Shows
Beginnings & BeyondEpisode 9: AI Isn’t Magic—It’s a Tool. Here’s How to Actually understand and use it with Miguel del MonteAleksi Lehtola and Miguel Del Monte (CTO at SSO Agency) break down what AI really is—and how business leaders can actually use it to scale. From LLMs to real-world marketing and automation workflows, this is a deep (but clear) conversation on how to apply GenAI to sales, strategy, content, and beyond.They also explore why general AI is still far off, what “tokens” mean, and why the smartest move you can make is just starting, great laughts included.🎙️ Powered by SSO Agency2025-05-0928 minBeginnings & BeyondEpisode 8: Building Businesses, Not Just Startups — with Guillermo EspínolaIn this episode of Beginnings and Beyond, I sit down with my longtime friend and mentor Guillermo Espínola, a true parallel entrepreneur, code-lover, and deep thinker on how tech and business collide (and sometimes crash).We cover:The hard truth about building service companies vs. productsWhy dependability beats accountability—especially in Latin AmericaThe “train vs. boat” metaphor for teams & employee exits (this is gold!)Startup funding myths, VC realities, and what founders really trade when chasing the moneyHis vision of creating small, sustainable tech units instead of chasing unicornsIf yo...2025-03-2643 minBeginnings & Beyond🎙️ Episode 7: Balancing Accountability and Freedom with Jukka KoskenkantoIn this informal yet insightful episode of Beginnings and Beyond, I catch up with my friend and mentor, Jukka Koskenkanto, to dive into his entrepreneurial journey and learnings on how to build success and SURVIVE in the modern business world with people and AI.We cover a lot of ground, from Jukka’s early days providing PA systems to scaling Cloudriven and merger, where he mastered the art of balancing accountability and freedom in entrepreneurship. Along the way, we explore the evolving role of gamification and AI in the workplace, the changing value of knowledge in the AI...2024-12-1126 minBeginnings & Beyond🎙️ Episode 6: Building Bridges in Tech with Alex SantanaIn this episode of Beginnings and Beyond, I talk with Alex Santana, an inspiring entrepreneur and community builder, about his journey from starting his first company at 17 in Bogotá, Colombia, to leading startup and VC programs at Amazon Web Services in Mexico City.
Alex dives into the importance of long-term thinking for startups and VCs, emphasizing genuine relationships over transactional networking and the power of a diverse portfolio. We also discuss his incredible work launching Mexico Tech Week, a movement that has grown from 8 events to over 200, transforming the Mexican tech scene into a vibrant, connected community.2024-11-2927 minBeginnings & BeyondEpisode 5: The Control Tower of Product Marketing: Insights from Nitin KartikIn this exciting Episode 5 we sit down with Nitin Karthik, one of the world’s top 50 product marketers, to explore his incredible journey from India and Tanzania to becoming a powerhouse in the tech world. Nitin opens up about his transition from software engineering to product marketing, which he brilliantly compares to an “aircraft control tower” guiding business strategy and success.
This conversation dives deep into practical strategies for thriving in high-pressure environments, building credibility through transparency, and the unmatched power of networking and mentorship in big tech. Nitin shares his mantra, “Slow is fast, fast is slow,” a...2024-11-2225 min
Beginnings & BeyondEpisode 4: Mikael Hugg Unlocking AI’s Potential: Why Your Imagination (Not the Tech) Sets the LimitsIn this second episode with Founder Mikael Hugg, we explore the power and pitfalls of AI, creativity, and mindset shifts that have shaped his entrepreneurial path. From his early days experimenting with ChatGPT 2, Mikael discusses why AI is only as good as the user’s imagination and what it takes to unlock its true potential. “It’s like a hard-working assistant, not a genius—so if you don’t know how to lead it, you’ll never get quality results,” he says.
Through stories of multimillion-dollar successes and some missed opportunities, Mikael unpacks why AI and people share a common...2024-11-0623 min
Beginnings & BeyondEpisode 3: Sink or Swim: Mikael Hugg on Embracing Failure, Burnout, and the True Grit of EntrepreneurshipIn this captivating episode, we dive deep into the entrepreneurial journey of Mikael Hugg, a founder who knows the highs, lows, and everything in between. Mikael shares his raw insights on building a company from scratch—from the hopeful beginnings and tough early years to experiencing failures, burnouts, and eventually finding success.
With over 15 years as an entrepreneur, Mikael speaks about the grit it takes to stay in the game, even when everything is crumbling. He recounts his pivotal decision to commit fully to the entrepreneurial path, the resilience built through a bankruptcy experience, an...2024-11-0632 min
Beginnings & BeyondEpisode 1: I'm Aleksi your host and Founder at B&B podcast, introduction special!Beginnings And Beyond Podcast is from Founders to Founders. Telling the Stories of Beginnings and sharing learnings on how to get to Beyond. I'm Aleksi, your Host and a Founder and this is my origin story and stories from the Journey of 10 companies.2024-11-0214 min
Beginnings & BeyondEpisode 2: Miguel Del Monte, The Co-founders journey that led to the creation of SmartAlly.io AI Startup.Two tech founders heads down working on their daily grind, crossed their paths but still continued to hone their skills even if they did not know it at the time, under preparation for something even greater.
The passion was born out of a common frustration—that nobody seemed able to handle customer conversations with the same care and love they believed in—certainly not at scale. One more time, fate brought them back together. This is the story of how two visionaries found purpose, built a scalable solution, and is now making the enduring impact in the time...2024-10-1710 min
RevSpotFrom Finland to Mexico --> Aleksi Lehtola, Growing Agencies GloballySummary
Aleksi Lehtola, the Head of Sales North America at Hubble, shares his journey in the HubSpot ecosystem and offers insights into building a successful agency. He emphasizes the importance of finding the right partners and learning from others in the industry. Aleksi highlights the underutilized features of HubSpot, such as dynamic content and the CMS hub, and discusses the value of AI tools in sales and marketing. He also advises young entrepreneurs to test quickly, pivot when necessary, and surround themselves with the right people.
Takeaways
Finding the right...2024-03-2733 min
Metsästä ja arvostaAloitteleva jousimetsästäjä Otto Turunen ja mentor Jukka LehtolaJousimetsästys tuntuu vetävän puoleensa uusia metsästäjiä. Laji on haastava, eikä sitä todellakaan tehdä saaliinhimon ajamana. Otto Turunen ja Jukka Lehtola kertovat Oton tarinan kautta, miten reitti kohti jousimetsästystä voi alkaa. 2020-05-2459 min