How NOT To Build: Startup Stories | A Jemini Podcast

Today on the podcast I have a very unique guest. Mike Villa is not only the Retired Chief of Police at the Port of Seattle Police Department, he is also – unfortunately for him – my Father. Now at the time of this recording Mike was planning to launch his own start up called Villa Consultancy where he would help leaders develop high-functioning teams and successful organizations. I wanted to have...

On this episode I got to catch up with my long time friend Rob Oesch, the Director of Product Management at Kaseware. In this episode we cover Why you need to stop doing math with your startup Practical advice for when you transition into a leadership role on your existing team And what it’s going to look like when you replace your employees with AI agents At Kaseware, Rob delivers a premier inves...

Today I talk with Saul Bankaitis, CEO of Collinear Group. A little backstory, Collinear Group was the second company I worked at in my professional career. So it was a privilege for me to sit down with him and get his point of view on everything that’s happened over the past several decades of that industry. We cover His critical advice for anyone thinking about an engineering career How to the to...

On today’s episode, I got the host Claus Jensen the CITO @ the University of Texas Medical Center. We talk about - What if the hospital building itself became part of the medical team? - In an AI-driven world, standardization might actually become suboptimization. - Defensive programming shouldn’t just happen at the code level. It has to happen at the business level. Claus has 2 decades of transfo...

In this episode, Dan Villa catches up with Greg Prosser, CEO and founder of Hansel Medical, to reflect on nearly a year of entrepreneurial journey, recent milestones, and strategic pivots. Greg shares insights on fundraising, product development, and balancing the demanding life of a founder in the healthcare tech space. Main Topics: Greg's recap of Hansel Medical’s progress over the past 11 m...

Join me as I chat with Jonathan Miller, CEO of Chiron Medical Technologies, about transforming healthcare through innovative AI solutions. From his startup journey in travel tech to solving physician shortages, Jonathan shares lessons learned in navigating tech, product market fit, and regulatory landscapes in healthcare. Discover the underlying systems theory approach that sets his medical AI apa...

Dan Villa sits down with Nathan Anderson , CTO at Tú TeleDoc , to talk about how AI is transforming tech—and how founders and builders can avoid AI regret. Nathan shares practical advice for newcomers entering this brave new technical world, the skills that matter most in an AI-driven era, and how he achieved continuous daily deployments at previous startups. They also discuss what it takes to mov...

In this conversation, Jason Kerner from Hansel Medical shares his insights on the intersection of technology and business, discussing his journey from a global architect to a CTO. He emphasizes the importance of subject matter expertise, overcoming public speaking anxiety, and the transformative impact of AI on software development. Jason also highlights the challenges of balancing technical decis...

In this episode, Cara Wells, PhD , shares her journey from academia to entrepreneurship, detailing her experiences with fundraising, market disruption, and the challenges of navigating the startup landscape. She discusses her first venture, Embryotics, the lessons learned from its dissolution, and the ongoing legal battles stemming from her whistleblower actions. Cara also introduces her current c...

In this episode, Jacques Greeff reflects on his entrepreneurial journey, sharing insights from building RealHub and navigating the evolving role of AI in startups. He explores the challenges and opportunities of adapting to rapid technological change and underscores the critical role of community and collaboration in fostering innovation. Jacques also shares about Founders Table , aimed at connect...

In this episode, Dan Villa speaks with Brandon Powers , founder of Hyperformant , about practical advice for software companies, including how to avoid over-engineering products, the balance between specialization and generalization, and the current state of SaaS. They discuss the importance of efficient meetings, managing anxiety, and the role of AI in software development. Brandon shares insight...

In this episode, Ellen Messer, CEO and founder of Tech Talk Marketing , shares her journey in the marketing industry, discussing the evolution of marketing strategies, the challenges of running a business, and the importance of understanding customer needs. She emphasizes the need for a solid marketing plan and the common mistakes companies make in their marketing efforts. The discussion also touc...

Join us for this episode as Kannan Govindasamy shares his journey from Tesla and Uber to founding CertBuddyAI, an AI-driven platform transforming product compliance. Learn how he navigated global challenges, built high-performing teams, and leverages AI to simplify complex processes. This episode is a must-listen for innovators looking to scale efficiently and strategically. Kannan Govindasamy is...

In this episode, we dive into the challenges startups face—from balancing tech development with marketing to navigating founder dynamics and market uncertainty. We discuss lessons learned from failed ventures, practical strategies for adopting new technologies, and the transformative potential of AI in the startup ecosystem. Whether you’re a founder, investor, or tech enthusiast, this conversation...

In this episode, Gianluca and I discuss the challenges faced by entrepreneurs. He emphasizes the importance of community support, mentorship, and professional development. He highlights the need for better management practices and the value of building a network of like-minded individuals to foster growth and improvement within your industry. After 17 years being the Founder and CEO of Centrecon,...

In this episode, Ryan shares thoughts on embracing "voluntary adversity" as a way to grow and tackle challenges head-on. We explore the $7.9 trillion compliance problem, why the market’s opinion matters more than mine or yours, and the need to stay flexible with ideas and data. Ryan Strong is a serial entrepreneur and founder at Stones AI where he is transforming compliance implementatio...

In this episode, Logan shares insights on building successful technical teams, highlighting the importance of trust, humility, and collaboration within leadership, and team dynamics. He emphasizes hiring people who handle disagreements constructively and avoiding toxic egos, as well as focusing on pragmatic solutions during the early stages of product development. The conversation underscores how...

In this episode, we sit down with Greg, founder of Hansel, to dive into the realities of building a hardware startup from the ground up. He shares his journey from bootstrapping and piecing together hardware prototypes to navigating Techstars and preparing for his first funding round. We also discuss the power of networking, learning from mentors, and balancing entrepreneurship with personal life....

Andrew Chambers , Founder of  RentMy.co , is an entrepreneur and family man who started his company while working for Fortune 300 companies.  Not wanting his future to be dictated by the whims of HR departments, he used evenings and weekends to bring his vision to the market. In this episode, Andrew discusses his earliest ventures and his passion for creating superior Customer Experiences, along w...

This episode explores the challenges of bootstrapping, from hiring and managing offshore teams to fixing chaotic software projects. Jed shares lessons on balancing costs, building strong teams, and delivering real value. Perfect for founders scaling teams or launching products. Jed Butle r is the CEO of i9 Technologies and founder of Hydrant , where he and his team provide executive advisory servi...

Sam Hall is a data and analytics leader with 8+ years of experience, and is currently a client principal at phData, a leading data and AI consulting firm. His passion is finding creative ways to create impact for the people around him. In this episode, we explore the challenges of balancing professional anxieties with confidence, building team culture, and driving impact as a leader. Music By Eggy...

Timothée Besset is a software engineer and consultant. He’s partnered with several companies, helping them go from idea to exit. He’s owned and operated Core Complex - Consulting & Technology LLC for over a decade and is a wealth of wisdom. In this episode we dive into the CTO's role in startup success, highlighting execution, ownership, and trust as keys to navigating challenges and drivi...

Stephen Morrison is the Head of Engineering AllieHealth . They’ve been making waves in the HealthTech space for a couple years now and I’m stoked to watch them crush 2025. In this episode, we dive into the challenges and strategies of building scalable startups, from hiring the right CTO to managing offshore teams effectively. Music By Eggy Toast

George Barta is the CTO @ CoreUs . He’s a mentor of mine and has a long history of shipping things in days, not months. In this episode we discuss his learnings with a foosball app, how to build simple systems, and knowing when to quit. Music By Eggy Toast