Guest: Corey Scholibo, Co-founder of Dayo.co
Host: Ryan Estes
Topic: Building a marketplace that pays users to use less social media

🧠 Key Takeaways

• Dayo’s Mission: Reduce screen time by rewarding users with daily credits redeemable for products.
• Unique Model: Incentivizes non-action—logging off instead of engaging.
• Mental Health First: Designed around APA guidance and Surgeon General warnings.
• Reward System: $5/day earned by staying under 30 minutes on selected apps.
• Brand Marketplace: Features top-tier DTC brands (e.g., JBL, Patagonia) and Portland-based businesses.
• Revenue Model: Affiliate margins on redemptions, future plans for Dayo debit card and credit system.
• Traction: 5,000+ users, top 10 on Product Hunt, fully organic launch.

📊 Frameworks Discussed

The Dayo Flow

1. Segment User: Why do they want to reduce screen time?
2. Track Behavior: Apple API monitors usage of selected apps.
3. Behavioral Nudge: Screen pops up after 30 minutes with a reminder.
4. Marketplace Redemption: Redeem earned credits for discounted products.
5. Behavioral Science: Inspired by studies on reward incentives.

Capitalism for Good Framework

• Tool ≠ Outcome: AI and social media can be constructive or destructive based on intention.
• Restorative vs. Extractive: Dayo offers a restorative economic model.
• Reasonable Tech: Encourages boundaries, not abstinence.

🔗 Resources & Mentions

• Download Dayo App
• Corey on LinkedIn
• Corey on Instagram
• APA Social Media Study
• Sweatcoin
• BlueSky Social
• Book Mentioned: Stolen Focus by Johann Hari

🎯 SEO Tags

Dayo app, social media detox, screen time tracking, reward-based app, attention economy, Corey Scholibo, startup founder podcast, AI and social media, mental health tech, Product Hunt fintech

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Redefining spreadsheets with AI: David Kircos of Quadratic

🔑 Key takeaways

• Quadratic brings AI directly into spreadsheets, letting users analyze, manipulate, and visualize data with natural language and Python.
• Unlike black-box chatbots, Quadratic builds transparent methods of analysis, giving users visibility into every formula and line of code.
• Quadratic integrates with databases, PDFs, CSVs, and tools like HubSpot or Google Analytics, making advanced data analysis accessible to anyone.
• AI-powered code generation will soon be the norm. Quadratic lets non-coders interact with data using a full-featured Python environment.
• With 100K users and growing, Quadratic's growth is fueled by product-led virality and influencer marketing.

🧠 Frameworks & product features

1. Method-based AI insight generation

• Instead of vague answers, Quadratic builds a method—formulas, Python, and charts you can audit and adjust.
• Update a number and watch the entire analysis dynamically adjust in real time.

2. integrated spreadsheet + code editor

• Edit Python directly alongside spreadsheet cells.
• Use AI to generate or modify code, with full visibility and control.

3. product-led virality

• Real-time multiplayer collaboration with shared links.
• Use-case-driven growth (product managers, marketers, analysts) leads to peer-to-peer adoption inside teams.

📚 Resources & links

• Try Quadratic – Free and Pro plans available
• Follow David on X
• Betaworks – Early backer
• Catapult Ventures – Lead pre-seed investor
• Google Ventures – Institutional investor

💼 About the guest

David Kircos is the co-founder and CEO of Quadratic, an AI-powered spreadsheet tool for data analysis. With a background in app development, neobanks, and data science, David is on a mission to help teams better understand their data through transparent, AI-assisted workflows.

📊 pricing & use cases

• Free Plan: Robust access for solo users
• Pro Plan: $18/user/month billed annually
• Use Cases: Startup metrics, P&L review, CRM segmentation, product analytics, AI-powered spreadsheet modeling

🔍 keywords

ai spreadsheets, quadratic ai tool, david kircos interview, best spreadsheet for data science, python spreadsheets, google sheets alternative, ai financial analysis, startup data tools, ai product founders, chat with data, spreadsheet automation with ai

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🔑Key takeaways

• AI has evolved from passive assistant to autonomous agent—comparable to a teenager ready to act independently.
• Full autonomy may lead to better outcomes in advertising, medicine, and driving—by removing human bias and delays.
• Traditional creative agencies are being replaced by scalable, AI-powered platforms that eliminate human bottlenecks.
• Omneky democratizes growth and creativity through accessible AI tools for ad generation and omnichannel distribution.
• With Omneky, campaigns can be launched using just a single paragraph—no platform logins or manual dashboards.

🧠 Frameworks & ideas

1. Agentic AI model

• Now: Human-in-the-loop copilot systems
• Future: Fully autonomous agents optimizing in real time
• Impact: More efficient, less error-prone marketing execution

2. Omnichannel campaign brief

• Input: One paragraph (audience, budget, creative)
• Process: AI maps the brief to each ad platform’s API
• Output: Cross-platform campaign live in minutes

3. build vs. buy vs. leverage

• Startups focus on outcomes, not control
• Use APIs and open-source tools when possible
• Build proprietary tech only where it truly adds value

📚 resources

• Omneky Website
• Contact Hikari Senju – [email protected]
• Connect on LinkedIn
• Village Global
• Richard Socher on 20VC

💼 About the guest

Hikari Senju is the founder and CEO of Omneky, a generative AI platform that creates and launches personalized ad campaigns at scale. A Harvard-trained computer scientist, he combines machine learning expertise with a deep passion for creative technology. His mission is to empower entrepreneurs and make high-performance advertising accessible for everyone.

Keywords:

AI advertising, omneky, hikari senju, ad automation, generative ai, ai campaign tools, podcast marketing, founder-led growth, startup advertising ai, omnichannel ad software

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🎙️ AI for Founders – Vibe Coding in Real Time: Building a Podcast Follow-Up App

Host: Ryan Estes
Guest Collaborator: Fernanda (live co-build)

📌 Episode Summary

This episode of AI for Founders captures a live "vibe coding" session where Ryan and Fernanda attempt to build Follow-Up—an AI podcast companion that listens in real-time and suggests meaningful, context-aware follow-up questions.

From hallucinated transcripts to real-time transcription APIs, the session dives into the technical and creative process of building a bionic assistant for podcasters. Along the way, they explore how conversational AI could soon become a whisper-in-your-ear coach for interviews, meetings, and everyday life.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Follow-Up helps podcast hosts stay present while surfacing better questions to ask.
• Tool was built on Lovable.ai using just a few prompts.
• Main challenge: Hallucinated transcripts from mock data.
• Solution: Integration with live transcription services like AssemblyAI.
• Vision for a bionic future where AI aids in real-time conversation dynamics.

🧠 Frameworks & Ideas

1. Vibe Coding

• Rapid prototyping using AI prompt chaining
• UI/UX selection based on functionality and feel

2. Bionic Tools for Founders

• Real-time suggestions via wearables and earbud integrations
• Applications in podcasting, networking, investor meetings

3. Prompt Refinement Strategy

• Test real-time vs. batch audio processing
• Clarify hallucination issues upfront
• Iterate sequence of prompts for better outputs

🛠️ Tools & Resources Mentioned

• Lovable.ai – AI app builder
• AssemblyAI – Real-time transcription API
• OpenAI Whisper – Open-source transcription engine
• Deepgram – Alternative transcription API with high accuracy
• Roost Stand – Laptop stand by James Olander (mentioned)

🔍 SEO Keywords

AI podcast tools, real-time transcription, AssemblyAI, OpenAI Whisper, follow-up question AI, podcast app builder, vibe coding demo, podcast automation, AI interviewer, bionic tools for podcasters

👀 Watch This Episode If You Want To:

• Learn how to build apps live using AI
• Understand how to fix hallucinations in AI transcription
• Explore how podcast tools are evolving with AI
• Get a sneak peek at bionic communication assistance

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🎙️ AI for Founders – Featuring Liz Giorgi of soona.co

Episode Title: Scaling Content Creation for E-Commerce: Liz Giorgi on Building soona and Embracing AI

Host: Ryan Estes
Guest: Liz Giorgi, Co-Founder & CEO of soona.co

📌 Episode Summary

In this episode, Ryan speaks with Liz Giorgi, founder of soona.co, a visual content creation platform for e-commerce brands. Liz shares how she bootstrapped the MVP, raised $56M over four rounds, and built a platform serving over 25,000 brands.

They explore how AI tools are helping marketers save time, how sacred creative rituals like writing fuel her leadership, and what it takes to build a scalable product that feels personal and approachable.

🧠 Key Takeaways

• soona helps e-commerce brands create scalable photo and video content—fast, high-quality, and affordable.
• Liz raised $56M and bootstrapped the first year using funds from a prior business sale.
• GPT Workspace is her go-to AI companion for writing and email workflows.
• Bulk Crop, a soona AI feature, allows users to crop thousands of images with content-aware automation.
• Pricing: $13/month + pay-per-content. You only pay for what you want to keep.
• Modern marketers are overwhelmed. soona aims to simplify workflows and align incentives.
• Liz writes weekly memos and protects sacred creative time—no AI involved.
• Being vulnerable and telling your founder story in public builds trust, community, and momentum.

🧩 Frameworks Discussed

• Iterative vs Generative Creativity: Humans are generative; AI is best at iteration.
• Sacred Work Time: Identify what parts of your work are worth protecting from automation.
• Content for Scale: Leverage tools like soona to offload production without losing quality or control.

🔗 Resources & Tools

• soona.co – Visual content creation platform for e-commerce brands
• GPT Workspace – Google Workspace AI companion
• Kitcaster – Podcast guest booking for founders
• Liz Giorgi on LinkedIn
• @ceolady on TikTok – Liz’s daily thoughts on e-commerce, small business, and leadership

🔍 SEO Keywords

ecommerce content creation, AI marketing tools, Liz Giorgi soona, AI photo editing, scalable content for ecommerce, gpt workspace for Gmail, ecommerce AI tools, founder podcast 2024, startup growth stories, affordable brand content

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In this episode of AI for Founders, host Ryan Estes explores how founders can build an audience they truly own—beyond the limitations of social platforms. This session, recorded live, introduces five frameworks for creating consistently and converting your audience into community and product.

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• Own the audience: Email, website, podcast feed
• Email list: Direct and permission-based connection
• Website: Full control, testing ground, and content hub
• Podcast: High-trust deep engagement
• Personal branding matters: Drives conversions, valuations, and investor interest

• Start by identifying an underserved audience
• Engage consistently to build trust and feedback loops
• Co-create and validate a product after you've earned trust

• Pick a medium you enjoy (writing, podcasting, video, etc.)
• Test for 90 days before judging success
• Stay aligned with trending formats (e.g., short-form video)

• Trigger inspiration through activities (walks, podcasts)
• Capture ideas using Apple Notes or TwoApps
• Build rituals and block time for creation

• Set clear, measurable goals
• Track engagement and adjust formats
• Don’t judge your work until you’ve published 100 times

• Pick one primary objective (e.g., email subs or revenue)
• Review every 30–90 days to track progress

• Spiral – AI writing platform with voice training
• TwoApps – Idea capture for creatives
• Milled – Newsletter discovery engine

• Spotify for Podcasters – Free podcast hosting with video support
• Descript – AI podcast and video editor
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🎙️ AI for Founders: Building Voice AI with Nikhil Gupta of Vapi.ai

Guest: Nikhil Gupta, Founder & CEO of Vapi.ai

Host: Ryan Estes

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Vapi.ai helps developers build real-time, voice-first AI agents with ultra-low latency.

• Raised $20M Series A after launching profitably and going through Y Combinator.

• Voice AI is becoming the default interface for businesses replacing outdated IVR systems.

• Use cases include AI receptionists, customer support agents, and local business tools.

• Future trend: AI agents talking to other AI agents to solve real-world tasks faster.

• Current favorites: JuiceBox (recruiting), Superhuman (auto-tagging), Deep Research (creative and consumer search).

• AI fear: Reinforcement learning agents seeking power to achieve goals.

🧩 Frameworks from the Episode

What Makes a Product “AI-First”

• LLM, vision, and voice inputs built natively into UX

• Automation of subtle features like smart tags and dynamic UI changes

• “One-button” interfaces wrapping full multi-modal workflows

Building Scalable Voice AI

• Streaming audio in 20ms packets for real-time feedback

• Developer-first APIs + tooling

• Voice-specific nuance: disfluency, tone, emotional recognition

Voice AI in Practice

• IRS-style phone agents

• Restaurant reservation bots

• Personal AI memory tools like be.computer

• Agent-to-agent conversations powered by voice APIs

🔧 Tools & Resources Mentioned

• Vapi.ai – Voice AI developer platform

• JuiceBox – AI-powered recruiting

• Superhuman – AI-enhanced email experience

• Deep Research via ChatGPT

• bee.computer – Continuous voice-based memory

• Y Combinator – Startup accelerator

• Kitcaster – Podcast booking for funded founders

👥 Who This Is For

• Startup founders building AI-native apps

• Developers building vertical SaaS with voice

• Product designers exploring voice UX

• AI-curious creators and indie hackers

💬 Try Vapi.ai

➡️ Visit vapi.ai and click “Talk to Vapi” to test the voice AI agent yourself.

📫 Connect with Nikhil

• LinkedIn: Nikhil Gupta

• Website: vapi.ai

🎙️ AI for Founders: Building Secure AI Tools (Part 2 with Peter Holcomb)

Guest: Peter Holcomb – AI Governance Expert, Founder of Optimal IT
Host: Ryan Estes

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Start with Governance: Define security and compliance standards before adopting or building AI tools.
• Prompt Injection is Real: A top risk per OWASP; design with defenses in place.
• Test Before You Launch: Use red/blue team testing to secure your tool pre-market.
• Legal vs. Guardrails: Terms of service help, but secure code is better protection.
• Cross-Team Governance: Security, Legal, Privacy, and Engineering should all contribute.

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Guest: Peter Holcomb, IT Security Leader, Fractional CISO, and Founder of Optimo IT

Host: Ryan Estes

Presented by: Kitcaster.com

Key Takeaways:

• The Productivity vs. Privacy Dilemma — AI can drive massive productivity gains—but companies must weigh those gains against serious privacy, security, and ethical risks.
• The Real Risks of AI Right Now — Algorithmic bias, data breaches, hallucinations, and poor access controls are among the top concerns. Always sanitize inputs and outputs.
• Stop Feeding Sensitive Info to Chatbots — Don’t input PII or PHI into commercial LLMs unless using secure, enclaved systems.
• RAG + LLMs = Security Headaches — RAG improves outputs but opens up new API and access control vulnerabilities.
• Time Machine Hypothesis — Data input today could resurface in dangerous ways tomorrow without stronger regulations.
• Guardrails Are the New Gold — Autonomous agents are rising. Governance and real-time red teaming are critical.
• Bots vs. Bots — Cybersecurity is evolving into automated battles between defensive and offensive AI agents.
• Tools to Know —
  • Tesson.ai: AI guardrails and red teaming
  • Hackaverse.ai: Security testing arena for AI tools
• Optimo IT’s Governance Approach — Risk assessments, red teaming, and guardrails to secure proprietary AI use.
• The Human Element — AI will always need humans in the loop to keep things aligned, ethical, and on track.

Mentioned Links:

• Kitcaster – Book Podcast Interviews
• Tesson.ai – AI Security Platform
• Hackaverse.ai – Red Team Arena
• Optimo IT – Peter Holcomb on LinkedIn
• NIST AI RMF Framework
• EU AI Act Overview
• ISO/IEC 42001 – AI Management Systems
• RAG (Retrieval Augmented Generation) Explained

Next Week:

We’ll bring Peter back for Part 2, assuming the AI overlords let us finish the conversation this time. Until then—stay curious, stay cautious, and don’t feed your social security number to Skynet.

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AI for Founders: Vibe Policy, Data Sovereignty & Causal AI with Jake Sanders

About the Episode:

In this episode, Ryan and Jake dig into how AI is influencing real-world decisions — from Trump’s new tariffs to future healthcare tech. They explore how AI is shaping policy, the importance of data ownership, and what comes next with causal AI.

Key Takeaways:

• Trump’s Tariffs and AI: Some economists believe AI-generated prompts may have influenced U.S. tariff policy. Source: The Verge
• AI as Truth Detector: GPT can generate believable nonsense — but it can also help detect it.
• Vibe Policy: We're seeing decisions based more on perception and emotion than facts.
• The Fairness Instinct: Our sense of fairness may be hardwired — AI doesn’t share that instinct. Frans de Waal's research
• Data Sovereignty: Your data powers today’s tech economy. It should belong to you, not tech giants.
• Causal AI: The next wave of AI won’t just guess what’s happening — it’ll help explain why. Learn more at epistemology.com
• Healthcare and AI Bias: AI health tools could use biased or incomplete data that misses key groups. Source: Apple Health AI

Mentioned Experts:

• Jake Sanders
• Peter Cranstone – Inventor of Do Not Track & SSL
• James Ward (Dan AU)

• kitcaster.com

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