Ep. 9 The Art of the Pivot: Lessons from an AI Entrepreneur (feat. Joseph Hanna)

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Exit-Ed: Stories From Grind to Sale

Gabriela Smith

10 episodes

1 month ago

Exit-Ed: Stories from Grind to Sale Join us on Exit-Ed, the podcast where successful founders share the untold stories behind building, scaling, and selling their companies. In each dynamic episode, we go beyond the headlines to explore the challenges, strategies, and pivotal moments that shaped the journeys of entrepreneurs from each corner of the globe. From the long nights spent grinding to the high-stakes negotiations that led to rewarding exits, our guests provide practical insights, hard-won lessons, and inspiration for anyone on the path to success. Whether you're an entrepreneur preparing for a sale, an investor looking to understand founder dynamics, or a business leader seeking new growth strategies, this podcast is for you. Learn from those who've been there. Get Exit-Ed.

All content for Exit-Ed: Stories From Grind to Sale is the property of Gabriela Smith and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Ep. 9 The Art of the Pivot: Lessons from an AI Entrepreneur (feat. Joseph Hanna)

Exit-Ed: Stories From Grind to Sale

57 minutes

1 month ago

Ep. 9 The Art of the Pivot: Lessons from an AI Entrepreneur (feat. Joseph Hanna)

In this episode of Exit-Ed: Stories from Grind to Sale, Gabriela Smith interviews Joseph Hanna, a seasoned technology executive, founder, and author whose career spans from software engineering in the 1990s to building and exiting an AI-driven HR analytics company. Born and raised in Alexandria, Egypt, Joseph began his career at Oracle before moving to the U.S. in his mid-20s. After years in leadership roles with Fortune 500 and private equity–backed companies, he launched Engage in 2014, an AI predictive analytics platform focused on talent acquisition. Engage grew rapidly, raised $12 million in venture funding, and was acquired by a Carlisle-backed company in 2019—just before the pandemic.

Joseph shares insights on building a company later in life and why experience, networks, and judgment can outweigh youth in today’s startup world. He discusses how the venture capital landscape has evolved to favor seasoned founders who can navigate complexity and lead with stability. Reflecting on the differences between corporate and entrepreneurial life, he explains that maturity and preparation allowed him to manage risk and scale successfully.

The conversation moves into AI, innovation, and the speed of modern creation. Joseph describes how advancements in tools and automation now let founders build prototypes in weeks instead of months, shifting the bottleneck from engineering to understanding the customer. He argues that success now depends on how fast teams can adapt, gather feedback, and pivot—not just on technical skill.

Gabriela and Joseph also explore how AI is reshaping every industry, including law and technology. They discuss the new baseline skill set founders need—coding literacy, product understanding, and the ability to delegate intelligently. Both agree that leaders must now combine hands-on knowledge with strategic perspective to stay competitive.

Joseph, author of Pivoting, shares lessons from his journey about innovation, timing, and resilience. He challenges founders to see pivots not as signs of failure but as proof of adaptability and continuous learning. His perspective is clear: in the age of AI, speed and flexibility define entrepreneurial success more than ever.