40% Hate-Rate: The Secret GTM of the Most Viral Founder in YC W25
About this episode
Zach from Adam discusses the engineering of virality and the challenges of launching in the AI CAD space.
Most founders think they need a perfect product to launch. Zach from Adam proved that virality is a choice, but it comes with a price tag you might not be ready to pay. In this episode of The Lobster Talk, we sit down with Zach, the founder of Adam (YC W25), an AI-native CAD platform. We go behind the scenes of his multiple viral launches, why he regrets using a waitlist, and the terrifying realization that vertical AI agents might be losing the war to general-purpose models. What you’ll learn: How to engineer virality by being "opinionated" and "divisive." The technical shift from domain-specific co-pilots to generalist agents. Why "always be launching" is the only GTM strategy that matters in 2026. The nightmare of managing 30k leads and email deliverability. Predictions for the state of CAD and manufacturing by 2031. 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters: 00:00 Anything Can Launch 00:31 YC Roaster Ad Break 01:11 Meet Zach From Adam 01:50 AI CAD Explained 04:01 Agents And Model Moats 07:07 Model Agnostic Or Replaced 10:14 Competition In AI CAD 11:32 Selling Into Enterprises 16:24 Engineering Virality 18:31 Marketing That Doesn’t…
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