• Lean, Fast, AI-First — Matt Verlaque, Founder of Precision | Ep 37
    Apr 8 2025

    In this episode of SaaS Founder Stories, I talk with Matt Verlaque, co-founder and CEO of Precision, about what it looks like to actually run your company with AI — not just use it on the side.

    Matt’s team runs sales follow-up with Grain and GPT. They write code with Cursor and OpenCommit. Their lead magnet is a custom GPT, not a PDF. And every team member is expected to log how they used AI — every single day.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS
    → Precision uses Cursor, Copilot, and OpenCommit for 3x faster dev
    → Sales follow-up and proposal gen are fully AI-automated
    → Their lead magnet is a custom GPT that qualifies leads in real-time
    → Internal ops are driven by Slack standups and AI-based accountability
    → AI isn’t a side tool — it’s part of every workflow, across every team

    SOUND BITES
    → "You don’t get headcount until you’ve maxed out AI."
    → "I haven’t written a commit message in months — AI handles it."
    → "Our lead magnet isn’t a download. It’s a working GPT."
    → "AI isn’t just speed — it’s leverage across the whole business."

    This is one of the most tactical breakdowns of how to build and run lean using AI as your core operating system. Subscribe to SaaS Founder Stories wherever

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    17 mins
  • AI Before Headcount — Spencer Dusebout, Founder of Aidium | Ep36
    Mar 14 2025

    In this episode of SaaS Founder Stories, I sit down with Spencer Dusebout, founder and CEO of Aidium, to break down the internal playbook behind one of the most AI-forward companies I’ve talked to.

    At Aidium, AI isn’t just a feature — it’s a rule: no department gets headcount until they’ve implemented AI. From support to QA, engineering to GTM, every team builds with tools like Cursor, ChatGPT, and Figma AI to move faster and operate lean.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS
    → Support volume grew 2x — without adding reps, thanks to in-app AI
    → Engineers use Cursor + GPT to write unit tests and accelerate dev cycles
    → Figma AI and prototype prompting cut design feedback loops from weeks to hours
    → QA runs on AI test coverage — no more manual bottlenecks
    → Strategic planning, internal research, and outbound are all AI-augmented

    SOUND BITES
    → "We don’t hire until we’ve implemented AI. That’s the policy."
    → "AI isn’t just writing code — it’s rewriting how we operate."
    → "Design cycles used to take two weeks. Now it happens in one meeting."
    → "We’re using AI to build faster. But we’re also using it to think faster."

    This is one of the most actionable founder stories on running an AI-first company from the inside out. Subscribe to SaaS Founder Stories wherever you listen.

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    16 mins
  • Bootstrapped, Solo, and AI-First — Jessie Shipman, Fluincy | Ep35
    Feb 27 2025

    In this episode of SaaS Founder Stories, I sit down with Jessie Shipman, founder and CEO of Fluincy, to unpack what it really looks like to build a SaaS company alone — and compete with funded teams by making AI her co-founder.

    Jessie’s not technical. She doesn’t have a sales team. And she hasn’t raised a dollar. But she’s built a working product, a repeatable GTM motion, and a lead machine — all by using AI tools like GitHub Copilot, ChatGPT, and Copy.ai as operational teammates.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS
    → GitHub Copilot lets Jessie ship product changes herself
    → ChatGPT writes grant apps, blog posts, docs, and onboarding
    → Copy.ai powers deep research on 1,500+ leads
    → Custom GPTs act as lead magnets and onboarding tools
    → Fluincy is bootstrapped, solo-built, and AI-powered at every level

    SOUND BITES
    → "Copilot lets me ship changes even though I’m not a dev."
    → "AI isn’t just saving me time — it’s helping me punch way above my weight."
    → "Every part of this company runs on AI — because it has to."
    → "Being a solo founder doesn’t mean doing it all yourself. It means using the best leverage you can."

    This episode is a must-listen for anyone

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    15 mins
  • Hevi Isn’t Just Using AI — It’s Built on It w/ Paul Culvenor | Ep34
    Feb 24 2025

    In this episode of SaaS Founder Stories, I sit down with Paul Culvenor, co-founder and CEO of Hevi, to talk about what it actually means to build an AI-native company — not just ship AI features.

    Hevi is rethinking how software companies operate: Cursor for dev, Gemini for meeting summaries, GPT for strategy, and AI workflows embedded into marketing and finance. From prototyping to board planning, AI isn’t just helping — it’s doing the work.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS
    → Hevi uses AI across product, GTM, and internal ops
    → They prototype entire features using Cursor, Copilot, and Replit
    → Strategic decisions are modeled with GPT Projects
    → Internal documentation and BD research are fully AI-augmented
    → They run lean, move fast, and avoid legacy drag

    SOUND BITES
    → "We’re not bolting on AI — we’re building with it from day one."
    → "Our internal GPT gives better strategy feedback than some advisors."
    → "AI agents won’t support operations. They’ll become operations."
    → "This isn’t SaaS anymore. It’s services as software."

    This episode is a tactical deep dive for any founder trying to build fast, ship lean, and unlock AI at the company level. Subscribe to SaaS Founder Stories wherever you listen.

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    16 mins
  • AI Isn’t a Feature. It’s the Foundation — Francis Brero, MadKudu | Ep 33
    Feb 24 2025

    In this episode of SaaS Founder Stories, I talk with Francis Brero, co-founder and CPO of MadKudu, about what it really looks like to build an AI-native company — one where LLMs aren’t just powering the product, but actively shaping how the team works, writes, builds, and ships.

    From switching to Cursor as their coding assistant, to writing documentation for machines instead of humans, MadKudu is running fast, lean, and deeply AI-driven.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS
    → MadKudu moved from GitHub Copilot to Cursor for deeper AI dev workflows
    → Teams feed product specs, architecture docs, and support data directly into the AI
    → Documentation is now written for LLMs — not just new hires
    → Every team runs weekly AI hackathons to build the muscle
    → The future of SaaS won’t be about moats — it’ll be about distribution and speed

    SOUND BITES
    → "Cursor became our senior engineer. It knows our code and the business."
    → "We don’t write docs for people. We write them for LLMs."
    → "AI won’t replace your team — but teams who use AI will outpace you fast."
    → "The value of AI only compounds if you practice — every week."

    This is one of the most tactical breakdowns yet on how to make AI a company-wide advantage. Subscribe to SaaS Founder Stories wherever you listen.

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    18 mins
  • From Family to Company — Mohit Garg on Oloid’s Team Shift | Ep32
    Feb 20 2025

    In this episode of SaaS Founder Stories, I talk with Mohit Garg, co-founder and CEO of Oloid, about what actually changes once you find product-market fit. Hint: it’s not the mission — it’s the team.

    Oloid’s early team was driven by belief. But after PMF and a major capital raise, the company needed structure, operators, and process — and that meant rethinking everything from org design to how you communicate with the earliest believers.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS
    → Product-market fit forces a shift from mission to scale
    → Early team members won’t always grow with the company
    → Founders must plan the post-funding team map before the raise
    → Operators care about systems, comp, and performance — not just vision
    → The difference between culture and comfort is clarity

    SOUND BITES
    → "Your first team joins for belief. Your next team joins to scale."
    → "You’re not hiring founders anymore — you’re hiring specialists."
    → "Transitions fail when people feel blindsided. Talk early."
    → "You can’t scale the company and keep everything exactly the same."

    If you’re heading into growth or navigating your first big hires post-funding, this one’s for you. Subscribe to SaaS Founder Stories wherever you listen.

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    15 mins
  • When Product-Market Fit Isn’t Enough — Grin Lord, Mpathic | Ep31
    Feb 12 2025

    >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠David Brennan⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠

    >> ⁠⁠⁠⁠Arkeo AI⁠, SaaS Copilot

    In this episode of SaaS Founder Stories, I sit down with Grin Lord, co-founder and CEO of Mpathic, to talk about one of the hardest realities in SaaS — what to do when you find product-market fit… but the market isn’t big enough.

    Grin and her team found early traction helping psychedelic drug trials analyze long-form patient recordings using AI. But with a ceiling on TAM, they had to rethink everything — and found a better wedge further down the pipeline: endpoint assessments in broader life sciences.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS
    → Mpathic nailed PMF in clinical trial safety reviews — but the TAM was capped
    → They expanded into endpoint assessments, where inconsistency and human fatigue cost trials millions
    → Their models are trained by real psychologists and validated for enterprise use
    → The new strategy: use AI where human review breaks down — not where it replaces expertise
    → The lesson: PMF in the wrong-sized market is a trap — and you need to plan your next move fast

    SOUND BITES
    → "We were solving a real problem — but the market wasn’t big enough."
    → "You don’t need to pivot the product. You just need to find the better use case."
    → "Our goal isn’t to replace clinicians. It’s to help them do what they actually trained for."
    → "PMF is not the destination — it’s the start of the next hard question."

    This one’s essential listening for any founder who’s found early traction but needs to figure out what’s next. Subscribe to SaaS Founder Stories wherever you listen.

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    16 mins
  • $0 to $5M ARR with AI-Powered Sales — Gaurav Bhattacharya, Jeeva AI | Ep 30
    Feb 7 2025

    In this episode of SaaS Founder Stories, I sit down with Gaurav Bhattacharya, co-founder and CEO of Jeeva AI, to break down how his team went from layoffs to $5M ARR in under a year — powered almost entirely by AI.

    After their first product failed to scale, Gaurav and his co-founder built an AI sales automation tool just to survive. That tool became Jeeva AI — now used by 300+ customers and scaling with no sales team, no paid ads, and a lean crew of 11.

    KEY TAKEAWAYS
    → Jeeva pivoted into an AI outbound engine after its first product failed
    → They automate the entire sales funnel — prospecting, outreach, follow-ups
    → 99% of product code is AI-generated using Cursor, Copilot, and GPT
    → AI runs their design, development, marketing, and GTM
    → The result: $5M ARR with a team of 11 — scaling like 50

    SOUND BITES
    → "We had to fire 75% of the team. Then we built a bot that saved the company."
    → "If you’re paying $50K for a website, and we’re using AI to do it for $500 — who wins?"
    → "The new GTM isn’t more reps. It’s more automation."
    → "Founders who use AI will replace the ones who don’t."

    This episode is a roadmap for building lean, growing fast, and using AI as your unfair advantage. Subscribe to SaaS Founder Stories wherever you listen.

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    20 mins
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