Becker Private Equity & Business Podcast

Episode: AI: Practical Growth & Use Cases (October 13, 2025)

Host: Scott Becker
Guests: Venkat Mukuru (Founder, Midstream Health; former Andreessen Horowitz Operating Partner), Bobby (AI Engineer, EdTech Startup)

Overview

This special episode centers on the real-world adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), focusing on practical use cases, growth stories, and leadership evolution across sectors such as healthcare and education technology. Host Scott Becker interviews two leaders—venture-backed healthcare founder Venkat Mukuru and EdTech AI engineer Bobby—about how AI is transforming business operations, customer-centric product development, and the importance of usability, speed, and privacy.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Introductions & Backgrounds

• Venkat Mukuru summarizes his 15+ years at the intersection of healthcare and technology. Key career milestones include founding DaVita’s Paladino (value-based care), four-and-a-half-billion-dollar exits, launching innovative SaaS and AI healthcare tools, six years as an operating partner at Andreessen Horowitz (70 companies, $8B deployed), and currently leading Midstream Health to transform hospitals' financial operations.

  • Memorable Quote:

    "It took 10 years for AI to get mainstream in healthcare. And here we are." – Venkat (01:44)

• Bobby (son of an entrepreneur), recently earned a master's in computer science, and since June has been on an early-stage EdTech team using AI to streamline teachers' resource creation.

  • AI for EdTech: Focused on reducing teacher workload, aligning with curriculum standards, and improving student outcomes.

What Makes Great Leaders in AI?

• Leadership Evolution:

  • The new wave: It’s not just the “been there, done that” veterans building successful AI companies, but young, computer-native entrepreneurs who learn rapidly and iterate faster.
  • "Triple threat": Modern founders combine technical prowess, domain expertise, and go-to-market skills.
    • Quote:

      “People with 2, 3, 4, 5 years of experience are running circles around the so called experts.” – Venkat (04:37)

• Forward Deployment:

  • Modern AI entrepreneurs are deeply involved with customers, frequently observing workflows and directly iterating based on real-world feedback.
    • Quote:

      "...you're unafraid to get on a plane and go see the customer... What you actually want is this, this, and this." – Venkat (06:46)

Product Usability & Adoption in Healthcare and EdTech

• Healthcare (Midstream Health):

  • Hospitals only adopt new tech if it’s 10x better than incumbent solutions.
  • Speed to Value: Not just demonstrating ROI in theory, but delivering tangible cost savings and efficiency within 12 months.
    • Quotes:

      "You have to be 10 times better than the status quo for you even to get a chance to be in the door." – Venkat (12:30)
      "...speed in which you can give money back to the organization..." – Venkat (13:18)

• EdTech:

  • AI must act as a "painkiller, not a vitamin"—addressing high-priority pain points, especially time-saving for teachers.
  • Building easy yet customizable tools helps attract teachers, but depth and customization create retention ("super users").
    • Quote:

      "Making it easy draws people in but then... giving a little bit more depth is why a lot of teachers have spent a lot of time using our platform..." – Bobby (21:55)

Continuous Improvement, Innovation, and Speed

• Iterative Development:

  • Today’s companies must exhibit "neuroplasticity"; constant, rapid learning and iteration is the new competitive moat.
  • Weekly product updates based on close user observation replace slow, annual software releases.
    • Quotes:

      "...this week you can do 30 more [things] by the end of the month in production." – Venkat (17:53)
      "The speed at which people are able to iterate is the competition." – Venkat (18:09)

• Execution is the Moat:

  • Competitive advantage now is less about proprietary tech, more about the pace and quality of execution.
    • Quote:

      "...what is the moat? It just might be execution." – Venkat (18:09)

Interface, Usability, and Super Users

• AI Interfaces Are Evolving:

  • The natural language interface is democratizing AI, lowering technical barriers.
    • Quote:

      "...the interface is NLP, right? It's natural language... it's way easier than using Excel, but it's 10 times more potent." – Venkat (19:53)

• Segmenting Users:

  • Apps must cater to both lay users (easy onboarding) and power users (depth and customization).
  • Most people won't actively use every feature; designing for "no UX" (passive value delivery) can be optimal for busy users.
    • Quote:

      "Sometimes the best kind of UX decision is no UX... just assume actually that they don't have the time to go interact with it." – Venkat (23:00)

Data Privacy in AI-Driven Workflows

• Privacy Is Paramount, Especially in Healthcare:

  • All AI data capture, observation, and note-taking must be consent-based, with explicit permission at every step.
  • The aim is to automate the dull aspects of work, creating immense value without infringing on user rights.
    • Quotes:

      "Privacy in healthcare is the game. It's the ball game. It's the one thing that will basically end your company." – Venkat (26:08)
      "...every step of the way you're sort of asking for people permission." – Venkat (26:21)

• In EdTech:

  • Privacy increases in importance as the company sells at higher organizational levels (schools, districts).

Notable Audience Q&A

Vibe Coding (28:06)

• Definition:
  • Coined by Andrej Karpathy, “vibe coding” refers to AI-assisted, low-barrier software engineering. Even non-coders can leverage tools like ChatGPT to automate routine digital tasks, lowering entry barriers and accelerating prototyping.
    • Quotes:

      "Over time, if you think of the development of software, it has become easier and easier to use and it has continued to require less training." – Bobby (28:57)
      "Vibe code is a very fancy way of saying making things, you know, using the new tools." – Venkat (29:49)

AI in Pet Services (31:25)

• Advice:
  • Analyze all workflows—from intake to billing—to automate, streamline, and improve client and staff experience with AI. The transformative potential lies in deploying an AI/tech-minded person inside the business to augment or automate service steps, increasing profit and customer satisfaction.

Final Advice for AI End Users (32:54)

• Bobby:

  • Try new AI tools to find where they truly add value, but remain balanced—don’t become overly reliant. Preserve capacity for deep, creative work outside of AI tools.
    • Quote:

      "...useful to take a break and a detox into work sometimes without AI... keeping your mind sharp and not being too relying on it." – Bobby (33:12)

• Venkat:

  • Don’t be intimidated. Just open up and experiment with tools (e.g., ChatGPT, Figma, Canva). They are designed for ease-of-use and require only exposure and a willingness to try.
    • Quote:

      "Just using some of these tools it just seems so daunting on the outside... but I guarantee you once you open up some of these apps... they’re really easy and user friendly. So just take the first step." – Venkat (34:20)

Memorable Quotes & Moments

• On Leadership & Speed:

  “What's really fascinating... is people with 2, 3, 4, 5 years of experience are running circles around the so called experts...” – Venkat (04:37)

• On Product Value:

  “You have to be 10 times better than the status quo for you even to get a chance to be in the door.” – Venkat (12:30)

• On Iteration:

  “The speed at which you have to figure out... the speed at which people are able to iterate is the competition.” – Venkat (18:09)

• On Privacy:

  “Privacy in healthcare is the game. It's the ball game. It's like the one thing that will basically end your company.” – Venkat (26:08)

• On AI for All:

  “Anybody can use AI tools tomorrow in [regardless] of age, background, etc. It's just really your willingness to type.” – Venkat (20:29)

• On Vibe Coding:

  “Everybody should Vibe code. I think it's phenomenal.” – Venkat (29:49)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 00:00 – Intros: Venkat’s and Bobby’s backgrounds
• 02:08 – What makes great leaders in AI and how AI entrepreneurship has changed
• 05:24 – Computer native generations & AI's new triple threat founders
• 08:04 – Bobby's EdTech AI experience and real-world application
• 12:29 – Usability, winning enterprise buy-in, "10x" improvement, and speed to value
• 15:32 – Painkiller vs. vitamin products in EdTech; maintaining continuous improvement
• 17:30 – Speed, iteration, and execution as the ultimate moat
• 19:53 – Making AI interfaces easy; natural language becomes the ultimate UI
• 21:55 – User onboarding versus building depth for super users
• 23:00 – Observational product development, mapping user workflows
• 26:08 – Importance and handling of privacy and security in AI applications
• 28:06 – What is “vibe coding” and why does it matter?
• 31:25 – How to infuse AI into non-tech businesses like pet services
• 32:54 – Final, practical advice for non-technical AI users

Tone and Style

The episode is frank, energetic, and insightful, with conversational exchanges mixing strategic advice, industry anecdotes, and tactical insights. Both guests combine humility with passion for innovation and practicality.

This summary delivers the episode's main ideas, insightful moments, and actionable takeaways for listeners interested in how AI is shaping real-world business transformation.