Episode 2: The Winding Path from Programming Prodigy to CEO - Scott Downes, CEO of Supernal AI

Frank Wiles: CEO of RevSys and Early Django Contributor on Open Source history and Super Charging Engineering Teams

In this conversation, Frank Wiles discusses the impact of AI on the development industry, comparing it to the evolution of tools in construction. He emphasizes that while AI may change the nature of work, it will not eliminate the need for developers but rather enhance their efficiency and capabilities. Wiles believes that developers will continue to engage with coding, albeit with more advanced tools at their disposal.

Founder of AI Circle, Albert Chun: AI community and human data

In this episode of the Open Story Podcast, Adam Haney sits down with Albert Chun, founder of AI Circle (ai-circle.org) The conversation delves into the importance of building sustainable relationships within AI communities, emphasizing the need for long-term engagement and the challenges of maintaining a community in a rapidly evolving field.

Episode 2: The Winding Path from Programming Prodigy to CEO - Scott Downes, CEO of Supernal AI

In this episode, Adam Haney sits down with Scott Downes, CEO of Supernal AI, to explore his unconventional and inspiring path from childhood coding to leading a company that’s redefining how small businesses adopt AI. Scott shares candid lessons from nearly three decades in technology—starting in desktop publishing, navigating the rise and fall of dot-com startups, building global teams, and eventually transitioning from CTO to CEO. This conversation dives deep into: * The mindset shifts required to evolve from a technical leader to a business leader * Why empathy, not engineering, is the most powerful ingredient in scaling AI * How his experiences with VC-backed and PE-backed companies shaped his philosophy * What Supernal is doing to help SMBs “hire their first AI employee” * Resilience, burnout, and why knowing yourself might be the most important leadership tool Whether you’re a rising technical leader or a founder navigating your next chapter, this episode is packed with insights on growth, self-awareness, and building lean, purpose-driven companies in the age of AI. Chapters * (01:00) Learning to code at 7 years old and his early “report card” software * (05:00) Working at BellSouth and legitimizing internet tools in the enterprise * (14:00) Startup roller coasters and what he learned from Air2Web’s M&A drama * (18:00) Why being a great engineer doesn't make you a great engineering leader * (21:00) The difference between VC and PE leadership philosophies * (24:00) What finally pushed him to fully embrace the CEO role * (28:00) What Supernal does—and how it helps SMBs “hire an AI employee” * (37:00) Why his heart is with small business and solopreneurs * (41:00) Building inside Infinity and the power of founder community * (45:00) The “compound interest of good decisions” and overcoming burnout * (49:00) Advice for technical leaders eyeing the CEO seat Get In Touch With Scott: 🌐 ⁠getsupernal.ai⁠ [https://getsupernal.ai]

Episode 1: CTO/COO of Unlimited Finance, William Littlefield on Risk, Reasoning, and the Rise of Financial Agents

In this inaugural episode of The Open Story Podcast, host Adam Haney sits down with William Littlefield—Olympic-caliber skater turned AI entrepreneur—to explore how artificial intelligence is poised to transform the financial services landscape. From eliminating back-office drudgery to democratizing access to financial literacy, this conversation dives deep into the intersection of technology, education, and business health. William shares how Unlimited is building AI agents to streamline critical workflows for banks, asset managers, and insurance firms—while raising big questions about what happens when agents start talking to agents. Together, Adam and William unpack why entrepreneurs struggle to play CFO, how better UI and smarter assistants could close that gap, and why the future of finance might not involve a screen at all. If you're a founder, investor, or tech-curious operator thinking about how AI will reshape your financial decisions—this one’s for you. What You’ll Learn: * Why AI may finally solve the long-standing problem of financial literacy * How legacy infrastructure is holding back FinTech innovation—and how to break through * The importance of education, UX, and agentic design in delivering real financial solutions * What startups, blue chips, and incumbents are getting right (and wrong) about AI adoption * Why the best financial advisor of the future might be your AI