Founders in Arms

Join Immad Akhund and Raj Suri as they dive deep into the implications of DeepSeek and the rapidly evolving AI landscape with Richard Price, founder and CEO of Academia.edu.

The conversation explores the fascinating shift in AI development costs, with DeepSeek challenging assumptions about the resources needed to build frontier models.

Richard shares insights about Academia.edu's work applying AI to academic research, while the trio discusses the geopolitical dynamics between China and the US in the AI race.

Through candid exchanges about synthetic data generation, regulatory challenges, and the future of human-AI integration, this episode offers a unique perspective on the advancing AI frontier from three tech leaders at the intersection of startups and artificial intelligence.

Join Raj Suri as he sits down with Jeevan Kalanithi, co-founder and CEO of OpenSpace AI, to explore the revolutionary impact of computer vision technology in construction and beyond.

From his early days at MIT Media Lab to founding innovative startups, Jeevan shares insights on how OpenSpace is transforming construction site management through spatial AI and 360-degree documentation.

Discover why Jeevan believes we're still in the early stages of a camera revolution that will reshape how we interact with physical spaces.

Whether you're interested in AI, tech for the physical world, or the future of spatial computing, this episode offers a compelling look at how computer vision is becoming an invisible but essential part of our world.

Join Mercury CEO Immad Akhund and Lima & Tribe co-founder Raj Suri as they explore tech's evolving relationship with politics.

From Biden's "tech industrial complex" remarks to the changing power dynamics between tech companies and their employees, they discuss how the industry's traditional political neutrality is giving way to partisan alignment.

The conversation delves into startup fundraising strategies, the importance of market size, and hard-earned lessons about the five-year journey to product-market fit.

Whether you're a founder navigating the VC landscape or interested in tech's growing political influence, this episode offers valuable insights from two seasoned entrepreneurs.

In a special episode to kickoff the New Year, Mercury CEO Immad Akhund and Lima co-founder Rajat Suri share personal reflections and industry predictions. From Raj's mission to revolutionize international talent recruiting through Lima to Immad's vision for expanding Mercury beyond startup banking, the conversation offers a candid look at their entrepreneurial journeys and goals. The discussion then shifts to the evolving landscape of crypto infrastructure with ZeroHash founder Edward Woodford. As a fellow British entrepreneur in America, Woodford shares invaluable insights on navigating regulated industries, the transformation of stablecoin technology, and the delicate dance of policy-making in Washington DC. From the intricacies of crypto compliance to the realities of building relationships on Capitol Hill, this episode provides a fascinating glimpse into the intersection of financial technology, regulation, and entrepreneurship in 2025.

What drives entrepreneurs to push boundaries is often a deep desire to leave a lasting mark on the world. In this episode, System 2 founder Dilan Dane joins Mercury CEO Immad Akhund and Lima co-founder Rajat Suri to explore how this entrepreneurial drive naturally extends into the realms of human potential and discovery. From his journey out of Sri Lanka to becoming a serial founder and biohacking enthusiast, Dane embodies the restless curiosity that characterizes many founders. The conversation weaves through cutting-edge longevity science, space exploration, and consciousness itself—revealing how the entrepreneurial impulse to build and transform doesn't stop at building companies, but extends to reimagining the very limits of human existence and our place in the universe.

Join Immad Akhund and Raj Suri as they dive deep with John Bicket, co-founder and CTO of Samsara and previously Meraki, into the rare feat of building two successful hardware-software companies. From turning MIT research into a cloud networking pioneer at Meraki to revolutionizing fleet operations at Samsara, John shares candid insights about the existential challenges of serial entrepreneurship, the discipline of testing product-market fit, and how to scale company culture while staying ruthlessly focused on customer impact. The conversation offers a unique window into what it takes to spot technological waves early and build enduring businesses in the challenging hardware-software space.

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In this episode of Founders in Arms, Immad and Raj sit down with Daniel Kivatinos, founder of JustPaid and DrChrono. The group starts by sharing their startup war stories, including Raj's shocking tale of an intern-turned-criminal and Daniel's unconventional recruitment of a Chipotle employee. The discussion then delves into the complexities of healthcare in America, sparked by recent news of the UnitedHealth CEO shooting, before transitioning into valuable insights about the M&A process. Daniel shares his experience selling DrChrono after 14 years, exploring the challenges of startup acquisitions, the role of investment bankers, and the evolving landscape of startup resources and information available to founders today.

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In this wide-ranging conversation with Box CEO Aaron Levie, Immad and Raj dive deep into the intersection of technology, politics, and regulation. Levie shares candid insights about quiet quitting, what’s real about AI and crypto, and his thought-provoking views on government regulation. They explore the potential of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) and the delicate balance between regulatory oversight and technological progress. 

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In this episode of Founders in Arms, Raj sits down solo with Leonard Speiser, co-founder of Clover, to explore the intricacies of building and scaling hardware startups. Speiser shares the remarkable story of how Clover achieved what seemed impossible: developing enterprise-grade payment hardware from concept to production in just nine months, eventually processing over $300 billion in payments. He discusses the innovative acquisition structure with KKR that allowed Clover to maintain startup agility while leveraging enterprise distribution, offering valuable insights for founders navigating corporate partnerships. Through candid discussions about hardware challenges, fundraising difficulties, and creative business models, this episode offers a masterclass in building transformative technology companies through unconventional paths.

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In this episode of Founders in Arms, Immad and Raj sit down with Wayne Crosby, a serial entrepreneur and former Google executive. They dive into Wayne's journey from his early startup Zenter (which became Google Slides) through his decade at Google, exploring how the tech giant's innovative culture shifted over time. The conversation spans Wayne's current venture OrgOrg, his decision to return to Y Combinator as an experienced founder, and transitions into a thoughtful discussion about the potential impacts of the upcoming Trump administration on technology, regulation, and innovation. The hosts and guest offer nuanced perspectives on everything from AI policy to defense tech startups, while sharing insights about how political changes might affect the startup ecosystem. The conversation provides startup wisdom and thoughtful analysis of the intersection between technology and politics.

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