The YC Demo Day almost turned investors away at the door — and that might’ve been the point. In this behind-the-scenes breakdown, Gabriel Jarrosson (Lobster Capital) and Laurie dissect the most exclusive Demo Day yet, revealing why this Spring 25 batch could be the best in years.

We explore YC's most AI-heavy cohort, debate sky-high valuations, and uncover what separates a good startup from a breakout unicorn.

You’ll learn:

Why YC Spring 25 had a record 0.8% acceptance rate

What caused Demo Day chaos at the YC office

How to evaluate traction vs hype in early AI startups

Why some investors are restructuring funds just to get into YC

How to get allocation in oversubscribed rounds

Gabriel’s method for revenue due diligence during Demo Day

📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to Lobster Talks: Behind the Scenes of YC Spring 25 Demo Day

00:21 The Unique Challenges of This Year's Demo Day

02:50 Impressive Stats and Trends from the Spring Batch

04:30 The Growing Influence of AI in YC Startups

09:03 Investor Insights and Revenue Due Diligence

15:33 Evaluating Founders and Early Traction

18:07 The Darwinian Approach to Startup Evolution

18:41 Revenue as the Ultimate Proof of Success

21:13 Navigating Competition and Investor Strategies

21:48 The European Angle and Hot Deals

23:12 Valuation Challenges and Investor Decisions

25:27 The Role of Media and Networking in Investment

26:40 High Valuations and Future Growth

32:16 Follow-On Strategies and Growth Metrics

35:22 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

🎧 Listen on the go:

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4m2K7ah

Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm

My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@UCahCIZ9KfmeK4rLosGNYpdg

He was getting sued. Now his startup helps millions fight back — and win.

In this founder-first, no-fluff conversation, George Simons breaks down how SoloSuit is dismantling a $3.5B legal industry — one lawsuit at a time. From bootstrapped beginnings and courtroom chaos to SEO-powered growth and AI-driven debt settlement, this episode is a crash course in building a business with compounding advantages and real-world impact.

What you’ll learn:

Why 90% of debt lawsuits are lost by default — and how SoloSuit flips the script

How George bootstrapped his first product in law school using free court data

The tactical role of SEO, YouTube, and content marketing in scaling user acquisition

How AI is being used to mediate settlements and unlock trust in the legal system

The business model shift that brought both debtors and collectors onto the same platform

Why growing “slow and steady” might be the best path to building a unicorn

📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews.

Chapters:

00:00 Welcome to The Lobster Talks

00:29 Introducing George Simons and Solo Suit

00:54 How Solo Suit Helps Consumers

02:52 The Evolution of Solo Suit's Services

04:08 The Legal Landscape and Solo Suit's Impact

07:20 Solo Suit's $4,700 Giveaway

09:55 Navigating Legal Challenges and Building Relationships

16:58 Customer Acquisition Strategies

25:02 Early Success and First Customers

25:29 Implementing Payment Systems

26:49 Growth and Customer Base Expansion

28:42 Business Strategy and Philosophy

30:06 Sustaining and Scaling the Business

36:52 Future Vision and AI Integration

42:01 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

🎧 Listen on the go:

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4m2K7ah

Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm

What if your non-technical team could ship code overnight?

In this fast-paced Lobster Talks roundtable, Gabriel Jarrosson sits down with Samraaj Bath (Ion Design) and Agree Ahmed (Flowglad) to unpack “Vibe Coding”—the AI-powered workflow that lets designers, PMs, and marketers iterate on real code. They clash over misconceptions, debate the future of frontend engineers, spin our Hot Take Wheel, and stake bold predictions on where AI will reshape product teams.

In this episode you’ll learn:

Why “non-technical” teams touching code isn’t what you think

The real risks and rewards of design-first velocity

How AI is the “combine-tractor” moment for software engineers

Whether VCs should demand a design audit before writing checks

The one debate you need to have about skipping design thinking

Bold “Future Bets” on the next must-have AI design workflow

📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews.

00:00 Introduction to No-Code Revolution

00:29 Meet the Experts: Samra and Agree

03:02 Debating Vibe Coding and Non-Technical Teams

04:47 Engineering Principles and AI's Impact

09:15 The Future of Vibe Coding in Organizations

11:19 AI-Driven Changes in Team Dynamics

14:33 Challenges and Opportunities in AI Tooling

19:44 The Role of Designers in an AI-First World

28:23 The Future of Design Roles in Startups

31:33 Hot Take Wheel: No-Code Tools and Front-End Engineers

33:38 VCs and Design Audits: A Necessary Step?

36:36 Vibe Coding and Startup Defensibility

44:45 Future Bets: AI-Driven Design Workflows

52:01 Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Us

🎧 Listen on the go:

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/4m2K7ah

Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm