Founders Meeting | Roei Samuel / Connected: Building the Future of Work, One Human Connection at a Time What if the biggest threat to your career isn't your competition — but your comfort zone? In this Founders Meeting episode, Helga sits down with Roei Samuel, a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, podcast host, former stand-up comedian, and CEO of Connectd — a platform helping thousands of professionals break free from traditional employment and build fractional careers on their own terms. Roei's story is anything but linear. From burning CDs in a Scottish schoolyard to exiting a media company, surviving an identity crisis post-exit, and building one of the UK's fastest growing companies — he has lived through every stage of the founder journey. And he's refreshingly honest about all of it. This conversation goes beyond business. It's about alignment, dopamine, ego death, and why the future of work might just save us all — if we're brave enough to reach for it. 🔑 In this episode, we talk about: Growing up between communist Hungary and working class Glasgow — and what that taught Roy about survivalADHD, over-medication, and finally learning to work with his brain instead of against itWhy selling a company can feel like losing yourself — and how to rebuild after an exitWhat fractional work actually means and why it matters more than ever in 2026How AI is different this time — and why there's no integration period comingThe "burner brand" strategy every early stage founder should know aboutWhy Connected puts employees above customers — and why it's workingBuilding a culture that people don't want to leaveAngel investing, VC evolution, and why attention is the new unfair advantagePersonal branding, LinkedIn, and the one channel rule for founders 🧠 Key Takeaways: Most pain comes from misalignment. Alignment is happiness — and it's a strategy.Building from purpose protects your identity when the commercial chapter ends.Fractional work isn't a backup plan — it's a hedge against an uncertain future.The gap between AI shifts is so small there's no catching up later. Stay curious now.Your first hires need to mirror your values exactly — even 5% drift compounds fast.Culture isn't the ping pong table. It's how you treat people when things get hard.Brand and network effects are the only defensible advantages left for most companies.Niche down to one channel and own it before expanding anywhere else. 💬 Sound Bites: "Once the to-do list is done, all that's left to face is yourself." "Most founders are building from lack, not love." "Borrowing from tomorrow's well to feed today — for years." "If it doesn't feel right to be the only one winning, open up the table." "The competitive advantage is no longer venture dollars. It's attention." "Until your home base is secured, hyper focus on where your community lives." 📍 Chapter Highlights: 00:00 – Introduction to Roy and Connected 01:59 – Free time, weight training, meditation and fringe science 03:41 – Childhood: Glasgow, Budapest and burning CDs at school 07:02 – Managing ADHD without medication 09:20 – Life after exit — and the identity crisis nobody warns you about 11:26 – How to prepare for what comes after 12:04 – Happiness, alignment and why misalignment causes most pain 13:19 – What fractional work actually means 15:55 – Connected: the platform, the mission and the three pillars 18:00 – Coaching, upskilling and bridging the corporate-to-startup gap 19:50 – Why Helga started Founders Meeting — and what 10 years taught her 22:25 – Investors, unicorn founders and the chip on the shoulder 24:26 – How Roy decides who to invest in 26:11 – AI, automation and the 2030 wave nobody is ready for 29:59 – Who Connected is really built for 32:23 – Personal branding, thought leadership and dropping the corporate mask 36:45 – Where to start as a fractional: focus on your fastest value 37:53 – From comedian to CEO — and why stand-up makes everything easier 39:58 – Founder to CEO: the transition that makes or breaks companies 42:03 – The job of a CEO 43:47 – Hiring for values, not just skills 45:57 – What culture actually is 49:23 – Employer branding and caring for your team 49:58 – External branding and why it's everything in the AI age 51:48 – The burner brand strategy 52:26 – VC, term sheets and retaining optionality 55:11 – Community, IRL events and why human connection is the mission 57:00 – Founders Dinner and intentional community building 01:01:14 – Brand advice for founders in 2026 01:02:18 – How to find where your community lives 🔗 Links & Resources: 🔗 Connectd → https://www.connectd.com/ 👤 Roy → LinkedIn 📍 London, UK 🌍 Mentioned: Real Sport, Gfinity, Mucker AI, GreenWeaver AI, Konda Capital, OpenAI, Anthropic 📚 Mentioned: Reid Hoffman on default dead startupsGoldman Sachs & OECD reports on the future of workSunday Times UK Fastest Growing Companies list 🧡 Why You'll Love This Episode: Roy doesn't talk about entrepreneurship from a safe distance. He talks about the dopamine spirals, the ego death, the hiring mistakes, and the moments where the path completely disappeared. But he also talks about what's on the other side of all of that — alignment, purpose, and building something that actually matters. If you're at any stage of the founder journey and wondering whether there's a better way, this one is for you. 📣 Connect with Us: This podcast is brought to you by SERIOUS.BUSINESS. If your brand is growing but your positioning, messaging, or differentiation isn't as strong as your product — we'll fix that. 👉 Apply for your FREE Brand Masterplan 🦄
