Best Mehmet Gonullu Podcasts (2025)

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#517 Execution Over Hype: Rob Matzkin on Raising Capital and Scaling Startups 49:02

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5h ago49:02

49:02

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, I sit down with Rob Matzkin, a serial entrepreneur, investor, and connector who has built and exited multiple companies and now advises startups on scaling, fundraising, and execution. Rob shares the hard truths of entrepreneurship — why execution beats hype every time, what founders get wrong about inve…

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#516 Efficiency as an Unfair Advantage: Tomas Navickas on Scaling Digital Banking 54:40

2h ago54:40

54:40

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, I sit down with Tomas Navickas, Co-Founder and CTO of myTU, a digital-first financial institution known for running an entire bank on less than €1,000/month in cloud costs. We explore how efficiency, AI, and smart architecture are redefining the future of digital banking and fintech. Tomas shares how myT…

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#515 Execution Over Ideas: Soha Ashrafian on Building Businesses That Last 45:31

3d ago45:31

45:31

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, I sit down with Soha Ashrafian, co-founder of Temis and a fearless serial entrepreneur who turned early challenges into a global track record of business building. From launching her first startup at 21 in Iran—against social resistance and financial restrictions—to building ventures across Dubai, Soha’s…

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#514 The Longevity Economy: Jon Sabes on Healthspan, Wealthspan, and Aging Well 51:01

6d ago51:01

51:01

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, I sit down with Jon Sabes, Founder & CEO of Longevity FP, serial entrepreneur, and author of Healthy Wealthy Longevity. We explore how the intersection of health, wealth, and technology is reshaping our future. From the basics of extending healthspan to the economic implications of an aging population, J…

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#513 No Excuses, Only Solutions: Derrick Girard on the Founder’s Mindset 47:52

7d ago47:52

47:52

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, Derrick Girard shares his remarkable journey from financial services advisor to tech founder — despite having no technical background. Derrick opens up about scaling his company without a traditional sales team, surviving multiple lawsuits, and ultimately selling his business. His story is one of grit, r…

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#512 From Mainframes to Cloud: Rob Duffy on Reinventing Healthcare Systems 49:07

11d ago49:07

49:07

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, I sit down with Rob Duffy, CTO of HealthEdge, to unpack how healthcare—one of the last industries to modernize—is finally undergoing a deep digital transformation. Rob shares how his journey through companies like Amazon, Kindle, Time Inc., and Expedia prepared him for leading one of the most complex tra…

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#511 Why Latin America Is Becoming the Go-To Talent Hub for Global Startups 51:26

12d ago51:26

51:26

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, I sit down with Leandro Cartelli, CEO of Lana Talent, to explore how Latin America is emerging as one of the most strategic regions for global hiring. From Argentina to the world, Lean shares insights from 15+ years in talent acquisition—helping startups and SMBs build cost-effective, high-performing rem…

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#510 Will AI Replace Teachers? Greg Banks on the Real Future of Education 47:34

14d ago47:34

47:34

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we dive into the future of education and technology with Greg Banks, a veteran teacher, school administrator, researcher, and author. Greg brings over 20 years of experience in K-12 education and chemistry teaching, along with a deep perspective on how AI is reshaping classrooms. From the early days of c…

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#509 Leading Through Chaos: Rob Kalwarowsky’s Lessons for Founders and Tech leaders 28:40

17d ago28:40

28:40

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, I sit down with Rob Kalwarowsky — executive coach, TEDx speaker, and author of Capitalizing on Chaos. Rob shares his powerful personal journey from MIT-trained engineer to leadership coach, opening up about toxic leadership, mental health struggles, and how he transformed adversity into a framework for r…

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#508 Breaking the Expert Trap: Alistair Gordon on Elevating Technical Skills into Enterprise Impact 48:55

21d ago48:55

48:55

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, I sit down with Alistair Gordon, founder of Expertunity and author of Master Expert. Alistair has spent decades helping organizations unlock the hidden potential of their technical experts by transforming them into influential leaders. We dive into why technical skills alone are no longer enough, how “en…

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#507 Telehealth, AI, and Growth: Corey Hart’s Playbook for Mental Health Startups 51:18

23d ago51:18

51:18

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, I sit down with Corey Hart, Senior Director of Growth at Mentavi Health. Corey shares his journey from the entertainment industry to scaling telehealth and mental health startups, his lessons from driving 800% growth in behavioral health, and how AI-driven personalization (“B2Me”) is reshaping healthcare…

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#506 Ship Fast, Stay Secure: Elipaz Tanzman on Uniting Developers and Security Teams 38:25

27d ago38:25

38:25

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, I’m joined by Elipaz Tanzman, Co-Founder and CEO of Cygnostic. Elipaz brings a wealth of experience from his early career as a cybersecurity officer in the Navy to leading innovative solutions in application, AI/ML, and cloud security. We explore how organizations can break the long-standing tension betw…

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#505 From VC to Education Disruptor: Ted Dintersmith on Fixing Math, Schools, and Our Mindset for the AI Era 1:09:23

29d ago1:09:23

1:09:23

What if our education system is training students for jobs that no longer exist? In this eye-opening conversation, bestselling author, film producer, and former venture capitalist Ted Dintersmith shares why decades of math education have missed the mark — and what we must teach instead to prepare for the AI-driven future. From his years in venture …

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#504 How Lars Maaløe is Redefining Trust, Accuracy, and Speed in Healthcare AI 44:49

1M ago44:49

44:49

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, I sit down with Lars Maaløe, Co-Founder and CTO of Corti.ai, to explore how AI is transforming healthcare. From explainability and compliance to building scalable AI infrastructure, Lars shares his journey from researching generative models to delivering life-changing technology for clinicians and patien…

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#503 From Data to Differentiation: Ron Green on Building Real AI in the Enterprise 49:06

1M ago49:06

49:06

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we dive deep with Ron Green, CTO of Kungfu.ai, a veteran AI engineer and serial entrepreneur who’s built 9 startups and deployed 120+ enterprise-grade AI systems. Ron shares how to go beyond AI hype, build custom AI that works, and unlock real ROI using the data you already have. 💡 What You’ll Learn • Wh…

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#502 How Data Is Reshaping Venture Capital: AlphaSemantic’s Vision with Cyril Shtabtsovsky 52:20

1M ago52:20

52:20

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we dive deep into the future of venture capital with Cyril Shtabtsovsky, founder of AlphaSemantic and a practicing VC. Cyril shares how his data-driven platform helps venture firms source, score, and connect with high-potential startups — using proprietary algorithms and machine learning to augment tradi…

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#501 The Technology of Belonging: Glen Cameron on Identity, Immigration, and Proof of Relationships 49:49

1M ago49:49

49:49

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we sit down with Glen Cameron, founder and CEO of Bonded, to explore how technology can validate the most human thing we have: relationships. From immigration barriers to identity verification in a deepfake world, Glen unpacks the inspiration behind Bonded — a startup building proof-of-relationship infra…

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#500 The Recruiter’s VC Mindset: Betting on Startups and People with Justin Dixon 48:40

1M ago48:40

48:40

In this special 500th episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we dive deep into the talent game behind startup scaling and private equity moves. Joining us is Justin Dixon, founder of Hire Tomorrow, who brings nearly two decades of recruiting experience—from Fortune 500s to early-stage startups and PE-backed ventures. We explore how AI is disrupting (…

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#499 Accelerating Enterprise Innovation: Karan Jain on Rethinking Vendor Collaboration 46:57

2M ago46:57

46:57

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, host Mehmet Gonullu sits down with Karan Jain, Founder and CEO of NayaOne, to explore the broken state of enterprise tech adoption — and what it takes to fix it. With over two decades of experience in financial services and technology, Karan is on a mission to eliminate the painful 12-month vendor procur…

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#498 Edge AI Meets Global Impact: Dev Aditya on Scaling Learning Without the Cloud 42:34

2M ago42:34

42:34

In this episode, host Mehmet Gonullu welcomes back Dev Aditya, Co-Founder of OIAI by Otermans Institute, who returns nearly two years after his first appearance to share an extraordinary update: they’ve built an AI teacher that runs completely offline — even on a 2020 Android phone. From educating learners in refugee camps to scaling across 17 coun…

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#497 From Startup Grind to Mozilla Labs: Raj Singh on AI, Vibe Coding, and Building What Matters 50:31

2M ago50:31

50:31

Raj Singh, VP of Product at Mozilla and a seasoned startup founder, joins The CTO Show with Mehmet to share a candid look into the evolution of building products—from the early days of AI to today’s GenAI-fueled solo founder wave. We dive into what vibe coding means, how big companies like Mozilla are tackling zero-to-one innovation, and why most s…

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#496 From Accidental Founder to 30,000+ Entrepreneurs | Jeremy Ames on Building Businesses That Last 51:34

2M ago51:34

51:34

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we sit down with Jeremy Ames, Co-Founder and CEO of Guidant Financial, a company that has helped over 30,000 entrepreneurs fund their businesses using US retirement funds. Jeremy shares his unconventional path into entrepreneurship, the rise of Main Street innovation, and what truly holds people back fro…

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#495 Next-Gen Gaming: AI Agents, NFTs, and the Blockchain Frontier 40:43

2M ago40:43

40:43

In this episode, I sit down with Greg Marlin, the CTO of ZKcandy, to explore the evolving intersection of AI agents, blockchain infrastructure, NFTs, and the gaming world. We dive deep into how Greg is building seamless onboarding for Web3 gaming, how AI agents are redefining non-player characters and companions, and why encrypted AI agent NFTs mig…

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#494 Trust is the New Traction: PR, Fundraising, and the AI Discovery Shift with Mauro Battellini 47:51

2M ago47:51

47:51

In this episode, Mehmet sits down with Mauro Battellini, co-founder of Black Unicorn PR, to break down why PR is no longer optional for startups—and how the rise of AI-powered search is changing what investors and customers see first. From fundraising strategy to media perception, Mauro explains how to build legitimacy, earn visibility, and outperf…

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#493 Reimagining Events with Tech: Cosmin Ivan on Scaling Platinumlist Across MENA 44:25

2M ago44:25

44:25

In this episode of The CTO Show, Mehmet Gonullu sits down with Cosmin Ivan, CEO of Platinumlist, the leading event and ticketing platform in the MENA region. From selling tickets by hand to building a platform used for the biggest concerts and sporting events, Cosmin shares his 18-year journey and how Platinumlist became a trusted tech partner for …

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#492 Building Human-First Products in the Age of AI: Eric Müller on Security, Trust, and Leadership 46:20

2M ago46:20

46:20

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we sit down with Eric Müller, Product Engineering Associate Director at Work & Co, to unpack the evolving intersection of AI adoption, digital security, and empathetic leadership. With a career that spans cybersecurity, product architecture, and agency collaboration, Eric shares how to lead engineering t…

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#491 Scaling Engineering Teams for the AI Era: Insights from Mary Moore-Simmons 41:31

2M ago41:31

41:31

In this episode, Mehmet Gonullu sits down with Mary Moore-Simmons, VP of Engineering at Keebo AI, to unpack what it really takes to scale high-performing engineering teams in today’s AI-powered environment. From DevOps and ML Ops to building team culture that lasts, Mary shares hard-won insights from over a decade in engineering leadership across s…

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#490 From Data to CTO: Keith Cassar’s Evolution in Tech Leadership 43:36

2M ago43:36

43:36

In this episode of The CTO Show, Mehmet welcomes Keith Cassar, CTO at Game Lounge, who shares his journey from SQL developer to tech leader, and what it takes to evolve from a data specialist into a cross-functional CTO. Together, they explore how to make data genuinely useful, what AI can and can’t solve, and how to scale high-performing tech team…

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#489 Why Silicon Valley Still Wins: Dr. Andrey Kunov on What Emerging Markets Miss 1:02:56

3M ago1:02:56

1:02:56

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, Dr. Andrey Kunov — serial entrepreneur, founder of Silicon Valley Innovation Center, and AI advisor — joins us from the heart of Silicon Valley to dissect what truly makes the Valley unbeatable. We explore why other ecosystems struggle to replicate it, what founders in emerging markets should focus on in…

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#488 The Inside-Out Entrepreneur: Mohamed Ahmed on Startup Mindset and Emotional Readiness 1:03:27

3M ago1:03:27

1:03:27

In this episode, host Mehmet Gonullu sits down with Mohamed Ahmed, an engineer-turned-founder and author of The Inside-Out Entrepreneur. Together, they unpack the mental, emotional, and strategic conditioning required for engineers to become successful startup founders. From navigating early-stage chaos to managing the emotional rollercoaster of st…

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#487 From Dream to Done: Cheryl Cunningham on Creating the Agentic OS for Solopreneurs 46:14

3M ago46:14

46:14

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we sit down with Cheryl Cunningham, CEO of Huro AI, to explore how agentic AI is reshaping entrepreneurship as we know it. From her early days in the food industry to building a quantum-informed AI company, Cheryl shares the journey behind Huro’s mission: enabling solopreneurs and SMBs to go from vision …

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#486 The Brave Leap: Michael Cutajar on Automating Accounting with AI Agents & Building with Purpose 40:38

3M ago40:38

40:38

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we sit down with Michael Cutajar, CEO of AI Partners, who’s on a mission to fix the broken world of accounting through the power of AI agents. From his early days as a PwC accountant in Malta to founding multiple startups—including a VR venture and now an AI-driven automation company—Michael shares what …

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#485 Scaling Starts with People: Nahed Khairallah on Building Teams That Don’t Break 1:02:38

3M ago1:02:38

1:02:38

Mehmet sits down with Nahed Khairallah, founder of Organized Chaos, to discuss why startups that reach initial traction often stall or fail due to people-related blind spots. With experience advising over 150 startups globally, Nahed unpacks the tactical, cultural, and strategic layers of building scalable teams that last. 🔑 Key Takeaways • 🚫 The r…

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#484 The CTO as Orchestrator: Naga Vadrevu on Leading Tech with First Principles 42:33

3M ago42:33

42:33

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, Naga Vadrevu, Chief Technology Officer at Wonderschool and former engineering leader at Square, Adobe, and Autodesk, shares his journey from big tech to startup disruption. Naga dives deep into how he applies AI and machine learning to revolutionize childcare access in the U.S., and why modern CTOs must …

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#483 Bootstrapping in Motion: Nelson Nigel’s Blueprint from Yellow Cab to Kidmoto 35:14

3M ago35:14

35:14

In this episode, Mehmet Gonullu sits down with Nelson Nigel, the founder of Kidmoto, a ride-hailing service designed specifically for families traveling with young children. From driving a yellow cab in New York to building a tech-enabled transportation service operating in 64+ cities, Nelson shares how he bootstrapped his company past $1M in reven…

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#482 The Browser Is the New Battleground: John Carse on Securing the Modern Endpoint 49:37

3M ago49:37

49:37

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we’re joined by John Carse, Field CISO at SquareX, to explore a fast-emerging shift in cybersecurity: the browser as the new endpoint. John shares why traditional tools like EDR and CASB are no longer sufficient, how modern threats are bypassing enterprise defenses, and what CISOs need to prioritize in a…

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#481 Go-to-Market Clarity in a Noisy World: Jan van Schuppen’s GTM Wisdom 45:22

3M ago45:22

45:22

In this episode, Mehmet sits down with Jan van Schuppen, a seasoned sales entrepreneur and founder of Ideas in Spades, who has led global B2B sales teams for over 30 years. They explore the biggest myths in go-to-market (GTM) strategy, the traps of founder-led content, how to balance automation with authenticity, and why selling before building is …

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#480 The Dangerous Gap: Why Startups Fail After MVP – Insights from Ali Hafizji 35:58

3M ago35:58

35:58

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we’re joined by Ali Hafizji, founder of the product development agency Wednesday, for a candid look into one of the most overlooked phases in startup growth: the dangerous gap between MVP and Product-Market Fit (PMF). We explore why many startups lose momentum after MVP, how to avoid premature scaling, t…

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#479 Rewriting the Music Playbook: Jeremy Sirota on Innovation, AI, and Artist Empowerment 44:54

3M ago44:54

44:54

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we dive into the transformation of the global music industry with Jeremy Sirota, CEO of Merlin, the world’s leading digital licensing partner for independent music labels. Jeremy unpacks how Merlin is leveling the playing field for indie artists, leveraging tech and AI to streamline music licensing, and …

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#478 100x Outcomes, Not 10x Hype: AI Execution Strategies with Matt Leta 55:03

3M ago55:03

55:03

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we dive deep into what it really takes to implement AI that works—not just experiments, but systems that scale. Joining us is Matt Leta, founder & CEO of Future Works, an AI-native company built alongside generative AI as his co-founder. 🔑 Key Takeaways • AI alone isn’t enough—without workflow integratio…

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#477 The Singularity of Hope: Sam Sammane on Amplifying Humanity with AI 54:33

3M ago54:33

54:33

In this thought-provoking episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we welcome Sam Sammane, physicist, serial entrepreneur, and author of The Singularity of Hope. With a background in nanotechnology, life sciences, and AI, Sam offers a rare mix of technical depth and philosophical insight. Together, we explore how AI is reshaping business, creativity, a…

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#476 Stop Pitching Tech, Start Selling Outcomes: Josh Dorfman’s Advice for Climate Founders 57:15

4M ago57:15

57:15

In this episode, Mehmet is joined by Josh Dorfman, CEO of Supercool and host of the Supercool podcast. Josh is a serial sustainability entrepreneur, former investor, and media trailblazer with two decades of experience scaling climate-focused ventures. From founding The Lazy Environmentalist to helping build a company that landed a 10M panel deal w…

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#475 Focus, Grit, and Product-Market Fit: Lessons from Anya Cheng’s Startup Journey 50:43

4M ago50:43

50:43

In this episode, Mehmet sits down with Anya Cheng, the founder and CEO of Taelor, a fashion-tech startup revolutionizing how busy men dress—without shopping or doing laundry. With past leadership roles at Meta, eBay, and McDonald’s, Anya brings a unique product mindset and startup resilience that shines through her journey from MVP to raising milli…

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#474 Execution Over Ideas: Andy Cwik on Building and Scaling 58:52

4M ago58:52

58:52

Episode Overview In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, Andy Cwik—co-founder and CEO of Hubub—shares his lessons from three startups, including the painful failures and meaningful wins. From crashing his first startup to exiting a telehealth company, Andy now leads Hubub, a SaaS platform that automates client entertainment for B2B teams. He o…

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#473 AI Won’t Replace Jobs, It Will Replace Companies — Anthony Franco Breaks It Down 55:47

4M ago55:47

55:47

In this episode of The CTO Show, serial entrepreneur and podcast host Anthony Franco joins Mehmet to unpack how AI is fundamentally reshaping how businesses operate—beyond the hype. With six exits under his belt and decades of experience launching and scaling ventures, Anthony shares what it really takes to operationalize AI in today’s organization…

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#472 Reinventing Cooling: Faizan Ahmed’s Solid-State Revolution 51:11

4M ago51:11

51:11

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we dive into the world of deep tech and hardware innovation with Faizan Ahmed, founder and CEO of Invensify. From solving his father’s insulin storage problem to building a patented solid-state cooling module, Faizan walks us through the journey of reinventing refrigeration and building a product-as-a-se…

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#471 The Future Needs Soul: Mona Bavar on Human-Centered AI and Branding 44:52

4M ago44:52

44:52

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we dive into the intersection of technology, creativity, and brand authenticity with Mona Bavar — founder of DLISH and BlueApples.ai. From a childhood shaped by cultural resilience to building borderless brands rooted in storytelling, Mona shares why the future of innovation needs more than algorithms — …

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#470 Solving Your Own Problem at Scale: Rahul Swaminathan’s Journey with Desertcart 44:30

4M ago44:30

44:30

What happens when a developer in Dubai decides to solve his own problem—and ends up building a 300M SKU e-commerce engine? In this episode, I speak with Rahul Swaminathan, the founder of Desertcart, one of the region’s most iconic tech-native e-commerce platforms. We dive deep into Rahul’s 11-year journey: from building Desertcart with Ruby on Rail…

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#469 From SDRs to AI Agents: Frank Sondors on Redefining Outbound Sales 48:29

4M ago48:29

48:29

In this episode, I sit down with Frank Sondors, founder of Salesforge, to explore how AI is reshaping outbound sales, why traditional sales hiring models are broken, and how modular tools are empowering leaner, more efficient GTM motions. Frank shares his journey from Google to launching a multi-product startup that hit $3M ARR in just 12 months—wi…

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#468 Scaling Smarter: Tyler Dunagin on Building 7-Figure Service Businesses with Purpose 54:28

4M ago54:28

54:28

In this episode, Mehmet is joined by Tyler Dunagin, Founder & CEO of Turnserv, a platform powering multiple tech-enabled service brands in the multifamily housing sector. Tyler has scaled five brands to 7-figure revenue, secured private equity backing, and earned a spot on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing U.S. companies. From building within ar…