FutureLab: Fireside Chat with Marc Manara, OpenAI

🚀 Building Defensible AI Companies

Building an impressive AI product has become easier, but creating one that customers trust and pay for is more challenging. As frontier models become accessible, the focus has shifted from merely building AI to establishing businesses that maintain their uniqueness.

Join us for an intimate fireside chat hosted by FutureLab by Newton School of Technology, featuring Marc Manara, Head of Startups at OpenAI, and moderated by Pratik Poddar, Partner at Nexus Venture Partners.

🗣️ Discussion Points:

• Why AI alone is no longer a competitive advantage.
• Essential product decisions that distinguish long-lasting AI companies from fleeting AI demos.
• Recommendations on what startups should develop themselves versus what to leverage from frontier model providers.
• Strategies for fostering long-term customer value in an AI-first world.
• Emerging opportunities within the global startup ecosystem noted by OpenAI.

Format & Event Details
The event will consist of a fireside chat with Marc, followed by an audience Q&A, open discussion, and networking.
Doors open: 4 PM
Fireside begins: 4:30 PM sharp, lasting for 60 minutes.

👥 Audience:

• Founders and CXOs of AI-native startups
• CTOs and senior product and engineering leaders focused on AI products

Seats are limited to ensure high-quality interaction. Apply to attend!

✨ Private Founder Session with Marc
Before the main event, 10 selected founders will have an exclusive 30-minute discussion with Marc to address their product strategies and challenges in a small group.
Select "Interested in the Private Founder Session" while registering to be considered.

About FutureLab
FutureLab by Newton School of Technology fosters an invite-only community, uniting founders, tech leaders, and builders for insightful discussions on technology, talent, and innovation. Past editions have featured engineering leaders from renowned companies like Microsoft, LinkedIn, Salesforce, and more.

About The Product Folks
The Product Folks is a leading volunteer-driven community of product builders and leaders focused on shaping the future. We host various events globally in over 30 cities.
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