Nabeel and Fraser debrief on GDC and the opportunities for innovation beyond the conservative approaches in an industry going through a funk. They touch on the experiences at the recent GDC, including the growth of AI in gaming and the recurring challenges faced by developers. The discussion also covers the competitive landscape of AI startups, the importance of stacking wins, and the nuanced differences between building games and software products. Notably, they highlight the intriguing possibility of a vibrant game creation ecosystem driven by new model capabilities and the compelling idea of making game creation itself a multiplayer experience.(00:00) - Introduction: Bridging the Gap in the Gaming Industry
(00:35) - GDC Week Highlights and Reflections
(01:41) - Challenges and Innovations in AI and Gaming
(03:50) - The Broken Ecosystem of Game Distribution
(07:45) - The Future of Game Development and Creativity
(19:59) - The Future of Multiplayer Coding
(21:09) - The Magic of New Capabilities
(22:07) - From Capabilities to Durable Products
(23:39) - Stacking Wins for Long-Term Success
(33:54) - Innovations in the Gaming Industry
--------
39:48
Building an Interestingness Leaderboard
We have evals for AI models, what about AI products? Today, Nabeel and Fraser talk about building computer games through vibe coding, and just when we might see a breakout success of an AI-built game. Through this discussion, they also explore what building a platform that curates weird AI experiments might look like, particularly one that builders could use for discovery and inspiration.
(00:00) - Ep. 33 - Do we need a leaderboard for AI products
(01:32) - Exploring Vibe Coding and Community Building
(03:41) - AI Gaming and Future Prospects
(07:36) - separate cross talk
(09:28) - Creating an AI Meta
(11:31) - Exploring AI Apps and Platforms
(15:10) - Building a Curated AI Product Platform
--------
20:00
Questions we’re asking of AI startups in 2025.
Today, Nabeel and Fraser tackle the questions they've been asking internally. What level of improvement would it take to disrupt an incumbent product? They also explore what advantages second movers have in product markets, the emerging importance of reasoning models and computer use products, and what makes certain legacy markets ripe for AI reinvention.
(00:00) - Intro
(01:28) - Can 10% better, year after year, win?
(10:43) - The questions we are asking
(11:11) - Second Mover Advantage
(26:55) - Exploring Deep Research and Competitors
(29:11) - The Future of Computer Use
(35:56) - AI as Muse: Enhancing Human Creativity
--------
52:08
Granola & The Art of Invisible AI - Christopher Pedregal
Nabeel and Fraser sit down for a round-table discussion with Chris Pedregal, founder and CEO of Granola, an AI note taking app, to discuss Granola’s evolution and product philosophy. Their conversation touches on the challenges of developing user-friendly AI products, and how to balance that with product vision. They also talk about what it’s like being a second-time founder, as well as if and when AI wearables will gain widespread adoption.
(00:00) - Christopher Pedregal - Granola & the Art of Invisible AI
(01:05) - Second time founder syndrome
(01:42) - The path to Granola
(04:13) - Starting by "playing"
(11:16) - The friend test
(12:25) - Product philosophy behind Granola
(16:25) - AI as Augmentor
(22:04) - Balancing beginner and expert users
(34:21) - Granola's Initial Launch and Challenges
(34:52) - Balancing Product Development and Market Fit
(35:58) - Where Granola is headed from here
(40:00) - Vertical AI vs. General Assistants, who wins where?
(42:44) - The Wisdom of Experts Era
(50:54) - AI passing judgement
(53:51) - Wearables role in AI
(01:00:25) - Social Dynamics and Privacy Concerns
(01:02:32) - The Need for New Norms and Labels
(01:03:01) - What else could be Granola-ized
--------
1:06:30
Distilling Lessons from AI in 2024
What lessons will we take from 2024's AI products into next year? How better to reflect on advancements in the field of AI over this past year than to ask AI itself? Today, Fraser and Nabeel use AI models like ChatGPT, Claude, and o1 to first look back and see if products and innovations of 2023 lived up to their hype in 2024. And to look at the show’s year in review, Nabeel puts these AI models to the test by feeding them episode transcripts and seeing which model produces a usable summary. Together, they also dive into the effectiveness of Google Gemini’s Deep Research tool, the rise of agentic computing in 2024, and whether products ever fundamentally change or just get constantly re-invented.
(00:00) - Introduction
(00:48) - Reflecting on a Year of AI Releases
(00:23) - The Rise of Agentic AI
(00:38) - Google Gemini’s Deep Research
(00:47) - Using AI Models to Review 2024 at Hallway Chat
(00:56) - The Role of Taste in Making Great AI Products
(00:06) - The Rollout of o1
(00:06) - WebSim - Self Expression Through Software
(00:36) - Same Products, Different Iterations
(00:39) - A Second Look at Apple Intelligence
(00:10) - Living Agentically with AI
(00:18) - Final Thoughts
Fraser & Nabeel explore what it means to build great products in this new world of AI.
Two former founders, now VCs, have an off-the-cuff conversation with friends about the new AI products that are worth trying, emerging patterns, and how founders are navigating a world that’s changing every week.
Fraser is the former Head of Product at OpenAI, where he managed the teams that shipped ChatGPT and DALL-E, and is now an investor at Spark Capital. Nabeel is a former founder and CEO, now an investor at Spark, and has served on the boards of Discord, Postmates, Cruise, Descript, and Adept.
It's like your weekly dinner party on what's happening in artificial intelligence.
Australia