CTO at goLance • Making software simple • Startup Mentor

80% of companies quit on AI before it helps.

Why? 
• One doubtful engineer
• Scary tool costs
• Or no clear plan

I make those problems disappear.

Who I Am
• 20+ years in code and leadership – from hands-on developer to CTO.
• Scaled SaaS platforms used by millions of customers.
• Trained global teams of 10 – 200 engineers to work faster and smarter.
• Guided “boring-industry” firms like healthcare and banks through tough tech shifts.

What I Bring
• Plain-language coaching – Your leaders and engineers get the “why” and the “how” without buzzwords.
• Tool fit & cost control – Pick the right AI tools, keep data safe, and stop surprise credit charges.
• Team habits that stick – I show devs how to fold AI into daily tasks—code reviews, tests, docs—until it feels natural.
• Measurable gains – Expect quicker releases, fewer bugs, and happier engineers in weeks, not years.
• Outcome pricing – You pay for real results, not for my hours on a clock.

The Bottom Line
If you lead a steady, no-flash company and keep hearing, “AI sounds cool, but…,” let’s talk. I turn that “but” into better software, lower costs, and a team that loves its work.

Brian Childress

Startup Advisor | GTM & Scale-Up Leader | Entrepreneur | Host of The CTO Show With Mehmet Podcast | Keynote Speaker

With more than two decades of experience in deep tech, AI, and B2B go-to-market, I focus on building and scaling commercial engines that drive enterprise adoption and international market expansion. My background spans both early-stage and enterprise environments, with hands-on experience across the Middle East, Africa, and Türkiye.

My work sits at the intersection of go-to-market strategy, market expansion, and emerging enterprise technologies. I bring a combination of technical fluency and commercial leadership, with a track record of helping organizations design repeatable sales systems, align product and GTM strategy, and execute cross-border growth between the US and MENA.

I am the host of The CTO Show with Mehmet, a global technology podcast featuring 500+ conversations with founders, operators, and technology leaders. Through these discussions, I explore how teams build, scale, and lead in complex, fast-evolving technology environments.

I am also the author of From Nowhere to Next, a best-selling book reflecting on my entrepreneurial journey and distilling lessons from global innovators. I complement this work through early-stage investing and advisory roles, staying close to the trends shaping the future of enterprise technology.

Today, my work centers on technology leadership, go-to-market excellence, and building bridges for innovation between the MENA region, Europe, and the United States.

Mehmet Gonullu

The week of January 19 marked the formal end of globalized compute.

The US and Taiwan signed a $250B credit guarantee framework.
The UAE and Qatar joined Pax Silica.
Sovereign wealth funds crossed $15T while cutting China allocations by half.

This isn’t a funding cycle shift.
It’s fiscal architecture replacing innovation cycles as the governing force of AI.

In Issue 155 of The CTO Show With Mehmet Gonullu Brief, I break down six signals shaping the next 18 months:

→ Why “US-Onshore” supply chain status is now a procurement prerequisite
→ How Pax Silica is creating a two-tier technology world
→ Where sovereign capital is actually flowing (and where it isn’t)
→ Why agentic AI shifts GTM from search to conversational interfaces
→ The $520M bet on “non-human identity” as the new attack surface
→ What the Google antitrust ruling means for AI M&A

Plus, two conversations worth your time:

🎙️ Andrew Ackerman on why startups are chains, not ropes, and what 70+ investments taught him about founder coachability

🎙️ David Soileau on scaling trust in logistics, AI-powered operations, and leadership lessons from the Marine Corps to Gophr

Check the full issue 👇

Welcome to Issue 155 of The CTO Show Brief. Silicon Sovereignty Becomes State Policy The week of January 19 marked the formal end of globalized comput

Open article: The CTO Show Brief: Issue 155 by Mehmet Gonullu • 5 min read

Engineering Creativity: Peadar Coyle on Scaling AI Audio Infrastructure

Most people still think audio is “creative work.”

Peadar Coyle CTO AudioStack sees it as infrastructure.

In Episode 567 of The CTO Show With Mehmet Gonullu, we unpack how AI is turning sound production into programmable systems without killing human creativity.

A few signals from our conversation:

🎧 Why automation accelerates creativity instead of replacing it
⚙️ How AudioStack scaled localized audio campaigns in the UAE
📊 What “production-grade AI” actually looks like in media
🧠 Why observability and human-in-the-loop still matter
🚀 How CTOs should rethink shipping speed in the AI era

This isn’t about voice cloning or novelty tools.

It’s about building reliable systems that creative teams can trust.

If you’re a founder, CTO, or product leader working with GenAI, this one is worth your time.

🎙️ Available on all podcast platforms + YouTube
Links in comments 👇

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The Battle

Brian Childress

Mehmet Gonullu

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taplio

The Battle

Brian Childress

Mehmet Gonullu

Followers

Posts

Engagements

Likes

Performance Score.css-goub6s{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);font-weight:500;color:var(--chakra-colors-gray-600);display:block;margin-top:var(--chakra-space-1);}Mehmet Gonullu's LinkedIn Performance

Ready to grow your LinkedIn presence?

Performance ScoreMehmet Gonullu's LinkedIn Performance