5/28/25

Are Founder-Led Companies Actually More Valuable? - Ep. 56

(0:00) Intro – Moving to SF, culture shock, and founder ethos

(4:35) Skipping college vs. startup school: is it worth it?

(10:40) The ROI of grad school and MBA programs

(14:50) Favorite AI tools this week: Lovable, Clay, and V0

(19:30) Open source acquisitions: Windsor, Neon, and what they signal

(25:10) Klarna’s AI reversal: hype vs. reality of workforce replacement

(28:20) Is Perplexity AI here to stay? Growth, acquisition, and skepticism

(33:35) Wrap-up

In this episode of the ScholarAI Founders Pod, Shashi and Lakshya debate whether founder-led teams outperform, what Klarna’s AI reversal means for the future of work, and why Perplexity might have more staying power than most people think.

They also unpack:

– The value of skipping college in 2025

– Open source wins like Windsor and Neon

– Lovable vs. V0: why some AI tools actually resonate

– The hard truths about startup investing during a downturn

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#AI #Founders #Startups #OpenSource #Klarna #Perplexity #College #VC #Product #TechNews #Clay #Lovable #Neon #Windsor

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Will Microsoft Wipe Out Cursor? - Ep. 55