Fraser & Nabeel explore what it means to build great products in this new world of AI. Two former founders, now VCs, have an off-the-cuff conversation with friends about the new AI products that are worth trying, emerging patterns, and how founders are navigating a world that’s changing every week. Fraser is the former Head of Product at OpenAI, where he managed the teams that shipped ChatGPT and DALL-E, and is now an investor at Spark Capital. Nabeel is a former founder and CEO, now an inve ...
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The Slow Hunch explores how big ideas form over long periods of time. Big innovations are often characterised as single “eureka” moments, when in fact they're often the culmination of many smaller ideas coalescing over a long period of time. On this podcast, USV's Nick Grossman explores how those ideas took shape, and the nonlinear paths of the people behind them.
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How would you design an AI product differently for a hobbyist vs prosumer vs professional? Using MidJourney as a case study in the passion economy, they delve into how AI tools can help build communities and support semi-professional creators. They explore how these tools can democratize creativity, the role of art vs craft, the role of grit in ski…
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In this episode, I spoke to Muneeb Ali, the co-founder of Stacks — a Bitcoin L2 that aims to make BTC more programmable and scalable. At USV, we originally backed Muneeb and his co-founder Ryan Shea back in 2014. Our shared hypothesis was that Bitcoin had the potential to impact more than just finance—it could be a new foundation for the internet i…
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Making product on the S curve of AI. Plus, Anthropic Artifacts
42:28
42:28
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Fraser and Nabeel start by retcon'ing their earlier "maybe we should stop talking about models" and reflecting on the importance of adapting product strategy based how much disruption is happening in your market. The episode highlights the release of Claude Artifacts by Anthropic, and comparing it to other AI product innovations. They also nerd out…
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Fraser Kelton (GP at Spark Capital, former Head of Product at OpenAI)
50:56
50:56
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I spoke to Fraser Kelton, General Partner at Spark Capital and the former Head of Product at OpenAI. Fraser played a key role in the launch of ChatGPT, which is widely considered AI's "iPhone moment." Before his stint at OpenAI, Fraser built Koko, a platform that was initially built to provide cognitive behavioral therapy at scale, transitioned to …
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Granola, Designing AI for User Agency, and how to compete with $$$
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Fraser and Nabeel dive into the evolving landscape of AI note-taking apps, focusing on a new product, Granola. They discuss Granola's unique approach of "enhancing your thought" instead of "thinking for you." They also explore: applying this idea to other categories, the influence of LLMs on UX, and the need for more experimental user workflows to …
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Is it still worth it to discuss models when discussing startups? Nabeel and Fraser discuss how that may be the wrong question to ask in the current landscape, and why customer-centric questions and user experience should be the basis of product experience. Later, they deliberate who might come out on top in the “horse race” for AI product dominance…
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Devin & the Autonomous Engineer Wave. Plus, .Com lessons as a model for today
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39:32
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What is the extent of autonomous coding engineer Devin’s ability to generate real, functional applications with little to no help? Nabeel and Fraser dive into the buzz about Cognition’s ‘Devin’, what makes it different, and the transformative potential of AI in software engineering, particularly focusing on autonomous coding software. Later, they g…
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AI Models. Weighing the chances of commodity vs differentiation.
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37:43
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This week is a discussion of the points of differentiation vs commodification in various AI models. Including how these points might change over time, and might change between language, image, and video models. Then Fraser pivots to orienting around jobs to be done in AI, and how the various models have a huge gap between being capable of doing som…
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By Fraser Kelton & Nabeel Hyatt
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Making of Arc Search, and finding your AI product strategy with Josh Miller
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48:49
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Josh Miller, Founder and CEO of The Browser Co, joins this week. We loved the experience with Arc Search, a new AI-enabled mobile search experience, we decided to talk to Josh directly about how it all came together. Topics: * How Arc Search came to be spawned out of basically a side project * The core value of "we don't know" * How the key AI feat…
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Stages of Disruption: Adaptation, Evolution, or Revolution? Plus Email AI app Shortwave
47:48
47:48
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Two former founders, now VCs, play with AI products and see where that leads... Fraser and Nabeel discuss the differences between horizontal disruption and vertical market disruption and the patterns of the phases of this disruption in the mobile age. From Adaptation, to Evolution, and eventually Revolution. Next, they dive into AI email app Shortw…
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Best of the Voice Note Apps, Three Layers of AI Coding & A Wishlist of Products
43:32
43:32
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Reviewing voice note transcription apps, from WaveAI to Audiopen and ChatGPT. Then Fraser and Nabeel take stock of various ways AI coding is affecting software development, from Co-Pilots to "mealeable software development" and No-Code AI. Lastly, the hosts talk through a wish list of products they'd love to see this year. Topics discussed: - Slowe…
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Developments in Prompting, Making Sense of AI Hardware Gadgetpalooza & trying SunoAI music creation
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Fraser and Nabeel discuss the onslaught of AI hardware launches, exploring the potential factors behind this shift. They also discuss the importance of designing not by listening to your customer but by understanding the customer. The duo also discuss the importance and challenges surrounding 'prompt engineering' vs prompt writing, using BARD, Suno…
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Building entropically, Gemini, Prompt engineerings revenge, and Superpowered
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Nabeel and Fraser briefly discuss Google's new AI model, Gemini, and keeping authenticity in startup pitches. They discuss the perils of trying to simplify when technology is lending towards complexity. How to stay authentic to yourself when pitching and fundraising. The new findings of Claude prompting, and the likely continued need for prompt eng…
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Nabeel gets to ask Fraser for reflections on the development of ChatGPT on the one-year anniversary. They talk about the intersection of product managers and AI researchers, how ChatGPT came to be on the roadmap, how the team came to be formed, and the difference between polish & overengineering. They then discuss the recent explosion of real-time …
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Three patterns of LLM product development
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34:11
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The conversation kicks off with the surprising news of Sam Altman’s departure from OpenAI. Nabeel and Fraser then discuss the ‘crazy week’ of product releases, demystifying the complexity and impact of AI in various workflows. They spotlight AI startup Lindy, review My GPTS, and early impressions of the product Dot, an AI-driven guide in daily life…
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My GPTs, and avoiding the OpenAI tidal wave as a founder
31:22
31:22
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31:22
In this conversation, discussions revolve around the recent OpenAI Dev Day, the Reflect note taking app, and how founders should internalize the "threat" and partnership opportunities with OpenAI. Fraser & Nabeel discuss that it's still "fart app and flashlight" early days for developers to truly utilize the capabilities of technologies like ChatGP…
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When do AI startups have advantage over incumbents?
43:56
43:56
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Fraser & Nabeel get things up and running again at Hallway Chat. How AI is changing search engines, comparing Perplexity with Google, and what just goes to ChatGPT & Claude. "Shipping your org chat". Debating Sam Lessin's recent "State of Venture Capital" and whether AI in startups is just magical thinking. The app of the week: Snipd, an AI podcast…
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Hallway Chat, #32 - Creating a middle class Creator Economy, Apple & service-based software, the PS5 and why we play games
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Hey ya'll. In todays show we discuss Apple and service-based software releasing, the PS5 and why we play games, creating a middle class Creator Economy, blogging in 2021 and finding your voice on the internet, being a VC only in up times. It's our first episode of the new year, Nabeel and Bijan are joined by our new Spark colleague, Brian Watson!…
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Hallway Chat, #31 - Investing during a pandemic (ie 2020 vs 2019), hot takes about remote work
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43:33
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We are back with a long overdue edition of Hallway Chat. Todays episode, Bijan and Nabeel discuss: investing during a pandemic (ie 2020 vs 2019), how we are working from home (technology and schedule), some likely controversial thoughts about remote work, AirPods woes, and a few memorable moments at Postmates. Thanks for listening and as always twe…
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Hallway Chat, #30 - Is VC pattern recognition actually valuable, the challenge of "winner takes all" dogma
46:19
46:19
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After a one year-ish break, Nabeel and Bijan are back with a shiny new episode! In this pod, we chat about things on our minds lately including, is VC pattern recognition actually valuable, what does the decline of the iPhone mean to Apple's future, the potential for single purpose electronics, and challenging the dogma of "winner takes all" market…
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Hallway Chat, #29 - Bitcoin, tech morality, startup hard decisions and the iMac Pro
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41:57
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A podcast by Bijan Sabet and Nabeel Hyatt, partners at Spark Capital. Recorded: December 13, 2017: Show summary: Bitcoin Frenzy, Tech company morality, the iMac Pro, and startup hard decisionsBy Bijan Sabet & Nabeel Hyatt
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Hallway Chat, #29 - The VC "Sh*t Show" and consumer apps
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41:19
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Another episode of Hallway Chat. Bijan and Nabeel. Recorded November 16, 2017. Show notes: - iPhone X, including new apps - Musical.ly’s exit and the notion that “mobile consumer is dead” - The changes in the VC landscape, from the moral awakening to the explosion of seeds - Eugene Wei’s blog post on Amazon and analytics - Gadget gifts: Rylo, Molek…
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Hallway Chat, #28 - Mastering scale, Google I/O and judging "what's worth making a startup"
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47:05
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5/19/2017: Hey, we're back with another episode of Hallway Chat. Show notes: Clay Bavor's Virtual & Augmented Realities http://bit.ly/2pNfVra Reid Hoffman's Masters of Scale podcast https://mastersofscale.com/ Tim O'Reilly's response to Masters of Scale https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/some-businesses-bleed-black-tim-o-reilly Google's ongoing tranfor…
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Hallway Chat, #27 - Future of work & the moral awakening of Silicon Valley
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39:06
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Recorded 2/10/17. Summary: Nabeel and Bijan discuss a few favorite new apps, some thoughts about current American politics & the moral awakening of Silicon Valley, Related links: Teuxdeux: https://teuxdeux.com/ 10% Happier: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/meditation-for-fidgety-skeptics/id992210239?mt=8 Anil Dash: Tech Moral Reckoning: http://onbei…
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Hi everyone! @nabeel and @bijan are back with a new podcast to kick off the new year. This episode of Hallway Chat, we are joined by our fellow Spark partner Kevin Thau (@kevinthau). We talked about the new Apple Airpods, Apple vs Google apps for iOS, Bijan's beef with mail apps for iOS, Nabeel's crazy love affair with Apple Maps, Voice assistants …
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Nabeel and Bijan discussed Google I/O 2016 and some thoughts about all the choices developers have to consider in a world with so many different platforms.By Bijan Sabet & Nabeel Hyatt
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Hallway Chat, #24 - Cruise, Nest, what it takes to keep innovating
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46:44
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Another episode of Hallway Chat with @nabeel and @bijan Topics: how the Tesla 3 has presold so much, Cruise and navigating the new rush of autonomous driving startups, Nest/Echo and what it takes to keep innovating, Snapchat’s social trajectory, and the march towards replacing MacOS with iOS. Please tweet us your questions & suggestions! Thanks so …
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A podcast by Bijan Sabet and Nabeel Hyatt, partners at Spark Capital. In todays show, we were joined by special guest and our friend, Fred Wilson. Show notes: -questions from Twitter, including how Fred started investing in social media, & YC's recent move to recommend exercising options from 90 days to 10 years -Fred's post, "The New Entertainment…
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