The Next Next

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

Fostering AI Adoption: A Deep Dive with Melodi's Sara Remsen In this episode of The Next Next, host Jason Jacobs talks with Sara Remsen, CEO and co-founder of Melodi, a startup helping AI companies improve their models with human feedback. They discuss Melodi's journey, AI's current transformative state, and its potential opportunities and hype. The conversation covers the rise of AI agents, the tools available for building them, the pros and cons of those tools, and the challenges companies face in developing in-house agents. Sara explains Melodi's role in measuring digital resolution rates for AI-powered chatbots, detailing their approach to improving customer interaction insights. The discussion also touches on Melodi's origin story and developmental journey, the impact of generative AI on traditional product feedback methods, and the future of AI integration in businesses. Towards the end, Sara shares practical advice for founders and established companies on incorporating AI thoughtfully and strategically. 00:00 Introduction to Sara Remsen and Melodi 00:20 Overview of the Episode's Topics 01:24 Introduction to The Next Next Show 02:03 Sara Remsen Joins the Conversation 02:09 Challenges in Podcast Recording 02:29 Sara's Background and Connection with Jason 03:31 Founding Melodi and Its Mission 03:40 Understanding Melodi's Functionality 04:38 The Origin Story of Melodi 08:05 Exploring RAG Systems 14:52 Challenges and Opportunities with AI Agents 24:53 The Future of AI and Digital Workforces 27:07 Prioritizing Tool Sets and Tasks 27:23 Melodi's Integration and Functionality 28:22 Task Agnosticism and Monitoring 28:46 Criteria for Melodi's Market Fit 29:12 AI Maturity and Company Size 29:31 Melodi's Ideal Customer Profile 36:31 Challenges in the AI Market 37:52 Future of Software and AI 43:56 Melodi's Sales and Customer Acquisition 45:42 Incorporating AI in Operations 49:16 Advice for Founders and Companies 52:56 Melodi's Future Plans 54:23 Creative Uses of AI in Daily Life 55:09 Conclusion and Farewell

Shawn Harris, co-founder and CEO of Coworked, discusses the groundbreaking AI project management tool, Harmony, designed to mimic human oversight for improved efficiency. He shares insights on Coworked's evolution, challenges in developing an agentic framework, and the importance of human-AI collaboration in project management. Harris highlights how AI can alleviate mundane tasks for project managers, fostering job satisfaction. He invites PMO leaders to engage with Coworked's innovative solutions as they navigate the future of project management.

Paul Heayn, a product manager at Peapod Digital Labs, shares his journey of integrating AI into workflows and discusses the challenges and learnings from this process. He highlights the transformative role of AI tools in automating tasks and reflects on the future impact of AI on job roles, especially within startups. The conversation dives into the importance of selecting the right tools, navigating the complexities of implementation, and fostering collaboration in tech development. He also touches on personal coding experiences and the evolving landscape of AI.

Brian Balfour, Founder and CEO of Reforge, shares his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting his experiences at Viximo and HubSpot. He discusses the delicate balance between ambition and family life, providing insights on managing responsibilities as a venture-backed founder. The conversation dives into the transformative role of AI in startups, emphasizing its impact on product development and team dynamics. Brian also explores the evolving landscape of venture capital and innovative strategies for integrating AI into educational resources, showcasing the future of technology in entrepreneurship.

Mady Mantha, co-founder and CTO of Happypillar, shares her journey from AI development in retail to creating a digital tool for parenting support. She discusses how Happypillar leverages AI to offer tailored behavioral interventions for families, especially important during parenting challenges. Mady emphasizes the blend of human expertise with AI, the iterative design process, and the significance of community involvement in expanding mental health resources. The conversation also touches on the evolving startup landscape and strategies in AI-driven marketing.