E178: Building Safer AI Agents with Portia AI

In this episode of the Open Source Startup Podcast, Tim from S&BC and Robbie from Modern Technical Fund interview Emma Burrows, the CTO of Portia Labs, about building a framework for running reliable agents in production. Emma discusses Portia's founding story, evolving from a wealth management agent startup to a broader framework for authenticating and authorizing agents. She explains Portia's open-source approach, driven by user demand for data privacy and customization, including their unique paid contribution program. The conversation covers Portia's focus on planning for reliability and auditability, its approach to agent authorization, and its integration with MCP. Emma shares insights on building open-source projects, the importance of understanding abstractions, and the challenges of market education in the rapidly evolving AI space. She also offers advice for aspiring founders, emphasizing networking and the emotional rollercoaster of startup life.