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Alex Harmsen once built autonomous drones for Mars missions. Now, he’s building AI copilots for your retirement portfolio. Strange leap? Not really.
At the core of both problems is this:
Complex systems, messy variables, and enormous stakes.
In aerospace, it’s dust storms, thin atmosphere, and no GPS.
In personal finance? It’s taxes, fees, hidden conflicts of interest, and “experts” who are really sales reps in disguise.
Source: mars.nasa.gov/ingenuity
What Business Builders Can Learn from a Mars Engineer
1. Build for what’s not yet obvious—but soon will be.
Alex saw drones take off (literally) and saw the same arc for AI in financial advice. He didn’t start with a company—he started with curiosity and prototypes. Then he talked to 100 people. Then 1,000. Now 30,000+.
"Great businesses are bought, not sold."
Don’t build to exit. Build something so good people need to buy in.
2. Use AI for the boring stuff, not the flashy stuff.
Forget hype. PortfolioPilot doesn't predict meme stocks—it quietly optimizes real lives:
What funds to hold
When to harvest tax losses
Whether your advisor is earning that 1% fee
It’s like having a calm, patient genius in your pocket, whispering: “Here are three small things you can do this month to be better off.”
3. Feedback is gold.
Alex still does 2–4 calls a day with users. Half are glowing, half are complaints. All are data.
"The difference between 30,000 and 1 million users? 1,000 small tweaks."
If you’ve plateaued, maybe it’s not your product—it’s your ears. Start listening harder.
Big Idea: Financial Advice is the Next WebMD
Alex believes AI-powered finance will soon be as common as Googling symptoms.
Just like doctors who resisted WebMD now rely on AI diagnostics, financial advisors will be expected to augment their judgment with intelligent tools—or become obsolete.
"If there's something better you could be doing for a client, not using it might be irresponsible."
That’s not a threat. That’s a wake-up call—and an opportunity.
The Hidden Threat to Tech? It’s Not What You Think
When asked what can’t be touched by AI, Alex’s answer was clear: nothing is off limits.
But here’s the twist—fine motor skills may be the final frontier.
It turns out, folding laundry is harder for AI than managing your ETF mix.
“In five years, all white-collar work might be replaced. But plumbers? Craftspeople? They’ll still be working.”
The world is flipping. If your value is in judgment, not motion—it’s time to evolve fast, or risk being outclassed by an algorithm.
Final Takeaway: You’re the New Variable
AI is optimizing the machines. The question is: What are you optimizing for?
Whether you're building companies, buying assets, or just trying to not screw up your retirement, it’s time to get intelligent systems working for you.
Alex’s parting thought?
“We’ve been trained to be machines for centuries. Maybe for the first time, we can just be human.”
Now there’s a portfolio worth building.
🎙 The BD Podcast
The "Unsexy" Businesses Quietly Making Millions
Guest: Jon Staenberg | Episode 15
Veteran investor Jon Staenberg reveals why elite graduates are skipping flashy startups to acquire “boring” small businesses—and how this overlooked model is unlocking massive wealth.
You’ll Learn:
🔹 The trillion-dollar “Silver Tsunami” changing who owns America’s businesses
🔹 Why Search Funds outperform VC (and why few people know it)
🔹 How mental resilience, not just spreadsheets, determines success in ETA
🔹 What Eastern philosophy can teach you about building companies
Listen now and get smarter about the real hidden engine of the economy.
Whenever you're ready, here are 3 ways we can help you:
1. Schedule your free strategy call: We've helped 100+ SMBs build sustainable high-growth businesses.
2. Secure your critical funding: We've helped SMB owners secure millions through 1,300+ hours of coaching.
3. Launch products that sell: Get high-quality traffic, opt-ins, and conversions.
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