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AI-driven hiring and the science of compatibility

This season on Build Mode, we’re breaking down what it really takes to build a world-class team and that starts with hiring the right people the first time. This week, we’re joined by Sarah Lucena, founder and CEO of Mapa, a behavioral intelligence platform that uses voice AI to decode human behavior in under 60…

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This season on Build Mode, we’re breaking down what it really takes to build a world-class team and that starts with hiring the right people the first time.

This week, we’re joined by Sarah Lucena, founder and CEO of Mapa, a behavioral intelligence platform that uses voice AI to decode human behavior in under 60 seconds. After rebuilding teams over and over again early in her career, Sarah set out to answer the question: why do “great on paper” candidates fail to flourish after their hired?

In this episode, she explains how Mapa analyzes thousands of voice biomarkers, from speech patterns to linguistic signals, to build behavioral profiles and match candidates based on compatibility, not just the on-paper credentials. They help their clients make the right hired the first time, saving crucial time and money.

She breaks down:

• Why most hiring decisions are still a gamble
• Compatibility vs. similarity (and why it matters)
• How voice biomarkers reveal behavioral traits
• How to reduce bias without lowering the bar
• How founders should think about building aligned teams

Whether you’re hiring your first employee or scaling a fast-growing startup, this episode will change the way you think about talent, team dynamics, and what it really means to be a “fit.”

Chapters:

00:00 – Why great hires still fail
00:47 – Meet Sarah Lucena (Founder & CEO, Mapa)
01:39 – What Mapa does: voice → behavioral intelligence
04:22 – Why voice (not video) is the best signal
06:03 – The proprietary dataset & real-life outcomes
12:30 – Mapping companies, not just candidates
14:27 – Compatibility vs. similarity
16:10 – Bias, diversity & better hiring signals
23:53 – Expanding beyond hiring (VCs, finance, insurance)
30:16 – Using Mapa to evaluate investors
33:02 – Building Mapa’s own team
35:49 – Founder advice: patience, compatibility & lawyers
39:16 – Startup Battlefield experience
41:29 – Outro

New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday. Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.

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2 Comments

  1. @عليموحان-س5ع

    March 3, 2026 at 1:46 pm

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  2. @TheNarrowPathGarage

    March 3, 2026 at 9:27 pm

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Science & Technology

Why Artisan, the Stop Hiring Humans Startup, Still Hires Humans │ Build Mode Podcast

Despite their marketing campaign telling you not to hire humans, Artisan CEO Jaspar Carmichael-Jack knows that a good startup needs a great team. And yes, they’re still hiring humans themselves. Listen to the full conversation on our Build Mode podcast:

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Despite their marketing campaign telling you not to hire humans, Artisan CEO Jaspar Carmichael-Jack knows that a good startup needs a great team. And yes, they’re still hiring humans themselves.

Listen to the full conversation on our Build Mode podcast:

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Science & Technology

Tim Cook is stepping down. What happens to Apple now? | Equity Podcast

A new era is on the way for Apple as Tim Cook plans to step down from his CEO role in September, handing the reins to hardware chief John Ternus. Ternus may be inheriting one of the most durable businesses in tech, but he’s also stepping into a very different ecosystem than the one Cook…

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A new era is on the way for Apple as Tim Cook plans to step down from his CEO role in September, handing the reins to hardware chief John Ternus.

Ternus may be inheriting one of the most durable businesses in tech, but he’s also stepping into a very different ecosystem than the one Cook spent decades shaping. The App Store’s 30% cut is under pressure, the behind-the-scenes power Apple once held over developers is being challenged, and vibe-coded apps are changing what it means to build on Apple’s platform.

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, hosts Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O’Kane dig into what this transition means for startups and a closer look at some of the week’s biggest deals — including SpaceX’s $60B option on Cursor.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

00:26 Anthropic’s Mythos accessed by “unauthorized groups”

04:28 Is Amazon’s $5B Anthropic investment just another circular deal?

09:53 SpaceX and Cursor’s $60B option

18:25 Is this finally the year of the IPO?

21:38 SpaceX, Revolut, and Cerebras: the IPOs to watch

26:41 Tim Cook’s retirement plans

29:15 What a new Apple CEO means for startups and the App Store

35:59 Outro

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CNET

5 Biggest Challenges for Apple’s Next CEO, John Ternus | One More Thing

With Tim Cook stepping down as Apple CEO, the next leader has new challenges. CNET’s Bridget Carey looks at the biggest issues John Ternus will have to face in these changing times for the industry. Read more about Apple’s new CEO John Ternus on CNET.com Apple’s New CEO Is a Hardware Guy. That’s Actually Good…

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With Tim Cook stepping down as Apple CEO, the next leader has new challenges. CNET’s Bridget Carey looks at the biggest issues John Ternus will have to face in these changing times for the industry.

Read more about Apple’s new CEO John Ternus on CNET.com
Apple’s New CEO Is a Hardware Guy. That’s Actually Good for Apple’s AI Plans

0:00 John Ternus tapped to be Apple’s next CEO
0:13 Apple’s new product bonanza
0:37 The success of new Apple products hinges on the new Siri
0:59 Challenges Ternus will face as Apple CEO
1:13 John Ternus and Apple
1:27 How Tim Cook will help new Apple CEO John Ternus
1:48 Politics and Apple
2:22 AI, Apple and John Ternus
3:00 The future of the iPhone and AI
3:45 Culture shifts attitude around iPhones and screen time
4:33 John Ternus and MacBook Neo

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#apple #applenews #appleceo #timcook #johnternus

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