Science & Technology

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…

Published

3 months ago

March 3, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

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.

Up Next

The Modular Phone of the Future | All Things Mobile

Don't Miss

Man accidentally gains control of 7,000 robot vacuums

2 Comments

@عليموحان-س5ع

March 3, 2026 at 1:46 pm

علي موحان💙💙💙💛💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💙💛💚💛💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💛💚💛💚💛💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚💛💚

Reply
@TheNarrowPathGarage

March 3, 2026 at 9:27 pm

❤

Reply

Science & Technology

Uber’s AI Budget Crisis Is a Warning Sign for Not Just Anthropic

The economics of AI are getting harder to ignore. Uber went from over-budget to capping internal AI usage in roughly six weeks, which sparks a bigger question…can AI labs bring costs down fast enough to meet what enterprises and consumers are actually willing to pay?

Published

21 hours ago

June 5, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Science & Technology

The most interesting startups right now want to get you off your phone | Equity Podcast

While the AI fundraising machine keeps breaking its own records, some founders are building in the other direction. Mirror founder Brynn Putnam just raised money for Board, a startup focused on bringing people together through in-person games and social experiences. Cyberdeck creators are going viral crafting whimsical DIY computers that literally encourage users to touch…

Published

1 day ago

June 5, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

While the AI fundraising machine keeps breaking its own records, some founders are building in the other direction.

Mirror founder Brynn Putnam just raised money for Board, a startup focused on bringing people together through in-person games and social experiences. Cyberdeck creators are going viral crafting whimsical DIY computers that literally encourage users to touch grass. Unlike the AI-free browser crowd, this doesn’t just feel like backlash, but also people genuinely gravitating toward things that feel a little more human.

On this episode of TechCrunch’s Equity podcast, Kirsten Korosec, Anthony Ha, and Sean O’Kane dig into the week’s headlines, from the “together tech” wave to what Anthropic’s confidential IPO filing means against the backdrop of Alphabet’s $80 billion AI raise, and whether the money is all flowing back to the big guys anyway.

Subscribe to Equity on YouTube, Apple Podcasts, Overcast, Spotify and all the casts. You also can follow Equity on X and Threads, at @EquityPod.

Chapters:

00:00 Intro

01:45 YouTubers are taking over the box office

02:46 Everyone’s fleeing climate tech — except this $250M fund

07:03 Impulse Space raises $500M and is hiring humans

13:03 Anthropic quietly files for IPO as Alphabet drops $85B on AI

21:52 The token bubble is starting to burst

26:08 From Board games to DIY cyberdecks, founders are betting on IRL

33:09 Outro

CNET

What to REALLY Pay Attention to at WWDC26

Apple’s big developers conference keynote is expected to focus on updates to Siri and Apple Intelligence. But the software can sometimes give us clues to the direction of Apple’s future hardware. CNET’s Bridget Carey goes through what key areas she’s most interested in for WWDC news. Follow CNET’s WWDC 2026 Live Blog on CNET.com Apple…

Published

1 day ago

June 5, 2026

CYBER TECH TV

Follow CNET’s WWDC 2026 Live Blog on CNET.com
Apple WWDC 2026: What We Expect From This Year’s Keynote and How to Watch

0:37 The future of Apple Glasses
0:50 Visual Intelligence
1:53 Siri in the Camera app
2:15 Smart home controls and HomePod
2:50 Apple TV updates
3:14 Siri and wearable tech
3:33 Get ready for WWDC
3:53 Bridget LIVE from WWDC!

Add CNET as a trusted news source
Never miss a deal again! See CNET’s browser extension 👉
Check out CNET’s Amazon Storefront:
Subscribe to CNET on YouTube:
Follow us on TikTok:
Follow us on Instagram:
Follow us on Bluesky:
Like us on Facebook:
CNET’s AI Atlas:
Follow us on X:
Visit CNET.com:

#apple #wwdc2026 #wwdc #timcook #appleglasses #ios27 #applenews