How NOT To Build: Startup Stories | A Jemini Podcast

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 months, including funding and team growthThe importance of design partnerships and transitioning to early adoptersPricing models for hardware and SaaS in medical device industriesLeveraging AI and automation to accelerate product engineering and testingChallenges faced during product iteration, including manual device tagging and sterilization considerationsPersonal reflections on work-life balance, mental resilience, and the mindsets of successful foundersThe strategic decision to own hardware assets versus leasing or selling equipmentFuture outlook, including growth targets, customer acquisition goals, and fundraising plansChapters:00:00 Introduction and Housekeeping01:57 Funding and Team Developments05:49 Design Partners and Product Development10:53 Transitioning to Early Adopters16:10 Pricing Strategy and Market Fit21:45 AI's Impact on Productivity27:20 Design and User Experience31:35 The Evolution of Engineering with AI33:48 Spec-Driven Design: Bridging Business and Engineering35:25 Curiosity and Exploration in Product Development38:02 The Role of Engineers in a Rapidly Changing Landscape42:18 Learning from Mistakes: Embracing the Journey49:16 Setting Realistic Goals and Managing Expectations58:03 Building Relationships and Future OpportunitiesResources & Links:Jemini.ioFanBravo - Dan @ JeminiDan's LinkedInConnect with Greg Prosser:Hansel Medical WebsiteGreg's LinkedInAdditional Notes:Greg emphasizes that product market fit is within reach, but strategic pricing and hardware ownership models are crucial for sustainable growth.The conversation highlights the importance of embracing micro failures as learning opportunities and maintaining mental resilience.AI's role is seen as a productivity enhancer, yet automation and deterministic code remain vital for scalable, reliable solutions.The episode closes with Greg inviting potential team members, partners, and investors to connect early and explore meaningful collaboration.⁠Greg Prosser⁠ is the Founder and CEO of Hansel Medical, leading innovation in surgical equipment tracking to help orthopedic distributors and manufacturers save millions by eliminating lost inventory and wasted search time. With a background in engineering and business from the University of Missouri-Columbia, Greg combines technical expertise with strategic leadership to develop cutting-edge solutions for the medical device industry.Intro Music by Eggy Toast

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 apart and the future of AI-enabled diagnostics.Main Topics Covered:The evolution of AI in healthcare and its potential to augment physicians rather than replace themTechnical details of how Chiron Medical's proprietary system organizes medical data for real-time diagnosis supportLessons learned from startup failures: importance of market research, user-centric design, and rapid iterationHow system theoretical approaches can outperform traditional NLP models in complex problem-solvingThe impact of AI on addressing the global physician shortage and improving access to timely careFuture trends in medical tech: automation, low-cost diagnostics, and democratization of healthcare expertiseThis episode emphasizes the importance of a systems theory approach in AI development, applied across travel, airline, and health tech sectors.Jonathan's insights highlight the immense potential of AI to augment medical decision-making, especially amid doctor shortages and increasing medical data complexity.The discussion explores not just technological innovation but strategic evolution, market awareness, and philosophical foundations underpinning AI systems in healthcare.00:00 Introduction and Personal Reflections02:30 Business Outlook and Economic Perspectives04:55 Hope for Technological Advancements in Healthcare07:39 The Journey to CTO: Founding a Travel App10:22 The Problem with Travel Booking: A Personal Experience13:21 Building the Travel App: From Idea to Execution15:50 Innovative Approaches to Travel Technology18:36 The Future of Travel Tech and AI Integration21:55 The Evolution of Travel Technology25:42 Pivoting from Consumer to B2B27:24 Lessons from Startup Challenges31:40 Navigating Novelty in User Experience36:17 Understanding Customer Acquisition Costs38:30 Transitioning to CEO at Box Compliment43:42 Lessons from BoxComplement46:13 Transitioning to Chiron Medical Technologies48:27 Challenges in Clinical Reasoning50:00 Enhancing Doctor's Capabilities with AI54:08 A New Approach to AI in Healthcare58:05 The Role of Technology in Patient CareResources & Links:Fanbravo - Dan @ JeminiJonathan Miller LinkedInChiron Medical TechnologiesBlending a strong mathematical foundation with a business education, ⁠Jonathan Miller⁠ is drawn naturally to complex problem domains characterized by end-to-end intractability and systemic-level challenges.A prolific innovator, Jon has co-authored multiple patents that advanced fields like traveler inference, multi-attribute platforms, natural language fulfillment, and integrated medical systems.As the primary inventor of the patent governing Chiron’s technology solution, he leads the company in the development of its proprietary AI-driven clinical decision support tools.Music by Eggy Toast

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 move fast, build effectively, and keep up as technology evolves.A fun, insightful conversation on building smarter in the age of AI.Nathan Anderson is a Chief Technology Officer and an experienced leader in Software Engineering, DevOps, and Product. He has a passion for connecting technical challenges to delightful customer outcomes and focuses on building and maintaining highly engaged teams. In his current role as Co-Founder and CTO of Tú TeleDoc, Nathan is dedicated to building the technology platform to help transform healthcare access in Latin America.KeywordsAI, software engineering, tech evolution, job security, product management, leadership, junior engineers, tech stack, telemedicine, career advice, software engineering, product management, communication, AI in tech, career progression, telehealth, engineering culture, startup life, leadership, technology strategySound Bites"It's an exciting time to be in tech.""AI won't fully replace our jobs.""Learn new stuff to survive in tech."Chapters 00:00 The Excitement of Tech Evolution01:06 AI Took This Architect's Job 05:36 Who's Impacted Most by AI?06:55 How do Newcomers Get Started in Tech? 11:48 Startup Life and AI Hype13:57 Nate's Tech Stack15:40 Getting Past the Hype17:12 Starting the Journey toward CTO24:13 AI Doesn't Matter, Invest in These Things30:07 You're a Manager, not a Buddy34:10 Learning not to Undervalue a Good Mentor38:22 The Best Measure of Success; and How To43:08 The Intersection of Product Management and Engineering48:09 Bridging the Gap: Communication Between Engineers and Product Teams53:55 The Role of AI in Software Development01:04:08 Career Progression: From Rackspace to CTO01:09:07 Mastering 15 Deploys Per Day 01:19:20 The Biggest Failure as a CTO01:25:15 Building a Telehealth Platform: Challenges and OpportunitiesMusic by Eggy Toast

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 decisions with business needs, particularly in the healthcare sector, and the value of community support for tech leaders. He concludes with thoughts on the future of tech and the importance of user-friendly solutions in healthcare.Jason Kerner is CTO and Co-Founder of Hansel Medical, previously Chief Global Architect at IntelliCentrics and Head of Product Experience and Architecture at Agilio Software. A hands-on builder, with 20+ years in the software development world with mobile apps, web applications, cloud and AI experience. Excited about all things tech, as well as involvement with product and marketing teams.Keywordstechnology, business, AI, public speaking, software development, healthcare, startups, CTO, IntelliCentrics, communitySound bites"I enjoy discussing tech and business.""AI is transforming software development processes.""Leveraging AI for development efficiency is key."Chapters00:00 Introduction to Tech and Business Passion05:17 Navigating Imposter Syndrome10:39 The Evolution of Tech Careers16:14 Jason's Journey into Tech21:24 Building Solutions for Modern Problems27:47 Learning from Technical Mistakes32:43 The Low Code Dilemma39:03 Balancing Technical and Business Decisions45:47 The Agile Approach to Business Value51:01 Transitioning to a Startup Environment58:32 Future Milestones and Community EngagementMusic by Eggy Toast

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 Toast00:00 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

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 Toast00:00 Introduction01:46 The Rapid Advancement of AI04:53 Startups in the Age of AI12:54 Early Entrepreneurial Ventures17:12 The Birth of RealHub24:03 Lessons Learned in Hiring and Team Building30:34 Misconceptions and Advice for Entrepreneurs32:40 The Importance of High-Leverage Skills37:22 Content Creation as a Key to Traction40:02 Building a Supportive Community for Founders48:27 The Art of Community Building52:53 Innovating with AI for Founders57:51 Learning from Past Experience

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 Toast00:00 Simple Advice for Meeting Efficiency02:31 Learning to Deal With and Learn From Stress05:56 Advise for Aspiring Entrepreneurs | Don’t Buy the FOMO Lie11:19 The Reward of Being Your Own Boss12:14 The High Impact of Domain Expertise for Your Product19:43 How to Avoid Over-Engineering 26:40 Making the Most of AI as an Engineer31:08 How to Skill Up: Specialist or Generalist? 38:44 Who Should (And Should Not) Care About AI Governance41:52 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 Startups01:03:39 The 10X CTO: Understanding that Business & Tech Are…01:09:24 If You’re Looking to Sell, Do NOT Do This

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/NortelMusic by Eggy Toast0:00 - Speaking at Conferences for Marketing06:30 - Thinking Forward: Planning your Career a Decade in Advance12:12 - What’s Changed in Marketing? Everything and Nothing. 14:56 - Applying the “Post Everyday” Advice Correctly 20:32 - The Value of Fun Content21:55 - How Ellen Got Her First Customer26:38 - The Worst Moment 31:05 - The Long Path to Success32:58 - Why Quitting Wasn’t an Option38:01 - The Biggest Marketing Mistakes from 20+ Years of Experience 42:42 - The Importance and Potential of the Local Market50:12 - Finding and Leveraging your Differentiators53:50 - “Modern Marketing is Different” Isn’t True

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 [email protected] - CERTBUDDYAI - https://www.youtube.com/@CERTBUDDYAIMusic⁠⁠⁠⁠ By Eggy Toast0:00 - Intro4:17 - Cutting Teeth on Manually Reading Hundreds of Pages7:03 - Can Someone Really Say “I haven’t worked a day in my life?”9:54 - Keeping the Motivation to Keep on Keeping On14:40 - Engineers: Do Not Underestimate the Importance of Certification16:40 - Lessons from Tesla & Burnt Hair29:10 - Helping Uber Rollout Scooters to the World37:03 - Lessons from Uber: Goals & Teams40:32 - Advice on Building the Critical Team43:01 - Productizing 25+ Years of Expertise With CertBuddy.ai48:51 - The Future of Cert & Advice For Founders

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 Toast0:00 - Is This The Most Challenging Time in 25 Years?7:35 - Advice for Weathering These Interesting Times9:45 - Tariffs & The Fundamentals to Watch Out For15:41 - Lessons From Being a First Time VP: the N-1 Rule25:16 - Staying Sane in AI-insane Times28:32 - The Danger of Underestimating Marketing and How To Avoid It41:38 - The #1 Reason(s) Startups Fail, from a 20-year Veteran45:06 - Being COO at Collinear Group and Solving the Magic Beans Problem53:30 - What’s Next for Collinear Group

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 Toast3:30 - Intro & The Decision to Quit His Company9:27 - Your Best and Most Valuable Investment11:08 - (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 Darkness23:30 - The Straw That Broke the Camels Back28:10 - How Do You Avoid Taking Bad Jobs? 32:34 - Turning Competition into Cooperation38:20 - Constructors Guild Sneak Peak40:37 - What We’ve Learned From Millennials44:55 - If You Don’t Do This, You Won’t Make It as an Entrepreneur49:05 - The Cost (but Requirement) of Trusting1:02:38 - Gianluca’s Next Big Move

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 ToastSound Effect by Eduardo Rodrigues from Pixabay

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 empowering teams to make decisions fosters innovation and long-term success.I’ve known Logan since 2015. He’s got extensive history managing teams (onshore and offshore) and has a unique perspective going from Enterprise to Startup. He now works at Symbiosys building large-scale distributed data processing pipelines for analytics and machine learning use-cases.Music By Eggy Toast

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.Greg Prosser is the Founder and CEO of Hansel Medical, leading innovation in surgical equipment tracking to help orthopedic distributors and manufacturers save millions by eliminating lost inventory and wasted search time. With a background in engineering and business from the University of Missouri-Columbia, Greg combines technical expertise with strategic leadership to develop cutting-edge solutions for the medical device industry.Music By Eggy Toast

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 with his drive to deliver best-in-class solutions to his B2B equipment rental business clients. Andy discusses the lessons learned with his first business, his philosophy on managing relationships, and what his next venture may be.Music By Eggy Toast

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 Butler is the CEO of i9 Technologies and founder of Hydrant, where he and his team provide executive advisory services and leads technology initiatives for enterprise clients. With 15 years in project management and software development, he specializes in growing technology companies and transforming struggling operations into profitable businesses.Music By Eggy Toast

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 Toast

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 driving growth.Music By Eggy Toast

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