Tech Can't Save Us

Hosted by Literal Humans

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203

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Jun 2026

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About the show

A podcast for tech founders and operators building the next generation of mission-driven tech companies. Each episode, host Paul David (Founder/CEO of Literal Humans) sits down with a CEO, founder, or innovator and digs into the key questions that separate companies that scale from those that stall: What's going on in your sector? What's your path to category leadership? How's your product? Do your customers truly love it? How sharp is your go-to-market (GTM) strategy + execution? Who are your senior leaders? How are their personal and professional experiences shaping your growth trajectory? Paul has led two B2B SaaS-focused growth consultancies (formerly, marketing agencies called Optimist and Literal Humans) and helped scale leading companies including Wise, Payoneer, Oura, Oyster, Chipper Cash, Remofirst, Playbook, and Grey — several to unicorn status. The throughline of every conversation: Stories from the front lines of using cutting-edge GTM/RevOps/Growth/Marketing strategy + execution alongside tech leaders to solve the most pressing issues (climate, health, education, finance, future of work/talent/HR, etc.) of our time.

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June 11, 2026Episode 3723 min

S4 Ep37: Redefining Digital Visibility in the Age of AI Search with Vojtech Oravec, Founder of Ranketta

This week on Tech Can't Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Vojtech Oravec, the founder of Ranketta, an innovative platform helping companies measure and optimize their visibility within AI-driven search engines and answer engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity. With a deep background as an AI research scientist and enterprise product manager, Vojtech is now building the tools brands need to stay relevant in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.They discuss the fundamental shift from traditional Google searches to AI-generated answers, exploring why direct answers are replacing the classic "10 blue links" and what this behavioral shift means for modern brands. Vojtech outlines the critical mistakes companies make when trying to establish AI visibility, such as completely blocking AI bots, relying on inaccurate API approximations, and focusing on brand visibility over more crucial product-level metrics.The conversation dives deep into the world of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and how Ranketta bridges the visibility gap by scraping actual user interfaces to analyze citations, influential keywords, and product recommendation rates. Vojtech provides actionable insights for marketing teams, ranging from content enrichment with frequently asked questions to targeting specific AI-preferred keywords, while explaining how Ranketta integrates directly into existing workflows like Google Analytics and Shopify.Vojtech also shares his strategic growth plans following Ranketta's recent €1 million pre-seed funding round, including scaling their dynamic team, achieving key revenue milestones, and establishing a crucial US beachhead to capture the fast-evolving AI shopping market. Finally, he reflects on his personal journey from navigating high-level AI research alongside famous scientists to becoming a tech founder at the cutting edge of the next generation of the internet.Find more about Ranketta here: https://ranketta.comFollow Vojtech here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vojtech-oravec-091409236/

June 4, 2026Episode 3631 min

S4 Ep36: Scaling the AI-Driven Health Operating System with Nick Lenten, Founder & CEO of Ahead Health

This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Nick Lenten, founder and CEO at Ahead Health and a veteran of the tech world who previously served as head of product at Google. Ahead Health is on a mission to build Europe’s AI-driven prevention platform, offering advanced health checkups in under 60 minutes to bring elite-level preventative care to the general public.The conversation explores the fundamental gaps in the European healthcare model, where a scarcity of expensive doctors and an aging population often force a focus on treating existing symptoms rather than long-term prevention. Nick explains how Ahead Health is tackling these challenges by democratizing the high-end “concierge” medical experience—typically reserved for the top 0.1%—through process optimization, AI, and extensive blood and imaging panels.They dive into the strategic advantages of the Swiss market, noting its high talent density and a population already accustomed to paying out-of-pocket for healthcare, which allows for faster innovation. Nick also shares his approach to building a “customer-obsessed” health product that removes the friction and clinical clunkiness of traditional systems, aiming instead to create a “minimum lovable product” that acts as a personalized health companion.Finally, Nick offers insights into the “super scary” emotional journey of a founder, the current VC climate for consumer health, and his “builder” leadership philosophy that prioritizes shipping real products over endless meetings. He envisions Ahead Health eventually becoming the center of gravity for a user’s preventative healthcare journey by connecting them seamlessly to the local medical ecosystem.Find more about Ahead Health here: https://www.aheadhealth.com/ch/en/ Follow Nick Lenten here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nlenten/

May 28, 2026Episode 3535 min

S4 Ep35: Enhancing Leadership Intelligence with Ben Perreau, Founder & CEO of Parafoil

This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Ben Perreau, founder and CEO of Parafoil, a leadership intelligence platform that uses cognitive science and psycholinguistics to help managers evolve into exceptional leaders. They discuss the current crisis in management, where a “great flattening” of organizational structures has significantly increased the cognitive load on individuals who often wait an average of 10 years after their first promotion to receive any formal leadership training.Ben explains how Parafoil addresses this gap by sitting unobtrusively in meetings to gather conversational data, providing managers with actionable feedback and behavioral insights based on their real-world interactions. The conversation covers Parafoil’s commitment to radical privacy and information security, ensuring that while the platform helps organizations track cultural change, individual transcripts and data remain private to the manager.Ben also shares insights from the foundational work of James Pennebaker on psycholinguistics, revealing how the choice of “junk words” like pronouns and prepositions can uncover a leader’s cognitive state and team cohesion. Finally, they explore why “soft skills” are becoming the hardest constraint for performance in an AI-abundant world and how instrumentation for leadership is as essential today as a cockpit is for a pilot.Find more about Parafoil here: https://parafoil.co/ Follow Ben Perreau here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/perreau/

May 21, 2026Episode 3447 min

S4 Ep34: Unlocking the Bitcoin Advantage with Shawn Owen, CEO of SALT Lending

This week on Tech Can't Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Shawn Owen, CEO of SALT Lending, a pioneer in the blockchain space since 2016. As a serial entrepreneur with over 26 years of experience and a passion for Bitcoin dating back to 2011, Shawn provides a unique perspective on bridging the gap between legacy finance and the digital asset revolution.They discuss the fundamental problems SALT aims to solve for long-term Bitcoin holders, specifically the ability to access liquidity and preserve wealth without being forced to sell their assets. Shawn explains how the company survived the "Wild West" of the crypto lending market by sticking to core principles and navigating complex regulatory shifts to become a regulated lender in 2026.The conversation covers SALT's innovative product features, such as the Stabilization and Shield tools, which are designed to protect borrowers from the volatility of flash crashes by providing an "extension of time" rather than immediate liquidation. Shawn also sheds light on the company's strategic move to convert $64 million of debt into Series A shares, an alternative recapitalization structure that avoided the traditional bankruptcy process and strengthened the firm's position compared to fallen peers like FTX.Looking toward the future, Shawn shares insights on the upcoming "Bitcoin Advantage" book and the potential for Bitcoin and real estate to merge as collateralized assets over the next decade. From his roots in the hospitality industry to building global fintech, Shawn reflects on the human element of technology, the importance of "obsessing over the customer," and why a transparent, decentralized financial system is essential for a better human experience.Find more about SALT Lending here: https://saltlending.comFollow Shawn Owen here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawn-owen-052a6153/

May 14, 2026Episode 3331 min

S4 Ep33: Architecting the Future of Campus Commerce with Taran Lent, CTO of Illumia

This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Taran Lent, CTO of Illumia. A leader in enterprise-grade cloud software, Illumia was born from the strategic merger of Transact Campus and Seaboard, two powerhouses focused on revolutionizing commerce and credentialing solutions. They discuss the unique challenges of modernizing the tech stack for mission-critical legacy industries, including higher education, healthcare, and corporate campuses. Taran explains how Illumia defines the modern connected campus by doing the hard things, such as managing high-stakes security, complex payment reconciliations, and instant mobile accessibility, so their clients can focus on their core missions.The conversation covers the philosophy of software craft and how prioritizing engineering standards and invisible technology attracts top talent while creating long-term velocity. Taran shares the story behind Illumia’s milestone global integration with Apple, Google, and Samsung to deliver frictionless digital identity and payments via mobile credentials. He further explores the role of AI as a force multiplier used to eliminate high-toil, low-joy tasks, such as automatically reconciling millions of dollars in campus transactions or managing complex nutritional data in hospitals. Finally, Taran provides insights on leading at scale, maintaining a startup innovation pace through empowered autonomous teams, and why finding deep conviction is the key to solving persistent problems.Find more about Illumia here: https://illumiatech.com/ Follow Taran Lent here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/taranlent/

May 7, 2026Episode 3234 min

S4 Ep32: Episode Description: Engineering Durability in Complex Systems with Ivan Gekht, CEO of Gehtsoft USA

This week on Tech Can't Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Ivan Gekht, CEO of Gehtsoft USA, a prominent leader in software delivery for highly regulated environments. Ivan’s professional journey is remarkably unique, beginning as a Siberian aerospace engineer before he transitioned into the high-stakes world of fintech and trading. As the creator of the New York Stock Exchange’s first-ever FX monitor, Ivan brings a systems-first philosophy to technology that prioritizes durability and accountability over simple speed.The conversation explores why complex systems benefit from an aerospace mindset, a discipline where engineers assume failure is inevitable and design the system specifically to survive it. Ivan points out that the most significant modern failures often result from the interactions between components that appear to work perfectly in isolation. This perspective is critical in industries like regulated trading, where a bad release can lead to hundreds of millions of dollars in losses within minutes.Paul and Ivan also discuss the delicate balance between rapid growth and operational stability. Ivan warns that modern tools like venture capital, the cloud, and AI act as powerful amplifiers that can lead to uncontrollable growth if the underlying foundation is broken. While he acknowledges that AI assistants can provide incredible performance gains for senior developers, he notes they can also help junior developers create a “mess” much faster if used without a proper understanding of architecture.The episode further dives into the reality of leading remote teams and Ivan’s “unpopular opinions” shared through the Agile Bulletin. He argues that remote work typically fails not due to physical distance, but because ambiguity scales faster than trust, requiring leaders to be far more explicit and communicative. Ultimately, Ivan emphasizes that true innovation is built on a foundation of dependability, noting that any complex system that works was invariably evolved from a simple system that worked.Find more about Gehtsoft USA: https://gehtsoftusa.com/Follow Ivan Gekht: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivan-gekht/

April 30, 2026Episode 3128 min

S4 Ep31: Revolutionizing African Payments through Payments-as-a-Service with Jonatan Allback, CEO & Co-Founder of NjiaPay

This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Jonatan Allback, Co-founder and CEO of NjiaPay, a payments-as-a-service company simplifying online commerce across the African continent. With nearly 15 years of fintech experience, Jonatan is now applying big-tech growth principles to one of the world's most exciting emerging markets. They discuss the immense hurdles of operating in a region with 54 sovereign countries, over 40 currencies, and more than 30 different central bank switches. Jonatan explains how NjiaPay acts as a technical layer between merchants and traditional Payment Service Providers (PSPs) to optimize orchestration and ensure redundancy in volatile infrastructure.The conversation explores Jonatan's "aha" moment when he realized how legacy infrastructure in certain markets felt like a step back in time, inspiring the creation of a one-API solution to solve operational nightmares for retailers. He describes how NjiaPay's smart routing feature uses bank identification numbers to automatically route transactions to the best-performing PSP, helping to bridge the success rate gap between African and Western markets. Jonatan also outlines his lean expansion strategy, which focuses on staying out of the "regulatory microscope" by remaining a SaaS platform rather than entering the money flow directly.The dialogue further addresses the benefits of NjiaPay's single integration, which replaces the need for multiple portals with a unified system for customer support, financial reporting, and technical maintenance. Looking toward the future, Jonatan announces the upcoming Q2 launch of an Account Updater product designed to tackle involuntary churn for subscription merchants in South Africa. Throughout the episode, he emphasizes the importance of strategic "triple win" partnerships and the philosophy of being a payment performance partner that truly listens to client needs to drive innovation.Find more about NjiaPay here: NjiaPay.comFollow Jonatan Allback here: https://nl.linkedin.com/in/jonatan-allback

April 23, 2026Episode 3036 min

S4 Ep30: Turning Sustainability into a Positive Business Case with Jonatan Roose, Co-Founder at Healthy Workers

In this episode of the Tech Can't Save Us podcast, host Paul David interviews Jonatan Roose, the co-founder of Healthy Workers. Based in Amsterdam, the company specializes in making every building smart through innovative building automation and energy management solutions. Since its founding, Healthy Workers has grown to manage over three million square meters across various asset classes, including offices, logistics, and retail spaces. Jonatan explains that the real estate industry has historically moved slowly, often relying on technology that is 30 years old. Healthy Workers bridges this gap by creating a positive business case for sustainability, often making it a "no brainer" for decision-makers who are primarily focused on financial returns.Jonatan’s journey to leading Healthy Workers involved a major pivot. He joined the original company, Healthy Workers 1.0, which focused broadly on healthy work environments through initiatives like yoga and office plants. During the pandemic, when offices were empty, he and his co-founder Guus restructured the company to focus on the core issue revealed by their data: 85% of employee complaints were related to indoor climate. By shifting to building optimization, they were able to provide a service that addressed both tenant comfort and energy efficiency. Today, the company serves over 60 real estate investors, including Schroeder's Capital and Aviva Investors, by combining a sophisticated tech stack with a dedicated service-oriented approach.Find out more about Jonatan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonatanroose/Find out more about Healthy Workers: https://www.healthyworkers.com/

April 16, 2026Episode 2931 min

S4 Ep29: How Leaders Actually Use AI for Strategy – Part Two with Gary Bonilla, Co-Founder of Goodmora

This week on Tech Can’t Save Us, host Paul David is joined for part two of a deep dive with Gary Bonilla, the co-founder of GoodMora. Following their previous discussion on why business transformations fail, they shift focus to the future of leadership, decision-making, and how behavior changes with better data and insights.The conversation explores how strategy is shifting from trying to lock in a perfect answer based on past behavior to becoming adaptable without losing coherence. Gary explains that while the British are known for rigorous strategy, those models were often based on year-old data, whereas modern strategy requires real-time forecasting and prediction.Gary argues that now is the right time for play because the speed of the market makes standard transformations obsolete before they even finish. AI enables this by providing binary clarity on numbers and facts, which opens up the space for leaders to engage in creative solutionizing.A major theme of the episode is the end of delegation-heavy leadership. Gary suggests that CEOs can no longer delegate the innovation part of their business and must personally embrace an understanding of technology. Technology is no longer just a back-end function; it is a strategic conversation that requires leaders to understand concepts like knowledge graphs to navigate the modern business landscape.The pair also discusses the human side of AI, noting that fear is beginning to subside as adoption steps up and platforms focus on human and AI collaboration. Gary emphasizes that leaders should use these tools for augmentation rather than replacement, allowing employees to focus on creative work rather than minutiae.Find more about GoodMora here:https://www.goodmora.ai/Follow Gary Bonilla here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garybonilla1/

April 9, 2026Episode 2841 min

S4 Ep28: Fixing Remote Work Burnout with Steven Puri, Founder & CEO of The Sukha Company

This week on Tech Can't Save Us, host Paul David is joined by Steven Puri, founder and CEO of The Sukha Company. Steven has led a fascinating career, transitioning from a high-level studio executive and producer at major Hollywood studios like DreamWorks and Sony to raising $21 million in venture funding across three tech startups. Together, they explore how remote work has broken traditional productivity models and why "presenteeism" and surveillance software are failing strategies for modern leadership.They discuss the foundational challenges of the digital age, where the business models of the highest market cap companies are designed to "steal your life" through behavioral engineering. Steven explains how The Sukha Company acts as an ally in this tug-of-war, helping knowledge workers like designers, developers, and writers reclaim their focus through a "work fitness" approach.The conversation delves deep into the science of flow states, inspired by the seminal work of psychologist Mihai Csikszentmihalyi. Steven shares how Sukha facilitates these states by integrating distraction blocking through a smart assistant that gently checks in when users stray to non-productive websites or pick up their phones. The platform also features curated flow music and naturescapes, such as "Himalayan Dream Rain," designed to help users enter deep work. Furthermore, the app optimizes task management by hiding overwhelming lists and focusing users on their top three goals to reduce cognitive load and paralysis.Steven also offers a vision for the future of white-collar work, predicting that AI will change the workforce by automating routine "paper pushing" jobs and making high-level strategy more essential than ever. He suggests that the most successful leaders will be those who define work by outcomes and the quality of output rather than by time or place.Find more about The Sukha Company here: https://thesukha.coFollow Steven Puri here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-puri/

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