I’m Shane Hulse and I’m excited to share that I’ve joined Continua to lead Product!
Before this, I spent almost a decade as a product manager working on machine learning, growth, and monetization. I loved the challenge of building at scale, but what I’ve always gravitated towards is how technology can shape the way people connect. That’s the part I care about most.
Before tech, I worked in the service industry. I bussed tables, bartended, and ran the floor as a maitre d’. I worked at 200-year old hotels, waterparks, dive bars, diners, and just about everything in between. What that gave me was exposure to every type of person you can imagine. Happy, stressed, excited, tired, kind, rude— I saw it all. And I learned how to listen, read a room, and connect with people. That’s where I built my understanding of empathy and emotional intelligence.
Those years taught me that real magic happens when people feel seen without having to ask. Anticipating what someone needs before they even say it isn’t just good service, it’s what makes people feel supported and cared for. And as we move toward AGI, I think that kind of emotional intelligence will matter just as much as raw intelligence.
That’s why I joined Continua.
Continua was founded on a simple idea: tech should bring people closer, not pull them apart. It’s not another tool to check off tasks. It’s about human connection. It’s about making space for fun between friends.
The product is built to help people move beyond the group chat. To take that endless back-and-forth and turn it into an actual plan. To make it easier for people to spend time together. Continua only steps in when the group gets stuck; surfacing a detail, giving a reminder, or suggesting something new. The rest of the time, it stays in the background and lets people just be people.
That’s what I love about it. It feels a lot like the best parts of working in the service industry; you’re not the star of the show, but you set the stage for people to connect.
At Continua, I get to bring together everything I learned in the service industry with everything I’ve done in tech. It’s a chance to build products that don’t just “work” but actually help people feel closer to each other.
I’m here because I believe technology should make it easier to spend time with the people you care about. To turn chats into plans, and plans into memories.
For me, this is personal. It’s a continuation of everything I’ve learned about people, connection, and care. I’m energized about bringing Continua to more social groups, increasing empathy and enjoyment through emotionally intelligent AI.
The first two weeks have been fast-paced and a lot of fun. I’ve been pushed to think critically about everything that we’re building, and it’s clear we’re doing something that’s never been done before: building emotional intelligence for AGI.
I’m surrounded by some of the smartest people I’ve ever worked with. The way that the team can instantly spin up solutions, whether it’s never before seen agentic technology or fine-tuning prompts that capture the nuance of human emotion; I know I am among some of the best and brightest minds.