This week’s guest is Dean Leitersdorf, CEO of Decart. Decart is a vertically integrated AI research lab building some of the world’s most advanced audio and video models, including Mirage, a real-time generative video system where users can transform themselves or their environments instantly.

We dive into Dean’s path from finishing his PhD in computer science at 21 to founding Decart with the ambition of creating a true “before-and-after” company in AI. We cover how Decart evolved from GPU optimization to leading-edge video models, why Mirage has attracted massive adoption in advertising and ecommerce, and what it means to build entirely new consumer experiences on the internet. We also discuss the broader enterprise interest in real-time video, how Decart balances continuous consumer iteration with lab-first research, and why Dean believes this is one of the few moments in history where founders can truly build trillion-dollar businesses.

Episode Chapters:

2:10 — From Israel to Palo Alto
4:22 — What Dean is running toward
6:15 — Building for the future of AI
9:40 — How people use Decart
14:05 — Building a model from scratch
19:08 — Who adopts these models first
24:05 — Decart’s focus areas
27:06 — Attracting world-class talent
30:00 — Choosing to integrate or partner
34:04 — Thinking about consumer impact
39:38 — Quick fire round

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