Jocko Podcast

531: Technology is Advancing and You Can't Stop It. Blackbox A.I. Robert and Richard Rizk.

87 snips
Mar 11, 2026
Richard Rizk, co-founder of Blackbox AI who leads technical development. Robert Rizk, co-founder who built the company and shaped product strategy. They discuss unifying AI agents into one platform. They recount growing up amid conflict and how it forged their drive. They demo voice-to-code, argue companies must adopt agentic AI now, and cover security, medical apps, and geopolitics.
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ANECDOTE

In-Gym Demo Triggered Jocko's Investment

  • After the gym meeting Jocko immediately followed Robert and Richard to the studio and they demoed the early Blackbox version.
  • That live demo was the inflection point where Jocko realized the product's transformative potential.
INSIGHT

Engineer-First Growth Scales Faster Than Heavy GTM

  • Blackbox scaled to tens of millions of users with bottoms-up, engineering-led growth and minimal go-to-market overhead.
  • The founders purposely kept the team lean early to preserve culture and ship product-driven adoption.
ADVICE

Train Your Team To Use AI Immediately

  • Train teams to use AI now because hiring someone who knows AI will outperform those who don't.
  • Prioritize upskilling mid- and late-career staff to augment productivity rather than fear displacement.
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