In this episode of the Sunny Ray Show, Sunny speaks with David, co-founder of Persona, an AI operating system built for the world's 200 million content creators. David explains how Persona uses two AI agents, one that automates outbound pitching to brands and another that applies to creator marketplaces like Upwork and Fiverr on a creator's behalf. He shares his path from a mathematics and finance degree into investment banking at UBS, then into a car subscription startup, before his brother in law and co-founder Josh pulled him into the creator economy. David describes the evolution from their first product, a storefront tool called Peddler, to Persona, and how customer interviews revealed that brand deals, not audience monetization, were where creators wanted to focus. He talks about building a database of over 120,000 brands, using AI to detect buying signals, and the shift in creator sentiment toward AI tools. The conversation closes with a candid discussion on courage, leaving stable jobs after having kids, and the value of co-founders and family support in entrepreneurship.
David explains how Persona's AI agents help the world's 200 million creators land brand deals faster.
Can you give a one minute teaser of what Persona does?
Persona is an AI operating system for the 200 million global content creators. We have two AI agents. One is an outbounding agent that automates a creator's outreach and cold pitching to brands so they can land more brand deals. The other agent sits across marketplaces like Upwork and Fiverr and automatically applies to those on the creator's behalf.
What were you doing before you got into entrepreneurship and tech?
I loved mathematics, so I did a math degree combined with finance at university, then worked a few years in investment banking at UBS. I always saw myself going into business since my dad was an entrepreneur. I left UBS to join a car subscription startup, and a few years later my co-founder and brother in law Josh approached me with an idea in the creator economy.
What initially sparked your interest in tech growing up in Sydney?
We had dial up growing up, which was always fun cranking it up. My cousin got into engineering and design very early and being around him was fascinating. Later, going through banking showed me a fast paced but very corporate world, and I felt I could apply those skills better in business, which made joining my co-founder a no brainer.
How specifically are you using AI within the Persona platform?
We use AI agents to scan a database of over 120,000 brands for signals they're working with or looking to work with creators, like whether they run meta ads or affiliate links. On the creator side, we analyze their socials and profile, then match them to the specific brands they should pitch based on their niche and content type.
Was there a specific moment you realized you could apply automation to creators and brand deals?
It was pretty organic, built from learnings at our first product Peddler where we interviewed five to ten customers a week. Early on, creators were cautious of AI because they worried it would take over their creative brain, so we had to be careful how we communicated it. Over the last six months customers have become much more receptive to knowing they're using an AI tool.
What's the latest AI development that's blown your mind?
Clawbot's release, even though I haven't used it myself yet due to the security aspect. It seems like a step change in how people are automating things, acting like a real assistant, which is very much the space we're building in. For our product, the useful piece is our usage data, like seeing that pitching a beauty brand on Monday gets a higher reply rate than Friday.
Can you speak to courage in your entrepreneurial journey and how you overcame fear?
I left investment banking right after my daughter was born with no job lined up, and later left another job to start the business while living with my in-laws with two kids. Both times it came down to backing myself. Having a strong support network, my wife, kids, extended family, and especially co-founders made a huge difference. I don't think I could have done it alone.
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