For those of you who subscribe to the Slow Hunch pod via RSS or streaming platforms, you'll know I've released a few episodes over the last few weeks, but I have neglected to mention them here. My sincere apologies! Please enjoy the last 3 episodes, which were so fun to record.
Zoe is the founder of ex/ante, a new seed fund where we already have several co-investments at USV. Zoe's slow hunch, shaped by her experiences in conflict zones and policy work at the National Security Commission on AI, is that there will be growing demand for technology that enhances human agency and control over personal data, computing, and digital experiences. Her thesis centers on investing in technologies that directly or indirectly promote individual autonomy while supporting democratic values, positioning these as a counterbalance to both digital authoritarianism and surveillance capitalism. There could not be a more important time than now, as advances in AI and cryptography are so rapidly changing the landscape of how software is getting built and data is getting managed/transformed. Full episode here:
Amir is the creator of the
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Last but not least: Jake is the co-founder and CEO of Casetext. USV invested in Casetext back in 2014, along the thesis that software could radically redefine how legal back-end infrastructure would be built. and ultimately how legal services are provided. Jake has been a computer hacker / programmer his whole life, and a lawyer by training for most of his professional life. He's been pursuing this slow hunch of how software can really change how we manage and process information and apply it to societally fundamental sectors like law. Jake's story is fascinating, as is the story of Castext, which after a decade of hard work and mixed results because an early OpenAI partner before the launch of ChatGPT -- Jake embraced the moment and leaned the company hard into AI, becoming one of the first companies in the legal tech space to do so, and ultimately resulting in transformative business growth and a successful acquisition of the company. Full episode here:
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