From UCLA dorm mates to Y Combinator founders solving a problem that didn't exist six months ago, Sid and Janak's journey into GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) started with a furniture store losing Google traffic to ChatGPT.

We discuss:

How Janak's dad's furniture store inspired the Bear idea

Building a search engine for GitHub, then pivoting to AI agent marketing

Getting rejected from YC summer batch, then emailing a partner 20 times Getting an interview invite on the last day of fall results

Sell before you build: landing a Series A edtech startup as their first customer

GEO vs SEO: why your brand needs to be on authoritative sources, not just your own content

How different AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity) cite different sources

Living in customer Slack channels and fixing bugs in real time

Why being likable matters more than your deck, content, or outbound strategy

Customer love as the only metric that matters (measured by vibes)

Why Sid takes one full day off per week to stay productive

If you're a startup founder navigating B2B sales, curious about AI search and GEO, or just want to hear honest stories about persistence and customer obsession, this episode is for you.

About Bear: Bear helps companies market to AI agents like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude Code, and Cursor. They enable businesses to show up in AI search results through strategic placement on authoritative sources.

About ImagineAI: We build your B2B content pipeline so prospects find you, trust you, and book meetings before your competitors even get a reply. https://www.imagineai.me/

Learn more about Sid: https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddhantpaliwal/

Learn more about Janak: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janaksunil/

Learn more about Neo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neo-lky/

Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube. Subscribe to Signal Line for more conversations with the builders shaping the future.

Timestamps

0:00 – Cold Open: What People Don't Understand About GEO

0:47 – Welcome to Signal Line

0:54 – What is Bear?

1:08 – Who Are Sid and Janak?

1:36 – How Two UCLA Dorm Mates Started Building Together

2:15 – Janak's Dad: Bear's First Inspiration (Not First Customer)

3:08 – How to Sell Before You Build

3:53 – Getting Rejected, Then Emailing 20 Times

5:02 – YC's Biggest Lesson: Customer Love

5:29 – The Secret Recipe: Live in Slack, Fix Bugs Instantly

6:03 – What People Get Wrong About GEO

7:24 – How Different AI Models Prefer Different Sources

8:13 – Keeping Up With Rapid AI Model Changes

8:58 – The Only Metric Before Demo Day: Customer Love

9:43 – Lessons We Wish We Knew Before YC

10:22 – Enterprise Sales: Being Likable Matters More Than Your Pitch

10:27 – How to Stay Sane During YC

11:05 – Life Philosophy: "Just Be Good"

11:22 – Advice for Early Stage Founders: Get a Paying Customer First