Are we entering the 'bet on yourself' economy?

In this episode of Future Forward, we speak with serial entrepreneur Alex Smereczniak, co-founder and CEO of Franzy, a platform reshaping how aspiring entrepreneurs discover and acquire franchises.

Alex shares his journey from raising $33 million to scale his previous venture, 2ULaundry, to launching Franzy an idea born out of frustration with outdated, expensive franchise brokerage models. Throughout the conversation, Alex reflects on the differences between the startup and corporate worlds, highlighting why he’s always been drawn to the energy, pace, and purpose of building from the ground up.

We discuss how Franzy uses AI to make franchise exploration smarter and more transparent, and why he believes the right franchise can offer a stronger foundation for success than many startups.

We also explore the mindset needed to thrive in entrepreneurship, including the importance of resilience, curiosity, and self-belief. Alex’s message is clear: don’t wait for perfect conditions, just start.

This episode is packed with insight for anyone thinking about launching a business or exploring alternative paths to ownership. It's a fantastic listen.

In this episode, I sit down with Kaylin Trychon from Edera, a fast-growing cybersecurity company specialising in workload isolation for AI environments. Just one year into their journey, Edera is already making serious waves—backed by $50M in funding and led by an all-female founding team.

We dive into Kaylin’s journey from big tech to startup life—this is her second startup, and explore what it really takes to survive (and thrive) in year one of a scale-up. From navigating “back to the wall” moments to planning for the next year of growth, Kaylin doesn’t hold back.

We also talk about:

• What makes AI-powered startups tick
• The skills you need to jump into a hyper-growth environment
• The real differences between corporate life and startup hustle

If you're curious about what it takes to build the future of tech—or thinking about making the leap yourself—this episode is packed with insight, honesty, and inspiration.

Catch Kaylin on Linkedin here

Visit www.ndktech.ai to learn more about NDK Tech.

In this episode of Future Forward, we explore a rising cyber threat: Browser Sync Jacking; how attackers are exploiting browser synchronization to launch sophisticated attacks and what role AI plays in this.

Audrey joins us to share the realities of life in an AI startup and how SquareX is pushing boundaries with deep research. She also dives into the role of women in cybersecurity, technology, and AI.