The Jason Cavness Experience

On this episode of The Jason Cavness Experience, Jason sits down with Tom Gurski, founder and CEO of Blue Dot Motorworks, an MIT-trained mechanical engineer who spent his career at the front end of product development. From Stirling engine generators at DEKA Research (Dean Kamen's company) to his own consultancy, Carbide Enterprises, to global sanitation projects in some of the world's poorest communities.

Tom is now building a bolt-on electric propulsion system that converts any light-duty gas vehicle into a plug-in hybrid cutting fuel use by up to 80% without giving up the gas engine, in about a one-day installation. Jason and Tom get into how the technology actually works, why it's "vehicle agnostic," the business model and pricing, and why Tom believes retrofitting the existing 1.5 billion gas cars on the road is a "need to have," not a "nice to have," solution for hitting climate targets.

The conversation also covers:

Why Seattle is a tough environment for hardware startups compared to the Bay Area Tom's

Wefunder campaign and lessons on raising a "family and friends" round the right way

The upcoming Founder Summit (July 15, Seattle Climate Innovation Hub) and PNW Climate Week

Nuclear energy, wind turbines, and the "birds vs. wind turbines" myth

A carbon tax and dividend policy idea Tom would implement as "climate czar"

Washington's EV mileage tax and the ferry-contract controversy

The emotional rollercoaster of founder life, burnout, and staying mission-aligned

Tom's advice for aspiring engineers in the age of AI

Tom'sLinks:

Blue Dot Motorworks: https://bluedotmotorworks.com/

Invest via Wefunder: https://wefunder.com/bluedotmotorworks

Tom Gurski on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-gurski/

Jason Cavness links:

https://linktr.ee/jasoncavness

Jason Cavness didn't leave the Army to become "Major Cavness" in a different uniform. He wanted a clean break. That decision pulled him into startups, podcasting, tech events, Vietnam business relationships, and a career built around one simple habit: say yes when the opportunity is aligned, then figure it out.

Mark Shriner talks with Jason about the transition from military life to entrepreneurship, why podcasting is more than content, how in-person relationships beat cold outreach, and what it really takes to keep building when you're introverted, scattered, nervous, and still moving forward.

We also discuss: • Leaving the Army without chasing another military-adjacent job

• How LinkedIn opened Jason's door into startups

• Why podcasts rarely monetize the way people expect

• Using a podcast to build relationships, credibility, and opportunity

• What Vietnam taught Jason about assumptions, hospitality, and business

• Why warm intros and in-person events still matter

• Public speaking as a trust shortcut

• Being an introvert who still hosts events, podcasts, and rooms

• Seattle's tech ecosystem and the value of being where builders gather

Jason Cavness: https://linktr.ee/

A better product does not always win. The clearer story often does. Crystal Clarity, Chief Operating Officer at s2s Public Relations, joins The Jason Cavness Experience to talk about why founders struggle to explain what they actually do. Why deep tech companies need to stop leading with features and how AI is flooding the internet with content that feels productive but often makes real connection harder.

We also discuss:

• Why founders often solve before they understand the problem

• How to make complex science and deep tech understandable

• Why people care less about features and more about feeling understood

• The future of PR, marketing, and AI-generated content

• Why human experience still matters in a world of synthetic media

• Media trust, misinformation, and the collapse of shared reality

• Crystal's career path from broadcast journalism to Pacific Science Center to s2s PR

• Empty nesting, parenting, music, and the next stage of life

Crystal's links

Company: https://www.s2spr.com

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/crystalclarity/

Jason links https://linktr.ee/jasoncavness

Daniella Young has built a brand by saying the thing most people avoid: bad leaders, bad groups, cult dynamics, and toxic loyalty are not fringe problems. They show up in politics, companies, the military, families, social media, and anywhere people stop questioning the room they are in.

Jason and Daniella talk about turning trauma into work, why "followers" should not become worshippers, how she built a creator-led book business, why she focuses on bad leadership instead of good leadership, and what most people misunderstand about cults, scams, fame, politics, parenting, and platform building.

We also discuss: • Talking to Khloe Kardashian and handling criticism for using big platforms

• Why confidence can make people more vulnerable to scams and cults

• The economics of traditional publishing vs self-publishing

• Building a personal brand around your actual story

• Why "front of the room advantage" changes how people see you

• Veterans, identity, and the danger zone after leaving the military

• Social media trolls, monetization, and standing out on purpose

• Parenting after trauma • Politics, corruption, term limits, and leadership failure

• Why there are no rules for creators right now

Daniella's links

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/daniellamyoung_/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@knittingcultladycaptain

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@KnittingCultLady

Website: https://knittingcultlady.com/

Jason links https://linktr.ee/cavnesshr

AI sales is often framed as replacement. Swetha Puvvada sees it differently: the real opportunity is using AI to remove the busy work so sellers can get back to listening, understanding pain, and having better conversations.

Swetha is Head of Product & Growth at Teameight, an AI SaaS company building an augmentation platform for sales teams.

We talk about product, GTM, customer feedback, career growth, mountaineering, and how she went from early-career intern to owning product and go-to-market inside a startup.

We also discuss:

• Why AI should augment sales instead of replacing sellers

• How Teameight helps ramp new sellers faster

• Why negative customer feedback is useful when it is specific

• What makes someone a good salesperson

• How Swetha moved from internship to Head of Product and GTM

• Why younger talent needs broader product and systems thinking

• How mountaineering teaches trust, risk, and preparation

• Being one of the few women in tech and mountaineering

• Why taking opportunities matters more than waiting for permission

Swetha links LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/swetha-puvvada/

Teameight: https://www.teameight.ai/

Jason links https://linktr.ee/admin

Fresh roti is simple to eat and hard to automate. Komal Kashiramka is building Poshan, a robotics company developing next-generation kitchen appliances, starting with an automatic roti maker designed to create soft roti that lasts for hours.

Komal shares how she moved from Microsoft and Meta into entrepreneurship. Why hardware requires a different level of patience than software and what founders can learn from customer discovery, AI, parenting, and building something people will trust in their kitchens.

We also discuss:

• Why soft roti is the real product challenge

• Building a hardware company in the R&D phase

• What AI changes for junior engineers

• Why fundamentals still matter in software

• Leaving corporate life without having everything figured out

• Startup 425 and Seattle Public Library business resources

• Raising kids while building a company

• RotiTales and making roti easier to understand

Komal links

Poshan Website: https://poshan.us/

Poshan LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/company/poshan-inc

RotiTales Website: https://rotitales.com/

RotiTales Instagram: https://instagram.com/rotitales

RotiTales LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/rotitales/ RotiTales

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/rotitales

RotiTales YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@rotitales

Jason links

Jason's Linktree: https://linktr.ee/admin

Jason's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncavness/

YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGsw6kzZE40sSUZgoStVaJw?sub_confirmation=1

Most people run from grief. Eden Marryshow turned it into a film. In this conversation, Eden breaks down the emotional process behind filmmaking, storytelling, creativity, and why the best art usually comes from the most personal places. We talk about losing family, directing actors, independent filmmaking, community, and the long path creators take back to who they were before the world told them to stop creating.

This episode is also a masterclass on storytelling itself from Star Wars and Scorsese to creative discipline, ego, collaboration, and why limitations often produce better art than unlimited budgets.

We also discuss:

• Why most people know who they are by age six

• The connection between grief and creativity

• Directing actors without ego

• Why independent creators have to learn everything

• The psychology behind great storytelling

• Rocky, Star Wars, Goodfellas, and favorite films

• Why "story is king" in filmmaking

• How schools often suppress creativity

• Building community through storytelling

• NFL talk, Giants football, and leadership

Guest links

Instagram: @edenmarryshow

Email: [email protected]

Jason Linktree https://linktr.ee/admin

Entrepreneurship isn't freedom it's volatility, pressure, and constant uncertainty. Nathan Kaiser built 2bar Spirits by embracing that reality, not ignoring it. He breaks down why most people shouldn't start companies, what actually keeps a business alive, and how constraints, not capital, create better outcomes. This is a raw look at building something real in a crowded, unforgiving industry.

We also discuss:

• Why starting a company is usually the wrong financial move

• How constraint beats capital in building a business

• The myth of overnight success (and the Tito's example)

• Why focus wins over product expansion

• The real role of rejection in sales and growth

• How long-term thinking applies to both whiskey and life

Nathan Kaiser LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nckaiser/

2bar Spirits: http://2barspirits.com

Email: [email protected]

Jason links

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncavness

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejasoncavnessexperience/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasoncavness

Podcast: https://www.thejasoncavnessexperience.com

Website: www.cavness.io

Most founders don't fail because of bad ideas. They fail because they run out of moneyand don't know why. In this episode of The Jason Cavness Experience, I sit down with Morgan Rogers from NOW CFO to break down what actually happens inside companies when the financial side isn't dialed in.

Morgan works with founders, operators, and investors every day cleaning up messy books, preparing companies for fundraising, and helping them avoid decisions that quietly destroy businesses. She's helped scale a Seattle office by over 500% and has seen the same pattern over and over again.

But the real story is this: Most founders don't understand their numbersand it costs them everything. We get into the uncomfortable truth: cash flow problems, bad assumptions, and delayed decisions kill more companies than competition ever will.

This is a video podcast available on YouTube and podcast platforms.

What We Talked About

• Why cash in your bank account doesn't mean you're profitable

• The difference between a bookkeeper, controller, and CFO

• When startups should actually bring in financial help

• The hidden cost of messy books • Why most founders wait too long to fix financial problems

• How to prepare for fundraising the right way

• Why networking (done right) drives real revenue

• Scaling a business development engine

• When to shut down vs keep pushing forward

Connect with Morgan Rogers

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/morgan-rogers-64a83768/

Email: [email protected]

Website: https://www.nowcfo.com/

Connect with Jason Cavness

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncavness

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejasoncavnessexperience/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@jasoncavness

Podcast: https://www.thejasoncavnessexperience.com

Military Creator Con

I'll be speaking at Military Creator Con on leveraging content to create opportunities.

Sign up here: https://bit.ly/speaker_jason_cavness_social

Power Note Profit is opinion. Cash flow is reality.

From a failed startup to launching Founders Live across 155 cities and 58 countries, Nick explains what founders really need early on: community, storytelling, validation, and consistent action. He also breaks down why most people wait too long to start, how 99-second pitches force clarity, and what he's learned traveling through startup ecosystems around the world. Nick also shares how Founders Live evolved from a simple Seattle pitch event into a global founder marketplace connecting startups with legal, development, hiring, and growth resources.

We also discuss:

• Why founders overthink getting started

• How storytelling creates startup momentum

• Building startup ecosystems outside Silicon Valley

• Why the crowd votes at Founders Live

• Lessons from running communities across 58 countries

• What startup culture looks like in Africa and Southeast Asia

• The future of Founders Live's marketplace model

• Running a global remote-first company

• Nick's upcoming 90-day Africa tour

• Why entrepreneurship is a universal human drive

Nick Hughes LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/jnickhughes/

Nick Hughes Instagram https://www.instagram.com/jnickhughes/

Founders Live https://www.founderslive.com/

Jason Links https://linktr.ee/admin

Also check out The Jason Cavness Experience Deep Tech Demo Day during Seattle Deep Tech Week.

A showcase bringing together founders, investors, operators, and emerging deep tech startups across the Seattle ecosystem.

https://www.deep-tech-week.com/seattle-2026/events/the-jason-cavness-experience-deep-tech-demo-day-part-of-seattle-deep-tech-week