Founders in Arms

Matt Loszak is the co-founder and CEO of Aalo Atomics, building factory-manufactured small modular nuclear reactors designed to power AI data centers. In just 18 months, Aalo has grown from 2 people to 50 employees with a 40,000 square foot factory and a completed full-scale non-nuclear reactor prototype. What you'll learn: How Aalo's liquid metal cooled reactors could transform clean energy produ...

Severin Hacker, co-founder and CTO of Duolingo, joins Immad Akhund and Raj Suri to unpack how Duolingo became the world’s most engaging education platform. They explore how Duolingo leverages AI to personalize learning, the company's obsession with retention, and why relentless experimentation is at the heart of its product strategy.  Severin also shares insights on building a mission-driven...

In this founders-only episode of Founders in Arms, Immad Akhund and Raj Suri analyze Meta's aggressive acquisition playbook alongside other major tech developments reshaping the industry landscape. The conversation begins with how Zuckerberg's "buy or get crushed" approach to acquisitions leaves founders with an impossible choice: accept a lucrative buyout or face ruthless competition. They note h...

In this episode of Founders in Arms, Immad Akhund and Raj Suri speak with Dan Hobbs, co-founder and CEO of Protex AI, a company using computer vision to identify safety risks in warehouses and factories before accidents happen. Dan shares his journey from bootstrapping his first startup (where he survived on store-brand Rice Krispies for three weeks) to building a 70-person team serving Fortune 50...

In this episode, Jay Shah joins Immad and Raj to talk about his new startup, Poppy —a screenless, AI-native phone designed for kids. He shares what led him to pivot from enterprise SaaS to building hardware in his basement, why he believes kid-first tech needs a rethink, and how intentional design can create healthier relationships with technology. Jay reflects on lessons from BufferBox, the reali...

In this episode of Founders in Arms, Immad Akhund and Raj Suri speak with Ryan Petersen, co-founder and CEO of Flexport, about the recent implementation of 104% tariffs on Chinese imports. Ryan shares insights on how businesses are responding to this trade crisis, strategies for supply chain adaptation, and the broader implications for US-China commerce. The conversation explores how Flexport is h...

"Schools try really hard to do all these jobs equally well for all kids, and it's a completely impossible task." ClassDojo CEO Sam Chaudhary shares how his education platform reached 50 million students by making the counterintuitive decision to spend seven years building a network before monetizing. In this revealing conversation with Immad Akhund and Raj Suri, Sam explains why education companie...

"The bar was really low in banking—we're not talking rocket science here. We built a product that reached a reasonable standard." Mercury CEO Immad Akhund reveals how a focus on solving basic user experience problems enabled his company to secure a $300M Series C at a $3.5B valuation. In this revealing episode, Hiten Shah (founder of Crazy Egg, KISSmetrics, and Nira—acquired by Dropbox) joins Raj...

Are we mentally prepared for what happens when intelligence becomes an abundant resource rather than a scarce one? Hosts Immad Akhund (Mercury CEO) and Raj Suri (Lima/Tribe co-founder) welcome back Paul Buchheit—Gmail creator and former Y Combinator partner—for our most requested follow-up episode. Together they dive into how exponentially increasing intelligence will transform our civilization, w...

"The worst thing you can do is hire executives," declares Auren Hoffman in this eye-opening conversation about startup talent strategy.  As a successful founder turned investor, Auren brings a unique dual perspective on how to build elite teams, properly compensate founders, and navigate fundraising. He reveals why he deliberately structures Flex Capital to do two seed investments per week, a...

Being small isn't a disadvantage—it's your superpower.  Just one provocative sentiment from this episode that challenges conventional startup wisdom and delves into the mindset behind entrepreneurial success. Waseem Daher brings insights from his journey across three successful startups—KSplice (acquired by Oracle), Zulip (acquired by Dropbox), and now Pilot, where he recently transitioned fr...

How do you build a sustainable AI business when investors are throwing money at anything with "AI" in the pitch deck?  This episode brings together Jesse Zhang (Decagon AI CEO), Immad Akhund (Mercury CEO), and Raj Suri (Lima/Tribe co-founder) for a strategic conversation that centers on the business challenges of building an enterprise AI company that can sustain beyond the current hype cycle...

Why do even the most sophisticated tech investors often shy away from biotech? It often seems like an impenetrable maze of regulations, clinical trials, and complex science. Enter Hannu Rajaniemi, who brings a refreshingly clear perspective to the world of biotech. As both the CEO of Helix Nanotechnologies and a bestselling science fiction author, he bridges the gap between cutting-edge science an...

What happens when the ultimate startup veteran joins a 3,000-person company?  In this gripping episode, Mercury CEO Immad Akhund and serial founder Rajat Suri sit down with serial entrepreneur Hiten Shah (Crazy Egg, KISSmetrics, Nira, sold to Dropbox) for a candid conversation about founder identity over the course of an entire career.  Get practical insights on choosing the right custom...

As founders of VC-backed startups face tough choices between down rounds and running out of cash, Jesse Tinsley is turning unprofitable startups profitable at incredible speed by tossing out the typical M&A playbook. Jesse is a prominent entrepreneur and investor in the HR technology and recruitment industry. He is Founder and CEO of multiple successful companies, including  Employer.com...

Join Immad Akhund and Raj Suri as they dive deep into the implications of DeepSeek and the rapidly evolving AI landscape with Richard Price, founder and CEO of  Academia.edu . The conversation explores the fascinating shift in AI development costs, with DeepSeek challenging assumptions about the resources needed to build frontier models. Richard shares insights about  Academia.edu 's wor...

Join Raj Suri as he sits down with Jeevan Kalanithi, co-founder and CEO of OpenSpace AI, to explore the revolutionary impact of computer vision technology in construction and beyond. From his early days at MIT Media Lab to founding innovative startups, Jeevan shares insights on how OpenSpace is transforming construction site management through spatial AI and 360-degree documentation. Discover why...

Join Mercury CEO Immad Akhund and Lima & Tribe co-founder Raj Suri as they explore tech's evolving relationship with politics. From Biden's "tech industrial complex" remarks to the changing power dynamics between tech companies and their employees, they discuss how the industry's traditional political neutrality is giving way to partisan alignment. The conversation delves into startup fundrais...

In a special episode to kickoff the New Year, Mercury CEO Immad Akhund and Lima co-founder Rajat Suri share personal reflections and industry predictions. From Raj's mission to revolutionize international talent recruiting through Lima to Immad's vision for expanding Mercury beyond startup banking, the conversation offers a candid look at their entrepreneurial journeys and goals. The discussion th...

What drives entrepreneurs to push boundaries is often a deep desire to leave a lasting mark on the world. In this episode, System 2 founder Dilan Dane joins Mercury CEO Immad Akhund and Lima co-founder Rajat Suri to explore how this entrepreneurial drive naturally extends into the realms of human potential and discovery. From his journey out of Sri Lanka to becoming a serial founder and biohacking...

Join Immad Akhund and Raj Suri as they dive deep with John Bicket, co-founder and CTO of Samsara and previously Meraki, into the rare feat of building two successful hardware-software companies. From turning MIT research into a cloud networking pioneer at Meraki to revolutionizing fleet operations at Samsara, John shares candid insights about the existential challenges of serial entrepreneurship,...

In this episode of Founders in Arms, Immad and Raj sit down with Daniel Kivatinos, founder of JustPaid and DrChrono. The group starts by sharing their startup war stories, including Raj's shocking tale of an intern-turned-criminal and Daniel's unconventional recruitment of a Chipotle employee. The discussion then delves into the complexities of healthcare in America, sparked by recent news of the...

In this wide-ranging conversation with Box CEO Aaron Levie, Immad and Raj dive deep into the intersection of technology, politics, and regulation. Levie shares candid insights about quiet quitting, what’s real about AI and crypto, and his thought-provoking views on government regulation. They explore the potential of DOGE (Department of Government Efficiency) and the delicate balance between regul...

In this episode of Founders in Arms, Raj sits down solo with Leonard Speiser, co-founder of Clover, to explore the intricacies of building and scaling hardware startups. Speiser shares the remarkable story of how Clover achieved what seemed impossible: developing enterprise-grade payment hardware from concept to production in just nine months, eventually processing over $300 billion in payments. H...

In this episode of Founders in Arms, Immad and Raj sit down with Wayne Crosby, a serial entrepreneur and former Google executive. They dive into Wayne's journey from his early startup Zenter (which became Google Slides) through his decade at Google, exploring how the tech giant's innovative culture shifted over time. The conversation spans Wayne's current venture OrgOrg, his decision to return to...