E68: Jeff Grimes of Perplexity on the New AI-Native Analyst

Sasha Orloff and Jeff Grimes, Perplexity’s Product Lead for Finance, explore the evolution of search from a simple "answer engine" to a high-stakes "action engine." They discuss the disruption of legacy platforms like the Bloomberg Terminal and how Perplexity is building an AI-native operating system designed specifically for the rigors of financial analysis. The conversation tackles the industry's skepticism toward AI accuracy, detailing the "auditability-first" approach that allows finance teams to verify every data point back to its original SEC filing, effectively turning complex technical workflows into plain-English commands. -- SPONSORS: Notion Boost your startup with Notion—the ultimate connected workspace trusted by thousands worldwide! From engineering specs to onboarding and fundraising, Notion keeps your team organized and efficient. For a limited time, get 6 months of Notion AI FREE to supercharge your workflow. Claim your offer now at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://notion.com/startups/puzzle⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Puzzle 📈  No more waiting for month's end. No more manual reconciliations, just financials that keep up with you. Puzzle is leading a new movement with an AI first ledger, built for speed, automation, and real time decision making. Join today at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://puzzle.io/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ -- RECOMMENDED IN THIS EPISODE: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffgrimes9/ https://www.perplexity.ai/finance -- X/SOCIAL: @jeffgrimes9 (Jeff) @sashaorloff (Sasha) -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Preview (00:50) Intro (02:28) Why it went viral (06:50) Comet and agentic browsing (08:57) WSJ controversy breakdown (10:40) What versus How (12:52) Google innovators dilemma (14:33) Sponsors: Notion | Puzzle (16:13) Perplexity finance users (18:24) Off the shelf data deals (22:37) Future of finance workflows (26:19) Workflows and automation (27:05) Proactive assistants (28:28) Trust in finance (31:31) Audit trails by design (34:20) Getting started with computer (36:16) Multi model orchestration (37:47) Wild user stories (39:48) Domain specific finance (41:40) Where to learn more (42:28) Wrap