E144: Europe Is Being Colonised. Most People Don't Know It Yet | Rodrigo Sepulveda Schulz

Rodrigo Sepulveda Schulz has lived five careers in one lifetime. Born in Chile, raised in Thailand, 36 years in Paris, now Madrid. He's been a management consultant, a serial entrepreneur, a venture capitalist who screened 15,000 startups and backed 50, a broadcaster with hundreds of episodes, and today the CEO of a European AI company he believes is genuinely worth fighting for. In this episode we get into what it actually takes to build across decades without losing yourself, why Europe is being digitally colonised and what needs to happen before it's too late, the three things he looks for in every founder, and why a wine exam made him happier than any multimillion dollar deal ever did. And what does he love more than tech or wine? You'll find out at the end. Connect with Rodrigo: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rsepulveda/ rodrigosepulveda.com Hosted by Zivile: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zivileeinikyte/ Chapters **00:00** Introduction - Who Is Rodrigo Sepulveda Schulz? **02:42** Reunion & The Lisbon Breakfast Memory **03:32** Leaving Paris After 36 Years - What It Really Felt Like **05:21** Wanderlust & Living in 87 Countries **07:05** The Career Nobody Plans - How It All Started **08:24** From Consulting to Entrepreneur: The Netflix Copycat **11:00** Inventing Himself as an Angel Investor **12:09** The Broadcaster Nobody Talks About - 800 Episodes **14:11** Why He Became a CEO Again at This Stage of Life **14:42** The Wine Exam That Made Him Happier Than Any Deal **16:53** Nature vs. Zeros and Ones - Why Wine Changed Everything **17:25** How to Turn Around a Company That's Stagnating **20:11** What He Actually Looks For in a Founder **22:01** Solo Founders vs. Co-Founders - Has the Game Changed? **25:31** The Question He's Been Trying to Answer for Years **27:00** Europe Is Being Digitally Colonised - And Most Don't See It **29:28** If You Were Starting a Company in Europe Today **31:00** The 5 Stages of AI - Where the Real Opportunity Is **32:25** Final Thought - The One Language That Connects Us All