Advice for AI voice founders: do one thing exceptionally well, keep it simple, iterate, listen to customers, hire for attitude and don't wait to start.
The Framework That Actually Works
Here is a simple framework for evaluating AI voice. It's not complicated, but it requires discipline.
Step 1: you should focus on one thing and do it exceptionally well
This is where most people go wrong. They skip this step entirely and jump straight to execution. Don't do that.
Step 2: simplicity beats complexity every time
Once you have the foundation right, this becomes much easier. I've watched founders struggle with this for months when the answer was staring them in the face.
Step 3: Iterate relentlessly
Nothing works perfectly the first time. The companies that get AI voice right treat it as an ongoing process, not a one-time project.
What I've Learned From 60 Companies
Across 234 angel investments, including Anthropic, a few patterns in AI voice come up again and again.
The founders who handle AI voice well understand that the best solutions are often the simplest ones.
Lessons From the Trenches
I want to share a few specific lessons I've picked up over the years. These aren't theoretical. They come from real companies, real failures, and real successes.
Lesson 1: The best time to start thinking about AI voice was yesterday. The second best time is now. Don't wait until you have the perfect plan.
Lesson 2: Hire for attitude, train for skill. The best people at AI voice are rarely the most technically gifted. They are the most curious and persistent.
Lesson 3: Your competitors are probably getting this wrong too. That's your opportunity. While everyone else is following the same playbook, you can zig when they zag.
This connects to broader themes around conversational AI, text-to-speech, voice AI assistants, AI podcasting, speech recognition that I've been thinking about a lot lately.
Final Thoughts
There are no shortcuts in AI voice, but there are smarter paths.
The strongest teams treat AI voice as a competitive advantage, not a checkbox. They invest in it early, measure it obsessively, and never stop improving.
If you're just getting started with AI voice, don't be intimidated. Everyone starts somewhere. The key is to start with the right mindset and the right framework, and then execute like your company depends on it. Because it probably does.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q:What's the most common pushback you get on this?
People often push back by citing exceptions or edge cases. And they're usually right that exceptions exist. But building a strategy around exceptions rather than patterns is a losing game for most founders.
Q:How can I apply this thinking to my own situation?
Start by identifying the core principle behind the opinion, not the specific example. Then ask yourself: does this principle apply to my context? If yes, test it in a small, low-risk way before going all in.
Q:Do all experts agree with this view?
No, and that's fine. The best ideas in business are often contrarian. I share my perspective based on my experience and data, but I encourage you to seek out opposing viewpoints and form your own conclusions.