What if you built a tool so powerful, it became the #1 repo on GitHub—twice?

That’s exactly what Daniel Farrell did with Onlook, an open-source AI-powered visual editor for code. From crashing Chrome extensions to crashing Hacker News, Daniel takes us through how he and his co-founder built momentum, community, and virality from nothing.

In this fast, founder-first conversation, we cover:

• How Onlook went from prototype to #1 GitHub repo

• Why Hacker News beat Product Hunt for traction

• The real benefits and tradeoffs of going open source

• How open source GTM can win enterprise customers

• What most people misunderstand about AI and design• Why taste, story, and community still matter more than code

📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews.

00:00 The Most Trending Repo in the World

00:16 Meet Daniel Farrell: Co-Founder of Onlook

00:59 The Vision Behind Onlook

01:57 Building the Prototype and Early Challenges

04:55 Finding the Perfect Co-Founder

11:57 The Open Source Journey

14:49 The Hacker News Effect

16:47 Global Impact and Community Building

19:40 The Importance of Open Source

24:31 Challenges of Maintaining a Community

25:00 Open Source Success Stories

25:21 The Super Base Playbook

26:33 Advantages of Open Source for Enterprises

33:42 Impact of AI on Design and Marketing Teams

42:25 Future Bets and Bold Predictions

48:00 Where to Find Onlook and Final Thoughts

Listen on the go:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP

Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm

My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GJarrosson

What if launching a tech startup was as easy as filling out a form?

Ben Collins, co-founder of Woz, joins Gabriel to unpack how his AI platform helps anyone — even non-technical founders — build full-stack software businesses. From betting against vertical SaaS to designing an AI cofounder you can trust, this conversation is a tactical deep dive into where startup creation is headed.

🔍 In this episode:

Why Woz pivoted away from a holding company model

What most AI-first code tools get totally wrong

How mobile-first enables higher quality standards

A unique approach to betting on future AI capability curves

The real reason most AI startups are failing users

📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews.

⏱ Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Scaling and Bottlenecks

00:18 Introducing Ben Collins and Woz

01:04 The Vision Behind Woz

03:43 The Founding Story

06:06 The Shift to a Platform Approach

08:53 Navigating the Competitive Landscape

12:39 Philosophical and Strategic Insights

17:02 The Mobile-First Strategy

25:34 The Journey to Product-Market Fit

27:15 Navigating Rapid Technological Changes

32:21 The Impact of Y Combinator

35:00 AI's Role in Scaling Service Businesses

36:42 Challenges for Non-Technical Founders

39:13 Bold Predictions and Future Bets

45:02 Exciting Announcements and Closing Thoughts

🎧 Listen on the go:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP

Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm

My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GJarrosson

YC isn't just about AI anymore — it's quietly becoming America’s new industrial engine. In this episode, Gabriel and Laurie break down how Y Combinator is doubling down on hardtech, defense, and energy — and why this matters more than ever.

From geopolitical risk to deep tech traction, we unpack how YC startups are shaping the future — and why top seed investors are scrambling to keep up. We also reveal how internal partner dynamics at YC shape which billion-dollar startups get funded.

🎙 This is your tactical, insider breakdown of what’s next for the world’s most important startup accelerator.

What you’ll learn:

* Why YC is going all-in on defense, energy, and hardware

* How LOIs and demo day results work for hardtech startups

* The “too late” moment for most seed investors trying to access YC deals

* Why YC group partners matter — and how to track them

* What the NextView “existential crisis” blog means for the seed market

* Which partners are shaping the S25 batch behind the scenes

📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews.

Chapters00:00 First Impressions and Initial Skepticism

00:36 Welcome to the Podcast

00:52 YC's New Request for Startups

01:57 YC's Hardware and Industrial Focus

07:08 The Importance of Energy and Defense

08:26 Political and Regulatory Considerations

14:27 Investing in Deep Tech and Hardware

20:15 Challenges in Seed Investing

21:25 The Impact of YC on Seed Investing

22:24 The YC Network and Its Influence

23:35 Challenges and Opportunities for Non-YC Investors

24:25 The Journey of Investing in YC

25:42 The Importance of Timing in YC Investments

29:39 Changes in YC Leadership

33:42 The Role of Group Partners in YC

37:35 Personal Experiences with YC Group Partners

39:30 Conclusion and Next Steps

🎧 Listen on the go:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAPApple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMmMy other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GJarrosson

What happens when a college student builds an AI tool that goes viral overnight — and changes how thousands of students study?

Summary:

In this episode of Lobster Talks, Gabriel sits down with David Yu, co-founder of YouLearn — the YC-backed AI tutor that transforms PDFs, class recordings, and YouTube videos into quizzes, notes, and a personal tutor. From a dorm-room side project to a viral social growth engine, this episode is packed with tactics, conviction, and bold bets on the future of learning.

You’ll learn:

How YouLearn hit 10,000 users in 24 hours from a single post

The exact tactics they used to blow up on Instagram and TikTok

Why most AI tools in education fail — and how YouLearn avoids it

The truth about retention, virality, and real product usage

How David thinks about AI hallucinations and data safety

What learning could look like in 2030 with Neuralink, glasses, and beyond

📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews.

Chapters:

00:00 Viral Launch on Social Media

00:20 Introduction to YouLearn

00:47 Meet the Founder: David Yu

01:09 The Birth of YouLearn

02:37 Early Challenges and Successes

05:09 Going Viral Again

05:45 Handling Rapid Growth

08:14 Maintaining Motivation

10:53 The Importance of Co-Founders

12:00 Transition to Full-Time

15:30 Iterating on the Product

18:36 Joining Y Combinator

21:04 Investor Skepticism Towards YC

21:49 Misconceptions About Joining YC

22:33 Right and Wrong Reasons to Join YC

23:28 Maximizing YC Experience

25:08 Navigating YC with Existing Revenue

30:26 AI's Role in Education

31:48 Future of Learning with AI

34:05 Misconceptions About AI in Learning

35:10 The Evolution of Learning Tools

40:26 Final Thoughts and Future Prospects

🎧 Listen on the go:

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4m2K7ah

Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm

My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GJarrosson

What if your inbox didn’t just organize itself — it acted on your behalf?

Nizar Abi Zaher, founder of Zero, is building the AI-native email client that reads, replies, filters, and organizes without you lifting a finger. In this tactical, fast-paced conversation, we explore his path from Cal.com engineer to YC founder — and how he's going head-to-head with Superhuman.

From open-source strategies to voice-powered inboxes, Nizar breaks down how Zero is redefining email — and what it takes to ship fast, build in public, and stay top of mind.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why Zero was built around what people hate

• How YC pushed them to launch before they were ready

• How being open-source accelerates product velocity

• What Superhuman got wrong — and what Zero does better

• How social presence became their biggest moat

• What email looks like in 5 years (hint: voice + AI agents)

📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Zero: The AI-Powered Email Client

00:42 Meet the Founder: Nazar's Journey

01:24 The Problem with Email and Zero's Solution

02:56 Differentiating from Competitors

05:21 Rapid Development and Open Source Benefits

11:08 The Importance of Social Media Presence

14:57 Strategies for Effective Social Media Use

21:26 The Value of Authenticity on Social Media

24:07 The Importance of Onboarding

27:02 Launching and Iterating Quickly

29:31 Voice and Email Innovations

32:42 The Future of Email

40:57 The YC Experience and Final Thoughts

🎧 Listen on the go:

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4m2K7ah

Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm

My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GJarrosson

They didn’t sell to insurance brokers — they replaced them.

Dakotah Rice didn’t build AI tools for the industry. He built an AI-first insurance company — and now Harper is scaling faster than they can handle.

In this episode, Dakotah shares how Harper went from kitchen-table experiments to a high-growth, fully autonomous insurance brokerage. He breaks down the real bottlenecks, the AI architecture behind their workflows, and the bold bets that could reshape an entire industry.

What you’ll learn:

Why Harper ditched SaaS and chose vertical integration

How to embed engineers directly in operational workflows

The underrated bottlenecks to AI-first company scaling

Why relationships are overrated in insurtech

How to build trust with real-world customers — without mentioning AI

The real limits (and future) of fully autonomous firms

📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Harper and Dakota Rice

00:38 Dakota's Background and Harper's Mission

02:13 Challenges and Pivots in Building Harper

04:29 Entering Y Combinator and Scaling Up

06:19 The Importance of Workflow Understanding

13:17 Lessons from Past Failures

18:34 Vision for AI in the Future

21:51 Building Complex AI Systems

22:49 Human Element in AI Services

23:53 Customer Perception of AI

27:37 Scaling Challenges and Solutions

35:14 AI's Role in Future Business Models

37:58 Future Predictions and Industry Insights

42:46 Conclusion and Contact Information

🎧 Listen on the go:

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4m2K7ah

Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm

My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GJarrosson

What if a single AI voice agent could handle 100,000 calls a day and free up your entire support team?

Episode Summary:

In this episode of Lobster Talks, Gabriel sits down with Kevin Wu, founder of Leaping AI, to unpack how voice-powered AI is automating 50–70% of repetitive support calls, self-optimizing over time, and achieving 90% customer satisfaction. We dive into the origin story, technical stack, ROI metrics, human-in-the-loop safeguards, and bold predictions for 2030.

You’ll learn:

How Leaping AI began: from BCG ideation to the first major enterprise customer

The differentiator: combining voice AI with evaluation and self-optimization modules

Managing edge cases and human fallback to maintain 90% satisfaction

Tech stack overview: orchestration layer, Twilio, multiple TTS/ASR providers, LLMs

Calculating ROI and setting realistic metrics with weekly check-ins

Future bets: AI vs. human empathy, integration challenges, market structure by 2030

Practical advice for CX leaders overwhelmed by AI hype

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to Leaping AI with Kevin Wu

00:59 Kevin Wu's Journey and Inspiration

02:10 Winning the First Customer

02:41 Leaping AI's Unique Selling Points

03:59 Self-Improving AI Agents

05:17 Handling Edge Cases and Human Involvement

06:32 Early Days and First AI Call

07:33 Challenges and Continuous Improvement

09:00 Market Position and Competitor Insights

13:47 Customer Metrics and ROI

17:18 Technical Stack and Partnerships

19:09 Sponsor Message and Text-to-Speech Choices

19:32 The Best AI Voice Provider: Does It Exist?

21:10 Challenges in Voice AI for Sales

23:31 Implementing AI in Customer Support

25:37 Customer Reactions to AI

29:32 Future Predictions for AI in Customer Service

37:45 Getting Started with AI in Customer Service

📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews.

🎧 Listen on the go:

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4m2K7ah

Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm

My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GJarrosson

What if you could edit your face and voice like a Google Doc?

That’s exactly what Prady Modukuru is building at Sync—an AI company making video editing fully editable in post-production. No more re-recording. Just fix it like text.

In this high-velocity episode of Lobster Talks, we go deep on Sync’s origin story, how Prady and his team ship insanely fast, and why their AI-powered content tools are poised to redefine modern storytelling. It's a masterclass in product, research, and distribution.

🔑 You’ll learn:

Why the future of video is editable—not generative

How Sync’s AI makes lip-sync edits invisible

The secret to shipping faster than anyone else in YC

What most AI startups get wrong about growth

How content became Sync’s unfair advantage

The risks—and responsibilities—of powerful AI models

📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Lobster Talks

00:05 Meet Prade Moku and Sync

00:48 How Sync Revolutionizes Video Editing

02:49 The Journey and Growth of Sync

06:44 The Importance of Speed and Culture

12:44 Content Strategy and Its Impact

23:23 AI Modified vs. AI Generated Videos

25:43 Future of Video Editing

25:57 Challenges in Human Editing

27:55 AI in Video Production

28:18 Common Mistakes in AI Video Companies

30:58 Organic vs Paid Content

32:00 Content Creation and Distribution

38:10 Future of Small Content Teams

41:56 Risks and Ethical Concerns

49:21 Exciting Developments at Sync

50:34 Conclusion and Farewell

🎧 Listen on the go:

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4m2K7ah

Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm

My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@GJarrosson