Garaža Fireside Chat w/ a16z & Perplexity
Denis Yarats (Perplexity) in conversation with Rajko Radovanović (a16z)
Join us in Garaža for a fireside chat where a16z Partner Rajko Radovanović sits down with Perplexity CTO Denis Yarats to explore what it takes to build and scale AI unicorn in today's hyper-competitive landscape.
Topics:
Pivoting your product at the right moment & recognising market shifts before your competitors
Proprietary data as a moat - why it matters and how to acquire it strategically
Going up against giants - competing with Google and other tech incumbents
Hiring strategies - week-long work trials and building world-class teams
What investors look for in AI startups - what makes companies attractive to top tier VCs and founder qualities that stand out
The future of AI investments - biggest opportunities and fundamental challenges
Speakers
Denis Yarats - Cofounder & CTO, Perplexity Denis co-founded Perplexity, the AI-powered search engine that's redefining how we access information online. As CTO, he's led the technical vision behind one of the fastest-growing AI startups, competing directly with search giants while building proprietary AI capabilities.
Rajko Radovanović - Partner, Andreessen Horowitz (a16z) Rajko is a Partner at a16z, one of Silicon Valley's most prestigious venture capital firms, where he focuses on AI and infrastructure software investments. Investor in Cursor, Mistral, Perplexity and other groundbreaking startups, Rajko brings deep expertise in identifying and scaling AI companies from early stage to unicorn status.
Who Should Attend?
Startup founders and operators
Students
Developers, PMs and tech leads
AI enthusiasts