town, a platform designed to make programming more accessible and collaborative through web-based tools. Steve talks about the challenges of traditional code collaboration, the integration of AI tools into Val Town, and their growth strategy focused on interoperability. He emphasizes the potential long-term impact of Val Town on democratizing programming for both professional developers and newcomers. The conversation also explores the evolution of AI in coding, the importance of accessible programming, and fostering better collaboration within the tech community. Additionally, Steve shares insights into the medium- to long-term vision of Val Town, the importance of creating web-native programmable interfaces, and the company's approach to leveraging AI without directly competing in AI code generation. The episode offers a deep dive into the future of collaborative programming and how Val Town aims to shape it. 00:00 Introduction to Steve Krouse and Val Town 01:02 Host Introduction and Show's Purpose 01:52 Steve's Journey and Initial Interaction with Val Town 03:35 Steve's Background and Climate Interest 07:06 Genesis of Val Town 15:13 Challenges in Code Collaboration 21:34 Val Town's Vision and Future 36:46 Google Docs for Production Code 37:42 Enhancing GitHub Collaboration 39:38 AI's Role in Val Town 41:18 Shifting AI Strategy 44:43 Integration and Openness 49:09 Growth and User Engagement 58:17 The Future of Programming and AI 01:04:57 Community and Collaboration 01:09:01 Val Town's Vision and Goals 01:10:08 Conclusion and Contact Information

Balancing Innovation and Community: Reagan Bonlie on Nudge Money In this episode of The Next Next, Jason Jacobs speaks with Reagan Bonlie, co-founder and CEO of Nudge Money. They discuss how Nudge Money, a financial wellness platform, uses AI to help credit unions better understand and serve their members, particularly focusing on community development and personalized financial advice. Reagan shares insights from his extensive background at JPMorgan Chase and the journey of pivoting Nudge Money's business model. They also delve into the challenges and opportunities in integrating AI in the conservative and highly regulated credit union sector, emphasizing that the technology must add real value without disrupting the human-centric mission of credit unions. 00:00 Introduction to Reagan Bonlie and Nudge Money 00:26 The Role of AI in Nudge Money 00:52 Challenges and Opportunities with Credit Unions 01:46 Reagan's Passion for Community Development 02:54 Introduction to The Next Next Show 03:34 Reagan's Journey from JPMorgan to Nudge Money 04:17 Nudge Money's Mission and Approach 04:58 Reagan's Entrepreneurial Background 05:47 The Genesis of Nudge Money 08:23 Challenges in the Financial Wellness Space 09:44 Pivoting to Work with Credit Unions 13:07 Understanding Credit Union Needs 17:43 Building and Iterating the Product 25:03 Leveraging AI in Product Development 27:12 Navigating Industry Challenges and Opportunities 28:56 Balancing Compliance and Innovation 30:25 Leveraging AI for Efficiency 32:20 Market Perceptions and Realities 36:42 Strategic Growth and Community Impact 42:11 Funding and Capitalization Strategies 45:28 Long-Term Vision and Success Metrics 49:31 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

Exploring the Intersection of AI and Creation with Jay Singh of Casper Studios In this episode of The Next Next, host Jason Jacobs sits down with Jay Singh, co-founder and CEO of Casper Studios, a New York-based AI product studio. Jay shares his journey from working at LinkedIn to founding Casper Studios, which focuses on designing and developing custom AI solutions for startups and creators. They discuss the compelling need for AI tools in product development, the creative processes behind building AI solutions, and the importance of understanding one's target audience. Jay elaborates on his strategic focus on creators with large followings, his excitement about new AI functionalities like multimodal models, and how he plans to balance product development with running an agency. This conversation dives deep into how AI is redefining the agency world and the creative economy. 00:00 Introduction to Jay Singh and Casper Studios 00:50 Founding Story and Early Days of Casper Studios 03:58 Jay's Background and Journey to AI 05:47 First AI Product and Transition to Full-Time 06:26 Casper Studios' Business Model and Client Focus 14:35 Building AI Products for Creators 21:51 AI Tools and Team Dynamics 26:36 Common Pitfalls for Creators 26:53 Understanding Your Audience 28:19 AI's Impact on Creativity and Critical Thinking 32:24 The Future of Agencies in the AI Era 34:05 Balancing Product Development and Agency Work 39:22 Leveraging AI for Business Growth 44:03 Exploring Funding and Business Models 48:14 Final Thoughts and Farewell

From Startup Struggles to AI-Driven Success: Uday Chandra & Singular's Adaptive Business Engine In this episode of The Next Next, host Jason Jacobs interviews Uday Chandra, co-founder of Singular, an innovative startup focused on building an adaptive business operating engine using AI. Introduced by Mady Mantha from Happypillar, Chandra shares his journey from a failed fintech startup to successfully bootstrapping Singular with his co-founder. Singular aims to consolidate various SaaS tools into a single unified system, leveraging open-source technologies and AI-driven agents for coding and business rule integration. Despite being only three months old, Singular has achieved $45,000 in monthly recurring revenue (MRR) from five customers, with a vision of scaling further without outside funding. The episode delves into the challenges of integrating AI, customer acquisition strategies, and future ambitions for the company. 00:00 Introduction to Uday Chandra and Singular 00:31 Uday's Journey: From Traditional Startup to AI-Driven Success 01:13 Singular's Innovative Approach and Early Success 02:09 The Vision Behind Singular: Consolidating SaaS Tools 02:41 Meet the Host: Jason Jacobs and The Next Next 03:28 Uday's Background and the Birth of Singular 04:02 Challenges and Learnings from UKey 08:38 Identifying the Problem: SaaS Fatigue 10:10 Building Singular: Customer Development and Market Research 15:01 Targeting the Right Market Segments 16:42 Developing Singular's Features and Functionality 19:53 Leveraging AI for Software Development 24:24 Pricing Model and Customization 27:38 The Future of SaaS and AI Integration 36:53 Opinionated Approach to Software Development 38:49 Initial Customer Acquisition Strategies 39:54 Pitching to Mid Enterprises 40:24 Overcoming Customer Skepticism 41:41 Navigating Tool Integration Challenges 45:25 Leveraging AI for Business Optimization 50:19 Scaling with a Small Team 01:00:31 Open Source and AI Innovations 01:08:07 Building a Collaborative Community 01:11:46 Final Thoughts and Future Outlook

Harnessing AI to Revolutionize Lending: A Conversation with Scott Weller of EnFi In this episode of The Next Next, host Jason Jacobs sits down with Scott Weller, co-founder and CTO of EnFi, an AI-powered platform aimed at enhancing the lending process. Scott shares insights into how EnFi emerged amid the financial crises of Silicon Valley Bank and First Republic Bank, revealing the fragility of the financial system. The discussion delves into Scott's journey as a serial entrepreneur, the role of AI in building EnFi, and the innovative way EnFi collaborates with design partners instead of traditional customers. Scott highlights the challenges and opportunities of integrating AI in lending, the process of prototyping, and the importance of staying on the cutting edge of technology. They also explore the future of AI in various sectors, the implications for venture funding, and the potential for community-driven knowledge sharing to accelerate AI development. This episode is packed with insights on how emerging AI tools can aid in building ambitious companies while maintaining a balance with personal life. 00:00 Introduction to Scott Weller and EnFi 00:13 The Genesis of EnFi 00:56 Scott Weller's Entrepreneurial Journey 01:13 AI's Role in EnFi's Development 01:30 Challenges and Innovations in Lending 02:18 The Next Next: A Learning Journey 02:58 Catching Up with Scott Weller 04:38 Scott's Background and Early Influences 06:35 The Birth of EnFi 10:04 Prototyping and AI Integration 16:53 Design Partners and Market Fit 29:51 Building the Team and Scaling 40:02 Fundraising and Future Prospects 44:39 The Impact of Raising Capital on Business Trajectory 44:59 Navigating Capital Light vs. Capital Heavy Strategies 46:09 Understanding Market Demand and User Access 47:03 Challenges in Different AI Application Markets 48:01 Balancing R&D and Market Entry 49:57 Personal Reflections on Entrepreneurship 56:39 The Role of Agents in Software Development 59:31 Implications of AI on Hiring and Industry 01:01:48 The Future of Venture Capital in a Changing Market 01:07:11 Building a Collaborative Community for AI Development 01:22:20 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Building AI-Powered 3D Creativity Tools with Bharat Vasan In this episode of The Next Next, host Jason Jacobs welcomes Bharat Vasan, co-founder of Intangible, to discuss their development of a no-code 3D creation tool targeting filmmakers, game designers, and creative professionals. Intangible recently raised a $4 million seed round to simplify 3D content creation using AI. Bharat talks about his journey, including co-founding Basis Technologies and working with notable names like Charles Migos from Apple and Unity. They explore the challenges and opportunities in the film and games industries, the potential of AI, building a startup team, and maintaining work-life balance as an entrepreneur. Bharat and Jason also reminisce about their long history and shared experiences in the startup world. 00:00 Introduction to Bharat Vasan and Intangible 00:52 Bharat's Entrepreneurial Journey 00:58 Discussion on Founding Companies 01:26 State of the Film and Games Industries 01:57 Introduction to The Next Next 02:37 Reconnecting with Bharat 03:34 Bharat's Background and Journey to the US 05:11 Cultural Shocks and Career Beginnings 05:38 Bharat's Experience in Silicon Valley 08:54 The Importance of Co-founders 12:40 Key Factors in Starting a Company 17:15 Meeting Co-founder Charles Migos 19:48 Challenges in the Film and Games Industries 23:14 The Vision for Intangible 28:47 AI Transforms Creative Processes 29:35 The Role of Agents in AI 31:17 Simplifying 3D Creative Tools 33:48 AI's Impact on Production and Creativity 37:40 The Future of AI in Creative Industries 43:52 Building Intangible AI 53:22 The Startup Grind and Co-Founder Dynamics 57:37 Closing Thoughts and Future Outlook

Building HYBRD: Leveraging AI in Fitness App Development In this episode of The Next Next, host Jason Jacobs chats with Matthew Ruiters and Ben Katz, co-founders of HYBRD, an innovative fitness tracking app for hybrid athletes. They discuss the unique approach of using AI for coding and development, their journey through Y Combinator, and the challenges and successes faced along the way. Topics include utilizing AI tools to empower non-technical founders, transitioning from a side project to a full-fledged company, and the future of fitness app development and marketing with AI. The conversation also touches on the implications of evolving AI tools for startup efficiency, competition, and employment. 00:00 Introduction to The Next Next 02:11 Meet the Guests: Ruiters and Ben 03:03 What is HYBRD? 04:10 The Origin Story of HYBRD 09:37 Building the Prototype and Joining YC 15:36 Leveraging AI for Development 19:33 The Role of AI in Team Efficiency 23:11 AI-Driven Workflow Enhancements 24:04 The Role of Technical Founders 25:13 Balancing Hustler and Hacker Dynamics 25:46 Drawbacks and Challenges of AI Tools 27:02 AI's Impact on Hiring and Competition 29:29 Diving into AI Tools: Tips and Experiences 35:47 Application-Only Launch Strategy 37:24 Future Plans and Funding 40:13 Marketing and Distribution Strategies 43:28 Final Thoughts and Parting Words