In this episode of AI for Founders, Marco, the co-founder of Crono, shares how his AI-powered sales automation platform is redefining modern B2B outbound. From enriched data and custom lead signals to full-funnel multichannel automation, Crono is helping sales teams eliminate busywork and focus on building relationships.

• Crono is AI-first—automating 80% of repetitive sales tasks
• Over 10 integrated data sources for unmatched contact accuracy
• Cross-channel outreach: Email, LinkedIn, WhatsApp, phone
• Perfect for structured outbound and high-ticket offers
• Prioritizes quality over quantity: 100 contacts/day strategy
• Deep email deliverability insights and safeguards
• Platform connects with CRMs and sales tools
• Supports both startups and enterprise sales teams
• Bootstrapped to $50k+ MRR before considering next raise
• Future-focused with a grounded roadmap and strong vision

• Data: Multi-source enrichment and validation
• AI: Personalization, insights, automation logic
• Automation: End-to-end campaign orchestration

1. Engage on LinkedIn (likes, comments)
2. Send a personalized email follow-up
3. Initiate cold call to build trust
4. Use WhatsApp for warm outreach and follow-ups

• Crono Official Website
• Marco on LinkedIn
• Kitcaster Podcast Booking
• OpenAI
• LinkedIn Sales Navigator

Brett Beck joins Ryan Estes to talk about how he built Bella Booty Fitness and launched the patented hip thrust belt that's changing how people train glutes, core, and inner thighs. This episode dives into product design, IP protection, D2C growth, and why AI can’t replace real human training.

• Created Bella Booty to solve discomfort and inefficiency in hip thrust workouts.
• Bootstrapped growth using TikTok, Meta ads, and grassroots education before launching on Amazon.
• Filed IP in both China and the US with design and utility patents.
• Built a testing lab inside his own gym to prototype across different body types.
• Uses AI for market research, legal prep, and operational efficiency—not to replace human trainers.
• Grounded in Stoic philosophy, particularly Amor Fati.

1. Observe pain points in real-world use
2. Prototype in-person with engineers
3. Test daily with real clients
4. Iterate for efficiency, portability, and comfort

• File patents in China and the U.S. simultaneously
• Submit pre-litigation docs to enable local enforcement
• Use Amazon APEX program for takedowns
• Run AI-based counterfeit detection sweeps

• Start on Meta and TikTok with viral content
• Delay Amazon entry until demand is validated
• Scale via performance benchmarks and ad testing
• Focus on education-first marketing

• Bella Booty Fitness
• Brett Beck on Instagram
• Beck Fit LA
• Daily Stoic
• LaunchBoom
• Amazon APEX Program
• Kitcaster - Podcast Guest Booking

Ryan Estes sits down with Jake Johnson, co-founder of Bolto, to explore how AI is transforming global hiring and HR. They cover Bolto’s rapid growth, employer of record services, team diversity, and how to build in public without fear.

• Transparency builds accountability. Execution beats secrecy.
• EORs make global hiring easy, legal, and scalable.
• AI-driven interviews streamline recruiting worldwide.
• YC support and co-founder alignment drive startup momentum.
• Pricing: $500/month per international EOR hire, market rate for recruiting.
• Global compliance is critical. Misclassify employees and pay the price.
• Diverse teams solve complex problems more effectively.
• Philosophy matters. Critical thinking helps navigate AI ethics.
• Cursor AI boosts engineering productivity exponentially.
• The future: filtered avatars, language translation, boundaryless talent.

• Share your roadmap and progress
• Accept public accountability
• Out-execute competitors who know your plans

• Use EOR for long-term, embedded roles
• Use contractor model for short-term work
• Validate local compliance based on country laws

1. Source Talent
2. AI-Powered Interviews
3. Hire and Onboard
4. Manage Payroll and Benefits
5. Stay Globally Compliant

• Bolto Website
• Jake Johnson on LinkedIn
• Jake on Twitter (X)
• Y Combinator
• Cursor AI
• Kitcaster
• PEO Benefits Explained
• Employer of Record Guide
• IRS: Contractor vs Employee
• Gartner on AI in HR

Guest: Ryan Shuken

Host: Ryan Estes

Podcast: AI for Founders

How to Vibe Code: Zero to Hero --> here

Summary

Ryan Shuken, a full-stack engineer, startup accelerator director, and longtime founder coach, shares how AI is changing how startups are built. From his experience in China’s startup ecosystem to creating the vibe coding method, this episode is packed with actionable strategies for AI-native founders.

Key Takeaways

• Vibe Coding: A process that lets non-technical founders build with AI rapidly and intuitively.
• PRD Framework: Use a Project Requirements Document to define goals, features, and user stories. Build with AI collaboratively and refer back to the PRD consistently.
• Version Control: Use Git or GitHub to save, branch, and roll back your code. Avoid hallucinations and data loss from continuous AI prompting.
• Startup Economics: AI has reduced software development costs. More VC funds can now go to growth, marketing, and operations.
• Future of VC: Expect smaller check sizes and more nimble microfunds funding big ideas.
• Human-Tech Interfaces: Look forward to AI that operates invisibly in your daily life—voice, gesture, and even attention-based inputs.
• China Startup Experience: Innovation over IP. Learn from how speed, not legal protection, wins in hyper-competitive markets.

Resources & Tools Mentioned

• GitHub – Free version control
• Cursor – AI coding IDE
• Windsurf – AI developer tool
• Same.dev – One-shot coding platform
• Lovable – Instant MVP builder
• Claude AI – From Anthropic
• Gemini Pro 2.5 – Google’s flagship AI
• Grok AI – From xAI
• Ryan Shuken on LinkedIn

Greg Logan on AI for Founders Founder of Narrativity | Author of Creating a Blockbuster Brand

Episode Summary: Greg Logan reveals how to use Hollywood storytelling techniques to transform brand messaging and engage customers emotionally. Backed by neuroscience and decades of experience, Greg explains why conventional marketing language fails and how to make your message unforgettable—even in the AI age.

Key Takeaways

• People buy emotionally first, then justify logically.
• Stories light up the entire brain, not just parts activated by data.
• Make your customer the hero; your brand is the mentor.
• AI writing often reinforces industry clichés—avoid vague, generic phrases.
• Use tension to hook attention, not empty positivity.
• Write how you speak—concise, conversational, and clear.
• Cut wasted words that don't differentiate your brand.

Frameworks

1. Hero’s Journey for Brands: Customer as hero, brand as guide
2. Tension → Emotion → Resolution: Emotional connection through narrative arc
3. Word Banning Exercise: Eliminate clichés and industry jargon
4. Storytelling Quiz: Messaging diagnostic for clarity, tone, and resonance

Case Studies

• Nike – Storytelling through challenge-based taglines
• Oatly – Reinvention through voice and tone
• Liquid Death – Humor and shock as storytelling devices
• Formula 1 – Netflix’s narrative documentary transformed public engagement

Resources

• Greg Logan's Company - Narrativity
• Book: Creating a Blockbuster Brand
• Storytelling Quiz Diagnostic Tool
• Podcast Guest Booking - Kitcaster

Guest: Jody Medich, Designer, Futurist, Cognitive Ergonomics Expert
Host: Ryan Estes
Podcast: AI for Founders

In this episode, Ryan Estes talks with Jody Medich about the future of AI, XR (Extended Reality), and the design of human-first interfaces. Jody’s work reimagines how we interact with machines—not by replacing human intelligence, but by augmenting it.

• AI needs better interfaces to become tools of amplification rather than automation.
• Cognitive ergonomics centers technology design around human mental and sensory models.
• XR acts as a new interface layer between humans and intelligent systems.
• Immersive tech can unlock neuroplasticity and expand our cognitive abilities.
• The path to AI superpowers lies in co-thinking, not just prompt engineering.

• Cognitive Ergonomics: Aligning tech design with human thinking and behavior.
• Speed of Thought Interfaces: Real-time interaction without bottlenecks.
• Embodied Cognition: Using movement and environment to process information.
• XR as Visualization Layer: Making AI capabilities tangible through spatial tools.

• SnowWorld – VR pain reduction study
• Walk Again Project – Duke University
• Microsoft HoloLens Gestures
• Notebook LM – Google
• Claude – Anthropic

Jody on LinkedIn

Guest: Andrew Amann, CEO of NineTwoThree.co

Host: Ryan Estes

Published: June 09, 2025

Episode Summary

Andrew Amann joins to share practical frameworks for AI integration, stories from projects with FanDuel, and bold predictions about the future of intelligent agents and emotional computing.

Key Takeaways

• AI adoption is 80% human, 20% tech – start with mindset, not software.
• Frameworks must focus on solving business bottlenecks.
• Custom agents like ChuckGPT need months of brand-safe training.
• AI augments employees; it doesn't replace them.
• Emotional computing is the next AI frontier.
• Apple is lagging in AI innovation due to lack of software integration.
• Elon Musk is playing the long game in hardware, software, and policy.
• For college students: focus on operations, management, and learning by doing.
• Best tools: Copilot (Microsoft), Gemini (Google), not ChatGPT for enterprise work.

AI Integration Framework

1. Be curious: understand the business end-to-end.
2. Find bottlenecks: target repetitive or error-prone tasks.
3. Solve with traditional tech or build AI agents as needed.
4. Use a human-agent-human workflow for quality control.
5. Measure and orchestrate agents like a general commands an army.

Resources

• NineTwoThree.co
• ChuckGPT Demo
• Apple Vision Pro Review
• Microsoft Copilot
• Google Gemini AI

Guest: Katherine von Jan, Founder & CEO of Tough Day

Date: June 05, 2025

Key Takeaways

• Tough Day helps employees and managers work through workplace challenges via a private, AI-powered chat assistant called Tuffy.
• Tuffy assists with performance conversations, feedback collection, roleplay, journaling, and decision-making—all within a confidential interface.
• Built on curated HR, legal, and leadership frameworks not available in public LLMs, including HBR content and partner-authored materials.
• Customizes tone and recommendations to match regional and organizational culture.
• New subscriptions available directly via Tough.Day, including individual and small team plans.

Frameworks & Concepts

• Confidential Coaching: Private, personal-device access; no data returned to employer.
• Manager Support: Use Tuffy for performance reviews, managing up, and preparing tough conversations.
• Customization Layer: Employers define HR policy stances; tone adapted for cultural fit.

Resources

• Tough.Day (Official Site)
• Katherine von Jan on LinkedIn
• Fisher Phillips Employment Law
• Harvard Business Review
• Charter Works
• Perplexity.ai
• Vibes.AI
• OpenAI

Chris Pitchford, Founder of Brev

Summary:

Chris Pitchford joins Ryan Estes to explore how AI agents are reshaping business execution. Brev embeds AI directly into enterprise workflows to automate status tracking, identify risks, and align teams across OKRs—all without logging into new tools. Chris breaks down his startup journey, enterprise go-to-market playbook, and vision for a future where agents and humans work side-by-side.

Key Takeaways:

• AI agents automate execution—not just status reports
• Weekly check-ins drive 2.5x more goal achievement
• Design partner process was cold, rigorous, and legally binding
• Predictable pricing is key for enterprise adoption
• Brev’s real moat is data and embedded workflows, not just the model

Frameworks:

• Brev Agent Model: Listen → Track → Flag → Update
• Design Partner Funnel: Outreach → Interview → Contract → Feedback
• Pricing Validation: Ask “cheap” vs “prohibitively expensive” to find the middle ground

Resources:

• Brev.ai
• The Mom Test
• First Round Capital Playbooks
• Granola AI
• Product Hunt - Brev Launch

Connect with Chris Pitchford:

LinkedIn

Nicole Donnelly, Founder of AISmartMarketing.com

Overview:

Nicole is a former pro snowboarder turned AI strategist, now helping businesses of all sizes adopt practical, impactful AI tools. In this conversation, she explains how AI can help small businesses scale, survive economic shifts, and automate without losing their human touch.

Key Takeaways:

• 75% of small businesses haven’t adopted AI yet—major opportunity.
• Google search volume is down for the first time ever—AI search is rising.
• AI is the bridge through the $1M and $10M growth “valleys of death.”
• Use case: AI agent built to forecast sales based on seasonal weather patterns.
• Gemini excels in math; ChatGPT delivers better insights.
• AI + automation = more creativity and happier teams.

Frameworks & Methodologies:

4D Framework:

1. Diagnose – Audit existing processes
2. Design – Create an AI strategy
3. Develop – Train and test tools
4. Deploy – Scale intelligently

Training Ladder:

• $197 self-serve course
• $997 live course (4 weeks)
• $5,000+ certification programs
• $10K+/day in-person training

Resources:

• AI Smart Marketing Website
• Courses and Resources
• YouTube Channel
• Go High Level CRM
• Farmers Almanac