3 Startup CTO Insights from Luis Fernando: Driving Technological Innovation with AI

Currently, 50% of advanced IT departments have invested in artificial intelligence, and another 20% plan to do so by the end of 2024. Even less advanced organizations are starting to invest in AI, with 35% jumping on board this year.

This means it’s essential for CTOs to know how to use AI in order to keep their companies ahead and competitive.

For 22-year-old co-founder and CTO of Lumaa, Luis Fernando, driving innovation with AI isn’t just about technical skills. It’s about embracing the unexpected, iterating quickly, and leaning on industry experts.

Follow Luis Fernando’s unique journey into software engineering and AI innovation, and learn the valuable lessons he’s picked up that can help startup CTOs in any industry.

From Teen Coder to CTO

Luis Fernando started coding at just 14 years old, exploring and experimenting with various programming languages and projects. This laid the foundation for an impressive career in software engineering and AI innovation.

In 2020, he deferred university for a year due to the COVID pandemic and began working professionally as a Junior Software Engineer in his hometown of Feira de Santana, Brazil. Following that, he went from transforming system infrastructures at a London startup to handling high-stakes government projects at Microsoft.

Throughout his journey, Luis has consistently taken on new challenges and leadership roles, whether it was revamping platforms, managing logistics, or guiding teams. As a Peer Programming Instructor, he honed his teaching skills and mentored fellow coders, while his leadership in the Brazilian Students Association involved coordinating large-scale events and managing diverse teams.

His diverse background equips him with the unique skills and insights needed to drive AI innovation as a CTO at Lumaa, which he co-founded with Madhumitha Somu Dinakaran.

Madhu Dinakaran: a Partner in Innovation

Madhumitha Dinakaran left home at 14 after raising $250k in scholarships to study in 12 different countries through Think Global School. Through TGS, she focused on the modern educational approach of active-based learning — working on projects instead of taking tests. In Panama, she created goggles for the visually impaired, and in Japan, she made a VR film about the Hiroshima bombing — a project that was showcased at a UN session in Germany.

After graduating high school in 2021, she got $100k in scholarships to study at Minerva University, majoring in Social Sciences and Arts & Humanities. At Minerva, she worked as a Student Life Intern, helping integrate remote students into the community.

During her time in South Korea, Madhu designed a community project to combat loneliness among the elderly using art. In Argentina, she worked as a UI/UX designer to develop a landing page for Caminito, showcasing the stories of Buenos Aires residents. While in Argentina, she also began research on procurement for Lumaa. In January 2024, Madhu moved to San Francisco to focus full-time on Lumaa with Luis.

Lumaa

Created by Luis and Madhu, Lumaa is a platform that automates vendor responses to RFPs and security questionnaires. This automated workflow saves time and money for companies bidding on new projects by quickly generating precise responses, eliminating the need for teams to manually craft each answer. This allows organizations to focus on other important tasks and reduces the need for additional resources.

Luis Fernando’s Insights for AI-Minded CTOs

Thanks to his storied history of working with AI and tech innovation at large, Luis has developed several insights for other CTOs working with AI.

Embrace Unexpected Challenges

When Luis started his first job as a junior software engineer, the senior engineer left just two weeks later. Suddenly, he was the only engineer on the team, and he had very little professional experience.

This unexpected challenge forced him to quickly learn and adapt, suddenly having to manage a huge codebase and create new features on his own. This experience taught him a lot about problem-solving and innovation under pressure.

For CTOs harnessing and adapting to AI technologies, unexpected challenges are even more frequent and complex. In fact, around 66% of CTOs believe that their current network infrastructure lacks the capacity to effectively support generative AI, while 76% report feeling increasing pressure to make it work.

In Luis’s view, the key to AI innovation is seeing these challenges as chances to improve. For example, leveraging generative AI might be difficult, but it could speed up data processing and allow for real-time analytics. This can better inform CTOs’ decision-making and make their day-to-day operations more efficient. So tackling these issues head-on not only fixes current problems but also prepares organizations for future growth in an increasingly AI world.

Iterate Quickly and Efficiently

When adopting AI tools, a CTO should be able to develop a basic model or prototype to demonstrate its core functionality to customers or stakeholders. However, this basic model doesn’t have to be perfect. This means that for Luis, gone are the days of sweating over a painstaking design process before meeting with potential users. Instead, he realized that a CTO’s role is about determining the best technological steps for the company and its customers, not building robust solutions right off the bat.

“Back in April,” he explains, “I was trying to build a fully-fledged working code to show people, and I got very attached to the solution I was creating. Now, with a demo next week, I’m just going to build a simple Python script that can be shown online, where people can upload files and see the output in the console.”

This approach keeps Luis flexible and responsive to feedback so that he can quickly build prototypes that address his users’ actual needs.

Learn From Industry Experts

Luis also stresses the importance of connecting with other industry experts to drive AI innovation. After all, tech is always changing, and no CTO or developer can know everything. Talking to other professionals helps innovators stay updated and gain new insights from those with years of experience and honed skills.

For example, engaging with experts in different areas can provide new avenues for improving products that rely on AI.

Luis explains,"You can use their knowledge to write better code, improve your product, enhance your minimum viable product, and ultimately take your startup to the next level — attracting more clients in the process.”

Leading AI Innovation as a CTO

Driving AI innovation is a key responsibility for CTOs, and Luis Fernando shows how to do it right. From handling unexpected challenges to quickly iterating and learning from others in the field, his journey offers important lessons.

His approach highlights the importance of being flexible, taking feedback seriously, and using the expertise of others to address the real-world needs of customers. By following his insights, CTOs can help their companies stay ahead in an increasingly AI-driven marketplace.

For more tips and practical advice on leading AI innovation, follow Luis Fernando’s story, and see how you can apply these strategies in your own role as a CTO.