In this episode, Mehmet Gonullu sits down with Will Spengler, Founder and Principal of Frederick Fox, to explore how hiring, entrepreneurship, and scaling professional services businesses are evolving in the age of AI.

Will shares his journey from working in staffing firms to building a 70-person company organically, without venture capital. The conversation dives deep into the realities of scaling a services business, the importance of relationships as a competitive moat, and why AI, despite its capabilities, still cannot replace the human element in hiring.

They also discuss how founders should think about hiring finance talent, common mistakes in early-stage hiring, and the leadership lessons learned from building a business from the ground up.

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👤 About the Guest

Will Spengler is the Founder and Principal of Frederick Fox, a staffing and recruiting firm specializing in accounting, finance, technology, and sales roles. Since launching in 2019, Will has grown the company to nearly 70 employees, scaling organically without venture capital or private equity funding.

Frederick Fox focuses on building long-term partnerships with both clients and candidates, with a strong emphasis on human relationships and performance-driven culture.

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🚀 Key Takeaways

• AI is transforming sourcing and data analysis, but human relationships remain critical in hiring

• Bootstrapping a business forces discipline, clarity, and strong execution

• The real moat in professional services is trust and long-term relationships

• Hiring finance talent requires matching both industry and company stage

• Over-hiring or hiring from large companies can hurt early-stage startups

• Scaling requires a clear vision, strong leadership, and people management skills

• Entrepreneurship comes with significant personal and family trade-offs

• Learning in business comes primarily from failure and iteration, not theory

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🎯 What You’ll Learn

• Why AI cannot fully replace recruiters or human interaction in hiring

• How to scale a professional services business without external funding

• The right way to hire your first accountant, controller, or CFO

• Common hiring mistakes founders make in early-stage companies

• How to build a culture of ownership and performance

• Why relationships are becoming more important in an AI-driven world

• What it really takes to build and lead a growing company

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⏱️ Episode Chapters

00:00 Introduction and guest background

01:00 Building Frederick Fox and early journey

03:00 Identifying the opportunity in staffing

05:00 Scaling a business without venture capital

07:00 The importance of vision and planning

09:00 Hiring finance talent in startups

13:00 Where to find top accounting and finance talent

15:00 AI’s impact on recruiting and hiring

19:00 Human relationships as a competitive advantage

22:00 Building internal tools and automation

25:00 Creating ownership through equity

28:00 Leadership lessons and personal growth

32:00 Learning through failure in business

35:00 The reality of entrepreneurship

39:00 Closing thoughts and where to connect

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🔗 Resources Mentioned

• Frederick Fox: https://www.frederickfox.com

• Will Spengler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wspengler/

In this conversation, Mehmet sits down with Amos Bar-Joseph, Founder and CEO of Swan AI, to unpack what it really means to build an autonomous company.

Amos shares how he moved away from the traditional “growth at all costs” startup model toward a lean, intelligence-driven approach powered by human-AI collaboration.

Together, they discuss:

• Why headcount is no longer the main growth lever

• How founders can become “100x operators” with AI

• The future of GTM in an agentic world

• Why autonomy beats bureaucracy

• How to scale without losing culture

This is a deep dive into the next-generation startup playbook.

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👤 About the Guest

Amos Bar-Joseph is the Founder and CEO of Swan AI.

A serial entrepreneur with two prior exits, Amos is building one of the first truly autonomous businesses. His work focuses on human-AI collaboration, agentic workflows, and redefining how modern companies scale.

He is also the author of The Big Shift newsletter and a leading voice on AI-native organizations.

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🎯 Key Takeaways

• Startups can scale with intelligence, not headcount

• AI should amplify human “zones of genius,” not replace them

• GTM success depends on how buyers want to buy, not how founders want to sell

• Context engineering is becoming a core GTM skill

• Flat, autonomous teams require stronger leadership, not less

• Decision velocity is the biggest startup advantage

• Capital matters, but leverage matters more

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📚 What You’ll Learn

By listening to this episode, you’ll learn:

✅ How to design an autonomous business model

✅ Where humans should stay in the loop with AI

✅ How to use agents to accelerate product-market fit

✅ Why relevance beats personalization in outreach

✅ How to build scalable GTM systems

✅ How leadership changes in flat organizations

✅ How to preserve culture while scaling

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⏱️ Episode Highlights & Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction & Amos’ background

02:00 – Why the traditional startup model is broken

04:30 – Building with three people and AI

07:00 – Zone of Genius + AI amplification

09:30 – Human-in-the-loop GTM strategy

12:00 – Choosing the right growth model

15:00 – Selling with empathy

18:00 – Personalization vs relevance

21:00 – Context engineering in GTM

24:00 – AI and product-market fit

27:00 – Decision velocity as a startup advantage

31:00 – Autonomous leadership challenges

35:00 – Culture without hierarchy

38:00 – Fundraising in an AI-native world

41:00 – The “Swan” philosophy vs unicorns

44:00 – Future vision for Swan AI

46:00 – Where to follow Amos

47:00 – Closing remarks

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🔗 Resources Mentioned

• Swan AI Platform: https://getswan.com/

• Amos Bar-Joseph on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amos-bar-joseph/

• Autonomous GPT (ChatGPT Store): https://chatgpt.com/g/g-6800e20892b8819181df24a31ccdbf96-autonamos

In this deep and thought-provoking episode, Mehmet sits down with Alessandro Grampa, Founder of Whole Grain Wisdom, to explore what it truly means to be a “Quantum Founder” in the age of AI, hyper-growth, and burnout.

From panic attacks and founder stress to meditation, neuroscience, ancient wisdom, and artificial intelligence, Alessandro shares his personal transformation and the framework he now uses to help high performers reconnect with purpose, resilience, and inner coherence.

This is not a typical startup conversation. It is a masterclass on conscious leadership, mental resilience, and building meaningful companies without losing yourself in the process.

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👤 About the Guest: Alessandro Grampa

Alessandro Grampa is the Founder of Whole Grain Wisdom, a platform that bridges modern science with ancient wisdom to help entrepreneurs and high performers unlock their highest potential.

With over 13 years of entrepreneurial experience, Alessandro transitioned from hustle-driven burnout to becoming a guide for founders seeking balance, clarity, and purpose. His work integrates neuroscience, meditation, biohacking, quantum physics, and spiritual practices.

Today, he works with select founders through deep transformation programs focused on mind, body, and consciousness alignment.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alessandro-grampa/

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🎯 Key Takeaways

• Why 3 out of 4 founders struggle with mental and emotional health

• How external validation drives burnout in entrepreneurship

• What “Quantum Founder” really means

• The hidden role of meditation and retreats among elite founders

• Why consistency alone is not enough for real growth

• How AI can amplify self-awareness and consciousness

• The link between neuroscience, ancient wisdom, and leadership

• How founders can rewire their mindset for long-term success

• Why purpose matters more than ever in the AI era

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📚 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

By listening to this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to manage founder stress and prevent burnout

• Why many successful entrepreneurs still feel “empty”

• How to develop inner clarity in high-pressure environments

• The difference between hustle culture and conscious growth

• How top founders use meditation, retreats, and reflection

• How to use AI as a tool for self-development

• Why consciousness is becoming a leadership advantage

• How to reconnect with your original purpose as a founder

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⏱️ Episode Highlights & Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction and Alessandro’s journey

02:10 – From panic attacks to meditation

05:30 – Discovering Eastern philosophy and biohacking

08:40 – Why most founders hide mental struggles

11:50 – External validation vs inner coherence

15:20 – What is a “Quantum Founder”?

18:30 – How elite founders use meditation retreats

22:10 – Recognition vs repetition in personal growth

26:40 – Science meets ancient wisdom

30:50 – Consciousness and reality perception

35:10 – AI as a tool for self-awareness

38:45 – The future of leadership in the AI era

42:30 – When is the right time to start inner work?

45:10 – How to work with Alessandro

47:00 – Final reflections and closing

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🔗 Resources Mentioned

• Whole Grain Wisdom: https://wholegrainwisdom.com

In this episode, Mehmet sits down with Tamara Laine, Founder and CEO of MPWR, to explore how AI and agentic systems are reshaping the future of lending.

They discuss why traditional credit scores fail gig workers and modern professionals, how alternative data can unlock financial inclusion, and what it really means to build human-centered fintech in an AI-first world.

From explainable AI to ethical lending and the future of work, this conversation goes deep into how finance must evolve to serve the new economy.

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👤 About the Guest: Tamara Laine

Tamara Laine is the Founder and CEO of MPWR, an AI-native fintech company building agentic ecosystems for inclusive lending.

With a background in journalism and startups, Tamara focuses on system-level change in finance, helping underserved and “thin-file” borrowers access fair credit through behavioral and alternative data.

She is a strong advocate for ethical AI, transparency, and human-centered technology design.

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🔑 Key Takeaways

• Why traditional credit scores exclude more than 50% of potential borrowers

• How AI enables more accurate and fair lending decisions

• The role of behavioral and alternative data in modern credit models

• Why explainability is critical in financial AI systems

• How regulation can enable or block innovation

• The future of work and its impact on financial systems

• Why purpose still matters in an AI-driven economy

• How founders can build startups through complementary partnerships

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🎯 What You’ll Learn

By listening to this episode, you’ll learn:

• How agentic AI is changing lending infrastructure

• Why gig workers and freelancers are underserved by banks

• How financial identity may become portable in the future

• What “human-in-the-loop” means in fintech

• How to design ethical, transparent AI systems

• Why unintended consequences matter in technology

• How entrepreneurship is evolving in the AI era

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⭐ Episode Highlights

• The limitations of legacy credit scoring systems

• AI-powered cashflow and behavior analysis

• Explainable lending decisions in real time

• Financial inclusion for nomadic workers

• Surveillance vs. personalization in finance

• Universal Basic Income and purpose

• The rise of one-person, AI-powered companies

• Founder dynamics and team building

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⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction & Guest Background

02:00 – Why Credit Systems Are Broken

04:00 – Gig Economy and Underserved Borrowers

06:00 – Alternative Data in Lending

08:30 – Portable Financial Identity

11:00 – Regulation and Global Credit

13:30 – Explainable AI in Finance

15:30 – Trust, Transparency, and Surveillance

18:00 – Ethical AI and Unintended Consequences

22:00 – Future of Work and Solopreneurs

25:30 – Universal Income and Purpose

29:00 – Building Startups Through Partnerships

32:00 – Final Thoughts & Where to Find Tamara

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🔗 Resources Mentioned

• MPWR Website: https://mpwrai.com/

• MPWR Money Platform: https://mpwr.money

• Connect with Tamara on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamaralaine/

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, Mehmet sits down with Ewelina Kurtys, Strategic Advisor at FinalSpark, to explore one of the most radical frontiers in technology: biological computing powered by living neurons.

FinalSpark is building next-generation processors using human neurons instead of silicon, aiming to solve AI’s biggest challenge: energy efficiency and scalability.

From AI infrastructure to neuroscience, ethics, and commercialization, this conversation dives deep into what it really takes to move computing beyond chips and into biology.

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About the Guest: Ewelina Kurtys

Ewelina Kurtys is a neuroscientist and Strategic Advisor at FinalSpark. With a background spanning academia, startups, and artificial intelligence, she now works at the intersection of AI, hardware, and biology.

At FinalSpark, she helps shape the strategy behind building the world’s first remote-access biocomputing platform using living neurons.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ewelinakurtys/

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🔍 Key Takeaways

• Why silicon is reaching its physical and economic limits

• How living neurons are up to 1 million times more energy efficient than traditional chips

• The hidden cost of AI and why current models are unsustainable

• How biological processors are programmed and trained

• Why biocomputing may reshape AI infrastructure

• The ethical and regulatory dimensions of using human cells

• Why centralized “bio-servers” may replace traditional data centers

• What it takes to commercialize deep science innovation

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🎯 What You’ll Learn

By listening to this episode, you will learn:

• How biological computing works in practice

• Why AI’s future depends on new hardware paradigms

• What makes neurons powerful information processors

• How startups can compete with Big Tech through radical innovation

• The investment and research timeline behind deep tech breakthroughs

• How biocomputing could reduce AI’s carbon footprint

• Where philosophy, ethics, and engineering intersect

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⏱️ Episode Highlights & Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction to biocomputing and FinalSpark

02:00 – Why living neurons beat silicon on efficiency

04:00 – From AI software to biological hardware

06:00 – The real cost of running large AI models

08:00 – How neurons are programmed and trained

10:00 – Using dopamine and chemical signals for learning

12:00 – Sourcing stem cells and neuron lifespan

14:00 – Commercial use cases for bio-computers

15:00 – Why portable bio-AI is unlikely (for now)

17:00 – Climate impact and energy efficiency

18:30 – Open innovation and university partnerships

20:30 – Ethics and public perception

22:00 – Responding to skeptics

23:00 – Is it still “artificial” intelligence?

24:30 – Brain-computer interfaces and future implications

26:00 – The 10-year roadmap and funding plans

27:30 – Advice for young scientists

28:30 – Where to learn more

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📚 Resources Mentioned

• FinalSpark Website: https://finalspark.com

• FinalSpark Research Paper (Frontiers): https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/artificial-intelligence/articles/10.3389/frai.2024.1376042/full

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, Mehmet sits down with Peadar Coyle, Co-Founder and CTO of AudioStack, to explore how AI is transforming audio production from a creative craft into scalable infrastructure.

Peadar shares how AudioStack built production-grade AI systems for media and brands worldwide, why audio is becoming a systems problem, and how founders and CTOs can balance speed, quality, and creativity in the age of generative AI.

From programmatic advertising in the UAE to shipping daily in fast-moving startups, this conversation dives deep into the technical, strategic, and cultural realities of building AI-powered platforms.

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👤 About the Guest: Peadar Coyle

Peadar Coyle is the Co-Founder and CTO of AudioStack, an AI-native audio production platform serving global media and entertainment companies.

With a background in data engineering, open-source development, and philosophy, Peadar brings a rare blend of technical depth and human-centered thinking to AI systems design. He is passionate about building reliable, ethical, and scalable infrastructure for creative industries.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/peadarcoyle/

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🔑 Key Takeaways

• Why audio production is shifting from “creative workflows” to “AI infrastructure”

• How AI accelerates creativity instead of replacing it

• The importance of shipping small, fast, and safely

• Why observability and human-in-the-loop systems still matter

• How to scale generative AI without losing trust

• What founders get wrong about “AI prototypes vs real products”

• How to build strong engineering culture in fast-changing environments

• Why the last 10% of AI products is still the hardest

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🎯 What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• How AudioStack automated large-scale localized audio campaigns

• How to balance customer demands with technical quality

• How CTOs should rethink productivity with AI agents

• What “production-ready AI” really means

• How AI is changing product, engineering, and leadership roles

• Why creativity remains a human advantage

• How to prepare teams for continuous technological change

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⏱️ Episode Highlights & Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction & Peadar’s background

02:00 – Why AudioStack was founded

03:30 – Audio as infrastructure vs creativity

05:00 – How AI accelerates creative iteration

07:00 – UAE use case: Programmatic localized ads

09:00 – Orchestration, latency, and reliability challenges

11:00 – Observability and human-in-the-loop AI

14:00 – Evaluating AI systems in production

16:00 – Ethics, copyright, and trust in generative audio

18:30 – Shipping fast: Engineering culture at AudioStack

20:30 – Balancing customer needs with technical debt

23:00 – Building culture in the AI era

26:00 – How CTO roles are changing

28:00 – Product + Engineering convergence

30:00 – What makes great audio in the future

32:00 – Advice for founders in creative AI

35:00 – Final thoughts and recommendations

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📚 Resources Mentioned

• AudioStack Platform: https://www.audiostack.ai

• Claude Code & AI Agents

• AI Evaluation & Observability Tools

• ISO/IEC 42001 (AI Management Systems)

• SOC 2 Compliance Standards

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, Mehmet sits down with David Soileau, Co-Founder and CRO of Gophr, to explore how modern software, AI, and disciplined leadership are transforming industrial logistics.

David shares his journey from the Marine Corps to building a nationwide on-demand delivery platform. He explains how Gophr pivoted during COVID and natural disasters, rebuilt its business model around accountability, and scaled with minimal overhead.

The conversation dives deep into operational excellence, trust in B2B platforms, AI-powered logistics, and what it really takes to survive in a low-margin, high-pressure industry.

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👤 About the Guest: David Soileau

David Soileau is the Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Gophr, an on-demand logistics platform serving industrial, pharmaceutical, and enterprise customers across the United States.

Before entrepreneurship, David spent 12 years in the U.S. Marine Corps and worked in industrial operations. His background in discipline, execution, and mission-driven leadership has shaped Gophr’s culture and growth strategy.

Today, he leads revenue, partnerships, and expansion efforts while helping enterprises modernize their delivery infrastructure.

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🎯 Key Takeaways

• Why accountability and visibility are the foundation of trust in logistics

• How Gophr successfully pivoted during COVID and hurricanes

• The role of AI in vehicle selection, documentation, and compliance

• How to scale a logistics company with only five full-time staff

• Why low-margin industries demand technology-first thinking

• Lessons from military leadership applied to startup execution

• How to balance automation with human oversight

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📚 What You’ll Learn

By listening to this episode, you’ll learn:

• How to design logistics platforms that enterprise buyers actually trust

• Why real-time tracking and digital documentation matter more than features

• How AI can reduce operational errors in physical infrastructure businesses

• How founders can grow under pressure without burning cash

• What operational excellence looks like in practice

• How to build resilience into your business model

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⏱️ Episode Highlights & Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction and David’s background

02:10 – From marketplace to industrial logistics platform

04:30 – The hidden costs of unreliable delivery

07:20 – Building accountability through tracking and visibility

10:15 – Operational metrics that matter in logistics

13:40 – Scaling discipline and execution

16:30 – AI-powered features at Gophr

18:50 – Human-in-the-loop vs full automation

22:00 – Risk management during crises

24:40 – Margins and running lean in logistics

27:10 – Military leadership in startups

30:45 – Goal-setting and execution frameworks

34:20 – Common founder mistakes in operations-heavy businesses

36:50 – Gophr’s growth vision

39:00 – Final advice for entrepreneurs

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🔗 Resources Mentioned

• Gophr Website: https://gophrapp.com/

• David Soileau on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidtheguy/

In this episode, Mehmet sits down with Andrew Ackerman, two-time founder, early-stage investor with 70+ investments, accelerator leader, entrepreneurship professor, and author of The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey.

Andrew shares hard-earned insights from running accelerator programs, investing across decades, and coaching founders at their most fragile moments. The conversation dives deep into why startups fail, what truly separates winning founders, how coachability beats ego, and why storytelling is more powerful than advice.

They also explore how AI is reshaping entrepreneurship, why the bar for founders keeps rising, and why building faster is no longer a competitive advantage on its own.

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👤 About the Guest

Andrew Ackerman is a seasoned entrepreneur, investor, educator, and author.

• Two-time startup founder

• Investor in 70+ early-stage companies

• Former accelerator leader (DreamIt)

• Entrepreneurship professor

• Author of The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey: A Novel Approach to Startup Success

Andrew has spent decades working at the intersection of founders, investors, and large enterprises, giving him a rare inside view of what actually makes startups succeed or fail.

http://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewbackerman

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🧠 Key Takeaways

• Startups fail due to broken links, not a single bad idea

• Coachability matters more than confidence or experience

• The best founders hold strong opinions loosely

• Storytelling drives action better than direct advice

• AI lowers the cost of building, but raises the bar for funding

• First-mover advantage is weak without a real moat

• Empathy is the hidden superpower behind great founders, salespeople, and storytellers

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🎓 What You’ll Learn

• Why startups should be viewed as chains, not ropes

• How accelerators compress the learning curve for investors and founders

• How to spot coachable founders early

• Why experimentation beats gut instinct

• How to test ideas cheaply before building

• Why many founders hide in their comfort zone instead of doing the hard work

• How AI changes the “why now” question for startups

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⏱️ Episode Highlights & Timestamps

00:00 – Introduction and Andrew’s background

03:00 – Why running an accelerator changes how you see startups

07:00 – Angel investing vs accelerator investing

10:00 – Startups as chains, not ropes

12:30 – Why startups fail in different ways

14:30 – The one trait that separates great founders

18:00 – Coachability, ego, and founder decision-making

22:00 – Can entrepreneurship really be taught?

25:00 – The “looking for money under the streetlight” founder trap

28:00 – Why storytelling beats direct advice

32:00 – SeatGeek origin story and early validation lessons

36:00 – Empathy as a core founder skill

40:00 – AI, hype, and what’s actually changing for startups

45:00 – Why the investor bar keeps rising

50:00 – Final advice for founders and investors

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📚 Resources Mentioned

• The Entrepreneur’s Odyssey by Andrew Ackerman: https://www.amazon.com/Entrepreneurs-Odyssey-Approach-Startup-Success/dp/1032883545/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0

• Andrew’s website: https://www.andrewbackerman.com/