290: Why Airbnb switched from OpenAI to Chinese AI (and what it means for your budget) Feb 11, 2026

AI isn’t just coming from Silicon Valley anymore.

A growing number of startups — and companies like Airbnb — are turning to Chinese open-source AI models instead of US-based APIs. Not because it’s trendy. Because it’s cheaper, more flexible, and often good enough.

In this episode, Sophia Matveeva ...

Continue Reading...
277: Why you shouldn't use AI to build your product Nov 05, 2025

Every founder is looking for ways to save time and money.

And right now, AI promises both.

But here’s the catch: while AI can write code, it can’t think through your product’s logic, security, or scalability. The result? A shiny prototype that collapses under real-world use.

In this episode of...

Continue Reading...
276: How AI is reshuffling the rules of business Oct 29, 2025

How many founders think AI is about faster automation?

What if the real opportunity lies in reimagining how entire systems work?

Sophia Matveeva sits down with Sangeet Paul Choudary, best-selling author of Platform Revolution and Re/Shuffle: Who Wins When AI Restacks the Knowledge Economy, to e...

Continue Reading...
275: 5 Founder lessons from the JP Morgan tech conference Oct 22, 2025

What separates founders who make it from those who stall out?

After spending two days surrounded by billion-dollar CEOs and investors at JP Morgan’s Tech Investor Conference in London, Sophia Matveeva discovered that the conversations happening in those rooms reveal far more than market gossip.

...
Continue Reading...
273: What AI can (and can’t) do for non-technical founders Oct 08, 2025

Founders love the idea of skipping engineers and letting AI code their dream app.

Sadly, that dream falls apart fast.

AI can write code, but it also hallucinates, breaks in production, and leaves you with messes you can’t fix if you're not a coder.

What looks like a shortcut turns into a cost...

Continue Reading...
272: Why this is the best time to be a non-technical founder Oct 01, 2025

For years, non-technical founders were second class citizens in tech. 

Not anymore. 

In this episode, Sophia Matveeva shares five reasons why today is the best time in history to start a tech venture without being a coder — and why, in some cases, non-technical founders actually have the advant...

Continue Reading...