FRAMES OF TECH

Most investors dream of backing the next unicorn, but a select few decide to leave the boardroom and build one themselves. In this episode of Frames of Tech, host Giorgio Ponticelli sits down with Ben Leaver to discuss his career shift from capital allocator to an accountable startup executive.

Ben shares his candid journey of seeking out the "real action" and the difficult lessons he learned when he finally made the jump.

In this episode, we cover:

In this episode of Frames of Tech, host Giorgio Ponticelli sits down with Nico Perez, co-founder of Mixcloud, to discuss how the platform became the only safe haven for long-form DJ mixes in a world of copyright takedowns.

Nico breaks down the immense complexity of music licensing—from distinguishing between sound recordings and publishing rights to navigating international jurisdictions - and how Mixcloud spent years negotiating with major labels to solve it. We also dive deep into the startup journey, moving from bootstrapping in an industrial warehouse to raising capital and surviving the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fi...

Adrian Blair, CEO of Trustpilot and former leader at Google, Spotify, and Just Eat, joins Frames of Tech to discuss why trust is the currency of modern business. From fighting fake reviews with AI to scaling global teams and managing culture across continents - this episode dives into leadership, authenticity, and how Trustpilot is shaping the future of trusted commerce online.

Most tech founders treat legal as a "blocker" or a necessary evil - a department that says "no" and slows down growth. But what if legal was actually your secret weapon for scaling faster?

In this episode of Frames of Tech, Giorgio Ponticelli sits down with Jeff Eneberi, a veteran legal leader who has navigated over 80 deals and scaled international teams. Jeff flips the script on traditional legal advice and introduces his CEDRIC Framework - a must-know blueprint for any early-stage founder.

In this episode, we dive into:

- The First Mistake: Why...

When the travel industry collapsed in 2020, most companies stopped. BizAway accelerated.

In this episode of Frames of Tech, Giorgio Ponticelli sits down with Luca Carlucci, Co-founder and CEO of BizAway, to unpack what it really takes to lead through crisis, scale from Southern Europe, and build a durable company without losing the human core.

We talk about why conviction matters more than consensus, how governance shapes decision-making in hard moments, and why business travel is still fundamentally about human relationships - even in an AI-driven world.

In this episode:

▪ Why BizAway gr...

Marnix Broer is the Co-founder and Chairman of Studocu, the global platform that makes study resources accessible to every student.

In this episode, Marnix shares how Studocu began in a Dutch dorm room, scaled to millions of users worldwide, and why students still trust each other more than AI.

We discuss culture, leadership, perfectionism, hiring mistakes, and how EdTech continues to matter in the era of LLMs.

You’ll learn:

- How Studocu began and scaled from Delft to the world

- The key role of culture, fun, and tr...

What happens when you build a company on trust instead of control?

Lopo Champalimaud, founder and former CEO of Treatwell, shares how empowering people to lead - not just follow - turned a chaotic startup into Europe’s leading beauty booking platform.

In this episode of Frames of Tech, host Giorgio Ponticelli explores Treatwell’s evolution from early pivots to hyper-growth, how “Hire captains, not soldiers” became a leadership philosophy, and why ownership culture still matters more than ever.

Lopo also reflects on his move from operator to investor at V3 Ventures, what he looks...

Giorgio Ponticelli sits down with Roland Butler, Head of Product, Content Solutions at Zalando and former product leader at Just Eat, Bookatable, The Fork and VavaCars. Roland shares his candid perspective on how AI is reshaping product management, why relationships matter more than frameworks, and what it really takes to thrive as a product leader today.

Roland explains how to balance top-down ambition with bottom-up feedback, why too many tasks kill prioritization, and why communication is the most underrated product skill.

You'll learn:

- How AI is changing the product role without replacing...

Rik van der Woerdt, Founder & CEO of Amsterdam Data Collective, joins Giorgio Ponticelli on Frames of Tech to discuss the future of AI consulting, building a purpose-driven company culture, and why adopting AI is about more than hype.

You’ll learn:

- How Rik built Amsterdam Data Collective into a leading AI consultancy

- What founders must learn when moving from founder to manager mode

- The impact of private equity on culture and growth

- Why collective culture outperforms traditional partner models in consulting

- Where AI...

In this episode, Klaus Nyengaard dives into the untold story of how Just Eat scaled from a 30-person Danish startup into a European tech leader. Klaus explains the big insight that changed everything, why ambition sets the direction, and how painful cultural transformation became unavoidable.

We discuss how to hire truly world-class talent, why most CEOs set the wrong benchmark, and what it means to build a team of "Entreprofessionals". Klaus also challenges 996 work culture, argues why ownership beats hours, and dispels the founder myth - showing why partnerships, not egos, build lasting companies.

Finally...

Tired of tech podcasts that sound the same?

Frames of Tech is here to change that.

🎙️ What to expect:

This trailer sets the stage for what’s to come. First episode drops next week.

👉 Subscribe now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or YouTube so you don’t miss it.

Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/@Frames-Of-Tech