Ep 28 - Mark Swaine - Founder & Fractional CPO

In this episode of the Founders & Funding Podcast, Philip Smith speaks with Mark Swaine, who spent 3 years as product lead at Elkstone VC and now founder of Swaine Partners. Mark shares his perspective from both sides of the table, having spent three years on the investor firm side and now working with regulated financial institutions on AI-native implementation.

He talks about the harsh realities facing AI startups today, why so many wrapper products lack defensibility, and what founders get wrong when they assume AI will solve every step of a customer workflow. They also discuss the importance of deep customer validation before raising, what red flags investors are watching for in the current AI cycle, and why PLG expertise is one of the most underrated and underserved skills in the Irish startup ecosystem.