Building With AI

In this episode of Building With AI, host Hamza Choudery sits down with Quentin Clark, Managing Director at General Catalyst. Drawing from his extensive background, including senior engineering and product roles at Microsoft and serving as CTO at SAP and Dropbox, Quentin offers a privileged perspective on the latest wave of AI.

He provides an insightful breakdown of the modern AI stack—covering hardware, foundation models, platforms, and applications—and shares his bets on where value will accrue.

During the episode, they discuss:

• Reimagining AI-native workflows,
• The “ChatGPT moment,"
• Challenges with enterprise AI adoption,
• Competition between incumbents and startups,
• Advice for product teams building AI-powered applications,
• And much more!

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[00:00] Up next: 

[00:52] Episode introduction 

[01:51] Autoblocks: AI Optimization Platform 

[02:17] Quentin's introduction

[07:41] The “ChatGPT moment" 

[25:48] The modern AI stack 

[35:57] The future of AI in software engineering 

[41:43] Competition between incumbents and startups 

[46:57] Navigating non-determinism in AI

[49:37] The foundation model layer: API vs. open-source

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Brought to you by Autoblocks (https://www.autoblocks.ai/) — how product teams deliver better AI experiences.

—

Building with AI is a weekly podcast featuring conversations with top AI product builders and leaders. Through thoughtful dialogue, host Hamza Choudery (Co-founder of Autoblocks) uncovers tactical insights that help listeners build & scale world-class AI products.

—

Subscribe to Building With AI:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/bwai
• X: https://twitter.com/buildingwith_ai

Where to find Quentin Clark:

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/quentin-clark/
• X: https://x.com/quentinclark

Learn more about General Catalyst:

• Website: http://generalcatalyst.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/general-catalyst/
• X: https://x.com/generalcatalyst

Where to find Hamza Choudery:

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamzachoudery
• X: https://twitter.com/hamzachoudery

Learn more about Autoblocks:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/
• X: https://x.com/AutoblocksAI

Akilesh grew up watching his dad, an oncologist, slog over tedious documentation tasks. Inspired by his father and their shared vision of a Jarvis-like assistant for doctors, he dove into the intersection of healthcare and AI.

During the conversation, they discuss:

• His experience training custom NLP,
• How DeepScribe responded to the “ChatGPT moment,”
• The importance of AI evaluation and testing,
• The future of DeepScribe and Ambient AI,
• And much more!

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[00:00] Up next: [00:56] Episode introduction

[02:04] Autoblocks: AI Optimization Platform

[02:29] Akilesh’s introduction

[05:42] How LLMs Revolutionized NLP Development

[08:57] How does DeepScribe work?

[13:32] How DeepScribe responded to the ChatGPT moment

[20:18] How to choose the right LLM evaluation technique

[22:01] Building the ultimate AI product team

[24:32] DeepScribe's approach to evaluating at scale

[27:40] Challenges of building with non-deterministic systems

[29:01] DeepScribe's go-to-market strategy

[32:25] The future of DeepScribe and ambient AI

[36:40] Regulatory considerations for health tech companies

[38:48] DeepScribe's product roadmap

[40:42]  DeepScribe's feedback loop

[42:29] Opportunities in health tech

[44:14] Akilesh's hottest AI take

[49:23] Open source vs. foundation models

—

Brought to you by Autoblocks (https://www.autoblocks.ai/) — how product teams deliver better AI experiences.

—

Building with AI is a weekly podcast featuring conversations with top AI product builders and leaders. Through thoughtful dialogue, host Hamza Choudery Choudery (Co-founder of Autoblocks) uncovers tactical insights that help listeners build & scale world-class AI products.

—

Subscribe to Building With AI:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/bwai
• X: https://twitter.com/buildingwith_ai

Where to find Akilesh Bapu

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/akileshbapu/
• X: https://x.com/akileshbapu

Learn more about DeepScribe

• Website: https://www.deepscribe.ai
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/deepscribe/
• X: https://x.com/DeepScribeAI

Where to find Hamza Choudery:

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamzachoudery
• X: https://twitter.com/hamzachoudery

Learn more about Autoblocks:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/
• X: https://x.com/AutoblocksAI

In this episode of Building With AI, Haroon Choudery is joined by Dan Dayon, the founder of Readwise - a platform that enhances memory retention from reading by providing an all-in-one solution for managing digital content. Last year, Readwise ventured into the world of AI by launching Ghostreader, their AI reading assistant.

During the episode, Dan talks about:

• UI/UX challenges he faced when designing AI products,
• The feature that unexpectedly became a fan favorite,
• Readwise's plans for the future,
• Automating "bullshit jobs,"
• And much more!

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[00:00] Up next: 

[00:58] Episode introduction 

[02:09] Autoblocks: AI Optimization Platform 

[02:34] Dan’s introduction 

[04:44] Readwise's journey 

[15:56] Building traditional features vs. AI features 

[23:25] Why Readwise won't build a chat feature 

[27:46] The fan favorite feature 

[31:18] Readwise's plans for the future 

[40:11] Dan's "BS jobs" advice

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Brought to you by Autoblocks (https://www.autoblocks.ai/) — how product teams deliver better AI experiences.

—

Building with AI is a weekly podcast featuring conversations with top AI product builders and leaders. Through thoughtful dialogue, host Haroon Choudery (Co-founder of Autoblocks) uncovers tactical insights that help listeners build & scale world-class AI products.

—

Subscribe to Building With AI:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/bwai
• X: https://twitter.com/buildingwith_ai

Where to find Dan Dayon:

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielfdoyon/
• X: https://twitter.com/deadly_onion

Learn more about Readwise:

• Website: https://readwise.io
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/readwise/
• X: https://twitter.com/readwise

Where to find Haroon Choudery:

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haroonchoudery/
• X: https://x.com/haroonchoudery

Learn more about Autoblocks:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autoblocks/
• X: https://twitter.com/AutoblocksAI

In this episode of Building With AI, host Haroon Choudery is joined by Naveen Rao, VP of GenAI at Databricks. Naveen is a serial entrepreneur who established the first AI chip company, which he sold to Intel in 2016. He then founded MosaicML in 2020, which was acquired by Databricks for $1.3 billion last year.

During the episode, he shares:

• MosaicML’s jobs to be done,
• Why MosaicML teamed up with Databricks,
• The economics of training AI models,
• Advice for teams building with AI,
• And much more!

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[00:00] Up next: 

[00:51] Episode introduction 

[01:40] Autoblocks: AI Optimization Platform 

[02:06] Naveen's Introduction 

[05:17] Naveen's experience scaling AI products 

[06:52] Why we need to scale AI 

[11:40] MosaicML's jobs to be done 

[14:09] Why did MosaicML team up with Databricks? 

[18:24] LLMs 101 

[24:47] The economics of training AI models 

[28:11] Training a new model vs. adapting a general model 

[30:51] The shelf life of AI models 

[34:33] A look into DSPy 

[41:11] The challenges of DSPy 

[43:59] Techniques and architectures that excite Naveen 

[47:58] Advice for teams building with AI

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Brought to you by Autoblocks (https://www.autoblocks.ai/) — how product teams deliver better AI experiences.

—

Building with AI is a weekly podcast featuring conversations with top AI product builders and leaders. Through thoughtful dialogue, host Hamza Choudery Choudery (Co-founder of Autoblocks) uncovers tactical insights that help listeners build & scale world-class AI products.

—

Subscribe to Building With AI:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/bwai
• X: https://twitter.com/buildingwith_ai

Where to find Naveen Rao:

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/naveen-rao-bba5b01/
• X: https://twitter.com/naveengrao

Learn more about Databricks:

• Website: https://www.databricks.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/databricks/
• X: https://twitter.com/Databricks

Where to find Hamza Choudery:

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamzachoudery
• X: https://twitter.com/hamzachoudery

Learn more about Autoblocks:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/autoblocks/
• X: https://twitter.com/AutoblocksAI

In this episode of Building With AI, host Hamza Choudery is joined by Vinod Khosla, the Founder of Khosla Ventures and a renowned technologist. Vinod has played a key role in Silicon Valley's history and is currently at the forefront of the latest wave of AI adoption as the first investor in OpenAI.

During the conversation, they discuss:

• Vinod's philosophy on risk,
• Advice for entrepreneurs building with Al,
• Open-source vs. API models,
• The Al race between the US and China,
• And much more!

—

[00:00] Up next: 

[00:44] Episode introduction

[01:45] Autoblocks: AI Optimization Platform

[02:11] Vinod's introduction

[04:50] Building a techno-optimist worldview

[07:45] How do you become a visionary?

[12:44] Vinod’s manifesto

[16:36] The power of risk

[19:27] AI in the Khosla household

[22:54] AI’s impact on industries

[24:43] Insights into a successful product team

[26:21] Current opportunities in AI

[29:10] The AI race between the US and China

[33:00] Predictions on the AI race

[36:55] The future of vertical specific models

[38:34] Balancing dependencies and innovation

[40:00] AI as a reasoning engine

[44:08] The role of data in AI’s evolution

[47:02] Vinod’s hottest AI takes

[49:43] Vinod’s biggest motivation to get up

—

Brought to you by Autoblocks (https://www.autoblocks.ai/) — how product teams deliver better AI experiences.

—

Building with AI is a weekly podcast featuring conversations with top AI product builders and leaders. Through thoughtful dialogue, host Hamza Choudery (Co-founder of Autoblocks) uncovers tactical insights that help listeners build & scale world-class AI products.

—

Subscribe to Building With AI:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/bwai
• X: https://twitter.com/buildingwith_ai

Where to find Vinod Khosla:

• X: https://twitter.com/vkhosla

Learn more about Khosla Ventures:

• Website: https://www.khoslaventures.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/khosla-ventures/
• X: https://twitter.com/khoslaventures

Where to find Hamza Choudery:

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hamzachoudery
• X: https://twitter.com/hamzachoudery

Learn more about Autoblocks:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/
• X: https://twitter.com/AutoblocksAI

In this episode of Building With AI, host Haroon Choudery is joined by Phil Vander Broek, Co-founder and CPO, and Karthik Sethuraman, a staff engineer at Dopt. Phil and Kathrik transitioned Dopt from a traditional SaaS platform to one that uses AI for in-product education and onboarding, leading to the launch of AI Assist earlier this month.

During the conversation, they discuss:

• How Dopt adopted GenAI,
• Multimodal models vs. traditional LLMs,
• Guiding principles for AI-powered UX,
• The biggest technical challenge of developing AI Assist,
• Phil and Karthik's great learnings from building AI products,
• And much more!

—

[00:00] Up next: 

[00:51] Episode introduction 

[02:03] Autoblocks: AI Optimization Platform 

[02:56] Phil and Karthik's introduction 

[04:58] How Dopt adopted GenAI 

[11:11] Multimodal models vs. traditional LLMs 

[16:03] All things Dopt AI Assist 

[22:53] Guiding principles for AI-powered UX 

[26:28] The biggest technical challenge in developing AI Assist

[30:03] Phil and Karthik's valuable insights from building AI products

[35:21] AI Assist outcomes: iteration & experimentation 

[36:48] The future of AI Assist 

[39:41] What is AI Assist? 

[42:32] Phil and Karthik's hottest AI take

—

Brought to you by Autoblocks (https://www.autoblocks.ai/) — how product teams deliver better AI experiences.

—

Building with AI is a weekly podcast featuring conversations with top AI product builders and leaders. Through thoughtful dialogue, host Haroon Choudery (CEO of Autoblocks) uncovers tactical insights that help listeners build & scale world-class AI products.

—

Subscribe to Building With AI:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/bwai
• X: https://twitter.com/buildingwith_ai

Where to find Phil Vander Broek:

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philipvanderbroek/
• X: https://twitter.com/philvb

Where to find Karthik Sethuraman:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karthikramen/
• X: https://twitter.com/karthikramen

Learn more about Dopt:

• Website: https://www.dopt.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/dopt/
• X: https://twitter.com/usecapitol

Where to find Haroon Choudery:

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haroonchoudery/
• X: https://twitter.com/haroonchoudery

Learn more about Autoblocks:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/
• X: https://twitter.com/AutoblocksAI

In this episode of Building With AI, the host, Haroon Choudery, welcomes Shaun Modi, the CEO and Co-founder of Capitol AI. Shaun began his career as a UX designer at Google and an industrial designer at NASA. In 2014, he established his own design firm and launched over 50 products. He’s since founded Capitol AI, a knowledge engine and content generation platform that creates impactful stories. 

During the conversation, they discuss: 

• Capitol AI's ethos,
• The product velocity imperative,
• Moving to open-source models,
• Why you should have a social layer to your platform,
• The monetization dilemma for startups,
• And much more!

—

[00:00] Up next: 

[00:37] Episode introduction 

[01:45] Autoblocks: AI Optimization Platform 

[02:38] Shaun's introduction 

[04:36] The role of design in Shaun's life 

[08:38] Capitol AI's ethos 

[11:24] How to stand out in a radical space 

[16:47] The product velocity imperative 

[19:19] David vs. Goliath in AI 

[21:34] How to benefit from feedback 

[24:31] Shaun's advice for building with AI 

[28:29] Moving to open-source models 

[30:59] Why you should add a social layer to your platform 

[34:17] The monetization dilemma for startups 

[35:50] Sneak peek into Capitol AI 

[39:18] The exciting future of GenAI 

[43:14] Shaun's hottest AI take

—

Brought to you by Autoblocks (https://www.autoblocks.ai/) — how product teams deliver better AI experiences.

—

Building with AI is a weekly podcast featuring conversations with top AI product builders and leaders. Through thoughtful dialogue, host Haroon Choudery (CEO of Autoblocks) uncovers tactical insights that help listeners build & scale world-class AI products.

—

Subscribe to Building With AI:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/bwai
• X: https://twitter.com/buildingwith_ai

Where to find Shaun Modi:

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaunmodi/
• X: https://twitter.com/ShaunModi

Learn more about Capitol AI:

• Website: https://www.capitol.ai
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/capitolai/
• X: https://twitter.com/usecapitol
• Capitol's demo: https://www.capitol.ai/story/0cbf7b6e-8ab2-4e91-b96d-7e677e7283dd

Where to find Haroon Choudery:

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haroonchoudery/
• X: https://twitter.com/haroonchoudery

Learn more about Autoblocks:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/
• X: https://twitter.com/AutoblocksAI

In this episode of Building With AI, host Haroon Choudery is joined by Tereza Tizkova, the Founding Member and Head of Growth and Community at e2b. Tereza's journey took her from a non-technical position as a Consultant at McKinsey to a pivotal role at e2b. The platform offers secure, sandboxed cloud environments for AI agents and AI apps.

During the conversation, they discuss:

• Trust, safety, and the challenges of building agents,
• The ingredients for reliable AI agents,
• How e2b creates safe playgrounds,
• The challenges of running agents locally,
• The buzz around multi-agent collaboration,
• And much more!

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[00:00] Up next: 

[00:37] Episode introduction 

[01:40] Autoblocks: AI Optimization Platform 

[02:33] Tereza's introduction 

[03:56] What are AI agents? 

[06:43] Trust, safety, and the challenges of building agents 

[13:05] The ingredients for reliable AI agents 

[14:37] How e2b creates safe playgrounds 

[17:00] The challenges of running agents locally 

[18:12] The inception of e2b 

[19:04] How customers shape agents 

[22:40] The 2025 vision 

[26:52] The future of e2b 

[28:15] The buzz around multi-agent collaboration 

[32:56] Tereza's ultimate recommendation for frameworks

—

Brought to you by Autoblocks (https://www.autoblocks.ai/) — how product teams deliver better AI experiences.

—

Building with AI is a weekly podcast featuring conversations with top AI product builders and leaders. Through thoughtful dialogue, host Haroon Choudery (CEO of Autoblocks) uncovers tactical insights that help listeners build & scale world-class AI products.

—

Subscribe to Building With AI:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/bwai
• X: https://twitter.com/buildingwith_ai

Where to find Tereza Tizkova:

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tereza-tizkova-568439174/
• X: https://twitter.com/tereza_tizkova

Learn more about E2B:

• Website: https://e2b.dev
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/e2b-dev/
• X: https://twitter.com/e2b_dev

Where to find Haroon Choudery:

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haroonchoudery/
• X: https://twitter.com/haroonchoudery

Learn more about Autoblocks:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/
• X: https://twitter.com/AutoblocksAI

In this episode of Building With AI, host Haroon Choudery is joined by Yasser Elsaid, Founder of Chatbase. After facing unexpected layoffs in his industry, Yasser transformed adversity into opportunity by creating Chatbase. This innovative AI product, now doing $3M in ARR, empowers companies to develop custom chatbots for their websites, revolutionizing customer interactions.

During the conversation, they discuss:

• If a simple AI "wrapper" is enough to succeed,
• How Chatbase stands out in a crowded space,
• How to combat AI hallucinations,
• The inner workings of Chatbase's RAG system,
• How to create a thriving product community,
• And much more!

—

[00:00] Up next: 

[00:49] Episode introduction 

[01:48] Autoblocks: AI Optimization Platform 

[02:41] Yasser’s introduction 

[03:20] The big tech offer 

[05:20] The first mover advantage 

[07:10] From first mover to long-term player 

[09:01] Is a simple AI "wrapper" enough to succeed? 

[10:55] How Chatbase stands out in a crowded space 

[12:53] How Chatbase combats AI hallucinations 

[15:56] The inner workings of Chatbase's RAG system 

[21:57] The biggest problem Chatbase faces 

[23:42] Moving up in the market 

[26:25] Biggest lessons from programming AI products 

[28:42] How Chatbase created a thriving product community 

[32:47] Biggest opportunities and challenges in AI

[37:22] Yasser's hottest take on AI

—

Brought to you by Autoblocks (https://www.autoblocks.ai/) — how product teams deliver better AI experiences.

—

Building with AI is a weekly podcast featuring conversations with top AI product builders and leaders. Through thoughtful dialogue, host Haroon Choudery (CEO of Autoblocks) uncovers tactical insights that help listeners build & scale world-class AI products.

—

Subscribe to Building With AI:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/bwai
• X: https://twitter.com/buildingwith_ai

Where to find Yasser Elsaid:

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yasserelsaid
• X: https://twitter.com/yasser_elsaid_

Learn more about Chatbase:

• Website: https://www.chatbase.co
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/chatbase-co/

Where to find Haroon Choudery:

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haroonchoudery/
• X: https://twitter.com/haroonchoudery

Learn more about Autoblocks:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/
• X: https://twitter.com/AutoblocksAI

In this episode of Building With AI, host Haroon Choudery is joined by Otto von Zastrow-Marcks, Founder and CEO of Midpage. Otto's journey from robotics to legal tech was motivated by the challenges lawyers encounter early in their careers. With Midpage, he introduced a generative AI platform designed to assist US lawyers in research and case drafting.

During the conversation, they discuss:

• Why auto-completion is difficult to carry out in legal tech,
• How Midpage turns snippets into arguments,
• Building the right UI/UX,
• The biggest challenge of working with non-deterministic code,
• The future of legal tech,
• And much more!

—

[00:00] Up next:

[00:11] Episode introduction

[01:08] Autoblocks: AI Optimization Platform

[02:01] Otto’s introduction

[03:22] Lawns to law: Why this Otto went into legal tech

[04:47] Midpage's Job To Be Done (JTBD)

[05:50] Otto's 'Aha!' moment

[07:01] Why auto-completion is difficult to carry out in legal tech

[08:42] How Midpage turns snippets into arguments

[11:41] Building the right UI/UX

[13:33] The tech stack behind Midpage

[15:43] Midpage's approach for effective retrieval

[19:36] The future of UI

[22:28] How startups can build an edge

[25:21] The biggest challenge of working with non-deterministic code

[27:36] The future of legal tech

[32:05] Otto's hottest AI take

—

Brought to you by Autoblocks (https://www.autoblocks.ai/) — how product teams deliver better AI experiences.

—

Building with AI is a weekly podcast featuring conversations with top AI product builders and leaders. Through thoughtful dialogue, host Haroon Choudery (CEO of Autoblocks) uncovers tactical insights that help listeners build & scale world-class AI products.

—

Subscribe to Building With AI:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/bwai
• X: https://twitter.com/buildingwith_ai

Where to find Otto von Zastrow :

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/otto-von-zastrow-marcks-631b74113/
• X: https://twitter.com/OttoZastrow

Learn more about Midpage:

• Website: https://www.midpage.ai
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/midpage/
• X: https://twitter.com/OttoZastrow

Where to find Haroon Choudery:

• Linkedln: https://www.linkedin.com/in/haroonchoudery/
• X: https://x.com/haroonchoudery

Learn more about Autoblocks:

• Website: https://www.autoblocks.ai/
• X: https://twitter.com/AutoblocksAI