If I Were Starting My Next Tech Startup…

Jacob Key
2 min readNov 20, 2024

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Self driving company

If I were to launch my next tech startup, AI and automation would be at the heart of everything — the company, the culture, and the way we operate. I’d build a team of super-skilled, motivated individuals who complement my own strengths, all aligned with a shared mindset:

  1. Solve customer problems with AI and LLMs.
  2. Leverage these technologies in everything we do.

This approach would fundamentally reshape how we build and scale the company. It’s not just about integrating AI into our products but embedding it into our operational DNA. Imagine a company where:

  • Go-to-market (GTM) is fully automated: From lead generation to customer onboarding, smart AI agents manage every step, enabling the team to focus on building relationships and refining strategies.
  • Hiring is driven by AI: Recruitment processes are streamlined with tools that identify top candidates and match them to roles, while onboarding is tailored for every new team member using intelligent systems.
  • Legal and compliance are automated: Routine contract reviews, regulatory checks, and compliance monitoring run seamlessly in the background.
  • Product development and management leverage AI: Tools assist in market analysis, product roadmapping, and even feature testing, making development cycles faster and more precise.
  • Basic coding tasks are accelerated: AI tools handle repetitive coding tasks, allowing engineers to focus on creative problem-solving and innovative development.
  • Etc…

The Benefits of Building This Way

This isn’t just about efficiency — it’s about creating a company culture that values maximum impact with minimum fixed costs. By embedding AI at every level, we’d scale costs only when there’s a clear and direct correlation to value output.

For example:

  • Smarter growth: Instead of growing headcount just to keep up with demand, we’d scale through automation, ensuring the core team remains lean, agile, and focused on innovation.
  • Enhanced decision-making: With data-driven insights from AI, every strategic decision would be better informed, reducing risk and improving outcomes.
  • Faster iteration: Whether it’s launching a product, pivoting strategy, or entering a new market, AI’s speed and precision mean the company can move faster than the competition.

This mindset isn’t just about cutting costs; it’s about amplifying value creation. By putting AI at the core of the company, we could create a culture of relentless focus on solving customer problems and scaling intelligently.

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Jacob Key
Jacob Key

Written by Jacob Key

I am Funding and General Partner at Luminar Ventures, a Seed stage VC from the Nordics.

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