AI Startup CEO Reveals What Really Kills AI Projects
Beyond Coding1 Loka 2025

AI Startup CEO Reveals What Really Kills AI Projects

What if the biggest obstacles to AI innovation aren't what you think? Deeploy CEO Maarten Stolk shares his controversial but effective strategies for building successful AI products and ecosystems, challenging the common wisdom around bottom-up initiatives and regulation.


In this episode, we cover:


Why bottom-up initiatives fail without strong top-down vision.

The surprising benefits of the EU's AI Act for innovation.

How to build a thriving AI ecosystem from the ground up.

The single most important metric for AI observability.

This conversation is for tech leaders, founders, and engineers who want to move beyond AI experiments and build real-world, production-ready systems.


Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Intro

00:00:45 - Why Maarten Started a Dutch AI Hub

00:02:15 - The "Flywheel" Effect Crucial for AI Success

00:04:42 - The Hard Truth: Why the Netherlands is Lagging in AI

00:07:52 - A Controversial Take: The EU AI Act is Actually Good for Everyone

00:11:26 - The Real Bottleneck to Innovation Isn't Regulation

00:14:25 - From POC to Production: Why Top-Down Vision is Non-Negotiable

00:17:13 - A Wake-Up Call for Inexperienced Leadership Teams

00:20:30 - How Winning Companies Use AI to Dominate Their Market

00:23:44 - The Right Way to Learn From Your Competitors

00:27:30 - Maarten Outsourced Core Development to an AI Company

00:31:59 - The #1 Metric You Must Track for AI Observability

00:36:03 - Open-Source vs. Closed-Source: Which AI Model Will Win?

00:40:23 - The Inevitable Crisis That Will Force Innovation

00:42:19 - The Power of Having a Long-Term Personal Vision


#AIStrategy #TechLeadership #Innovation


Jaksot(237)

Why We're Excited About React Compiler (React Compiler Explained) with Lydia Hallie

Why We're Excited About React Compiler (React Compiler Explained) with Lydia Hallie

This was a special episode, recorded at React Summit in Amsterdam! Curious to hear your feedback! The next edition of the biggest React conference will be in New York, on November 18 & 21, and Early B...

25 Kesä 202519min

AI in Software Engineering: Productivity, Pitfalls, and Practical Advice with Stacy Cashmore

AI in Software Engineering: Productivity, Pitfalls, and Practical Advice with Stacy Cashmore

Is AI a productivity tool or a dangerous shortcut for developers?In this episode, Stacy Cashmore, Product Lead at OmniPlan, joins us to discuss the practical realities of integrating AI into software ...

18 Kesä 202555min

The Identity Crisis of Software Engineers in the Age of AI with Borislav Nikolov & Rares Mirica

The Identity Crisis of Software Engineers in the Age of AI with Borislav Nikolov & Rares Mirica

AI is reshaping software engineering—but are developers getting better or worse?In this episode, Borislav Nikolov and Rares Mirica join me to discuss the identity crisis facing software engineers due ...

11 Kesä 20251h 12min

Can AI Really Replace Human Customer Support?

Can AI Really Replace Human Customer Support?

In this episode, Dennis de Reus, co-founder of Stellar and former Head of AI at ABN Amro, reveals how AI-driven voice technology is redefining customer interactions. We discuss practical experiences, ...

4 Kesä 202540min

Leadership, Burnout & Building Global Teams with Ray Bogman

Leadership, Burnout & Building Global Teams with Ray Bogman

Great leaders don’t manage—they inspire, coach, and build trust.In this episode, Ray Bogman (Head of Innovation at Alumio) shares his experience leading a global team of 75 people and discusses why tr...

14 Touko 202553min

What is Vibe Coding? The New Way Developers Build Software with Zowie Langdon

What is Vibe Coding? The New Way Developers Build Software with Zowie Langdon

"Vibe coding"—it’s the buzzword you might not have heard yet, but it could change your entire workflow.In this episode, Zowie Langdon explains exactly what vibe coding is: a modern approach that pairs...

7 Touko 20251h 12min

Public Speaking, Networking & the Role of Architects with Bert-Jan Schrijver

Public Speaking, Networking & the Role of Architects with Bert-Jan Schrijver

Ever considered speaking at a tech conference but felt unsure or overwhelmed?In this episode, Bert-Jan Schrijver, CTO at OpenValue, shares invaluable insights on why public speaking is one of the most...

1 Touko 202552min

Rust, Game Development & Career Growth with Stephan Dilly

Rust, Game Development & Career Growth with Stephan Dilly

Can learning Rust boost your software engineering career? Absolutely.In this episode, Stephan Dilly, Rust expert and seasoned game developer, discusses why Rust has quickly become a critical skill in ...

23 Huhti 202545min