Founder Real Talk

Notable Capital

This is Founder Real Talk, where we get real about the challenges that founders and startup executives face, and how they've grown from tough experiences. Hosted by Managing Partner Glenn Solomon. 

  1. Building the Browser Infrastructure for AI Agents with the Founder of Browserbase

    JUN 26

    Building the Browser Infrastructure for AI Agents with the Founder of Browserbase

    What happens when AI agents need to navigate the web just like humans do? In this episode, we sit down with Paul Klein, co-founder and CEO of Browserbase, to explore how browsers are becoming the critical infrastructure layer for AI-powered automation. Paul shares his journey from working at companies like Twilio and Mux to founding Browserbase, a platform that provides headless browser infrastructure for developers building AI agents that can interact with any website on the internet. Key Takeaways: Start with a burning problem: Paul emphasizes that startups should be a "means of last resort" — you should only start a company when you have a problem you absolutely must solveThe browser as AI primitive: As AI agents become more prevalent, browsers serve as a critical infrastructure layer for software to interact with websites that weren't designed for programmatic accessDeveloper experience is paramount: Drawing from his time at Twilio, Paul stresses the importance of creating "five-minute demos" and magical moments that help developers quickly understand the value propositionOpen source as a growth strategy: Browserbase open-sourced their Stagehand framework with an MIT license to build developer trust, enable customization, and accelerate adoptionEveryone becomes a developer: With AI coding tools, the line between technical and non-technical users is blurring, expanding the potential market for developer primitivesInternal messaging matters: One of the most important lessons from Jeff Lawson was the critical role of internal communication and all-hands meetings in building great infrastructure companiesFocus on the "boring" use cases: Rather than flashy applications like flight booking, Browserbase finds success in automating mundane, long-tail workflows that lack first-party integrationsLearn more about Browserbase: https://www.browserbase.com/ Read Paul’s memo that launched the idea for Browserbase: “An Internet Browser for AI” Where to find Paul Klein IV:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulkleiniv/  Twitter/X: @pk_iv Where to find Glenn Solomon:  LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennsolomon/  Twitter/X: @glennsolomon Where to find Dan Cahana: @dan_cahana LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dancahana/  Twitter/X:  Where to find Notable Capital:  www.notablecap.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/notablecapital  Twitter/X: @notablecap Contact: frt@notablecap.com

    38 min
  2. Protecting the Digital-Physical Divide: Nozomi’s Innovative Approach with Edgard Capdevielle and Andrea Carcano

    12/18/2024

    Protecting the Digital-Physical Divide: Nozomi’s Innovative Approach with Edgard Capdevielle and Andrea Carcano

    In this episode of Founder Real Talk, host Glenn Solomon speaks with Edgard Capdevielle, President & CEO and Andrea Carcano, Co-founder & CPO of Nozomi Networks. They dive into the journey of pioneering industrial cybersecurity, discuss their growth from a seed-stage startup to a global leader, and reflect on the innovative techniques that set them apart. From protecting critical infrastructures like the 2024 Paris Olympics to their "Jarvis"-like software framework, this episode unpacks lessons in building a world-class team, maintaining culture, and scaling globally. Edgard and Andrea share their future aspirations and the evolving landscape of cybersecurity. KEY TAKEAWAYS Early Focus on Mission Over Profit: Nozomi’s origin wasn’t about building a company but solving real-world industrial cybersecurity problems.Strategic Growth in Harsh Markets: Starting in heavy industries like oil, gas, and utilities gave Nozomi credibility and allowed for easier expansion into other verticals.Innovative Software Development: Their disciplined approach to architecture and agile methodologies ensures product scalability and adaptability.The Rise of Ransomware: Nozomi's solutions address critical vulnerabilities as ransomware reshapes how attackers monetize cyber incidents.Vision for Longevity: With a strong focus on sales efficiency and global expansion, Nozomi positions itself for long-term growth and potential IPO readiness. CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to Nozomi Networks 03:01 Founding Story and Early Challenges 05:54 The Importance of Team Dynamics 09:03 Growth and Market Potential 11:59 Product Development and Innovation 14:58 Understanding Industrial Control Networks 17:48 Securing High-Profile Events 20:54 The Rise of Industrial Cybersecurity 23:47 Building a Global Company 26:55 Maintaining Company Culture 29:58 Future Aspirations and Closing Thoughts RESOURCES Learn more about Notable Capital: www.notablecap.com Learn more about Nozomi Networks: https://www.nozominetworks.com  CONNECT Connect with Glenn Solomon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennsolomon/  Follow Glenn Solomon on Twitter: https://x.com/glennsolomon Connect with Edgard Capdevielle on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edgardcapdevielle/  Follow Edgard Capdevielle on Twitter: https://x.com/capdevielle  Connect with Andrea Carcano on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andreacarcano/  Follow Andrea Carcano on Twitter: https://x.com/andreacarcano  Produced by Saschi Productions Music by Gus Culpo

    44 min
  3. Building a Future-Ready AI Platform with Rich Waldron of Tray.ai

    12/11/2024

    Building a Future-Ready AI Platform with Rich Waldron of Tray.ai

    In this episode of Founder Real Talk, Glenn Solomon welcomes back Rich Waldron, CEO of Tray.ai. Rich discusses how the company recently rebranded from their original name, Tray.io to mark their intensified focus on integration and automation with AI. They discuss the challenges organizations face in adopting AI and the need to be fast, flexible, and safe. Rich shares insights on customer feedback, memorable moments in the company's journey, and valuable lessons for founders and IT leaders. KEY TAKEAWAYS: A Rebrand To Support On-Going Growth: After shifting the company from Tray.io to Tray.ai, the team has aligned on a significant pivot towards AI-driven integration.AI Integration Success: For successful AI implementation, it’s crucial for companies to align on data, agility, and security. Composable Tech Stacks: IT leaders should focus on building composable tech stacks to adapt to AI changes.CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to Tray.ai and Rich Waldron 01:26 The Rebranding Journey: From Tray.io to Tray.ai 05:02 Challenges of Integrating AI in Organizations 07:48 Tray.ai's Unique Value Proposition 10:15 Positioning as an AI-Ready iPaaS Platform 12:10 Product Evolution: Introducing Merlin and AI Palette 15:55 Speed and Agility in AI Implementation 17:53 Security Considerations in AI Projects 20:10 Customer Feedback and Adoption of AI Solutions 23:27 Memorable Moments in Tray.ai's Journey 27:39 Lessons Learned as a Founder 30:23 Advice for IT Leaders on AI Readiness 33:41 Rapid Fire Round: Fun Insights and Future Vision RESOURCES Learn more about Notable Capital: www.notablecap.com Learn more about Tray.ai: https://tray.ai/  CONNECT Connect with Glenn Solomon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennsolomon/  Follow Glenn Solomon on Twitter: https://x.com/glennsolomon Connect with Rich Waldron on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richwaldron/  Follow Rich Waldron on Twitter: https://x.com/richwaldron  Produced by Saschi Productions Music by Gus Culpo

    41 min
  4. Accelerating Cloud Development: The LocalStack Story

    11/12/2024

    Accelerating Cloud Development: The LocalStack Story

    In this episode of Founder Real Talk, host Glenn Solomon, Managing Partner at Notable Capital, sits down with LocalStack’s co-founders, Gerta Sheganaku and Waldemar Hummer, to discuss how LocalStack is revolutionizing the developer experience. LocalStack enables developers to emulate cloud environments on their local machines, drastically reducing testing times and costs while accelerating product development. Listen as Gerta and Waldemar share the journey behind LocalStack, from its humble beginnings as an open-source project to its growth into a full-fledged business with over 900 paying customers, including Fortune 100 companies. They dive into the unique challenges of cloud-based development, how LocalStack provides a faster alternative, and why speed in the development cycle—what they call “product velocity”—is crucial for innovation in tech. Glenn also explores why Notable Capital led LocalStack’s Series A funding and what makes LocalStack stand out in the crowded cloud development space. Key Topics Discussed: How LocalStack’s local cloud emulation tool saves time and cost for developersLocalStack’s journey from an open-source project to an enterprise-grade productGerta and Waldemar’s backgrounds and what led them to build LocalStackThe future of cloud development and how LocalStack plans to expand and innovate RESOURCES Learn more about Notable Capital: www.notablecap.com Learn more about LocalStack: www.localstack.cloud CONNECT Connect with Glenn Solomon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennsolomon/  Follow Glenn Solomon on X: https://x.com/glennsolomon Connect with Gerta Sheganaku on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gerta-sheganaku/ Follow Gerta Sheganaku on X: https://x.com/Sheg_Ge Connect with Waldemar Hummer on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/whummer/ Follow Waldemar Hummer on X: https://x.com/w_hummer Produced by Notable Capital Music by Gus Culpo

    18 min
  5. The Power of the Developer: How Jam Used Community to Scale with CEO Dani Grant

    09/27/2024

    The Power of the Developer: How Jam Used Community to Scale with CEO Dani Grant

    In this episode of Founder Real Talk, Glenn Solomon and Hans Tung welcome the Founder and CEO of Jam, Dani Grant. Jam is helping 150k builders fix bugs faster, trusted by 32 of the Fortune 100. The conversation explores Dani's journey from being a product manager at Cloudflare to founding Jam, the challenges of being a first-time CEO, and the role of AI in shaping the future of software development. They also discuss how to approach developers as a customer and the launch of Dev Starter Pack, a multi-company initiative aimed at supporting aspiring founders by making it easier to get started. KEY TAKEAWAYS: Fostering Efficient Collaboration: Jam accelerates communication between product and engineering teams, drawing inspiration from Dani Grant's experience at Cloudflare, while AI integration is a focus for future tools.Empathy and Community in Leadership: Dani emphasizes empathy in product development, highlights the importance of community in developer-focused companies, and leads by empowering her team while balancing control and trust.How Users Inform the Product Roadmap: How patience and user feedback are critical to reaching product-market-fit and how users can inspire your next great product idea.  CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction to Jam and Its Impact 02:25 Dani Grant's Journey and the Birth of Jam 05:47 The Dev Starter Pack: A Collaborative Initiative 08:41 AI's Role in Shaping Software Development 10:18 Building a Developer Community 15:54 Challenges of Being a First-Time CEO 19:56 Finding Product-Market Fit 21:36 Leadership Style and Team Dynamics 33:45 Commercialization Plans and Future Directions RESOURCES Learn more about Notable Capital: www.notablecap.com Learn more about Jam: https://jam.dev/  CONNECT Connect with Glenn Solomon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennsolomon/  Follow Glenn Solomon on Twitter: https://x.com/glennsolomon Connect with Hans Tung on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-tung/  Follow Hans Tung on Twitter: https://x.com/hanstung  Connect with Dani Grant on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danigrant/  Follow Dani Grant on Twitter: https://x.com/thedanigrant  Produced by Saschi Productions Music by Gus Culpo

    50 min
  6. AI's Trust Architects: The Patronus Approach to LLM-Based Applications and Enterprise Adoption with Anand Kannappan & Rebecca Qian

    07/16/2024

    AI's Trust Architects: The Patronus Approach to LLM-Based Applications and Enterprise Adoption with Anand Kannappan & Rebecca Qian

    In a world where enterprises are moving faster than ever to adopt generative AI solutions, Patronus AI offers solutions to scalably and reliably catch mistakes and evaluate the performance of large language models (LLMs).  In this episode of Founder Real Talk, host Glenn Solomon and guest host Dan Cahana sit down with AI visionaries and Patronus AI co-founders Anand Kannappan and Rebecca Qian to explore their journey from CS students at the University of Chicago to AI leadership roles at Meta and the reasons they felt compelled to start Patronus after recognizing the need for robust evaluation tools following the release of ChatGPT in late 2022. Anand and Rebecca illuminate the challenges enterprises face in adopting AI and the ways they’ve built Patronus to mitigate challenges like hallucinations and brand alignment. Against the backdrop of rapid AI adoption at large companies, the founders share their vision for creating the enterprise standard for unbiased, independent evaluations. KEY TAKEAWAYS AI Visionaries: Anand and Rebecca's extensive experience in AI and machine learning, including their time at Meta and the University of Chicago, laid the foundation for Patronus.Day -1 for AI: The founders see AI adoption as still being in the very early stages, describing it as "Day -1." Large companies are moving faster than ever to adopt AI technologies but face challenges in navigating the rapidly evolving landscape.Solving Critical AI Issues: Patronus addresses the challenges of LLMs, such as hallucinations, unexpected behavior, and brand misalignments, making AI deployment safer and more reliable for enterprises.API-First Approach: Patronus's API-first solution allows for seamless integration into various parts of the tech stack, offering flexibility and scalability for real-time and offline use cases.Enterprise Adoption: The rapid adoption of AI by enterprises, driven by the need for reliability and safety, highlights the importance and urgency of Patronus's solutions.Future of AI: Patronus describes “Scalable oversight" and how humans will learn to supervise increasingly intelligent AI systems RESOURCES • Learn more about Notable Capital: www.notablecap.com • Learn more about Patronus AI: https://www.patronus.ai/  CONNECT • Connect with Glenn Solomon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennsolomon/  • Follow Glenn Solomon on Twitter: https://x.com/glennsolomon • Connect with Dan Cahana on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dancahana/  • Follow Dan Cahana on Twitter: https://x.com/dan_cahana  • Connect with Anand Kannappan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anandnkannappan/  • Follow Anand Kannappan on Twitter: https://x.com/anandnk24  • Connect with Rebecca Qian on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccaqian/  • Follow Rebecca Qian on Twitter: https://x.com/rebeccatqian  Produced by Saschi Productions

    38 min
  7. Unlocking Developer Productivity: The Coder Journey with CEO Rob Whiteley and Co-founders Ammar Bandukwala & Kyle Carberry

    06/25/2024

    Unlocking Developer Productivity: The Coder Journey with CEO Rob Whiteley and Co-founders Ammar Bandukwala & Kyle Carberry

    In this episode of Founder Real Talk, Glenn Solomon welcomes the team from Coder, including CEO Rob Whiteley and technical co-founders Ammar Bandukwala and Kyle Carberry. They discuss Coder’s journey from its inception, the company’s product pivots, and its growth trajectory. Listeners will gain insights into how Coder enables developers to write code directly in the cloud, enhancing productivity and security. They’ll also learn about the strategic decisions behind Coder's open-source approach, the challenges faced, and the recent successful $35 million funding round. KEY TAKEAWAYS Shift to Cloud Development: Coder allows developers to write code natively in the cloud, improving productivity and security. This shift is akin to moving from old-school word processors to modern office suites.Open Source Evolution: The company pivoted from a consumer-focused SaaS application to an open-source project, resulting in the popular Code Server and later the Coder platform, which supports team-based remote development.Product Market Fit and Customer Adoption: Coder has achieved significant traction with large enterprises and tech companies by providing a product that enhances developer productivity while maintaining security.Strategic Leadership Changes: Bringing in Rob Whiteley as CEO and Josh Epstein as CRO helped Coder focus on large enterprises, leveraging their expertise in go-to-market strategies.Future Growth and Vision: Coder's recent $35 million funding round will support further development and expansion. The company aims to capitalize on opportunities in both the VDI market and the emerging generative AI tools sector.Tune in to hear how Coder's innovative approach is reshaping software development and their plans for the future. RESOURCES Learn more about Notable Capital: www.notablecap.com Learn more about Coder: www.coder.com CONNECT Connect with Glenn Solomon on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glennsolomon/ Follow Glenn Solomon on Twitter: https://x.com/glennsolomon Produced by Saschi Productions Music by Gus Culpo CHAPTERS 00:00Introduction to Coder and its Founders 02:54Evolution of Coder's Product and Business Model 05:07The Decision to Build Coder as an Open Source Company 08:14Building Code Server and Transitioning to Coder 10:23The Role of Open Source in Coder's Growth 13:16Justification for Coder in Different Customer Segments 15:20Bringing in a CEO and Building a Strong Culture 20:43Building the Go-to-Market Team and Strategy 22:28Future Opportunities in the Cloud Development Market 26:40Recent Fundraise and Milestones for Coder 29:20Critical Milestones and Innovations for Coder 31:30Rob's Biggest Learning as a First-Time CEO

    36 min

  8. 02/23/2024

    Adam Bain, Co-founder & Managing Partner at 01 Advisors, on the Power of Storytelling

    Adam Bain is a co-founder and managing partner at 01 Advisors, a venture and advisory firm helping founders go from building a product to building a company. In this episode, Adam highlights the similarities between his storytelling roots as a journalist and how he now backs founders as an investor. Drawing on lessons learned as Twitter’s Chief Operating Officer pre- and post-IPO, Adam also shares how those key traits—intellectual curiosity, hustle, and resilience—shape the way he supports startup founders today.

    44 min
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About

This is Founder Real Talk, where we get real about the challenges that founders and startup executives face, and how they've grown from tough experiences. Hosted by Managing Partner Glenn Solomon. 

Information

  • Creator
    Notable Capital
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2025
  • Episodes
    87
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Founder Real Talk
  • Show Website
    Founder Real Talk

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