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How to Build AI Startups That Cut Through the Noise with Varun Nair, CTO at That Works
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In this episode of The Lucent Perspective, Rebecca Hastings is joined by Varun Nair, Co-Founder and CTO at That Works—an AI-powered workspace tackling the chaos of modern work by eliminating noise from meetings, messages, and manual status updates. With over 15 years of experience spanning startup exits, team-building at Meta, and investing in AI-first ventures, Varun shares how to move faster, build smarter, and avoid the common traps in early-stage product development.
They dive into what makes AI startups succeed (or fail), how “done is better than perfect” still applies—if you execute it right—and why most tools miss the mark on real team productivity. If you're building in AI, trying to scale a SaaS product, or pitching in today’s competitive investor landscape, this episode is full of clarity and practical wisdom.
Topics Covered:
- Why “move fast” is essential for AI founders—but so is product quality
- What Varun learned going from startup founder to Meta engineering leader
- How to balance data-driven thinking with human intuition
- The myth of perfect positioning—and how to actually stand out to investors
- Why most team tools create noise, not clarity
- Frameworks for testing fast, shipping faster, and learning quickly
- What to do when traction is “mid” and VCs want top-tier growth
- How to know if your co-founder dynamic is your greatest strength
Episode Highlights:
00:00 – Intro to Varun Nair & That Works
02:00 – From Two Big Ears to Meta: scaling product & mindset
04:37 – Startup vs. Big Tech: how priorities shift
08:09 – Lessons from Meta: data, positioning & product clarity
11:54 – Startup #2: prioritization over hustle
16:56 – The real problem with dashboards, meetings & Slack
25:35 – Why shipping fast is still the smartest move
30:34 – Launching AI products: speed vs. substance
33:48 – What investors actually look for in AI startups
41:09 – Fundraising: qualifying VCs & avoiding pitch fatigue
48:43 – Varun’s advice for founders: detail, gut-feel & staying close to users
About Varun
Varun Nair is Co-Founder and CTO of That Works, an AI workspace that helps teams work smarter by cutting through the noise. Previously, he co-founded Two Big Ears (acquired by Meta), where he went on to lead product and platform engineering for immersive and AI technologies. He now advises AI startups across Europe and the US and writes regularly on how teams and products can scale with clarity, not chaos.
👉 Connect with Varun on LinkedIn
Rebecca Hastings, Founder and Director at The Lucent Group
Connect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hastingsrebecca/
Would you like to be a guest? Book a time to speak with Rebecca: https://calendly.com/rebeccahastings/discovery-call
The Lucent Group Ltd website - https://www.thelucentgroup.co.uk/
The Lucent Perspective website - https://thelucentperspective.com/
Rebecca has extensive talent and executive search experience supporting digital and technology businesses through complex changes and fast-paced scale-up periods. She works with businesses advising on C-level, technical, sales and commercial appointments, workforce planning, strategic talent management, recruitment processes and associated technology and employer brand development.
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