Luca Ferrari

We have this idea of building this Evertale company.

The idea was to create a self-writing diary of a user's life with AI.

This is 2010, so nobody was talking about AI in 2010.

And interestingly, we were very early on AI.

Too early, in fact, because the product just didn't work well because you didn't have machine learning, at least not a way that you could scale for users.

We had no money whatsoever because all of us essentially come from pretty low-class families, whatever you want to call it.

We didn't have a lot of money.

And as much as we didn't have an idea for a business that would require a billion dollars in capex, like a lot of startups today, we certainly needed some money at least to eat and pay for rent.

And so we decided, okay, the three of us, we're going to look for a job.

Whoever gets the most lucrative offer goes to work and pays for rent and food for the other two.

Once we raise seed capital, VC money somehow, then this person would resign and join full-time and then we go and conquer the world.

So we all look for a job and I get an offer from McKinsey, which was by our standards at the time, very lucrative.

And so I said, okay, this is perfect.

I'll be the one paying for rent and food.

I'm incapable of not being transparent, let alone lying.

So I had to tell the partner at McKinsey that I would be working on the startup on the side.

I thought it was unwise in many ways because I was absolutely certain they would withdraw the offer, but I'm like, I just can't.

It feels dishonest.

Actually, he was enthusiastic and he encouraged me and said, absolutely, we'd love to have you.

And if and when the startup takes off, we should the best and thank you.