Coffee with a Founder Podcast: Ashok Kartham, Circuitry.ai

Read More About The Episode:

00:00 – Using AI for Equipment Maintenance
Ashok Kartham introduces Circuitry.ai and its mission to help critical equipment remain operational through AI-powered service intelligence. He explains how the platform helps technicians diagnose problems, identify the correct fixes and parts, and receive step-by-step guidance before arriving on-site. The goal is to improve equipment uptime, prevent repeat visits, and help maintenance teams resolve issues correctly the first time.

6:07 – Building the MVP and Automation
Ashok discusses the process of building the company’s MVP and determining which service-management tasks could be automated. Rather than using AI simply for efficiency, the team focused on delivering precise answers and practical guidance that technicians and service organizations could use in the field. These early experiments helped demonstrate how AI could improve maintenance decisions and service outcomes.

7:32 – From Mize to Circuitry.ai
Ashok reflects on the company’s evolution from Mize to Circuitry.ai. As AI technology advanced, the team recognized an opportunity to build something more powerful than a traditional service-management platform. The new identity reflects the company’s expanded focus on using AI to provide predictive guidance, accelerate problem-solving, and transform how organizations manage equipment throughout its lifecycle.

11:03 – The Impact of Decision Intelligence
Ashok explains why Circuitry.ai describes its technology as “decision intelligence” rather than simply AI. The platform is designed to empower people to make better, more predictable decisions that produce measurable outcomes. He highlights first-time fix rates as one example, helping customers resolve equipment issues faster and more effectively without requiring additional visits.

16:54 – Focusing on Customer-Centric Solutions
The conversation explores why successful technology must combine technical expertise with a deep understanding of the customer’s business. Ashok emphasizes that technologists cannot enter an industry with assumptions about what people need. Circuitry.ai works closely with customers and hires domain experts who can interpret data, train and validate its AI, and ensure its recommendations are accurate, relevant, and useful in real-world situations.

19:08 – AI’s Impact on Human Roles
Ashok considers how increasingly capable AI will reshape human responsibilities in the workplace. Instead of focusing only on the work AI can replace, he encourages people and companies to identify the uniquely human value they can provide. He also explains why domain experts remain essential for training AI, validating its recommendations, applying judgment, and ensuring the technology supports better decisions.

22:28 – Upcoming Episode Release Update
The episode concludes with a look ahead at the upcoming release and a broader reflection on entrepreneurship. Ashok acknowledges the challenges of building a company but encourages entrepreneurs to continue bringing valuable ideas to life. His closing message emphasizes the positive contribution founders can make by using technology to solve meaningful problems and improve the world.