When AI makes creating content and code nearly free, how do you stand out? Differentiation now hinges on two things: unique taste and effective distribution.

This week, Bharat Vasan, founder & CEO at Intangible and a "recovering VC," explains why the AI landscape compelled him to return to founding. He sees AI sparking a new creative revolution, similar to the early internet, that makes it easier than ever to bring ideas to life. The conversation delivers essential advice for founders, revealing why relentless shipping is the ultimate clarifier for a business and why resilience, not just intelligence, is the key to survival.

Drawing from his experience on both sides of the venture table, Bharat breaks down the brutally competitive VC landscape and shares Intangible's mission: to simplify 3D creative tools with AI, finally bridging the gap between human vision and machine power. Listeners will gain insights on company building, brand strategy, and why customer obsession is the ultimate moat in the AI age.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction

00:45 From Founder to VC and Back

03:17 Human Creativity in the Age of AI

07:50 The Role of Taste and Distribution

11:49 Building a Brand in the AI Era

16:17 The Venture Capital Landscape for AI Startups

20:11 Advice for Founders in the AI Boom

23:55 Incumbents vs. Startups

27:10 The New Generation of Innovators

29:19 Pirate Mentality in Startups

30:00 Building a Brand

36:28 Shipping and Resilience

41:49 Customer Obsession

46:58 The Vision for Intangible

51:52 Conclusion

Connect with Chain of Thought host Conor Bronsdon:

Newsletter: https://newsletter.chainofthought.show/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/ConorBronsdon
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/conorbronsdon/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@ConorBronsdon

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Learn more about Intangible at intangible.ai.

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Taste Is The New Moat | Why Customer Obsession Wins in the AI Era

Chain of Thought | AI Agents, Infrastructure & Engineering

Taste Is The New Moat | Why Customer Obsession Wins in the AI Era