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

The YC Demo Day almost turned investors away at the door — and that might’ve been the point. In this behind-the-scenes breakdown, Gabriel Jarrosson (Lobster Capital) and Laurie dissect the most exclusive Demo Day yet, revealing why this Spring 25 batch could be the best in years.

We explore YC's most AI-heavy cohort, debate sky-high valuations, and uncover what separates a good startup from a breakout unicorn.

You’ll learn:

Why YC Spring 25 had a record 0.8% acceptance rate

What caused Demo Day chaos at the YC office

How to evaluate traction vs hype in early AI startups

Why some investors are restructuring funds just to get into YC

How to get allocation in oversubscribed rounds

Gabriel’s method for revenue due diligence during Demo Day

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

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to Lobster Talks: Behind the Scenes of YC Spring 25 Demo Day

00:21 The Unique Challenges of This Year's Demo Day

02:50 Impressive Stats and Trends from the Spring Batch

04:30 The Growing Influence of AI in YC Startups

09:03 Investor Insights and Revenue Due Diligence

15:33 Evaluating Founders and Early Traction

18:07 The Darwinian Approach to Startup Evolution

18:41 Revenue as the Ultimate Proof of Success

21:13 Navigating Competition and Investor Strategies

21:48 The European Angle and Hot Deals

23:12 Valuation Challenges and Investor Decisions

25:27 The Role of Media and Networking in Investment

26:40 High Valuations and Future Growth

32:16 Follow-On Strategies and Growth Metrics

35:22 Conclusion 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/@UCahCIZ9KfmeK4rLosGNYpdg

He was getting sued. Now his startup helps millions fight back — and win.

In this founder-first, no-fluff conversation, George Simons breaks down how SoloSuit is dismantling a $3.5B legal industry — one lawsuit at a time. From bootstrapped beginnings and courtroom chaos to SEO-powered growth and AI-driven debt settlement, this episode is a crash course in building a business with compounding advantages and real-world impact.

What you’ll learn:

Why 90% of debt lawsuits are lost by default — and how SoloSuit flips the script

How George bootstrapped his first product in law school using free court data

The tactical role of SEO, YouTube, and content marketing in scaling user acquisition

How AI is being used to mediate settlements and unlock trust in the legal system

The business model shift that brought both debtors and collectors onto the same platform

Why growing “slow and steady” might be the best path to building a unicorn

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

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to The Lobster Talks

00:29 Introducing George Simons and Solo Suit

00:54 How Solo Suit Helps Consumers

02:52 The Evolution of Solo Suit's Services

04:08 The Legal Landscape and Solo Suit's Impact

07:20 Solo Suit's $4,700 Giveaway

09:55 Navigating Legal Challenges and Building Relationships

16:58 Customer Acquisition Strategies

25:02 Early Success and First Customers

25:29 Implementing Payment Systems

26:49 Growth and Customer Base Expansion

28:42 Business Strategy and Philosophy

30:06 Sustaining and Scaling the Business

36:52 Future Vision and AI Integration

42:01 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

🎧 Listen on the go:

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

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

What if your non-technical team could ship code overnight?

In this fast-paced Lobster Talks roundtable, Gabriel Jarrosson sits down with Samraaj Bath (Ion Design) and Agree Ahmed (Flowglad) to unpack “Vibe Coding”—the AI-powered workflow that lets designers, PMs, and marketers iterate on real code. They clash over misconceptions, debate the future of frontend engineers, spin our Hot Take Wheel, and stake bold predictions on where AI will reshape product teams.

In this episode you’ll learn:

Why “non-technical” teams touching code isn’t what you think

The real risks and rewards of design-first velocity

How AI is the “combine-tractor” moment for software engineers

Whether VCs should demand a design audit before writing checks

The one debate you need to have about skipping design thinking

Bold “Future Bets” on the next must-have AI design workflow

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

00:00 Introduction to No-Code Revolution

00:29 Meet the Experts: Samra and Agree

03:02 Debating Vibe Coding and Non-Technical Teams

04:47 Engineering Principles and AI's Impact

09:15 The Future of Vibe Coding in Organizations

11:19 AI-Driven Changes in Team Dynamics

14:33 Challenges and Opportunities in AI Tooling

19:44 The Role of Designers in an AI-First World

28:23 The Future of Design Roles in Startups

31:33 Hot Take Wheel: No-Code Tools and Front-End Engineers

33:38 VCs and Design Audits: A Necessary Step?

36:36 Vibe Coding and Startup Defensibility

44:45 Future Bets: AI-Driven Design Workflows

52:01 Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Us

🎧 Listen on the go:

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

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