Chris Bentley welcomes James McCormack to the Social 333 podcast for a wide-ranging conversation that blends Silicon Valley war stories with a practical look at building and scaling a modern security business. McCormack, CEO of Cloudastructure, explains how the company applies artificial intelligence to enterprise video surveillance, first winning major traction in multifamily housing and now moving into additional verticals such as transportation, logistics, and construction. The core promise is deterrence: video feeds are routed through Cloudastructure’s proprietary cloud video recorder and analyzed by trained AI models built on real-world scenarios. When the system flags suspicious activity—like car-door checking in a garage or potential break-ins—alerts escalate to a human-in-the-loop remote guarding team that can intervene immediately through on-site speakers. McCormack claims this approach stops incidents before they escalate, while also replacing many traditional guard functions and improving property economics by reducing crime-driven turnover and reputational damage.
Beyond the product, McCormack reflects on earlier experiences at General Magic, describing the exhilaration and frustration of building cutting-edge technology before the market was ready, and the lasting lesson to confirm demand before perfecting solutions. He also recounts leading operations on a massive modern airship project connected to Sergey Brin’s family office, underscoring the complexity of ambitious hardware at scale. The discussion closes with a candid look at public-company pressures, contrasting traditional IPO roadshows with Cloudastructure’s direct listing process, and offering two hard-earned leadership principles: relentless cash management and resisting the temptation to build an organization too far ahead of revenue traction.
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