In the startup world, where innovation and timing often dictate success, some companies stand out not just because of what they build, but how they do it. Read AI , co-founded by David Shim and Robert Williams, is one of those companies. It’s a startup that’s taking on a problem every business faces—how to understand and optimize meetings—and it’s doing so with the kind of depth that only seasoned entrepreneurs can achieve.

David Shim, a former founder of Placed (later acquired by Snap Inc.), and Robert Williams, a data-driven engineering leader, have worked side by side at companies like Placed, Snapchat, and Foursquare. In fact, more than 60% of the team at Read has worked together across these three companies. The kind of trust and experience this builds is rare, and it’s this tight-knit culture that makes Read AI feel more like a well-rehearsed band than a startup scrambling to get in tune.

It’s a far cry from the typical startup chaos. David and Robert knew from the beginning that they were solving a problem with an impact that could scale across industries. They saw that meetings—the very backbone of most businesses—were often inefficient, subjective, and difficult to analyze. So, they built Read AI, a platform that uses AI to measure and analyze engagement during virtual meetings. Think of it like your personal data analyst, quietly working in the background, telling you who’s tuned in, who’s tuned out, and what parts of the conversation mattered most.

For founders or team leaders, Read AI’s insights are invaluable. Imagine being able to understand, in real-time, whether your team is engaged or zoning out. It’s like having a dashboard for human interaction. And it’s not just about productivity; Read AI offers a mirror into your team’s mood, letting leaders course-correct before minor issues become full-blown fires. At Mimrr, we’ve integrated Read AI into our own development team’s workflow. The result? We’re not only getting more done but also finding ways to make our meetings more meaningful. We’ve learned to identify when a team member’s engagement dips, and it’s helped us refine how we collaborate, ultimately making us more efficient.

But the brilliance of Read AI goes beyond engagement scores. It’s the founders’ approach that makes it truly unique. David and Robert didn’t just slap AI onto meetings for the sake of adding a buzzword; they carefully built a system that listens and learns. It’s the product of founders who know that, at the heart of every business, it’s not just about technology—it’s about people. And with Read AI, you can understand your team better, ensuring that the pulse of your company stays strong.

For a company like Mimrr, Read AI has become indispensable. As we push out new features and work to deliver solutions faster, we rely on Read to keep our meetings focused and productive. It’s like having an invisible assistant who highlights what we often miss—whether that’s a team member who’s disengaged or a conversation that didn’t land as intended.

In the broader sea of startups, Read AI is carving out a space that feels essential for the remote-working, hyper-connected world we’re all navigating. It’s not just about tracking who’s talking or who’s silent—it’s about understanding the emotional and intellectual undercurrents in a meeting room, virtual or otherwise. And that’s where David and Robert have struck gold.

The Read AI team, with its rich history of working together, isn’t just building a product; they’re redefining how businesses operate. They’re offering a lens into one of the most overlooked aspects of work: human engagement. And, by doing so, they’re not just improving productivity; they’re helping teams like ours at Mimrr work smarter, communicate better, and ultimately thrive in a world where remote interactions can either make or break a company.

So why should startups embrace Read AI? Because it's more than just an AI tool—it's a new way of seeing your business, your team, and your future.