Ep 49—Jen Bonnett - The CEO Is The Salesperson: Why Founders Can't Just Hand Off the Pitch

Today in the Sky Lounge, we are joined by Jennifer Bonnett — a longtime Atlanta tech entrepreneur who coded a search engine called eTour.com in 1997, five years before Google existed, and rode it to one of the most-trafficked websites in the world. After years building Georgia's startup ecosystem at ATDC, the Savannah Economic Development Authority, and Invest Atlanta's Women's Entrepreneurship Initiative, she's done something deliberate: walked away to spend the summer ""playing with AI."" This conversation moves fast across what's actually changing. Jen explains how she sold a no-AI city government on its first pilots, why she runs a Hermes agent that drafts her email every morning but never hits send, and the moment her voice-controlled recipe app jumped ahead because someone across the kitchen said ""next."" She and Todd map out a $30K model for starting companies in an era where software is cheap — and why the CEO still has to be the one selling. Plus: the real case for co-founders, why fewer than 2% of venture capital reaches women, and the three cities Jen has called home. Chapters 00:00 Introduction to Jen Bonnett's Journey 02:13 Transitioning to AI and Technology 07:20 AI in Economic Development 11:48 The Role of Female Entrepreneurs 12:45 Vibe Coding vs. CEO Responsibilities 17:33 The Importance of Co-Founders 18:26 Coding and AI Tools in Practice 27:29 The Future of AI and App Development 31:28 Introduction to the Cooking App 34:34 Testing and Iterating the App 38:18 The Importance of Marketing and Relationships 42:03 Understanding Different Types of Entrepreneurs 50:52 The Role of a CEO in Sales 57:02 Building Sustainable Business Models 01:04:15 Personal Experiences and Global Insights 01:05:46 TFTSL OutAug noMUS.mp4 ABOUT OUR GUEST: Jennifer Bonnett transforms ideas into impact. A Technology Executive and Startup Ecosystem Developer with over two decades in software development and IT management, she's built a career on empowering entrepreneurs and fostering disruptive innovation — because in every founder's dream, she sees a milestone for the industry. Her track record spans turning a struggling non-profit into a thriving hub, relocating tech firms, and pioneering programs like the Savannah Logistics Innovation Center, alongside championing women's entrepreneurship through StartupChicks. Today she's most intrigued by AI, Fintech, and Sustainable Tech — always watching for trends that serve a broader societal benefit. CONTACT: Linkedin:   / jenniferbonnett   Check out and subscribe to our new series SpeedRun here:    • SpeedRun by Tales from the Sky Lounge   What is THE SKY LOUNGE? Tales from the SkyLounge is a podcast where we take you on a journey through the world of business, consulting, and venture investing. In each episode, we gather in our virtual sky lounge, high above the hustle and bustle of the everyday world, to hear stories from the people who are shaping the future of these industries. From entrepreneurs who are disrupting the status quo, consultants who are helping companies solve their biggest challenges, and investors who are making bets on the next big thing. ABOUT OUR HOST: Todd Merrill is an experienced software executive who typically assists clients as a fractional or interim CTO and CISO. He has served in a series of companies as a C-Level executive focused on leveraging the Cloud to bring SaaS offerings to market. As an entrepreneur, turn-around expert, technology and product leader, and mentor, Todd has held full corporate P&L and product development responsibilities and directed diverse international teams of Engineering Managers, Mobile Architects, Developers, DevOps, QA, and Customer Success professionals. Subscribe and turn on notifications to listen to new episodes as they launch! YouTube:    • TALES FROM THE SKY LOUNGE   Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/6jz6ubc... Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast... Amazon: https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/4ba... Follow Tales From The SkyLounge on Social Media X/Twitter:   / tftskylounge   Instagram:   / tftskylounge   Production/Design: James Liebman Music: Soundstripe/Cody Martin - Sunrise