381 - How David Villalon built AI workers that enterprises actually trust

A story about winning by not competing—and why saying no creates speed

This episode is for SaaS founders who feel the weight of building something that matters—and wonder if being contrarian is worth the risk.

Most software companies fail because they rush to market without questioning what they're building. They see opportunity and chase it.

David Villalon, CEO of Maisa, saw the AI gold rush differently. When everyone was building faster, he spent a year building trust into the foundation. He recognized that when you can see the future—truly see it—you carry responsibility for building it right, not just first.

And this inspired me to invite David to my podcast. We explore why making AI accountable matters more than making it powerful. David shares hard-won insights about choosing regulated industries first, empowering task-doers instead of technical teams, and why he positions his company to compound value from every AI model maker instead of competing with them. You'll discover why focusing on one customer before ten creates the foundation for horizontal growth.

We also zoom in on two of the 10 traits that define remarkable software companies:

• Aim to be different, not just better
• Offer something valuable and desirable

David's story is proof that vision without responsibility is just opportunism—and real founders feel the weight of building the future right.

Here's one of David's quotes that captures his entrepreneurial philosophy:

"Whenever you have success, what you're going to hear is everyone saying how good you are. But if you act without that ego, without wanting to become something that you are not, everything looks much better."

By listening to this episode, you'll learn:

• When to compound competitors' value instead of fighting
• What happens when you empower task-doers, not technicians
• Why first principles thinking requires empathy, not just logic
• When everyone wanting your product means stay focused

For more information about the guest from this week:

Guest: David Villalon, CEO Maisa

Website: https://maisa.ai