While AI represents the biggest platform shift in decades, it hasn't eliminated the fundamental risks of product development—it has transformed them.

Rakesh Raju is the Founder of Codewalla, a New York City-based product studio partnering with founders to bring their product vision to life. In this Startup Grind special event, Rakesh will deliver an essential talk that addresses the critical product challenges facing founders in today's AI-driven landscape. 

This session will guide you through the 5 critical shifts every founder must make to build successfully in the AI era. You'll gain practical insights into leveraging AI effectively while maintaining focus on the product fundamentals that drive real success.

What You'll Learn

• Success Factors: What actually increases your odds of product success in the current market
• Core Principles: The product fundamentals that remain essential and those that have evolved in the AI era
• Strategic AI Integration: Where AI creates genuine leverage versus where it introduces new risks 👈
• Common Pitfalls: How to avoid the early-stage traps that derail most teams
• Real-World Insights: Patterns and lessons drawn from B2B startup builds across New York City

You'll walk away with a practical framework for using AI strategically without compromising on fundamentals, plus a clear roadmap for building smarter, not just faster.

Featured Speaker

Rakesh Raju brings exceptional depth to this discussion as the founder of Codewalla, an NYC-based AI-native product studio that helps B2B startups and lean enterprise teams accelerate their builds through modular systems and strategic AI integration.

With a distinguished background as a seasoned CTO at major companies including Disney, Microsoft, and RealNetworks, Rakesh has guided numerous NYC startups through the complete journey from initial concept to traction, scaling, and successful exit.

His expertise spans software architecture, emerging technologies (AI, VR, agentic systems), and product-market fit strategy, backed by two decades of hands-on leadership experience across both startup and enterprise environments. As a former "Scientist of the Year" and active early-stage investor, Rakesh is recognized for delivering clear, actionable guidance to founders facing high-stakes product decisions.

Who Should Attend

• Early-stage founders navigating product development in the AI landscape
• Product teams exploring or implementing AI solutions
• Builders and entrepreneurs looking to increase their odds of creating successful products
• Anyone seeking practical guidance on balancing AI innovation with proven product fundamentals

Is your MVP live but not clicking? If you've launched an MVP, but are struggling to gain traction, click here for a free, no-nonsense MVP audit by Codewalla designed to turn it into a product users love (and return to).