The Upstarts Podcast copertina

The Upstarts Podcast

The Upstarts Podcast

Di: Alex Konrad
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A proposito di questo titolo

 On The Upstarts Podcast, you’ll hear from some of the most exciting Upstarts today: emerging technology leaders punching above their weight to achieve real impact. Veteran tech reporter Alex Konrad profiled leaders from Marc Benioff to Melanie Perkins in a decade-plus at Forbes. Now as the founder and editor of Upstarts Media, he’s sitting down with breakout entrepreneurs taking on the status quo to shake up their fields in AI, design, nuclear energy, space, and more. You’ll leave each interview with a new understanding of a world-changing technology that’s transforming how we live and work – as well as strategies and tactics any builder can put to use. Economia Gestione e leadership Leadership
Episodi
  • Chapter's Cobi Blumenfeld-Gantz: From Palantir To $3B Medicare Disruptor

    Chapter's Cobi Blumenfeld-Gantz: From Palantir To $3B Medicare Disruptor
    Apr 24 2026
    When Cobi Blumenfeld-Gantz's parents struggled to navigate Medicare—faxes, phone calls, even a trip to the Social Security office—he figured someone had built a better way. Nobody had. So, in 2020, he co-founded Chapter: a startup focused on connecting Americans to better Medicare plans, saving seniors thousands of dollars per year. Among legacy healthcare players, that hasn’t made him many fans. “I am one of the most hated people in the industry,” he says. “I’m bad for business.” On The Upstarts Podcast, Blumenfeld-Gantz shares his journey from foreign policy studies to forward deployed engineer at Palantir; how Chapter’s nationwide database of Medicare plans helped it reach $100 million in revenue and a $3 billion valuation; and why he proposes a twist on a typical startup metric: product-market-channel fit. Plus, he shares his Upstart Moment: when last year’s government shutdown cut off Chapter's data right at the opening of Medicare's busiest enrollment window, and his team had one week to reverse-engineer their way out. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:04 Solving his parents’ problem 08:08 From foreign policy to Palantir 12:01 Why Palantir breeds so many startup founders 14:28 Getting started and managing VC no’s 20:24 Why product market channel fit matters 26:51 Cobi’s Upstart Moment: the shutdown 32:33 “One of the most hated people in the industry’ 35:41Tuning out noise and talent density 42:37 Up next: a wider financial platform for senior spend For more, visit https://www.upstartsmedia.com/ Season 1 of the Upstarts Podcast is presented by Mercury Produced & edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod
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    44 min
  • Cohere's Aidan Gomez: The Canadian Founder Taking AI Models To The World, Not Just Big Tech

    Cohere's Aidan Gomez: The Canadian Founder Taking AI Models To The World, Not Just Big Tech
    Apr 16 2026
    A self-described "shy nerd" from rural Ontario, Aidan Gomez doesn't like to scream his startup’s name from the rooftops. But the co-author of the landmark ‘Attention Is All You Need’ paper is quietly building one of AI's most important infrastructure companies — one focused on bringing its benefits to the wider world outside Silicon Valley. Toronto-based Cohere works with major enterprises and G7 governments, providing secure models for them to build everything from email-summary apps to onboard ship telemetry on top. Revenue grew 6x last year, past a reported $240 million; with $1.7 billion in total funding, an IPO is in its sights. On the Upstarts Podcast, Gomez talks about his journey to co-developing the Transformer architecture that underpins modern AI; why he sees AI as the best shot at restoring global growth and democratic resilience; and why it’s so important that more nations than the world’s biggest benefit. Plus, he shares his Upstart Moment: building on ‘hard mode’ by not taking money from Amazon, Google or Microsoft early on. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 01:11 Cohere’s ‘takeoff phase’ 05:09 Where vibe coding falls short 08:05 Smalltown Canada to AI epicenter 14:27 Co-authoring the Transformer paper 18:52 Starting up Cohere 25:22 Why AI sovereignty matters 30:25 Aidan’s Upstart Moment 32:56 Playing on ‘hard mode’ 36:55 Ethical questions of AI 39:44 Why Cohere should IPO For more, visit https://www.upstartsmedia.com/ Season 1 of the Upstarts Podcast is presented by Mercury Produced & edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod
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    42 min
  • Decagon’s Jesse Zhang: Closing Customer Service Doom Loops With AI Concierges

    Decagon’s Jesse Zhang: Closing Customer Service Doom Loops With AI Concierges
    Apr 10 2026
    When it comes to calling customer support, startup CEO Jesse Zhang knows your pain.  ”It's just a very frustrating experience, because you're stuck in a loop,” he says. In 2023, he and co-founder Ashwin Sreenivas launched Decagon to solve the problem with powerful new technology: AI agents. Today, customers like Avis Budget Group, Duolingo and Fanatics all work with Decagon, helping it reach a $4.5 billion valuation. But as AI unlocks new possibilities in support, Zhang faces serious competition from more established and better-funded rivals. On the Upstarts Podcast, Zhang shares how Decagon wins by using speed as a weapon, but not a moat; why 10x better products can fend off the big AI labs; and how his AI concierge can help future customers beyond just solving problems. Plus, he shares his Upstart Moment: winning uphill sales battles with a bottoms-up hustle that turned “red dots” into green buyers. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction 02:38 Why support was still a problem 05:34 Jesse Zhang’s founder story 15:23 Three pillars of startup strength 16:20 A 10x name and first customers 19:24 Winning with speed and scale 24:20 Jesse’s Upstart Moment in sales 31:35 Why you need to be 10x better 33:43 Revenge of the AI ‘wrapper’ 37:17 Long-running agent ‘duets’ 40:44 Your future concierge For more, visit https://www.upstartsmedia.com/ Season 1 of the Upstarts Podcast is presented by Mercury: https://mercury.com/ Produced & edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod: https://lightningpod.fm/
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    45 min
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