In this episode of Behind Numbers, host Alessandro Cozzi sits down with Saroop Bharwani, founder and CEO of Senso AI, to unpack what the founder journey really looks like behind the hype — constant rejection, daily failure, and the resilience required to keep building anyway.Saroop describes entrepreneurship as a decade-long journey of rejection, where failure isn’t the exception but the rule. Through his story, we explore why this cycle of failure is not only unavoidable, but essential — especially in today’s fast-moving world of AI, autonomy, and exponential technology.The conversation traces Saroop’s path from early curiosity about artificial intelligence and neuropsychology, to building enterprise software, to founding Senso AI — a knowledge orchestration platform helping organizations unlock the value trapped in static documents, policies, and workflows. Along the way, he shares how global shifts in AI, particularly in the post–ChatGPT era, have reshaped what’s possible for builders and leaders alike.Together, Alessandro and Saroop explore:• Why founders must learn to live with rejection and uncertainty• How failure accelerates learning more than any textbook ever could• What Y Combinator really looks for when selecting founders• The difference between enterprise thinking and builder thinking• Why traditional long-term planning breaks down in the age of AI• How leaders must unlearn corporate habits to keep pace with innovation• Why mindset, not technology, is the biggest blocker to AI adoption• How building communities and empowering people through technology has been a constant thread across Saroop’s companiesSaroop also reflects on the emotional highs and lows of entrepreneurship — the moments where quitting feels inevitable, and the moments where everything clicks. He explains why every leader today, founder or not, must adopt a builder’s mindset: experimenting fast, accepting failure, and starting every day as “day one.”This episode is not just about startups or artificial intelligence. It’s a raw, honest conversation about resilience, leadership, decision-making, and what it takes to build something meaningful in an uncertain world.If you’re a founder, executive, operator, or builder trying to understand how to navigate failure, AI disruption, and the future of work, this episode will challenge how you think — and how you lead.#BehindNumbers #FounderJourney #Entrepreneurship #StartupLife #Leadership #FailureToSuccess #Resilience #Ycombinator

In this episode of Behind Numbers, host Alessandro Cozzi sits down with Zak Ali, General Manager of the U.S. at Finder, to unpack one of the most unconventional leadership journeys in modern tech — building a senior executive career without a college degree.

Zak’s path didn’t follow a traditional blueprint. Instead of credentials, he focused on learning by doing, building products, growing audiences, and mastering the mental discipline required to lead at scale. From co-founding Rantt — which evolved from a news aggregator into a widely cited media platform — to leading growth and eventually the U.S. business at Finder, Zak’s story is about momentum, focus, and deliberate thinking.

A key theme of the conversation is attention — what you choose to focus on shapes your outcomes. Zak shares a powerful mental model, to explain how awareness, mindset, and intentional focus can quietly determine success or stagnation in both career and life.

Together, Alessandro and Zak explore:

• How Zak built executive-level responsibility without formal academic credentials

• Why controlling your thoughts and attention is a competitive advantage

• The difference between learning skills and mastering judgment

• How growth leaders scale teams, culture, and systems sustainably

• Why many careers accelerate not through planning, but through pattern recognition

• The role of self-belief, criticism, and resilience in leadership development

• What aspiring leaders should focus on instead of titles and credentials

This episode goes beyond career advice. It’s a conversation about mental discipline, leadership under uncertainty, and building credibility through execution rather than permission.

If you’re interested in leadership development, growth strategy, unconventional career paths, mindset mastery, or what it really takes to earn trust and responsibility at the executive level, this episode offers practical insight and hard-earned perspective.

#BehindNumbers #TechLeadership #NoCollegeDegree #ExecutiveMindset #CareerGrowth #LeadershipMindset #TechCareers #StartupLeadership #MentalDiscipline #CareerAdvice #NonTraditionalPath

In this episode of Behind Numbers, host Alessandro Cozzi sits down with Tim Bean, an engineer and founder whose unconventional career journey led him into the world of autonomous defense technology and AI-driven systems — not through a lifelong plan, but through pivotal moments and real-world opportunity.The conversation begins with 9/11, a defining global event that reshaped Tim’s perspective and ultimately redirected his career. Rather than “following his dreams,” Tim explains how he followed important problems, learning along the way and building technology where accountability, ethics, and leadership truly matter.Together, Alessandro and Tim discuss:• How global events can shape leadership paths and career decisions• Why many successful founders never planned their end destination• The difference between ambition and obsession — and why obsession can become dangerous• What it takes to build autonomous systems and defense technology in high-stakes environments• How AI, robotics, and autonomy intersect with ethics and responsibility• Why proximity to meaningful problems matters more than titles or credentials• How strong judgment and values define long-term leadership successThis episode goes beyond technology and AI trends. It’s a deep conversation about leadership, decision-making under uncertainty, career growth, and building impactful technology without a traditional roadmap.If you’re interested in founder stories, leadership development, autonomous systems, AI in defense, engineering careers, or unconventional paths to success, this episode offers rare insight into how meaningful work is built — one decision at a time.