Pitch, Build, Scale - Startup Founder Stories in the Age of AI

Chris Fanchi

That spark of innovation? It's just waiting for the perfect combination of tools and talent to bring it to life. This is "Pitch, Build, Scale": Each episode, we connect with the builders, the visionaries, and the problem-solvers who are redefining what's possible with today's technology - and pioneering the websites, apps, and software products of tomorrow. These are the conversations that transform how we build, how we sell, and how we scale technology businesses in a world where the tech evolves by the minute. Ready to stay ahead of the curve? This is "Pitch, Build, Scale".

  1. 11/18/2025

    054 - Building the Future: How AI is Reinventing Pre-Construction with Steve Dell’Orto, CEO, Concntric

    What happens when a 26-year construction veteran decides to reinvent an entire industry? In this episode of "Pitch, Build, Scale", host Chris Fanchi sits down with Steve Dell’Orto, Founder & CEO of Concntric, to explore how his company became the first AI-powered pre-construction platform, uniting data, workflows, and people into a single, intuitive system. Steve shares what it means to “bear hug AI”, why simplicity is the hardest design challenge, and how the right UX can turn skeptics into advocates in one of the world’s most traditional industries. From eliminating redundant workflows to building an agentic AI layer that helps teams do the work of ten people, this conversation reveals how Concntric is unlocking capacity and transforming how the built world gets built. Chapters 00:00 Intro – Why Construction Needed a New Operating System 02:08 From Builder to Founder: Steve Dell’Orto’s Leap Into Tech 07:44 The Problem Hidden in Plain Sight 10:21 Building Concntric: From Stealth Mode to Scale 15:54 “Make Less Work, Not More” – The Simplicity Principle 17:42 How Concntric Is “Bear Hugging” AI 19:03 Agentic AI: The Future of Pre-Construction 25:14 Building Faster Through Human + AI Collaboration 26:40 The Moat: Domain Expertise as the True Differentiator 29:17 Hands-On Relationships in a High-Tech World 32:14 The Magic Wand Question – What’s Next for Concntric 34:26 Closing Thoughts and Where to Find Steve Resources 🔗 Concntric – https://www.concntric.com 🔗 Connect with Steve Dell’Orto on LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/in/stevedellorto 🔗 Big North Network – https://bignorthnetwork.com/managing-ai 📘 Learn More Managing AI: Humans, Agents, and the Future of Work — out now from Chris Fanchi. Learn more and order at https://bignorthnetwork.com/managing-ai

    35 min

  2. 11/13/2025

    053 - Rethinking Customer Data: From CRM Chaos to Customer Outcome Maps w/ Tim Gosnell, CEO, CommonThread

    What if your customer data could think - and show you exactly where revenue is won or lost? In this episode of Pitch, Build, Scale, host Chris Fanchi sits down with Tim Gosnell, Founder of CommonThread AI, to explore how agentic AI is redefining how RevOps and SaaS companies understand customers. Tim shares the journey from early Atari programming days to building a system that maps every touchpoint and outcome in real time, revealing where relationships thrive, where churn begins, and how AI can elevate human connection rather than replace it. If you’ve ever struggled with messy CRMs, disconnected pipelines, or “data-driven” decisions that still miss the mark, this conversation will change how you think about growth. 🕒 Chapters 00:00 The Next Revolution: Why AI Is Bigger than E-Commerce 02:00 Tim’s Origin Story: From Atari to AI 06:20 Lessons from Early Startups and the Birth of CommonThread AI 08:45 Fixing CRM Chaos and Building Better Data Pipelines 11:40 Customer Journeys vs. Customer Outcome Maps 15:00 Deep Understanding over “Insights” 17:00 From Retention to Evangelism Why Positive Impact Matters 20:00 RevOps Use Cases and Why Messaging Matters 23:45 AI’s True Impact — A 100-Year Revolution 28:40 Workflow Transformation and AI Specialization 33:00 Agentic AI and the Next Wave of Automation 36:20 Fear, Faith, and the Human Side of AI 40:00 Leadership, BHAGs & Redefining Success 42:00 Where to Connect with Tim Gosnell 🔗 Resources CommonThread AI → https://www.commonthread.ai Connect with Tim on LinkedIn → https://www.linkedin.com/in/somepeoplecallmetim/ Grow your revenue with host Chris Fanchi's Big North Marketing → https://bignorthmarketing.com Conversations like this feed the new book "Managing AI: Humans, Agents, and the Future of Work" by Chris Fanchi — releasing November 18. Visit https://bignorthmarketing.com/managing-ai to learn more and pre-order today! #customerjourney #crm #revops

    43 min

  3. 10/30/2025

    052 - Agent-Based AI & Nation-Scale Digital Twins: Future Decision Making w/ John Cordier, CEO, Epistemix

    What if governments and companies could run simulations to test policy, forecast epidemics, or predict product adoption — before making a single decision? In this episode of Pitch, Build, Scale, host Chris Fanchi sits down with John Cordier, CEO of Epistemix, to explore how digital twins and agent-based simulation are reshaping the way organizations understand human behavior and forecast change. Epistemix’s platform builds synthetic populations — nation-scale digital twins that help health systems, pharma brands, and governments model complex societal scenarios from pandemics to consumer trends. Their work helped reopen the global events industry months ahead of schedule during COVID and is now redefining how data science teams simulate real-world systems at scale. John shares how Epistemix is bridging public health, AI, and behavioral economics, using LLMs to generate models faster, reduce time-to-value from months to a week, and make simulation accessible for both data scientists and decision makers. If you’ve ever wondered what “SimCity for the real world” looks like, this is it. 🕒 Chapters 00:00 Intro — From AI Agents to Faster Simulations 01:42 John Cordier’s Origin Story and Epistemix’s Founding 06:34 What Is a Digital Twin and How It Works 10:00 Why Pharma and Insurers Are Adopting Simulation 12:36 How Epistemix Helped Reopen the Global Events Industry 15:39 Using Data to Drive Better Decision Making 18:09 Integrating LLMs and AI to Reduce Time-to-Value 21:19 AI, Policy Modeling, and Empathetic Decision Making 25:59 The Future of Simulation in Health and Consumer Markets 28:55 What Success Looks Like in the Next 12 Months 31:41 Making Agent-Based Simulation as Accessible as ChatGPT 33:36 Where to Connect with John Cordier and Epistemix 🔗 Resources 🌐 Epistemix — https://www.epistemix.com 💼 Big North Marketing — https://www.bignorthmarketing.com 💬 Work With Chris & Big North Marketing Are you a SaaS founder or software agency owner looking to turn your expertise into a revenue-generating content engine? At Big North Marketing, we help tech leaders build audiences and close clients through podcasts, content, and AI-driven outreach. 👉 Book a free growth session at BigNorthMarketing.com

    34 min

  4. 10/28/2025

    051 - Modernizing Depositions and Discovery with AI - Featuring Tom Irby, Co-Founder, Skribe.ai

    What happens when decades of courtroom tradition meet the power of AI? In this episode of Pitch, Build, Scale, host Chris Fanchi sits down with Tom Irby, Co-Founder of Skribe.ai, to explore how his company is transforming how testimony is captured, managed, and authenticated in the legal system. After selling his first court reporting business to industry giant Veritext, Tom saw firsthand how outdated and inefficient the process was — and decided to rebuild it from the ground up. Skribe.ai replaces stenographs and videographers with an AI-powered testimony intelligence platform that’s faster, more accurate, and fully admissible in court. Tom shares how they’re navigating regulation, building trust in a risk-averse market, and redefining what “official record” means in the digital era. Plus, he offers a refreshingly grounded take on AI adoption, innovation cycles, and the power of human adaptability. 🔑 Key Topics & Chapters 00:00 – The disruption of court reporting and testimony capture 02:00 – From PC industry to legal tech: Tom’s founder journey 05:45 – How Skribe.ai was born from pandemic-era change 09:45 – Turning depositions into a live, AI-powered platform 12:40 – Why generic transcription tools don’t work for legal testimony 14:20 – Ensuring court admissibility in every state 18:00 – Navigating old rules and modernizing legal frameworks 23:15 – From paper to video: The new gold standard in testimony 25:00 – Expansion beyond civil litigation and into law enforcement 30:20 – “You won’t lose your job to AI – you’ll lose it to someone who uses AI” 35:15 – The “magic wand” lesson: education, adoption, and early adopters Resources 🌐 Skribe.ai — https://www.skribe.ai 🚀 Learn more about Big North Marketing — https://www.bignorthmarketing.com Are you a SaaS founder or dev agency owner ready to grow your pipeline, scale your content, and attract higher-ticket clients through authority-driven media? 👉 Visit BigNorthMarketing.com to book your free growth consultation today. #LegalTech #ArtificialIntelligence #Innovation #Startup #FounderStory

    38 min

  5. 10/21/2025

    050 - The End of SaaS as We Know It: AI Agents & the Future of Work with Jim Weldon, CEO of Prospect Desk

    Some interviews are all business - and some interviews take you by surprise. In this episode of Pitch, Build, Scale, host Chris Fanchi sits down with Jim Weldon, CEO of Prospect Desk, for an unfiltered conversation that spans the entire spectrum - from being ahead of the curve on AI and machine learning to navigating leadership in an increasingly divided world. Jim shares how his team is building one of the most advanced independent data networks on the planet, what he’s learned scaling a $10K startup into a $60M business, and why the next era of work will be defined by AI agents, not SaaS apps. This episode dives deep into the intersection of technology, humanity, and responsibility — and what it means to build something that lasts when the world around you is changing by the minute. 🔍 Chapters 00:00 From Filing Systems to $60M Startup 04:45 The Early Days of Machine Learning and Data Cooperatives 09:10 Bootstrapping vs. Venture Capital in the Age of AI 11:00 Smart Agents and the End of the SDR Role 17:45 Building the Largest Independent Data Graph 25:40 The Future of Automation and Human Work 31:10 SaaS Moats Are Dead — Here’s What’s Next 39:10 Technology, Politics, and the Human Divide 46:00 What It Means to Lead with Integrity in a Time of Change 📚 Resources Prospect Desk → https://www.prospectdesk.ai Connect with Jim → jim@prospectdesk.ai Big North Marketing → https://bignorthmarketing.com Grow your SaaS or dev agency with our Founder’s Growth Stack — personalized strategy, outreach, and podcast-led marketing systems designed to scale your revenue without scaling your workload. Learn more at BigNorthMarketing.com #HumanWorkAfterAI #SaaS #AIFuture

    49 min

  6. 10/17/2025

    049 - AI, Education, and the Future of Work and College with Christopher Gray, CEO of Path

    In this episode of Pitch, Build, Scale, host Chris Fanchi talks with Christopher Gray, award-winning entrepreneur, Shark Tank alumnus, and CEO of Path — an AI-powered platform transforming how students prepare for college and professional exams.After helping millions earn scholarships with Scholly, Christopher is now tackling educational inequity from another angle: using AI to make test prep and essay coaching affordable and accessible to everyone.Christopher shares how AI is reshaping higher education, the future of work, and what “learning” really means in a world where machines can do almost everything faster. From the rise of “AI-native” students to the looming disruption of traditional universities, this is a must-listen for anyone curious about the intersection of technology, opportunity, and human potential.Key topics include:- How Path is democratizing test prep with AI- Why distribution is the new moat in the AI era- The coming wave of “AI-powered colleges”- Why degrees may soon matter less than AI certifications- What the next 5 years of AI regulation and disruption could bring⏱️ Chapters00:00 Christopher Gray’s Journey: From Scholly to Path04:15 The Role of Technology in Educational Access07:30 The AI Revolution in Test Prep10:55 Building an AI Agent for College Admissions15:10 Competing with Legacy Giants Like Kaplan18:20 How AI Will Disrupt Higher Education21:00 The Future of Learning and AI Certification27:00 Job Displacement, Mid-Career Risk, and Economic Shifts32:00 Regulation, Wealth Cycles, and the Five-Year AI Window38:00 Building Distribution as the Ultimate Moat📚 Resources🌐 Learn more about Path: https://yourpath.ai🚀 Work with Big North Marketing: https://BigNorthMarketing.comWant to grow your brand, audience, and revenue like the top tech leaders featured on this show?Big North Marketing helps SaaS founders and dev agencies turn podcasts into growth engines.👉 Start your growth plan at BigNorthMarketing.com

    39 min

  7. 10/14/2025

    048 - AI, Cloud, and the Future of Software Teams with Joel Garcia, CEO of Allcode

    AI is rewriting the rules of software development. Joel Garcia believes that if your devs aren’t using AI, they may not be devs for much longer. In this episode of Pitch, Build, Scale, host Chris Fanchi sits down with Joel Garcia, CEO of Allcode, an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner helping startups and SMBs modernize, migrate, and scale in the cloud. Joel shares how AI is transforming development speed, the future of cloud automation, and why success now depends as much on adaptability as it does on code. From refactoring technical debt to closing enterprise deals, Joel explains how to build a company that moves faster and smarter in the era of intelligent automation. If you lead a dev team or SaaS company, this is a must-listen on how to stay competitive as AI reshapes the industry. ⏱ Chapters 00:00 Introduction — AI as a game-changer for developers 02:45 Joel’s early tech roots and startup journey 05:20 How Allcode helps startups migrate and modernize in the cloud 08:30 Partnerships, clients, and scaling through AWS 09:45 “If your devs aren’t using AI, they may not be devs for much longer” 11:15 Amazon Q Developer and the future of developer productivity 13:50 Adapting to new client expectations in the AI era 15:30 Modernizing legacy codebases and migrating from colo to cloud 18:40 Customizing AI to internal codebases and workflows 19:35 Turning forms into conversations: real-world AI applications 21:00 Using Bedrock, Crew AI, and SageMaker to automate at scale 22:30 Breaking into enterprise and landing government deals 23:30 The biggest bottleneck: closing deals in a technical sales cycle 24:03 Where to learn more about Allcode 🔗 Resources 🌐 Allcode: https://www.allcode.com 🌐 Big North Marketing: https://www.bignorthmarketing.com 💡 Ready to grow your tech company? If you’re a founder or CEO looking to generate qualified leads and close bigger deals, visit Big North Marketing. 👉 Learn more at BigNorthMarketing.com

    25 min

  8. 10/10/2025

    047 - Building Trust in AI: The Future of Risk and Compliance with Lily Yeoh, CEO of C1Risk

    AI is rewriting the rules of enterprise risk management, but can we trust the systems shaping our decisions? In this episode of Pitch, Build, Scale, host Chris Fanchi sits down with Lily Yeoh, founder and CEO of C1Risk, a governance, risk, and compliance platform that helps enterprises automate cybersecurity programs using AI. Lily shares her journey from early days in cybersecurity at Texas Instruments and RSA to leading C1Risk — and the lessons she’s learned about AI trust, data transparency, and responsible automation. You’ll learn: - How AI is transforming compliance, risk, and cybersecurity oversight across industries - Why enterprises need standards for AI transparency and model integrity - How C1Risk is building GRC assistants that leverage AI ethically to improve accuracy and productivity - The future of AI governance and how companies can prepare for new risk models 🕒 Chapters 00:00 Intro & AI Trust in Data 02:00 Lily Yeoh’s Path into Cybersecurity 06:00 Evolution of Cyber Threats Over 25 Years 10:00 Why She Founded C1Risk 14:00 Building API-First Compliance Automation 20:00 Who Owns Risk in the Enterprise? 23:00 The AI Triad: Misinformation, Models & Cost 27:00 How C1Risk Uses AI Internally 31:00 Building AI-Driven GRC Assistants 33:00 Scaling Challenges & AI Talent Demand 35:00 Funding, Focus & Her “Magic Wand” Wish Resources • C1Risk — Enterprise GRC platform: https://C1Risk.com • Big North Marketing — growth for dev shops & SaaS: https://BigNorthMarketing.com Want pipeline you can measure and a podcast that drives sales conversations, not just downloads? → Book a Free Growth Plan consult at BigNorthMarketing.com or DM me “GROWTH” and I’ll send the 3-part Creator to Client checklist we use to turn episodes into revenue.

    37 min
See All (54)

About

That spark of innovation? It's just waiting for the perfect combination of tools and talent to bring it to life. This is "Pitch, Build, Scale": Each episode, we connect with the builders, the visionaries, and the problem-solvers who are redefining what's possible with today's technology - and pioneering the websites, apps, and software products of tomorrow. These are the conversations that transform how we build, how we sell, and how we scale technology businesses in a world where the tech evolves by the minute. Ready to stay ahead of the curve? This is "Pitch, Build, Scale".

Information