Innovation, AI, and data: what we learned on the Builders Podcast with Rennan Sanchez

Technology is not an end in itself, but a means to solve real business problems. This premise was the guiding thread of a revealing conversation in the second season of the Builders podcast: Small Hacks, Big Scales . The guest, Rennan Sanchez , CPTO of Skyone, shared a profound insight into the company's trajectory, the balance between innovation and operations, and how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is reshaping the future of organizations and careers.

In this article, we delve into the key insights from this meeting, exploring everything from entrepreneurial mindset to "vertical AI" trends and the impact of Vibe Coding on the market.

The genesis of a solution: solving the customer's problem

Every great innovation is born from a real pain point. Rennan recalled that Skyone (initially conceived to solve remote access to software) pivoted to the cloud business after carefully listening to the infrastructure challenges of its first clients, coinciding with the arrival of AWS in Brazil in 2013.

The central lesson is clear: the customer buys a solution to a problem , regardless of whether the technology behind it is Cloud, AI, or Data. The success of an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) lies in its proximity to the market and the ability to quickly test ideas to find Product Market Fit .

The balance dilemma: disruptive innovation vs. sustainability

For rapidly growing companies, the challenge arises of balancing "two plates": creating new products while sustaining a base of thousands of customers who demand stability and governance.

At Skyone, this balance translates into pragmatic metrics in the product roadmap:

• 70% of attention is focused on the evolution and consistency of current platforms.
• 10% to 15% dedicated to bug fixes and support (bugs and performance adjustments).
• 10% to 20% reserved for experimentation and the creation of new avenues for growth.

The rise of vertical AI

One of the current focuses of experimentation is Vertical AI . Unlike generic solutions, verticalized AI focuses on specific industries or processes, such as first-level technical support, allowing for much faster implementations aligned with the business needs of the area manager.

The evolution of Skyone Studio: data as raw material

Skyone Studio is a practical example of how systematic innovation transforms a product. It has evolved from a systems integrator (iPaaS) into a complete suite based on three fundamental pillars:

1. System Integration (iPaaS): Solving the pain of disconnected software and databases.
2. Data Orchestration and Governance: democratizing access to information and creating "gold layers" of data ready for analysis.
3. AI agents: the engine that consumes private (organized and structured) data to generate real business impact without exposing sensitive information.

This simplification of the "tech stack" allows companies to focus on business use cases, instead of managing a multitude of technologies that don't communicate with each other.

The future of careers: from specialist to "AI Full Stack Architect"

Artificial intelligence is changing the way we work, but not necessarily eliminating work. Rennan observes a cyclical movement in software engineering: if before we had a fragmented assembly line (front-end, back-end, QA, design), today we are moving towards models where the engineer assumes broader roles, empowered by AI tools that accelerate coding and testing.

In this scenario, the need to continually reinvent oneself arises. Technical specialization is still vital, but it must be accompanied by a business vision and the ability to broaden the scope of operations.

Productivity hacks and the 10x mindset

In conclusion, the podcast offered reflections on personal and organizational productivity:

• AI optimization: using generative models (such as GPT or Claude) in everyday tasks to organize messages, summarize meetings integrated with CRM, and gain hours of productivity.
• The 10x provocation: based on the concept that "10 times is easier than 2 times," Rennan argues that extremely audacious goals force the brain to abandon common sense and seek disruptive paths. When you try to do something 10 times bigger, the hundreds of obvious paths disappear, leaving only the most innovative ones.

Listen to the full episode!

Want to check out all the details of this conversation, including behind-the-scenes stories from Skyone and more tips on how to apply these "hacks" to your company?

🎙️ Click here to listen to the full episode on Spotify and join the community of Builders who are transforming the Brazilian tech market.

Written by Skyone