John Mern, PhD

Critic
DISC Type : C

Co-Founder, CEO at Terra AI

Palo Alto, California, United States

Overview

John is the Co-Founder and CEO of Terra AI, a venture-backed startup using AI to accelerate the discovery of natural resources. With a PhD from Stanfords Intelligent Systems Lab, his research and career have focused on applying AI decision-making and autonomous systems to aerospace, defense, and now critical mineral exploration.

He is passionate about applying AI to meaningful, real-world problems, particularly those supporting the transition to a net-zero economy. John shifted his PhD focus from autonomous vehicles to natural resources because he felt it was an underserved area where AI could have a significant impact.

He co-holds a patent for an apparatus related to payload deployment, showcasing his deep roots in the aerospace and defense industries.

Personality Overview

Precise

ROI Driven

Critic

They enjoy working alone and do not rely on others very often.  They prefer to do logical analysis and value evidence over emotions. It is very likely that they will negotiate pricing or other important terms.

Topics They Care About

AI in Mining
As CEO of Terra AI and previously at KoBold Metals, he is dedicated to using AI to discover critical minerals needed for the energy transition.
Critical Mineral Security
His work focuses on addressing the supply and demand gap for minerals like lithium and nickel, a key challenge for the global energy transition.
AI Decision Making
His PhD research at Stanford focused on reinforcement learning and Monte Carlo planning for large-scale autonomous systems, an expertise he now applies to mineral exploration.

Media Appearances

John has no verified media appearances

Work History

9-2023
Co-Founder, CEO at Terra AI
9-2023 - 1-2024
AI Fellow at Prime Movers Lab
1-2022 - 11-2023
Senior Decision Scientist at KoBold Metals
12-2018 - 2-2020
Co-Founder at Entheleon Technologies
1-2017 - 1-2022
Graduate Student Researcher at Stanford Intelligent Systems Laboratory

Education

2018 - 2021
Doctor of Philosophy - PhD from Stanford University
2016 - 2018
Master’s Degree from Stanford University

More Information

Social Presence :

Prographics :

Exp : 12 Location : Palo Alto, California, United States Job Level : Leadership Designation : Co-Founder, CEO at Terra AI
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Insights For Selling To John

During A Call Or A Meeting

DO's

  • If you can, show them industry reports or analyst comments instead of sharing anecdotal stories
  • Leverage facts and figures wherever possible; use percentages, numbers etc.
  • Keep some extra margin while sharing pricing, they are likely to negotiate later

DONT's

  • Don’t try too hard to build a relationship with them
  • Don’t rush them till they have clearly gotten all the necessary information
  • Make extra effort to not seem pushy or confrontational

When Cold Calling

When Writing An Email

While Negotiating & Closing

    The secret to closing fast with John is

  • Strong evidence of ROI, effective pricing, and proven data points matter the most to them.
  • Will you ever get a clear answer from John

  • It is not very hard for them to say no if they are not convinced about the decision.

Insights For Deal Planning

    How fast (or slow) will John move?

  • Their decision-making is neither very fast nor very slow, they are somewhere in between.
  • Can John take some risk or not?

  • They can take risks if their analysis shows that it would be worth it.

You And John

Personality Compatibility


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