The Lobster Talks Podcast by Lobster Capital

Bain Capital just bet $5.6 billion on legacy EdTech. Noah and the Scout team are betting on its extinction. Most founders are told to avoid the Student Information System (SIS) market because it's "too sticky" and dominated by giants like PowerSchool. In this episode, Noah (Founder of Scout, YC W25) explains how they are using AI-native compliance to wedge into the "School OS" market and why the future of education looks nothing like the traditional classroom. What you’ll learn: - Why Private Equity buying your competitor is a massive "Buy" signal for your startup. - The "Wedge" Strategy: Why Scout chose online hybrid schools in California. - How to overcome intense Imposter Syndrome during the first week of Y Combinator. - The Sneaker Bot Origin: Why YC loves founders who "hacked" systems as kids. - Managing the "Post-YC Slump" and building a 20-year sustainable business. 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters: 00:00 YC Investor Boost 00:49 Free YC Roaster Plug 01:34 EdTech Market Shakeup 02:16 What Scout Builds 03:05 PowerSchool Deal Timing 03:48 From Wedge to SIS 06:56 Beating Switching Costs 09:52 Niche Beachhead Strategy 11:00 First Real Customer Signal 13:41 Future of Schooling Bet 16:31 Why Based in New York 19:50 NYC Talent Network Edge 22:11 Sneaker Bot Origins 24:33 Building the Supreme Bot 25:38 Hacking Systems Mindset 26:30 Spotting System Hacks 27:24 Waffles and Tooth Bonds 28:59 Getting Into YC 30:31 Imposter Syndrome Reset 34:23 YC Lessons That Stick 34:50 Going Big in EdTech 39:37 The Post YC Slump 42:54 From Demo Day to Customers 45:42 YC Stamp for Investors 47:21 Rapid Fire and Wrap 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap This Lobster Talks episode is brought to you by YC Roaster, a free tool helping founders improve their YC applications. 🔗 https://ycroaster.com

The YC Winter 2026 batch just broke every record in the book. We’re seeing valuations hit $100M before founders even finish their slide decks. Is this a peak or just the new baseline? In this episode of The Lobster Talks, we debrief the W26 Demo Day. We go behind the scenes on the "Agentic" boom, why hardware is suddenly the hottest play in the valley, and the real math behind why YC startups are worth 4x more than their peers. What you’ll learn: Why 10+ companies in this batch raised at $100M+ valuations.The truth about the "1% acceptance rate" (and how to skip the line).How a consumer hardware startup hit $27M ARR during the batch.Why "Open Claw" changed the game for AI agent startups.The blurring lines between Seed and Series A rounds. 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters: 00:00 Faster Exits Thesis 00:30 YC Roaster Plug 01:14 Winter 2026 Debrief 01:59 Record Growth Metrics 03:17 Revenue And Acceptance 06:44 Why YC Still Pays 07:42 100M Valuation Surge 11:23 Seed Series A Blur 14:49 Skipping Series A 19:47 AI Agents Narrative 22:35 Why YC Still Wins 23:22 Post Claude Demo Day Shift 24:43 Seed FOMO And Valuation Surge 25:40 Why Exits Keep Getting Bigger 27:33 Big Tech Acquisition Logic 34:10 Talent Scarcity Drives M&A 36:37 Breaking Down 27M ARR 38:50 Consumer AI Notetaker Bet 43:00 Wrap Up And Where To Follow 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap This Lobster Talks episode is brought to you by YC Roaster, a free tool helping founders improve their YC applications. 🔗 https://ycroaster.com

He did YC in 2016 from France with a Slack bot nobody had heard of. 9 years later, he came back… second company, second batch, $10M seed closed in 3 days. Dalton told him: "Don't overlearn." Quang is the founder of Vybe, a YC W25 company building the internal app layer for the AI era. Before that: Plato, a mentorship platform for engineers he grew to 70 people, raised $22M for, and sold to Coda, where he worked as a GM before quitting to start over. In this conversation, we go deep on what it actually means to be a second-time YC founder: the overcorrections, the traps, and what's genuinely different about YC today vs. 2016. In this episode, you'll learn: → Why hiring zero people after raising $10M was the wrong overcorrection, and when Quang finally figured that out → How selling before the product was ready backfired, and what First Round's Liz told him to do instead → YC's self-fulfilling prophecy: how the program became a distribution machine, and why seed rounds that took 3 weeks in 2016 now close in 3 days → Why Vybe is quietly pivoting from "build internal apps" to "agents that use those apps", and what inspired it → The three-component PMF framework First Round runs with every portfolio company (and where most founders skip straight to step 3) Chapters: 00:00 Raising First 150K 00:30 YC Roaster Sponsor 01:14 Meet Quang Twice YC 02:03 Discovering YC In France 05:37 Slack Bot Breakthrough 06:34 Product Hunt To YC Interview 07:49 Silicon Valley Network Effect 13:47 Why Expense Reports Question 15:59 Getting The Acceptance Call 17:02 Moving To Mountain View 18:46 Building Bots In YC 20:31 Pivot To Plato Mentorship 22:02 Acquired By Coda 22:49 Coda Vs Retool Pain 26:37 Replit Agent Sparks Vibe 27:33 Internal Apps Are Still Hard 28:52 Quitting Coda For Vibe 29:00 Co Founder Wealthfront Pain 30:07 Back To Y Combinator 30:26 Avoiding Overcorrection Traps 31:48 Hiring Lessons And Rebound 34:33 Selling Too Early Too Hard 37:39 Five Customers Before Scale 39:17 Product Market Fit Framework 42:08 Claude Code Threat Or Tailwind 44:52 Open Claude And Apps Disappear 46:46 Vibe Agents And Integrations 49:10 YC Then Vs Now 55:49 Wrap Up And Subscribe — 🦞 Lobster Talks is the YC insider podcast for investors. New episodes weekly. Subscribe and turn on notifications so you don't miss the next one. Listen on the go: 🎧 Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP 🎧 Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm More from Lobster Capital: 📺 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap 🌐 Website: https://lobstercap.com This Lobster Talks episode is brought to you by YC Roaster, a free tool helping founders improve their YC applications. 🔗 https://ycroaster.com

The recovery market is broken, and most VCs are too scared to touch it. Koby Conrad (CEO of Sunflower) joins the show to discuss why he’s betting his career on solving addiction using AI. After a successful exit at Rupa Health, Koby moved to Buenos Aires with nothing but a backpack to "vibe code" the future of sobriety. In this episode, we dive into the "no-meeting" SAFE phenomenon, why SaaS moats are dying, and how Sunflower reached $1M ARR in record time. What you will learn: Why the "Wellness" category is a trap for serious founders.How to raise capital in "emotionally difficult" or stigmatized markets.The strategy behind giving away software for free to monetize physical "atoms."Inside the YC Fall 25 batch: What has changed since 2019.Why AI sponsors are actually more effective for lonely users than human ones. 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters: 00:00 Choosing Mission Over Money 00:30 YC Roaster Sponsor Break 01:14 Why Addiction Is Underserved 02:08 What Sunflower Builds 03:24 Fundraising In A Stigmatized Market 05:14 Why Not A Wellness App 08:00 Stigma Parallels And Founder Backstory 10:37 YC Twice And The Compounding Effect 13:59 No Meeting SAFEs And Investor Alpha 18:31 Limits Of AI In Recovery 22:06 From Subscriptions To Clinics 28:14 Distribution Moats And Community 30:27 Community Network Moats 31:21 Software Is Not The Moat 31:57 B2B Pilots And Revenue Paths 33:18 Finding Product Model Fit 34:56 Why Start Over For Addiction 37:01 Backpack Minimalism Reset 39:24 Garry Tan As Group Partner 43:04 Rapid Fire AI Predictions 43:45 Gambling Addiction Rabbit Hole 46:34 AI Across Healthcare And Ash 50:59 Smarter Than The Robot 51:53 Where To Find Sunflower 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap This Lobster Talks episode is brought to you by YC Roaster, a free tool helping founders improve their YC applications. 🔗 https://ycroaster.com

The US government spends $2.7 trillion a year on everything from water bottles to fighter jets, yet the entire process is held together by Microsoft Word and tribal knowledge. In this episode, we sit down with August Chen, founder of Hazel (YC W24), to discuss why he left Palantir to tackle the antiquated world of government procurement. We dive into the "missionary vs. mercenary" mindset, the reality of the 1% acceptance rate at YC, and why the "death of the paper-pusher" is the greatest opportunity in VC today. What you’ll learn: Why 50% of small businesses have abandoned government contracts.The Palantir playbook: How to "deploy yourself" into a customer's workflow.Why selling to the Government requires a "hierarchy of needs" approach.The pivot from B2B2G to direct B2G: When the mission stays, but the product moves.How AI is turning months of RFP paperwork into seconds of work.Predictions for the "DOGE" era and the future of civil servant tech stacks. 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters: 00:00 Million Dollar Toilet Problem 00:39 YC Roaster Ad Break 01:22 Why Gov Procurement Lags 02:50 Broken Systems Examples 04:05 Inside Procurement Tech Stack 05:30 Palantir Lessons On Procurement 07:29 YC Pivot To B2G 11:36 Selling To Government Reality 17:22 Scaling A Small Sales Team 21:29 AI For Deterministic Compliance 25:15 Workflow First AI Second 26:00 Vendor Search Enrichment 26:18 Drafting Requirements Fast 26:36 Evaluation Notes Assistant 27:04 Safety and Tesla Analogy 28:35 Scope Review Guardrails 30:29 Palantir Patience Lessons 32:36 Hair on Fire Problems 33:57 Fast Pilots and Features 36:07 Overcoming Trust Deficit 39:04 Why the Name Hazel 41:50 Predictions Rapid Fire 43:58 Procurement Jobs Future 45:32 Investor Takeaway and Wra “🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap This Lobster Talks episode is brought to you by YC Roaster, a free tool helping founders improve their YC applications. 🔗 https://ycroaster.com

The most successful YC companies aren't always the loudest. They're the ones that survive the "Valley of Death" to become indispensable infrastructure. In this episode, I sit down with Grant Shaddick, founder of Tella (YC W20), the video tool that has quietly taken over the YC ecosystem. We dive into the grit required to build a category leader, why they chose to stay lean while others over-raised, and how AI is finally killing the "video editing" bottleneck. What you’ll learn: Why "boring" infrastructure often outperforms "hype" AI startups.The reality of the startup "Valley of Death" and how to survive it.Why a high valuation can actually be a founder's biggest trap.The future of agentic video editing: from tools to outcomes.The secret behind Tella’s viral adoption among YC founders. 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters: 00:00 The Big Vision: Make Video Creation Effortless 00:35 Sponsor Break: YC Roaster — Free YC Application Feedback 01:19 Podcast Intro: Why Tella Is a Quiet YC Power Tool 02:28 What Tella Is: The All‑in‑One Screen Recorder 04:38 From “Loom Competitor” to Polished Production Value 07:43 Why YC Founders Keep Choosing Tella 10:51 Async Video vs Meetings: The Future of Work? 15:23 Beyond Loom: One Tool for Every Company Video 18:25 AI + Video: Auto Layouts and Editing Without Editing 24:21 How Close Are We to Fully Autonomous Video Editing? 25:58 Why Video Is So Unforgiving: Trust Dies When Recordings Break 27:50 AI Can’t Save a Broken Capture (Yet): The Gap vs Text Generation 29:12 Generative AI as a “Bandage”: Fixing Mistakes After the Fact 30:21 Desktop/Web Video Creators Are Underserved (and AI Changes That) 31:24 From Whisper Dictation to “Fix My Delivery”: The Future of AI Video 32:20 YC 2020 to PMF: Staying Lean, Scrappy, and Not Getting Ahead of Yourself 36:26 How to Not Quit: Stubbornness, Small Wins, and Solving Hard Problems 39:16 The Rendering-Bug Breakthrough: Quality Fixes That Unlocked Growth 42:01 Fundraising Discipline: Valuation Pressure vs Runway and Focus 47:30 Wrap-Up: Try Tella + Where to Find the Team 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap This Lobster Talks episode is brought to you by YC Roaster, a free tool helping founders improve their YC applications. 🔗 https://ycroaster.com

YC just added one question that quietly changes what it means to be a founder. And it’s not about your TAM. It’s not about your pitch. It’s about how you use AI to build. In this episode of Lobster Talks, we break down YC’s newest application change, the rise of coding agents like Claude Code, and what this signals about where startup building, and venture capital is heading next. We also go deep on YC Roaster, Lobster Capital’s new initiative helping founders improve their YC applications using AI + YC alumni review. Here’s what you’ll learn: - Why YC’s new “coding agent session” question is a founder filter - How vibe coding is becoming table stakes in 2026 - What 20,000 YC applications really signal about global founders - Why traction keeps rising as the YC acceptance bar - How smart VCs are building internal tools and why most aren’t - Why the best founders and funds pivot fast This is a behind-the-scenes look at how YC evaluates builders today. 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters: 00:00 Claude Code Is Addictive: Why Everyone’s Vibe Coding Now 00:44 Sponsor Break: YC Roaster - Free, Brutally Honest YC Application Feedback 01:27 Welcome to Lobster Talks: What’s New in the YC World 02:00 How YC Roaster Was Built (Fast) + How the AI→Alumni Review Flow Works 03:37 Launch Results: Hundreds of Apps, MVP Bugs, and the V2 Relaunch Plan 06:23 What Applicants Look Like: Quality Spread, Global Submissions, and Reviewer Time Sinks 11:29 Why Build YC Roaster: Lobster’s “Helpful Fund” Flywheel + VCs Who Ship 14:20 YC’s New Application Question: Submit a Coding Agent Session You’re Proud Of 15:06 What YC Is Really Testing: Technical Bar, AI Fluency, and Advanced Agent Workflows 22:42 Founder vs Idea: Pivot Culture, Proof-of-Work, and How AI Changes Evaluation 27:06 VCs Need Tools Too: Internal Engineering, Interactive Marketing, and Fund Differentiation 29:28 YC Request for Startups: 2026 Themes - Agents, Stablecoins, GovTech, Spatial/Robotics 31:33 Wrap-Up: Subscribe, Reviews, and Next Week’s YC Founder 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap

Most people treat their bodies like a car they only fix after it crashes. Max Berthelot and Lucis are rewriting that script by turning longitudinal blood data into a high-margin, preventive software play. In this episode, we sit down with Max Berthelot, founder of Lucis (YC S25), to discuss why "Function Health for Europe" is one of the most compelling arbitrage opportunities in the venture world. We dive into the cultural shift of paying for health in Europe, the technical challenge of scaling doctor-supervised AI, and the relentless execution required to expand across five countries in record time. What you’ll learn: - Why blood data is the "Gold Rush" of the next decade. - The YC strategy for conquering fragmented European markets. - How to maintain "San Francisco Velocity" while based in Paris. - Why AI + Wearables are currently overhyped (and what's missing). - The 5-day fundraising sprint: How Lucis closed their round during YC. 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Preventive Health and Function Health 00:45 Welcome to Lobster Talks Podcast 01:32 Meet Max Berthelot and Lucis 02:23 The Importance of Longitudinal Health Tracking 05:02 Challenges and Opportunities in European Healthcare 09:14 The YC Experience and Decision to Stay in Europe 12:54 Maintaining YC Culture in Europe 18:13 The Role of AI in Healthcare 22:14 Expansion Across Europe 23:00 International Expansion Playbook 23:53 Challenges in European Market 25:35 Relentless Execution and Metrics 28:35 Trends in YC Healthcare Startups 32:22 Fundraising Journey and AI Impact 36:11 Overhyped Trends in Health Tech 39:20 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap

Factories don’t buy hype. They buy uptime. In this episode, YC-backed Cerrion CEO Karim Saleh explains why industrial computer vision is one of YC’s most underrated AI wedges, and why it can beat flashier “copilot” markets on sheer dollar-weight and defensibility. Karim breaks down how Cerrion deploys camera-based AI agents to detect production issues in real time, why manufacturing is a $20T opportunity, and what most investors get wrong about selling into factories. If you’re building “real-world AI,” this is the playbook… from five paid pilots before code to scaling via workflows, not dashboards. What you’ll learn: Why YC keeps funding industrial computer vision (even across hype cycles)The technical truth: every factory is different… and why VLMs change the gameThe go-to-market wedge that wins: small scope → fast ROI → expansion (NRR)How Cerrion embeds into daily factory workflows (shift meetings, handovers, owners)The biggest investor myth about manufacturing sales cycles, and the real unlockWhy competition-heavy AI markets are a trap (and what to build instead) 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to the Manufacturing Market Opportunity 00:38 Welcome to Lobster Talks 01:11 Introducing Karim Saleh and Cerrion 02:16 The Evolution of AI in Manufacturing 03:47 Challenges and Solutions in Industrial AI 05:40 The Impact of US Reindustrialization 08:44 Customer Success and Expansion Strategies 15:44 Fundraising and Market Trends 26:07 Future of Industrial AI and YC Insights 36:07 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap

Lawyers hate tracking time. PointOne turned that universal pain into an AI wedge, and used the YC playbook to move fast in one of the most conservative, high-ARPU markets on earth. In this episode of Lobster Talks, Katon Luaces (YC ’24) breaks down how PointOne built an “AI time platform” for law firms, why “hard thing first” compounds, and what investors routinely misread about early traction vs. real product validation. You’ll learn: - Why “why now” is the only filter that matters for AI startups - How PointOne got early users fast with aggressive cold outbound - The “hard thing first” strategy—and why it creates real moats - The truth: early traction validates the problem, retention validates the solution - How to sell AI into skeptical industries with “stepping-stone” adoption - Why AI law firms are real… but “one law firm in the future” is unlikely Chapters 00:00 Introduction: The Importance of Long-Term Customer Retention 00:33 Welcome to Lobster Talks: Featuring Katon Luaces 01:09 Introducing PointOne: Revolutionizing Time Tracking for Law Firms 01:54 The Magic of Technology: Making the Impossible Possible 02:46 The YC Journey: From Idea to Execution 03:59 Balancing Technology and Market Demand 05:52 Navigating YC: Maximizing Traction and Growth 07:29 Building a Complex Product: Challenges and Strategies 11:51 Post-YC Growth: From Zero to Exponential 13:18 The Philosophy of Tackling the Hardest Problems First 16:35 The Reality of Startup Life: Persistence and Iteration 21:22 Selling AI to a Traditional Industry: Overcoming Resistance 26:31 Innovative Business Models in Law Firms 27:06 Impact of AI on Legal Practice 28:07 AI Tools and Job Transformation 30:31 Competing with AI in Legal Services 31:59 Challenges and Opportunities for AI Law Firms 35:17 Future of AI in Legal and Other Sectors 37:41 YC's Role in AI Legal Startups 41:52 Overhyped and Underpriced AI Investments 47:19 Conclusion and Final Thoughts 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap

Focus groups used to take 6–8 weeks and cost around $30–50k. Motives is a YC Summer ’25 company that does it in a day, and is doing it the hard way: with real humans, not synthetic personas. In this episode of Lobster Talks, we sit down with Sean (Motives, YC S25) to unpack how AI-native companies are replacing legacy services, why YC is doubling down on agents, and the real tradeoffs of building outside San Francisco. You’ll learn: Why Motives can run focus-group-grade research in 1–2 days vs 6–8 weeksThe truth about synthetic users vs real humans (and where each wins)YC’s real “secret” (spoiler: it’s not a secret) and why it maps perfectly to agentsThe underrated founder problem: sales vs customer success once you have tractionWhy “unlimited research” pricing can create addiction-level usageLondon vs SF: customer density, talent economics, and survivability as a founder 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Motives: Revolutionizing Consumer Research with AI 00:31 Welcome to Lobster Talks: Meet Sean from Motives 01:01 Deep Dive into Motives: How It Works and Its Advantages 01:49 The Evolution of Market Research: From Traditional to AI-Powered 03:52 Comparing Human and AI-Driven Consumer Research 09:58 The YC Experience: Building AI-Native Businesses 14:57 Challenges and Strategies for AI Startups 24:07 Sales and Customer Success in AI Agent Businesses 28:10 Reflecting on Client Payments and Capital 28:35 Testing the Unlimited Plan 28:57 Challenges and Learnings from AI Research 32:14 Quality Control and Automation 34:36 The Importance of Customer Feedback 36:20 Choosing London Over San Francisco 38:16 Advantages of Being in London 44:02 Balancing Work and Personal Life 47:38 Cultural Differences in Tech 52:40 Final Thoughts and Reflections 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap

A seed-stage fund gets 10 markups… and a YC company hits a 4.5x in 9 months. That’s the vibe heading into 2026. Speed is up, liquidity is thawing, and AI is compressing timelines across YC and the broader venture market. In this episode of The Lobster Talks, we recap Lobster Capital’s breakout 2025, unpack why seed → Series A is getting cut in half, and lay out the sharpest 2026 prediction: the liquidity cycle is coming back… via IPOs, M&A, secondaries, and “creative” acquihires. We also dig into the counter-trend: as AI floods everything, founders are building real-world, tangible products that pull people off screens… Powered by AI, Not anti-AI. What you’ll learn in this episode: Why seed → Series A is moving from 18–24 months to ~9 months in top YC companiesHow a YC-backed company can go 0 → $10M ARR in ~14 months and keep growing 40% MoMWhy DPI + liquidity is the only KPI LPs ultimately care aboutThe new playbook: VC + PE strategies converging as AI makes roll-ups and efficiency leaps inevitableThe “opposite reaction” to AI: hardware + real-life communities powered by AI agentsWhat’s showing up in Winter 2026: robotics, hardware, and a surprising wave of space tech 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Cold Open 00:46 Welcome to The Lobster Talks 01:16 Recap of 2025 Achievements 02:19 Series A Success and Future Predictions 07:50 The Importance of Liquidity in VC 09:35 AI's Transformational Impact 18:58 The Role of YC and Future Outlook 21:45 AI Note Taker: A Physical Product in 2026 22:36 Digital Detox: Reconnecting with the Real World 23:59 Lobster Capital's Portfolio: RealRoots and Sunflower 28:15 The Rise of Robotics and Space Tech in 2026 31:39 YC's Moonshot Investments and Future Prospects 34:27 Reflections on YC's Evolution and Success 37:40 Upcoming YC Demo Day and New Group Partners 39:21 Conclusion and Future Episodes 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap

Everyone’s chasing shiny AI agents. Tanner Jones is quietly using AI to tear out 25% of a state’s rule book, and got Virginia to require his product by law. This episode goes inside Vulcan Technology, a YC startup using AI to map every law and regulation in America, undercut Deloitte and McKinsey, and turn a $4T regulatory burden into a trillion-dollar software market. We talk about Virginia’s $24K cheaper homes, destroying the Big Four with code, how to actually sell into government, and why most “AI for gov” plays are doomed from day one. You’ll learn: How Vulcan uses AI to analyze entire regulatory codes and show what can’t change, what can change, and what must change.The Virginia case study: how building code streamlining translated into ~$24,000 less per new home without touching safety.Why both red and blue states are leaning into AI for regulation, and how YC founders are navigating the politics.What investors get wrong about govtech, ARR, and how to value AI consultancies selling into the state.How Tanner sold to a state government 10 days after incorporation and then raised one of the biggest seeds of his YC batch.What’s overhyped in AI infra, what’s inevitable, and how to avoid building a “solution in search of a problem” in govtech. 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: The Challenges of Government Contracts 00:51 Sponsorship Message from Stable 01:51 Introducing Tanner Jones and Vulcan Technology 02:33 The Vision: AI in Government Consulting 06:20 Case Study: Virginia's Regulatory Overhaul 12:26 Bipartisan Appeal of AI Solutions 17:34 Behind the Scenes at Y Combinator 22:28 Navigating Government Sales and Investor Relations 24:51 Scientific Innovation and Emergence of New Companies 25:15 Palantir and Anduril's Impact on Intelligence Agencies 25:37 Targeting Regulatory Agencies and Market Size 26:10 Challenges and Opportunities in Government Contracts 27:37 Passion for Government Reform 28:25 Investor Interest in Govtech and AI 29:30 Challenges for Govtech Startups 32:26 Understanding Government Incentives 34:06 Metrics for Success in Govtech 42:31 Future of AI in Government 46:09 Final Thoughts and Contact Information 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap This podcast episode is sponsored by Stable. Click here to sign up for a virtual address: https://dashboard.usestable.com/onboard/begin?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=influencer_lobster&promoCode=lobster50

Most people think GPS is “good enough”, until you realize 90% of human and object movement happens where GPS doesn’t work at all. Warehouses, hospitals, tunnels, battlefields… completely blind spots. In this episode of Lobster Talks, Raymond Lee (Twill, YC) sits down with John Ferrara, solo founder of Juxta (YC S25), who’s building a Universal Positioning System... a no-hardware GPS alternative that works indoors, underground, and anywhere humans or machines move. We break down the tech, the wedge into logistics and defense, and how he raised $5M at a $40M cap in ~48 hours as a 21-year-old solo founder straight out of YC. You’ll learn: - Why 90% of location data on Earth is currently invisible — and why that’s such a big deal. - How Juxta uses IMUs, 3D simulations, and “synthetic fingerprinting” to localize devices without satellites or beacons. - Real use cases across logistics, warehouses, defense, and hospitals — and why these buyers are leaning in. - How deeptech founders should think about tech risk vs market risk when pitching VCs. - What it’s like to go through YC S25 as a solo founder, and why so many deeptech founders end up solo. - The inside story on raising a fast, oversubscribed round from CRV, PG, SV Angel, Liquid 2, and more. 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to GPS-Denied Spaces 00:44 Sponsor Message: Stable 01:45 Welcome to Lobster Talks Podcast 02:10 Meet Jonathan Ferrara from Juxta 03:39 Understanding Juxta's Technology 08:50 Applications and Use Cases of Juxta 10:34 Onboarding Process for Juxta 15:37 Competitors and Market Landscape 25:27 Deep Tech and Solo Founders in YC 34:47 Solo Founders and the Victim Complex 35:15 The YC Experience and Going Solo 37:18 Support Systems and Coping Mechanisms 40:23 Raising Funds as a Solo Founder 44:25 Choosing the Right Investors 56:17 Vision for the Future 59:05 Conclusion and Contact Information 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap This podcast episode is sponsored by Stable. Click here to sign up for a virtual address: https://dashboard.usestable.com/onboard/begin?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=influencer_lobster&promoCode=lobster50

YC pivot. Creator taxes. Real savings. Fernando from Beluga Labs explains how AI moves tax planning from “black box” to one-click, year-round optimization, starting with the messiest edge case: content creators. In today’s episode, Nikki hosts Fernando (Beluga Labs, YC S24) on building AI-first tax planning for creators, why they pivoted in-batch, and how YC’s “light cone” advice shaped a focused GTM. We cover messy creator income, quarterly taxes, line-by-line deductions, and fundraising with discipline…not vibes. You’ll learn: - Why creators are the hardest (and best) wedge for tax software - How YC’s niche-first “light cone” shaped Beluga’s roadmap - The two biggest ways creators lose money on taxes (and how to stop it) - What a 3-star → 10-star tax UX looks like (from “not going to jail” to one-click refunds) - Fundraising discipline: setting milestone-based use of proceeds - The creator economy reality: followers ≠ revenue; niche and brand matter more Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to AI-Powered Tax Planning 00:21 Stable: A Solution for Business Addresses 01:21 Welcome to Lobster Talk Podcast 01:40 Meet Fernando from Beluga Labs 02:03 Fernando's Journey to Entrepreneurship 05:14 Beluga Labs: Revolutionizing Tax Planning 06:32 The Pivot to Tax Solutions 11:56 The YC Experience and Support 16:32 Exploring Other Opportunities 19:20 The Future of Content Creation 21:50 Key Industry Insights and Data 24:14 The Financial Reality of Content Creators 24:43 Maximizing Income Through Investments 25:19 The Value Proposition of Tax Solutions 25:53 Streamlining Tax Filing for Creators 27:42 Aggressive Tax Savings Strategies 31:45 Future Plans and Expansion 36:59 Fundraising and Business Growth 43:19 Final Thoughts and Advice 📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews. 🎧 Listen on the go: Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap This podcast episode is sponsored by Stable. Click here to sign up for a virtual address: https://dashboard.usestable.com/onboard/begin?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=influencer_lobster&promoCode=lobster50