Startups Decoded

#64: She Started a Brand Before She Started a Career — Sophie de Haën

Most founders try to build a company. Sophie de Haën built one by accident. And she did it while she was still in college. Andy Walsh sat down with Sophie de Haën [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophie-de-ha%C3%ABn-2965251b7/], founder of SDH Paints, to unpack one of the most unconventional founder journeys we’ve seen on Startups Decoded. Sophie didn’t start with a startup idea, a pitch deck, or a plan to raise money. She started painting during COVID and sharing her work online. What began as a creative outlet quickly attracted attention. As her audience grew, people started asking to buy the art. That simple feedback loop turned into SDH Paints — a fast-growing art-led brand with nearly 300,000 followers and six-figure annual revenue, all built while Sophie was still a college student. But the real story isn’t just how the company started. It’s how she chose to grow it. Instead of chasing scale and momentum, Sophie made the unusual decision to slow the business down during her final year of college. After years of constant output, she stepped back to reconnect with her creativity and figure out what she actually wanted the next chapter to look like. In this conversation, Andy and Sophie explore a different path into entrepreneurship, one where audience comes before product, community becomes the feedback loop, and the founder is evolving just as fast as the business. This episode offers a glimpse into how the next generation of founders are emerging, often without meaning to. Listen: Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startups-decoded/id1791857722] || Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/220mqWlx20TABn7wzCPCeu?si=1c6e91af36d34c92] || YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@startups_decoded] Subscribe now [%%checkout_url%%] What We Cover * Building an audience before building a product * Turning creativity into a business organically * The creator-to-founder pathway * Social media as a real-time product feedback loop * The tension between art, commerce, and identity * Why Sophie paused growth while the brand was working * How authenticity builds stronger communities than strategy Andy Walsh 2× exited founder and host of Startups Decoded (Top 2% globally). https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwalsh/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwalsh/] Access All Areas. * Listen: Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startups-decoded/id1791857722] || Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/220mqWlx20TABn7wzCPCeu?si=1c6e91af36d34c92] || YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@startups_decoded] * Subscribe: Substack [https://startupsdecoded.substack.com/] * Community & Events: Founders Circle [https://startupsdecoded.com/founderscircle#founder-form] * Connect: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwalsh/] * Socials: TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@startups_decoded] || Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/startups_decoded/] || X [https://x.com/StartupsDecoded] * Web: startupsdecoded.com [http://startupsdecoded.com/] Music Credit “Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)  The Studio https://28thandpark.podyx.com/ Filmed on location at 28th&Park. A content & production studio for New York’s visionary Builders, Investors, Artists, Musicians, & Creators to amplify their voice & share bold stories. Use the code “Decoded” for 25% off your first booking.

#63: Burn the Script — Alicia Teltz on Leaving the “Perfect” Life.

Alicia Teltz didn’t reinvent her life overnight. She made one decision. That step led to losing 84 pounds, leaving a 10-year relationship, walking away from a high-paying corporate career, and starting over. In this episode we unpack what really blocks people from change. Confidence rarely shows up first. Momentum follows action. Alicia shares the reality behind rebuilding your life, the mindset shift that comes with taking control, and why visibility on LinkedIn is less about tactics and more about showing up before you feel ready. This conversation isn’t about reinvention as a buzzword. It’s about the moment you stop waiting. Listen: Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startups-decoded/id1791857722] || Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/220mqWlx20TABn7wzCPCeu?si=1c6e91af36d34c92] || YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@startups_decoded] Chapters * 00:00 The decision that changed Alicia’s life * 02:30 Leaving a “perfect” life behind * 06:15 Losing 84 pounds and rebuilding confidence * 10:00 Why bold decisions rarely start with confidence * 15:30 Walking away from corporate security * 19:45 Finding your voice online * 24:30 What people misunderstand about LinkedIn * 30:10 Authentic storytelling vs performative posting * 36:45 Showing up before you feel ready * 41:20 Helping founders build visibility online Who Should Listen * Founders at a crossroads * Operators questioning their path * Leaders navigating identity and visibility * Anyone who knows something needs to change Alicia Teltz [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alicia-teltz/] A LinkedIn personal branding and social selling expert and Chairwoman of The Hype Department. After 15 years in B2B tech sales at companies including SAP, Mastercard, Gartner, and LinkedIn, she left corporate to build her own business helping founders and executives grow influence through authentic online storytelling. Andy Walsh [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwalsh/] 2× exited founder and host of Startups Decoded (Top 2% globally). Access All Areas. * Listen: Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startups-decoded/id1791857722] || Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/220mqWlx20TABn7wzCPCeu?si=1c6e91af36d34c92] || YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@startups_decoded] * Subscribe: Substack [https://startupsdecoded.substack.com/] * Connect: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwalsh/] * Socials: TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@startups_decoded] || Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/startups_decoded/] || X [https://x.com/StartupsDecoded] * Web: startupsdecoded.com [http://startupsdecoded.com/] Music Credit “Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)  The Studio [https://28thandpark.podyx.com/] Filmed on location at 28th&Park. A content & production studio for New York’s visionary Builders, Investors, Artists, Musicians, & Creators to amplify their voice & share bold stories. Use the code “Decoded” for 25% off your first booking.

#62: AI Predicting the Future. What Happens Next? With Vanja Josifovski

AI has already changed how we create, search, and automate. The next step is prediction. In this episode, Vanja Josifovski joins Andy Walsh to explore how enterprises can use their own private data to forecast future outcomes, automate decisions, and move from analysis to action. As CEO and Co-Founder of Kumo, Vanja is building predictive intelligence systems that sit on top of enterprise data and help companies improve revenue, reduce fraud, and make faster, better decisions. This conversation explores how predictive AI is evolving, why trust remains the biggest barrier to adoption, and what happens when machines become better than humans at making mid-level operational decisions. We also get into the role of explainability, the future of work, and how AI will increasingly become natural language, instantaneous, and predictive. Listen: Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startups-decoded/id1791857722] || Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/220mqWlx20TABn7wzCPCeu?si=1c6e91af36d34c92] || YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@startups_decoded] Subscribe now [%%checkout_url%%] In This Episode • Why predictive intelligence is the next phase of AI • How Kumo uses enterprise data to forecast future outcomes • Where trust breaks down in AI adoption • Why most business decisions will eventually be automated • How explainability and human oversight shape adoption Chapters * 00:00 The Future of AI and Predictive Intelligence * 04:12 Vanja’s Journey in Tech and AI Evolution * 09:06 Trust and Acceptance in AI Technology * 12:41 The Role of Predictive Intelligence in Business * 18:10 Kumo’s Predictive Intelligence Model * 24:37 Feedback Loops and Continuous Improvement * 30:37 The Future of Decision-Making with AI * 35:10 The Impact of AI on Human Behavior and Society Vanja Josifovski [https://www.linkedin.com/in/vjosifovski/] CEO and Co-Founder of Kumo [https://kumo.ai/], a predictive AI platform that brings transformer and foundation model technology to enterprise tabular and relational data. Before Kumo, Vanja held senior leadership roles across major technology companies including Google, Yahoo, Airbnb, and Pinterest, with a long career focused on helping organizations use data to better serve customers, improve decisions, and scale intelligently. Andy Walsh [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwalsh/] 2× exited founder and host of Startups Decoded (Top 2% globally). Access All Areas. * Listen: Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startups-decoded/id1791857722] || Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/220mqWlx20TABn7wzCPCeu?si=1c6e91af36d34c92] || YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@startups_decoded] * Subscribe: Substack [https://startupsdecoded.substack.com/] * Connect: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwalsh/] * Socials: TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@startups_decoded] || Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/startups_decoded/] || X [https://x.com/StartupsDecoded] * Web: startupsdecoded.com [http://startupsdecoded.com/] Music Credit “Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)  The Studio [https://28thandpark.podyx.com/] Filmed on location at 28th&Park. A content & production studio for New York’s visionary Builders, Investors, Artists, Musicians, & Creators to amplify their voice & share bold stories. Use the code “Decoded” for 25% off your first booking.

#61: VCs Don’t Take Power. Founders Hand It Over. With Itamar Novick

Power in startups is rarely where founders think it is. Itamar Novick, Founder and GP at Recursive Ventures, has worked both sides of the table as a founder, operator, angel, and VC. He’s backed 150+ early-stage companies and helped founders raise over $500M, while also building companies like Life360 and Gigya from the inside. In this conversation, we unpack the real power dynamics between founders and investors. We get into when founders should start thinking about leverage, how power gets handed over long before a board seat shows up, and why fundraising should be run like a focused sales process, not a random hunt for capital. Itamar also breaks down where founders get contracts and cap tables wrong, why some businesses should never raise venture, and how seed-strapping is changing the path for early-stage companies. This episode is for founders who want to raise smart, keep control, and understand the rules before they get expensive. Listen: Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startups-decoded/id1791857722] || Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/220mqWlx20TABn7wzCPCeu?si=1c6e91af36d34c92] || YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@startups_decoded] Chapters * 00:00 Navigating the VC-founder power dynamic *  05:12 Lessons from early fundraising *  09:45 Iteration and learning *  15:04 Advisors and decision-making *  20:14 Understanding power before fundraising *  25:13 Setting the right foundations *  28:31 Taking control of fundraising *  35:30 Contracts, cap tables, and control *  41:40 Venture fit and seed-strapping  47:44 What makes founders stand out Itamar Novick [https://www.linkedin.com/in/itamarnovick/] Itamar Novick is the Founder and General Partner at Recursive Ventures, a San Francisco-based VC fund investing in US pre-seed and seed startups. Since 2010, he has invested in more than 150 early-stage companies and was named a Business Insider Top 100 Global Seed Investor from 2021 to 2025. Before VC, Itamar was a repeat entrepreneur and startup executive, including roles at Life360 and Gigya. His investment approach is shaped by operator experience and a clear belief that founders should be empowered to build and lead for the long term. Andy Walsh [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwalsh/] 2× exited founder and host of Startups Decoded (Top 2% globally) Access All Areas. * Subscribe: Substack [https://startupsdecoded.substack.com/] * Connect: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwalsh/] * Socials: TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@startups_decoded] || Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/startups_decoded/] || X [https://x.com/StartupsDecoded] * Web: startupsdecoded.com [http://startupsdecoded.com/] Music Credit “Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)  The Studio [https://28thandpark.podyx.com/]  Filmed on location at 28th&Park. A content & production studio for New York’s visionary Builders, Investors, Artists, Musicians, & Creators to amplify their voice & share bold stories. Use the code “Decoded” for 25% off your first booking.

#60: Raising Smart Capital in 2026 — Discipline, Data & Control with Roei Samuel

The fundraising hangover is real. Capital returned in 2025, but investors are now far more selective. Traction, revenue clarity, and capital efficiency matter more than vision decks. In this episode, Roei Samuel joins Andy Walsh to share how he raised $23M+ without giving up board seats, and why that decision shaped Connectd’s growth and governance. We unpack how founders retain leverage in a tighter market, where progress must be measurable and every dollar justified. This conversation explores fundraising as a system, covering negotiation, investor alignment, non-dilutive capital, and the growing role of fractional talent. Listen: Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startups-decoded/id1791857722] || Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/220mqWlx20TABn7wzCPCeu?si=1c6e91af36d34c92] || YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@startups_decoded] In This Episode • Why fundraising in 2026 rewards discipline • Raising $23M+ without board dilution • Where founders lose leverage in negotiations • Fractional talent and capital efficiency • Communicating traction investors trust Roei Samuel  [https://www.linkedin.com/in/roei-samuel/] Founder & CEO of Connectd [https://www.connectd.com/], a platform connecting startups with investors, directors, and expert talent. After exiting RealSport, Roei launched Connectd in 2019. The platform now supports 90+ fractional hires per month, has driven 4× ARR growth for three consecutive years, and has raised $14M+. Andy Walsh [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwalsh/] 2× exited founder and host of Startups Decoded (500k downloads). Access All Areas. * Listen: Apple [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/startups-decoded/id1791857722] || Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/220mqWlx20TABn7wzCPCeu?si=1c6e91af36d34c92] || YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@startups_decoded] * Subscribe: Substack [https://startupsdecoded.substack.com/] * Community & Events: Founders Circle [https://startupsdecoded.com/founderscircle#founder-form] * Connect: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwalsh/] * Socials: TikTok [https://www.tiktok.com/@startups_decoded] || Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/startups_decoded/] || X [https://x.com/StartupsDecoded] * Web: startupsdecoded.com [http://startupsdecoded.com/]  Music Credit “Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia) https://phondupe.bandcamp.com/album/air-conditioning-vol-2 [https://phondupe.bandcamp.com/album/air-conditioning-vol-2] The Studio  [https://28thandpark.podyx.com/] Filmed on location at 28th&Park. A content & production studio for New York’s visionary Builders, Investors, Artists, Musicians, & Creators to amplify their voice & share bold stories. Use the code "Decoded" for 25% off your first booking.