The Founder's Foyer with Aishwarya Ashok

The Founder's Foyer
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The Founder's Foyer with Aishwarya Ashok is full of hallway conversations—the space where early-stage founders, builders, and creators look for all the foundational concepts and support to grow their ideas into products. Follow this show for all things Product, Ideas, Growth.

  1. #58 Why should founders treat AI like a teammate? | Claire Vo, Founder of ChatPRD.ai

    SEP 4

    #58 Why should founders treat AI like a teammate? | Claire Vo, Founder of ChatPRD.ai

    In this episode of The Founder's Foyers Podcast, Claire joins us to talk about building with AI, vibe coding, and the future of product creation. We cover everything from AI tools that speed up coding to why product fundamentals never change. Claire shares how solo founders, startups, and even large organisations can use AI to move faster and why ignoring AI could make you unemployable in just a couple of years. Highlights include: 1. What vibe coding really means for non-technical builders 2. Why AI-powered tools are changing how products are made 3. How leaders can push teams to adopt AI without fear 4. Claire’s take on employability in the next 24 months 5. Building in public, product intuition, and speed over perfection 6. Why “fast beats right” — and how AI makes fast easier This episode is full of practical insights, founder lessons, and future-facing advice for anyone building in tech today. 00:00 - Intro 01:08 – Welcome to The Founder's Foyer 04:10 – What actually is vibe coding 09:26 – Adaptation of AI with Product Managers & working people 11:08 – The difference between leading teams and building solo 13:38 – Why Claire pushed AI early in workplaces 17:53 – Exploring AI tools like Cursor and Devin 33:08 – Building in public and shaping AI products 46:28 – The future of small AI-powered teams 48:28 – Final thoughts and key takeaways

    46 min
  2. #57 Adaptability and Human Skills in the AI Era ft. Nita Singh Kaushal (Stanford & NSK Leadership)

    AUG 20

    #57 Adaptability and Human Skills in the AI Era ft. Nita Singh Kaushal (Stanford & NSK Leadership)

    Nita Singh Kaushal, in conversation with host Aishwarya Ashok, explores how leaders and professionals can thrive in the age of AI. She emphasizes that adaptability and curiosity now matter more than fixed expertise, and that leadership is no longer about simply knowing—it’s about navigating uncertainty with clarity and vision. While AI can accelerate output and even draft brilliant plans, it is ultimately humans who build belief, create meaning, and inspire action. Nita highlights why the real edge lies in sensemaking, communication, and trust, and how storytelling and collaboration keep us grounded in a world flooded with instant output. At its core, this conversation is a reminder that the best leaders embrace curiosity over certainty and see AI not as competition, but as a powerful companion to human judgment and values. Timestamp 00:00 – Intro   01:12  -  Welcome to The Founder's Foyer Podcast  04:18 – From Knowing to Navigating: How Do We Adapt in the Age of AI?   16:43 – Why AI Can’t Replace Humans and How It Supports Leadership   29:35 – Who Are We Really Building Products For?   30:04 – Designing AI Products with Human Emotions in Mind   33:52 – Beyond Workflows: How AI Can Help People See Themselves Differently in Their Roles   41:54 – Challenges of Bringing AGI into Practice & Power Dynamics of AI   50:10 – AI as a Companion, Not a Crutch   55:00 – Final Takeaways

    56 min
  3. #56 Why Startups Might Never Look the Same Again | Satyajeet Salgar, Google Applied AI Lead

    AUG 2

    #56 Why Startups Might Never Look the Same Again | Satyajeet Salgar, Google Applied AI Lead

    In this episode of The Founder's Foyer, Aishwarya speaks with Satyajeet Salgar, product leader at Google and former head of YouTube Shopping and Google Search. They explore how AI is reshaping the future of product development, startups, and solo entrepreneurship. Whether you're a startup founder, product builder, or just curious about the AI-first future — this episode is packed with deep insights and practical examples. 00:00 - Intro  01:07 - Welcome to Founder’s Foyer: AI Changing the Game   02:28 - Can One Person Build a Unicorn Company?   04:15 - Small Teams, Big Impact: Efficiency in the AI Era   09:15 - Collapsing Roles: AI & Cross-functional Productivity   14:47 - Rethinking Product Workflows with AI   18:00 - Are PMs Now Designers, Analysts, and Builders?   20:30 - AI Adoption Curve for people 23:05 - Adapting Mindset to AI   28:45 - Goal of Chat Interface   33:51 - NotebookLM, Audio Summaries & Personalised UIs   37:37 - How Consumers Will Drive AI Interface Evolution   43:07 - Brainstorming with LLMs: AI as Your Thinking Partner   49:15 - Final Takeaways & Satyajeet’s Workflow with AI   Follow  Satyajeet Salgar - https://www.linkedin.com/in/salgar/ Follow The Founder’s Foyer Website:  https://www.thefoundersfoyer.com/episodes/ Instagram: @https://www.instagram.com/thefoundersfoyer/ Newsletter: aishwarya.substack.com

    51 min
  4. #55 MCP Explained: The Future of Context-Aware AI | Sid, AI Engineer at Composio

    JUL 2

    #55 MCP Explained: The Future of Context-Aware AI | Sid, AI Engineer at Composio

    In this episode, we chat with Sid from Composio to understand what MCP (Model Context Protocol) really means and how it's changing the way AI tools connect with different apps. Sid explains how MCP helps simplify complex processes and makes it easier for developers and AI agents to access the tools they need.  We also talk about how this technology works behind the scenes, how it compares to APIs, and how big companies like Microsoft and Anthropic are getting involved. Sid shares real examples from Composio, showing how context-aware tools are being built and why they matter.  Whether you're a developer, someone working with AI, or just curious about where this technology is headed, this conversation offers clear explanations and useful insights into a rapidly growing space. 0:00 – Intro & Sid’s Background 1:30 – What Is MCP (Model Context Protocol)? 3:50 – Is MCP a tool 5:40 – What MCP Includes (Resources, Tools, Prompts) 8:55 – Journey of MCP 15:33 – Example of MCP In action 25:00 – Developer Experience & Setup 47:00 – The Future of MCP

    55 min
  5. #54 We’re a 9-person team doing the work of 20—thanks to AI | Jacob Bank, ex-Gmail, CEO of Relay

    JUN 3

    #54 We’re a 9-person team doing the work of 20—thanks to AI | Jacob Bank, ex-Gmail, CEO of Relay

    Jacob Bank, CEO of Relay and former product lead at Gmail, joins Aishwarya Ashok to explore how AI agents are truly reshaping the way we work. He explains why structured AI workflows solve most real-world needs today and highlights the concept of “spiky intelligence,” where AI excels at some tasks but still needs human direction. Jacob emphasizes that the most important skill in this new era isn’t coding, but the ability to clearly define goals and structure problems for AI. He shares practical ways to use AI not just to replace tasks, but to automate complex, cross-platform outcomes—unlocking new levels of productivity and enabling small teams to achieve big results. 00:00 - Intro 1:17 - Welcome 2:34 - Jacob's Journey: From Google to AI Agents 3:25 - Beyond Tools: Focusing on Workflows & Outcomes11:34 - AI Workflows vs AI Agents: What's the Difference?19:43 - The Human Role: Critical Thinking & Future Skills27:30 - Understanding "Spiky Intelligence" in AI31:30 - How to Start Building Your Own AI Agents43:21 - Demo of Relay53:11 - Summary and Outcome of the agent

    56 min
  6. #53 Building AI? You're Doing It Wrong Without This | Ami Vora - CPO at Faire, ex-WhatsApp, FB, IG

    MAY 19

    #53 Building AI? You're Doing It Wrong Without This | Ami Vora - CPO at Faire, ex-WhatsApp, FB, IG

    Ami Vora, CPO at Faire and former VP of Product & Design at WhatsApp, shares a unique perspective on how fear can be a driving force in decision-making and career growth. Raised in a family where fear played a significant role in shaping decisions, she turned fear into a tool for clarity.Rather than ignoring fear, she acknowledges it, writing down her fears and actively mitigating them when making big decisions, such as accepting a new job. By making the fear explicit, she unravels its power, turning it into actionable insights that help guide her. Vora's experience reflects the ever-changing landscape of tech, where continuous learning is the only way to remain relevant. She draws on a lesson from a high school teacher, emphasizing the importance of staying on the frontier of knowledge to adapt to the unpredictable nature of the industry. Vora integrates this mindset by constantly challenging herself with low-stakes learning experiences outside of work, like ice skating, to reinforce the mindset of growth and adaptation. She reminds us that, especially in product and AI, there’s a need to embrace curiosity and let go of the pressure to always be right. In a world where everything is evolving rapidly, embracing failure and being comfortable with not knowing is essential for continual progress.Chapters0:00 Technology Won't Save You—Learning Will 2:09 Meet Ami Vora: From WhatsApp to Wild Versatility 4:04 How Jokes Helped Me Lead Through Hard Times 6:18 Turning Liberal Thinking Into a Career Superpower 9:00 What Actually Drives Us? Energy Over Everything 13:00 The Hardest Job I Stayed In—and What It Taught Me 17:00 Fear, Feedback, and Showing Up Anyway 20:00 Context Switching for Humans (Not Just AI) 22:08 The Tools I Trust: Reframing, Fear-Setting, and Closing Loops 36:02 AI, Agency, and Always Being Behind 43:27 Being Right vs Being Curious—The Career Mindset Shift 47:13 Execution > Strategy: Why Doing Beats Planning 51:25 My Career Is a Small Plates Dinner—and That’s a Superpower

    54 min
  7. #52 How Responsible AI Is Being Built Inside Real Companies ft. Aishwarya Srinivasan (Fireflies AI, ex-Google, IBM, Microsoft)

    APR 25

    #52 How Responsible AI Is Being Built Inside Real Companies ft. Aishwarya Srinivasan (Fireflies AI, ex-Google, IBM, Microsoft)

    Responsible AI is no longer just a theory—it's a necessity. In this episode of The Founder's Foyer, we sit down with Aishwarya Srinivasan to explore how organisations are tackling ethical AI in real-world environments. This discussion covers deep and practical insights into data privacy, copyright, enterprise integrations, and the future of agent-based systems. If you're building with AI or implementing LLMs in your org, this episode is a must-watch. Learn how AI adoption, compliance, and governance must go hand-in-hand to shape innovation responsibly. Timestamps:00:00 – Introduction: Why Responsible AI Matters 02:42 – Data-Centric AI vs. Theory: Applying Ethics in Practice 07:35 – Copyright & Model Training Dilemmas 11:40 – Post-Training, Filters & What Data Should Be Used 16:10 – Role-Based Access & AI in Enterprise Workflows 22:25 – Productivity Tools & Data Privacy Risks 29:20 – Agent vs Automation: What’s the Difference? 35:10 – Human-in-the-Loop: Where It Matters Most 41:00 – Real AI Use Cases: Sales, GTM, and Non-Tech Teams 48:00 – The Need for Cross-Functional AI Literacy 52:45 – The Challenge of Data Silos and Integration 58:10 – Final Thoughts: Building Trustworthy AI Systems

    59 min
  8. #51 The Future of No-Code: AI-Powered Apps & Businesses | Eric Simons (Stackblitz)

    APR 9

    #51 The Future of No-Code: AI-Powered Apps & Businesses | Eric Simons (Stackblitz)

    How AI-driven development tools like Bolt are revolutionising the way entrepreneurs build and launch apps.  This discussion highlights groundbreaking real-world examples, from reducing costs by 99% to accelerating product development from months to weeks.  Learn how non-developers are creating full-stack apps and CRMs with ease, leveraging AI to bring ideas to life faster than ever before.  Speed is key, and Bold is leading the way in this new era of rapid innovation. 00:00 – Introduction 02:45 – The Viral Hooks App Case Study 06:10 – From $5,000 to $50: Cost & Time Revolution with Bolt 08:50 – AI-Powered CRM Case Study (Built in 3 Weeks) 15:40 – Speed is the Biggest Competitive Advantage 19:10 –  Bolt vs Big Tech 23:00 – Real-Time Feedback & Prototyping with AI 26:00 – Bolt’s Open Source Edge & Model Integration 30:50 – End Users Don’t Care About Models—Only Results 33:20 – Bolt’s Rise to Market Leader in Web-Based Code Gen 36:15 – Bolt for Everyone: From Personal Sites to Full SaaS 39:00 – The Journey: Building Bolt & Going Viral 42:00 – What Makes Great Founders? 44:50 – The Vision: Building Apps as Easily as Designing in Canva

    54 min
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The Founder's Foyer with Aishwarya Ashok is full of hallway conversations—the space where early-stage founders, builders, and creators look for all the foundational concepts and support to grow their ideas into products. Follow this show for all things Product, Ideas, Growth.

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