Builders

✨ Alisher Jafarov has been with us as an Entrepreneur-in-Residence (EIR) at Builders Studio for the past 4 months, and his journey is one of growth, determination, and learning. Alisher embodies the "Grow or Die" philosophy. His diverse experiences have shaped him into an innovative leader. Inspired by both global thinkers and family mentors, Alisher brings a unique blend of international perspective and practical expertise to Builders Studio. His story showcases the power of continuous learning and adaptability in the entrepreneurial world. 🚀 Interested in building your venture? Join Builders Studio as an EIR, and build with us! https://lnkd.in/gR2Nnfhr

𝗩𝗖 / 𝗔𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗹 / 𝗙𝗢? 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗛𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗽 𝟮𝟯𝗿𝗱! Once a quarter, we connect talented investors from in and around our network to visit the offices of an inspiring scaleup. This time at CM.com. Average mix? 20 HNWI, 5 VCs and 10 Builders. Nope, this is not just to network but to have an in-depth chat with one of the founders and, after some bites and drinks, some meaningful stellar 1:1 connections. On September 23rd, Builders Investor House will be hosted at CM.com, and we’ll sit down with Gilbert Gooijers for a fireside chat. Join and deep-dive into their entrepreneurial journey, the highs and lows, and maybe some untold stories. 𝙍𝙎𝙑𝙋? Reply with 𝗬𝗘𝗦, Tag your buddy or DM me! I'll shoot over the details. 🖖🏻 ps. The picture is from the May edition.

𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐁𝐥𝐨𝐜𝐤𝐬: 𝐂𝐓𝐎 𝐂𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 - 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 🖖🏻 Building companies is a wonderfully complex journey, one that piques intellectual challenges all the time. First and foremost, having the right people in the right roles matters… a lot. One of the most challenging feats? The fit between business and technical co-founders. We've got a building block for that! ;) Let me explain… As a studio, we're constantly in conversation with brilliant minds and true techno-optimists. Yes, there are also some recruiters who slip through the cracks, hah. From lead developers to battle-hardened CTOs with the scars and victories to prove it. But here's the kicker: these tech wizards aren't always on the market when opportunity comes knocking, and we’re not always in the market when they are. So why let this opportunity for both go to waste? Of course, we’re no recruiters—we're Builders. Here's where it gets interesting. Why not connect the tech leaders of our larger network to each other in a qualitative way, the Builders' way? By using our own battle-tested assessments and playbooks—the very same ones we use when partnering with a CTO ourselves. Not just matching skills on a resume but a true deep dive into a CTO's psyche, problem-solving approach, and ability to think on their feet. With that, we might be able to uplift the ecosystem around us. The big upside? I personally get to keep the conversation about all things nerdy and tech going even more. We named this building block the CTO Collective, why not, eh? ;) The Collective isn't new to us, and we’ve been running it in the background for a while. Funny enough, it has an unexpected but welcome side effect. It's attracting even more awesome CTOs to our platform. And you know what that means? It's drawing in more talented CEOs too. It's a virtuous cycle of talent attraction that's taking our entire ecosystem to new heights. Booyah! This building block doesn’t change the fact that we are true Builders, and the studio is the medium to empower entrepreneurs at their core by building together. With the addition of the CTO Collective, we can empower entrepreneurs in a different way—one that fits right into our core values and supports the friends around us. All of it to empower entrepreneurs and build stellar companies. So, ready to have that convo and geek out? Cheers, your friends at Builders 🖖🏻

✨ In the latest PlayPod hosted by Michael & Sharon, Sohrab Hosseini, co-founder of orq.ai, breaks down the journey of turning design partner into a game-changing focus for their platform. As their design partners experimented with early access to open APIs, the demand for more robust prompt management features became clear. So instead of spreading themselves thin, orq.ai doubled down on building the right tools to handle everything from configuration to full-blown AI operations. Sohrab talks about how they didn’t need a massive pivot - just a smart refocus to meet the growing needs of software teams. By early 2023, with #GenAI taking off, it was obvious they made the right call. Sometimes, the best move is simplifying and honing in on what really matters. Tune in to the full episode to hear how Sohrab and Orq are pushing the boundaries in the AI space! 👀 Catch the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/eXTjgaGV #PlayPod #Builders

𝗦𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼 (𝗖𝗧𝗢) 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀, 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆? Let’s turn up the heat. Should studios monetise their services, or is it a slippery slope? Studios traditionally create value like a fund, relying on investor backing rather than selling services. But in today’s landscape, where studios start as evergreen entities with undefined operating expenses, the question looms large: 𝗜𝘀 𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲? Sure, charging for services might boost the studio’s P&L, but at what cost? Transforming into a service provider could dilute the studio's core mission, turning it into just another agency. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗴𝗮𝗺𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀, not getting bogged down in client relationships that don’t move the needle. Instead, studios should double down on what they do best—partnering with top-tier founders, refining their processes, and creating companies that last. 𝗦𝗼, 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀? Spoiler alert. Yes, but only if they enhance this mission… Need a deeper dive? Check out the long format below. Cheers, your friends at Builders 🖖🏻

We partner with talented entrepreneurs to define the future of work by building B2B software companies that harness the power of AI. Our focus areas include, but are not limited to: 🛠️ Solving real business challenges We're committed to solving mission critical business challenges that impact both workfloor joy and the bottom line, by turning pain points into opportunities and returns on investment. 🥂 Transform the daily grind into a joy for billions We shape the future of work with software products that integrate AI at the core, to enhance productivity and set new standards for efficiency and innovation in the workplace. 🔮 Magical intelligence We harness the power of AI to infuse our software with magical intelligence, enabling it to interact, predict, and make decisions in ways previously unique to humans. Want to become a founder and build with us? Get in touch: https://lnkd.in/evmkw7cV #beceomeafounder #entrepreneur #entrepreneurship #entrepreneurinresidence #EIR #startupstudio #builders #venturestudio

Jelmer Peerbolte has joined Builders as Co-owner and Managing Director since July. We’re still riding a wave of excitement over this 🔥 🤗 . Jelmer brings a vision that’s all about making a real difference. He’s here to build ventures that don’t just succeed but also create a positive impact. His big goal? To help take Builders Studio to unicorn 🦄 status in the next five years by getting market validation just right and keeping things moving fast. Jelmer’s leadership style is rooted in trust - he believes in trusting people to own their work and do what they do best. But don’t worry, he’s always ready to jump in and get his hands dirty to help founders tackle whatever comes their way. Since July, Jelmer’s already brought a ton of fresh energy to the team, and we’re excited to see what’s next. Something great are definitely on the horizon! 🌊 🚀

𝗡𝗼𝘄 𝗹𝗲𝘁’𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗖𝗧𝗢𝘀. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲? Earlier I raved on and on about the non-conventional way of how I’ve been figuring out if someone is the technical love of a lifetime. Truth be told... Writing the article made me assess the overall process and go down quite a rabbit hole to make this into a measurable and still close-to-myself process. Would be nice to have some data to improve on, eh? Maybe the real question is who assesses the assessor's assessment. For real. After some more thought, these are the 6 pillars on which we're going to base the Builders data (LLM powered) framework. ✔️ Tech mastery ✔️ Creativity ✔️ Leadership ✔️ Motivation ✔️ Collaboration ✔️ Strategy And now comes the interesting part: I’m sure as hell will not give myself even more admin work. 𝗦𝗼 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗲, 𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝘄𝘀𝗻𝗲𝗿. I don't mean in an interview, but what questions should we ask an LLM so it can digest the answers from our inputs... think professional profile, interviews, reference checks, etc. 𝙈𝙮 𝙖𝙨𝙠: 𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙧 𝙤𝙪𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙤 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙖𝙣 𝙇𝙇𝙈 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝? If you have one or more, I'll share the definitive ones with you if you play ball at the end. For now, Cheers hitchhikers 🖖🏻

✨ Building Resilience: Sohrab Hosseini’s Path from Early Ventures to AI Impact. ✨ In our latest PlayPod episode, Michael & Sharon sat down with Sohrab Hosseini, co-founder of orq.ai, to chat about his entrepreneurial journey and how his company has evolved. Born in Iran and growing up in Rotterdam, Sohrab’s path took him from early wins in tech to the tough challenge of rebuilding after a business collapse. But his resilience and adaptability led him to where he is today with orq.ai. Sohrab highlighted how crucial it is to have fine-tuned control over processes, especially when working with large clients who have all kinds of specific needs - from formal tones to niche industry jargon. This flexibility has been key to orq’s success. Looking at the bigger picture, Sohrab pointed out that every company is now going through a transformation, much like the shifts we saw with the internet, mobile tech, and big data. He made it clear that just adding new tech isn’t enough; it’s about retraining teams and making these tools accessible to everyone in the organization. This episode ended with Sohrab asking a question to the next guest: "What was your lowest point, and how did you come out stronger?" 👀 Catch the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/eDwPZ2KQ

Builders Investor House is back and better on September 23! This time, we're venturing to Breda at the CM.com office for an evening packed with intriguing insights, knowledge sharing, and discussions about AI over a beer (or three!). Check out the full agenda and join us: https://lu.ma/BIH_CM #BuildersInvestorHouse #TechInnovation