Blue Ocean Strategy

Aaron Levie explains why the AI shift creates a rare opening for startups: agents can work with unstructured enterprise data and automate tasks software could not handle before. He argues that automation will often free employees to pursue valuable work that companies currently cannot afford to do, while small companies may grow by serving more customers and markets. New AI businesses can sell based on work volume or outcomes instead of employee seats, while recurring subscriptions and workflow software can support durable revenue. Levie advises founders to pursue markets where AI changes the economics, build strong teams, and look for new categories beyond incumbent products.

Ooshma Garg describes how Gobble grew through several food business models before finding a meal kit service that could scale and retain customers. She explains how customer feedback, experimentation, and a clear mission guided decisions to shut down profitable lines of business that no longer fit her vision. The talk also covers bootstrapping, fundraising, hiring, and the value of trusted advisors and peers. Her main lessons are to keep iterating, stay close to customers, and persist through setbacks while remaining willing to change direction.