In this episode, Mehmet Gonullu sits down with Nelson Nigel, the founder of Kidmoto, a ride-hailing service designed specifically for families traveling with young children. From driving a yellow cab in New York to building a tech-enabled transportation service operating in 64+ cities, Nelson shares how he bootstrapped his company past $1M in revenue—without external funding, without a co-founder, and without chasing VC hype.

It’s a raw, refreshing look at building a real business in a noisy tech world.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• Why Nelson chose to bootstrap instead of raising funding—and what it really takes

• How being a yellow cab driver helped him identify the market gap

• The power of a 400-page business plan as a startup GPS

• Why focusing on operations, not investors, led to lasting traction

• How Kidmoto scaled to 64 cities by owning its niche

• His framework for leadership: “The path to greatness is along with others.”

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📘 What You’ll Learn

• The realities of bootstrapping in a competitive market

• How to validate product-market fit from first-hand customer pain

• When not to chase investors—and how to stay grounded instead

• The mindset it takes to turn operational grit into strategic scale

• How humility and focus build trust in high-stakes services

👤 About Nelson Nigel

Nelson Nigel, the resilient Founder and CEO of Moto Nation, transformed a personal challenge into a thriving business.

In 2016, as an Uber driver, he observed the absence of child car seats in taxis and car services, leaving parents in a vulnerable position.

Recognizing the gap in the market left by Uber and Lyft, Nelson developed a mobile app to offer a convenient and safe solution for parents traveling with small children, particularly to and from airports.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nelsonnigel/

https://kidmoto.taxi/

Episode Highlights (Chapters)

00:00 – Intro and Nelson’s journey

03:00 – Spotting the market gap for Kidmoto

05:00 – Bootstrapping vs. fundraising: The decision

08:00 – Creating a 400-page business plan

11:00 – Product-market fit from real-world taxi insights

14:00 – Competing with Uber and Lyft? “I run my race”

17:00 – Scaling to 64 cities and $1M+ in revenue

20:00 – How Nelson would approach investors today

22:00 – Leadership philosophy and culture at Kidmoto

26:00 – Staying grounded through adversity

28:00 – What’s next: MotoNation and healthcare logistics

31:00 – Kidmoto’s use of AI and future outlook

33:00 – Final thoughts and Nelson’s advice for founders

In this episode of The CTO Show with Mehmet, we’re joined by John Carse, Field CISO at SquareX, to explore a fast-emerging shift in cybersecurity: the browser as the new endpoint. John shares why traditional tools like EDR and CASB are no longer sufficient, how modern threats are bypassing enterprise defenses, and what CISOs need to prioritize in a SaaS-first, GenAI-driven world.

With decades of leadership across Dyson, Rakuten, Expedia, and the U.S. Navy, John brings both a practitioner’s lens and a future-forward vision to security.

💡 What You’ll Learn

• Why the browser is now the most targeted endpoint

• How unsanctioned SaaS apps increase attack surface

• The growing importance of browser-based detection and response

• Where AI is accelerating both attackers and defenders

• Practical advice for CISOs prioritizing browser security today

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🔑 Key Takeaways

• Over 60% of cyberattacks now begin in the browser.

• Legacy tools like EDR, CASB, and DLP often miss context at the browser layer.

• Browser extensions can now enforce enterprise-grade policies with minimal user friction.

• AI is a dual-edged sword—accelerating threats but also helping defenders respond faster.

• SquareX helps convert any browser into a secure enterprise environment with deep visibility, policy control, and threat mitigation.

👤 About the Guest

John Carse is Field CISO at SquareX, a browser security company redefining how enterprises protect their workforce. He previously served as Global CISO at Dyson and Rakuten, and led security operations at JP Morgan Chase and Expedia. John blends deep hands-on expertise with strategic insight into emerging threat landscapes and CISO priorities.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/johncarse/

https://www.securityweek.com/industry-moves/feb-24-2025/

https://sqrx.com/

Episode Highlights

[00:03:00] – What is a Field CISO and John’s role

[00:06:00] – Why the browser has quietly become the new endpoint

[00:10:00] – How detection and response works inside the browser

[00:18:00] – The real threats: browser-based social engineering, sync jacking, and polymorphic extensions

[00:24:00] – Why EDR and SASE tools are not enough

[00:32:00] – Balancing security and user experience in browser-based defense

[00:40:00] – What excites John about the future of browser security and GenAI

In this episode, Mehmet sits down with Jan van Schuppen, a seasoned sales entrepreneur and founder of Ideas in Spades, who has led global B2B sales teams for over 30 years. They explore the biggest myths in go-to-market (GTM) strategy, the traps of founder-led content, how to balance automation with authenticity, and why selling before building is often the smartest startup move.

Whether you’re a founder looking for early traction or a tech leader rethinking your sales stack in the age of AI, this conversation cuts through the noise and delivers timeless, actionable GTM wisdom.

🧩 Key Takeaways:

• Why “sell first, build later” works in B2B SaaS

• The founder-as-content-creator myth—and what to do instead

• How AI tools and digital avatars can boost outreach and sales trust

• Why startups need fewer followers—and more qualified conversations

• How to train sales teams to blend automation with authenticity

• The future of sales in an AI-driven market (from both seller and buyer sides)

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🎓 What You’ll Learn:

• How to map out your GTM motion before product is finished

• Ways to convert your network into test users and early buyers

• How to avoid “spray-and-pray” tactics that waste founder time

• The 5/95 method for using AI in sales without losing your voice

• How to create trust-based outreach without overthinking algorithms

👤 About the Guest:

Jan van Schuppen is a sales strategist and founder of Ideas in Spades. After exiting his last company, Jan began helping founders accelerate their path to revenue through hands-on coaching and AI-powered digital sales solutions—including avatar-based training. He also partners with leading AI video platform HeyGen as a creative and enterprise sales advisor.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/janvanschuppen/

https://ideasinspades.com/

🔍 Episode Highlights:

[00:02:00] – What it means to be a “sales entrepreneur”

[00:04:00] – The one sales principle that never changes

[00:08:00] – How Jan coaches founders to unlock early revenue

[00:10:00] – Why founders don’t need to be content creators—but must be visible

[00:17:00] – The power of founder-led pilots and early feedback loops

[00:21:00] – AI outreach vs. authenticity: Jan’s 5/95 framework

[00:26:00] – Using digital avatars in sales follow-ups and proposals

[00:31:00] – How to build an audience without chasing algorithms

[00:36:00] – What AI means for future sales teams—and how to stay relevant