35 | Roei Samuel / Connectd: Building the Future of Work, One Human Connection at a Time

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."