What if artificial intelligence could help businesses stay one step ahead of the next supply chain crisis?
For Chris Andrassy, co-founder and CEO of Astral Insights, that’s not a futuristic fantasy, it’s the foundation of his growing company. On the latest episode of the Founder Shares podcast, Chris joins host Trevor Schmidt to discuss how Astral is using AI-powered business intelligence to help companies predict, manage, and ultimately transform supply chain disruptions into a competitive advantage.
“We build custom solutions that help people build more resilient supply chains,” said Andrassy. “The goal is to get proactive using data and tools like AI to make better decisions and become more sustainable in the face of today’s disruptions.”
Founded during the early days of COVID-19, Astral Insights began with a simple goal: use technology to solve real-world problems. As global supply chains buckled under the pressure of port congestion, labor shortages, and geopolitical tensions, Chris and his team saw an opportunity to apply AI, machine learning, and predictive analytics to help businesses navigate uncertainty with precision.
But it hasn’t been easy. In the episode, Chris shares how he and his co-founder bootstrapped the company, took early consulting gigs through platforms like Upwork, and hustled their way into enterprise relationships, starting with nothing but a financial modeling side hustle and a willingness to learn by doing.
“You hear a lot about entrepreneurship being about solving problems,” Chris said. “But one of the biggest lessons we’ve learned is that it’s also about knowing which problems not to solve—staying focused and avoiding distractions as your company grows.”
As Astral Insights continues to expand, Chris talks about how the company is productizing its IP, embracing AI responsibly, and laying the foundation for something even bigger: applying artificial general intelligence (AGI) to the supply chain domain.
“If we can curate and structure high-quality supply chain data across industries, we can enable AI agents to reason, forecast, and help companies plan in ways they never could before,” he explained. “That’s the long-term vision.”
The conversation also touches on entrepreneurship in the Triangle, the realities of bootstrapping a tech startup, and how Chris views his responsibility in shaping the broader conversation around ethical AI.
Want to learn how AI is reshaping global logistics—and how two founders built a company to lead that change?
Tune in to the Founder Shares podcast, available now wherever you listen to podcasts.
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