AI Recruiting at NVIDIA, Pika, and Eleven Labs: How to Build Exceptional Teams

Exceptional AI products begin with exceptional teams, but in 2025, AI staffing has never been harder. 

In this episode of Generative Now, Lightspeed partner Michael Mignano dives into the realities of AI recruiting and team building, sharing insights from some of today’s top AI leaders. You’ll hear from:

• Demi Guo, CEO and Co-Founder of Pika

• Mati Staniszewski, CEO and Co-Founder of Eleven Labs

• Bill Dally, Chief Scientist of NVIDIA

• Dan Shipper, CEO and co-founder of Every

• Amy Anton, Vice President of Talent, AI at Lightspeed

Together, they explore what defines a strong AI team, the evolving role of creative talent, how to scale without losing culture, and why generalists may thrive in an AI-powered workforce. The episode also touches on the shift from the knowledge economy to the allocation economy, and what that means for hiring in the AI era.

Whether you're an AI founder, operator, or just thinking about your next hire, this episode unpacks what’s working (and what’s not) in AI HR, staffing, and team design.

Chapters: 

(00:00) What’s Challenging about Hiring AI Teams?

(01:25) Demi Guo and Mati Staniszewski: Creative Talent in AI

(03:36) Dan Shipper: Finding Space to Experiment 

(08:05) Scaling AI Teams: Insights from NVIDIA

(10:52) Building Strong AI Teams: Advice from Lightspeed

(16:48) Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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