AI + a16z

Marty Kausas and Advith Chelikani, co-founders of Pylon, share their journey transforming B2B customer support. They discuss their scrappy culture, living together, and the media's portrayal of their work ethic. The duo explains how they set Pylon apart from traditional support platforms by unifying teams and leveraging AI for actionable insights. They also emphasize their commitment to building in public and targeting high-growth markets, projecting a long-term vision of evolving customer interactions with AI-driven workflows.

Ian Livingstone, Cofounder and CEO of Keycard, dives into the burgeoning world of AI agents. He discusses the shift from copilots to autonomous agents and the urgent need for security in their management. Key topics include risks of tool poisoning and data exfiltration, the evolution of identity and access management, and the practicalities of agent control and governance. Ian argues that enterprises will likely lead adoption due to their immediate needs and discusses how Keycard's solutions can ensure safe deployment in a rapidly evolving landscape.

AI coding is rapidly transforming software development into a potential $3 trillion market. Hosts explore how new tools are enabling anyone to write code, shifting traditional developer roles. They discuss the impact of AI agents on planning and review processes, and the importance of optimizing documentation for both humans and machines. Legacy code migration showcases immediate ROI, while novel metrics for developer value emerge. Entrepreneurs are encouraged to build agent-first products, recognizing agents as active users rather than just tools.

Abhishek Agrawal, Cofounder and CEO of Material Security, dives into the nuances of defining an ideal customer profile. He discusses how understanding who truly benefits from your product is essential, especially in tumultuous markets that can obscure genuine demand. Abhishek shares insights on leveraging sales data and team instincts to refine customer focus and explains how early successes can complicate this process. He emphasizes the importance of aligning your company vision and market strategy around a clear ICP for sustainable growth.

Kevin Tian, cofounder and CEO of Doppel Security and ex-Uber engineer, dives into the evolving landscape of AI and cybercrime. He discusses the rise of deepfake fraud, highlighting incidents where attackers stole $30M. Kevin explains the '3 V's' of social engineering: volume, velocity, and variety. He also covers the importance of simulation tools like 'vibe phishing' for training employees, and how LLMs and automation are reshaping security strategies. Ultimately, he sees social engineering as a human problem that needs innovative solutions.

Ren Ng, founder of Lytro and a pioneer in light-field photography, joins Cecilia Zhang and Zhihao 'Zach' Xia, co-founders of Photo Labs, to delve into the evolution of computational photography. They discuss how AI can allow you to retake cherished memories, adjusting elements like lighting and expressions. The trio contrasts authentic visual improvements with heavy editing, advocating for personalized generative AI that captures individuality in retakes. Their insights reveal a future where photography transcends traditional lenses.

Alexander Embiricos, a product lead for Codex at OpenAI, shares thrilling insights into the development of AI coding agents. He discusses how Codex achieved astonishing success rates on GitHub in just its first month. The conversation dives into safety challenges of autonomous agents and the balance between coding automation and human oversight. Embiricos also highlights the transformative role of AI tools in education, where students collaborate with AI to gain real-world coding experience. It's a future-forward look at coding that blends innovation with human intuition.

Michael Lingelbach, Founder and CEO of Hedra, dives into the world of AI-native video technology. He discusses how Hedra's expressive, full-body models are reshaping content creation, moving from static avatars to dynamic characters. Lingelbach explains user-centric design and how it enhances emotional engagement in AI performances. He also shares insights on the challenges of pioneering new digital personas and the surprising crossover between consumer creativity and enterprise adoption. This conversation reveals the fascinating intersection of innovation, creativity, and user experience.

Burkay Gur, Cofounder and CEO of Fal, leads a generative media cloud platform, while Batuhan Taskaya, Head of Engineering, has extensive expertise in Python and developer tools. They discuss their innovative approach to building fast and efficient AI inference platforms amidst infrastructure challenges. Key topics include recruitment stories that sparked team growth, strategies for optimizing GPU performance, and the evolving landscape of generative media, especially in video technology. Their passion for emerging AI modalities shines through as they explore future trends and opportunities.

Feross Aboukhadijeh, Founder and CEO of Socket, dives into the transformative role of AI in software engineering. He discusses the concept of 'Vibe Coding' and how it reshapes workflows while highlighting security considerations. Feross emphasizes the importance of vetting code and maintaining a safe supply chain to prevent vulnerabilities, even as AI tools boost productivity. He also explores the balance between human oversight and automated systems in enhancing cybersecurity, reminding developers of the essential practices to ensure safe coding.