ThoughtfulBits Consulting · Kirkland, WA
Board-level operator and software CEO helping PE-backed companies convert AI disruption into product strategy, operating leverage, and shipped software.
01 · Practice areas
01
AI-native roadmaps and product repositioning for companies facing disruption.
02
Broad internal AI adoption across engineering, GTM, and back office — measurable cost and velocity gains.
03
Technical architecture, executive recruiting, and sales support.
“I still write and ship code every day.”
02 · Engagements
Luminate Capital
Board and operating-partner roles across eight software portfolio companies — every one now has AI-native product initiatives and broad internal AI adoption underway.
2024 — Present
Tailored AI
Building the Simple family of calm, evidence-first AI products — email intelligence, executive intelligence, and decision simulation.
Engagements combine CEO judgment, AI strategy, product & GTM, executive recruiting, technical architecture, sales support — and daily hands-on coding.
03 · Operating history
2012 — 2024
Cybersecurity company built on polymorphic defense. $10M+ cumulative revenue, sold to U.S. Government customers, including a NAVSEA SBIR Phase III — a parent program valued at up to $154M.
2010 — 2012
Led global engineering, IT, and technology operations for the $2.2B public company, managing a 1,300+ person global workforce through AOL's post-spin turnaround.
1993 — 2010
Online Services Division CTO across Bing, MSN, and Microsoft Advertising; Technology Advisor to Bill Gates. Led 1,300+ engineers building platforms supporting $2.5B+ in annual revenue, and served as a key executive on 14+ acquisitions totaling $7B+.
Early career
Founded a grid-computing startup; worked at Los Alamos National Laboratory. Princeton University, BSE Computer Science, cum laude, 1993.
04 · Publishing
Substack
Thoughts on technology and business from Alex Gounares, Bill Gates' former Technology Advisor.
Subscribe on Substack →YouTube · @speedybit
Alex's live AI-coding and streaming channel.
05 · Open source
ChatGPT, Codex, Claude & skills.sh
Six free review and editing skills for B2B SaaS leaders: a reader-first editor for short- and medium-form social posts inspired by Nobunaga and Jonah Berger, screen-by-screen UI/UX action-loop testing, product and feature reviews, and board-deck audits. Install for ChatGPT Work, Codex, Claude Desktop, or compatible agents through skills.sh; MIT-licensed and open source.
v1.4.0 · Six skills · No ThoughtfulBits server
See all six skills →06 · Recommendations
Two living lists, re-verified as the market moves — the AI-native stack for running a B2B SaaS company, and the reference stack for building one. Last verified July 19, 2026.
Operating stack
The best AI-native software stack for a B2B SaaS company with ≤300 people — 22 jobs from marketing to legal, one top pick each, with alternates and entry prices.
Browse the 22 picks →
App-building stack
The reference stack for building new AI-native B2B SaaS apps — TypeScript end-to-end, serverless-first, minimal ops, everything self-serve.
See the stack →
07 · Contact