Hallway Chat
Fraser Kelton & Nabeel Hyatt
Fraser & Nabeel explore what it means to build great products in this new world of AI.
Two former founders, now VCs, have an off-the-cuff conversation with friends about the new AI products that are worth trying, emerging patterns, and how founders are navigating a world that’s changing every week.
Fraser is the former Head of Product at OpenAI, where he managed the teams that shipped ChatGPT and DALL-E, and is now an investor at Spark Capital. Nabeel is a former founder and CEO, now an investor at Spark, and has served on the boards of Discord, Postmates, Cruise, Descript, and Adept.
It's like your weekly dinner party on what's happening in artificial intelligence.
Two former founders, now VCs, have an off-the-cuff conversation with friends about the new AI products that are worth trying, emerging patterns, and how founders are navigating a world that’s changing every week.
Fraser is the former Head of Product at OpenAI, where he managed the teams that shipped ChatGPT and DALL-E, and is now an investor at Spark Capital. Nabeel is a former founder and CEO, now an investor at Spark, and has served on the boards of Discord, Postmates, Cruise, Descript, and Adept.
It's like your weekly dinner party on what's happening in artificial intelligence.
Episodes
Mentioned books
22 snips
Nov 4, 2025 • 53min
Personality, humanism, poke, and raising the ceiling
Discover how Poke, a quirky email assistant, went viral by embracing a strong personality. The hosts dive into the debate of broad versus specialized AI tools, emphasizing how personalization can enhance user experience. They explore AI's potential in the creative realm, discussing its impact on music and art. Accessibility innovations, like AI-enabled captioning glasses, showcase technology's role in inclusivity. Finally, they ponder the future of AI ethics and the importance of customer-centric development.
10 snips
Oct 28, 2025 • 25min
Be Water, Ubiquity over Ownership
Nabeel and Fraser delve into the transformative power of tool use in AI, discussing how startups can thrive in a fast-paced market. They highlight Notion's innovative API strategy and explore the cognitive toll of managing multiple AI agents. The duo analyzes the new blend of coding, browsing, and reasoning in applications and the significance of visible reasoning traces for users. They also offer insights for founders on navigating VC relationships and the importance of controlling their narrative in competitive landscapes.
26 snips
Sep 27, 2025 • 52min
Building Open World AI w/Andrew Mason
Andrew Mason, founder of Descript, discusses the transformative journey of open world agents in AI products. He delves into how Airtable's recent updates signify a new era for AI interaction, emphasizing the importance of user trust and visible results. The conversation explores the agent-first UX, where chat functionalities lead, and how AI can enhance creativity in product design. Andrew reveals insights on retraining teams to adopt AI-centric mindsets and the future of human-AI collaboration in a world driven by seamless interfaces.
27 snips
Jun 28, 2025 • 41min
Making the perfect backpack. Craft in the age of AI.
Discover the artistry behind the Boundary backpack and its ergonomic features. Explore how AI is revolutionizing product design and customer feedback analysis. The hosts discuss the blend of craftsmanship and technology, emphasizing the need for human judgment in creativity. They delve into creating innovative environments that foster collaboration and problem-solving. Additionally, the podcast touches on how communication tools like Microsoft Teams influence perceptions in the startup world.
17 snips
Jun 5, 2025 • 1h 1min
AI Severance: One Memory or Many?
Dive into the intriguing future of AI as the hosts debate the potential for users to juggle separate AIs for work and personal life. Explore the importance of visually verifiable outputs and how startups might navigate the commodification of AI. The discussion delves into the trade-offs between a singular genius and a collective of average agents. Privacy concerns clash with the demand for personalized AI experiences, raising questions about user trust in a world of corporate surveillance. Plus, insights on venture capital dynamics add a layer of strategy to the conversation.
52 snips
Apr 16, 2025 • 40min
State of AI and Games
Nabeel and Fraser dive into the exciting innovations coming from GDC and the need for fresh perspectives in a stagnant gaming industry. They discuss the growing role of AI and how it could revolutionize game creation. The hosts also examine the challenges faced by developers on existing platforms and the importance of community-driven creativity. Notably, they entertain the idea of making game creation a multiplayer experience, along with the potential for startups to thrive by stacking wins in this evolving landscape.
49 snips
Mar 29, 2025 • 20min
Building an Interestingness Leaderboard
The hosts dive into the playful world of vibe coding, exploring how it can revolutionize game development. They discuss the potential of AI in gaming and predict future breakout successes. There's a fascinating conversation about creating a curated platform for bizarre AI experiments, aiming to boost discovery and community engagement. The necessity for an interestingness leaderboard emerges as a way to inspire innovation in the evolving startup landscape, contrasting it with traditional metrics.
31 snips
Mar 12, 2025 • 52min
Questions we’re asking of AI startups in 2025.
The discussion dives into the crucial question of whether a 10% improvement is enough to disrupt established products. The hosts also analyze the advantages second movers have in the market. They spotlight the rapid advancements in AI reasoning models and how they’re shaping various sectors. The conversation shifts to the impact of AI on white-collar work, emphasizing the need for effective questioning to spark creativity. Finally, the potential for AI to reinvent legacy markets is explored, revealing exciting opportunities for disruption.
266 snips
Jan 24, 2025 • 1h 7min
Granola & The Art of Invisible AI - Christopher Pedregal
Christopher Pedregal, founder and CEO of Granola, an AI note-taking app, shares his entrepreneurial journey and discusses the evolution of user-friendly AI products. He delves into the challenges of balancing simplicity and complexity in tech design, emphasizing 'invisible technology.' Pedregal also explores the future of AI wearables and their potential impact on daily life, all while advocating for an empowering use of AI that enhances human capabilities rather than replaces them.
38 snips
Dec 26, 2024 • 56min
Distilling Lessons from AI in 2024
Reflect on the transformative advancements in AI over the past year, focusing on how they lived up to the hype. Explore Google Gemini's capabilities for deep web research and the rise of agentic AI. Delve into the subjective nature of 'taste' in product development, highlighting its importance amidst data-driven decisions. Discover how software is evolving as a means of self-expression and how AI is reshaping digital platforms. Finally, examine the mixed perceptions surrounding AI's role as a tool versus a collaborative partner in our work lives.
