The AI Chopping Block

David Stepania
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Learn what works in AI right now and future-proof your business or your career so you don't end up on the AI chopping block.Right now, AI is used for less than 1% of the problems it can solve. We're here to change that.Every week, we interview industry insiders & the builders behind game-changing AI-powered companies to uncover practical insights you can implement in your business or career to get ahead.Hosted by David Stepania with tech veterans Ben Smokovic & Derek Skinnell, these conversations cut through the hype to show how real businesses are leveraging AI's untapped potential.

  1. AI is changing startup immigration, how? (Gale, YC-backed)

    12/18/2025

    AI is changing startup immigration, how? (Gale, YC-backed)

    In this episode, David Stepania talks with Haokun and Rishabh, founders of Gale, an immigration service provider bringing more tech into the U.S. visa process so employers, beneficiaries, and vetted lawyers can collaborate with shared context without endless email threads.  They share how Gale supports startup-friendly pathways like O-1, EB-1, NIW, and H-1B, and where “AI” fits today: mostly on the backend to help lawyers draft parts of petitions and support letters faster, with everything scrutinized through lawyer review.  The founders also break down H-1B compliance workflows (like LCA posting and maintaining a public access file) and how Gale helps teams stay on top of the details.  Where to find me: • David: Linkedin • Email: hello@thehomebase.ai Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here: • Newsletter: Join Here

    32 min
  2. No Job Is Safe Anymore | What Cleanlab’s CEO Revealed Shocked Me

    12/11/2025

    No Job Is Safe Anymore | What Cleanlab’s CEO Revealed Shocked Me

    In this episode, Cleanlab CEO Curtis Northcutt shares a perspective few leaders are willing to say publicly: “I don’t even think my job is safe.” We discuss the exponential acceleration of AI, how machines are improving faster than humans can understand, and why we’re entering a future where AI evaluates AI—because humans simply won’t be able to. Curtis also explains: Why no job (including CEOs) is safe from AIWhy we now “talk to computers that talk back”Why enterprises struggle with AI hallucinations and riskHow Cleanlab built a real-time “self-awareness layer” for AI agentsWhy human labeling won’t survive the next 2–5 yearsThe biggest moat in AI (and why OpenAI can’t build it internally)Where AI works today vs where it still spectacularly failsWhy startups must use AI everywhere to surviveHow his journey from rural Kentucky to MIT shaped Cleanlab’s missionOne of the clearest, most grounded explanations of what the next few years of AI will look like for companies, workers, and society. If you enjoyed this conversation, follow the show for more founder perspectives on building responsibly with AI.  Where to find me: • David: Linkedin • Email: hello@thehomebase.ai Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here: • Newsletter: Join Here

    44 min
  3. Your Data Labeling Job is Going to Zero: AI Disruption & Web3 Data Revolution

    11/27/2025

    Your Data Labeling Job is Going to Zero: AI Disruption & Web3 Data Revolution

    AI & Web3 are killing data labeling jobs – Sapien CEO Rowan Stone reveals how blockchain quality control and human-in-the-loop methods reshape AI data pipeline. In this hard-hitting episode titled “Your Data Labeling Job is Going to Zero,” we confront a stark reality: AI and Web3 are rapidly eliminating traditional data labeling roles and rewriting how we prepare data for intelligent systems. Guest Rowan Stone, CEO of Sapien, pulls no punches explaining why those low-value, repetitive labeling tasks are quickly becoming obsolete. The message is urgent, adapt now or be left behind, as automation and blockchain technology upend the old way of doing things. Stone reveals how Sapien is replacing outdated workflows with a decentralized, blockchain-driven “proof of quality” protocol that ensures only the highest-caliber, human-verified data fuels the next generation of AI. From cutting out valueless micro-tasks to empowering specialized human-in-the-loop contributors, this conversation charts the imminent shift from mundane labeling to complex, high-stakes data curation for enterprise AI systems. This episode is a must-listen for AI practitioners, Web3 builders, enterprise tech leaders, and any knowledge worker concerned about staying relevant in the AI era. AI eliminating data labeling jobs, Data labeling jobs going to zero, Low-value data tasks obsolete, Future of data labeling work, Human-in-the-loop AI systems, Decentralized data labeling platform, Blockchain-based data quality control, AI job disruption, Web3 data infrastructure, Data curation for next-gen AI Where to find me: • David: Linkedin • Email: hello@thehomebase.ai Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here: • Newsletter: Join Here

    57 min
  4. One-Click Mortgages: How Approval AI Automates Home Buying

    11/13/2025

    One-Click Mortgages: How Approval AI Automates Home Buying

    First-time homebuyers and refinancers, meet Approval AI (now Clevy), the AI-powered mortgage marketplace turning tens of hours of rate shopping, paperwork, and lender negotiations into a streamlined, secure experience. Co-founder Arjun Lalwani breaks down how three purpose-built agents (buyer assistant, loan processing, lender outreach) translate your financials, simulate underwriting, and negotiate with banks like Wells Fargo and Chase to save you time and real money, all while keeping sensitive data encrypted and human-verified.  Hosted by David Stepania, this episode dives into product strategy, go-to-market for a $2T industry, YC lessons, and the bold vision for a true “one-click mortgage.” We also cover trust with real estate partners, why incentives matter more than “great customer service” pitches, and the metrics that define success from funded loan volume to NPS and average savings per loan. Where to find me: • David: Linkedin • Email: hello@thehomebase.ai Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here: • Newsletter: Join Here

    41 min
  5. Will AI Replace Engineers? The Future of Software Roles

    11/07/2025

    Will AI Replace Engineers? The Future of Software Roles

    Bind AI co-founder Amogh Mundhekar (ex-Intuit/Mailchimp) breaks down how “developer-less” development lets technical founders ship full-stack apps from a chat, image, or GitHub repo—complete with live preview and one-click deploy. We dig into Bind’s traction (≈14,000 users), multi-model agent approach, and GitHub integration that helps teams enhance existing codebases, accelerate MVPs, and reduce time-to-production from months to days.  Amogh also maps the road ahead for engineering: leaner teams, faster iteration, and why AI augments—not replaces—great builders. We cover where AI excels (front-end scaffolding, refactors, tests, docs), where humans still lead (product design, architecture), and emerging trends like specialized domain agents and voice interfaces—from Claude for finance to Grok in cars. If you’re a founder, PM, or hands-on builder, this is a playbook for shipping smarter with AI. #BindAI #AmoghMundhekar #AIEngineering #AIAgents #AppDevelopment #StartupBuilders #MVP #GitHub #LLM #DeveloperTools #ProductManagement #NoCode #LowCode #HomebaseAI #TheAIChoppingBlock Where to find me: • David: Linkedin • Email: hello@thehomebase.ai Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here: • Newsletter: Join Here

    40 min
  6. State-of-the-Art AI Localization for Apps, Right in CI/CD

    10/30/2025

    State-of-the-Art AI Localization for Apps, Right in CI/CD

    Shipping a feature and waiting a week for translations?  In this episode, Max Prilutskiy, co-founder & CEO of Lingo.dev(YC), breaks down how teams ship every language in the same release without refactors, file shuffling, or brand-voice drift.  We cover the simple workflow shift (translate diffs, review where you already review, release together), the “one slide” that helped close a seed round in ~10 business days, and the leadership playbook to reduce Time-to-All-Locales, protect quality, and unlock faster global revenue. If you’re a PM, CEO, or product leader aiming for international parity without slowing delivery, this conversation is your shortcut. Where to find me: • David: Linkedin • Email: hello@thehomebase.ai Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here: • Newsletter: Join Here

    51 min
  7. From 1% Replies to Real Pipeline | Trigger-Based Outbound Explained

    10/23/2025

    From 1% Replies to Real Pipeline | Trigger-Based Outbound Explained

    PMs and GTM leaders: ditch spray-and-pray. In this interview, Dor Vordi (Co-founder, Samplead) breaks down trigger-based outbound, how to spot person-level buying signals, score them with a rarity-weighted framework, and use founder-led outreach to turn context into qualified pipeline.  We cover cold email that actually works, LinkedIn outbound, workflows, and the “trigger loop” that consistently beats 1% reply rates in B2B SaaS. Where to find me: • David: Linkedin • Email: hello@thehomebase.ai Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here: • Newsletter: Join Here

    45 min
  8. Bootstrapped to $300K ARR with 7 AI Builders

    10/16/2025

    Bootstrapped to $300K ARR with 7 AI Builders

    7 people. No investors. $300K ARR. Royal Tomar built an AI startup that prints profit — without spending on ads or hiring big teams. In this episode, Royal reveals how he turned a simple Instagram automation idea into SPUR, a profitable AI platform that helps businesses handle customer conversations across WhatsApp, Instagram, and Live Chat — powered by AI teammates. You’ll learn: 🚀 How SPUR scaled to $300K ARR — fully bootstrapped 🤖 The pivot from WhatsApp bots to AI customer support 💡 How lean teams outperform funded giants 🧠 Royal’s insights on SEO, partnerships, and staying profitable 🔥 Why saying no to funding was his smartest move 🎧 Tune in to learn how to build smarter, not bigger — from someone actually doing it. Where to find me: • David: Linkedin • Email: hello@thehomebase.ai Want to stay ahead of AI's impact on jobs and future opportunities? Join 18000+ tech leaders and founders who are shaping the future of AI here: • Newsletter: Join Here

    51 min
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About

Learn what works in AI right now and future-proof your business or your career so you don't end up on the AI chopping block.Right now, AI is used for less than 1% of the problems it can solve. We're here to change that.Every week, we interview industry insiders & the builders behind game-changing AI-powered companies to uncover practical insights you can implement in your business or career to get ahead.Hosted by David Stepania with tech veterans Ben Smokovic & Derek Skinnell, these conversations cut through the hype to show how real businesses are leveraging AI's untapped potential.

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  • Creator
    David Stepania
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 The AI Chopping Block
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