Alex and Ellis talk about why they are getting less hyped on OpenClaw, the Social Network sequel that might actually be great, and why recent attacks on Sam Altman signal a real reputational crisis for the AI industry. Then they're joined by Melanie Perkins, co-founder and CEO of Canva, fresh off the company's biggest product announcement in over a decade. They discuss Canva's shift from design platform to AI platform and what 9 years of profitability actually buys you. They also get into how Canva trained its own AI model, why every app on your computer is changing with AI, and why so many of Ellis's clients want to disrupt Canva.
Chapters:
00:00 Why Ellis's clients are coming for Canva
01:08 OpenClaw fatigue and why Poke is winning
02:57 Going full Poke-pilled
05:57 Why tone is AI's most underrated feature
07:18 The Social Network sequel might actually be great
12:10 Attacks on Altman and AI's reputational crisis
21:07 Meet Melanie Perkins, co-founder and CEO of Canva
23:25 A quarter billion users and 9 years of profit
28:53 Building AI for teachers and small businesses
30:52 How Canva makes complex things simple
34:14 From design platform to AI platform
36:50 What happens to designers when AI takes over?
41:19 Canva as a hub: connectors and context
43:46 The SaaS apocalypse and why profitability wins
52:45 Training Canva's own design model
56:55 Melanie's post-Create wind down
