Crypto Collapse, AI Ascent: How a Founder Ditched Web3 for AI’s Frontier Artwork

The Catching Fire Podcast

Any successful venture starts with great ideas, but it takes great marketing to make them stand out. In the Catching Fire Podcast, we delve into outstanding products and ideas that have gone to market and what it took to get there. Listen to conversations with inspiring startup founders and marketing leaders. Rethink your team’s approach to marketing in an increasingly crowded digital landscape. Learn how to make your ideas “catch fire.”

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The Catching Fire Podcast

Crypto Collapse, AI Ascent: How a Founder Ditched Web3 for AI’s Frontier

April 23, 2025 • Bryan Karas

Karthik Kalyanaraman built his company on blockchain, only to see the market vanish beneath him. With the world moving on, the pressure was real. Sleepless nights, silence on Discord, and raw uncertainty forced him and his team to reinvent everything from scratch.

In this episode, Karthik shares the gritty truth behind the creation of LangTrace and what it takes to keep moving when quitting feels easier.

You’ll hear why most AI tools fail, how “human-in-the-loop” plays out when everything is on the line, and the difference relentless adaptation makes in the real world. No startup gloss, just the reality of risk, reinvention, and hope after the crash.

This story goes beyond theory. It’s about resilience and the lessons that stick in a volatile market.

Connect with Karthik:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/karthikkalyanaraman/

Connect with Bryan:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankaras/

https://bryankaras.com/

Looking for quality digital marketing talent? Connect with Bryan's team at GrowTal. https://www.growtal.com/

Looking to solve your toughest marketing challenges? Connect with Bryan's team at Playbook Media. https://www.playbookmedia.com/