In this episode of the Venture Podcast, we sit down with Akshay Chalana, founder of Saphira AI and a member of Y Combinator’s Summer 2024 batch. Akshay’s journey—from overcoming a childhood speech impediment to working at Tesla, Facebook, Apple, and Citadel and now leading his own AI startup—offers profound insights into finding your path in tech, entrepreneurship, and life. His story is a powerful reminder that what seems like a challenge today can become your greatest source of motivation.
Key Takeaways from Our Conversation:
Follow What Excites You: Akshay’s core advice for students and early-career professionals is to pursue what excites you. Whether it was his childhood fascination with cars or his drive to solve real-world problems through robotics, he believes that letting your curiosity and excitement guide your career decisions is crucial. It keeps you energized and fuels success, even in the face of challenges.
Build Independence: At Tesla, Akshay learned one of his most valuable lessons: how to “figure things out.” With minimal guidance, he developed a problem-solving mindset that he now applies to building his own company. This mindset is essential for any aspiring entrepreneur—embrace challenges, learn on the go, and build your independence.
Surround Yourself with the Right People: Akshay was deeply influenced by the engineers, entrepreneurs, and creators around him—people passionate about building. His advice to young professionals is to seek out environments that push you to grow. Surround yourself with people who inspire you, challenge you, and share your drive. The right community can accelerate your journey and open doors you never knew existed.
Iterate Toward Product-Market Fit: Akshay shared insights into Saphira AI’s ongoing journey to find product-market fit. He emphasized the importance of staying open to change, continuously refining your product, and turning uncertainty into “execution risk”—a challenge that can be solved through iteration and improvement.