Generative Now | AI Builders on Creating the Future – Details, episodes & analysis

In this special mailbag episode of Generative Now, Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano tackles your questions from X and LinkedIn. He gets into AI's market expansion, startup defensibility, which verticals investors are watching, and how the most interesting new roles are being shaped by AI.  Plus, Michael shares what is exciting about consumer AI products right now.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction

(00:35) AI Opportunities: New vs. Existing Markets

(02:09) Will SaaS TAMs Expand or Contract with AI?

(02:59) Creating Defensibility for Consumer AI Startups

(05:29) Emerging Roles: Agent Engineers vs. Agent Managers (08:25) Best Verticals for Consumer AI

(11:39) What Acquisition Could Fix Apple's AI Lag?

(13:19) AI's Potential in Dispute Resolution

(14:38) The State of VC Funding in AI 

Stay in touch:

• www.lsvp.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/

• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co

• Email: generativenow@lsvp.com

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

History may not repeat itself, but it certainly rhymes. Vibe coded games, like a flight simulator from @levelsio, are reminiscent of early iPhone app store games like Flappy Bird and Paper Toss. How else are consumer tech cycles evolving? Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano welcomes back investor Semil Shah for their quarterly check-in. They talk about the landscape of VC seed investing, the impact of AI on tech hubs like New York, LA, and the Bay Area, and whether accelerators like Y Combinator still have the same edge?

Flight Simulator: fly.pieter.com

Episode Chapters:

(01:22) LA vs NYC Tech Scenes

(02:54) AI's Geographic Pull

(05:37) Gaming as Future Consumer Tech

(08:35) Vibe Coding

(17:40) Seed Investing in the AI Era

(25:13) The Series A Crunch

(36:03) Rising Series A Standards

(41:14) Bootstrapping vs VC for AI

(45:26) Value of University Degrees

(55:32) YC's Expanded Cohorts

(57:52) Overlooked Seed Trends

Stay in touch:

• www.lsvp.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/

• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co

• Email: generativenow@lsvp.com

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

This week on the podcast, we’re looking at how machine learning is optimizing how crypto giant Coinbase operates. Coinbase Head of Machine Learning Rajarshi Gupta joins the Generative San Francisco stage to discuss with Anand Iyer, Lightspeed Venture Partner focused on crypto.

(00:00) Introduction
(00:26) Rajarshi Gupta’s Career Journey
(01:54) Exploring Early Android Malware Detection
(04:44) Machine Learning at Coinbase
(09:03) Generative AI Initiatives at Coinbase
(13:52) Evaluating and Managing AI Deployments
(21:10) GPU Availability Challenges
(23:27) Workflow with Specific Hosted Instances
(25:43) Coinbase: Scaling and Future Plans
(29:09) Opportunities for AI Startups
(31:46) Audience Q&A: Data Gap with AI Startups
(34:48) Audience Q&A: Agentic AI and Crypto Integration
(38:26) Audience Q&A: Guardrails and Frameworks for AI
(42:43) Audience Q&A: Evaluating LLMs
(45:40) Closing Thoughts

Stay in touch:
www.lsvp.com
X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/
Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co
Email: generativenow@lsvp.com
The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

In this episode of Generative Now, host Michael Mignano, Partner at Lightspeed, chats with Anu Atluru—a startup founder, operator, angel investor, and co-runner of Slang—a product studio dedicated to social consumer products. Anu shares her insights on the evolving landscape of social products, the difference between social utilities and social networks, and how AI could reshape the healthcare landscape. 

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction to Generative Now

(02:55) Exploring Social Utilities and Networks

(10:21) Subscription Services and Consumer Behavior

(17:14) The Role of AI in Social Utilities

(34:06) The Future of Software Creation

(37:34) The Value of Software Creation

(38:34) Ecosystem and Marketplaces for Software

(39:34) Artistic Side of Software

(47:42) AI in Medicine and Healthcare

(52:21) Will we have AI Doctors?

(01:05:19) Lightning Round

(01:12:13) Closing Thoughts

Stay in touch:

www.lsvp.com

X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/

Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co

Email: generativenow@lsvp.com

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Inspired by NVIDIA’s announcements at CES, we are looking back at one of our favorite episodes. The explosion of generative AI-powered technologies has forever changed the tech landscape. But the path to the current AI revolution was paved by many breakthroughs. Bill Dally had a hand in quite a few of them.

In this week’s episode of Generative Now, we are revisiting a conversation Lightspeed Partner and host Michael Mignano had with Bill Dally, NVIDIA's Chief Scientist and Senior Vice President for Research, whose nearly four-decade long career spans from experiments with neural networks in the 1980s to leading NVIDIA's groundbreaking research. He discusses the work at NVIDIA in advancing GPU technology, as well as the shift towards generative AI. Michael and Bill also explore the challenges of keeping up with rapid advancements in AI, the future implications for the industry, and advice for aspiring engineers.

Bill Dally joined NVIDIA in January 2009 as chief scientist, after spending 12 years at Stanford University, where he was chairman of the computer science department. He has published over 250 papers, holds over 120 issued patents, and is an author of four textbooks. Bill received a bachelor's degree in Electrical Engineering from Virginia Tech, a master’s in Electrical Engineering from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in Computer Science from CalTech.

Episode Chapters (00:00) Introduction (00:22) Bill Dally's Journey from Neural Networks to NVIDIA (01:39) The Evolution of AI and Computing: A Personal Account (05:48) The AI Revolution: Expectations vs. Reality (08:58) Inside NVIDIA: The Role of Chief Scientist and the Power of Research (11:30) Exploring the Frontiers of Generative AI and Research (15:24) AI’s Role in the Future of Autonomous Vehicles (21:54) The Impact of AI on Chip Design and Efficiency (26:56) Building NVIDIA's Elite Research Team (37:01) Anticipating the Future: Advice for the Next Generation (40:59) Closing Thoughts Stay in touch: www.lsvp.com X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/ Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Nearly a decade after launching Anchor, cofounders Michael Mignano and Nir Zicherman have a new venture: Oboe. Oboe’s mission is to make humanity smarter through AI-powered tutors. The duo delves deep into their entrepreneurial journey, starting from the early days of Anchor to their latest venture, Oboe, where Nir is the CEO. They discuss the trials and errors of building Anchor, their vision for Oboe, and why AI-driven learning could revolutionize education. Additionally, they touch upon the evolution of social audio, challenges in growth marketing today, and answer questions from X.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction (00:36) Reflecting on Anchor's Early Days (02:08) Podcasting Challenges and Insights (03:11) Introducing Oboe: The New Venture (05:03) The Limitations of LLMs in Education (09:40) Lessons from Being a Second-Time Founder (13:04) The Evolution of Product Development (17:36) Are MVPs relevant anymore? (24:56) Reflecting on Social Audio and Anchor (28:32) The Early Days of Anchor (29:33) The Bet on Podcasting (30:27) Distribution Challenges (31:29) What if Anchor Had Pivoted to Video? (34:14) The Future of Audio and Video (37:30) Hybrid Work Model (43:26) Acquisition by Spotify (52:27) The Future of Learning with AI (57:26) Closing Thoughts Stay in touch: www.lsvp.com X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/ Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Did 2024 live up to the AI hype? Investor Semil Shah joins Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano for another installment of Generative Quarterly. They cover key tech trends from 2024, including Jensen Huang’s Rockstar CEO status and AI consumer devices. Looking ahead to 2025, the duo delves into venture capital dynamics, IPO and M&A prospects, and the influence of tech in Washington D.C. Plus, Michael spins Juan Soto's signing into a lesson for Tech.

Episode Chapters

Stay in touch:

• www.lsvp.com

• X: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/

• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.co

• Email: generativenow@lsvp.com

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

Dr. Olga Russakovsky, Computer Science at Princeton University, joins Lightspeed Partner Michael Mignano to discuss what the next generation of AI talent is learning and where she expects to find the next big innovation in artificial intelligence. 

From her research in computer vision and human-computer interaction to her work in fairness, accountability, and transparency in AI, Dr. Russakovsky has earned many awards, including the MIT Technology Review’s 35-under-35 Innovator award and the Foreign Policy Magazine’s 100 Leading Global Thinkers award. Dr. Russakovsky is also the co-founder and Board Chair of AI4ALL, a nonprofit that aims to increase the diversity of thought in Artificial Intelligence. 

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.

What is the future of AI in consumer technology? Marissa Mayer believes this future includes AI that makes the mundane magical. Marissa has been leading consumer technology that affects billions of lives since the dawn of the modern Internet. She was one of the first 20 employees at Google and worked on Google Maps, Gmail, and Google Search. She served as the CEO at Yahoo! where she reinvented the website for the mobile era. Now she is the co-founder and CEO of Sunshine Products, a technology startup focused on making everyday tasks, like contact management or scheduling, magical.

Episode Chapters

(00:00) Introduction
(01:23) The Evolution of AI: Learning, Reasoning, and Expressiveness
(05:22) Scaling Laws and the Future of AI
(09:00) AI's Impact on Business and Team Dynamics
(14:47) The Future of Search and Advertising
(19:52) Sunshine: Making Mundane Tasks Magical
(24:04) The Future of Advertising in an AI World
(35:39) Looking Forward: The Future of AI and Sunshine
(37:55) Closing Thoughts

Stay in touch:

• ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠www.lsvp.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• X: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://twitter.com/lightspeedvp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Instagram: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠generativenow.co⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

• Email: generativenow@lsvp.com

The content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. For more details please see ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠lsvp.com/legal⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.

This week, Logan Kilpatrick joins Michael Mignano on the Generative NYC Stage to discuss leading the product for Google AI Studio. He and his team built the Google Gemini API into one of the best platforms in the world for developers to build with AI. Logan worked at OpenAI before Google, and he has had a front row seat to the meteoric rise to AI over the past few years. Michael and Logan discuss how Google feels like a startup, why consumers care about product over anything else, and what’s the future landscape of artificial intelligence.

Episode Chapters