We recently had the chance to connect with Hunter Jensen and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Hunter, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy day to share your story, experiences and insights with our readers. Let’s jump right in with an interesting one: What do the first 90 minutes of your day look like?
I make a hot cup of tea and read a handful of email newsletters every morning. Everything is changing so quickly, and this has become the most effective way for me to stay up to date on the latest in tech and AI.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hunter Jensen is an entrepreneur and CEO of Barefoot Labs, where he leads the development of secure, self-hosted AI infrastructure for companies that cannot compromise on privacy, control, or compliance.
With more than 20 years at the helm of Barefoot Solutions, a custom software agency trusted by Microsoft, Samsung and Salesforce. Jensen recognized the next major shift in enterprise technology: businesses want the power of AI without the risk of exposing sensitive data. That insight led to the creation of Compass, Barefoot Labs’ flagship AI assistant.
Compass delivers the ease and intelligence of tools like ChatGPT but is fully customizable, integrates with internal data and systems, and runs privately within a company’s infrastructure. It equips teams with AI-powered productivity, helping organizations operationalize AI in ways that drive ROI and growth without increasing headcount.
Jensen’s background spans full-stack development, enterprise architecture, and fractional CTO roles. He has guided startups through raising eight-figure investments and navigating mergers and acquisitions. Today, he applies that expertise to Barefoot Labs’ mission: making AI work for businesses, not against their policies or people.
✔ Built one of Southern California’s most diverse digital portfolios
✔ Delivered enterprise software across healthcare, legal, finance, and government
✔ Led the transition from agency to product, creating an AI platform that solves real operational challenges
Jensen believes AI is no longer optional, but neither is protecting sensitive information. At Barefoot Labs, he is helping companies scale securely, intelligently, and on their own terms.
Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who taught you the most about work?
My father didn’t teach me about software, but he taught me what it looks like to work hard and I carry that work ethic with me still today.
Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
There was a period of time when adverse things seemed to just be piling on in both personal and professional life. It was during this time that I considered giving up the entrepreneurial life and just becoming a W-2 employee somewhere. This lasted for like a week before I realized that I was just having a pity party and needed to chin up.
I think our readers would appreciate hearing more about your values and what you think matters in life and career, etc. So our next question is along those lines. How do you differentiate between fads and real foundational shifts?
This is one of the most important parts of my job. I’m constantly evaluating new technologies and trying to position my companies to succeed when the digital landscape is shifting and new technologies are being adopted. As an example, we bet big on mobile app development very early on. We had one of the first 100 mobile apps in the app store once it came online. This positioned us as early experts in mobile and that drove serious growth. On the flip side, I remember being a very early beta user of Google Glass and deciding that the AR tech just wasn’t there yet. Typically the way that I differentiate is by getting my hands dirty with the tech.
Okay, so let’s keep going with one more question that means a lot to us: Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
I love my job. We have fundamentally changed our business model shifting from services to a product, and the outlook for the business has never looked better. We have a great team and clients and that leads to low stress and highly productive days. And the new technology that’s coming out seemingly every day is consistently blowing my mind right now. What a time to be alive!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://barefootlabs.ai, https://barefootsolutions.com
- Linkedin: https://linkedin.com/in/hunterjensen
- Other: You can grab imagery / headshots from here – https://www.hunterjensen.co/
