In this season 15 opener of The Room Podcast, we speak with Russ d'Sa, co-founder and CEO of LiveKit, a platform for building real-time voice, video, and AI agents. LiveKit began as an open-source project for live audio and video. As developers adopted it, the team built cloud infrastructure to help them scale. A second turning point came when OpenAI used LiveKit to build a voice interface for ChatGPT, revealing how technology built to connect people could also connect people with AI.

Russ traces his path from growing up around computers in Canada and Silicon Valley to founding a startup, working at 23andMe and Twitter, and building LiveKit. He shares the unexpected relationships and product decisions that shaped the company, including why he calls it the “accidental AI company.” In this conversation, Russ explains why speaking with an AI requires a different kind of infrastructure from typing to one. He also looks ahead to physical AI and reflects on how becoming a father has changed the way he thinks about success and his values.

Learn more about Russ on LinkedIn and explore LiveKit.

(03:54) Where did Russ grow up, and how did it shape him?
(06:42) Did Russ always expect to become a founder?
(07:30) What screen did Russ watch the documentary on?
(09:09) Has Russ read *Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow*?
(09:17) What was Russ’s first Y Combinator company?
(09:24) Was Russ's company a gaming company?
(11:13) What year did Russ start that company?
(11:40) Did Russ join Twitter after his first startup?
(11:51) How did Russ make the transition to 23andMe?
(13:22) How did 23andMe eventually lead Russ to Twitter?
(16:51) Was Russ's Twitter role in software or content?
(22:45) What was the original idea behind LiveKit?
(30:17) Did LiveKit finally arrive at the right time?
(30:37) Who was LiveKit’s first investor?
(33:08) What has gone differently than planned while scaling LiveKit?
(35:07) Where does LiveKit fit between AI models and the software built around them?
(40:40) What makes building voice agents different from building text agents?
(45:24) What still prevents AI voice conversations from feeling fully natural?
(49:41) What is Russ excited about on LiveKit’s roadmap, and what can he share?
(53:16) Which woman has had a profound impact on Russ's life and career?

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Brought to you by: Rippling, Gradial, Ashurst Perkins Coie

WX Productions

In this bonus episode of The Room Podcast, we speak with Jai Das, President, Partner and Co-Founder of Sapphire Ventures, one of the world's leading enterprise venture capital firms backing category-defining B2B software and AI companies.

Sapphire Ventures has invested in companies including monday.com, Box, Square, MuleSoft, Fitbit, ExactTarget, and many others, while building one of the industry's most recognized enterprise-focused venture platforms. Before co-founding Sapphire Ventures, Jai's career spanned software engineering at Oracle, founding startups during the dot-com era, corporate venture investing, and leading the transformation of SAP Ventures into the independent firm it is today.

In this conversation, Jai reflects on the lessons learned across multiple technology cycles, from the early internet to today's AI revolution, sharing how his experiences as an engineer, founder, and investor shaped Sapphire's long-term strategy and investment philosophy.

Learn more about Jai on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaidas
Explore Sapphire Ventures on their website - https://sapphireventures.com/

(05:38) Jai's upbringing in India and journey to Silicon Valley
(08:20) Did Jai always think he would become a founder
(09:37) What was it like being an engineer at Oracle in the 1990s?
(11:51) Did Oracle miss its opportunity in cloud computing?
(13:10) Jai’s startup journey after Oracle and the path to SAP Ventures
(17:53) How did Jai’s first venture investing experience shape your career?
(18:50) What was early corporate venture capital like at Intel and SAP?
(20:57) How should founders think about taking money from corporate VCs?
(23:33) How did SAP Ventures become Sapphire Ventures?
(25:06) How did Sapphire differentiate itself in a crowded VC market?
(28:19) When did Sapphire experience its biggest growing pains?
(32:40) Who was Sapphire Ventures' first LP?
(34:18) Why did Sapphire build a fund-of-funds strategy?
(35:59) What was the first portfolio company that believed in Sapphire?
(37:37) Why has the developer become such an important buyer?
(39:58) How has AI changed who the modern "developer" really is?
(41:50) How does the rise of AI agents influence your investment thesis?
(44:42) How does venture capital stay relevant in the age of AI?
(48:11) What is Jai most excited about right now?
(49:37) Who is a woman that has had a profound impact on Jai’s life and career?

For The Room Podcast in your inbox every week, subscribe to our newsletter.
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on TikTok
Check out our guide to podcasting here!
Don't forget to subscribe to our channel on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music!

WX Productions

In this bonus episode of The Room Podcast, we speak with Packy McCormick, founder of Not Boring and Not Boring Capital, an investment firm focused on backing ambitious technology companies tackling large, complex industries. Through his writing, investing, and storytelling, Packy has built one of the most influential platforms in venture capital, helping founders explain difficult technical businesses to customers, talent, and investors.

Not Boring began as a newsletter during the early months of the pandemic and has since grown into a media platform reaching hundreds of thousands of readers, alongside an early-stage venture fund investing in companies across energy, aerospace, infrastructure, AI, and enterprise software. Rather than chasing trends, Packy focuses on founders building category-defining businesses that require deep conviction and long-term thinking.

In this conversation, Packy shares how storytelling became his competitive edge as an investor, why the best founders think several moves ahead of everyone else, and how developing a unique perspective can create opportunities that traditional venture firms often overlook.

Learn more about Packy on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/packymccormick/
Explore Not Boring at https://www.notboring.co/

(04:11) Packy's upbringing and entrepreneurial family
(05:01) Did Packy always think he would become a founder?
(05:50) Early career in finance and startups
(09:16) Starting Not Boring during the pandemic
(12:48) The first article that proved Not Boring was working
(14:04) Growing the newsletter and launching Not Boring Capital
(15:57) The thesis behind Not Boring Capital
(17:23) The first investor to back Not Boring Capital
(17:48) What Packy looks for in exceptional founders
(21:57) Building a venture firm around a personal platform
(23:56) The future of venture capital
(26:36) How storytelling creates an investing advantage
(28:45) Investing in complex businesses
(31:08) An investment that didn't go as planned
(33:19) How AI is changing writing and investing
(35:23) Advice for building an audience today
(37:05) What's next for Not Boring
(38:20) A woman who had a profound impact on Packy's life and career

For The Room Podcast in your inbox every week, subscribe to our newsletter.
Follow us on Instagram
Follow us on TikTok
Check out our guide to podcasting here!
Don't forget to subscribe to our channel on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple Music!

WX Productions