Brendan Foody: AI models are the core product, hiring top talent costs tens of millions, and strong client relationships are key during crises | 20VC
Mercor's rapid growth highlights AI's transformative impact on cybersecurity and the future job market.
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Add us on Google by Editorial Team Jun. 5, 2026Key takeaways
- AI models are increasingly seen as the core product, making software defensibility challenging.
- Hiring top AI researchers is costly, often requiring tens of millions in stock annually.
- Security incidents can be managed effectively with strong customer relationships and clear communication.
- Competitive dynamics often fuel negative public commentary against companies.
- AI advancements are likely to drive a new era in cybersecurity solutions.
- Despite rumors, relationships with major clients like OpenAI remain robust.
- Misconceptions about hiring practices can be clarified with direct communication.
- The future job market will see both new opportunities and significant displacement due to AI.
- Measuring AI’s impact on job tasks helps in understanding its role in different professions.
- Economic incentives can lead to exaggerated negative perceptions on social media.
- AI’s role in cybersecurity is expected to grow as threats become more sophisticated.
- Job displacement from AI will be counterbalanced by the creation of new job roles.
Guest intro
Brendan Foody is the Founder and CEO of Mercor, an AI data provider that works with leading labs including OpenAI. Under his leadership, Mercor has reportedly scaled from $1 million to $500 million in revenue in 17 months and reached a valuation of about $10 billion.
The challenge of building defensibility in AI software
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Building defensibility in the software layer on top of the models is going to be incredibly difficult
— Brendan Foody
- AI models are increasingly recognized as the primary product.
- The software layer’s defensibility is challenging due to rapid advancements in AI.
- Companies must focus on the model itself as a core asset.
- The AI landscape is evolving, emphasizing the importance of models over software.
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Everyone has increasingly realized that the model is the product
— Brendan Foody
- Sustainable software solutions in AI require innovative approaches.
- The competitive landscape in AI is driven by the model’s importance.
The high cost of AI talent acquisition
- Hiring top AI researchers can cost tens of millions annually.
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How much does it cost to hire a high-quality AI researcher? Oftentimes it would be in the tens of millions of stock per year
— Brendan Foody
- The competitive landscape for AI talent is intense and costly.
- Companies must invest heavily in talent to remain competitive.
- High operational costs in AI are driven by talent acquisition.
- The demand for AI expertise continues to drive up costs.
- Understanding talent costs is crucial for AI industry stakeholders.
- The investment in AI talent reflects the industry’s growth potential.
Navigating security incidents and public perception
- Macaw effectively managed a security incident and expanded its revenue.
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There was an incident… the company’s been crushing it ever since
— Brendan Foody
- Strong customer relationships helped Macaw navigate the crisis.
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Having really strong relationships with customers gave us a lot of confidence
— Brendan Foody
- Public perception on social media can be exaggerated.
- Clear communication and understanding of incidents are crucial.
- The company’s growth post-incident highlights effective crisis management.
- Maintaining customer trust is key during security challenges.
The influence of competitive dynamics on public perception
- Economic incentives drive negative commentary against companies.
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There are often a lot of people with economic incentives… who will absolutely trounce you
— Brendan Foody
- Competitors can influence public perception through negative commentary.
- Companies must manage their reputation amidst competitive pressures.
- Understanding motivations behind public commentary is essential.
- Reputation management is a critical aspect of business strategy.
- The competitive landscape shapes public narratives about companies.
- Companies face challenges in countering negative perceptions.
The future of cybersecurity driven by AI advancements
- A golden age of cybersecurity is anticipated due to AI advancements.
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There’s going to be an enormous boom in AI security engineering tools
— Brendan Foody
- AI is expected to enhance cyber defense mechanisms.
- Increasing threats drive the need for advanced cybersecurity solutions.
- AI’s role in cybersecurity is becoming more prominent.
- The future of cybersecurity will be shaped by AI innovations.
- Companies must prepare for evolving cyber threats with AI tools.
- AI-driven cybersecurity solutions are crucial for protecting businesses.
Strengthening relationships with major clients
- Relationships with clients like OpenAI remain strong despite rumors.
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Our relationship with OpenAI is stronger than ever
— Brendan Foody
- Rumors of losing customers are unfounded.
- Maintaining strong client relationships is vital for business success.
- Clear communication helps dispel misconceptions about client dynamics.
- Partnerships with major clients are crucial for growth.
- Companies must address rumors to maintain client trust.
- Strong client relationships drive business resilience.
Clarifying misconceptions about hiring practices
- No offers have been extended to team members from Micro One.
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We have not extended a single offer to someone from Micro One
— Brendan Foody
- Misconceptions about hiring can be clarified through direct communication.
- Competitive dynamics influence perceptions of hiring practices.
- Companies must address rumors to maintain transparency.
- Accurate information is key to managing public perception.
- Hiring practices are often misunderstood in competitive industries.
- Clear communication about hiring strategies is essential.
The impact of AI on future job markets
- AI will create more jobs in the future but also cause displacement.
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There’s certainly going to be many more jobs in ten years… but there’s also gonna be a lot of job displacement
— Brendan Foody
- Understanding AI’s impact on jobs is crucial for workforce planning.
- Job displacement will be a challenge amidst AI advancements.
- New job opportunities will emerge as AI evolves.
- Measuring AI’s impact on job tasks helps in workforce planning.
- Companies must prepare for changes in the job market due to AI.
- Balancing job creation and displacement is a key challenge.
Measuring AI’s impact on job tasks
- Initiatives like the AI Productivity Index help measure AI’s role in jobs.
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We’re building a ton of initiatives… measuring across all the different popular job categories
— Brendan Foody
- Understanding AI’s capabilities and limitations is crucial for planning.
- AI’s role in different professions varies significantly.
- Measuring AI’s impact helps in understanding workforce dynamics.
- Companies must assess which tasks AI can automate.
- Proactive approaches to AI’s role in jobs are essential.
- Understanding AI’s limitations is key to effective workforce planning.
