Go hard early: How lessons from Verkada shaped Serval's AI agents for IT teams | Jake Stauch (Founder and CEO) | In Depth

In this episode of the "In Depth" podcast, Brett Berson interviews Jake Stauch, co-founder and CEO of Serval, about his journey building an AI-native platform for IT teams. Jake shares insights from his time at Verkada, emphasizing the importance of targeting existing markets with better products and building a full platform early on. He discusses Serval's origins, the shift from resolving device issues to automating broader IT tasks, and the unique approach of using code generation to build automations faster than manual processes. Jake also touches on Serval's go-to-market strategy, the evolving role of forward-deployed engineers, and his thoughts on talent acquisition and company culture, highlighting the need for adaptable, intelligent generalists in today's rapidly changing tech landscape.

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Go hard early: How lessons from Verkada shaped Serval's AI agents for IT teams | Jake Stauch (Founder and CEO)

In Depth

Introduction to Serval and Lessons from Verkada: Building in Existing Markets

Building a Platform: Overcoming Challenges and Identifying Customer Pain Points

Uncovering the Automation Opportunity and Building a Platform from Day One

Disrupting Existing Markets: The Importance of True Insight and Top-Down Alignment

The Role of AI in Automation and the Importance of Hard Problems

Innovating on Company Structure: The Evolving Role of the Forward-Deployed Engineer

The Future of Product Management and the Importance of Customer Empathy

Hiring for Adaptability and the Talent Vortex

The Urgency of Land Grabs in the AI Era and the Importance of Balancing Innovation with Existing Markets

Go hard early: How lessons from Verkada shaped Serval's AI agents for IT teams | Jake Stauch (Founder and CEO)

In Depth

00:00Introduction to Serval and Lessons from Verkada: Building in Existing Markets

Introduction to Serval and Lessons from Verkada: Building in Existing Markets

07:12Building a Platform: Overcoming Challenges and Identifying Customer Pain Points

Building a Platform: Overcoming Challenges and Identifying Customer Pain Points

17:22Uncovering the Automation Opportunity and Building a Platform from Day One

Uncovering the Automation Opportunity and Building a Platform from Day One

27:35Disrupting Existing Markets: The Importance of True Insight and Top-Down Alignment

Disrupting Existing Markets: The Importance of True Insight and Top-Down Alignment

39:35The Role of AI in Automation and the Importance of Hard Problems

The Role of AI in Automation and the Importance of Hard Problems

47:30Innovating on Company Structure: The Evolving Role of the Forward-Deployed Engineer

Innovating on Company Structure: The Evolving Role of the Forward-Deployed Engineer

57:25The Future of Product Management and the Importance of Customer Empathy

The Future of Product Management and the Importance of Customer Empathy

1:08:00Hiring for Adaptability and the Talent Vortex

Hiring for Adaptability and the Talent Vortex

1:17:30The Urgency of Land Grabs in the AI Era and the Importance of Balancing Innovation with Existing Markets

The Urgency of Land Grabs in the AI Era and the Importance of Balancing Innovation with Existing Markets