The Founder of a $1.5B AI Company on What Comes After the First Wave of AI Apps

The computing revolution is fundamentally reshaping how work is performed, shifting from traditional software interfaces to agent-native workflows. Startups in this space operate in a high-stakes environment where they must balance rapid experimentation with the need for consistent, tasteful product design. Granola, an AI-native meeting tool, demonstrates this by prioritizing "handrail" features—invisible, proactive assistance that provides value exactly when needed, such as pre-generated meeting briefs. Meanwhile, the emergence of "agentic" interfaces, where users and AI agents collaborate within the same workspace, signals a move toward more integrated, stateful interactions. These developments suggest that the future of productivity lies in tools that act as structural "bones" for AI "muscles," allowing for seamless delegation and context-aware collaboration across complex knowledge work tasks.