Alex: Hey everybody and welcome back to The Curiosity Code podcast. My name is Alex, I'm the founder of ProductEra, and today we have Mariela Hunter, a 3 times founder, consultant, and speaker who specializes in AI-enabled profit acceleration strategies. Currently, she’s a founder and fractional CEO, activating profit-accelerating strategies for Series A to C SaaS, health tech, and biotech companies. Mariela’s expertise spans technology, venture capital, fintech, and SaaS. Before advising, she held executive positions at Huntington National Bank and Citizens Bank. She has also spent the last 80 months immersing herself in neuroscience to optimize brain performance. We’ll be talking about all of that on this show. Welcome, Mariela!

Mariela: Hello, Alex, delighted to be here.

Alex: Well, let's start. You have quite an interesting background. Tell us what you’re currently involved in, and what inspired you to make the transition to neurotech and brain performance? How does your background in fintech and financial services connect to this transition? I’m curious to hear your story.

Mariela: Yeah, it’s not the most straightforward transition, is it? How do you go from financial services to neurotech? The short version is that I’ve always been at the intersection of corporate and startups. I started as an entrepreneur, launched my first company at 21, and had an exit within three years. Then I was persuaded to move into the corporate world.

Mariela: I joined Omnicom, specifically its subsidiary Rap Collins, where I built a company called See Solutions. The difference between being a corporate entrepreneur versus an independent one is that in corporate, you have access to funding without needing to raise it yourself—but at the cost of autonomy. That experience led me into corporate innovation.

Mariela: Later, I did my MBA and moved into alternative energy, joining Shell to work on renewables. I saw the entire transformation of the energy space, from a niche nobody cared about to a massive industry. Then I moved to Scotland, which led me into financial services and fintech. I worked in the UK and US in innovation, corporate ventures, and product expansion.

Mariela: But it was my experience with the US healthcare system that ultimately pulled me into neurotech. That’s a whole other episode in itself, but the short version is that I realized I had to take control of my own health, and that led me deep into neuroscience.

Alex: That’s fascinating. Let’s pivot a bit. You talk a lot about the Flywheel model over funnels for business growth. Can you break down for the audience what the Flywheel model is and why it’s more effective than funnels in fintech and financial services?

Mariela: Absolutely. Starting a business has never been easier, but customer retention is getting more challenging every year. Trust is at an all-time low, competition is fierce, and customers have too many choices. Traditional funnel models focus heavily on customer acquisition—marketing and sales pour energy into bringing people in, but once they become customers, the momentum disappears. Retention is treated as an afterthought.

Mariela: The Flywheel model, on the other hand, places the customer at the center and creates continuous momentum. It consists of three primary activities: customer acquisition, engagement, and delight. Instead of treating acquisition as the sole priority, the Flywheel ensures that every new customer feeds into a cycle that enhances retention and long-term value.

Mariela: The key is that AI and data supercharge the Flywheel. AI allows businesses to analyze customer behavior, refine acquisition strategies, and continuously improve retention efforts based on real-time insights.

Alex: Is this model gaining traction in the industry? What trends are you seeing?

Mariela: The Flywheel concept is understood but not always implemented effectively. One major challenge is incentive structures. Many companies still incentivize their marketing teams purely on acquisition metrics, not retention or lifetime value. If incentives don’t align with long-term customer engagement, the Flywheel will never fully take off.

Alex: That makes sense. What’s the role of AI in accelerating the Flywheel model? Does it make adoption easier?

Mariela: AI makes the Flywheel even more powerful. It enables rapid experimentation at the customer acquisition stage, allowing businesses to test and optimize campaigns before they even go live. AI also provides deeper insights into retention patterns, helping companies understand why customers leave and how to prevent churn.

Mariela: Another game-changer is AI-driven personalization. AI can analyze customer data to create hyper-personalized experiences at scale, ensuring that engagement and delight remain strong throughout the customer journey.

Alex: That’s really interesting. What about implementation? Are companies actually adopting this in practice?

Mariela: Some are, but many struggle with execution. Adoption requires buy-in from the CEO because shifting from a funnel to a Flywheel is an enterprise-wide change. It’s not just about marketing—it involves ops, tech teams, and customer experience leaders working together.

Mariela: Another key challenge is proving ROI. You need to track the right metrics—customer retention, churn reduction, and LTV growth—and use that data to make the case for shifting to a Flywheel model.

Alex: That’s a great point. Let’s talk about fintech vertical integrations. You’ve built AI-driven solutions in financial services and corporate strategy. In your opinion, what are the most promising fintech vertical integrations that can grow exponentially with AI?

Mariela: Vertical integration can unlock massive value in fintech, but it only works if it aligns with the company’s core strengths. The biggest mistake is trying to own everything. Instead, fintechs should focus on strategic partnerships to dominate specific verticals.

Mariela: For example, a fintech specializing in cross-border payments should look at verticals like global logistics, where payments are a critical pain point. Instead of trying to become a logistics provider, they should partner with major players in the space and integrate deeply into their workflows.

Mariela: Another huge opportunity is ad tech. Financial institutions sit on mountains of transactional data, but most aren’t leveraging it effectively. There’s a massive opportunity for AI-driven financial advertising that combines insights from payments, credit behavior, and purchasing trends.

Alex: That’s fascinating. Are there any fintech-adjacent industries you see as major growth areas?

Mariela: Absolutely—health tech is a massive one. The US healthcare industry is worth $800 billion and accounts for 16% of GDP. Financial services and healthcare are deeply intertwined, yet fintech hasn’t fully optimized the payment and insurance side of healthcare.

Mariela: Banks are already positioning themselves here. JPMorgan and other large players are streamlining healthcare payments and claims processing. But beyond payments, AI can be used for personalized health insurance underwriting, automated risk assessments, and even predictive analytics for medical expenses.

Alex: That’s a really exciting space. Mariela, this has been a great conversation. Let’s continue this discussion in the next part.

Alex: That’s a really exciting space. Now, let’s shift to another area you’re deeply involved in—neurotech and human capital. You conducted over 100 interviews with fintech and non-fintech CEOs about brain performance in leadership. What key insights did you gain?

Mariela: This was a fascinating study. I was initially driven by my own disappointing experience with the US healthcare system, where I struggled to find answers about optimizing my health and cognitive performance. That led me into neuroscience, and I wanted to validate the trends I was seeing. So, I interviewed 100 C-suite executives across tech, fintech, healthcare, and law firms to understand their cognitive challenges and habits.

Mariela: One thing that stood out was that high-performing CEOs live in a constant “nonstop” mode. They can’t press pause, which impacts their health and decision-making. Sleep was a major issue—many admitted to sacrificing sleep to meet deadlines, attend business dinners, or manage extensive travel schedules.

Mariela: Another interesting insight was that even though these executives are highly intelligent and understand the importance of nutrition, their busy lifestyles often get in the way. Many end up eating at their desks or making unhealthy choices due to convenience.

Alex: That’s relatable. What about exercise? Were there any patterns?

Mariela: Yes, exercise was polarizing. Some CEOs were extremely disciplined, waking up at 4 or 5 AM to work out religiously, seeing it as a critical factor in their success. Others struggled to build a routine and only exercised sporadically.

Alex: And what was the biggest challenge CEOs faced?

Mariela: Stress. Chronic stress is the biggest issue, though many don’t differentiate between temporary stress and long-term, unmanaged stress. Acute stress—like a brief spike during an important meeting—can be beneficial. But chronic stress, when left unchecked for months or years, leads to high blood pressure, anxiety, depression, and cognitive impairment.

Mariela: What really got their attention was when I mentioned the impact on memory, decision-making, and overall cognitive performance. CEOs operate under high-stakes conditions, and many didn’t realize that chronic stress was directly impairing their ability to lead effectively.

Alex: That’s eye-opening. So, how should executives manage stress and optimize brain performance?

Mariela: First, awareness is key—many executives don’t recognize when they’ve crossed the line into chronic stress. Second, implementing structured routines around sleep, nutrition, and exercise can make a huge difference. And third, leveraging neuroscience-backed techniques for cognitive optimization.

Mariela: This is exactly what led me to create Synaptic.ai, which integrates AI and neuroscience to enhance executive performance.

Alex: That’s a perfect transition. Tell us about Synaptic.ai—what is it, and how does it redefine executive performance?

Mariela: Synaptic.ai is an AI-powered coaching platform designed to optimize cognitive performance for executives. It combines neuroscience, AI, and biometrics to deliver personalized protocols for focus, stress resilience, and sleep optimization.

Mariela: The platform starts by assessing brain health through a personalized quiz. Based on the results, users receive tailored protocols. For example, if someone struggles with focus, they get access to a “Focus Vault” containing neuroscience-backed exercises, priming techniques, and AI-driven tools like Pomodoro timers and focus-enhancing soundscapes.

Mariela: Stress resilience is another key area. Many executives don’t realize how stress accumulates over time, so Synaptic.ai provides real-time insights and interventions to help them recover faster.

Alex: That’s impressive. And how does AI play a role in this?

Mariela: The next release of Synaptic.ai will introduce an AI-powered performance coach. This AI agent will function like a sports coach for executives, analyzing behavioral data and providing real-time recommendations.

Mariela: Think of it like an executive’s personal trainer, but for cognitive performance. The AI will monitor key performance indicators, recognize patterns in stress or productivity, and suggest interventions like adjusting sleep schedules or refining focus routines.

Alex: That’s a game-changer. Let’s tie everything together—AI, fintech, flywheels, neurotech. How can startups rethink growth by combining AI-driven decision-making, flywheel models, and peak cognitive performance?

Mariela: Great question. Here’s how I see it:

Mariela: First, health is everything. If founders and executives aren’t optimizing their own cognitive performance, they won’t make the best business decisions.

Mariela: Second, startups should move away from traditional funnels and embrace flywheel models. Growth isn’t just about acquisition—it’s about retention, engagement, and creating a self-sustaining cycle.

Mariela: Third, AI should be integrated into decision-making, but with a focus on business logic. AI for the sake of AI is a mistake. Instead, fintechs should use AI to refine acquisition strategies, automate compliance, and optimize product-market fit.

Mariela: Finally, leaders need to adopt AI agents to remove inefficiencies. If a founder or executive spends hours on repetitive tasks, AI can handle those, allowing them to focus on high-value strategy.

Alex: That’s a powerful framework. Any final thoughts for fintech leaders navigating this new era?

Mariela: Yes—embrace AI, but do it intelligently. Start with high-cost, high-routine tasks that can be automated without triggering regulatory concerns. Use AI agents to improve efficiency, but don’t over-rely on them. And most importantly, invest in yourself. Your brain is your most valuable asset.

Alex: Mariela, this has been an incredible conversation. Thank you so much for sharing your insights!

Mariela: Thank you, Alex! I really enjoyed it.

Alex: And to our listeners, thanks for tuning in! Don’t forget to subscribe and share this episode. See you next time!