Everyone’s chasing shiny AI agents. Tanner Jones is quietly using AI to tear out 25% of a state’s rule book, and got Virginia to require his product by law.

This episode goes inside Vulcan Technology, a YC startup using AI to map every law and regulation in America, undercut Deloitte and McKinsey, and turn a $4T regulatory burden into a trillion-dollar software market. We talk about Virginia’s $24K cheaper homes, destroying the Big Four with code, how to actually sell into government, and why most “AI for gov” plays are doomed from day one.

You’ll learn:

• How Vulcan uses AI to analyze entire regulatory codes and show what can’t change, what can change, and what must change.
• The Virginia case study: how building code streamlining translated into ~$24,000 less per new home without touching safety.
• Why both red and blue states are leaning into AI for regulation, and how YC founders are navigating the politics.
• What investors get wrong about govtech, ARR, and how to value AI consultancies selling into the state.
• How Tanner sold to a state government 10 days after incorporation and then raised one of the biggest seeds of his YC batch.
• What’s overhyped in AI infra, what’s inevitable, and how to avoid building a “solution in search of a problem” in govtech.

📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews.

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction: The Challenges of Government Contracts

00:51 Sponsorship Message from Stable

01:51 Introducing Tanner Jones and Vulcan Technology

02:33 The Vision: AI in Government Consulting

06:20 Case Study: Virginia's Regulatory Overhaul

12:26 Bipartisan Appeal of AI Solutions

17:34 Behind the Scenes at Y Combinator

22:28 Navigating Government Sales and Investor Relations

24:51 Scientific Innovation and Emergence of New Companies

25:15 Palantir and Anduril's Impact on Intelligence Agencies

25:37 Targeting Regulatory Agencies and Market Size

26:10 Challenges and Opportunities in Government Contracts

27:37 Passion for Government Reform

28:25 Investor Interest in Govtech and AI

29:30 Challenges for Govtech Startups

32:26 Understanding Government Incentives

34:06 Metrics for Success in Govtech

42:31 Future of AI in Government

46:09 Final Thoughts and Contact Information

🎧 Listen on the go:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP

Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm

My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap

This podcast episode is sponsored by Stable. Click here to sign up for a virtual address:

https://dashboard.usestable.com/onboard/begin?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=influencer_lobster&promoCode=lobster50

Most people think GPS is “good enough”, until you realize 90% of human and object movement happens where GPS doesn’t work at all. Warehouses, hospitals, tunnels, battlefields… completely blind spots.

In this episode of Lobster Talks, Raymond Lee (Twill, YC) sits down with John Ferrara, solo founder of Juxta (YC S25), who’s building a Universal Positioning System... a no-hardware GPS alternative that works indoors, underground, and anywhere humans or machines move.

We break down the tech, the wedge into logistics and defense, and how he raised $5M at a $40M cap in ~48 hours as a 21-year-old solo founder straight out of YC.

You’ll learn:

- Why 90% of location data on Earth is currently invisible — and why that’s such a big deal.

- How Juxta uses IMUs, 3D simulations, and “synthetic fingerprinting” to localize devices without satellites or beacons.

- Real use cases across logistics, warehouses, defense, and hospitals — and why these buyers are leaning in.

- How deeptech founders should think about tech risk vs market risk when pitching VCs.

- What it’s like to go through YC S25 as a solo founder, and why so many deeptech founders end up solo.

- The inside story on raising a fast, oversubscribed round from CRV, PG, SV Angel, Liquid 2, and more.

📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to GPS-Denied Spaces

00:44 Sponsor Message: Stable

01:45 Welcome to Lobster Talks Podcast

02:10 Meet Jonathan Ferrara from Juxta

03:39 Understanding Juxta's Technology

08:50 Applications and Use Cases of Juxta

10:34 Onboarding Process for Juxta

15:37 Competitors and Market Landscape

25:27 Deep Tech and Solo Founders in YC

34:47 Solo Founders and the Victim Complex

35:15 The YC Experience and Going Solo

37:18 Support Systems and Coping Mechanisms

40:23 Raising Funds as a Solo Founder

44:25 Choosing the Right Investors

56:17 Vision for the Future

59:05 Conclusion and Contact Information

🎧 Listen on the go:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP

Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm

My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap

This podcast episode is sponsored by Stable. Click here to sign up for a virtual address:

https://dashboard.usestable.com/onboard/begin?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=influencer_lobster&promoCode=lobster50

YC pivot. Creator taxes. Real savings.

Fernando from Beluga Labs explains how AI moves tax planning from “black box” to one-click, year-round optimization, starting with the messiest edge case: content creators.

In today’s episode, Nikki hosts Fernando (Beluga Labs, YC S24) on building AI-first tax planning for creators, why they pivoted in-batch, and how YC’s “light cone” advice shaped a focused GTM.

We cover messy creator income, quarterly taxes, line-by-line deductions, and fundraising with discipline…not vibes.

You’ll learn:

- Why creators are the hardest (and best) wedge for tax software

- How YC’s niche-first “light cone” shaped Beluga’s roadmap

- The two biggest ways creators lose money on taxes (and how to stop it)

- What a 3-star → 10-star tax UX looks like (from “not going to jail” to one-click refunds)

- Fundraising discipline: setting milestone-based use of proceeds

- The creator economy reality: followers ≠ revenue; niche and brand matter more

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction to AI-Powered Tax Planning

00:21 Stable: A Solution for Business Addresses

01:21 Welcome to Lobster Talk Podcast

01:40 Meet Fernando from Beluga Labs

02:03 Fernando's Journey to Entrepreneurship

05:14 Beluga Labs: Revolutionizing Tax Planning

06:32 The Pivot to Tax Solutions

11:56 The YC Experience and Support

16:32 Exploring Other Opportunities

19:20 The Future of Content Creation

21:50 Key Industry Insights and Data

24:14 The Financial Reality of Content Creators

24:43 Maximizing Income Through Investments

25:19 The Value Proposition of Tax Solutions

25:53 Streamlining Tax Filing for Creators

27:42 Aggressive Tax Savings Strategies

31:45 Future Plans and Expansion

36:59 Fundraising and Business Growth

43:19 Final Thoughts and Advice

📌 Watch now and subscribe for more smart, fast, founder-first interviews.

🎧 Listen on the go:

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/1u1JyRKH8JYFjhBkvTUOAP

Apple: https://apple.co/4cZ8RMm

My other YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@lobstercap

This podcast episode is sponsored by Stable. Click here to sign up for a virtual address:

https://dashboard.usestable.com/onboard/begin?utm_source=youtube&utm_medium=description&utm_campaign=influencer_lobster&promoCode=lobster50