Agentic

Bigger AI models dominate the headlines—but what if the real breakthrough lies in making AI smaller?In this episode, I sit down with Ramin Hasani, Alexander Amini, and Daniela Rus—who are at the helm of Liquid AI—to discuss how their approach challenges conventional architectures and unlocks new frontiers for AI deployment.Also on the docket:• Ramin explains how insights from a microscopic worm led to a novel AI model.• Alexander breaks down why Liquid AI operates efficiently on local devices—without compromising modality.• Daniela exposes a critical flaw in today’s AI incumbents and why efficiency is the next major battleground.We also unpack all things DeepSeek—its implications for OpenAI, Meta, and enterprises scaling private AI. 00:00 Introduction02:03 Meet the Co-Founders03:01 The Birth of Liquid Neural Networks06:28 Applications and Impact of Liquid AI09:38 The Worm Model and Its Significance16:05 Mathematical Foundations and Breakthroughs24:29 Scaling AI for Real-World Applications28:05 Edge Computing and AI29:58 Future Prospects and Use Cases31:36 The Commoditization of AI Models32:22 Liquid AI: Reducing Intelligence Costs to Zero32:53 Diverse Applications of AI33:43 Case Studies and Real-World Examples38:05 The Impact of Deep Seek on the AI Ecosystem44:13 Advice for Aspiring AI Founders45:40 The Importance of Technical and Non-Technical Collaboration51:03 Ramin's Journey from Scientist to Entrepreneur53:31 Liquid AI's Vision for 202555:10 Conclusion and Future Prospects

AI agents will drive the next wave of automation—but only if they stop breaking. In this episode, I’m joined by Alex Reibman, Adam Silverman, and Braelyn Boynton, the powerhouse team behind Agency. Together, they’re tackling the toughest challenges in AI agent development, from failure recovery to debugging and slashing operational costs. In this episode: • Alex reveals why today’s AI agents break in unpredictable ways—and how Agency is solving it. • Adam unpacks OpenAI’s latest agent release and its ripple effects across the ecosystem. • Braelyn explains how they’re standardizing agent development, lowering barriers for builders everywhere. Let’s dive in. Connect with us here: 1. Alex Reibman- https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-reibman-67951589/ 2. Adam Silverman- https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamsil/ 3. Braelyn Boynton- https://www.linkedin.com/in/braelyn-boynton-75911974/ 4. George Bandarian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgebandarian/ 5. Untapped Ventures: https://www.linkedin.com/company/untappedventures/ 00:00 Trailer 01:31 Welcome to the Agentic Podcast 02:00 Meet the Founders of Agency AI 03:03 The Origin Story of Agency AI 03:31 Challenges and Solutions in AI Agent Development 04:24 Understanding the AI Ecosystem 04:53 Backgrounds of the Founding Team 09:55 The Evolution of AI Agents 18:46 Enterprise Use Cases for AI Agents 21:22 Innovative Applications of AI Agents 29:25 Building an Agentic Process for VC 32:52 Task Generation and YAML Prompting 33:23 Modifying and Scaling Agents 35:34 AgentOps and Prompt Engineering 39:23 Fundraising Journey and Lessons 43:53 Future Vision and Developer Ecosystem 46:47 Advice for Founders and Engineers 54:28 Hackathon Strategy and Community Building 01:02:36 Concluding Thoughts and Final Advice

The insurance industry has a 400,000 agent shortage. I sat down with Harper's founders, who use agentic AI to deliver enterprise-grade service at 1/10th the cost. Dakotah Rice and Tushar Nair revealed how they're leveraging the $85B E&S market: • voice AI running quotes to claims • why selling AI tools failed, but becoming a broker worked • how they're hitting software margins in a services business As insurance carriers exit Florida and California, Harper couldn’t have come at a better time. Connect with us: Dakotah Rice: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dakotahrice/ Tushar Nair: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tushar-nair-b08988222/ Harper: https://www.linkedin.com/company/harperinsure/ George Bandarian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgebandarian/ Untapped Ventures: https://www.linkedin.com/company/untappedventures/ 00:00 Trailer + Introduction 04:33 Dakota's Journey to Founding Harper 05:18 Tushar's Background and Expertise 06:06 The Genesis of Harper 06:38 Challenges and Opportunities in AI-Driven Insurance 13:08 The Evolution of Harper's AI Systems 13:21 Technical Insights into Building AI Agents 16:01 The Future of AI in Insurance 17:36 Advice for Aspiring AI Founders 19:55 Focusing on the ENS Market 22:05 Scaling and Expanding Harper's Services 25:37 Innovative Sales Solutions for Insurance 26:14 Customer Acquisition and Marketing Strategies 27:42 Voice AI: Revolutionizing Customer Interaction 30:15 Leveraging AI for Enhanced Customer Service 33:02 Future of AI in Business Operations 35:49 Fundraising and Business Growth Insights 40:39 Advice for Founders: Building and Scaling Startups 46:16 Co-Founder Dynamics and Relationship 50:08 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

With $90B poured into AI over the past year, where is the focus going to be in 2025? I spoke to four top investors to find out. 1. Yipeng Zhao (Embark Ventures) believes AI offers a one-year head start. Fast GTM wins. Slow movers risk irrelevance. 2. Hari Arul (Khosla Ventures) has stopped backing co-pilots altogether. His take? Human-in-loop models won’t survive past 2026. 3. James Shecter (Fika Ventures) says enterprises need the illusion of control over their AI workflows. 4. Nicole Toussaint (TenOneTen Ventures) sees the “Scopely moment” for AI agents approaching fast — and soon, market entry will outweigh engineering breakthroughs. Tune in now. Connect with us at: 1. Yipeng Zhao: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yipengzhao/ 2. Hari Arul: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hariarul/ 3. James Shecter: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesshecter/ 4. Nicole Toussaint: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicole-toussaint-2874a1106/ 5. George Bandarian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgebandarian/ 6. Untapped Ventures: https://www.linkedin.com/company/untappedventures/

As we transition into agentic models, it’s evident there’s a blend of optimism and caution. In this panel discussion, I was joined by Jon Chu (Khosla Ventures), Pranav Reddy (Conviction), Andrew Brackin (Gradient), Arash Afrakhteh (Pear VC), Alejandra Vergara (Bee Partners), and Nahim Nasser (Georgian) as we explored: • why agentic AI will drive systemic shifts across various industries • the need to define scalable, high-impact use cases for agent-driven solutions • shifting dynamics of human-machine interaction • how agentic AI is advancing in parallel with LLMs • why regional disparities and emerging foundation models could profoundly shape future progress, and • how value will accumulate for vertical companies beyond the API Let’s jump right in. 00:00:00 Trailer 00:02:13 Introduction 00:11:47 Current State of AI 00:21:00 Investment Insights and Startup Pitfalls 00:30:49 Vertical vs Horizontal 00:42:09 Evaluating Business and Team Dynamics 00:51:19 Different ways to look at AI 00:58:06 The AGI Landscape 01:01:17 Outro Connect with us here: 1. Jon Chu- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jchu/ 2. Pranav Reddy- https://www.linkedin.com/in/pranavgreddy/ 3. Andrew Brackin- https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewbrackin/ 4. Arash Afrakhteh- https://www.linkedin.com/in/arasha/ 5. Alejandra Vergara- https://www.linkedin.com/in/alejandra-vergaral/ 6. Nahim Nasser- https://www.linkedin.com/in/nahimnasser/