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 leaderWhy empathy, not engineering, is the most powerful ingredient in scaling AIHow his experiences with VC-backed and PE-backed companies shaped his philosophyWhat Supernal is doing to help SMBs “hire their first AI employee”Resilience, burnout, and why knowing yourself might be the most important leadership toolWhether 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 seatGet In Touch With Scott:🌐 ⁠getsupernal.ai⁠

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