Minus One

What does it feel like to bet your company on AI when everyone's talking about a bubble?Anurag Goel, CEO of Render and former employee #8 at Stripe, joins SPC Partner Jonathan Brebner to share why he's going all-in on AI infrastructure. The SPC alum breaks down the honest debates happening inside his company, why vulnerability builds more trust than the "always confident" founder persona, and how random events (like his wife's grad school decision) led to his early days at Stripe.1. Anurag Goel: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anuragoel/2. Jonathan Brebner: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-brebner/3. South Park Commons: https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/Apply to SPC: https://www.southparkcommons.com/apply0:00:00 Intro0:00:27 How Anurag joined Stripe0:04:30 Silicon Valley “mythmaking”0:07:15 Can founders be vulnerable?0:09:00 His “Minus One” moment after Stripe0:15:45 Killing “good” ideas0:17:50 How Render unlocks developer productivity0:24:00 The AI bubble

Most things Kunal Shah says, turn into quotes that are shared across a cross-section of worlds — whether that is the startup and tech ecosystem, or simply among people looking to better understand human behaviour. First with FreeCharge and now with CRED, he has truly traversed a journey of what it means to build for as diverse and complex a market, as India.On Minus One, he shares why technology works best when it flows with human insight, why the best builders need to relentlessly keep asking “why?”, and what makes people truly aspire for something.Connect with us here:1. Kunal Shah- https://www.linkedin.com/in/kunalshah1/ 2. Prateek Mehta- https://www.linkedin.com/in/prateek-mehta-a571972/ 3. South Park Commons- https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/Timestamps: 00:00 Trailer01:17 Introduction03:47 Philosophy and Sales Shaping Perspectives06:48 Human Motivation and Product Success33:56 Key Traits for Startup Success41:46 Design and Aesthetics Matter47:26 Innovative Marketing55:48 Wealth, Health, and Business Success

This is the story behind all the IPO headlines. In this episode of Minus One, Vidit Aatrey talks to Prateek Mehta about the high-conviction journey of building Meesho — from early uncertainty and brutal trade-offs to cracking scale in one of the hardest consumer markets in the world. We talk about why most startups fail to truly understand India, what Meesho got right (after getting a lot wrong), and the long game required to build something that actually lasts.This is the builder’s story — about patience, lifelong learning, and designing for realities…not fantasies.Connect with us here:1. Prateek Mehta: https://x.com/prateekmehta42.South Park Commons – https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons

If there’s one person to listen to truly grasp the scale and intent of technology and where we’re headed, it’s Kevin Scott.The Microsoft CTO joins Aditya Agarwal to discuss navigating his Minus One days, the partnership with OpenAI, why the most valuable problems to solve are often the ones others ignore, and why building great things has never been easier, cheaper, or faster. Tune in now.Apply to SPC membership:https://airtable.com/appxDXHfPCZvb75qk/pagIZspLSFX7QrXcn/formConnect with us: 1. Kevin Scott: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jkevinscott/ 2. Aditya Agarwal: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/3. South Park Commons: https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/ 00:00 Trailer01:34 Navigating Career Transitions and Impact07:35 Challenges and Insights for Entrepreneurs14:43 The Evolution and Future of AI28:42 The Grind of Startup Life34:11 Open Source vs. Closed Source Models46:49 Empowering the Next Generation with AI

Having been a key part of building Google and Meta, and helping scale DoorDash and Block, Gokul Rajaram joins Aditya Agarwal to share his principles and patterns for deciding what’s truly worth building.Together, they draw on real stories from Silicon Valley and reflect on what it will take to unlock India’s deep tech potential. The investor gives crucial insight into the mindset, the team, and the personal qualities required to build meaningfully in the age of AI.Apply to SPC membership: https://airtable.com/appxDXHfPCZvb75qk/pagIZspLSFX7QrXcn/formConnect with us: 1. Gokul Rajaram - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gokulrajaram1/2. Aditya Agarwal - https://www.linkedin.com/in/adityaagarwal3/3. South Park Commons - https://www.linkedin.com/company/southparkcommons/00:00 Trailer01:00 Introduction03:42 The Importance of Passion in Startups08:27 The Role of Serendipity in Finding a Mission12:01 User Storytelling vs. User Research18:24 The Obsession of Great Founders28:44 The Evolution of AI and Its Impact on Startups38:23 The Future of AI in the Physical World