Ace Founder

45Fusion
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Behind every breakout SaaS company is a founder who saw a broken, invisible problem and chose to bring a solution to life. Ace Founder is where we tell those stories. No corporate talking points. No polished PR. Just the unvarnished reality of the journey—the near-misses that almost broke the company, the hard-won lessons, and the sheer grit required to scale. Whether they are disrupting cybersecurity, launching service models, or scaling SaaS, we talk to the people building what didn't exist yesterday. Welcome to the reality behind the build.

  1. Aug 11

    The Story Of N8N Labs With Jovan Miljevic

    Our guest this week on Ace Founder is Jovan Miljevic, founder of N8N Labs.Jovan is actually a repeat guest of the podcast. Having sold his previous ad agency, Bounty Hunter, he's back to share the story of his new venture — N8N Labs, an AI automation agency helping companies run leaner, move faster, and stop drowning in manual processes.In this conversation, Jovan gets into what it actually looks like to build an AI agency from the ground up — the early clients, the failed projects, the noise in the market, and why his biggest tip as an AI founder is to be more human.📚 What We Talk About:01:00 Jovan's story — from boutique travel portal to ad agency to AI automation03:30 Why he sold Bounty Hunter at its peak and what the process actually looked like09:42 Why AI native agencies are valued differently — and why the model is so lucrative right now14:16 What N8N Labs does and how it's grown beyond just the N8N platform16:44 How a lean team of 8 is delivering what most agencies need 30 people to do24:00 How their first clients found them through AI search — not referrals27:00 The biggest win that had nothing to do with revenue30:27 The biggest challenge — cutting through the noise and helping clients understand what they actually need36:00 Is software dead? Jovan's take on AI and the future of SaaS43:25 How they use AI agents to run their own content and website operations50:40 Final tip: develop your human capabilities first💭 Key Quotes:"When you are an AI native agency, you're not billing for hours. You're building systems that compound for a client.""The biggest challenge is battling the slop — people asking for tools that aren't right for their problem.""AI is not going to replace us. It will hopefully make us better.""An AI guy telling you to be more human — take that seriously.""Everything in life requires consistency. It's more about you than the network."🔗 Connect With Our Guest:Website: https://n8nlab.ioLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jovan-miljevic/

  2. Jul 29

    Building Enterprise-Level Cybersecurity For Small Businesses with Derek Hardmon

    Most founders think cybersecurity is a technology problem. Derek Hardmon says it's a business problem — and that's exactly why most small businesses get it wrong. In this episode of Ace Founder, Derek — founder of Secure Technology Consultants and a 20-year veteran of IT and information security across banking, healthcare, and regulated industries — breaks down how small and medium businesses can build a cybersecurity program that actually works, without breaking the bank. If you've ever thought "we're too small to be a target" — this episode is specifically for you. 📚 What We Talk About: 01:00 Derek's background and what Secure Technology Consultants does 02:00 The story behind the name — and why simple and direct always wins 03:09 The five things every founder needs in place before anything else 06:04 Why cybersecurity has to be driven from the top down — not bottom up 07:46 The two types of small businesses Derek encounters — and why both are at risk 09:26 Why hackers don't target you specifically — they just check every door until one opens 11:21 Why your small business might not be the target — but your bigger client is 13:25 How Derek interviews and onboards a new client from day one 15:36 How to build a cybersecurity program from scratch — step by step 17:24 Why having policies isn't enough — you have to prove you're actually using them 21:21 Why starting a cybersecurity culture early is a huge advantage for new businesses 23:47 Why cybersecurity isn't a technology problem — it's a business function 💭 Key Quotes: "You can't afford cybersecurity? You really can't afford a breach." "It's not good enough to just have these things in place. You have to show you're actually performing these tasks." "Think of cybersecurity not as technology — think of it as a business function, a living, breathing entity within your organisation." "Hackers are checking doors. All they need isn't locked." "If it's coming from the CEO, it's going to be better received than coming from somebody like me." 🔗 Connect With Our Guest: Website: securetcllc.com LinkedIn: Derek Hardmon

  3. Jul 13

    The Story Of WellBox: Building A Corporate Gifting Powerhouse With Justin Gilchrist

    In this episode of Ace Founder, we sit down for an awesome chat with Justin Gilchrist, the brains behind Wellbox. Justin gets incredibly real about what it takes to build an enterprise corporate-gifting company, especially since the idea was born of pure desperation during the 2020 lockdowns. We dive into why he chose bootstrapping over VC money to protect his peace of mind, how he's secretly using AI to slash hours of work, and why he's finally realizing he can't ignore LinkedIn anymore. It's a super candid, fun, and insightful conversation you won't want to miss! ⏱️ The Playbook (03:22) The Origin Story: How facing a terrifying £60k in monthly overhead forced a desperate—but genius—pandemic pivot.(06:56) What's in a Name?: Why Justin crowdsourced the company name on WhatsApp and used his old business's logo for two years just to launch faster!(10:22) Inside the Business: How a lean, tight-knit core team of just 11 people manages gifting for 87% of the FTSE 250.(19:00) The Data Obsession: Why Justin is an unapologetic data nerd—and how tracking what people linger on shapes every gift Wellbox builds next.(22:38) The Amazon Voucher Debate: A brilliantly honest take on why a gift card gets forgotten in your account, but a hamper keeps reminding you who sent it.(24:23) HR vs. Sales: The Split ICP: Milestone gifting, cutting through 50,000 cold emails, and why these two buyers need completely different languages.(27:18) The VC Temptation: The brutal reality of 2023, and why resisting the urge to take investor money to scale blindly was his toughest (and best) decision.(33:17) The Biggest Win: The surprising mix of luck, skill, and 25 years of mistakes that led to building his dream team.(37:49) The AI Advantage: A total game-changer on how Wellbox uses AI workflows to turn 4-hour catalog tasks into 10-minute breezes.(43:48) The LinkedIn Trojan Horse: Justin's hilarious, humble confession about his current social media presence—and why he knows capturing attention is the only way forward.(46:53) Founder Hindsight: Justin's number one piece of advice for anyone stuck in the "perfection" trap.(47:33) What's Next: Why building a startup is like flying a train while trying to build a plane mid-air. 💡 Key Takeaway "If you're anywhere near the start, just start. Don't obsess over things being perfect or even right. You've got plenty of time to correct it along the way, but just get to whatever validation looks like for you as quickly as possible, before you lose momentum." — Justin Gilchrist 🔗 Links & Resources Connect with Justin Gilchrist: Find him on LinkedInCheck out Wellbox: wellboxes.co.uk

  4. Jul 7

    How Founders Can Use AI in Financial Decision Making with Igor Tutelman

    Your business is making money. But do you actually know where it's going?Most founders check their bank balance, see the number went up, and call it a win. But profitable-looking and actually profitable are two very different things — and that gap is exactly where businesses quietly stall.In this episode of Ace Founder, Igor Tutelman — CPA, founder of IOTA Finance, and self-described "Not Your Father's Accountant" — breaks down how small business owners can stop flying blind with their finances, and why AI might be the most underused tool in a founder's financial toolkit right now.If you're building a business and the money side still feels like a mystery, this one's for you. 📚 What We Talk About:00:26 Igor's background and what IOTA Finance actually does for founders01:38 What it means when the business model works but the financials don't02:26 The "Bank Balance Barry" problem — and why it's more dangerous than you think03:37 The gas station attendant analogy — what AI job displacement really looks like historically07:55 Why founders need to be paying attention to AI when making financial decisions09:14 Why your first hires matter more than almost any other decision you'll make10:28 How to grow your client base without automatically adding headcount12:52 The three AI tools Igor's team uses daily — and what each one is best for17:00 The Fable situation, AGI warnings, and what it means that AI is now self-improving20:22 Should founders be using AI to make financial decisions? Igor's honest take22:42 Why a bad prompt is more dangerous than no prompt at all24:13 The one thing every founder should start doing with AI this week💭 Key Quotes: "No, AI is not going to take your job. But somebody who works with and appreciates AI might.""It's like getting access to Bill Gates' executive assistant — and it's foolish not to use it.""We're not worse at thinking. We're just better at deciding and worse at gathering — and that's actually a good trade.""ChatGPT for communication. Perplexity for research. Claude for execution.""Become a little kid with AI. Go play around with it. There's no good way to do it other than by doing it."🔗 Connect With Our Guest:Website: iota-finance.comLinkedIn: Igor Tutelman

  5. Jun 22

    Achieving ISO 42001 Compliance With PingChen Lin

    Think your business is safe from the AI craze? Think again! In this episode of Ace Founder podcast, we sit down with PingChen, the powerhouse co-founder and CEO of CybPass, who went from a student with zero network to leading a top UK cybersecurity startup in just two years. PingChen breaks down why the shiny new international standard ISO 42001 is about to become mandatory for anyone using AI (yes, even if you just use ChatGPT or Claude!), how a massive 7% global revenue fine from the EU AI Act might be lurking in your future, and how his game-changing tool, Themis, is automating the entire compliance headache. If you want to protect your business from catastrophic AI risks without spending a year drowning in boring paperwork, you cannot afford to miss this episode! PingChen is the co-founder and CEO of CyPass, an advanced AI security and governance startup spun out of the University of Sheffield. Originally from Taiwan, he navigated the UK tech landscape with zero prior corporate background to rapidly scale CybPass into a government-recognized, award-winning cybersecurity SME. From Academia to Institutional Backing: CyPath evolved from a two and a half year research project at the University of Sheffield into a fully spun-out, venture-backed startup in less than a year [00:08:38]. The New Wave of Physical AI: While most cyber solutions focus on code and text models, the next massive frontier is securing AI embedded in physical, real-world systems like autonomous vehicles, drones, and robotics [00:03:49]. Demystifying ISO 42001: This framework is an extension of the classic ISO 27001 security standard, specifically designed as an "AI Management System" (AIMS) to handle data pipelines, risk assessments, and internal policies [00:10:11]. It’s Mandatory for AI Users Too: Think you're exempt because you don't build models? Think again! If your business uses third-party AI tools like Claude, ChatGPT, or Cursor, you still need to align with ISO 42001 [00:11:47]. The Cost of Slacking Off: While ISO 42001 is currently a voluntary framework, it underpins the impending EU AI Act, where violating prohibited AI practices can trigger massive fines of up to 7% of global annual turnover [00:23:39]. Ditch the Manual Checklists: Traditional compliance takes 6 to 12 months of manual consulting and yields outdated, static documents. Modern AI systems evolve too quickly for this, requiring adaptive, automated monitoring [00:18:35]. How to Pre-Game Compliance: For businesses just starting out, the best immediate step is creating an internal AI policy and thoroughly documenting every tool used to build a traceable pipeline [00:25:53]. "I don't have any big cooperation background... I just decide to start a business from scratch at a place that I have no any network resources." — Ping Chen "If you're a company that you are using ChatGPT or you're using Claude... then you also need to demonstrate that you are aligning with ISO 42001." — Ping Chen "Didn't you think about those accreditation is actually protecting you for the bigger loss if you didn't align with it?" — Ping Chen PingChen on LinkedIn! Visit the CybPass Website 👤 Guest Bio💡 Key Takeaways💬 Direct Quotes🛠️ Connect With Our Guest

  6. Jun 15

    How Founders Can Detect Data Breaches Early with Jason Robinson

    What if a company didn't want to know they were being hacked? It sounds crazy, but in the corporate world, knowing about a data breach triggers costly reporting and compliance nightmares—creating a perverse incentive for leaders to turn a blind eye to network visibility. In this episode of the Ace Founder Podcast, we sit down with Jason Robinson, founder and CEO of Auspex Labs. Jason breaks down the harsh realities of the cybersecurity market and explains how his team uses machine learning and graph theory to catch data exfiltration in seconds, all without needing to inspect the actual content of your files. But this episode isn't just about tech—it’s a masterclass in founder psychology. Jason explains why building a startup (and defending against hackers) should be treated as an "infinite game." If you want to learn how to move beyond basic compliance checklists, utilize Red and Blue teams effectively, and build a resilient company optimized for operational freedom rather than a quick exit, you don't want to miss this conversation. 📚 What We Talk About: 00:44 – Meet Jason Robinson: Building Auspex Labs 01:15 – What's in a Name? The Meaning Behind "Auspex" 02:26 – Graph Theory & ML: Detecting Threats Without Inspecting Content 04:28 – The Origin Story: Solving the 30-Second Detection Window 06:32 – How It Works: SaaS, On-Prem Agents, and Cloud APIs 07:42 – The Visibility Paradox: Why Some Execs Avoid Knowing They’ve Been Breached 09:32 – Stop Playing for the Exit: Startups as an Infinite Game 14:25 – Why Cybersecurity is a Never-Ending Battle 17:50 – The Perverse Incentives of Breach Reporting and Compliance 21:35 – Competitors and the Harsh Reality of the Security Market 24:58 – The Founder’s Playbook: Red Teams, Blue Teams, and Real Security 28:14 – Jason’s Final Takeaway & Where to Find Auspex Labs 🔗 Connect With Our Guest: Website: Auspex Labs LinkedIn: Jason Robinson

  7. Jun 9

    Cyber Governance And Compliance With Rob Wilkinson

    Does cybersecurity compliance feel like an expensive, boring tick-box exercise? It doesn't have to be. When done correctly, getting compliant shouldn't just be about surviving an audit—it should actively save your team hours of manual work and unlock new revenue for your business. On the latest episode of the Ace Founder Podcast, we sit down with Rob Wilkinson, founder and CEO of GRC Hub. Rob breaks down why throwing generic templates at frameworks like ISO 27001 or PCI DSS is a huge mistake and how a tailored, outcome-driven strategy actually fuels business growth. Plus, we get into a fascinating discussion about the rapid rise of AI and why you should treat artificial intelligence exactly like a Personal Assistant. 📚 What We Talk About: 01:01 – Meet Rob Wilkinson & the origin of GRC Hub 02:00 – Cyber governance and frameworks like ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and SOC 2 07:15 – AI as an evolution: The Blockbuster vs. Netflix analogy 07:34 – The "AI PA" Rule: Why humans must control critical decisions 08:28 – The comedy (and danger) of AI selling to AI 10:29 – Why GRC Hub focuses on delivering outcomes that fuel business growth 12:40 – Real-world success: Saving an enterprise client hundreds of hours on data requests 13:01 – Unlocking donor engagement and revenue for charities 15:23 – Rob’s final tip for founders navigating compliance 🔗 Connect With Our Guest: Website: GRC Hub LinkedIn: Rob Wilkinson

  8. Jun 3

    How Founders Can Detect Data Breaches Early with Jason Robinson

    What if a company didn't want to know they were being hacked? It sounds crazy, but in the corporate world, knowing about a data breach triggers costly reporting and compliance nightmares—creating a perverse incentive for leaders to turn a blind eye to network visibility.In this episode of the Ace Founder Podcast, we sit down with Jason Robinson, founder and CEO of Auspex Labs. Jason breaks down the harsh realities of the cybersecurity market and explains how his team uses machine learning and graph theory to catch data exfiltration in seconds, all without needing to inspect the actual content of your files.But this episode isn't just about tech—it’s a masterclass in founder psychology. Jason explains why building a startup (and defending against hackers) should be treated as an "infinite game." If you want to learn how to move beyond basic compliance checklists, utilize Red and Blue teams effectively, and build a resilient company optimized for operational freedom rather than a quick exit, you don't want to miss this conversation.📚 What We Talk About:00:44 – Meet Jason Robinson: Building Auspex Labs01:15 – What's in a Name? The Meaning Behind "Auspex"02:26 – Graph Theory & ML: Detecting Threats Without Inspecting Content04:28 – The Origin Story: Solving the 30-Second Detection Window06:32 – How It Works: SaaS, On-Prem Agents, and Cloud APIs07:42 – The Visibility Paradox: Why Some Execs Avoid Knowing They’ve Been Breached09:32 – Stop Playing for the Exit: Startups as an Infinite Game14:25 – Why Cybersecurity is a Never-Ending Battle17:50 – The Perverse Incentives of Breach Reporting and Compliance21:35 – Competitors and the Harsh Reality of the Security Market24:58 – The Founder’s Playbook: Red Teams, Blue Teams, and Real Security28:14 – Jason’s Final Takeaway & Where to Find Auspex Labs🔗 Connect With Our Guest:Website: Auspex Labs - https://www.auspex-labs.com/LinkedIn: Jason Robinson - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robinje/

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About

Behind every breakout SaaS company is a founder who saw a broken, invisible problem and chose to bring a solution to life. Ace Founder is where we tell those stories. No corporate talking points. No polished PR. Just the unvarnished reality of the journey—the near-misses that almost broke the company, the hard-won lessons, and the sheer grit required to scale. Whether they are disrupting cybersecurity, launching service models, or scaling SaaS, we talk to the people building what didn't exist yesterday. Welcome to the reality behind the build.

Information

  • Creator
    45Fusion
  • Years Active
    2026
  • Episodes
    16
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 45Fusion
  • Show Website
    Ace Founder