From Snapchat to Chasing Startups: Jacob Catalano’s AI Era

In Season 3, Episode 19 of Turning Pro, Ben and Adrian sat down with Jacob Catalano, a founder who left a high-growth role at Snapchat to chase something way less certain: building a breakout consumer app powered by AI.

Jacob’s been in the trenches for the past year, rapidly testing products, refining ideas, and pushing for something that feels truly magical. What makes this episode unique is his transparency. He talks candidly about pivoting, fundraising, founder psychology, and what it really takes to build something people love (not just something that works).

This episode also dives into why writing is still one of the hardest problems in the AI space, how founders can stay ahead of trends without drowning in noise, and what Jacob’s learned from being surrounded by some of tech’s sharpest product minds.

Listen to Season 3, Episode 19 of Turning Pro on YouTube, Apple, and Spotify.

10 Key Takeaways from Jacob Catalano’s Episode

1.  The Idea Is Secondary. You’re Betting on the Founder: Jacob raised his round without a polished product. His lead investor backed the team, not a deck. That’s the bet at pre-seed.
   

2. You Can’t Optimize Your Way to a Breakthrough: While others obsess over funnels and dashboards, Jacob builds by intuition. He ships fast, then asks: does this feel magical?
   

3. The Fastest Path Is Through the Maze: Jacob’s not married to any single idea. He moves quickly, tests relentlessly, and treats each iteration as a stepping stone, not a failure.
   

4. Founders Are Product Filters: He isn’t building for mass appeal. He’s focused on the few users who really get it. The ones who keep coming back without being asked.
   

5. AI Writing Tools Haven’t Cracked Voice. Yet: Most tools offer templates and sliders. Jacob’s insight? Great writing comes from great conversation. His approach mimics how human ghostwriters work.
   

6. Copywriting Is Still the Final Boss: Even with advances in generative tech, persuasive, emotionally resonant writing remains one of the toughest challenges and biggest opportunities in AI.
   

7. Consumer Products Are Built on Feeling: In B2B, you solve a pain point. In consumer, it has to click. Jacob’s chasing that click. The moment when users genuinely love using the product.
   

8. You Don’t Need 10,000 Users, Just 100 Who Care: He’s especially excited about small, high-intent audiences, whether it’s creators sending voice-led newsletters or friends keeping each other updated.
   

9. Big Tech Prepares You, But It Doesn’t Save You: Working at Snap taught Jacob world-class product thinking. But in the startup world, every decision is yours, and every path is open.
   

10. AI Should Enhance Connection, Not Replace It: Jacob believes users still want a human touch, especially in trust-driven spaces. The best tools won’t replace people. They’ll amplify them.

Jacob Catalano’s story is what early-stage building really looks like: late nights, shifting directions, and chasing a product that sparks something real. He’s not trying to game the system; he’s trying to build something people love. And that mindset? It’s timeless.

Subscribe on YouTube to catch every founder, every insight, and every early-stage pivot in real time.