AI Native Podcast

The Human Edge in an AI World: Agents, Search, and Genuine Connections

Today’s guest is Agustin Vivas de Lorenzi, Founding Member at DevRev—the AI-native platform unifying customer support, product, and revenue teams. We dig into the real-world shape of AI agents (SDR, AE, Support), why enterprise search + a unified data layer is the unlock, and how tiny teams are hitting $10M ARR by automating the boring stuff while keeping the human story front and center. Sponsored by AIorNot.com—detect AI-generated text, images, audio, video and deepfakes in one place. (DevRev [https://devrev.ai/blog/devrev-raises-series-a?utm_source=chatgpt.com], aiornot.com [https://www.aiornot.com/ai-detection?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) Key Takeaways * Agents work where data is unified. DevRev’s Airdrop ingests/syncs tools and builds a knowledge graph, enabling accurate enterprise search and agent actions across support, product, and revenue workflows. (DevRev [https://devrev.ai/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) * Tiny, mighty teams: Startups are reaching ~$10M ARR with ~10–20 people by deploying AI agents for SDR, AE, and Customer Support—automating repetitive tasks and keeping humans for high-context work. (Discussed in episode.) * Enterprise vs. SMB: Small companies can hire one experienced “agent ops” owner and ship fast; enterprises stall on internal builds, compliance, and cross-team alignment before circling back to a vendor. (Discussed in episode.) * Human story wins. As “AI slop” floods feeds, audiences will seek content with a verifiable human arc—authenticity, provenance, and outcomes. Detection tools (like AIorNot) help restore trust signals. (aiornot.com [https://www.aiornot.com/blog/how-to-detect-ai-images?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) * DevRev momentum: Series A $100.8M; valuation ~$1.15B; mission: connect end users, support, sales, product, and devs on one AI-native platform. (Reuters [https://www.reuters.com/technology/devrev-raises-over-100-mln-series-joins-ai-unicorn-club-2024-08-09/?utm_source=chatgpt.com], DevRev [https://devrev.ai/blog/devrev-raises-series-a?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) Chaptered Timeline * 00:00 Cold open — “You can create AI SDR/AE/Support agents today” * 00:55 Welcome + guest intro: Agus Vivas (DevRev) & why human stories still matter * 02:06 Career arc: consulting → banking ops → tokenized real estate → AI GTM * 05:25 Inside Argentine banking ops: CSAT, churn, and support as a revenue stream * 07:35 DevRev origin: bridging customer-facing and backend teams; tool sprawl → single AI-native layer (DevRev [https://devrev.ai/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) * 09:58 Airdrop & migration: hours not months; privacy and coexistence with existing stacks (DevRev [https://devrev.ai/airdrop?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) * 10:58 Enterprise Search (Turing): “ChatGPT for your company data” → faster decisions (DevRev [https://devrev.ai/blog/enterprise-search?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) * 12:11 Market noise & the unicorn bar: from hype to durable design principles (Reuters [https://www.reuters.com/technology/devrev-raises-over-100-mln-series-joins-ai-unicorn-club-2024-08-09/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) * 13:00 Playbook: SMB vs. Enterprise—how each should roll out agents * 17:02 Where agents hit hardest: customer experience first; GTM second * 18:18 Full-stack outbound: prospect discovery + signal detection + 1-click omni-channel sequences * 20:06 The downside of AI content: sameness, distrust, and detection layers (AIorNot) (aiornot.com [https://www.aiornot.com/ai-detection?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) * 24:00 Education & kids: keeping the “thinking muscle” while using AI as leverage * 30:30 Closing: “Human + AI to enhance, not replace” → where to find Agus Quotes * “We’ll chase the real story behind the content—that human imprint AI can’t fake.” * “Startups are hitting $10M ARR with teams of twenty because agents remove the busywork.” * “It’s not speed for speed’s sake; it’s speed that preserves value and trust.” Guest Agustín Vivas de Lorenzi — Founding Member, GTM @ DevRev Guest socials: LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/agusvivasdl [https://www.linkedin.com/in/agusvivasdl] Context: Founding GTM at DevRev since 2023; background in banking ops (Galicia), tokenized real-estate (Bricks); MBA at Governors State University. (THE ORG [https://theorg.com/org/devrev/org-chart/agustin-vivas-de-lorenzi?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) Links & Resources * DevRev – AI-native platform for support, product & revenue (Airdrop, Enterprise Search) → devrev.ai. (DevRev [https://devrev.ai/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) * DevRev Series A ($100.8M, $1.15B val.) → DevRev blog / Reuters coverage. (DevRev [https://devrev.ai/blog/devrev-raises-series-a?utm_source=chatgpt.com], Reuters [https://www.reuters.com/technology/devrev-raises-over-100-mln-series-joins-ai-unicorn-club-2024-08-09/?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) * Airdrop (data ingestion/sync) → product page & docs. (DevRev [https://devrev.ai/airdrop?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) * Enterprise Search / Turing → product explainer & demos. (DevRev [https://devrev.ai/blog/enterprise-search?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) * AIorNot (sponsor) – Free AI detector; enterprise tools. (aiornot.com [https://www.aiornot.com/ai-detection?utm_source=chatgpt.com]) * Agus on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/agusvivasdl [https://www.linkedin.com/in/agusvivasdl] (guest-provided) Sponsor:  AIorNot.com — Free AI checker for text, images, music & video; enterprise detection and moderation tools. (aiornot.com [https://www.aiornot.com/ai-detection?utm_source=chatgpt.com])

AI, Digital Box Offices & The Future of Filmmaking

What happens when anyone with a great story can create a studio-quality film at a fraction of the cost? In this episode of the AI Native Podcast, we sit down with Cihan Fuat Atkin, founder & CEO of xSynx, the company behind Venue+, a streaming platform pioneering pay-per-viewer technology. Cihan shares how AI, digital distribution, and pay-per-viewer streaming are transforming the film industry—from independent creators making Oscar-worthy content to major studios leveraging AI-generated actors. We dive into the future of content creation, why the theatrical window is ripe for disruption, and how filmmakers can monetize directly without Hollywood’s traditional gatekeepers. If you’re curious about the AI-driven future of film, streaming, and live events, this episode is a must-listen. 🗝️ What You’ll Learn * AI & Filmmaking: How AI is slashing production costs and boosting creative output. * Digital Box Office 2.0: Why Venue+ is the future of per-person ticketing for movies and live events. * AI Actors & Digital Assets: The coming wave of AI-generated stars and licensing opportunities. * Advice for Filmmakers: How creators can use AI tools and platforms to reach global audiences. * Industry Disruption: Why traditional theaters risk being left behind without digital innovation. 🕒 Episode Chapters 00:00 – The coming AI content explosion (30X growth forecast) 06:30 – How Venue+ reinvents ticketed streaming for live & theatrical events 14:50 – AI-generated actors, deepfakes & the future of digital characters 22:10 – The economics: lowering costs, increasing output, reaching global audiences 27:30 – Advice for aspiring filmmakers & independent creators 33:00 – How AI + streaming = a new era for movies & live events 👤 About the Guest Cihan Fuat Atkin is the founder & CEO of xSynx and Venue+, a streaming platform pioneering pay-per-viewer technology to bring theatrical releases and live events directly to audiences worldwide. * LinkedIn: Cihan Fuat Atkin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cihanfuatatkin] * Website: xcinex.com [https://www.xcinex.com] * Try Venue+: venue.stream [https://venue.stream] 🎥 Sponsor This episode is brought to you by AIorNot.com [https://AIorNot.com] – detect whether content was created by humans or AI in seconds.

Beyond Competitor Analysis: How AI is Transforming Dynamic Pricing

In this episode of The AI Native Podcast, we sit down with Alex Halkin, founder of Competera and pioneer in AI-powered pricing. Alex takes us through his remarkable journey—from growing up in Ukraine and experimenting with early neural networks, to consulting for global retailers, to bootstrapping his own AI startup. We discuss: * How Alex’s first ventures (selling internet to neighbors and running an internet café) taught him entrepreneurial grit. * Why consulting shaped his perspective on automation and pricing inefficiencies. * The challenges of pitching AI-driven pricing inside a traditional consulting model. * Bootstrapping Competera with his own money, surviving early burn rates, and closing enterprise deals with just 300 products. * How AI is reshaping pricing strategy, junior roles, and the speed at which founders must now operate. * The future of AI in education, automation, and vertical solutions. Alex also shares candid insights about fundraising, navigating corporate politics, and why focus, speed, and honesty are the true superpowers for founders in the AI era. Chapters: * 00:00 – Big ideas start simple * 03:00 – Early life in Ukraine & first businesses * 08:00 – Consulting, automation, and discovering pricing inefficiencies * 13:00 – Why big firms resisted subscriptions & Alex’s pivot * 16:00 – Bootstrapping Competera and landing first enterprise clients * 23:00 – Compute costs, margins, and survival under the radar * 28:00 – AI adoption in retail and beyond * 33:00 – The future of education in an AI-driven world * 36:00 – Advice for new founders in the post-LLM era Connect with Alex Halkin: 🔗 LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexhalkin] Brought to you by: 👉 AIorNot.com [https://AIorNot.com] – Detect if content was created by AI or a human.

Stop Sounding Like a Bot: The New Rules of AI Writing

AI writing shouldn’t sound like AI. In this episode of AI Native, we sit down with Aleksandr Lashkov, co‑founder of Linguix, to unpack seven years of building grammar tools from rule‑based systems to LLM‑powered assistants. We dig into why delivery beats model choice (hello, browser extensions), how “humanizer” features reduce AI tells, and where AI helps—or harms—learning. Aleksandr shares hard‑won product lessons, what changed after ChatGPT, and practical advice for builders weighing open‑source models vs. APIs and the real costs of data, evals, and hiring. What you’ll learn * Why “AI‑sounding” emails are becoming a new professional faux pas. * Native vs. non‑native users: who actually benefits from grammar tools (and why). * The evolution from rules → LLMs → heuristics (and how to marry them). * “Delivery > model”: placing help where users write (Gmail, Docs, chat UIs). * Education vs. productivity: when AI should hint—not answer. * Product lessons: simplify, surface proactively, reduce clicks. * How to approach a custom model: open source options, data realities, and evals. Chapters (YouTube) 00:00 – The problem with AI‑sounding writing 00:45 – Meet Aleksandr Lashkov & the early Linguix journey 02:30 – Who uses grammar tools (native vs. non‑native) 05:20 – From rules to LLMs: the 3‑layer stack 07:45 – Post‑ChatGPT: why grammar tools didn’t die 10:30 – Delivery beats model choice (extensions, in‑context help) 12:40 – Humanizer: removing AI tells & emerging etiquette 15:20 – AI in education: hints over answers, critical thinking 18:40 – Why “writing coach” flopped at work 21:30 – Simplifier vs. paraphraser: usage hockey stick 24:05 – Two educator camps & using analytics for support 26:50 – The future: AI everywhere, natural language as the new UI 29:30 – Build vs. buy: open source, data costs, and evals 33:10 – What Aleksandr would do differently today 36:20 – Open‑source parity & getting started 38:30 – Wrap Links & mentions • Sponsor: AIorNot.com — detect whether text is human or AI‑generated. • Guest: Aleksandr Lashkov — co‑founder, Linguix (AI writing assistant).

Transforming Email Marketing: How AI Personalization Beats the Spam Filter

Brought to you by: aiornot.com In this conversation, we dive into how Aquibur took AMP-powered, interactive email technology and evolved it into a full-fledged AI-driven email marketing and automation platform (Mailmodo). We cover his founding story, the shift from static to interactive emails, his approach to product-market fit, how generative AI is reshaping marketing teams and functions, and practical advice for startups on choosing channels, building trust, and maximizing ROI from email. Guest: Aquibur Rahman  * Background: Started in growth roles (Facebook Ads → organic SEO, content, email) at startups and led marketing at ClearTax. * Mailmodo: Co-founded in 2020 to make emails interactive (using Google’s AMP technology), joined Y Combinator, raised seed from Sequoia. * Today: Leading an AI-native email marketing & automation platform, launching AI-powered template generation (June 2025) and full “prompt-to-campaign” automation (September 2025). * Connect: * LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aquibur [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aquibur] * Email: aqeeb@mailmodo.com Key Topics & Timestamps * 00:00 – Introduction & AQ’s background From Facebook Ads to leading marketing at ClearTax, and the inspiration behind Mailmodo. * 00:54 – Why interactive email? The problem with static email → users click out to websites → low conversions → frustration for marketers. * 01:30 – Building Mailmodo Launch in 2021, Y Combinator, Sequoia seed, global expansion, product roadmap evolution. * 02:35 – AI in email marketing How generative AI will automate template creation, audience building, campaign setup—“just prompt your goal.” * 03:45 – Technology → solution mindset Start with customer pain points, then apply new tech (AMP, then AI) to solve them. * 05:10 – Marketing fundamentals vs. channels Core of understanding customer pain > attention > trust > value—regardless of Google Ads, TikTok, etc. * 06:20 – Advice for startups today 1. Identify customers & channels (incl. ChatGPT search). 2. Craft concise, non-generic messaging. 3. Leverage influencer marketing, LLM-SEO, retention focus. * 07:50 – Team structure in the AI era From specialized PM/design/eng roles to multifunctional generalists empowered by AI tools. * 09:20 – Email best practices Respect opt-in trust, add value, avoid countdown bombarding; engagement drives deliverability. * 11:15 – Biggest disruptions in marketing SEO → LLM-driven search, cold outreach saturation → need for trust-first educational content, presence on AI platforms. * 13:10 – Building brand & thought leadership For new startups: start with person-to-person sales → scale to content & brand building → become a niche influencer. Memorable Quotes “Email has been there since the beginning of the Internet, but nothing has changed even a bit. If we make emails interactive and actionable, conversion and engagement can go much higher.”“My approach is not to adopt a new technology and create a product, but to find a problem my customers face and then apply the technology to solve it.”“In the AI era, teams aren’t getting bigger—they’re getting faster. Fewer people doing more with the help of AI.” Resources & Links * Mailmodo (interactive & AI email marketing): https://www.mailmodo.com [https://www.mailmodo.com] * Y Combinator: https://www.ycombinator.com [https://www.ycombinator.com] * AMP for Email (Google): https://amp.dev/about/email/ * Aquibur on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aquibur [https://www.linkedin.com/in/aquibur]