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Ever wondered why brilliant ideas with massive funding still go up in smoke? Most of the time, the "people problem" is hiding in plain sight, masked by a charismatic pitch or a prestigious degree. This conversation dives beneath the slide deck to explore why 65% of startups fail due to human friction and how we can actually measure the intangible traits that make a leader "investable." We break down the six dimensions of leadership—from coachability and "resilience under fire" to the ability to hold complex, competing perspectives in a world moving at AI speed. Beyond the data, there’s a real look at the mental health and nervous system regulation required to survive the founder journey without burning out. Whether you’re a VC looking to hedge your risk or a founder trying to manage yourself before you manage a team, this is about investing in the human at the core of the business. Key Takeaways Coachability is King: True coachability isn't just taking feedback; it’s strategically and non-defensively absorbing information to improve the build. The 65% Failure Rate: Most startups don't die because of bad products; they fail because of people problems that are often ignored at the seed stage. Complexity is a Metric: High-level leadership requires "strategic complexity"—the ability to hold dozens of objective perspectives simultaneously. Nervous System Awareness: A leader’s internal state (fight, flight, or freeze) directly dictates the "flow state" and psychological safety of the entire team. Investment in Self: High-stakes decision-making requires physical and mental maintenance; you can't manage a difficult startup if you haven't learned to manage yourself. Quotes "Coachability is like one of the number one things they look for." "Gut checks are based on pattern recognition... and it likely comes with some sort of bias." "How are you going to manage a difficult startup if you don't know how to manage yourself?" "I think we need to change the market belief that burnout and grit are the markers of successful startup leaders." "The average lifespan... breaks down to about 4,000 weeks. What are you going to do with those weeks?" Chapters 00:00 – The Reality of the "People Problem" 06:45 – Why Gut Feelings Lead Investors Astray 11:20 – The 6 Dimensions of Startup Leadership 18:30 – Team Flow and Nervous System Regulation 25:15 – The Myth of Grit vs. Founder Well-being 32:00 – Practical Tips for Self-Talk and Resilience 37:45 – Closing the Deal: Sales Advice for Founders https://www.linkedin.com/in/loganyonavjak/ https://www.founderready.io/ Resource mentioned book: Four Thousand Weeks  https://amzn.to/4sEYioJ About the Podcast Invest in You is a global podcast where entrepreneur and investor Fredrik Sandvall shares practical ideas and conversations with founders, investors, and operators. Episodes focus on investing, entrepreneurship, and building long-term control and freedom. Occasionally joined by his sons Ivan and Charlie, the show offers both experience-based insight and a next-generation perspective. Listeners in 155+ countries tune in to think clearer, act smarter, and build with intent. Community & Contact Podcast community: https://bit.ly/4jxF94k Fredrik Sandvall LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandvall/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/FredrikinLondon/

AI is coming for the middle class, and it isn't just about replacing entire jobs—it’s about squeezing out the "average" professional. If you produce standard copy, mid-level analysis, or routine spreadsheets, you’re now competing with tools that cost $20 a month and work faster than any human. This isn’t a doom-and-gloom session; it’s a necessary wake-up call on how to reposition your skills before the ladder gets kicked away. We explore why the "old deal" of job security is breaking and why manual trades like plumbing are becoming the new winners. From the "earning scars" of displacement to the rise of the billion-dollar one-person business, it's time to stop waiting and start adopting. Your value isn't in what you know anymore—it’s in the questions you ask. KEY TAKEAWAYS Average is the Enemy: AI can perform average tasks better and cheaper; to survive, you must move beyond generic output. The Entry-Level Ladder is Vanishing: Junior roles in tech, law, and finance are being automated, making it harder for new graduates to enter the workforce. Bargaining Power is Shifting: If your output can be replicated by AI, your ability to negotiate salary or job security is severely weakened. Manual Skills are Rising in Value: While white-collar work is squeezed, physical, skilled trades remain difficult for AI to replicate, creating new "winners". Curation over Creation: Success now depends on "human-in-the-loop" oversight—using AI to multiply your output while maintaining human quality control. QUOTES "AI doesn't need to replace your whole job, but it could absolutely damage your career." "Do you want to be replaced by $20 a month? Probably not." "The market will reward the top and punish the generic." "Knowledge in your head has now diminished in value." "The biggest mistake right now is just to wait and see. You need to adopt and learn and assess." CHAPTERS 00:00 – The Squeeze on the Middle Class 03:15 – Why AI Beats Average Performance 06:40 – The Threat to Entry-Level White-Collar Jobs 10:20 – Negotiating Power and "Earning Scars" 14:50 – Why Your Degree is Diminishing in Value 19:10 – Repositioning Yourself for the AI Future https://www.linkedin.com/in/loganyonavjak/ https://www.founderready.io/ Resource mentioned book: Four Thousand Weeks  https://amzn.to/4sEYioJ About the Podcast Invest in You is a global podcast where entrepreneur and investor Fredrik Sandvall shares practical ideas and conversations with founders, investors, and operators. Episodes focus on investing, entrepreneurship, and building long-term control and freedom. Occasionally joined by his sons Ivan and Charlie, the show offers both experience-based insight and a next-generation perspective. Listeners in 155+ countries tune in to think clearer, act smarter, and build with intent. Community & Contact Podcast community: https://bit.ly/4jxF94k Fredrik Sandvall LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandvall/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/FredrikinLondon/

Data on its own is just noise, but when you pair it with AI, it becomes the ultimate substance for decision-making. Andrew Lebbos joins the show to pull back the curtain on how Benzinga evolved from a 2009 media startup into a licensing powerhouse that fuels the world's biggest brokerages and AI models. We dive deep into why the new generation of investors is ditching traditional sites for short-form video and how prediction markets are changing the way we look at equities. Beyond the tech, Andrew shares the "intrapreneur" mindset and the sales discipline required to maintain a staggering 99% client retention rate. Whether you're a founder, a salesperson, or a retail investor, this conversation offers a masterclass in staying ahead of where the financial "puck" is going. KEY TAKEAWAYS Data and AI are Codependent: There is no AI without data, and data is significantly more powerful when processed by AI. Video is Essential: The new generation of investors consumes news primarily through social media and video, forcing brokerages to adapt. Quality Over Summaries: While AI tools are useful, professional investors still require raw, high-quality data and human logic for high-stakes decision-making. The Intrapreneur Advantage: You don't have to be a founder to be entrepreneurial; you can leverage an established brand's credibility to build massive revenue streams. Sales is About Empathy: The most successful salespeople focus on listening to client needs and maintaining genuine, long-term relationships. QUOTES "Data and AI... they're peanut butter and jelly in our world." "The output is only as strong as the input that they receive." "As long as decisions are made by humans, humans are going to need to see the raw data and deduct and reason." "Output equals input every single day." "We just want to put food on the table and build a really cool business that we can be proud of." 0:00 – The Synergy of Data and AI 2:15 – The Benzinga Story and Licensing Models 5:30 – Why the Bloomberg Terminal is Here to Stay 8:45 – Understanding Churn and Retention 11:20 – The Future of FinTech: Video & Prediction Markets 15:40 – The "Intrapreneur" Mindset 18:15 – Sales Mantras and Performance 22:10 – Where the Puck is Going Next GUEST INFO Andrew Lebbos  https://www.linkedin.com/in/lebbosandrew/ https://www.benzinga.com/ Book mentioned:  Push-Push-Push Never Quit https://amzn.to/4dHUQVJ About the Podcast Invest in You is a global podcast where entrepreneur and investor Fredrik Sandvall shares practical ideas and conversations with founders, investors, and operators. Episodes focus on investing, entrepreneurship, and building long-term control and freedom. Occasionally joined by his sons Ivan and Charlie, the show offers both experience-based insight and a next-generation perspective. Listeners in 155+ countries tune in to think clearer, act smarter, and build with intent. Community & Contact Podcast community: https://bit.ly/4jxF94k Fredrik Sandvall LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandvall/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/FredrikinLondon/

In this episode, Fredrik sits down with Ali Dasterdi, co-founder and CEO of Raylu AI, to discuss the rapidly evolving intersection of artificial intelligence and private market investing. Ali shares his journey from being a technical investor to founding Raylu, an AI-native platform designed to solve the immense data and matching challenges faced by private equity and venture capital firms.  KEY TAKEAWAYS AI is Revolutionizing Top-of-Funnel Sourcing: The traditional matching problem between capital and founders is incredibly inefficient.  Cheer, Don't Cry Over New Foundation Models: As massive AI foundation models continue to evolve, they will inevitably cannibalize mid-scale, specialized models. Founders should build tools that benefit from these advancements rather than competing directly against them. Focus on Agentic Scale, Not Human Scale: Raylu focuses its engineering resources on problems that cannot be solved simply by adding human labor.  The Reality of Early-Stage Fundraising: Despite the pressure to raise capital immediately, slowing down is often the better move.  You Can (and Should) Upgrade Your Investors: Just as a company outgrows early employees, it can outgrow early investors.  BEST MOMENTS "You can think about mass swarms of AI agents as having, you know, hundreds of thousands of interns whose only job it is to take your mandate, chew the data, come back to you with what's important." "We want to be cheering every time a new GPT comes out, not crying. So think about what you have to build, how do we benefit from these instead of, you know, uh, be upset about what what's happening with the future there." "When you join a startup, it's because you want to do something outsized to what the world will offer you." "I wish that we had either raised no capital or raised much less capital until we figured out that moment of product market fit." "People say... 'fire fast,' and it sounds brutal and it sounds wrong, and it's bad for you, it's bad for the employee. But you never feel it until you've experienced it once and you're like, 'Ah gosh, like I get it now.'" To Connect with Ali Dasterdi https://www.linkedin.com/in/ali-dastjerdi/ https://raylu.ai/ Books by Fredrik Sandvall Options Strategy: Build to Keep. Ready to Sell Tomorrow. For founders and CEOs who want businesses that compound in value, stay under control, and are always sale-ready. ⁠https://amzn.to/4pwVhoi⁠ The Abyss of Finance: Trust, Leverage and the Cycles of Collapse For investors and leaders who want to understand why financial systems break before they do. ⁠https://amzn.to/3YsRKfI⁠ About the Podcast Invest in You is a global podcast where entrepreneur and investor Fredrik Sandvall shares practical ideas and conversations with founders, investors, and operators. Episodes focus on investing, entrepreneurship, and building long-term control and freedom. Occasionally joined by his sons Ivan and Charlie, the show offers both experience-based insight and a next-generation perspective. Listeners in 155+ countries tune in to think clearer, act smarter, and build with intent. Community & Contact Podcast community: https://bit.ly/4jxF94k Fredrik Sandvall LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandvall/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/FredrikinLondon/

In this episode, Fredrik sits down with Rohit Kumar, the founder of the AI company Chapter, to discuss his transition from the corporate consulting world to entrepreneurship. Rohit shares his experiences moving from major brands like Accenture and Boston Consulting Group to building his own identity as a startup founder in San Francisco.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Build an independent identity: Transitioning from a large corporate brand to entrepreneurship requires building the confidence to introduce yourself and your value without relying on a recognizable company name. AI shifts the focus to problem-solving: Instead of spending time manually searching for data, AI allows employees to instantly absorb answers and focus on how to strategically use that information. Clarity of thought is crucial: Whether you are communicating with a Large Language Model (LLM) or human team members, having a clear understanding of your goals is essential to getting accurate and useful results. Understand the funding trade-offs: Raising external capital can provide exponential growth opportunities, but it dilutes a founder's equity and control over the business. Cultivate a trusted support system: Long-term success requires a strong foundation of authentic relationships, including friends, family, and mentors who support you unconditionally. BEST MOMENTS "If you are working in such well-known brands, it's very... It's harder to take the leap of faith and say, 'What is life going to look like on the other side?'" "How do you find the information to do your job effectively, and how does it help you give answers to you in real-time so that you're not spending time searching and more time absorbing the answer and then figuring out how to use it?" "If you are clear on what you are looking for, you will find a thought process and the actions that you need to take to get there." "If you are an expert at what you do, you will always have control of what you do." "Really make the most of this time. What we are seeing is an amazing shift in terms of how technology can help things in a good way." Mentioned resources:  https://www.lennysnewsletter.com/t/ai https://www.youtube.com/@howiaipodcast  To Connect With Rohit Kumar  https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohitkumar007/ Books by Fredrik Sandvall Options Strategy: Build to Keep. Ready to Sell Tomorrow. For founders and CEOs who want businesses that compound in value, stay under control, and are always sale-ready. ⁠https://amzn.to/4pwVhoi⁠ The Abyss of Finance: Trust, Leverage and the Cycles of Collapse For investors and leaders who want to understand why financial systems break before they do. ⁠https://amzn.to/3YsRKfI⁠ About the Podcast Invest in You is a global podcast where entrepreneur and investor Fredrik Sandvall shares practical ideas and conversations with founders, investors, and operators. Episodes focus on investing, entrepreneurship, and building long-term control and freedom. Occasionally joined by his sons Ivan and Charlie, the show offers both experience-based insight and a next-generation perspective. Listeners in 155+ countries tune in to think clearer, act smarter, and build with intent. Community & Contact Podcast community: https://bit.ly/4jxF94k Fredrik Sandvall LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandvall/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/FredrikinLondon/

In this episode, Fredrik sits down with Joshua Gould, CEO of The Big Word, to discuss his journey from expanding a UK-based language services business to Wall Street right before the Great Recession, to successfully pivoting into government contracts. Josh shares his deep industry insights into how artificial intelligence is transforming translation and interpreting, and how investors and business owners should evaluate AI companies.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Setting up a business on Wall Street right before the 2008 Great Recession forced Josh to pivot away from the struggling private sector and focus on government contracts. That flexibility ultimately allowed the business to scale rapidly globally. If a company just bolts AI onto an existing service without solving a fundamental, structural problem, it is not a sustainable model. True value is created when AI is the core engine solving the issue. As large language models scale, their computing and energy costs grow exponentially. This could lead to a massive deflation or "bubble burst" for AI companies that lack the funding to keep up with hardware demands. There is a distinct difference between being an entrepreneur who simply creates a high-paying job for themselves versus building a scalable infrastructure. To truly scale, you have to replace yourself with systems and eventually hand over daily operations. You don't need to overhaul your entire business overnight to benefit from AI. Look for proven, localized AI tools that can safely increase efficiency in specific workflows without exposing your core client data to the open internet. BEST MOMENTS "I came to the US in 2006 and set up an office on 48 Wall. And if you are familiar with the Great Recession, probably the dumbest move ever." "You can't be everything at scale. And there's a big difference between entrepreneurs who create themselves a job... You cannot scale that; you still only got 24 hours in a day." "The only people who are truly building AI are the Anthropics and the Googles and the Microsofts. And you don't want to be them." "The quicker you are to adopt, the quicker you're going to capture market share. And what you'll find is the macroeconomics of any big tech movement, especially AI, changes everything." "AI interpreting isn't for using, it's just for selling. Everyone buys from us because we have it, but then no one wants to use it." TO CONNECT WITH JOSH https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuadgould/ Books by Fredrik Sandvall Options Strategy: Build to Keep. Ready to Sell Tomorrow. For founders and CEOs who want businesses that compound in value, stay under control, and are always sale-ready. ⁠https://amzn.to/4pwVhoi⁠ The Abyss of Finance: Trust, Leverage and the Cycles of Collapse For investors and leaders who want to understand why financial systems break before they do. ⁠https://amzn.to/3YsRKfI⁠ About the Podcast Invest in You is a global podcast where entrepreneur and investor Fredrik Sandvall shares practical ideas and conversations with founders, investors, and operators. Episodes focus on investing, entrepreneurship, and building long-term control and freedom. Occasionally joined by his sons Ivan and Charlie, the show offers both experience-based insight and a next-generation perspective. Listeners in 155+ countries tune in to think clearer, act smarter, and build with intent. Community & Contact Podcast community: https://bit.ly/4jxF94k Fredrik Sandvall LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandvall/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/FredrikinLondon/

This episode features Holly, a CPA and CFO specialising in M&A, who discusses the critical financial pitfalls, or ‘crime scenes’, that business owners face during the selling process. Drawing from her experience in high-stakes exits and private equity, Holly explains why standard accounting often falls short of maximising company value and how strategic preparation can prevent millions from vanishing at the closing table. KEY TAKEAWAYS Most CPAs focus on tax reduction rather than value maximisation; selling a business requires a specialised CFO lens to articulate a ‘financial story’ that appeals to buyers. Holly identifies five areas where value is lost: the financial story, working capital, due diligence, earn-outs, and post-close integration. Small businesses often use cash-basis accounting, but switching to accrual-basis can significantly lift EBITDA and valuation during a sale. For a healthy business, the cost of goods sold should be under 30%, operating expenses under 20%, and net profit above 10%. Value often leaks post-sale because buyers focus on price while ignoring the ‘human factor’ of the employees who actually run the systems. BEST MOMENTS "The balance sheet and the income statement, they never leave each other's side. It is a romance." "The person who commits these frauds, in 100% of the cases I've seen, has been the most trusted person." "You should always be ready to exit. Discipline always gets more money." "Working capital is the gas in the engine. You’ve got to have it so you don't need another loan just to run the business the day after you close." "You need to have somebody by your side. You can’t ever be properly prepared on your own." ABOUT THE GUEST Holli Moeini https://www.linkedin.com/in/hollimoeini/    Finding the Missing Millions in M&A: How to Maximize Value and Minimize Regret in Every Transaction  https://amzn.to/4sj8Rh3  Books by Fredrik Sandvall Options Strategy: Build to Keep. Ready to Sell Tomorrow. For founders and CEOs who want businesses that compound in value, stay under control, and are always sale-ready. ⁠https://amzn.to/4pwVhoi⁠ The Abyss of Finance: Trust, Leverage and the Cycles of Collapse For investors and leaders who want to understand why financial systems break before they do. ⁠https://amzn.to/3YsRKfI⁠ About the Podcast Invest in You is a global podcast where entrepreneur and investor Fredrik Sandvall shares practical ideas and conversations with founders, investors, and operators. Episodes focus on investing, entrepreneurship, and building long-term control and freedom. Occasionally joined by his sons Ivan and Charlie, the show offers both experience-based insight and a next-generation perspective. Listeners in 155+ countries tune in to think clearer, act smarter, and build with intent. Community & Contact Podcast community: https://bit.ly/4jxF94k Fredrik Sandvall LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandvall/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/FredrikinLondon/

In this insightful episode, Fredrik interviews Monica Marquez, a workforce AI specialist and co-founder of Flipwork, on the profound impact of artificial intelligence on the modern workplace. Drawing from her extensive experience at global giants like Goldman Sachs and Google, Monica argues that an organisation's greatest asset remains its human talent, even as AI reshapes job descriptions and workflows.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Many professionals resist AI because their self-worth is tied to the ‘effort equals success’ mantra; shifting to an ‘impact equals success’ mindset is essential for survival. Future success lies in moving from being the sole ‘doer’ of tasks to an ‘orchestrator’ who manages AI agents to handle labor-intensive work. AI significantly lowers the barrier to entry for startups, allowing lean teams to operate with the output capacity of much larger traditional organisations. Organisations often fail to see a return on investment because they focus on buying software licenses rather than integrating AI into specific, deconstructed workflows. While AI provides high-speed output, humans must provide the ‘authentic intelligence’, contextual knowledge, lived experience, and judgment, to ensure the final product is impactful. BEST MOMENTS "The true reality is that every single organisation, their biggest asset is their people, their human talent." "AI is not your competition; your resistance to AI is your competition." "A calculator didn't make mathematicians obsolete; it made them more powerful. But only if they stopped clinging to the long version of manual arithmetic." "We can clone ourselves now. AI can clone you and help you do more of your kind of work, the way that you would do it." "It's no longer effort equals success; it's impact equals success. And the way that you can have more impact is by adopting AI." ABOUT THE GUEST Monica Marquez https://www.linkedin.com/in/themonicamarquez/ https://www.themonicamarquez.com/ Books by Fredrik Sandvall Options Strategy: Build to Keep. Ready to Sell Tomorrow. For founders and CEOs who want businesses that compound in value, stay under control, and are always sale-ready. ⁠https://amzn.to/4pwVhoi⁠ The Abyss of Finance: Trust, Leverage and the Cycles of Collapse For investors and leaders who want to understand why financial systems break before they do. ⁠https://amzn.to/3YsRKfI⁠ About the Podcast Invest in You is a global podcast where entrepreneur and investor Fredrik Sandvall shares practical ideas and conversations with founders, investors, and operators. Episodes focus on investing, entrepreneurship, and building long-term control and freedom. Occasionally joined by his sons Ivan and Charlie, the show offers both experience-based insight and a next-generation perspective. Listeners in 155+ countries tune in to think clearer, act smarter, and build with intent. Community & Contact Podcast community: https://bit.ly/4jxF94k Fredrik Sandvall LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandvall/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/FredrikinLondon/

Fredrik welcomes fellow author and CFO David Horn to discuss his journey from a failed media business to becoming the CFO of Daniel Priestley’s companies. David shares the inspiration behind his award-winning book, Add and Multiply, which provides a strategic roadmap for small businesses to achieve exponential growth through Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A).  KEY TAKEAWAYS David outlines his 4-step FACE method for growth: Fund (securing the right capital) Acquire (finding the right targets) Consolidate (the hardest part, integrating businesses) Exit (selling for maximum value). While organic growth is steady, strategic acquisitions can triple revenue in a short period by absorbing competitors and diversifying services. The most common reason deals fail after completion is a clash of cultures. Putting two long-term competitors together rarely results in ‘one big happy family’ without significant friction. To maximise valuation, founders must ‘clean up’ their books for at least three years prior to selling, removing personal expenses and ensuring a professional leadership team is in place. Business success is heavily reliant on a strong three-legged stool: Sales/Marketing, Operations, and Finance. Neglecting the finance leg by going cheap on strategic advice is a common founder mistake. BEST MOMENTS "It is far better to buy a wonderful company at a fair price than a fair company at a wonderful price." "I've given away way more copies [of my book] than I've sold, but that's fine; it's a marketing tool." "One of the challenges is people will say, 'Oh, well, I'll just buy a competitor.' Well, if you've been competitors with this company for 20 years, you hate them and they hate you." "If you think education is expensive, try ignorance." "Ideas are cheap; it's the execution of the idea that creates value." BOOKS MENTIONED Add Then Multiply: How small businesses can think like big businesses and achieve exponential growth  https://amzn.to/3P8pq0R Entrepreneur Revolution: How to Develop your Entrepreneurial Mindset and Start a Business that Works, 3rd Edition https://amzn.to/41bHp94 ABOUT THE GUEST David B Horne https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-b-horne/ Books by Fredrik Sandvall Options Strategy: Build to Keep. Ready to Sell Tomorrow. For founders and CEOs who want businesses that compound in value, stay under control, and are always sale-ready. ⁠https://amzn.to/4pwVhoi⁠ The Abyss of Finance: Trust, Leverage and the Cycles of Collapse For investors and leaders who want to understand why financial systems break before they do. ⁠https://amzn.to/3YsRKfI⁠ About the Podcast Invest in You is a global podcast where entrepreneur and investor Fredrik Sandvall shares practical ideas and conversations with founders, investors, and operators. Episodes focus on investing, entrepreneurship, and building long-term control and freedom. Occasionally joined by his sons Ivan and Charlie, the show offers both experience-based insight and a next-generation perspective. Listeners in 155+ countries tune in to think clearer, act smarter, and build with intent. Community & Contact Podcast community: https://bit.ly/4jxF94k Fredrik Sandvall LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandvall/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/FredrikinLondon/

Today, Fredrik sits down with Daniel Yoo, the founder of Finmate AI and a former financial advisor, to discuss the rapidly evolving landscape of artificial intelligence in the financial sector. Daniel shares his journey from overseeing large amounts of client money to founding a fintech company focused on using AI to streamline administrative tasks for financial advisors. They cover a wide range of topics, including the importance of data privacy and trust in AI, the challenges and opportunities of the current AI boom, and the shift towards bespoke AI solutions for smaller businesses. Daniel also provides valuable insights into the future of AI, touching on its potential impact on employment, energy usage, and even military applications. KEY TAKEAWAYS Daniel emphasises that AI's primary value for financial advisors lies in its ability to handle administrative burdens, such as note-taking and documentation, allowing advisors to focus more on client interaction and relationship-building. As basic AI tools like note-takers become commoditised, the real value is moving towards custom-built AI agents tailored to the specific needs and workflows of individual businesses. Finmate AI differentiates itself by prioritising data privacy, avoiding pulling data from advisor sources, and implementing proactive data deletion to ensure client information remains secure. While AI can significantly enhance efficiency, Daniel stresses the importance of maintaining human oversight to prevent errors, especially in sensitive areas like communication and data management. AI is no longer just a niche tool; it's becoming ubiquitous, and businesses that effectively integrate it into their operations will be better positioned for future success. BEST MOMENTS "With advancements in AI, the cost of development has gone down quite significantly, which opens up a space to do more custom work for small to mid-sized businesses as well." "We’re starting to see AI-powered workflow checks. Having AI monitor certain systems and then flag certain things for a human-in-the-loop to come in and step in." "The biggest mistake people make, especially if they’re really into the space and know how to do a lot of things, is not instituting the proper safeguard measures." "The landscape is changing just so, so quickly. Understand what powers you're giving your AI and what you're giving them to [do]." "Investing in yourself means making sure you’re continually learning, especially when you’re in a field that feels like this one, where everything changes in two months' time." ABOUT THE GUEST Daniel Yoo  https://www.linkedin.com/in/smyoo/ https://finmate.ai/  Books by Fredrik Sandvall Options Strategy: Build to Keep. Ready to Sell Tomorrow. For founders and CEOs who want businesses that compound in value, stay under control, and are always sale-ready. ⁠https://amzn.to/4pwVhoi⁠ The Abyss of Finance: Trust, Leverage and the Cycles of Collapse For investors and leaders who want to understand why financial systems break before they do. ⁠https://amzn.to/3YsRKfI⁠ About the Podcast Invest in You is a global podcast where entrepreneur and investor Fredrik Sandvall shares practical ideas and conversations with founders, investors, and operators. Episodes focus on investing, entrepreneurship, and building long-term control and freedom. Occasionally joined by his sons Ivan and Charlie, the show offers both experience-based insight and a next-generation perspective. Listeners in 155+ countries tune in to think clearer, act smarter, and build with intent. Community & Contact Podcast community: https://bit.ly/4jxF94k Fredrik Sandvall LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandvall/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/FredrikinLondon/

In this powerful episode, Fredrik and Ivan sit down with Athena Brownson, a former professional freestyle skier turned top-tier real estate broker in Denver, Colorado. Athena shares her incredible journey from competing in the X Games and traveling the global race circuit to navigating a career-ending injury and a decade-long battle with chronic Lyme disease.  KEY TAKEAWAYS The high-level accountability, visualization, and discipline required in professional sports translate directly to the rigors of entrepreneurship. Success in real estate isn't just about closing deals; it’s about becoming a "trusted advisor" through "unreasonable hospitality," going above and beyond to make clients feel seen and valued. Transitioning from an "only child/solo athlete" mindset to building a complementary team is essential to avoid burnout and scale a business. Healing from chronic illness or professional setbacks requires more than physical effort; it demands a conscious commitment to mindfulness, therapy, and "brain retraining". When motivation runs low, falling back on solid morning and evening routines such as gratitude journaling and meditation is what keeps a trajectory moving upward. BEST MOMENTS "Real estate can be very transactional if you let it... my goal is always to create a relational experience where people walk away saying, 'I now have a trusted advisor for everything I’ll ever need within my home.'" "I look at my ski career, and I think it was probably the best business school I ever could have asked for." "If you're not taking care of these elements, if you're not taking care of you, then you can't take care of anything else at a high level. You can't pour from an empty cup." "Luxury means just giving more; hospitality means being more thoughtful." "You can do hard things... when we come into it with the mindset of being capable and strong, we encounter it with much more grace." Books by Fredrik Sandvall Options Strategy: Build to Keep. Ready to Sell Tomorrow. For founders and CEOs who want businesses that compound in value, stay under control, and are always sale-ready. ⁠https://amzn.to/4pwVhoi⁠ The Abyss of Finance: Trust, Leverage and the Cycles of Collapse For investors and leaders who want to understand why financial systems break before they do. ⁠https://amzn.to/3YsRKfI⁠ About the Podcast Invest in You is a global podcast where entrepreneur and investor Fredrik Sandvall shares practical ideas and conversations with founders, investors, and operators. Episodes focus on investing, entrepreneurship, and building long-term control and freedom. Occasionally joined by his sons Ivan and Charlie, the show offers both experience-based insight and a next-generation perspective. Listeners in 155+ countries tune in to think clearer, act smarter, and build with intent. Community & Contact Podcast community: https://bit.ly/4jxF94k Fredrik Sandvall LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandvall/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/FredrikinLondon/

Today, Fredrik sits down with John Andrews, a specialist in business acquisitions from Ronald Fletcher Baker in the UK. With over a decade of experience in the field, John shares his expertise on the intricacies of the SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprise) acquisition market. They cover a wide range of topics, from the initial mindset shift required for business owners to believe their companies are sellable, to the detailed legal and financial processes involved in structuring a deal. John emphasises the importance of a well-prepared business, highlighting the roles of specialised legal and financial advice, thorough due diligence, and the subtle yet crucial human elements that can make or break an acquisition.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Many business owners fail to realise their companies are sellable. A well-structured business with clear processes and procedures is almost always attractive to the right buyer. When navigating the complex world of acquisitions, it's essential to have a team of specialists, including M&A lawyers and accountants who understand the nuances of the market. While financial health is paramount, thorough due diligence also involves understanding legal risks, potential liabilities, and the overall culture and staff dynamics of the target company. Different deal structures, such as using Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) or holding companies, can provide protection against historical liabilities and tax inefficiencies. Acquisitions are not just about balance sheets; they're about people. Maintaining positive relationships with staff, clients, and the seller is often the key to a smooth and successful transition. BEST MOMENTS "If you get your business structured right, then there will be a buyer for it. So you need the belief first of all, and then secondly, you need the processes in place." "The starting point in any deal is going to be how much can I sell, how much can I sell for, and for any buyer is well how much am I willing to pay? And the starting point for all of that are the accounts." "You always have to be prepared to walk away from a deal if it's not right. Either because the price isn't right or because the risks that are involved in acquiring that business are too high." "It's that culture clash between the strict hard private equity model that financially is successful on a big scale versus the culture model on which lots of smaller businesses, SMEs are built on." Books by Fredrik Sandvall Options Strategy: Build to Keep. Ready to Sell Tomorrow. For founders and CEOs who want businesses that compound in value, stay under control, and are always sale-ready. ⁠https://amzn.to/4pwVhoi⁠ The Abyss of Finance: Trust, Leverage and the Cycles of Collapse For investors and leaders who want to understand why financial systems break before they do. ⁠https://amzn.to/3YsRKfI⁠ About the Podcast Invest in You is a global podcast where entrepreneur and investor Fredrik Sandvall shares practical ideas and conversations with founders, investors, and operators. Episodes focus on investing, entrepreneurship, and building long-term control and freedom. Occasionally joined by his sons Ivan and Charlie, the show offers both experience-based insight and a next-generation perspective. Listeners in 155+ countries tune in to think clearer, act smarter, and build with intent. Community & Contact Podcast community: https://bit.ly/4jxF94k Fredrik Sandvall LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandvall/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/FredrikinLondon/

Today, we sit down with Taylor Cannon, the Australian-born physiotherapist turned tech founder of Rebuilder. Taylor shares her inspiring transition from clinical practice to launching a global health tech platform in the United States. We explore her mission to shift the healthcare industry from a reactive ‘appointment-based’ model to a proactive, continuous care approach that blends physical therapy with everyday fitness. Taylor dives deep into the role of AI in healthcare, emphasising that while AI is a powerful tool for scaling and efficiency, the human element remains irreplaceable in treating complex issues like chronic pain. KEY TAKEAWAYS The current healthcare model is largely reactive; the future lies in ‘proactive care’, where rehabilitation and fitness merge to help individuals maintain mobility long before an injury occurs. Traditional therapy often leaves patients "on pause" between sessions. Rebuilder aims to provide continuous, asynchronous support to ensure better outcomes and higher patient capacity for clinicians. While AI can handle data analysis and efficiency (like motion analysis), it cannot replace the empathy and complex problem-solving of a human clinician. Taylor emphasises a ‘hire slow, fire fast’ approach, prioritising coachability and work ethic over pure technical skill in the early stages of a startup. For founders without a pre-existing audience, growth can be accelerated by partnering with influencers and established distributors rather than trying to build a community from scratch. BEST MOMENTS "People need a human alongside this AI. There’s a big missing piece to pain, and pain is that complex." "I don't want PTs to be identified as people that you go to when you're in pain. I really want to shift from a reactive model to a proactive model." "Work ethic in many circumstances for me would beat skill. If somebody has an incredible work ethic. I would probably pick the person with the high work ethic." "You’re not a tree. You don’t have roots in the ground. You can move toward opportunity and explore it." "The limitation to your company is your vision and passion. Keep going, keep growing." Books by Fredrik Sandvall Options Strategy: Build to Keep. Ready to Sell Tomorrow. For founders and CEOs who want businesses that compound in value, stay under control, and are always sale-ready. ⁠https://amzn.to/4pwVhoi⁠ The Abyss of Finance: Trust, Leverage and the Cycles of Collapse For investors and leaders who want to understand why financial systems break before they do. ⁠https://amzn.to/3YsRKfI⁠ About the Podcast Invest in You is a global podcast where entrepreneur and investor Fredrik Sandvall shares practical ideas and conversations with founders, investors, and operators. Episodes focus on investing, entrepreneurship, and building long-term control and freedom. Occasionally joined by his sons Ivan and Charlie, the show offers both experience-based insight and a next-generation perspective. Listeners in 155+ countries tune in to think clearer, act smarter, and build with intent. Community & Contact Podcast community: https://bit.ly/4jxF94k Fredrik Sandvall LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandvall/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/FredrikinLondon/

Today, Fredrik and Ivan take a deep dive into the elusive world of private credit. Once a strategy reserved strictly for the ultra-wealthy, private credit is now becoming a topic of interest for those looking for stable cash flow and high yields outside the traditional banking system. They explore what private credit actually is, its current role in the global economy, and the potential risks lurking beneath its seemingly calm surface. They also touch upon broader economic trends, including the impact of global conflicts on market stability and the concept of ‘liquidity illusions’. KEY TAKEAWAYS It is essentially lending that happens outside the traditional banking system, where terms are negotiated directly between the lender and the borrower. Historically, private credit has offered high returns, often in the double digits, but it typically requires capital to be locked up for five to seven years. This asset class is primarily accessible to ultra-high-net-worth individuals and large institutions like pension funds and insurance companies. A significant danger in private credit is the ‘liquidity illusion’, the belief that assets can be easily converted to cash, which fails when everyone tries to exit at once. Unlike public markets that react instantly to news, private markets have a ‘valuation lag’, which can mask underlying risks during economic downturns. BEST MOMENTS "The cool thing with private credit? It's only available if you are really, really rich." "When the market doesn't have trust, we are in big trouble." "Your pension is here in private credit, whether you want it or not, whether you know it or not." "There is a reason why billionaires have got bunkers." "Private credit is facing challenges, because of a somewhat lack of trust, which sees early redemptions." Books by Fredrik Sandvall Options Strategy: Build to Keep. Ready to Sell Tomorrow. For founders and CEOs who want businesses that compound in value, stay under control, and are always sale-ready. ⁠https://amzn.to/4pwVhoi⁠ The Abyss of Finance: Trust, Leverage and the Cycles of Collapse For investors and leaders who want to understand why financial systems break before they do. ⁠https://amzn.to/3YsRKfI⁠ About the Podcast Invest in You is a global podcast where entrepreneur and investor Fredrik Sandvall shares practical ideas and conversations with founders, investors, and operators. Episodes focus on investing, entrepreneurship, and building long-term control and freedom. Occasionally joined by his sons Ivan and Charlie, the show offers both experience-based insight and a next-generation perspective. Listeners in 155+ countries tune in to think clearer, act smarter, and build with intent. Community & Contact Podcast community: https://bit.ly/4jxF94k Fredrik Sandvall LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandvall/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/FredrikinLondon/

The world of trading can feel like a high-stakes psychological battlefield, but for Ran Aroussi, it’s a game of systems and logic. In this episode, Ran joins hosts Ivan and the team to discuss his transition from a 35-year coding and engineering background into the world of quantitative trading. Ran explains his ‘psychological reactionary’ style, which avoids deep fundamental analysis in favour of measuring price action and standard deviation. The group explores the burgeoning role of AI in market prediction, the necessity of emotional discipline, and why a simplified set of rules often beats a complex one. KEY TAKEAWAYS A background in engineering and coding provides a significant edge in trading by forcing an investor to view market data through a structured, systematic lens. Successful trading doesn't always require complex math; sometimes, rules as simple as ‘buying after two down days’ can outperform broader indices like the S&P 500. AI won't necessarily replace traders but will shift their role from manual execution to ‘orchestrating’ agents that can recognise patterns and predict support/resistance levels in real-time. In the trading world, the ability to stick to a predefined system (discipline) is often more valuable than raw intelligence or the ability to predict the future. A common mistake in backtesting is using the same data set repeatedly to find a ‘sweet spot’, which leads to strategies that work on past data but fail in live markets. BEST MOMENTS "I don't think we're great value investors. Coming from programming, you tend to type a few things and see a result." "The markets are not efficient; otherwise, nobody would make money outside of investing in the S&P." "My job is no longer typing; my job is to orchestrate and give the strategy and a set of rules and direction to the AI." "If there's something that the market gives you, it's constant feedback. You need to know what's not working in order to know what to improve." "I'd rather not lose 50% on a stock than gain 2,000% on a stock because I can't predict it. I'd rather make the easier bets." Ran Aroussi  X @aroussi Free book productionaibook.com  LI https://www.linkedin.com/in/aroussi/  Books by Fredrik Sandvall Options Strategy: Build to Keep. Ready to Sell Tomorrow. For founders and CEOs who want businesses that compound in value, stay under control, and are always sale-ready. ⁠https://amzn.to/4pwVhoi⁠ The Abyss of Finance: Trust, Leverage and the Cycles of Collapse For investors and leaders who want to understand why financial systems break before they do. ⁠https://amzn.to/3YsRKfI⁠ About the Podcast Invest in You is a global podcast where entrepreneur and investor Fredrik Sandvall shares practical ideas and conversations with founders, investors, and operators. Episodes focus on investing, entrepreneurship, and building long-term control and freedom. Occasionally joined by his sons Ivan and Charlie, the show offers both experience-based insight and a next-generation perspective. Listeners in 155+ countries tune in to think clearer, act smarter, and build with intent. Community & Contact Podcast community: https://bit.ly/4jxF94k Fredrik Sandvall LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandvall/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/FredrikinLondon/