Perplexity CEO Warns: Big Tech Will Copy You | BizGossips

"Big Tech Will Copy You": Perplexity CEO’s Bold Advice

By BizGossips | Startup Stories | July 18, 2025

If you’re building something valuable, be ready for giants to copy it. That’s the tough-love advice from Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity AI, who recently spoke at Y Combinator’s AI Startup School.

“Sleep with fear that billion-dollar companies will copy you.”

Srinivas, a former OpenAI researcher and rising star in the AI world, warned entrepreneurs not to get too comfortable. If your product has the potential to make hundreds of millions, tech giants will try to replicate it—and fast.

⚡ From Underdog to Industry Disruptor

In December 2022, Perplexity launched its real-time AI answer engine, which could crawl the web live to provide fresh, accurate results. It quickly gained traction—and soon after, giants like Google (Gemini), ChatGPT, and Claude rolled out similar features.

Instead of backing down, Perplexity kept building—faster, leaner, and with laser focus on user experience. Today, it’s one of the fastest-growing startups in the AI space.

💬 What Founders Should Learn

Here’s what Aravind Srinivas wants every founder to understand:

• Don’t expect to be safe. If you succeed, you’ll attract copycats—especially from big tech.

• Don’t panic. Use that pressure as fuel to build better and faster.

• Execution matters more than invention. Big companies can copy features, but they can’t always copy culture, community, or speed.

• Always be improving. Your first big idea won’t protect you forever—keep innovating.

🧠 Why This Advice Is Spot-On

We’ve seen it before:

• Snapchat → Instagram Stories

• Clubhouse → Twitter Spaces

• BeReal → TikTok Now

• Perplexity → Everyone else

In this era, success isn’t just about who launches first—it’s about who adapts, scales, and delivers consistently.

🗣️ BizGossips’ Final Take

At BizGossips, we think Srinivas said what most won’t:

“You’re not paranoid if they’re really coming for you.”

So if you're a startup founder:

✅ Expect to be copied
✅ Stay ahead through action
✅ Let fear sharpen your edge—not slow you down

This mindset could be the difference between getting crushed—or leading the wave.

✨ Stay tuned with BizGossips for more startup truths, founder insights, and business buzz.