Speed as an AI Advantage
Speed as an AI Advantage
How execution speed is shaping competitive advantage in AI, where hesitation is costing learning or talent, and how leaders pressure-test pace without creating organizational chaos.
GILD Roundtable for CEOs and Founders in Austin, TX
Date: Tuesday, April 14th, 2026
Time: 6:00 – 8:30 pm
Presented in partnership with Tecla
Helping AI-forward companies hire elite talent across product, engineering, and growth.
Presented in Partnership with Driver
Curated for senior operators.
About the Event
AI strategy is no longer about whether to move. It is about how fast.
In 2026, competitive advantage is increasingly determined by execution speed. Teams that ship faster learn faster. Companies that experiment earlier compound insight. Talent gravitates toward environments where decisions turn into action quickly.
This roundtable brings together CEOs and founders navigating that tension in real time. Not in theory. In live operating environments, where headcount, capital, and reputation are on the line.
The Curated Circuit Format
GILD is intentionally small and highly curated.
This is a private, off-the-record exchange under Chatham House Rules.
No panels. No pitches. No demos.
After a short framing segment, the room moves into rotating micro-roundtables. Every table discusses the same prompt each round. Groups rotate so you meet a meaningful cross-section of the room.
Agenda
6:00 – 6:30 PM – Check in, Food & Drinks
6:30 – 6:45 PM – GILD welcome + sponsor introduction
6:45 – 7:00 PM – Framing discussion: Execution speed as a structural advantage
7:00 – 8:00 PM – 3 breakout rounds (15–20 minutes each)
8:00 – 8:30 PM – Open mingling
Speaker Framing & Friction
The speaker’s role is not to present slides.
Their role is to create productive discomfort.
They will:
Surface real examples where speed created outsized advantage
Call out where “we’re being thoughtful” is often disguised hesitation
Highlight cases where acceleration destroyed alignment or trust
Force the room to confront whether their current pace is strategy or fear
The goal is to open the room up. Not inspire it. Not entertain it.
Create enough friction that people feel compelled to compare real decisions at their tables.
Who’s Driving the Discussion
Adam Tilton
Adam is the co-founder and CEO of Driver. Previously, he was the co-founder of Aktive, an embedded machine learning development platform that he sold to Nike in 2019, and Rithmio, which he sold to Bosch Sensortec in 2017. Adam holds a PhD in Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. His work sits at the intersection of signal processing, machine learning, and software engineering.
Breakout Prompts
Each round builds pressure.
Round 1 – Reality Check
Where is speed compounding advantage in your company right now, and where are you slower than you claim?
This is about truth, not narrative.
Round 2 – Failure Modes
Where has pushing for speed backfired, and where has hesitation quietly cost you learning, talent, or market position?
Specific tradeoffs. What broke? What did it cost?
Round 3 – Ownership & Risk
Who inside your company truly owns pace, and what are the consequences if you are miscalibrated for the next 12 months?
Who This Is For
This room is reserved for senior decision-makers with real authority over strategy and execution, including:
CEOs
Founders
Presidents
Executive operators with company-level scope
This is not for tactical managers.
This is not for vendors selling into the room.
Attendance is limited to protect candor and room quality.
Privacy
Chatham House Rules apply.
Discussion stays private.
That privacy is what allows real comparison and honesty.