ABOUT THIS EPISODE
Pocket FM co-founder and CEO Rohan Nayak joins Claire Zau and Josh Machiz on Lightwork to explore how AI is changing the economics of entertainment and who gets to create it.Rohan breaks down Pocket FM’s approach to mobile-first audio dramas, why falling creation costs could unlock an entirely new generation of storytellers, and how Pocket’s AI fiction-writing tool, Sherpa, tackles some of the hardest problems in AI storytelling, including narrative memory, emotional prose, and long-form planning.They also discuss what makes a story compelling, how Pocket discovers breakout content, the creators building new careers on the platform, and Pocket Saga, the company’s expansion into AI-generated video microdramas. Rohan closes with his vision for a future of a billion creators producing a billion stories for a billion people.Chapters:0:00 Pocket FM’s $500M ARR milestone and massive creator vision1:13 What Pocket FM is and why audio dramas could work3:39 The shift from TV and streaming to AI entertainment8:30 Humans, AI and the creative spark behind hit stories10:20 How Pocket FM supports and trains creators12:12 How Sherpa turns an idea into a full series13:06 AI content creation explodes to 2.6M hours15:33 The $90M hit Hollywood might never have greenlit18:54 Why AI content quality and originality still matter20:34 How Pocket FM uses AI to find potential blockbusters23:42 Scaling the technology behind Pocket FM25:23 Why general purpose LLMs often struggle with long form fiction28:26 Training models with 5 billion hours of engagement data30:04 What can make a story addictive32:02 How Pocket FM has changed creators’ lives34:22 Global expansion, Sherpa and the launch of Pocket Saga38:11 Rohan’s competitive approach to building Pocket FM40:22 The vision for a billion creators and a billion storiesStay in touch: www.lsvp.comX: https://twitter.com/lightspeedvpLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/lightspeed-venture-partners/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lightspeedventurepartners/Subscribe on your favorite podcast app: generativenow.coThe content here does not constitute tax, legal, business or investment advice or an offer to provide such advice, should not be construed as advocating the purchase or sale of any security or investment or a recommendation of any company, and is not an offer, or solicitation of an offer, for the purchase or sale of any security or investment product. The views expressed by our guests do not necessarily represent the views of Lightspeed. For more details please see lsvp.com/legal.Inside the Tech Powering 500K+ Audio Drama Creators | Pocket FM on Lightworkhttps://youtu.be/9Z1lnlmVBN0
