The CTO Show with Mehmet Gonullu

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 to execution with a single personalized operating system. Whether you’re a future founder, tech leader, or just AI-curious — this is an unmissable conversation about agency, survival, and the future of work. 🔑 Key Takeaways • Why the solopreneur economy is growing — and how AI will fuel it • How Huro’s AI agent “Gabby” acts like your personal COO • The importance of hyper-personalization in future AI systems • Cheryl’s perspective on quantum-inspired AI and sustainability • Why entrepreneurship is no longer optional — it’s a survival skill ⸻ 🎓 What You’ll Learn • How agentic AI can turn a non-technical founder into a one-person startup • The mindset shift from tools-in-buckets to full-stack execution engines • The role of empathy and personal context in the AI-human loop • Real talk on how and when AI might really replace traditional jobs • What Cheryl learned by moving from service entrepreneur to tech founder ⸻ 👤 About Cheryl Cunningham Cheryl Cunningham is the CEO and founder of Huro AI, a company building a hyper-personalized, agentic operating system designed to help everyday entrepreneurs execute their vision—without needing to be tech experts. With a background spanning food service to frontier AI, she brings a fresh, grounded approach to what it means to build tools for the builder. https://www.huroai.com/ [https://www.huroai.com/] https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylecunningham/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/cherylecunningham/] Episode Highlights [00:04:30] Cheryl’s first vision of Huro AI: A way to protect humanity from AI job loss [00:07:10] Why siloed tools are failing new entrepreneurs [00:09:30] The birth of Gabby: A hyper-personalized AI COO [00:14:00] Human uniqueness as the “source code” for agentic agents [00:20:30] Lessons from the food industry: Distribution is everything [00:23:00] Quantum-level AI thinking: Feasible without quantum chips? [00:35:00] Why we’re entering a “forced entrepreneurship” era [00:40:00] A message to the non-technical dreamers: You won’t be left behind

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 it takes to go from employee to entrepreneur, how to close six-figure enterprise deals, and why cultural resistance to failure is holding regions like Europe and MENA back. 🎯 What You’ll Learn • Why the accounting industry is broken—and how AI agents can fix it • How to sell automation without triggering fear of job loss • Michael’s approach to closing large deals through trust and patience • Why he traveled to Silicon Valley to build founder confidence • How to reframe failure as feedback • The hidden importance of storytelling in tech entrepreneurship • Why personal touch still matters in a world of AI ⸻ 🧠 Key Takeaways • “Build for free to earn trust” can break through even the most skeptical industries • Defensibility in AI isn’t just about code—it’s about context, geography, and relationships • Europe’s fear of failure is cultural, not intellectual—founders need a new narrative • The future of junior roles in accounting (and tech) is advisory, not operational 👤 About the Guest Michael Cutajar is the founder and CEO of AI Partners, a startup creating AI agents tailored for finance and accounting workflows. A qualified accountant turned tech entrepreneur, Michael is passionate about solving real-world problems with automation and building in public with a practical, test-first mindset. https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcutajar/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcutajar/] https://www.ai-partners.ai/ [https://www.ai-partners.ai/] 🕒 Episode Highlights (Timestamps) 00:00 – Intro & Michael’s background 02:30 – From accounting to entrepreneurship 04:45 – Spotting opportunities in AI automation 06:15 – Why accounting is a broken industry 07:40 – Real-world impact of AI agents (150% efficiency gains) 09:30 – Selling automation without triggering fear 11:00 – Lessons from closing six-figure enterprise deals 13:00 – Playing with pricing models in an evolving AI economy 14:50 – Can Big Tech kill your AI startup? 16:30 – Will AI make purchasing decisions? 17:30 – Are junior accounting jobs disappearing? 19:00 – How Michael built confidence through pitching 20:30 – Going to Silicon Valley for real-world feedback 22:00 – Why failure is taboo in Europe and MENA 26:30 – How to change a risk-averse culture 29:00 – Why schools need entrepreneurship education 31:00 – AI Partners’ roadmap and UK expansion 32:00 – The truth about “one-person unicorns” 37:00 – Final thoughts: Learn, test, and take the leap

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 real reason startups fail after product-market fit isn’t product—it’s people decisions • 🧠 Why founders struggle to let go—and how that bottlenecks growth • 🔍 The myth of culture as an “HR responsibility” and how to fix it • 🌍 When (and how) to scale internationally from a headcount perspective • 🔄 Burnout, layoffs, and the hidden cost of poor hiring processes • 💡 Why copying big company playbooks kills early-stage startups • 🤖 How AI is changing HR infrastructure—and where the tech is still falling short ⸻ 📚 What You’ll Learn • How to plan headcount like a growth-stage founder, not a first-time operator • Tactics to avoid operational debt from misaligned hires • The early signals that your startup culture is breaking • Frameworks for HR as a business enabler, not a cost center 👤 About Nahed Khairallah Nahed is a relentless advocate for the extraordinary potential of fast-growing startups. For over a decade, he has built a track record of transforming 7-figure companies into 9-figure powerhouses by turning HR into rocket fuel for their growth. His journey in scaling startups has been an exhilarating global expedition, taking him across the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. This experience has enriched his perspective on what it truly means to drive hyper-growth on a global scale and across cultures. https://www.linkedin.com/in/khairallahnahed [https://www.linkedin.com/in/khairallahnahed] https://organizedchaos.fyi/ [https://organizedchaos.fyi/] Episode Highlights & Timestamps 00:00 – Intro and why people ops is often overlooked 01:30 – Nahed’s journey: from IT to HR for startups 05:15 – Common people mistakes when startups start scaling 10:05 – Hiring for short-term needs vs long-term adaptability 14:10 – When is a startup really ready to scale globally? 20:00 – Why founders must stop treating HR as admin overhead 26:00 – A real example of cutting $500K in hiring costs 29:40 – Why startup culture breaks after 50+ employees 35:00 – Burnout, silent resignations, and founder blind spots 44:20 – Layoffs as a symptom of bad planning 48:00 – Using AI in HR: what’s working and what’s not 56:00 – Nahed’s podcast, newsletter, and startup HR course

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 evolve from coders to orchestrators. He also reflects on the tough decisions leadership demands, including disbanding QA teams and embracing lean, impact-focused engineering. 🔑 Key Takeaways • Why CTOs today must focus on customer outcomes, not just technical execution • How AI is reshaping industries with human-centric applications • The jobs-to-be-done mindset that shaped Square’s success • Lessons from shutting down a QA department in favor of full automation • The future of lean engineering teams and the end of unnecessary hierarchy • Thoughts on MCP, API design, and the orchestration layer of modern platforms ⸻ 💡 What You’ll Learn • How to lead tech teams with purpose and clarity • What it takes to align engineering with business goals • First-hand insights into AI implementation in non-technical industries • Why understanding “first principles” can give you a competitive edge • Tips for future CTOs and first-time startup tech leaders 👤 About Naga Vadrevu Naga is the CTO of Wonderschool, a platform transforming early childhood education through tech. With 15+ years in Silicon Valley, his experience spans enterprise giants like Adobe and Square to fast-scaling startups. Naga is passionate about using technology to solve human problems—and doing it with first-principles thinking. https://www.wonderschool.com/ [https://www.wonderschool.com/] https://www.linkedin.com/in/naga-ravi-vadrevu-8b142521/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/naga-ravi-vadrevu-8b142521/] Episode Highlights ⏱️ [00:02:00] Naga’s journey from India to Silicon Valley ⏱️ [00:03:00] Applying AI-driven pricing in childcare ⏱️ [00:05:00] Matching parents and childcare providers with tech ⏱️ [00:09:00] Learning the business: Lessons from Square and “Jobs To Be Done” ⏱️ [00:14:00] Thoughts on mass layoffs and the evolving role of engineers ⏱️ [00:21:00] Lean teams and the new standard for Series A+ readiness ⏱️ [00:26:00] Deterministic APIs vs non-deterministic agents ⏱️ [00:30:00] Shutting down QA and retraining engineers ⏱️ [00:34:00] Advice for aspiring CTOs: Think like a business owner

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 revenue—without external funding, without a co-founder, and without chasing VC hype. It’s a raw, refreshing look at building a real business in a noisy tech world. 🔑 Key Takeaways • Why Nelson chose to bootstrap instead of raising funding—and what it really takes • How being a yellow cab driver helped him identify the market gap • The power of a 400-page business plan as a startup GPS • Why focusing on operations, not investors, led to lasting traction • How Kidmoto scaled to 64 cities by owning its niche • His framework for leadership: “The path to greatness is along with others.” ⸻ 📘 What You’ll Learn • The realities of bootstrapping in a competitive market • How to validate product-market fit from first-hand customer pain • When not to chase investors—and how to stay grounded instead • The mindset it takes to turn operational grit into strategic scale • How humility and focus build trust in high-stakes services 👤 About Nelson Nigel Nelson Nigel, the resilient Founder and CEO of Moto Nation, transformed a personal challenge into a thriving business.  In 2016, as an Uber driver, he observed the absence of child car seats in taxis and car services, leaving parents in a vulnerable position.  Recognizing the gap in the market left by Uber and Lyft, Nelson developed a mobile app to offer a convenient and safe solution for parents traveling with small children, particularly to and from airports. https://www.linkedin.com/in/nelsonnigel/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nelsonnigel/] https://kidmoto.taxi/ [https://kidmoto.taxi/] Episode Highlights (Chapters) 00:00 – Intro and Nelson’s journey 03:00 – Spotting the market gap for Kidmoto 05:00 – Bootstrapping vs. fundraising: The decision 08:00 – Creating a 400-page business plan 11:00 – Product-market fit from real-world taxi insights 14:00 – Competing with Uber and Lyft? “I run my race” 17:00 – Scaling to 64 cities and $1M+ in revenue 20:00 – How Nelson would approach investors today 22:00 – Leadership philosophy and culture at Kidmoto 26:00 – Staying grounded through adversity 28:00 – What’s next: MotoNation and healthcare logistics 31:00 – Kidmoto’s use of AI and future outlook 33:00 – Final thoughts and Nelson’s advice for founders