AskCory

Build Up Labs context

AskCory was co-founded at Build Up Labs, the venture studio where I had joined as Entrepreneur in Residence to relaunch Tap My Back. The studio environment — led by CEO Rui Gouveia — provided strategic support, infrastructure and the venture-building framework that enabled the creation of new products alongside the ongoing operation of Tap My Back.

I co-founded AskCory with João Pereira, who served as CTO and led the technical development of the product. I led the venture as CEO, responsible for product direction, positioning, go-to-market and early commercial traction.

Product thesis

Marketing strategy and planning is a high-friction, time-intensive process. Research, benchmarking, competitor analysis and campaign planning typically take days or weeks. AskCory was built on the thesis that AI could compress this timeline — not by replacing the marketer, but by handling the heavy lifting of research and synthesis so the marketer could focus on decisions and execution.

The product combined a conversational interface with structured output: users described their business and goals, and AskCory returned tailored marketing plans, competitive benchmarks and campaign structures that would normally require hours of manual work.

The challenge

In 2024, 'AI-powered' was claimed by every competitor. The risk was becoming invisible in a saturated category. The real question was: what do we say about AskCory that isn't just 'we use AI'?

On the product side, the early challenge was matching the product's actual output quality to the promise made at the top of the funnel. If the gap between promise and delivery widened, churn would follow. The pace of AI model evolution meant the product had to iterate faster than traditional SaaS cycles.

On the team side, building a venture inside an active studio required balancing shared resources with dedicated focus. The relationship with João Pereira as technical co-founder and CTO was central to navigating this: clear role separation, daily alignment, and mutual accountability across product and engineering decisions.

Key work and decisions

Positioning went through multiple iterations. The winning insight was that marketers did not want another 'AI tool' — they wanted the output (a completed plan) without the input labour (hours of research). The product narrative shifted from 'AI marketing tool' to 'strategic shortcut'.

The go-to-market motion combined direct outreach to marketing decision-makers with content targeting high-intent queries around marketing strategy and planning. Early validation came from paid pilots with freelance marketers and SME marketing directors.

Product development prioritised output quality over feature breadth. Each model upgrade required re-testing core outputs to ensure quality did not regress. This discipline — unusual in the 2024 AI rush — proved essential for maintaining user trust.

Lessons

Building in a fast-moving AI market requires positioning that degrades weekly and product quality that depends on model providers you do not control. The only defensible advantage is the speed of iteration and the depth of user understanding.

The co-founder relationship is the operating system of the venture. Clear role boundaries, daily communication and shared accountability across product and engineering decisions matter more than any single technical or commercial breakthrough.

These lessons now inform how I advise AI founders on narrative, product velocity, GTM timing and the practical realities of building with a technical co-founder inside a venture studio.