Aravind Srinivas, CEO of AI Startup Perplexity, Draws Inspiration from Elon Musk
Aravind Srinivas, cofounder and CEO of Perplexity, attributes his career inspiration to the early days of Elon Musk and SpaceX. Musk’s perseverance, even when faced with exploding rockets, served as a motivational example. Srinivas conveyed to Harvard students that the journey is over only when one believes it to be so.
Launching a new tech company presents significant challenges, and for Perplexity—a startup now valued at over $9 billion—the hurdles are substantial. Competing in a sector dominated by Google and OpenAI, Srinivas emphasizes the importance of self-belief, asserting that giving up is the only true end.
Srinivas shared with participants at the Harvard Business School’s Entrepreneurship Summit that persistence is key. He reflected on Musk’s perspective, where the billionaire expressed to 60 Minutes in 2012 that he would refuse to quit unless completely incapacitated. For Srinivas, this mindset is proving effective, as Perplexity continues its rapid growth, having expanded its valuation from $1 billion to $9 billion within a year. According to CNBC, the company is exploring raising funds at an $18 billion valuation.
Entrepreneurial Advice: Prioritize Action Over Pitch Decks
In building Perplexity, which he describes as a fast solution for answering questions, Srinivas highlights the value of action over prolonged planning. He advises startups to focus on iteration and activity rather than being stuck in conceptual stages. Developing a product swiftly should be a primary goal, as once a demo exists, traditional pitch decks become nearly unnecessary.
Former Coworkers, Now Competitors
Despite the competitive landscape, Srinivas maintains a positive relationship with OpenAI, a significant competitor. His career began there as a research intern under Sam Altman, who remains a supporter. In a public message on X, Altman encouraged Srinivas to continue his impactful work.
Srinivas is part of a broader trend of tech leaders who started at OpenAI. This includes notable figures like Ilya Sutskever and the Amodei siblings, who have founded influential startups in the AI sector, leading some to liken OpenAI alum to the "PayPal mafia."
This report was originally featured on Fortune.com.
