Thursday, 23 July 2026
Menlo Ventures’ Matt Murphy explains what AI startups founders must do differently
Summary
Matt Murphy of Menlo Ventures argues that AI startups are operating under a different growth curve than prior software waves. With Anthropic's revenue run rate climbing at a speed he says he has never seen, the market is resetting its expectations for what good looks like.
Why it matters
The message is simple: AI is no longer a normal SaaS cycle. Growth, compute costs, model quality, and distribution all matter at the same time, and the bar keeps moving.
Founder/operator read
Founders should assume investors will benchmark them against the fastest-moving names in the category. That means shipping quickly, measuring value tightly, and being explicit about how compute, data, and distribution translate into durable advantage.
Original source
Original source: https://techcrunch.com/podcast/menlo-ventures-matt-murphy-explains-what-ai-startups-founders-must-do-differently