Podcast Summary: The Digital Executive

Episode: Volodymyr Panchenko: Fixing Miscommunication with AI | Ep 1165
Host: Brian Thomas (Coruzant Technologies)
Guest: Volodymyr Panchenko, CEO & Co-founder of Portal AI
Date: December 6, 2025
Duration: ~16 min

Episode Overview

This episode features Volodymyr Panchenko, entrepreneur and innovator behind several successful digital platforms, most recently Portal AI. Volodymyr and host Brian Thomas explore the pivotal role of trust and communication clarity in human and business relationships, and how AI can help resolve widespread miscommunication, ultimately enabling more authentic and meaningful connections.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Foundations of Trust in Digital Products (02:13–04:42)

• Volodymyr’s entrepreneurial journey: From founding Suntexoft, Skin Cash, and DMarket, to leading Portal AI, Panchenko consistently prioritizes trust as the cornerstone of value creation.
• Trust in New Markets:
  “99% of the success of everything I’ve built before, and everything we do in Portal, is connected to trust of the customers.” — Volodymyr Panchenko (02:25)
• Building Trust Mechanisms:
  • Early solutions included transparent review systems, inspired by live tickers (e.g., money exchanges, CNN) showing real-time, unfiltered customer feedback — including negative reviews — to foster transparency.
  • This approach significantly boosted user confidence and engagement:
    “Even if there was a negative review, it would still appear... it added double digits to the value creation rates.” (04:10)
• Lesson: Transparency and open information-sharing are vital for trust and the adoption of new technologies.

2. Miscommunication as a Universal Human Barrier (05:25–07:58)

• Personal Story—The Power of Conversation:
  Volodymyr shares a profound miscommunication with a childhood friend-turned-business partner that almost ended their relationship. Confronting assumptions through direct dialogue exposed misunderstandings on both sides:

  “We both wouldn’t believe because neither of us was right. We both were not bad person. But communication was the key. We’re still friends.” (06:43)

• Motivation for Portal AI:
  Panchenko recognized that technology could address the widespread issue of misinterpretation and distrust, stating,
  “The delta in between what I was 100% sure [of], and what was the reality, it was unbelievable.” (07:18)
• Technological Tipping Point:
  He believes AI is now mature enough to bridge gaps in human understanding, building trust at scale.

3. The Role of Context Engines & Portal AI’s Approach (08:50–14:32)

• Portal AI is not a social network:
  It’s a context engine designed to “help people connect more meaningfully” by providing actionable insights before the first conversation.
• Relieving Pain in High-Stakes Interactions:
  • Fundraising cycles were described as emotionally taxing, characterized by anxiety and self-doubt.

    “Most of the time I didn’t feel good... I was feeling nervous, I was feeling bad, I was feeling not balanced.” (09:12)

  • Portal AI analyzes the user and their contact to uncover genuine commonalities and conversational pitfalls, fostering instantly more harmonious and productive dialogue.

    “A very simple on the surface, but very complicated under the hood algorithm... would look at me, would look at the person I’m meeting with and find what we genuinely have in common.” (10:08)

  • Volodymyr says this process “magically” eliminated discomfort and boosted fundraising outcomes:
    “3 out of 3 times in this fundraising cycle, I never felt any fear or discomfort because I knew who was in front of me. I knew how to communicate.” (11:36)
• Impactful Early User Stories:
  • “Nick”, an aviation startup founder, used Portal AI for fundraising and hiring:

    “He’s still texting us every other day... so happy I am that we helped him as a founder and as a product, but also emotions.” (13:15)

  • Insights provided during hiring resulted in deeper, more harmonious professional conversations.
• Mission of Portal AI:
  Panchenko emphasizes democratization:

  “I’m always building something to fix this and to democratize the technologies and help people... unlock the tones, build value, and scale it to as many people as possible.” (14:20)

4. The Future of AI and Human Relationships (15:08–15:38)

• AI as a Neutral Force:
  Panchenko likens AI to electricity — neither inherently good nor bad:

  “It’s all about how we humans are going to use it. We do not blame electricity for some good stuff or bad stuff. It is what it is.” (15:17)

• Ethics & Boundaries:
  The responsibility lies in the hands of users and builders.
  “How we are going to leverage the technology, that’s up to us.” (15:28)
• Host agrees, noting parallels with the potential and double-edged power of technology. (15:38)

Notable Quotes

• On Trust:

  “99% of the success... is connected to trust.”
  — Volodymyr Panchenko (02:25)

• On Miscommunication:

  “The delta in between what I was 100% sure [of], and what was the reality, it was unbelievable.”
  — Volodymyr Panchenko (07:18)

• On Relief from Contextual AI:

  “3 out of 3 times in this fundraising cycle, I never felt any fear or discomfort...I genuinely love conversations with people.”
  — Volodymyr Panchenko (11:36)

• On Democratizing Connection:

  “I’m always building something to fix this and to democratize the technologies and help people... build value and scale it to as many people as possible.”
  — Volodymyr Panchenko (14:20)

• On AI’s Role and Responsibility:

  “It’s all about how we humans are going to use it.”
  — Volodymyr Panchenko (15:17)

Key Timestamps

| Timestamp | Segment / Highlight | |-----------|---------------------| | 02:13–04:42 | Building trust at scale in digital trading and tech products | | 05:25–07:58 | Personal miscommunication story; motivation for AI context engines | | 08:50–14:32 | Real-world impact of Portal AI — fundraising and hiring use cases | | 15:08–15:38 | AI as a neutral technology; ethical considerations for future applications |

Tone & Language

The conversation is honest, reflective, and forward-looking, with Volodymyr’s passion for human connection and technological democratization clear throughout. The stories and analogies remain relatable and grounded, focused on real-world pain points and the positive (but realistic) role of AI in addressing them.

In Summary

Volodymyr Panchenko makes a compelling case for embracing AI as a tool to overcome one of humanity’s oldest and deepest problems: miscommunication. By applying advanced, emotionally intelligent context engines like Portal AI, individuals and organizations can build trust, reduce relational pain, and unlock richer, more valuable connections — if, as Panchenko underscores, we wield such power responsibly.