AI, Risk, and Why Most Startups Don’t Make It

Episode notes

On this episode of Startup Success, Kate sits down with Itamar Novick, Founder and General Partner of Recursive Ventures, who has been named one of Business Insider’s Top 100 Global Seed Investors for five years running. Unlike many VCs, Itamar brings a unique operator’s perspective, having helped scale Life360 from pre-seed to IPO and been part of multiple major exits. He reflects on what he’s learned from 25 years in the startup ecosystem, from the failures of his first company to his early bet on AI way back in 2012. And while Recursive Ventures is “all in” on AI, Itamar candidly shares his concerns about its potential risks to society. We discuss: What he looks for when investing in a startup His use of “anti-patterns” to teach founders how to avoid failure What it takes to build an AI company that will survive the long haul Itamar’s top advice for founders: jump on the wave first, embrace disruption, pivot quickly, and keep adapting. Founders who last aren’t the ones who play it safe. - Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn ! Learn more about Recursive Ventures here , Itamar’s Blog here , and Itamar’s LinkedIn here.

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• Beyond the AI Bubble: What Founders Need to Know Now66 / 100
• What Investors Look for in the AI Era62 / 100
• When It’s Time for Founders to Step Down as CEO
• Why Founders Need “Scalers” on Their Early Teams