Sam Stevenson: How Granola Won the Crowded AI Notes Market, Then Pulled Off a Bold Rebrand

Описание: In this week’s episode of *The Design VC*, Andy Budd sits down with *Sam Stevenson*, designer-turned co-founder of *Granola*, “the AI notepad built for people in back-to-back meetings.”

Granola didn’t launch into an empty market. It launched into a red ocean of AI note-taking and meeting summary apps, and still managed to break out. Sam shares where the idea came from, what he noticed that others missed, and the product and UX bets that helped Granola stand out from day one.

They also get into the uncomfortable bits: what it’s like raising money when your edge is product and design, the early challenge of building without a technical co-founder, and the decisions that pushed them closer to product–market fit. Sam unpacks one of the team’s most important reversals too, explaining why live, real-time AI notes sounded great in theory but turned out to be more distracting than helpful. The episode closes with a timely look at Granola’s recent rebrand: what prompted it, how they approached it, and what it feels like changing the look of something users already love.

A smart, grounded listen for early-stage founders navigating product, fundraising, and growth, and for designers curious about making the leap into founding, especially in AI.