Most Recent Episodes
Can AI Really 2X Output and Break Legacy Business Models? | Dru Armst…
How do 100X engineers, cheap development, and AI-everywhere workflows flip slow-moving industries and legacy business models? AffiniPay CEO Dru Armstrong joins to discuss how vertical fintech and generative AI reshape profess...
Design vs Slop | John Roescher, Raw Materials
We live in an age of unprecedented creative tools, from generative AI and design platforms to open access to code, capital, and talent. Joining this episode is John Roescher, Founder and CEO of Raw Materials, the design firm ...
Fungi, Coffee, and Diapers| Tero Isokauppila, Four Sigmatic & HIRO
Mushrooms, coffee, and diapers. It’s not the start of weird joke, but the the innovation arc of Tero Isokauppila, one of the most uniquely disruptive founders at the convergence of bio and consumer goods. From building the $2...
Recent
Austin's Tech Ambitions
From our episode "Can AI Really 2X Output and Break Legacy Business Models? | Dru Armstrong, AffiniPay CEO"
#Austin #Innovation #Startups #innovationecosystem
The Billable Hour is Golden Handcuffs
From our episode "Can AI Really 2X Output and Break Legacy Business Models? | Dru Armstrong, AffiniPay CEO"
#LegalTech, #GenerativeAI, #ProfessionalServices
Can AI Disrupt Billable Hours?
From our episode "Can AI Really 2X Output and Break Legacy Business Models? | Dru Armstrong, AffiniPay CEO"
Ep 160: Can AI Really 2X Output and Break Legacy Business Models? | Dru Armstrong, AffiniPay CEO
How do 100X engineers, cheap development, and AI-everywhere workflows flip slow-moving industries and legacy business models? AffiniPay CEO Dru Armstrong joins to discuss how vertical fintech and generative AI reshape professional services, power the next small-business software stack, and accelerate Austin’s climb into the top five tech cities.
Highlights
00:00 AffiniPay overview & mission
02:57 Why solo firms need vertical SaaS
05:45 Unified platform vs best-in-class …
Can AI Really 2X Output and Break Legacy Business Models? | Dru Armstrong, AffiniPay CEO
How do 100X engineers, cheap development, and AI-everywhere workflows flip slow-moving industries and legacy business models? AffiniPay CEO Dru Armstrong joins to discuss how vertical fintech and generative AI reshape profess...
Designing Ecosystems Means Designing Narratives
A clip from our episode "Design vs Slop | John Roescher, Raw Materials"
#EcosystemDesign
#InnovationNarrative
#StartupCommunities
#CityBuilding
#IntentionalDesign
#AustinNext
You Can’t Design the Outcome, Only the Conditions
A clip from our episode "Design vs Slop | John Roescher, Raw Materials"
#DesignThinking
#InnovationStrategy
#IntentionalDesign
#StartupCulture
#UXDesign
#AustinNext
Creativity is the Counter to AI Slop
A clip from our episode "Design vs Slop | John Roescher, Raw Materials"
#GenerativeAI, #Design, #Creativity, #DesignThinking, #AI, #AustinNext
Ep 159: Design vs Slop | John Roescher, Raw Materials
We live in an age of unprecedented creative tools, from generative AI and design platforms to open access to code, capital, and talent. Joining this episode is John Roescher, Founder and CEO of Raw Materials, the design firm behind the public-facing strategies of Anduril, Saronic, and Meta, to explore why design should not be treated as decoration, but as a cultural and strategic function. Because in the end, with all this power, the outcome still comes down to a choice: Will we design with …
Design vs Slop | John Roescher, Raw Materials
We live in an age of unprecedented creative tools, from generative AI and design platforms to open access to code, capital, and talent. Joining this episode is John Roescher, Founder and CEO of Raw Materials, the design firm ...
Up Next on Austin Next: Design vs Slop
Get a sneak peek of our episode "Design vs Slop | John Roescher, Raw Materials"
#Design #StartupCulture #InnovationEcosystem #GenerativeAI #AustinNext
$5M is a Biotech Win; CPG needs $50M
A clip from our episode "Fungi, Coffee, and Diapers | Tero Isokauppila, Four Sigmatic & HIRO"
#AustinNext, #CPG, #Biotech, #StartupFunding, #VentureCapital
Fungi: Ancient, Adaptable, Everywhere
A clip from our episode "Fungi, Coffee, and Diapers | Tero Isokauppila, Four Sigmatic & HIRO"
#Fungi, #Biotech, #NatureTech, #AustinNext, #EnvironmentalInnovation
Why Tech and CPG Stay Separate in Austin
A clip from our episode "Fungi, Coffee, and Diapers| Tero Isokauppila, Four Sigmatic & HIRO"
#AustinNext, #CPG, #TechEcosystem, #ConsumerBrands, #StartupCulture
EP 158: Fungi, Coffee, and Diapers | Tero Isokauppila, Four Sigmatic & HIRO
Mushrooms, coffee, and diapers. It’s not the start of weird joke, but the the innovation arc of Tero Isokauppila, one of the most uniquely disruptive founders at the convergence of bio and consumer goods. From building the $2B mushroom coffee category at Four Sigmatic to launching HIRO, the world’s first fungi-based diaper, Tero’s work reflects something deeper; how Austin’s convergence of culture, capital, and cross-sector energy is creating the next innovation frontier.
Episode Hig…
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Recent Blog Posts
New Report says Austin is turning into life sciences "superstar" hub
Thrilled to have been featured on 'Tech this Out' with Walt Maciborski, discussing the booming Austin Life Sciences Sector!Our report, 'Austin Life Sciences Sector: A Powerhouse Emerging at a Pivotal Crossroads,' was born from a desire to catalyze a…
Austin's Venture Funding Challenges the Global Stagnation
The global venture funding landscape narrative for the first half of 2023 has been portrayed as one of stagnation. Headlines from notable publications, such as Crunchbase's "AI Was Q2’s Big Hope To Reverse The Global Venture Funding Slowdown. …
Austin Life Sciences Sector: A Powerhouse Emerging at a Pivotal Cross…
Welcome to Austin Next, where we explore Austin's ascension into a global innovation powerhouse. We delve into the region's evolution, examine the building of robust ecosystems, and consider the impact of emerging trends and technologies. With Austi…
About the Host
Jason Scharf
Founder & Host
Jason Scharf has spent nearly two decades pursuing his life’s mission of catalyzing innovation. As an early stage investor, he targets the bio innovation tech stack and the business of health. He has held key leadership roles in strategy and market intelligence at industry pillars such as Illumina, BD, and Amgen. Through the Austin Next podcast and Substack Ecosystem Metacognition, he explores innovation, Bio & Health, tech, ecosystems, Austin, and their convergence.