In this conversation Ben speak to Máté Gulyás, CEO of Datapao, a consulting and training company dedicated to helping companies kick off and mature their data analytics infrastructure. Máté, by his own admission, grew up as a competitive person. He talks with candour about how this competitiveness led him into business and how, as will be a familiar story to any chronic high-achievers listening, achievement at work became his way of proving himself to the world. But Máté has also learned balance through the years, especially through therapy, and they talk about the way in which our goals and priorities change over time. They also discuss the ways in which we can increase our own luck by increasing the surface area we present to the world, and how we can identify and achieve goals in a way that is both productive and sustainable over the long term. An avid reader, Máté shares the knowledge he has gleaned from a variety of books and philosophers, as well as reflecting on how we can build on the knowledge afforded us by history and through books, in order to create our own unique stories.
In this conversation Ben speaks to Evgeny Shadchnev, founder and former CEO of Makers Academy, and now a founder coach - in fact, Ben's own coach and mentor. Given this relationship between Evgeny and Ben, this episode is the longest and, in many respects, the most introspective to date. The experience of almost inverting Ben's and Evgeny's roles, with Evgeny playing the participant and Ben the facilitator role in the conversation, was an educational one for them both, especially given the depth and complexity of experiences Evgeny has to draw upon. Evgeny discusses how his own personal identity and cultural upbringing have shaped his approach to work, and the challenges and blockers he faced when realising it was time to step down as CEO of Makers Academy. He broaches the subject of reconciling our personal needs with the decisions we make in working contexts, as well as discussing the importance and benefits of cultivating the art of slowing down. They talk about how extrinsic motivations and expectations, as well as the harsh realities of the imperfect world in which we live, affect our work, and why embracing “negative” experiences and going against the grain can help us grow and realise our most fulfilling work.
In this conversation Ben speaks to Germán Bencci, Founder & CEO Of CodeYourFuture, an organisation dedicated to making the tech industry more inclusive by providing bootcamps and professional guidance to refugees and other people from marginalised backgrounds. One of the most profound parts of their conversation was when Germán described to Ben the particular challenges faced by refugees seeking work in a new country, like the UK. This in turn invited reflection on the structures and privileges that many of us take for granted which are crucial in our ability to find work. They also discuss decision making in the context of tackling a higher goal, such as tackling social inequality, and how we can know that our efforts are directed in the optimal direction, as well as the counter-intuitive impacts that adversity can have on us, especially when inspiring us to take meaningful action.
In this episode, Ben speaks to Sasha, the Co-founder and CEO at Unitary. They talk through how to achieve success without a long-term plan.
In this episode, Ben speaks to Chris, the Co-founder & Chief Technology Officer at Lollipop. They discuss finding meaningful connections while staying true to ourselves.
In this eipsode, Ben speaks to the Co-Founder & CEO at CONNECT Care, Issa. They discuss Issa's journey from Oxford to Harvard to CEO, and distinguishing between passions and our sense of duty.
In this episode, Ben speaks to the Co-Founder & CEO at NearSt, Nick. They discuss career decision making, finding compromises and becoming a CEO.
In this episode, Ben speaks to Marta, the Chief Technology Officer at Bloom & Wild. They talk through how learning and freedom create a thriving mental state.
In this episode, Ben speaks to the CEO & Co-Founder at Tomorrow's Education, Christian. They discuss the habits that develop your self-understanding.
In this episode, Ben speaks to Emma, an Engineering Manager at accuRx. They discuss how a chronic health issue led to greater purpose and Accurx.