In this Start Mode episode, Mat Vaxelaire talks with Guillaume Marquis, CTO and co‑founder of Basalt (HX24) - a startup helping companies ensure the quality of their AI features.
Guillaume perfectly illustrates the reality of building in AI today:
When OpenAI drops a new model on Friday night, it’s not enough to wait until Saturday afternoon to put it in production.
He shares how speed, precision, and relentless iteration are the keys to keeping your customers in the world of AI.
In this episode:
Why integrating new AI models in 10 minutes can be a make‑or‑break
How they closed a client by shipping their requests in just 48 hours
Pivoting from a product‑oriented MVP to serving technical teams
The brutal truth of tech hiring: 100 interviews → 2 hires
The Europe vs US gap: 1 AI feature vs 80 in production
Growing from 2 to 8 clients in 3 months — with no fundraising
Finding the balance between speed and quality
🔥 A must‑watch for founders building AI products and grappling with the pressure to ship fast without breaking trust.
