# The Most Overlooked Skill Every Founder Needs in the AI Era

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-tech-leader-s-playbook-6409231/the-most-overlooked-skill-every-founder-needs-in-the-ai-era
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-tech-leader-s-playbook-6409231/the-most-overlooked-skill-every-founder-needs-in-the-ai-era.md
Podcast: [The Tech Leader's Playbook](https://stenobird.com/podcast/the-tech-leader-s-playbook-6409231)
Published: 2025-12-04T14:00:00+00:00
Episode link: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thetechleaderplaybook/episodes/The-Most-Overlooked-Skill-Every-Founder-Needs-in-the-AI-Era-e3bs8kn
Audio file: https://anchor.fm/s/e2d189bc/podcast/play/112123991/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2025-11-4%2F413730086-44100-2-68c9189092af2.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/the-tech-leader-s-playbook-6409231/episodes/the-most-overlooked-skill-every-founder-needs-in-the-ai-era
Duration seconds: 2680

## Resource

For more thoughts, clips, and updates, follow Avetis Antaplyan on Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/avetisantaplyan⁠ In this episode of The Tech Leader's Playbook, Avetis Antaplyan sits down with Tamara Laine, investigative journalist turned two-time tech founder and the CEO and co-founder of MPWR. Tamara brings a rare blend of storytelling, emotional intelligence, and problem-spotting instincts into the world of AI and financial innovation — and in this conversation, she unpacks how those experiences shape the products she builds today. Tamara shares how her investigative background sharpened her ability to dig into root problems, challenge assumptions, and uncover overlooked patterns — skills she now uses to design user-centric, AI-powered solutions for financial inclusion. She opens up about the realities of being a gig worker, the challenges Gen Z faces in accessing credit, and how the traditional banking world is struggling to adapt to a rapidly changing workforce. The episode dives deep into EQ-driven leadership, ethical AI, community as a modern moat, and the rise of low-code tools that are simultaneously empowering founders while making markets noisier than ever. Tamara’s insights on responsible innovation, founder resilience, and building tech that actually solves human problems make this a powerful, thought-provoking conversation for today’s leaders. Takeaways Investigative journalism taught Tamara to identify real problems, ask better questions, and challenge assumptions — essential skills for founders. Curiosity is becoming a competitive advantage in tech, not just a personality trait. Emotional intelligence is now a top leadership skill, especially as AI automates more of our operational workload. Storytelling begins with user journeys — not marketing…

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## Transcript

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