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While AI represents the biggest platform shift in decades, it hasn't eliminated the fundamental risks of product development-it has transformed them.
Rakesh Raju is the Founder of Codewalla, a New York City-based product studio partnering with founders to bring their product vision to life. In this Startup Grind special event, Rakesh will deliver an essential talk that addresses the critical product challenges facing founders in today's AI-driven landscape.
This session will guide you through the 5 critical shifts every founder must make to build successfully in the AI era. You'll gain practical insights into leveraging AI effectively while maintaining focus on the product fundamentals that drive real success.
What You'll Learn
Success Factors: What actually increases your odds of product success in the current market
Core Principles: The product fundamentals that remain essential & those that have evolved in the AI era
Strategic AI Integration: Where AI creates genuine leverage versus where it introduces new risks
Common Pitfalls: How to avoid the early-stage traps that derail most teams
Real-World Insights: Patterns & lessons drawn from B2B startup builds across New York City
You'll walk away with a practical framework for using AI strategically without compromising on fundamentals, plus a clear roadmap for building smarter, not just faster.
Featured Speaker
Rakesh Raju brings exceptional depth to this discussion as the founder of Codewalla, an NYC-based AI-native product studio that helps B2B startups & lean enterprise teams accelerate their builds through modular systems & strategic AI integration.
With a distinguished background as a seasoned CTO at major companies including Disney, Microsoft, & RealNetworks, Rakesh has guided numerous NYC startups through the complete journey from initial concept to traction, scaling, & successful exit.
His expertise spans software architecture, emerging technologies (AI, VR, agentic systems), & product-market fit strategy, backed by two decades of hands-on leadership experience across both startup & enterprise environments. As a former "Scientist of the Year" & active early-stage investor, Rakesh is recognized for delivering clear, actionable guidance to founders facing high-stakes product decisions.
Who Should Attend
Early-stage founders navigating product development in the AI landscape
Product teams exploring or implementing AI solutions
Builders & entrepreneurs looking to increase their odds of creating successful products
Anyone seeking practical guidance on balancing AI innovation with proven product fundamentals
Is your MVP live but not clicking? If you've launched an MVP, but are struggling to gain traction, click here for a free, no-nonsense MVP audit by Codewalla designed to turn it into a product users love (and return to).
Agenda
5:30 PM: Founder Networking w/ Food & Drinks
6:30 PM: Product 101 with Rakesh Raju
7:30 PM: Discussion + Q&A
8:00 PM: Meet the Speaker + More Networking
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Speaker
Rakesh Raju - Codewalla (Founder & CEO)
Rakesh Raju is the founder of Codewalla, an NYC-based AI-native product studio helping B2B startups & lean enterprise teams build faster through modular systems & strategic, AI-integrated execution.
A seasoned CTO with experience at Disney, Microsoft, & RealNetworks, he's helped numerous NYC startups go from idea to traction, to scale, & exit. Rakesh brings deep expertise in soft
Hosted By
Joshua Ness, Director, Startup Grind
Joshua Ness is the Manging Director at Startup Grind NYC & is a Director of Emerging Technologies with IEEE. He works with enterprise, startups, & academic teams to drive innovation. He also works to educate, inspire, & connect the dots for businesses interested in moving forward with emerging technology.
Tova Feldheim, Cofounder
I am a strategic advisor & marketing expert with 20+ years in B2B SaaS, brand building, & customer discovery. Specializing in aligning human behavior with technology to build products that resonate & marketing that converts. I've worked with enterprise clients & early-stage startups alike to refine messaging, strengthen go-to-market efforts, & accelerate growth
Paul GUILLARD, Chief of Staff / BizOps / Project Manager / BD
I moved to NYC in April 24. I am currently coaching & advising early-stage founders on ideation, Business Model x Ideal Customer Profile x MVP, GTM & Fundraising.
Received my authorization to work in Nov so now also looking for a full time job as BizOps / Chief of Staff / Strategic Project Management for B2B SMB or Series A+
Before that, an Engineering Degree & 2 years of SMBs consulting in France, 10 years in APAC doing Strategic Project Management, Sales & BD; & 4 years in Spain for an MBA at IESE (consistently ranked Top10 in the world by FT) & working on some startups.
Prianka Ball,
Currently working in data at a early stage startup. Ex founder & looking for my next startup building adventure.
Daniel Silver, Owner
Creative, Thoughtful & Results-Driven Product Marketing Strategist Focused on Building, Launching & Optimizing New & Existing Products Across Their Life Cycle.
Rebecca Liang,
Ex-founder | Ex-VC | 5 yrs @ Startup Grind Shanghai
Community over Competition
Shanghai Hong Kong Singapore New York
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Global Partner
Google Cloud (https://cloud.google.com/resources/content/future-of-ai-report?utm_source=events-with-google&utm_medium=et&utm_campaign=FY25-Q1-NORTHAM-SMB31054-website-dl-AIThoughtLeader-52420&utm_content=startup-grind&utm_term=-&hl=en)
Golds
Redrob, Inc (https://bit.ly/redrob-sg-nyc-2025)
Redrob is a platform that provides early-stage startups access to world-class talent, streamlining the hiring process with tools like Talent Search GPT, Skill Test AI, & General Counsel GPT. Redrob Talent Search GPT employs AI agents to find & recruit exceptional candidates from the global talent pool. As an Employer of Record (EOR), Redrob enables seamless onboarding & management of international talent without the need for local entities-saving startups time, cost, & compliance risk.
Codewalla (https://www.codewalla.com/startup-grind-offer)
Codewalla is a small product development studio dedicated to helping startup founders launch products quickly. As founders ourselves, we understand the challenges of traditional development: high costs, long timelines, & risks. We are a CTO-led studio of developers, designers, & project managers dedicated to building exceptional products. With expertise in startups, SaaS, fintech, & more, we bring creativity & experience to every project.
Partner
The Yard (https://theyard.com/)
The Yard is a coworking space at the intersection of innovation, creativity, design, & play -- with locations in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Philly, & DC -- with a variety of shared & private workspace options.
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Startup Grind is a global startup community designed to educate, inspire, & connect entrepreneurs. We host monthly events in more than 600 cities & 125+ countries featuring successful local founders, innovators, educators & investors who share personal stories & lessons learned on the road to building great companies. Our monthly fireside chat interviews, startup mixers & annual conferences provide ample opportunities to connect with amazing startups & the people behind them, tap into a strong support network, form meaningful connections & gain inspiration for the startup journey ahead. For more information visit StartupGrind.com or follow us on twitter @StartupGrind.
Complete your event RSVP here: https://www.startupgrind.com/events/details/startup-grind-new-york-city-presents-product-development-101-what-founders-need-to-build-right-in-the-ai-era/.
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