Born In Silicon Valley

Match Relevant
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Born In Silicon Valley is a podcast that features founders’ stories. Each episode highlights the journey of success, pivots, and what entrepreneurs have learned when building from the ground up. Host Jake Aaron Villarreal interviews founders, discussing their struggles, triumphs, and their progress along the way. Listeners will gain insight into leadership and the operations of a startup. This podcast is supported by Match Relevant, a company that helps startups find top talent to grow their businesses.

  1. 2D AGO

    Stop Losing Deals Silently

    AI is revolutionizing the legal industry, but the hidden risks of hallucinations are costing companies millions. Discover how Monjur is solving the AI verification paradox by combining cutting-edge LLMs with human attorney supervision to protect growing businesses.   Rob Scott, Co-founder and CEO of Monjur, joins the Born in Silicon Valley podcast to reveal his journey from managing partner of a tech law firm to bootstrapping a legal AI startup to $3 million in ARR. He breaks down the exact RAG architecture and proprietary confidence scoring system his team built to eliminate AI hallucinations and achieve over 98 percent accuracy in legal workflows.   We dive deep into the challenges of pivoting a SaaS 1.0 company to an AI-first model, the realities of raising a Series A, and why the future of legal tech is about amplifying human empathy rather than replacing it. Whether you are a startup founder looking to leverage AI or an entrepreneur curious about the future of legal tech, this episode is packed with actionable insights on scaling a B2B SaaS business.   Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Technical Setup 02:35 Rob Scott's Background and Legal Expertise 05:16 Transitioning from Law to Tech Entrepreneurship 08:16 Client-Centric Approach in Startup Development 11:27 AI in Legal Services: Opportunities and Risks 14:27 Target Audience and Market Strategy 17:15 Building a Reliable AI System 20:03 The Role of a Non-Engineer in Tech Development 23:07 Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital 26:10 Hiring and Team Dynamics in a Growing Startup 29:02 Future Growth and Scaling Strategies 32:14 Challenges in Transitioning to AI 35:07 The Future of AI in Legal Work 37:57 Client Relationships and AI's Role 40:54 Vision for the Future of Monjour   Host: Jake Aaron Villarreal leads the top AI recruitment firm in Silicon Valley, www.matchrelevant.com, uncovering stories of funded startups and going behind the scenes to tell their founders’ journeys. If you are growing an AI startup or have a great story to tell, email us at: jake.villarreal@matchrelevant.com

    35 min

  2. FEB 19

    Why Your Models Decay Daily

    Discover how a serial entrepreneur turned childhood adversity and nine failed startups into a groundbreaking AI and quantum computing platform. Martin Sajon, founder of /q99, reveals the harsh realities of startup life and how quantum tech is solving enterprise supply chain mysteries before they happen. In this episode, we dive deep into the mind of a multi-exit founder who started building computers at age five. Martin shares the intense, unfiltered story of his previous cybersecurity venture, leading up to a grueling eight-month acquisition process by Coalfire. He opens up about the severe physical and mental toll of building a company on the brink of collapse, offering a critical warning to founders about prioritizing sleep and personal health over the endless grind. Beyond the personal journey, we explore the cutting-edge technology behind /q99. Martin breaks down how they are tackling the massive problem of unstructured enterprise data by combining artificial intelligence with quantum computing. Learn how quantum embeddings and knowledge graphs are enabling large enterprises in the energy and supply chain sectors to discover hidden vulnerabilities and predict complex failures across global networks. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Martin Sajon and His Journey 02:38 Overcoming Adversity: The Impact of Childhood Experiences 09:44 The Path to Acquisition: Lessons from Neuralis 15:34 The Thrill of Entrepreneurship: Embracing Failure 17:56 The Importance of Self-Care in Startup Life 21:31 Prioritizing Self-Care in Entrepreneurship 23:45 Transitioning from Acquisition to New Ventures 26:39 Understanding Q99's Market Solutions 29:51 The Role of Quantum Computing in Data Management 33:39 Navigating the Investment Landscape for Q99 36:27 Targeting the Right Audience for Q99 39:26 Flexible Pricing Models for Clients 41:45 Lessons Learned from Past Failures 43:33 Future Roadmap and Growth Plans for Q99 Host: Jake Aaron Villarreal leads the top AI recruitment firm in Silicon Valley, www.matchrelevant.com, uncovering stories of funded startups and going behind the scenes to tell their founders’ journeys. If you are growing an AI startup or have a great story to tell, email us at: jake.villarreal@matchrelevant.com

    43 min

  3. FEB 17

    Why Big Companies Can't Innovate

    Are your enterprise AI transformation projects failing to meet their true potential? Discover how Fortune 500 companies are solving the AI adoption crisis by replacing outdated middle management with an intelligent AI coaching layer.   We sit down with Dima Syrotkin, CEO of Pandatron, to explore how giant corporations like Panasonic and Mitsubishi are fundamentally changing their organizational structure. We discuss the shocking reality behind massive ERP and change management failures and how a simple AI agent can drive employee engagement at scale. Dima reveals the psychological barriers to AI adoption and shares a framework for prioritizing tasks to ensure your team focuses on what truly matters. Learn the secrets behind the forward-deployed engineer model and how startups can guarantee their AI tools actually deliver measurable outcomes.   Whether you are leading a venture-backed tech company or navigating the complexities of an enterprise digital transformation, this episode offers a roadmap for the future of work. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Dima Syrotkin and Pandatron 01:52 Dima's Journey to Entrepreneurship 05:37 The Birth of Pandatron and Its Mission 09:20 Challenges in Change Management 12:07 AI Adoption in Organizations 16:12 The Intersection of Psychology and Business 20:24 Optimizing Company Operations with AI 20:53 AI Adoption as a Starting Point 29:29 The AI Coaching Experience 33:38 Frameworks for Team Effectiveness 36:26 Envisioning the Future of Business 40:17 Innovations on the Roadmap for Pandatron Host: Jake Aaron Villarreal leads the top AI recruitment firm in Silicon Valley, www.matchrelevant.com, uncovering stories of funded startups and going behind the scenes to tell their founders’ journeys. If you are growing an AI startup or have a great story to tell, email us at: jake.villarreal@matchrelevant.com

    41 min

  4. FEB 12

    What Your Eye Really Shows

    Can a 45-second eye scan predict a heart attack, stroke, or Alzheimer’s before symptoms even appear? In this episode, Jake Aaron Villarreal sits down with Jeff Dunkel, CEO of Optain, a health technology company using AI and computer vision to turn the eye into a window for systemic health. Jeff discusses the groundbreaking field of oculomics and how Optain’s non-invasive camera is democratizing preventative care globally—from high-end clinics to rural hospitals in Vietnam and shopping malls in the UAE. They dive deep into the transition from status-quo diagnostics to rapid, scalable screening that could save millions of lives and billions in healthcare costs. Discover how Jeff’s early career at J&J and his "man in the arena" mentality are driving Optain to redefine medical standards. Whether you are interested in AI's role in medicine, the challenges of scaling a health-tech startup, or the future of preventative wellness, this conversation offers a fascinating look at the next frontier of human longevity. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to the Journey of a Startup Founder 08:36 The Path to Leadership in Healthcare 10:32 Revolutionizing Healthcare with Eye Screening Technology 14:14 Preventative Healthcare: A New Approach to Disease Management 17:30 Revolutionizing Health Screening 19:25 Innovative Diagnostic Technology 23:22 Global Impact and Accessibility 27:44 Future Vision for Eye Health 31:16 Disrupting the Status Quo 35:22 Building a Winning Team Host: Jake Aaron Villarreal leads the top AI recruitment firm in Silicon Valley, www.matchrelevant.com, uncovering stories of funded startups and going behind the scenes to tell their founders’ journeys. If you are growing an AI startup or have a great story to tell, email us at: jake.villarreal@matchrelevant.com

    38 min

  5. FEB 11

    Why AI Hiring Fails

    How do you transition a company from a warm family atmosphere to a high-performance sports team without losing its soul? In this episode of Born in Silicon Valley, host Jake Aaron Villarreal sits down with Puneet Shivam, the Co-founder and CEO of Right Skale, to dissect the messy middle of scaling a startup and the evolution of the AI services landscape. Puneet shares his incredible journey from the dot-com bust to leading over $4 billion in technology transactions and successfully exiting a company to KKR. We dive deep into the concept of the Bridge to AI, exploring how Right Skale helps enterprises move beyond the hype to achieve meaningful, outcome-focused implementation. Puneet provides a masterclass on organizational psychology, explaining why he prioritizes curiosity and learnability over years of experience and how the movie Inside Out serves as a blueprint for modern leadership. Whether you are a founder navigating a pivot or a corporate leader looking to absorb AI into your legacy systems, this conversation offers the strategic clarity you need to thrive in a knowledge economy. Chapters 00:00 Navigating Technical Challenges 01:06 Puneet's Journey: From Consulting to Entrepreneurship 03:55 The Messy Middle: Transitioning from Family to Institutional Culture 06:41 Lessons from the Investment Side 09:41 The Adventure of Building RightScale 12:35 Differentiating in the AI Market 15:36 Target Audience and Personas for AI Solutions 30:49 Navigating AI Integration for Businesses 31:45 Identifying the Right Fit for AI Solutions 34:55 The Urgency of AI Adoption 36:10 Transformative AI Use Cases for the Future 38:51 Revolutionizing Hiring Practices 43:24 Applying Insights from 'Inside Out' to Leadership 49:59 Managing Emotions in Business 56:34 Future Growth and Opportunities for RightScale Host: Jake Aaron Villarreal leads the top AI recruitment firm in Silicon Valley, www.matchrelevant.com, uncovering stories of funded startups and going behind the scenes to tell their founders’ journeys. If you are growing an AI startup or have a great story to tell, email us at: jake.villarreal@matchrelevant.com

    55 min

  6. FEB 5

    What Salesforce Won't Tell You

    In this episode of Born in Silicon Valley, host Jake Aaron Villarreal sits down with Prasanna Venkatesan, the Founder and CEO of Petavue, to discuss the structural inefficiencies currently crippling enterprise data teams. Prasanna reveals why traditional BI tools like Tableau and Snowflake are being replaced by agentic native architectures that prioritize 100% accuracy over non-deterministic AI fluff. Previously, Prasanna sold his company to ZoomInfo, where he scaled operations from 15 to 500 people. Now, he is on a mission to deliver breakthrough productivity gains for data teams by bridging the gap between business context and technical execution. We dive deep into the spiritual nature of startups, the "business of giving hope," and why the future of software relies on forward-deployed engineers to ensure AI truly delivers on its promises. Key Topics Covered: • The transition from startup founder to VP of a public company. • Why "piecemeal AI" in legacy tools is failing the enterprise. • The Petavue origin story: Solving the 10X productivity gap in data analytics. • The critical role of Forward Deployed Engineers (FDEs) in AI adoption. • Prasanna’s journey from a family of priests to Silicon Valley innovator. • Predicting the data stack of 2030: Consolidation vs. Deconsolidation. Chapters 02:39 From India to Silicon Valley Founder 05:29 Faith, Hope, and the Psychology of Building Startups 09:52 What Startup Acquisitions Actually Feel Like 14:56 The Shock of Becoming a VP at a Public Company 18:55 Why Data Teams Are Failing Inside Enterprises 23:30 The Broken Data Stack No One Talks About 28:44 Why Tableau, Looker, and BI Tools Are Losing 36:58 Why AI Must Be 100% Accurate in Enterprise 38:05 The Truth About Forward Deployed Engineers Host: Jake Aaron Villarreal leads the top AI recruitment firm in Silicon Valley, www.matchrelevant.com, uncovering stories of funded startups and going behind the scenes to tell their founders’ journeys. If you are growing an AI startup or have a great story to tell, email us at: jake.villarreal@matchrelevant.com

    46 min

  7. FEB 3

    Why Caregivers Need This

    After losing his daughter in a tragic accident where he was just five minutes too late, Deepak Arora vowed to ensure no other family endures that pain. In this emotional and inspiring episode, the Founder and CEO of Wearable Technologies Inc. reveals how he turned personal grief into a revolutionary AI startup dedicated to saving lives. Deepak discusses the creation of Wearable Technologies Inc, a screen-free wearable device designed to predict hazards and prevent accidents for vulnerable populations like toddlers and the elderly. From leveraging his experience at IBM Watson to building the "Mahi" AI engine named after his late daughter, this is a story of resilience, innovation, and the relentless drive to protect our loved ones. Tune in to learn how this technology is monitoring safety, detecting falls, and providing peace of mind to caregivers across the nation. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 04:51 Personal Tragedy and Motivation 10:55 Technology Development and Features 16:39 User Experience and Safety Features 19:19 Building a Reliable Product with Expert Guidance 21:16 Pivoting to Serve the Elderly Population 23:38 Gaining Traction and Funding Challenges 26:37 Distribution Strategies for Market Entry 28:16 Pricing Model and Device Adoption 30:26 Future Innovations and Roadmap 33:14 Navigating Regulatory Approvals 34:20 Hiring for Company Culture and Growth 38:23 Legacy and Purpose Behind the Product Host: Jake Aaron Villarreal, leads the top AI Recruitment Firm in Silicon Valley www.matchrelevant.com, uncovering stories of funded startups and goes behinds to scenes to tell their founders journey. If you are growing AI Startup or have a great storytelling, email us at: jake.villarreal@matchrelevant.com

    34 min

  8. JAN 29

    AI Without Context Fails

    In this episode we sit down with Tom Firth from Cotera to talk about how modern financial infrastructure is being built for today’s digital businesses Tom shares insights on scaling fintech platforms building payment and treasury products and what startups need to get right when operating in highly regulated markets We dive into product strategy leadership lessons and how companies like Cotera think about reliability security and growth in the evolving fintech ecosystem This conversation is packed with value for founders operators product leaders and anyone interested in fintech startups SaaS and the future of payments Host: Jake Aaron Villarreal, leads the top AI Recruitment Firm in Silicon Valley www.matchrelevant.com, uncovering stories of funded startups and goes behinds to scenes to tell their founders journey.  If you are growing AI Startup or have a great storytelling, email us at: jake.villarreal@matchrelevant.com

    42 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Born In Silicon Valley is a podcast that features founders’ stories. Each episode highlights the journey of success, pivots, and what entrepreneurs have learned when building from the ground up. Host Jake Aaron Villarreal interviews founders, discussing their struggles, triumphs, and their progress along the way. Listeners will gain insight into leadership and the operations of a startup. This podcast is supported by Match Relevant, a company that helps startups find top talent to grow their businesses.

Information

  • Creator
    Match Relevant
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    100
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2025 All rights reserved.
  • Show Website
    Born In Silicon Valley