Agentic

Is your AI startup built to survive the next wave?In this episode of Agentic, Will Manidis, the co-founder of ScienceIO, shares how he built for resilience from day one developing LLMs for healthcare and the frameworks that helped him scale before the world caught up.He shares how local model training on office gaming PCs laid the unlikely foundation for ScienceIO’s reach across millions in digital health.We also discuss:• why OpenAI’s API continues to dominate Gemini• the hidden fragility behind $500M fast scaling AI companies• Will’s belief that founders must prove value before overbuilding for scaleNot often do you get to learn from someone who built an LLM before ChatGPT. Tune in now.If you’re in the early innings of building something in AI, especially if you’re figuring things out from first principles—click here, we'd love to hear from you.Connect with us here:1. Will Manidis- https://www.linkedin.com/in/willmanidis/ 2. George Bandarian- https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgebandarian/ 3. Untapped Ventures- https://www.linkedin.com/company/untappedventures/00:00 Trailer01:41 Introduction02:45 Thiel Fellow07:40 Pre-ChatGPT LLMs10:27 Biggest lessons12:37 Contrarian takes13:56 Difficult to sell15:59 First exit16:38 Getting world-class talents23:20 Risk mitigation strategy25:48 Defensibility and moats37:10 Basic MVP44:01 Q&A50:35 Outro

Most no-code tools give you an MVP. Woz wants to give you a business.On this episode of Agentic, I was joined by Ben Collins and Brad Eckert, co-founders of Woz, an AI platform that lets anyone build real, scalable web and mobile products with zero coding. Think Shopify, but for launching operational SaaS startups.If you’re in the early innings of building something in AI, especially if you’re figuring things out from first principles—let’s chat. Connect with us here:1. Woz: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/withwoz/2. Ben Collins: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bentcollins/3. Brad Eckert: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chefeckert/4. George Bandarian: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgebandarian5. ⁠⁠Untapped Ventures:⁠ ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/untappedventuresThey break down:• Why shipping your MVP is just 1% of the journey—and what the other 99% really looks like• The difference between vibe coding, AI engineering, and real startup durability• What they learned from going through Y Combinator (twice), taking 80+ investor meetings, and raising a breakout seed round.• Why automation means more software businesses and not fewer jobs00:00 Trailer01:07 Introduction02:29 Empowering entrepreneurs04:27 Woz's Vision10:32 Success stories13:38 The origin story15:27 AI code generation evolution17:29 Technical insights19:44 The Role of AI30:31 Job markets31:20 Entrepreneurial mindset shift32:56 Business building challenges34:54 Creating a successful platform37:45 Y Combinator experience43:41 Fundraising insights49:29 Advice for AI Entrepreneurs56:31 Closing

Richard Socher, CEO and co-founder of You.com, is a trailblazing AI researcher with a storied background at Salesforce. Joining him is Bryan McCann, CTO and co-founder, a seasoned AI scientist passionate about NLP and text generation. They discuss their innovative search engine, ARI, which redefines enterprise search by blending accuracy with speed. The duo reflects on the evolution of AI, the significance of AGI, and the importance of specialized knowledge in the AI sector, while offering insights into building successful startups in a competitive landscape.

Everyone has opinions about founder equity, funding timelines, and valuations—but Peter Walker holds the data. In this special live Agentic session, I sat down with Peter, Head of Insights at Carta, to unpack what’s actually happening beneath the surface in early-stage AI startups. Peter’s team has a privileged vantage point—cap tables, valuations, and hiring data across 45,000 startups and 83% of U.S. unicorns. We explore:a common equity mistake that’s quietly killing fundraising chanceswhy AI founders are raising bigger rounds… and keeping more of their companieshow lean teams are pushing out serious ARR—and what that means for hiringthe valuation delta between AI and non-AI startups—and why that window may be closingIf you’re raising, hiring, or advising an AI startup in this market, this one’s for you.If you’re in the early innings of building something in AI, especially if you’re figuring things out from first principles—let’s chat. Connect with us here:Peter Walker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterjameswalker/George Bandarian: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgebandarian/⁠Untapped Ventures:⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/company/untappedventures00:00 Trailer01:26 Introduction02:44 Untapped Ventures08:39 Carta10:34 Early Equity25:05 Venture Context34:47 AI Story51:04 Questions54:48 Outro

I brought Ben Collins of Woz and Dakotah Rice and Tushar Nair of Harper for a special episode of Agentic–our AGM!Ben’s Woz lets non-technical founders build scalable apps with no engineering team—think Shopify for software while Dakotah and Tushar’s Harper quotes 476 complex insurance deals with voice AI, turning family brokerage chaos into a data goldmine. On the docket:​Harper’s logged-call advantage for scalable precision​compute’s brewing storm (NVIDIA’s got rivals rising)​how reasoning models cut months off build timesConnect with us: ​ Ben Collins: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bentcollins​ Dakotah Rice: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dakotahrice/​ Tushar Nair: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tushar-nair-b08988222/​ Woz: https://www.linkedin.com/company/withwoz/​ Harper: https://www.linkedin.com/company/harperinsure/​ George Bandarian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgebandarian/​ Untapped Ventures: https://www.linkedin.com/company/untappedventures00:00 Trailer02:06 Introduction02:20 Ben Collins04:02 Dakotah Rice04:37 Tushar Nair05:21 Agentic AI hot takes11:59 Deep dive on Woz17:05 Deep dive on Harper24:15 Y Combinator and the founders community28:21 Non-technical business side of software30:30 Agentic demand, Elon's Grok/xAI32:27 Outro

As AI races forward, one question looms large—who decides what’s right and wrong?Behind the breakthroughs and multi billion-dollar valuations, a power struggle is unfolding. Big Tech is quietly shaping AI policy in the shadows, and governments are stuck playing catch-up. In this episode, I speak with Wendell Wallach, a foremost expert on AI ethics and governance, to break down the challenges and power dynamics steering the course of AI.Co-author of Moral Machines and a key figure at Yale and Carnegie Council, Wendell has spent decades thinking about how to align AI with human values.We cover: • why rogue superintelligence isn’t the biggest threat • how Big Tech is quietly shaping AI policies • AGI vs. ASI: When AI starts making its own rulesConnect with us here: 1. Wendell Wallach: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendell-wallach-246ba69/2. George Bandarian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgebandarian/3. Untapped Ventures: https://www.linkedin.com/company/untappedventures00:00 Trailer00:55 Introduction01:59 AI uplifting humanity04:09 Moral machines09:58 Big tech oligopoly16:00 Cold War18:59 AI will take over the world?29:57 Nefarious purposes34:32 Trade-offs and safeguards38:11 Data security41:00 Finding product market fit43:25 Human dangers47:46 Outro

He built AI-powered lunar rovers at NASA.He was in the room when GPT launched. Now, Logan Kilpatrick is helping developers push the boundaries of AI at Google DeepMind.In this episode, Logan shares his front-row view of AI’s most pivotal moments—and how they hint at the next paradigm shifts.We also get into:• inside Open AI on Launch day• how Google DeepMind’s Gemini 2.0 Flash is flipping the script on AI economics• the open-source vs. proprietary AI debate, and• why AI’s next frontier is deeply integrated, multimodal agentsPlus, Logan unpacks his insights as an investor—where he sees opportunity in AI, what founders keep getting wrong, and why the most successful startups won’t look like today’s incumbents.00:00 Trailer01:19 Introduction02:41 Inspired by Floppybird03:53 OpenAI Developer Relations08:55 Where AI is heading14:41 Google DeepMind17:47 As an AI founder, B2B and GSuite customer21:29 Better model, low cost27:12 Agentic AI and Google Gemini29:32 AGI and DeekSeek35:55 Investor and AI founder perspectives44:43 What's next from Google48:38 Outro

Bigger AI models dominate the headlines—but what if the real breakthrough lies in making AI smaller?In this episode, I sit down with Ramin Hasani, Alexander Amini, and Daniela Rus—who are at the helm of Liquid AI—to discuss how their approach challenges conventional architectures and unlocks new frontiers for AI deployment.Also on the docket:• Ramin explains how insights from a microscopic worm led to a novel AI model.• Alexander breaks down why Liquid AI operates efficiently on local devices—without compromising modality.• Daniela exposes a critical flaw in today’s AI incumbents and why efficiency is the next major battleground.We also unpack all things DeepSeek—its implications for OpenAI, Meta, and enterprises scaling private AI. 00:00 Introduction02:03 Meet the Co-Founders03:01 The Birth of Liquid Neural Networks06:28 Applications and Impact of Liquid AI09:38 The Worm Model and Its Significance16:05 Mathematical Foundations and Breakthroughs24:29 Scaling AI for Real-World Applications28:05 Edge Computing and AI29:58 Future Prospects and Use Cases31:36 The Commoditization of AI Models32:22 Liquid AI: Reducing Intelligence Costs to Zero32:53 Diverse Applications of AI33:43 Case Studies and Real-World Examples38:05 The Impact of Deep Seek on the AI Ecosystem44:13 Advice for Aspiring AI Founders45:40 The Importance of Technical and Non-Technical Collaboration51:03 Ramin's Journey from Scientist to Entrepreneur53:31 Liquid AI's Vision for 202555:10 Conclusion and Future Prospects

For years, $7.2B in U.S. government-backed neuroperformance research sat untouched—proven cognitive enhancements with no commercial application.David Bach saw the gap. Optios is bridging classified IP with market demand, transforming military-grade neuroscience into real-world performance gains.The upside? Monumental. The imbalance? Even bigger.We dive into:• how declassified DOD research is unlocking a new frontier in neurotech• the hidden psychology behind winning investor buy-in• what $600M+ in exits taught him about product-market fitConnect with us here:1. David Bach:https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-bach-md-0b81b29/2. George Bandarian:https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgebandarian/3. Untapped Ventures:https://www.linkedin.com/company/untappedventures00:00 Trailer01:20 Introduction01:46 David Bach04:46 Journey to Harvard10:26 Founding Optios16:08 Tech Transfer and Market Research22:09 The Future of Neuro-Performance28:33 Key Lessons for Founders33:34 Fundraising Insights37:29 Closing Thoughts

In this engaging discussion, Alex Reibman, co-founder and CEO of Agency AI, Adam Silverman, COO with a knack for growth marketing, and Braelyn Boynton, a founding engineer with machine learning expertise, dive into the evolving world of AI agents. They explore why current AI agents malfunction and how their innovative tools aim to tackle these hurdles. The trio also analyzes OpenAI’s latest agent impacts, emphasizes standardizing development processes, and discusses the balance of automation with human input, setting the stage for a future of smarter AI solutions.