SkyFi Doubles Down on AI-First Talent with Gauntlet AI

The compounding impact of embedding Gauntlet grads into every layer of a fast-growing company.

SkyFi knew keeping pace required AI-First engineers who ship code with real velocity to keep up with the growing demand for their geospatial platform. Gauntlet has provided the answer – not just a recruiting service, but a new kind of engineer, and a predictable hiring funnel moving forward.

AI-native, output-obsessed, and able to replace entire SaaS stacks with a single repo.

As a result, Gauntlet AI became SkyFi's go-to AI-First talent pipeline.

SkyFi Took an Initial Bet on AI-First Engineering. Now It's Non-Negotiable.

When SkyFi hired Lucas Greenwell from Gauntlet's first cohort, they weren't just experimenting with new talent – they were testing a new development mindset. AI-First hiring was still unproven at the time. But Lucas delivered results before day one.

Prior to onboarding, Lucas had already built two production-ready tools, including an "auto-blog" generator that collapsed a multi-hour process into minutes. His first interaction with SkyFi wasn't paperwork – it was a live DM exchange with Tom, SkyFi's Head of Marketing. Ideas were shared, features scoped, and code was shipped before Lucas ever set foot in the office Slack.

By Day 1, it was obvious: SkyFi didn't just need more engineers. They needed more Gauntlet trained, AI-First engineers. Israel and Lucas are able to keep up with all these ex-Uber engineers and former founders despite not having big tech experience.

SkyFi's Gauntlet Approach: First Broadly, Then Deeply Integrated

Initially, Lucas integrated horizontally, improving workflows across SkyFi's operations. Through live workshops, Lucas built practical solutions, reshaping manual tasks into automated tools. One early standout moment was introducing the SkyFi team to Granola, dramatically shifting how teams approached productivity and AI-based workflows. In his first week alone, Lucas also merged three pull requests into critical projects, showcasing his immediate value and rapidly embedding himself into the team's core processes.

The Second Wasn't Even a Question

With horizontal foundations established, SkyFi quickly hired Israel, another Gauntlet grad, to build out their internal AI – "the central brain." This AI consolidates Slack conversations, emails, databases, and internal documentation, enabling SkyFi employees to instantly access company-wide information through a conversational interface. Beyond information retrieval, the central brain (internally called Argus) is designed to take direct actions for employees, effectively becoming a "cursor for non-technical SkyFi."

Company-Wide Impact: Hours Reclaimed for High-Value Work

SkyFi's AI-First hub is driving massive efficiency gains across the board:

SkyFi sees this internal AI as a major competitive advantage, eliminating fragmented SaaS tool dependencies.

SkyFi Didn't Realize This Was Possible – Now They're Asking Entirely New Questions

"Do we really need these SaaS products, or should we just build them ourselves?"

The speed of world-class engineers, supercharged by AI, has SkyFi reconsidering their entire SaaS strategy. CRM, data visualization tools, data scraping tools – SkyFi now questions the value of external subscriptions versus building fully integrated in-house solutions.

This shift, enabled by Gauntlet grads, represents a strategic turning point that will redefine SkyFi's technology approach, and provides an outsized competitive advantage. In fact, SkyFi has found such value in Gauntlet that they are customizing training sessions with their senior engineers and data scientists to learn how to better integrate AI into the workflows that were the foundation of SkyFi.

"Can solving my tedious workflow really be as easy as screen sharing?"

Claire Fundingsland, Director of Customer Experience at SkyFi, never considered herself particularly technical. "I always felt a step behind when it came to AI," she said. "But seeing the results completely changed my perspective. Now I just share my screen, walk Lucas through my workflow, and he creates a fully functional solution – with a usable UI – on the same call. It's changed everything. Ideas instantly become real, and everyone, even without technical backgrounds, can immediately refine solutions."

Claire's experience highlights how AI-First Engineers simplify software creation and shifts SkyFi's view of AI's potential.

Five workflow apps have been deployed already.

"Are We Now the Bottlenecks?"

With Gauntlet grads quickly deploying tools like Lucas's "image-to-blog" generator – turning two-hour tasks into two-minute jobs – SkyFi faces an ironic realization: AI isn't holding anything back; humans are. Technology is instant, but human collaboration speed has become the limiting factor. SkyFi must now confront how quickly their teams can move to match the rapid pace of AI-coded solutions.

SkyFi Bet on AI and Now Wants More from Cohort 2

Initially, AI-First Engineering was a gamble for SkyFi. But Lucas – and shortly after, Israel – made a clear, immediate difference. SkyFi quickly decided to scale up their Gauntlet hires. Confidently, SkyFi anticipates hiring several more Gauntlet grads from cohort 2, positioning themselves firmly at the forefront of AI adoption in their industry.

Looking Ahead: "We Won't Be the Ones Left Behind"

With Gauntlet grads embedded throughout their teams, SkyFi is preparing multiple new AI-powered releases designed to position them decisively ahead of competitors. "We're setting the pace now," said Julian, Chief Technology Officer. "Others might eventually catch up, but by then, we'll already be onto the next thing."