How NOT To Build: Startup Stories | A Jemini Podcast

Dan Villa
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"How NOT to Build" is about uncovering the lessons Founders, CTOs, Tech Leads, and Team Leads wish they’d known earlier. I hope these stories spark ideas, offer guidance, and help you navigate your journey to turning vision into reality.

  1. From Academia to Entrepreneurship: Startups, Setbacks, and Success in Biotech w/ Cara Wells from Emgenisys

    JUN 24

    From Academia to Entrepreneurship: Startups, Setbacks, and Success in Biotech w/ Cara Wells from Emgenisys

    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 company, Emgenisys, which focuses on innovative solutions for embryo health using machine learning. She emphasizes the importance of owning intellectual property, building a strong founding team, and the realities faced by PhD graduates in the job market. Dr. Cara Wells is a scientist and entrepreneur with a PhD in Animal Science from Texas Tech University, specializing in reproductive physiology and assisted reproductive technologies in animals and humans. She is the founder and CEO of EmGenisys, where she leads the development of software to improve embryo evaluation and pregnancy outcomes in IVF and embryo transfer. Her earlier experience co-founding Embryotics—an effort that highlighted the challenges of commercializing university-owned IP—helped shape her more strategic and scalable approach at EmGenisys. Music by Eggy Toast 00:00 The Biggest Learnings After Raising 1.5M03:52 How to Market a Disruptive Product 07:17 Breaking into the Global Market to get 2.5M Euro12:28 Cracking the Code on the Grant Process14:29 Going from PhD to Product Idea22:03 The Disconnect Every PhD Should Understand 24:38 Dan and Cara Rip Apart Higher Education31:46 Commercialization Challenges and Dream Team Drama39:21 How NOT to Lose Your IP and Equity44:44 The Crazy Story of The Texas Tech Lawsuit 54:16 Not Giving Up with EmGenisys56:58 The Option Pool Pro Tip for Founders01:03:36 The Value of Contractors in Startups 01:08:55 The Future of EmGenisys

    1h 11m
  2. Adapting, Automating, and Building Community w/ Jacques Greeff from Founders Table

    JUN 12

    Adapting, Automating, and Building Community w/ Jacques Greeff from Founders Table

    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 connecting entrepreneurs and providing a supportive environment to drive meaningful growth in the future of work shaped by automation and emerging trends. Jacques Greeff co-founded Realbase, a real estate marketing platform that scaled across Australia and was acquired for $180M. After exiting, he turned his focus to solving a deeper productivity problem: how high performers manage relationships, time, and communication at scale. He’s now building Kinso, an AI executive assistant designed to act as a second brain for messaging, calendars, and follow-through. Music by Eggy Toast 00:00 Introduction 01:46 The Rapid Advancement of AI 04:53 Startups in the Age of AI 12:54 Early Entrepreneurial Ventures 17:12 The Birth of RealHub 24:03 Lessons Learned in Hiring and Team Building 30:34 Misconceptions and Advice for Entrepreneurs 32:40 The Importance of High-Leverage Skills 37:22 Content Creation as a Key to Traction 40:02 Building a Supportive Community for Founders 48:27 The Art of Community Building 52:53 Innovating with AI for Founders 57:51 Learning from Past Experience

    1h 4m
  3. Niche SaaS, Modern Stacks, and CTO Strategy w/ Brandon Powers from Hyperformant

    JUN 3

    Niche SaaS, Modern Stacks, and CTO Strategy w/ Brandon Powers from Hyperformant

    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 insights from his experiences with startups, including lessons learned from failures and the significance of preparing for acquisition. The conversation emphasizes the need for industry-specific solutions and the evolving landscape of technology. Brandon Powers is a father of four, progressive thinker, and relentless tinkerer. Over the past 19 years, he’s scaled six companies as a CTO and software architect across fintech, healthcare, social media, and retail. His latest venture, Hyperformant, blends visionary technical insight with creative market positioning strategies to help software companies achieve unbridled growth and command top-tier valuations. Music by Eggy Toast 00:00 Simple Advice for Meeting Efficiency 02:31 Learning to Deal With and Learn From Stress 05:56 Advise for Aspiring Entrepreneurs | Don’t Buy the FOMO Lie 11:19 The Reward of Being Your Own Boss 12:14 The High Impact of Domain Expertise for Your Product 19:43 How to Avoid Over-Engineering 26:40 Making the Most of AI as an Engineer 31:08 How to Skill Up: Specialist or Generalist? 38:44 Who Should (And Should Not) Care About AI Governance 41:52 The Unethical Thing About AI Replacing Jobs 49:39 The Future of SaaS: Is It Really Dead? 56:33 Modern Web Stacks and Frameworks for Startups 01:03:39 The 10X CTO: Understanding that Business & Tech Are… 01:09:24 If You’re Looking to Sell, Do NOT Do This

    1h 15m
  4. The Evolution of Marketing Strategies w/ Ellen Messer from TechTalk Marketing

    MAY 23

    The Evolution of Marketing Strategies w/ Ellen Messer from TechTalk Marketing

    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 touches on the significance of local searches in today's digital landscape and the ongoing changes in marketing due to technology and AI. Ellen Cusato Messer helps engineering and software development firms build a continuous flow of ideal projects using her own proprietary marketing system. She based the system on decades of noting the differences between successful development projects that led to new projects, and unsuccessful projects that did not. Ellen has spent her entire career working with engineers to translate technical concepts into successful marketing programs, starting with 13 years at Nortel in wireless product management and marketing. IoT Meetup: https://www.meetup.com/iottexas/ Nortel: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nortel Music by Eggy Toast 0:00 - Speaking at Conferences for Marketing 06:30 - Thinking Forward: Planning your Career a Decade in Advance 12:12 - What’s Changed in Marketing? Everything and Nothing. 14:56 - Applying the “Post Everyday” Advice Correctly 20:32 - The Value of Fun Content 21:55 - How Ellen Got Her First Customer 26:38 - The Worst Moment 31:05 - The Long Path to Success 32:58 - Why Quitting Wasn’t an Option 38:01 - The Biggest Marketing Mistakes from 20+ Years of Experience 42:42 - The Importance and Potential of the Local Market 50:12 - Finding and Leveraging your Differentiators 53:50 - “Modern Marketing is Different” Isn’t True

    55 min
  5. From Motorcycles to AI: Tesla, Uber, and Building CertBuddyAI to Revolutionize Global Compliance w/ Kannan Govindasamy from CertBuddyAI

    MAY 7

    From Motorcycles to AI: Tesla, Uber, and Building CertBuddyAI to Revolutionize Global Compliance w/ Kannan Govindasamy from CertBuddyAI

    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 a seasoned product certification expert and has over 25 years of experience and worked with most successful startups like Tesla and Uber. Founder of CertBuddyAI - We can help any Physical Product Manufacturer's certification process from start to end, e.g. such as cars, medical devices and aircrafts. These products usually take 2-3 years of product design and certification cycle where our AI Platform can cut down time, cost, and business up to 50%. It can also help manage regulations, create automated design and test tasks, validate reports and help file applications with government agencies such as EPA, FDA, FAA. If interested, please reach out for any demo. E-mail kannan@certbuddyai.com YouTube - CERTBUDDYAI - https://www.youtube.com/@CERTBUDDYAI Music⁠⁠⁠⁠ By Eggy Toast 0:00 - Intro 4:17 - Cutting Teeth on Manually Reading Hundreds of Pages 7:03 - Can Someone Really Say “I haven’t worked a day in my life?” 9:54 - Keeping the Motivation to Keep on Keeping On 14:40 - Engineers: Do Not Underestimate the Importance of Certification 16:40 - Lessons from Tesla & Burnt Hair 29:10 - Helping Uber Rollout Scooters to the World 37:03 - Lessons from Uber: Goals & Teams 40:32 - Advice on Building the Critical Team 43:01 - Productizing 25+ Years of Expertise With CertBuddy.ai 48:51 - The Future of Cert & Advice For Founders

    53 min
  6. Building Smart Startups: Avoiding Pitfalls, Leveraging Founders, and Harnessing AI w/ Andrew Hosch from Collinear Group

    APR 30

    Building Smart Startups: Avoiding Pitfalls, Leveraging Founders, and Harnessing AI w/ Andrew Hosch from Collinear Group

    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 is packed with actionable insights for building smarter, more resilient startups. Andrew Hosch is the COO at Collinear Group where he’s helping people use the right technology for the right reasons. With their GC Accelerate program, Andrew and his team specialize in shipping Go-To-Market SaaS Solutions that elevate your business. Music⁠⁠⁠ By Eggy Toast 0:00 - Is This The Most Challenging Time in 25 Years? 7:35 - Advice for Weathering These Interesting Times 9:45 - Tariffs & The Fundamentals to Watch Out For 15:41 - Lessons From Being a First Time VP: the N-1 Rule 25:16 - Staying Sane in AI-insane Times 28:32 - The Danger of Underestimating Marketing and How To Avoid It 41:38 - The #1 Reason(s) Startups Fail, from a 20-year Veteran 45:06 - Being COO at Collinear Group and Solving the Magic Beans Problem 53:30 - What’s Next for Collinear Group

    47 min
  7. Building a Supportive Community for Entrepreneurs w/ Gianluca Pascale from Constructors Guild

    APR 21

    Building a Supportive Community for Entrepreneurs w/ Gianluca Pascale from Constructors Guild

    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, a Toronto-based construction firm, ⁠⁠Gianluca Pascale⁠⁠ left it all behind to start the ⁠⁠Constructors Guild⁠⁠. Now he’s on a mission to create community and cooperation in an industry that’s practically allergic to those ideas. Music⁠⁠ By Eggy Toast 3:30 - Intro & The Decision to Quit His Company 9:27 - Your Best and Most Valuable Investment 11:08 - (Why Don’t People Take Care of Themself?) 12:20 - (How Do We Get Solitude?) | Scheduling Time with Focus, Buffer, and Free Days. 17:50 - What are you Hopeful About? 18:50 - How Do You Know It’s Time to Sunset an Idea? | A Time of Literal and Figurative Darkness 23:30 - The Straw That Broke the Camels Back 28:10 - How Do You Avoid Taking Bad Jobs? 32:34 - Turning Competition into Cooperation 38:20 - Constructors Guild Sneak Peak 40:37 - What We’ve Learned From Millennials 44:55 - If You Don’t Do This, You Won’t Make It as an Entrepreneur 49:05 - The Cost (but Requirement) of Trusting 1:02:38 - Gianluca’s Next Big Move

    55 min
  8. Breaking Barriers: Adversity, Market Truths, and the Mindset to Build Big w/ Ryan Strong from Stones AI

    APR 15

    Breaking Barriers: Adversity, Market Truths, and the Mindset to Build Big w/ Ryan Strong from Stones AI

    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 implementation from months to weeks through AI-driven automation and blockchain verification. Music⁠ By Eggy Toast Sound Effect by Eduardo Rodrigues from Pixabay

    1h 3m
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"How NOT to Build" is about uncovering the lessons Founders, CTOs, Tech Leads, and Team Leads wish they’d known earlier. I hope these stories spark ideas, offer guidance, and help you navigate your journey to turning vision into reality.

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