Guest: Ray Jang, Founder and CEO of Atria
Host: Ryan Estes, AI for Founders

Episode Summary

Ray Jang shares the story behind Atria, an AI-powered ad automation platform. After a painful realization on top of Mount Kinabalu, Ray pivoted his failing gaming startup into a high-growth adtech company that now ranks among the top in its category.

Key Takeaways

• Pivoted from gaming to adtech after identifying lack of growth as the core problem
• Early validation came from in-person interviews at global conferences
• Atria delivers real-time ad performance insights across TikTok and Meta
• Team culture built around ownership and no co-founder drama
• “Accelerate or die” is the startup mantra: ship value fast and often

Frameworks

• Accelerate or Die: Validate slowly, build fast
• Flywheel Thinking: Compound gains through repeatable systems
• Zero Attrition Culture: Empower team with ownership and clarity

Resources & Mentions

• Atria – AI-powered ad automation
• Mount Kinabalu – Startup origin site
• Acquired Podcast – Business podcast Ray recommends
• Epic Systems – Inspiration from Judy Faulkner
• Symbolic Systems at Stanford

More from this Episode

• aiforfounders.co
• ryanestes.info