My Business Life: James Flynn, Coso AI

Coso.ai co-founder James Flynn shares his life and business lessons.

James Flynn, founder of Coso AI, shares his remarkable entrepreneurial journey, which included, at one stage, delivering pizzas to maintain cash flow.

His interview offers insights into the challenges of building a tech startup, the transformative power of artificial intelligence (AI) and the importance of perseverance.

Tell us about your background and journey to where you are today?

I was born and raised in Cork, went to school in Douglas, and studied computer science at University College Cork (UCC). Initially, I wanted to make video games, but halfway through, I realised the pay wasn’t great compared to other tech jobs. While I nearly dropped out, an internship at a finance company in Dublin gave me direction. Working in the industry, I discovered my passion for building things people used, as opposed to doing academic projects, and that led to a job offer post-graduation.

Over time, my interests evolved, from stocks to business books and, eventually, start-up culture. Without access to a network, I founded a start-up discussion group where friends pitched ideas over pub meetups. It was at one of these meetups I first pitched the idea for Coso. After starting  a job as an engineer in Salesforce, I quickly realised that big tech wasn’t for me and I should get into start-ups as soon as possible – and so started working on Coso seriously.

The idea started from observing marketers manually analysing competitors’ social media. Inspired by my undergrad thesis in AI, I saw potential to automate this using AI models. We built some proof of concept models to predict and improve social media content performance, but were pretty far from having a commercially viable solution.

This experience taught us to pivot. We created and sold dashboards for social media analytics, but by late 2022, we restructured around an AI-first approach. After much iteration and fulfilling customers’ needs manually where required, we launched a self-service platform towards the end of last year, which has since attracted 400 users and counting.

What need does Coso meet, and what’s your USP?

For SMEs, managing social media often falls into two extremes: either a non-specialist in the business handles it poorly or sporadically, or the company hires an agency, which can cost thousands per month.

Coso offers a middle ground by leveraging generative AI to create engaging, on-brand social media content efficiently and cost-effectively. You just approve the content each week, and Coso distributes it intelligently across all your social channels. Our platform saves businesses time while driving leads and elevating their online presence.

How did you fund the business, and what are your growth plans?

We started with the New Frontiers program, which provided a small grant. My co-founder Brendan and I also used our savings, what should have been mortgage deposits, to fund our first year. Enterprise Ireland’s Competitive Start Fund and angel investments carried us further, though not without challenges.

At one point, I delivered pizzas and took a part-time IT director role to manage cash flow while my co-founder did consulting work. Today, we’re closing a €400,000 funding round to refine our product, facilitate distribution partnerships and prepare for a multiple million euro raise in 12 months.

Who has been your greatest support or inspiration?

Brendan Scullion, my co-founder, has been invaluable. Start-ups demand resilience, and having someone to share the load makes all the difference. We’ve faced countless challenges together, and our partnership has been a cornerstone of Coso’s survival and growth.

Outside of Coso, angel investors like Valerie Kennedy and Owen O’Mahony have offered exceptional guidance and support. Their encouragement and connections have been game-changers for us.

What’s the best business advice you’ve received?

“If you’re the best part of someone’s day, they’ll buy from you.” This simple yet profound piece of advice encapsulates the importance of customer relationships.

What defines success versus failure in business?

To me, success means minimising regrets. On your deathbed, you’ll only regret the things you didn’t do.

What’s been the biggest challenge so far?

Resilience. Building a start-up often feels like screaming into the void. Most days, you hear nothing back, but you get up and do it again. Consistency is key.

What role has digital transformation played in your journey?

Digital transformation, particularly AI, is central to our mission. For most businesses, AI will completely change their business in the next decade, whether they want it to or not. While change is uncomfortable, embracing it is essential for long-term survival and success.

What would you do differently if you could start over?

I’d focus on securing paying customers before building anything. As engineers, we initially built something cool without confirming market demand. Learning to prioritise customer problems over technical ambition has been a vital lesson.

Who inspires you in business today?

I draw inspiration from fellow founders in the start-up ecosystem. Watching others strive to change the world keeps me motivated and ambitious.

How do you nurture talent within Coso?

Understanding each team member’s long-term goals is critical. Aligning those aspirations with their role ensures mutual growth and satisfaction.

What business books would you recommend?

• Hooked by Nir Eyal for building habit-forming products.
• Zero to One by Peter Thiel for startup fundamentals.
• How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie for mastering human interaction.

What tools keep you organised?

Surprisingly, I WhatsApp myself to-do items. It’s simple but effective!

What advice would you give your 21-year-old self?

Be less scared. Take risks and embrace the journey ahead.

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