Vercel COO: Building The AI Castle | Apex Series

We Double every 6 months! | ElevenLabs Head of operations | Apex Series

Watch our exclusive interview with Victoria Weller [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/?_bprMode=vanilla#], Head of Operations at ElevenLabs [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/?_bprMode=vanilla#]. ElevenLabs [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/?_bprMode=vanilla#] just raised $500M Series D at $11B valuation, and the future of Voice & AI couldn't be clearer. We started by discussing the company’s #NoTitle policy and how it enables them to scale rapidly while still preserving #culture. From there, we explored the challenge of maintaining that culture while doubling headcount every six months. Interestingly, ElevenLabs [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/?_bprMode=vanilla#] operates across both #B2B and #B2C markets, so we looked at how the team structures itself to effectively serve two very different types of customers at the same time. Ans as they continue reshaping the Voice & AI space, and specifically the #music industry, what does it mean to become a #Star in this new era of the music industry? Other interesting topics we covered: - ElevenLabs [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/?_bprMode=vanilla#]’ $1B pledge toward free voice restoration technology for people who have lost their voices - How to optimize the product roadmap for different user groups - Advice for entrepreneurs And guess what Victoria [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/?_bprMode=vanilla#]’s favorite #movie is? 🧑‍💻🎧🌆 Check our new website: https://www.boardroomclub.net Register for our newsletter https://boardroomclub.substack.com Interviewers: Yossi Garmazi [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/?_bprMode=vanilla#] & Amado Vargas IV [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/?_bprMode=vanilla#]. #ai #tech #voice #music #agents Chapters: 00:00 AI & Music 00:41 Intro 01:35 From Astrophysicist to ElevenLabs 04:32 Palantir Lessons: No Title Policy 07:23 Growing Fast & Culture 11:24 Compliance Importance 15:11 Serving B2C & B2B 17:40 No more Music Stars? 20:27 $1B Pledge for Voice Restoration 22:15 From 24kHz to 44.1kHz 23:45 Product Roadmap 25:26 Advice 27:10 What's an AI Native Company? 28:33 Mentorship 30:03 Coffee with Historical Figure 30:44 Hobbies 31:30 Favorite Movie

Nebius CMO: $47B Deals in 7 Months | Apex Series

Watch our exclusive interview with Daniel Bounds [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/#], Chief Marketing Officer at Nebius [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/#] (NASDAQ: NBIS). In 7 months period they signed $47B deals with Microsoft [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/#] and Meta [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/#]. and with a recent partnership with NVIDIA [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/#] it feels like this is just the beginning. We started by discussing what it takes to serve both #developers and #enterprises simultaneously, and how a community-led growth model helps them better understand and anticipate customer needs. We then delved deeper into their #philosophy and how it works in practice when serving millions of developers across different geographies and verticals, while providing a #360° -degree approach that spans GTM support, partnerships, and even VC connections. But as the world rapidly evolves with the rise of foundational models, how has their #ICP changed over the years? From there, we shifted to discussing their #PhysicalAI Data Factory Blueprint partnership with NVIDIA [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/#], and how it is helping take robotics innovation to the next level. Lastly, we also explored several fascinating #GTM topics, including: - Debunking Marketing myths. - AI impact on marketing today - Advice for builder in todays world. And Daniel [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/#]'s favorite #movie actors of all time? 🗽🎩🎬 Check our new website: https://www.boardroomclub.net Register for our newsletter https://boardroomclub.substack.com Interviewers: Yossi Garmazi [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/#] & Sanat Mouli [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/#]. #ai #tech #cloud #developers #infra Chapters: 00:00 Marketing Myth 00:33 Intro 01:10 From Silicon to Cloud 03:00 Serving Enterprises & Developers 05:11 Nebius & Developers relationship 08:03 ICP Evolution 11:31 Partnership with Nvidia 15:43 Marketing Metrics 18:17 Marketing 3 Continents 20:48 Nebius in Space? 22:01 Acquiring Tavily 25:02 Debunking Marketing Myths 27:25 Using AI in Marketing 29:51 Where Modern B2B Marketing Underinvesting? 37:26 Advice for Builders 34:57 Mentor 37:10 Coffee with Historical Figure 38:23 Alternate Universe Profession 40:22 Favorite Movie Actor

Pinterest CTO: The Future of AI Search | Apex Series

Watch our exclusive interview with Matt Madrigal [https://www.linkedin.com/company/102144486/admin/page-posts/published/?share=true#], CTO at Pinterest [https://www.linkedin.com/company/102144486/admin/page-posts/published/?share=true#] (NYSE: PINS). When you think about search and shopping, one company that leading the way is Pinterest [https://www.linkedin.com/company/102144486/admin/page-posts/published/?share=true#] We started by discussing how #AI is reshaping Pinterest [https://www.linkedin.com/company/102144486/admin/page-posts/published/?share=true#], including the introduction of multi-model search and cutting-edge tools like #PinterestAssistant, which combines voice and visual search into a single conversational interface. We then explored the #TasteGraph and how Pinterest segments users in an environment flooded with signals - many of them even conflicting And well, it works out,  as the number of users has grown for ten consecutive quarters. Another key shift we discussed is the evolution of search itself. Users - especially #GenZ - increasingly prefer visual discovery over text-based search, positioning Pinterest naturally at the center of this transition. While Pinterest [https://www.linkedin.com/company/102144486/admin/page-posts/published/?share=true#] has long been known for visual search, the company is now expanding into #ConnectedTV following the acquisition of tvScientific [https://www.linkedin.com/company/102144486/admin/page-posts/published/?share=true#]. We looked at LG Electronics [https://www.linkedin.com/company/102144486/admin/page-posts/published/?share=true#] as a case study, where Pinterest helped increase audience reach by 73%. Other interesting topics we covered included: - How Pinterest [https://www.linkedin.com/company/102144486/admin/page-posts/published/?share=true#] is becoming more #shoppable, moving beyond inspiration and discovery - The impact of #AI-generated images on discovery and content quality - Pinterest’s AI strategy and its use of open-source models - #Advice for builders and entrepreneurs And what is Matt [https://www.linkedin.com/company/102144486/admin/page-posts/published/?share=true#]'s favorite #movie? ✈️😎🎬 Check our new website: https://www.boardroomclub.net Register for our newsletter https://boardroomclub.substack.com Interviewers: Yossi Garmazi [https://www.linkedin.com/company/102144486/admin/page-posts/published/?share=true#] & Sanat Mouli [https://www.linkedin.com/company/102144486/admin/page-posts/published/?share=true#]. #ai #tech #agent #search #discovery Chapters: 00:00 Pinterest Assistant 00:29 Intro 01:09 Working at Rico's Pizza 02:20 Search in Goggle Vs Pinterest 03:29 AI Impact on Pinterest 04:57 Multi Model: Solving conflicting signals 06:25 Chatbots impact on Pinterest 07:46 Social Platforms Search 09:52 Entering Connected TV With tvScientific 11:38 Budget Allocation 13:31 From Saving an Idea to Complete Purchase 15:25 Pinterest ML & Individualized Discovery 17:33 AI Generated Results in Pinterest 19:05 Open Source & AI Stack in Pinterest 20:45 Beyond AI 21:32 Building Data centers 22:12 Advice for Entrepreneurs 22:44 Mentor 23:18 Learning from GenZ 24:16 Hobbies 24:44 Alternate Career

Genspark COO: Doubling to $200M ARR In 60 Days! | Apex Series

Watch our exclusive interview with Wen Sang [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/#], Co-Founder and COO of Genspark [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/#]. Genspark [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/#] has raised a total of $460M and reached $200M #ARR in just 11 months - but that’s only the beginning. We start by discussing one of Wen [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/#]'s statement: "There is no moat in #AI, except speed and trust". But In an AI world moving at the speed of light, how are they embedding #trust while still enabling this level of rapid growth? This naturally led us to explore how they decide what to build, and more importantly, how they keep #innovating while scaling super fast. One interesting insight: up until reaching $100M in ARR, Genspark [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/#] didn't spend on #advertising. From there, we explored their decision to start going more public - including initiatives like a #SuperBowl ad and even billboard placements in the NYC subway system. Other topics we touch on: - How do you convert attention into sustained adoption? - Does #brand become more or less important in the AI era? And what is Wen [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/#]'s favorite #movie? 🐒⏳🔬 Check our new website: https://www.boardroomclub.net Register for our newsletter https://boardroomclub.substack.com Interviewers: Yossi Garmazi [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/#] & Amado Vargas IV [https://www.linkedin.com/preload/#]. #ai #agent #startup #search #model Chapters: 00:00 Breaking Records 00:22 Intro 00:57 From Car Engines to Search Engine 04:23 Genspark Early Pivot 09:42 Embedding Trust in Genspark 17:19 End of Dashboards? 20:33 $100M ARR in 60 Days: What to Build? 22:35 Superbowl ad & PLG 26:06 Converting Attention to Adaption 29:49 Does Brand Matter with AI? 32:01 Hiring & AI 36:00 Meditation & Leadership 40:29 Avoiding Burnout 42:12 Favorite Movie

Vercel COO: Building The AI Castle | Apex Series

Watch our exclusive interview with Jeanne DeWitt Grosser [https://www.linkedin.com/company/102144486/admin/page-posts/published/#], COO of Vercel [https://www.linkedin.com/company/102144486/admin/page-posts/published/#]. Vercel [https://www.linkedin.com/company/102144486/admin/page-posts/published/#] just raised $300M at a $9.3B #valuation in a big push to revolutionize how developers build, deploy, and scale in the AI era. We started by exploring how Vercel products like #v0 and #AgentCloud are shaping the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from incorporating agentic capabilities to democratizing access even for non-technical users. This naturally led us to discuss the future of 'human-in-the-loop', as #agentic capabilities become more advanced and embedded in everyday workflows. Interestingly, Vercel [https://www.linkedin.com/company/102144486/admin/page-posts/published/#] has also expanded further into the #enterprise space, and we discussed how it continues to innovate with tools like Next.js while still #balancing the needs of developers outside the enterprise segment. We then moved on to other interesting business topics: - Building agents to recover lost sales - The future of AEs and GTM engineers - What it really means to be a builder today And guess what Jeanne [https://www.linkedin.com/company/102144486/admin/page-posts/published/#]’s favorite #sports competition is? 🏊‍♂️🚴‍♂️🏃‍♂️ Check our new website: https://www.boardroomclub.net Register for our newsletter https://boardroomclub.substack.com Interviewers: Yossi Garmazi [https://www.linkedin.com/company/102144486/admin/page-posts/published/#] & Jason Woolf [https://www.linkedin.com/company/102144486/admin/page-posts/published/#]. #ai #developers #agent #cloud #builder Chapters: 00:00 Building the AI Castle 00:27 intro 01:23 From Stripe to Vercel 04:00 Vibe Coding & Product Market fit 07:16 v0 effect on Developers 10:44 AI & Vercel GTM 13:57 Humans in the loop 16:16 Balancing Enterprise w/ Developers Community 18:53 Vercel & Switching AI model 20:44 Entering the Enterprise Space 23:48 Finding 'Lost Sales' 26:40 Information Asymmetry when Selling 27:59 Future of GTM Engineer & AE 29:57 Hyperscalers & Vercel 33:03 Builders Mindset 34:40 Hobbies 35:12 Coffe w/ Historical Figure 35:51 Advice for Entrepreneurs