Siri Co-Founder: Adam Cheyer on Innovation, Persistence, and Timing Big Wins

Feeling creatively stifled in his stable but unfulfilling job, Adam Cheyer pursued entrepreneurship, even with his limited business knowledge. He co-founded Siri to realize his dream of a voice-activated assistant and the project was so promising that Steve Jobs called out of the blue. Despite initially turning down his offer, Jobs persisted. Today, Siri is integrated into billions of Apple devices. In this episode, Adam shares the key moments and mindset shifts that turned his vision into reality.

Adam Cheyer is an inventor, entrepreneur, and VP of AI Experience at Airbnb. He has founded multiple successful startups, including Siri and Change.org.

In this episode, Ilana and Adam will discuss:

- The emotional drive behind leaving a stable job

- Challenges of starting a business in his forties

- The exciting story behind creating Siri

- The unexpected call from Steve Jobs

- Adam’s process for timing new innovations

- How visualizing success boosts motivation

- The power of being first in new markets

- Maintaining perseverance as an entrepreneur

- The evolution of AI

- And other topics…

Adam Cheyer is an inventor, entrepreneur, and engineering executive, recognized for his pioneering work in AI and human-computer interfaces. Throughout his career, Adam has co-founded or been a founding member of multiple successful startups, including Siri, Change.org, GamePlanner.AI, Sentient, and Viv Labs. Currently, he serves as the VP of AI Experience at Airbnb, leveraging generative AI to transform the platform into an intuitive travel concierge. In addition to his technology work, he is also an award-winning magician and a member of the prestigious Magic Castle in Los Angeles.

Connect with Adam:

Adam’s Website: http://adam.cheyer.com/site/home

Adam’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamcheyer/

Resources Mentioned:

Change.org: https://www.change.org/