Founder stories from the world of Data and AI The Growth Playbook: Data & AI Beyond the Code: Scaling Voice AI Products with Tom Shapland @ LiveKit - ThinkData Podcast

Episode 21

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Published on:

7th Sep 2025

S3 | E21 | Beyond the Code: Scaling Voice AI Products with Tom Shapland @ LiveKit

In this episode of the ThinkData Podcast, I sit down with Tom Shapland, Product Manager at LiveKit, the open-source platform redefining real-time voice and video with AI.

From co-founding an agritech startup to leading product in voice AI, Tom’s path is anything but ordinary.

He shares insights on building great voice agents, the impact of large language models, and why the hardest part is always the last 10%.

In this episode, you’ll hear us talk about:

  • How Tom went from agritech founder to product leader at LiveKit
  • What LiveKit is, and how it’s helping developers build real-time voice & video apps
  • Why large language models are transforming the future of voice agents
  • The “80/10 rule” and why the last stretch is the hardest to crack
  • How moving from coder to product leader reshaped his approach to innovation
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About the Podcast

ThinkData Podcast
The Growth Playbook: Data & AI
The Growth Playbook brings you inside the minds of the leaders shaping Data and AI. Each episode, we sit down with some of the most interesting voices in the industry, from startup founders to seasoned execs, to hear their stories, lessons learned, and the real strategies behind growing great businesses.

About your host

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Alex Hutchings

I’m the Co-Founder of the Dataworks Group, a specialist talent partner in the world of Data and Artificial Intelligence.

I’ve spent the last 15+ years working at the heart of this space, helping some of the most exciting companies on the planet build world-class Data and AI teams.

Through our roundtables, live events, and right here on the ThinkData Podcast, my goal is simple: to bring you real insights from the fastest-growing talent market in the world.

Whether you’re building, hiring, or just curious about what’s next, you’ll hear straight from the founders and senior leaders shaping the future of work.