How to Raise Investment for an Audio AI Startup w/ Max Shafer || Ep 37

Josh sits down with Max Shafer, co-founder of Just for Noise, on building an AI foundation model for drum and sample generation. Max shares the origin story — from a drum machine that wouldn't turn on and 20 minutes lost hunting for a single kick, to reframing the problem as generating samples on the fly. We get into designing an intuitive interface beyond the "empty prompt box," building a proprietary dataset by ripping drum machines in studios across LA, New York, Berlin and London, and the pivot from plugin company to a licensable infrastructure/API layer. Max also opens up on the funding journey — contacting ~170 investors over three months at roughly a 1-in-100 yes rate — why he preferred VCs over angels, and his candid caution that raising isn't right for every company. Plus the music-tech landscape, community-driven beta testing born in the Audio Programmer Discord, and how AI can support rather than replace the creative process. Guests: Max Shafer