Hosts:

Rob May — CEO & Co-founder, NeuroMetric

Anna Kirk — Chief of Staff, Nadia Partners

Ryan Eppley — Co-founder & CEO, Root Access

Guest:

Joe Dormani — Partner, Thomson Reuters Ventures

Episode Overview:

This week we sit down with Joe Dormani for a deep dive into AI investing, legal tech, and how enterprise adoption is really unfolding in the wild. We cover venture strategy, defensibility, the future of professional services, and whether the billable hour can survive AI. We also explore the cultural side of AI — including dating apps, RizzGPT, and Joe’s belief that “organic rizz is better than synthetic rizz.”

Segments & Key Topics:

• Joe’s career path across AI product, corporate strategy, and venture investing

• How Thomson Reuters Ventures evaluates companies in legal, tax, accounting, fintech, and compliance

• Build vs. buy vs. partner vs. invest — how enterprises make AI decisions

• Real-world AI adoption: what’s working and what still has friction

• Defensibility in AI: data, workflow depth, UX, and true IP

• The billable hour vs. an AI-native legal industry

• The rise of AI tool proficiency as a career skill

• Cultural AI: RizzGPT, dating-app AI, and generational shifts

• $300M+ seed for Periodic Labs, AMD vs. NVIDIA, and macro AI market dynamics

• NYC segment — our favorite calm spots in the city

Quotes:

“AI is a tool — proficiency and investment determine the outcome.”

“The billable hour may not survive an AI-first legal industry.”

“Organic rizz is better than synthetic rizz.”

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