The HOW of building iconic companies.
Founders who’ve done it at the highest level on recruiting, culture, intensity, and the inner game of the job. With Nakul Mandan.

latest · ep 11
Will Bryk. Exa.
Will Bryk, co-founder and CEO of Exa, is building web search for AI agents - and betting a first-time founder can take on Google. Five years in, Exa powers search for Cursor, Cognition, and 5,000+ companies, and has raised $250M at a $2.2B valuation led by a16z. Will explains why he kills process before it lays eggs, screens out NPC hires, and why nothing at Exa should ever take a month to ship.
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