{"type":"rich","version":"1.0","provider_name":"Transistor","provider_url":"https://transistor.fm","author_name":"CEO Podcast | The leaders shaping our world","title":"Merge Co-Founder & CEO Shensi Ding-Lopez - Why AI Agents Need Secure Integrations","html":"<iframe width=\"100%\" height=\"180\" frameborder=\"no\" scrolling=\"no\" seamless src=\"https://share.transistor.fm/e/09c5b81e\"></iframe>","width":"100%","height":180,"duration":919,"description":"Shensi Ding-Lopez, Co-Founder & CEO of Merge, joins Clint Betts for a conversation on AI agents, integrations, startup culture, and the future of enterprise software infrastructure.\nMerge helps B2B software companies securely integrate with third-party systems across HR, accounting, ATS, ticketing, file storage, and more through a unified API platform. In this episode, Shensi explains why integrations are becoming one of the biggest bottlenecks in AI adoption — and why secure infrastructure for AI agents may become one of the most important categories in enterprise software.\nThe conversation also explores startup fundraising, product-market fit, technical leadership, company culture, and what it takes to build deeply technical products at scale.\n00:00:00 - Introduction and Background\n00:00:22 - Founding Merge\n00:00:54 - Launching the Second Product\n00:02:05 - AI Agents and Security\n00:03:36 - Fundraising Journey\n00:04:36 - Early Customer Validation\n00:05:10 - Co-Founder's Background\n00:06:00 - A Day in the Life of a CEO\n00:07:16 - Technical Contributions\n00:08:22 - Future of AI\n00:09:01 - Economic Environment and Optimism\n00:10:01 - Company Culture and Hiring\n00:11:56 - Reading Habits and Recommendations\n00:13:32 - The Importance of Giving Chances\n00:14:51 - Closing Remarks\nIf you’re interested in AI, APIs, enterprise software, cybersecurity, startups, or the future of agentic workflows, this conversation is packed with insights for founders, operators, and technical leaders alike.\nSubscribe for more conversations with founders, CEOs, and leaders shaping the future of business and technology.","thumbnail_url":"https://img.transistorcdn.com/1dy8XILYZ5TplRivmnv0DoX_g7XXqFV5bS1REcb0pIM/rs:fill:0:0:1/w:400/h:400/q:60/mb:500000/aHR0cHM6Ly9pbWct/dXBsb2FkLXByb2R1/Y3Rpb24udHJhbnNp/c3Rvci5mbS8xZDc3/ODAyODNkMmRmMDc5/MDQ3NWI5ZWEzZWFk/NTJhMS5wbmc.webp","thumbnail_width":300,"thumbnail_height":300}