Perception Paradox with Zivile (Zivi) Ein

At tech conferences, everyone loves AI. Outside them, many people fear it. So who’s telling the truth?In this episode of Perception Paradox, I sit down with two veteran tech journalists and longtime friends: Ron Miller, founder and editor of FastForward and a former TechCrunch enterprise reporter, and Rob Pegoraro, who covers tech for Fast Company and PCMag and wrote the Washington Post’s consumer-tech column for 17 years.We talk about the gap between AI enthusiasm in tech circles and public concerns, from chatbots that get things wrong to data-center costs. We also cover why a shrinking tech press leaves too many “CEO said a thing” headlines unquestioned, why the biggest winners from AI so far are the few companies selling it, how two skeptics actually use AI in their own reporting, and what still makes a great journalist.And they close with two very different pieces of advice on whether you need to rush into AI at all.Ron MillerFastForward blog and newsletter: https://www.fastforward.blogFastForward on PPN podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id6790570868LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronsmiller/Rob PegoraroBlog: https://robpegoraro.comFast Company: https://www.fastcompany.com/user/robPCMag: https://www.pcmag.com/authors/rob-pegoraroBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/robpegoraro.comLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/robpegoraroHosted by Zivile (Zivi): https://www.linkedin.com/in/zivileeinikyte/ Chapters00:00 Meet veteran tech journalists Ron Miller and Rob Pegoraro06:33 A beer, South by Southwest, and Ron’s TechCrunch opportunity11:24 How AI changes search, reporting, and the journalist’s workload17:13 Why conference optimism clashes with public concerns21:22 AI hype, AGI skepticism, and the limits of software27:22 A shrinking tech press leaves CEO claims less challenged31:06 Who is actually benefiting from AI adoption?34:22 AI speeds up coding but shifts the business bottleneck35:34 Choosing thoughtful reporting over the news-cycle rush41:10 The skills that still make a great journalist45:35 Should you be an AI early adopter?

Meet Axel Löwenhoff and Allan Zimmermann, co-founders of KineDB, the company building database infrastructure designed to work wherever software runs. Just days after announcing their €850K pre-seed round led by Superhero Capital, they join Founders Corner.In this episode, they share how they met through Antler, why they chose to tackle one of the harder problems in software engineering, and how KineDB approaches database scalability and offline-first data.From field service and logistics to applications that need reliable data without constant connectivity, discover why the next generation of software infrastructure needs to work beyond the cloud.Chapters00:00 Intro00:43 What does KineDB stand for?01:29 The round and the team’s mood02:02 How Allan and Axel met03:25 What KineDB does, in plain language04:35 The market and offline-first06:17 Who they’re selling to07:27 The year ahead09:42 Final words🔗 Follow KineDB: https://kinedb.com🦸 Superhero Capital: https://superherocapital.com/About Founders Corner: Every company starts with a conviction. In Founders Corner, we sit down with the builders behind the companies in the Superhero Capital portfolio to explore the decisions, challenges, and signals that shape their journey.

AI lets teams ship new features every day. But does anyone actually know what they're selling?Ola Piętka is the Founder & CEO of Specsight, a product observability platform for teams building with AI. Specsight reads a company's code and turns it into a living map of features and scenarios, so sales, support and business teams always know what the product does today.Ola joins Zivile to talk about building a startup alone with AI agents: what she hands over to agents and what still needs her judgment, the mistakes that taught her to add guardrails, and why the further she goes, the more she realises she is the bottleneck.In this episode, we explore:→ Why faster AI shipping leaves sales and support teams behind→ How Specsight turns code into product knowledge→ What a solo founder can hand to AI agents, and what stays human→ How investors see solo founders🎙️ Hosted by Zivile Einikyte🎧 Subscribe to Perception Paradox for conversations about entrepreneurship, technology, human behaviour and the future we're creating.Connect with Ola: https://www.linkedin.com/in/olapietka/Learn more about Specsight: https://specsight.appChapters00:00 Why faster AI shipping leaves teams behind04:06 Why docs, Slack bots and code access fall short06:12 Three rules for useful product updates07:04 How Specsight maps code into features and scenarios09:53 The engineering challenge of accurate code mapping11:49 What Ola delegates to AI agents and what stays human14:29 Agent mistakes and the need for guardrails16:40 Who Specsight serves and why executives are the target19:39 A growing product map as a technical moat20:12 The vision: an email teammate with timely context23:16 Solo founder ups and downs: becoming the bottleneck25:19 How investors see solo founders28:10 Using Specsight to catch changes in your own product30:02 Founder resilience, support and keeping going31:37 Upcoming events and the big question: now what?

What if the best connections in business weren't left to chance?Zach Butler, EMEA General Manager at HumanX, joins Zivile to explore engineered serendipity, the power of in-person events, and how to create experiences where the right people, ideas and opportunities meet.With nearly 15 years of experience launching and scaling technology events around the world, Zach shares the thinking behind bringing HumanX, a leading summit for builders and adopters transforming business with AI, to Europe.We talk about why human connection and trust matter even more in an AI-driven world, how to design events for meaningful business outcomes, and why Europe's opportunity may lie in applying AI rather than trying to win the frontier-model race.Plus, what the US and Europe can learn from each other — and why the smallest details of an event can make the biggest difference.A conversation about connection, intentional design and building events that make things happen.🎙️ Hosted by Zivile Einikyte🎧 Subscribe to Perception Paradox for conversations about entrepreneurship, technology, human behaviour and the future we're creating.Guest: Zach Butler, EMEA General Manager at HumanX.Connect with Zach Butler: https://www.linkedin.com/Learn more about HumanX: https://humanx.co/00:00 Introducing Zach Butler and HumanX01:16 From Meetups to a Career in Events06:11 What Makes a Great Connector?08:09 How COVID Changed the Events Industry11:03 Designing Events for Quality Connections14:11 How to Choose Which Events Are Worth Attending17:54 How HumanX Built Momentum in Europe21:55 Engineered Serendipity: Designing Better Connections24:54 Why the Business of AI Matters More Than the Hype27:30 Does Europe Need to Win the Frontier AI Race?29:58 What HumanX Wants to Improve Next32:50 Why Food, Coffee and Comfort Matter at Events35:23 US vs. Europe: Different Approaches to AI39:46 Zach’s Advice for Navigating the AI Shift41:11 Closing Thoughts

What happens when intelligence becomes abundant — but judgment remains scarce?After three days hosting the Prism Stage at HumanX in Amsterdam, I started noticing a story connecting conversations about AI agents, enterprise adoption, creative work, cybersecurity and European technological sovereignty.The biggest takeaway? Intelligence is cheap. Judgment isn’t.In this solo episode of Perception Paradox, I share four paradoxes that stayed with me after HumanX — and what they reveal about where AI is heading next.In this episode, we explore:The smartest model vs. the model that knows you: Why context and institutional knowledge can be more valuable than raw intelligence.The intelligence bottleneck: Why AI adoption, organisational change and real-world implementation matter more than technical capability alone.When everyone can create: Why taste, creativity and judgment become more valuable when building becomes cheap.Europe’s AI paradox: Why technological sovereignty means more than developing powerful models — and why market fragmentation remains a challenge.I also share some of the most thought-provoking examples from the event, from AI agents and enterprise workflows to creative industries, cybersecurity and the future of European innovation.Because when everyone has access to similar tools, the real advantage isn’t just what you can build. It’s knowing what to build, why it matters, and when to trust the machine — or the human.I’d love to hear your perspective: As AI becomes more capable, what do you think will become more valuable — context, judgment, taste or direction?🎙️ Hosted by Zivile Einikyte🎧 Subscribe to Perception Paradox for conversations and reflections on entrepreneurship, technology, human behaviour and the future we’re creating.#ArtificialIntelligence #FutureOfAI #PerceptionParadoxChapters00:00 Introduction: The Power Paradox00:24 What I Learned at HumanX Amsterdam01:20 Paradox 1: The Smartest Model vs. The Model That Knows You02:50 Paradox 2: The Bottleneck Isn’t Intelligence03:40 From AI Experiments to Real Business Value04:35 Paradox 3: When Everyone Can Create05:15 Why Taste and Judgment Matter More Than Ever06:00 Paradox 4: Europe’s AI Sovereignty Challenge07:05 Where the AI Debate Gets Complicated07:45 Intelligence Is Cheap. Judgment Isn’t.08:35 Why I Want to Share More Solo Episodes

What happens when technology makes warfare, sabotage and disinformation cheaper, faster and easier to scale?For this special Perception Paradox collaboration, recorded in partnership with Bits & Pretzels, Gabrielė Poteliūnaitė — host of Red Room Conversations — steps in as co-host to speak with investigative journalist and documentary maker Greta Buschhaus.Greta has reported on climate, AI, deepfakes and bioweapons, and now investigates hybrid warfare and how AI is changing defence and conflict.In this conversation, they explore:→ How AI is changing the nature and political cost of war→ Russian “disposable agents” recruited through Telegram and the rise of hybrid warfare→ AI, battlefield data and the race for technological sovereignty→ Why Europe faces a difficult choice between sovereignty and capability→ How disinformation exploits division and makes truth harder to establish→ Why the biggest AI risks may be slower and less spectacular than the doomsday scenarios we hear aboutA conversation about technology, warfare, truth — and what we may be failing to see.Learn more about Greta Buschhaus: gretabuschhaus.comFollow Gabrielė and Red Room Conversations: Gabrielė's SubstackPerception Paradox is hosted by Zivile Einikyte, exploring the people, ideas and contradictions shaping our future.Chapters00:00 Intro01:46 Greta Buschhaus: From climate to AI and warfare04:51 What connects AI, deepfakes, bioweapons and hybrid warfare?06:47 Does AI lower the political cost of war?08:46 AI in warfare: Who should we trust with the algorithms?09:48 Battlefield-proven AI and the value of data11:17 Europe's sovereignty dilemma13:32 Why Eastern Europe sees the threat differently17:56 What does hybrid warfare actually look like?22:10 How Russia recruits “disposable agents” through Telegram25:05 Could AI scale sabotage?28:05 The role of division and disinformation30:43 Can journalism help rebuild trust?32:49 The future of truth in the age of AI36:19 Where AI could create real positive impact38:21 Are AI extinction scenarios realistic?40:12 Who will slow down the AI race?41:13 The “boring” AI risks we should worry about41:50 Closing

This week Zivile sits down with Uku, co-founder of bilt.me, the Estonian startup that just raised a €615K pre-seed round led by Superhero Capital.bilt.me helps anyone turn an idea into a live mobile app, publish it to the App Store and Google Play, and get it in front of users. Uku covers how a failed menopause app led to the product, why they bet on mobile over web, how a team with an average age of 23 is growing 100% month over month, and the Shopify-style plan to own distribution for mobile apps.Have you tried bilt.me yet? Let us know in the comments.This episode is created in partnership with Superhero Capital. 

How does a professional MC prepare for a live event? In episode 154 of Perception Paradox, host Zivile goes behind the scenes of event hosting ahead of Humanix AI in Amsterdam, where she hosts the main stage with a teleprompter.You'll learn her step-by-step MC preparation process: how to research speakers, write transitions, rehearse a Plan B, visualize your performance, and read the room. She also shares her simple "read, observe, look up, deliver" method, useful for anyone in public speaking, event hosting, or moderating panels.The paradox: the better an MC does the job, the easier it looks.🎙 Perception Paradox, conversations on perception, storytelling and building a personal brand.Chapters00:00 Introduction to the episode and Zivile's role as an MC01:53 Preparing for a teleprompted event and the differences from traditional hosting03:00 The paradox of effortless stage presence and behind-the-scenes work03:56 The three steps of event preparation: process, research, scripting06:48 The read-observe-look up-deliver method for effective speaking07:41 Rehearsing and handling technical or unexpected issues09:02 Visualizing and embodying the character for different event types10:06 Engaging with the event organizer's vision and audience dynamics11:13 Final thoughts on event preparation and stage performance

After a major pivot, Teemu went from building a standalone customer success tool to creating AI agents that bring product-led growth directly into the developer environment. Teemu Kinos shares what they learned about pivoting fast, building with an experienced founding team, finding product-market fit, and staying ahead in an AI market that changes every six months. In partnership with Superhero Capital.

What if the next leap in computing isn’t about building bigger chips, but rethinking how CPUs work?Timo Valtonen, CEO & co-founder of Flow Computing, is tackling one of the biggest bottlenecks in modern computing — CPU performance. We talk about deep tech, semiconductors, building technology that takes years to mature, and what it takes to turn a radically different idea into a company.In partnership with Superhero Capital.