Andrew Ng: Building Faster with AI

Andrew Ng on June 17, 2025 at AI Startup School in San Francisco.

Andrew Ng has helped shape some of the most influential movements in modern AI—from online education to deep learning to AI entrepreneurship.

In this talk, he shares what he’s learning now: why execution speed matters more than ever, how agentic workflows are changing what startups can build, and why concreteness beats vagueness when turning ideas into products. He reflects on the rise of AI coding assistants, the shifting bottlenecks in product development, and why, despite faster software, it’s still human judgment and responsibility that will shape what comes next.

Apply to Y Combinator: https://ycombinator.com/apply
Work at a startup: https://workatastartup.com

Chapters:
00:00 - Introduction
00:31 - The Importance of Speed in Startups
01:13 - Opportunities in the AI Stack
02:06 - The Rise of Agent AI
04:52 - Concrete Ideas for Faster Execution
08:56 - Rapid Prototyping and Engineering
17:06 - The Role of Product Management
21:23 - The Value of Understanding AI
22:33 - Technical Decisions in AI Development
23:26 - Leveraging Gen AI Tools for Startups
24:05 - Building with AI Building Blocks
25:26 - The Importance of Speed in Startups
26:41 - Addressing AI Hype and Misconceptions
37:35 - AI in Education: Current Trends and Future Directions
39:33 - Balancing AI Innovation with Ethical Considerations
41:27 - Protecting Open Source and the Future of AI