Redpoint

We asked hundreds of consumers about their AI search habits and desires, here’s what they said: ???66% care about multimodal AI experiences—think text, voice, video, all-in-one. ???Many people prefer asking AI over others for advice on taste-driven topics like creative work, cooking, shopping, and travel. ???ChatGPT currently leads in popularity, but high usage of Google Gemini and Meta AI shows the potential of AI within existing platforms. ???Over 75% of consumers expect AI to transform their experiences in planning/booking, healthcare, career development, and personal finance. ???Consumers want AI for both big and small decisions—from wellness and groceries to homes and cars. ??Trust in AI is still a challenge, with accuracy, consistency, and real-time recommendations being key opportunities for improvement. ???Traditional search habits are strong, but AI-powered search is catching up with more engaging, personalized experiences. ???Users are eager to rely on AI for daily tasks like general inquiries, research, task management, writing, recommendations, and bookings. ??AI is only on the rise, with 75% of users expecting their usage to rise in the future. Shoutout to Meera Clark and Leah Clapper for pulling together a fantastic report. See the full report here:?https://lnkd.in/dRB4wW4Q

At Redpoint, we've been busy unpacking how AI’s expansion across search, discovery, and planning might open the door to a trendy, technicolor future ?? Having surveyed 250+ consumers to better understand their usage, expectations, and aspirations wrt all things AI, we discovered ambitions that rivaled even our own optimistic outlook ?? From a *yearning for taste* to *expectations of a user interface-lift,* consumers’ thirst for a new wave of AI native applications is undeniable – and that thirst is creating a trillion-dollar opportunity for founders. Consider us captivated ?? Check out our learnings here (CC: Leah Clapper) ????? https://lnkd.in/gi-EyD6C ...and if you are building in and around consumer / prosumer search, discovery, and planning, we would LOVE to hear from you!! #prosumer #venturecapital #ai #search

This month, 25 years ago, Redpoint launched its first fund. Today we celebrate by revealing our new website. Check it out! redpoint.com

An amazing milestone for a world-class team. Congrats Cyera!

For this episode of Unsupervised Learning we spoke with Russ d'Sa, co-founder of LiveKit, a company at the forefront of voice AI technology. While companies like OpenAI, Anthropic and Google are building the brain for AI, Russ views LiveKit as the “nervous system,” connecting users to the brain in real-time. They are powering Advanced Voice Mode in ChatGPT as well as applications like Character.ai, Spotify and many more. Russ talked about when voice makes sense as an interface, the exciting new UX paradigms on the horizon, the intersection of voice and robotics and Anthropic's Computer Use API. Here’s more on these topics from our chat: ?? Russ's Experiences with ChatGPT Voice Russ described how he uses ChatGPT during his Bay Area commute, popping in one earbud to ask it to tap into its vast knowledge base, so he can learn about topics from quantum theory to the science behind how lightning works. He loves that he can ask it “any dumb question” and not feel judged, as he might if he asked a professor the same thing in a big lecture hall. ?? Hybrid Voice-Text-Vision Interfaces for AI will be Game-Changing Russ says that voice interfaces shine in hands-free scenarios, like driving or cooking, and typing will always have its place, too. But he sees a future where “mixed modality” interfaces are a powerful hybrid. He gave an example of pair programming with AI by talking through a coding problem with it – but then allowing it to take over typing to fix a mistake or suggest an improvement. He also thinks computer vision will come into play, so an AI can even see things that will help them complete their task. In short, his vision is we will interact with agents like we do humans. ??? The Intersection of Voice and Robotics Russ's insights into the role of voice in humanoid robotics were fascinating. One of the biggest puzzles to solve are resource constraints -- what to process on-device, what to send to the cloud, and how to handle latency and responsiveness. He drew parallels between human cognition and the potential of AI systems to mimic our senses and decision-making processes that will make you stop and think. ????What Anthropic’s Computer Use Really Means Russ also touched on Anthropic’s Computer Use API, which among other things, allows AI to truly "touch" the digital world, much like how humans use keyboards, mice, and touchscreens to manipulate their environments. Russ's insights into voice AI and its broader implications for the future of human-machine interaction were both insightful and thought-provoking. Give the full episode a listen to hear more from Russ, who is building groundbreaking tech we will all be using in the near future. YouTube: https://lnkd.in/dNPK28NC Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3CJsLgi Apple: https://apple.co/3YZw8Yb

Co-founder and CEO of Intercom Eoghan McCabe returned to the CEO seat at Intercom with a mission to shake things up. Over the past two years, he's been reinventing the company’s culture, leading with zero apologies, and transforming Intercom into an AI-driven powerhouse. In my latest conversation, we dive into Eoghan’s journey back to Intercom after a two-year break, his blueprint for turning a software company into an AI leader, and the tactics he uses to keep Intercom running like a high-intensity startup. A few takeaways from Eoghan’s views on leadership, resilience, and staying true to one’s values: → How Eoghan reinvented Intercom When he returned as Intercom CEO, he ditched the democratic, everyone-has-a-say style of leadership in favor of a firm, top-down approach. Now, McCabe doesn’t ask for input unless he genuinely needs it, unapologetically setting direction and enforcing performance-based rewards—or exits. Under his new leadership, Intercom went from shrinking revenue to seven quarters of accelerating growth, slashed employee attrition, and created a high-performance culture. The team’s more engaged and aligned than ever, and his most brilliant team members people appreciate this approach. → How Eoghan runs Intercom like a startup Every quarter, Intercom employees are rated 1-5 on their performance goals and 6 core values, with managers stack-ranking them by department. The lowest 2-3% may face consequences, while top performers earn significant rewards. The bar is raised each quarter, motivating employees to work at a startup pace and thrive in an intense environment. So far, the system has shown huge positive results and lots of hard work, though Eoghan anticipates possible adjustments in the future. → Why he publicly supported Donald Trump Eoghan McCabe was one of the few Silicon Valley CEOs to endorse a candidate this year, sharing the story behind his decision to post a photo with Donald Trump (fully aware it would spark backlash). Despite criticism, McCabe stands by his choice, emphasizing the importance of personal freedom and individual sovereignty. He hopes to show young founders that it’s possible to lead a successful company while holding different views. Within Intercom, McCabe reassures employees they’re free to express their beliefs without fear of “canceling.” A strong advocate for free speech and respect, he encourages everyone to stay true to themselves while being open to others. Full episode:? https://lnkd.in/gK9Rg_PX

A great explanation on how to think about getting started with AI: Databricks Chief AI Scientist Jonathan Frankle talks through when to pre-train, fine-tune or just prompt. Full conversation:?https://lnkd.in/gTz2yWxK

Chief AI Scientist at Databricks?Jonathan Frankle?explains why new AI model architectures are unlikely to emerge in the short-term:?

On the latest Vital Signs, I sat down with Dr. Angela Fitch, co-founder and CMO of knownwell. knownwell has raised $25 million from investors like a16z and Flare Capital Partners to provide weight-inclusive primary care and metabolic health care. We discuss the future of obesity care, where we are with GLP-1s, the need to expand coverage, and more. Some highlights: ?? Insurance coverage for obesity care Dr. Fitch shares how in the early days of Ozempic, a small number of obesity medicine providers were prescribing the medication off label because they knew about the evidence for weight loss, and payors didn’t have prior auth on these medications. As GLP-1s have gotten more attention and taken off, insurers have restricted access. Initially, the market was seeing employers add coverage for the medication, but there has since been retraction as employers are starting to see the spend. Partially underlying this spend is providers who are prescribing the medication without the same standards of care. ?? The most pressing area that still needs to be studied Dr. Fitch explains how we need to look at weight maintenance as separate from weight loss. In randomized controlled trials, patients who came off their weight loss medications ended up gaining their weight back in the first year and beyond. It’s likely that these patients will need to be on some form of treatment for the rest of their lives, so more research needs to be done on what that treatment will actually look like. ?? Supply chain challenges for GLP-1s Dr. Fitch talks about how the supply chain from the manufacturing side has been improving as pharma has been ramping up supply, although the availability is still regionally-dependent. But, the bigger supply chain issue is with getting the medications to pharmacies. Patients are used to just-in-time pharmaceutical access – which is not how GLP-1s work – and we haven’t developed many of the distribution solutions needed to help patients find their medications. Providers are currently encouraging their patients to proactively refill their prescriptions long before they run out. ?? The future of GLP-1s Dr. Fitch advocates for greater coverage of GLP-1s because of their health impact. She clarifies how these medications are disease-modifying agents that fundamentally change metabolism instead of acting as temporizing band-aids. As a result, patients who lose weight with GLP-1s and discontinue the medication will also have other benefits, like cardiovascular risk reduction. Lots of great insights in this episode from a leader in obesity medicine! Listen to our full episode below: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4fJFEFw Apple: https://apple.co/3UQfuZR

Huge congrats to Atli Thorkelsson for being named to HIGHER Community’s Talent 100!????We’re so grateful for everything you do to power up hiring for our portfolio companies. So well deserved! https://lnkd.in/efvkrVfE