In a competitive landscape dominated by artificial intelligence giants like OpenAI, Google DeepMind, and Anthropic, one startup is making surprising waves: Perplexity AI. Recently valued at $9 billion, Perplexity has positioned itself as a next-generation AI-powered search engine and conversational assistant. But behind its meteoric rise lies a guiding principle, one inspired by none other than Elon Musk.
At the center of it all is Aravind Srinivas, co-founder and CEO of Perplexity, whose strategic vision and unwavering belief in a Musk-inspired mantra helped drive the company’s explosive growth.
The Elon Musk Mantra: “Go Build the Thing”
According to Srinivas, the key philosophy that propelled Perplexity forward was a simple but powerful Musk-inspired mindset: “Go build the thing.”
This belief—deeply rooted in action, experimentation, and engineering over perfection—encourages teams to stop overanalyzing and start executing. Srinivas embraced this when founding Perplexity, favoring real-world iterations over theoretical debate.
“Too many people wait for the perfect moment or the perfect design,” Srinivas said in a recent interview. “But if you want to build something revolutionary, you have to ship fast and learn faster.”
What Is Perplexity AI? The Google & ChatGPT Challenger
Launched in 2022, Perplexity AI combines the power of AI-generated answers with source-cited web search, creating a new hybrid between Google Search and ChatGPT. Unlike traditional AI models, which hallucinate facts or lack context, Perplexity focuses on transparency, accuracy, and user control.
The platform provides:
- Real-time web results
- Verified sources
- Concise, conversational answers
- Follow-up question capability
It’s already being used by millions of researchers, students, professionals, and AI enthusiasts globally, often as a replacement for both Google and ChatGPT in everyday use.
The $9 Billion Journey: From Startup to Disruptor
In just a few years, Perplexity has grown from a stealth-mode startup to a Silicon Valley juggernaut, recently securing Series B funding at a $9 billion valuation. The company’s backers include prominent names like:
- Jeff Bezos (via Bezos Expeditions)
- NVIDIA
- NEA
- Elad Gil
- And early engineers from OpenAI and Meta
The explosive growth was fueled not just by AI hype, but by Perplexity’s user-centric design, its ability to deliver real-time search results, and its strategic focus on transparency over opacity in AI answers.
Lessons From Elon Musk: Speed, Focus, and Engineering First
Srinivas, who has publicly praised Elon Musk’s approach to execution and innovation, borrowed several philosophies from Musk’s playbook:
1. Move Fast Without Fear
Rather than waiting for perfection, Perplexity rapidly iterated and deployed versions of its AI engine, allowing real-time feedback to shape development.
2. Engineer Your Way to Clarity
Srinivas, like Musk, believes deeply in first-principles thinking—solving problems from the ground up instead of relying on assumptions.
3. Avoid Bureaucracy and Over-Planning
Perplexity operates with a lean, engineering-focused culture, stripping away the red tape that slows down larger firms.
4. Obsess Over the Product
Much like Tesla or SpaceX, Perplexity’s success is product-led. Srinivas spends most of his time working with engineers and reviewing user experience, keeping the company focused on delivering value over marketing.
A Real Threat to Google?
With search behavior shifting and AI-generated answers becoming the norm, Google’s traditional search model is under pressure. Perplexity, with its AI-native architecture and citation-first approach, offers a compelling alternative.
In fact, many users now turn to Perplexity when they want:
- Factual answers without SEO clutter
- Faster response times than ChatGPT
- Transparent references for academic or business use
And with Google recently under fire for AI hallucinations in its Search Generative Experience (SGE), Perplexity’s trust-first model is gaining credibility.
What’s Next for Perplexity AI?
As the AI search wars intensify, Perplexity plans to scale even further. Its roadmap includes:
- Enterprise integrations
- API-based developer tools
- Multimodal capabilities (text + image search)
- Real-time news and event coverage
- Personalized AI agents for specific industries
The company is also investing in AI alignment and privacy protections, aiming to be a trustworthy AI assistant in a space riddled with ethical concerns.
Final Thoughts: Building Boldly in the Age of AI
Perplexity’s rise is a testament to what’s possible when bold vision meets execution. With a mantra echoing Elon Musk’s relentless pursuit of building—and learning in the real world—Srinivas and his team have taken an underdog startup and turned it into a legitimate contender in the AI arms race.
The future of search may no longer belong to the incumbents. It may just belong to those brave enough to “go build the thing.”
