What happens when you put a crypto veteran, a Xero co-founder, and a high-stakes lawyer on stage with a robot dog to debate the future of AI?

In this special panel from NZVC Portfolio Day, we dive into the "Agentic Future" with three experts operating at very different layers of the AI stack. We are joined by Bradley So (Principal at QCL), who is disrupting the legal billable hour; Philip Fierlinger (Co-founder of Xero and Upstock), who is automating supply chains; and Lane Rettig (Core Dev at NEAR Foundation), who is building the decentralized infrastructure to power it all.

From the "Minder, Finder, Grinder" theory of legal work to the 30-year journey of "AI Agents" starting at General Magic in 1992, this conversation cuts through the hype. The panelists debate whether AI is a job-killer or a productivity multiplier, the critical need for community-governed data sovereignty, and why New Zealand’s "scrappy" generalist mindset might be its biggest superpower in the AI era.

🤖 Robot Dogs & Real Tech: Kicking off with live robotics on stage

⚖️ Legal Disruption: Moving from "time billing" to "value billing" with AI

🛒 Supply Chain Agents: Turning messy emails into structured orders in one click

⛓️ Crypto x AI: Why we need community-governed AI infrastructure

📉 Job Market Myths: Why radiologists (and lawyers) are earning more with AI

🥝 The Kiwi Advantage: Why New Zealand is perfectly positioned for the AI revolution

Connect with the Guests:

Philip Fierlinger (Upstock): https://www.linkedin.com/in/fierlinger/

Lane Rettig (NEAR Foundation): https://www.linkedin.com/in/lane-rettig-32904b227/

Bradley So (QCL): https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-so-11042424/

Connect with NZVC & Hosts:

🔗Website: https://www.nzvc.co.nz

Mark Pavlyukovskyy - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavlyukovskyy/

Hendrik Remigereau - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hendrik-remigereau-09a03067/

Timestamps:

00:00 - Introduction

01:48 - Bradley So: AI Disrupting the Legal Industry

07:23 - Philip Fierlinger: From General Magic to Upstock

09:12 - Lane Rettig: NEAR Protocol & AI Infrastructure

14:13 - Is the Future Utopian or Dystopian?

18:14 - Will Lawyers Lose Their Jobs? (Minder, Finder, Grinder)

22:31 - How Upstock Uses AI for Supply Chain 2

7:27 - How Far Away Are True Autonomous Agents?

32:12 - Are Startups Hiring Less Because of AI?

If you enjoyed this deep dive into the future of AI and business, please hit the Like button, Comment with your thoughts on AI agents, and Subscribe for more insights from world-class founders!

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