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This Week in Startups · June 8, 2026 · 01:00:19

The AI Tutor That Makes Kids Actually Think | E2298

John Doerr, Sue Khim
Spotify

Sue Khim, founder of Brilliant, discusses Koji, an AI tutor that uses the Socratic Method to help students solve complex problems independently rather than memorizing formulas or relying on AI shortcuts. Khim addresses the core tension in AI adoption: people aren't anti-AI, they're anti-replacement and anti-slop. Jason Calacanis also reflects on VC dysfunction and shares an anecdote about investor John Doerr's tenacity.

This summary was generated from show notes and public descriptions, not from a full transcript review. Details may contain inaccuracies.

Novel

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The Socratic Method in AI Tutoring
Koji uses the Socratic Method—asking guiding questions rather than providing answers—to force students to develop reasoning skills instead of passive memorization or AI-generated shortcuts.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini

Highlights

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Active Learning Scales Better Than Passive Content
Brilliant's success with millions of users comes from designing for active problem-solving rather than passive content consumption, which AI now replicates at lower cost.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini
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Schools Teach Memorization, Not Understanding
Traditional schools prioritize formula memorization over conceptual understanding, which leaves students unprepared for real problem-solving.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini

Editorial

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People Resist Replacement and Slop, Not AI Itself
Khim argues that resistance to AI isn't ideological—it's practical. People embrace AI tools that help them think better, but reject AI that replaces them or produces low-quality output.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini
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VC Dysfunction and Founder Tenacity as Competitive Advantage
Calacanis reflects on VC horror stories circulating on social media and contrasts them with the exceptional tenacity and long-term commitment of investors like John Doerr.
ClaudeChatGPTGemini

Misc

✧Khim's framing of AI resistance: 'People aren't anti-AI. They're anti-being replaced and anti-slop.'
✧Koji explicitly avoids giving answers—it guides students to think through problems themselves
✧Brilliant has scaled to millions of users by focusing on active problem-solving, not passive content consumption
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