In this episode of the Peaking Podcast, host Bryan Mikolaitis interviews Helly Shaw, co-founder and CTO of Approval AI, a startup revolutionizing the mortgage industry through AI-powered automation. Helly shares her journey from working at Google and Goldman Sachs to founding Approval AI, driven by personal frustrations with the mortgage process. The conversation delves into the challenges of building a startup, the importance of user engagement, and the balance between automation and human interaction. Helly also discusses her experiences with Y Combinator, the impact of her identity as an immigrant and woman in tech, and her predictions for the future of home buying and financial services.

Sound bites

"We applied to YC with just an idea, got in."

"We want to talk to our first thousand users."

"Our AI agent has its own persona."

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Helly Shaw and Approval AI

02:09 The Birth of Approval AI: A Personal Journey

06:52 Challenges in Building Approval AI

10:31 User Engagement and Content Marketing Strategy

12:01 The Human Touch in an Automated World

14:09 Experiences with Y Combinator

17:15 Leveraging Corporate Experience for Startup Success

21:08 Navigating Identity as an Immigrant and Woman in Tech

24:34 The Future of AI in Financial Services

25:50 Plans for Team Expansion and Automation

28:02 Predictions for the Future of Home Buying

29:59 Favorite Tech Tools and Closing Remarks

Learn more at https://www.getapproval.ai/