Hi, I'm Kalyani Khona

I work in LLM Behaviour Research & AI Strategy

summary

Entrepreneur turned AI researcher specializing in Large Language Model behavior patterns and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO).Investing in early-stage generative AI ventures by understanding how AI discovers, interprets, and recommends content in the age of ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity. Explore my LLM research on GitHubPreviously (2014-2024)• Founder of Inclov, the world's first matchmaking platform for people with disabilities.
• Founding Member & Product Strategy Lead, Jupiter Money
• Product Strategy Consultant, The Yoga Institute, Nispand Wellness App

entrepreneurship (2014-2023)

  • Co-founded Inclov, the world's first matchmaking app for people with disabilities

  • Served 100,000+ users across India

  • Won UN Top 50 Global Innovative Practices, featured in Forbes, BBC, The Guardian

  • I was also a founding member of Jupiter , the neo-banking startup and led the product strategy and growth for the company in its early days.

Due to my work at Inclov, I received a special invitation to meet with Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and his cabinet including the late Shri. Arun Jaitely and late Shri. Sushma Swaraj. This was an important moment because I was able to provide value to the society in deeply profound ways which has been rare and unusual for me.

research and investments (2025)

  • Studying how Large Language Models discover and prioritize content

  • Developing non-technical frameworks for understanding AI behavior

  • Pioneer in Generative Engine: Optimization (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)

  • Publishing research on GitHub and The Third Frontier newsletter

investments

  • Accacia: decarbonising real estate with climate-grade products and carbon intelligence. read B capital note on the investment

  • Exponent Energy: 15-minute rapid charge for EVs (funded by Hero Group post my investment)

  • Metastable Materials: lithium-ion battery recycling (entered sequoia surge program, at 8x multiple)

  • Biddano: healthcare supply chain platform that provides a simplified order management technology for chemists and hospitals.

  • Llama: exited in 2025

  • Styleuai: image gen-ai to create model-ready product visuals, boost SEO and launch new inventory faster. my research notes

  • Stealth: generative engine optimisation (GEO/AEO) for brand discovery in ChatGPT and other popular LLMs. my research notes

areas of investment/interest

  • Generative AI Applications: Image, text, and video generation tools

  • AI Infrastructure: Tools for AI visibility, monitoring, and optimization

  • Model Behavior Solutions: Platforms addressing the interpretability gap

  • AI-Native Interfaces: New ways humans interact with AI systems

  • Investment Range: $5,000 - $10,000 per venture

what I bring to the table

  • Deep understanding of LLM behavior patterns

  • Practical insights from weekly model behavior experimentation and AI research

  • Product strategy, UI/UX expertise (+ extended team, hiring support if needed)

writing @ The Third Frontier (AI's impact on human experience)

Through my writing on Substack, I examine AI companions and human loneliness, search algorithms and collective memory, interface design and behaviour change. Everything is always from a place of genuine curiosity about what's actually happening to us. Nothing performative, nobody worth impressing.

my favourite AI writers on the internet

LLM model behavior research

Research Overview:I study how Large Language Models behave, interact, and discover information from a non-technical perspective, bridging the gap between AI capabilities and practical business applications.Key Research Areas:1. The Interpretability Gap• Documenting the unpredictability of LLM responses
• Mapping behavioral patterns across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini
• Understanding why the same query yields different results2. Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)• How LLMs process and rank content differently than traditional search
• Citation patterns and source preferences by model
• Content structure optimization for AI comprehension3. Model-Specific Behavior Patterns• ChatGPT: Preference for structured lists and actionable content
• Claude: Emphasis on reasoning, evidence, and academic sources
• Perplexity: Real-time web synthesis and source diversity
• Gemini: Authority signals and factual accuracy focus

Current Experiments:• Daily testing of brand visibility across LLMs
• Citation landscape mapping
• Content density impact on AI responses
• Multi-modal content optimization (text, image, voice)Research Resources:• GitHub Research Repository
• The Third Frontier Newsletter
• Experiment Logbook

books and podcasts

  • The Invisible Majority: India’s Able Disabled by C.K. Meena, V.R. Ferose • Read

  • You Can: From Smarter to Wiser By Meera Shenoy, Prasad Kaipa • Read

  • Inclov Case Study with Kalyani Khona • Spotify

tv and keynotes

fellowships

personal life

  • As an introvert with limited social life, I spend disproportionate time of my day exploring one of the many rabbit roles, meditating or reading books.

  • I love sushi and good coffee

  • Due to my 900+ hours yoga-meditation training from The Yoga Institute and 1000 hours of yoga therapy practice from Kaivalyadham Yoga Institute, I also teach yoga to a few selected students on the weekends

  • I write meditations; a personal newsletter that serves as a web-based diary exploring the depths of shared human experience.

  • Living between Bombay and Bangalore, India

"It has been decided that all books are the work of a single author who is timeless and anonymous."
- Tlön, Uqbar, Orbis Tertius, Jorge Luis Borges