Startup Project: Build the future

🎙️ Startup Project Podcast - Episode with Shankar Somasundaram, CEO of Asimily Welcome to another exciting episode of the Startup Project Podcast! In this episode, we have Shankar Somasundaram, the CEO and founder of Asimily, a company dedicated to providing visibility and security for medical IoT and OT devices. Shankar brings a wealth of experience from his time at Symantec and Qualcomm, and he shares his journey of founding Asimily and the innovative solutions they offer. 🔍 Topics Covered: - Shankar’s background and journey from Symantec to founding Asimily. - The challenges and opportunities in securing medical IoT and OT devices. - The importance of cybersecurity in healthcare and other critical infrastructure. - Insights into the unique approaches Asimily takes to vulnerability management and incident response. - How Asimily integrates with existing systems to provide comprehensive security solutions. - Shankar’s thoughts on the future of smart cities and the role of connected devices. - The impact of regulations like HIPAA on healthcare security solutions. 💡 Key Takeaways: - The critical need for specialized security in heterogeneous environments like healthcare. - The evolution of connectivity and its implications for smart cities. - The importance of continuous innovation in the cybersecurity landscape. 📢 Guest Bio: Shankar Somasundaram is the CEO and founder of Asimily. With a strong background in product and engineering, Shankar has been at the forefront of IoT security for over a decade. 🔗 Connect with Shankar: LinkedIn: Shankar Somasundaram (https://www.linkedin.com/in/shankar-somasundaram-a7315b/) Asimily Website: asimily.com 🔗 Connect with Nataraj: LinkedIn: Nataraj Sindam (https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/) Website: thestartupproject.io 🚀 Stay Tuned: Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the notification bell to stay updated with the latest episodes of the Startup Project Podcast. Blog - https://thestartupproject.io/2024/07/01/78-securing-the-worlds-iot-devices-with-asimily/ #StartupProject #Podcast #Cybersecurity #IoT #HealthcareSecurity #Asimily #SmartCities #Innovation #TechPodcast

Damon Lemby, CEO of Learn It, a company that has trained over 1.9 million individuals, shares his journey from professional baseball to the world of education, offering insights on leadership, learning, and the future of work. The Power of the "Learn It All" Mindset Lemby argues that the key to success in today's dynamic world is not being a "know-it-all," but embracing a "learn it all" mindset. This means being humble, curious, and constantly seeking new knowledge. He emphasizes that this approach is crucial for navigating the rapid changes in the business world, especially with the rise of AI. Overcoming Imposter Syndrome: A Practical Framework Recognizing that imposter syndrome is a common struggle, Lemby outlines a three-step framework for overcoming it: Identify the Source: Clearly define what you're worried about. Purposeful Awfulizing: Imagine the worst-case scenario and determine if you can handle it. Work Hard, Focus, & Let Go: Put in the effort, practice, and release the need for perfection. Navigating AI and the Future of Work Lemby believes that while AI will significantly impact the workforce, those who adapt and learn to leverage it will thrive. He advises companies to empower their employees with access to AI tools and encourage them to explore these technologies. Building Trust and Elite Teams Lemby emphasizes that a company is not a family, but a team that needs to be constantly evolving. He encourages leaders to build high-performing teams, recognizing that sometimes this may involve letting go of individuals who have reached their capacity within the organization. He also underscores the importance of giving people the benefit of the doubt, acknowledging that building trust is essential for long-term success. Invest in Your Growth: Lemby encourages listeners to invest in their own development, read biographies of successful individuals, and constantly seek new knowledge. He also shares his own investment philosophy, focusing on seed-stage companies and traditional businesses with a strong leadership team and a solid market fit. Key Takeaways: Embrace a "learn it all" mindset for success in a dynamic world. Conquer imposter syndrome with a practical framework. Leverage AI for growth and prepare for the future of work. Build elite teams and trust your employees. Invest in your own development and seek out new knowledge. This conversation with Damon Lemby offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs, leaders, and anyone seeking to navigate the evolving business landscape. Blog post - https://thestartupproject.io/2024/06/09/77-learn-it-all-mindset-with-ceo-damon-lemby/

In this episode of Startup Project, Nataraj sits down with SC Moatti, a serial entrepreneur, product manager, investor, and author. SC Moatti shares insights into his diverse career path, from building successful products to launching his own venture capital firm, Mighty Capital. In this episode, you'll learn: SC Moatti's journey from engineer to VC: Discover how he built a career spanning product management, entrepreneurship, and venture capital. The secret to picking winning startups: SC Moatti reveals how Mighty Capital identifies and invests in companies with a strong product vision. Essential product management skills: Get expert advice on building a great product and becoming a successful product manager. The future of AI: SC Moatti shares his thoughts on the biggest challenges and opportunities in the world of artificial intelligence. Don't miss this insightful interview! Subscribe to Startup Project for more valuable content on building successful startups. Connect with SC Moatti: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scmoatti/ Connect with Nataraj: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/ Blog post - https://thestartupproject.io/2024/05/27/mighty-capital-product-first-vc-defies-the-odds-with-a-hit-rate-of-1-in-5/ #startup #venturecapital #productmanagement #ai #investing #siliconvalley #mightycapital #entrepreneurship #innovation

Satya, co-founder of Scispot, joins Startup Project's Nataraj to share his journey from leading a platform team at Expedia to starting a biotech company that solves data challenges for life science labs. In this episode, we discuss: Satya's unique career path, from fashion startup owner to data expert. The founding story of Scispot, tackling the problem of unanalyzed data in biotech. The YC experience and its valuable lessons, including the importance of market signals. Scispot's growth and traction, serving a diverse range of lab-based businesses. The exciting future of AI in biotech and Scispot's role in empowering innovation. Challenges and strategies for prioritizing features and building a sustainable platform. Building a company in Seattle and the evolving startup ecosystem. Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs interested in biotech and the power of fresh perspectives. Tune in to learn about Scispot's vision for the future and Satya's insightful perspectives on entrepreneurship, data, and the evolving landscape of biotech. Connect with Satya: https://www.linkedin.com/in/satyaravisingh/ Connect with Nataraj: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/ About the host: Nataraj is a Senior Product Manager and the host of the ‘Startup Project’ podcast. He also invests in startups with Incisive.vc and writes ‘100 Days of AI’, an educational series on AI. Blog post - https://thestartupproject.io/2024/05/15/75-satya-singh-co-founder-of-scispot-on-redefining-modern-biotechs-data-infrastructure/ #biotech #startups #YC #entrepreneurship #data #AI #Seattle #SizePort #lifesciences #podcast #StartupProject

Startup Project Podcast: Episode Notes - Navigating the Shifting Investment Landscape with Sajid Rahman Guest: Sajid Rahman - Top Angel InvestorHost: Nataraj - Senior Product Manager, Investor at Incisive.vc & Startup Advisor Episode Overview: Join us as we delve into the evolving world of startups and venture capital with Sajid Rahman, a prolific angel investor with over 1000 investments. Key topics explored in this episode: Market Shift: Analyzing the transition from the funding boom to a more cautious investment environment. Exploring the prevalence of down rounds, the rise of secondary deals, and strategies for investors in the current climate. Dry Powder Explained: Demystifying the concept of dry powder – uninvested capital committed to VC funds. Understanding how and when VCs deploy capital and the implications for startups seeking funding. Web3 Deep Dive: Exploring the latest trends in the Web3 space, including the intersection of AI and blockchain, real-world asset tokenization, and the development of decentralized infrastructure. Discussing strategies for identifying promising projects and avoiding scams in this evolving landscape. AI Investment Landscape: Examining the current AI boom and the potential for both foundational models and application-layer companies. Addressing concerns about overvaluation and identifying key factors for successful AI investments. Sajid's Investment Strategies: Gaining insights into Sajid Rahman's approach to angel investing, syndicate management, and running multiple funds focused on Web3, YC companies, early-stage startups, and AI. Additional Resources: Connect with Sajid Rahman on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahmansajid/ Connect with Nataraj on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/ Follow Startup Project for more episodes and updates: https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cx7Q5r9Ow9eikxQjsJjjq?si=5d154bcf6b0541f7 #startup #investing #venturecapital #web3 #AI #angelinvesting #podcast #startupproject #secondarydeals #drypowder #blockchain #artificialintelligence #fundmanagement #YC #startupecosystem

Brian Bell is the Managing Partner at Team Ignite. Bell has experience in product development in AI at Microsoft, AWS, and startups. Full conversation includes: 🔸Transition from Product Management to full time investing 🔸Investing in YC 🔸Operating an investing Syndicate 🔸Growth hacks to grow your syndicate 🔸Is AngelList loosing its advantage? 🔸Red flags in pitch decks 🔸If money was not an object, what would you be doing? & more. Listen now 👇 Follow Brain on twitter here - https://twitter.com/brianrbell Follow Nataraj on twitter here - https://twitter.com/natarajsindam Follow 100 Days of AI here - https://thestartupproject.io/100-days-of-ai/ Subscribe now 👇 🔸Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/3Cx7Q5r9Ow9eikxQjsJjjq 🔸YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs8lGcgpE7JC-alvUhMPk3g 🔸Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startup-project/id1551300319?uo=4 #startups #angellist #investing

New episode with Todd Bishop, GeekWire's co-founder. Todd is a longtime business and technology journalist who reports on subjects including AI, the cloud, startups, and health technology, plus Amazon and Microsoft, in addition to hosting GeekWire's weekly podcast. This is Todd's second appearance on the Startup Project podcast. In our conversation, we discuss: 🔸 How is a tech business journalist using AI? 🔸 Does AI live up to the hype? 🔸 Covering Big tech's AI strategy as Geekwire Editor 🔸 Amazon's ecommerce AI assistant 🔸Why hasn't Amazon integrated Alexa with an LLM? 🔸Data privacy legislation in AI 🔸Layoffs in tech 🔸TikTok Ban, will it or will it not happen? 🔸Much more Listen now 👇 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs8lGcgpE7JC-alvUhMPk3g Lister to Todd's first appearance on the podcast here. Follow Todd on twitter here - https://twitter.com/intent/user?screen_name=toddbishop Follow Nataraj on twitter here - https://lnkd.in/gUJ_Gah Follow 100 Days of AI here - https://lnkd.in/g_8T8_rZ

In this episode Nataraj talked to Peter Mueller who is the founding partner of Breakwater ventures investing in early stage tech startups in Pacific Northwest and Wester Canadian Startups. The conversation includes: - how to think about angel investing & pre-seed investing? - Seattle pre-seed ecosystem - learnings from Seachange fund - thesis for breakwater - Whats making Western Canada an interesting place to invest? - investing in AI - long tail opportunity in AI & more. Follow peter on twitter here - https://twitter.com/pjsmueller Follow Nataraj on twitter here - https://twitter.com/natarajsindam Follow 100 Days of AI here - https://thestartupproject.io/100-days-of-ai/

In this episode Nataraj spoke to Brendan Rogers Ex Cofounder of Wag, a NASDAQ listed public company. Full conversation includes: - Origin story of WAG - His journey into investing in India - Why he is bullish on Indian startups? - Opinion on different sectors & more To stay in loop for future conversations check out thestartupproject.io For above average opinions on big technology sign up to https://above-average.beehiiv.com/ Follow 100 Days of AI by Nataraj at https://thestartupproject.io/100-days-of-ai/

Welcome to 50th edition of the Above Average Newsletter. Your bi-weekly source of Above Average takes on the business of big technology written by Nataraj Sindam. Topic 1: What’s with Direct-to-Consumer Companies?What’s common among all these companies?All birdsBrilliant earth groupPelotonRent the runwayThey are all public direct to consumer companies whose stock is down ranging from 80 to 95% in last couple of years.If you are direct to consumer company the best time to go public was in 2021 when the pandemic has fueled an ecommerce spending spree. Once this is over, the markets realized a lot of these direct to consumer companies have no path to profitability and have unsustainable business models.So what can we learn from what is happening with direct to consumer companies -When you are willing to spend on high customer acquisition cost (CAC), you can create a short term non profitable direct to consumer company, even when industry dynamics don’t support it. If you spend enough amount of money on Facebook and Google ads you can sell any decent product.VC money was used to subsidize CAC, that is clear. But that stopped and these companies are not close to profitability and a lot of them are on the verge of bankruptcy. But if I am an investor in such brands the one thing I would look for is that the product innovation should reflect in my customer acquisition cost being low. If you are not able to get very low customer acquisition cost on your product or brand, then technically you are not creating value with your product. Your customer acquisition cost reflects whether the product/brand is actually desired by the customer & if the industry dynamics support it or not. Topic 2: Where is the AI opportunity?It’s easy to see big funding rounds in AI for foundation model companies and think AI is all about Fearsome Foursome funding Geoffrey Hinton’s ex-students or ex-open ai employees.But I think the real opportunity in AI for next couple of years is in the long tail of building specific narrow application that solve small problems that were not possible before. There is treasure trove to be exploited by teams of 1-3 developers to build SaaS applications which can generate millions in revenue.LLMs are a super power for full stack application developers. If you want to build something and are looking for such ideas feel free to reach out to me. Topic 3: 100 Days of AI experimentsAI is going to impact us all, so as part of 2024’s first 100 days I am going to spend 1-2 hrs a day learning, experimenting, reading & tinkering with the latest AI models, products & content. You can follow along by following me on Twitter or here on my blog . My goal in this 100 days will be focused on what new things we can build using AI and what to expect from AI in future. The series is also published here on hackernoon . If you are listening to this and have not subscribed to the newsletter, please go subscribe. Till next time, stay above average. Nataraj