Meet Juno: The AI That Knows Your Customers Better Than You Do (Ft. Michelle Gilmore, CEO Juno)

Episode SummaryGeorgie Healy speaks with Michelle Gilmore, co-founder of Juno, an AI-driven interviewer built to deeply understand customers without bias. Michelle, a seasoned behavioural researcher, reveals the overlooked importance of thorough customer research, sharing why so many founders avoid it despite its immense value. She explains how Juno overcomes human biases in traditional surveys, enabling businesses of all sizes to access honest, real-time insights previously reserved for companies with large budgets.Michelle outlines her rigorous approach to building an AI product, rooted in experimentation, continuous validation, and a willingness to venture into uncertainty. She also discusses the challenges and paradoxes of scaling an AI startup, including navigating abundance and staying mission-focused.Throughout the conversation, Michelle offers candid reflections on her entrepreneurial journey, the reality of running a venture-backed AI company, and why success hinges on deeply understanding human behaviour. She also touches on Juno's thoughtful personality design, balancing neutrality with empathy to capture truthful customer experiences.Time Stamps01:10 – Introducing Michelle Gilmore and the vision behind Juno02:19 – Why so many founders fear talking directly to customers05:00 – When should founders start customer research? (Hint: it's immediately)07:24 – What does a behavioural research expert actually do?09:18 – How AI helps overcome human bias in surveys and interviews13:42 – The hidden dangers of relying on biased data (Michelle shares a shocking story)16:35 – You've gathered customer data. What's next?21:07 – How Juno's personality was thoughtfully designed25:59 – Can AI models really detect human emotions during customer interviews?34:05 – The hardest part of building an AI product that no one talks about38:23 – Navigating the tough choices: are there companies Juno wouldn’t work with?40:35 – Michelle’s view on uncertainty and why founders should embrace it47:01 – What really keeps a venture-backed founder awake at nightResourcesMichelle's email - [email protected]'s LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michellejoygilmore/Juno – AI-led customer interviews for unbiased insights (https://www.heyjuno.co)Neo – Michelle's previous channel-agnostic design agency✨ Connect with Georgie HealyWeekly Substack: https://georgiehealy.substack.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georginahealy/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/georginahealytech/The Day One NetworkIn The Blink of AI is part of Day One, the podcast network dedicated to founders, operators & investors.Sign up to get your weekly insights into the up-and-coming AI startups: https://dayone.fm/newsletter Mentioned in this episode:Deel x PX_Post Intro