3rd Space Bucharest

Most CEOs spend their free time reading business books.

Dimana Vlaeva spends hers thinking about Ancient Egypt, science fiction, and how people make decisions.

In this short conversation, we talk about why she'd most like to meet Ramses II, what debt recovery has taught her about responsibility, and why she thinks people spend far too much time worrying about the past.

We also discuss moving from Bulgaria to Bucharest, the surprisingly underrated beauty of Bucharest's parks, and her recent deep dive into the world of crypto and blockchain.

A quick conversation about leadership, human nature, Ancient Egypt, and why sometimes the best way forward is to stop looking backward.

🎙️ 3rd Space Bucharest is a series of short conversations with interesting people from the community—the kind of conversations you'd rather have over a glass of wine than in a boardroom. 🍷🇷🇴

Connect with Eric

⁠3rd Space Bucharest⁠ — sign up to hear about events & learn about the 3rd Space AI Circle

Most people struggle to finish one startup.

Tiberiu Andrei has started ten.

In this short conversation, we talk about building an AI that plays Mortal Kombat, why completing a Half Ironman was easier than building a company, and why he believes too many people are becoming "AI slop creators."

We also discuss the startup idea he would build if he had to start from zero tomorrow, the Romanian startups he's excited about, and why "What do you do?" might be the worst networking question ever invented.

A quick conversation about startups, AI, endurance, and what happens when curiosity becomes a lifestyle.

🎙️ 3rd Space Bucharest is a series of short conversations with interesting people from the community—the kind of conversations that usually happen after the icebreakers are over and the drinks arrive. 🍷🇷🇴

Connect with Eric

⁠3rd Space Bucharest⁠ — sign up to hear about events & learn about the 3rd Space AI Circle

After spending three years in South Korea, Mihaela Mărănițu returned to Romania with a few unexpected habits: eating with chopsticks whenever possible and occasionally bowing to senior colleagues without realizing it. 😄

In this short conversation, we talk about the culture shock of arriving in Seoul, why she still prefers tennis over padel, her surprising love for Michael Jackson, and what life in Korea taught her about human connection.

We also discuss something many of us struggle with: spending less time on our phones and more time with the people sitting right in front of us.

A quick conversation about travel, culture, sport, and why authentic relationships might be more valuable than another hour of scrolling.

🎙️ 3rd Space Bucharest is a series of short conversations with interesting people from the community—the kind of things you'd normally talk about over drinks, not on LinkedIn. 🍷🇷🇴

Connect with Eric

⁠3rd Space Bucharest⁠ — sign up to hear about events & learn about the 3rd Space AI Circle

Most founder stories sound impressive on LinkedIn.

But after interviewing dozens of entrepreneurs, Maria Despa, co-founder of Ideas Chat, discovered that the most memorable stories are usually the most human ones.

In this short conversation, we talk about:

📹 What founder interviews and wedding films have in common

😊 Why business success and happiness aren't the same thing

📖 The "Book of Joy" she uses to capture life's best moments

👨‍👧 The founder's child who unexpectedly made her emotional during an interview

💬 Why "How are you really?" is a question we should ask more often

It's a quick conversation about success, friendship, family, and the stories that matter long after the cameras stop rolling.

Connect with Eric

⁠3rd Space Bucharest⁠ — sign up to hear about events & learn about the 3rd Space AI Circle

Most people join communities hoping to meet the right people.

But according to Andra Ghibutiu, they stay for a different reason:

They feel like they belong.

In this short conversation, we talk about:

🤝 Why the best communities create safety before opportunity

🧠 The danger of becoming a "know-it-all"

👂 Why listening might be the most underrated business skill

🚀 What makes today's generation of Romanian entrepreneurs different

📚 The books that have shaped her thinking

⏰ Why friends think she has unlimited energy (hint: it may involve waking up at 5AM)

It's a quick conversation about curiosity, growth, and why the strongest connections usually happen when we stop trying to impress people and start genuinely listening to them.

Connect with Eric

⁠3rd Space Bucharest⁠ — sign up to hear about events & learn about the 3rd Space AI Circle

Lawyer.

Bar owner.

Student.

New parent.

Adriana Spataru somehow manages to be all four at the same time.

In this short conversation, we talk about:

🍸 Why she left the legal world to help build a bar (@cameralirica)

🇸🇪 The recycling habit she brought home from living in Stockholm

👶 How becoming a parent changed her definition of success

💭 Why she's stopped chasing perfection and started focusing on doing her best in the moment

💃 And why her advice for almost everyone is surprisingly simple: dance more and spend more time with people you love

It's a quick conversation about reinvention, authenticity, and figuring out what actually matters as life gets busier.

Connect with Eric

⁠3rd Space Bucharest⁠ — sign up to hear about events & learn about the 3rd Space AI Circle

This episode starts with honey extraction technology for beekeepers… and somehow ends with running laps inside Dubai airport to avoid breaking a 1,000-day running streak 😄

My guest is Daniel Deaconu — founder of The Simplifier and one of the smartest B2B LinkedIn strategists I know in Romania.

We talk about:

🍯 helping launch a Kickstarter campaign that generated $48K in 2 days
🏃 why he ran inside an airport while security watched suspiciously
📈 the biggest mistake founders make on LinkedIn
💰 why neither of us buys useless stuff
👨‍👩‍👧 why success matters less than people think
🏖️ and why Daniel’s partner compares professional achievements to sandcastles

Connect with Eric

⁠3rd Space Bucharest⁠ — sign up to hear about events & learn about the 3rd Space AI Circle

After 14 years in the corporate world at Amazon and Honeywell, Roxana Jianu traded meetings and spreadsheets for padel courts and community building. In this episode, we talk about what happens when your career no longer energizes you — and how one sport unexpectedly changed the direction of her life.

Roxana shares the story behind building Padelmania, why people may show up for padel but stay for the friendships, and why she believes offline activities and community are becoming essential for happiness and longevity.

We also get into the important topics: her teenage crush on Nick Carter from the Backstreet Boys, packaging toys at age 16, emotionally attached teddy bears, and why introverts at parties are usually the most interesting people in the room.

This is a conversation about reinvention, connection, and why sometimes the best things in life start with simply showing up.

Connect with Roxana on Instagram

Connect with Eric

⁠3rd Space Bucharest⁠ — sign up to hear about events & learn about the 3rd Space AI Circle

What happens when 25 people in Bucharest buy tickets to something that isn’t networking… isn’t dating… and isn’t dinner?

In this episode, I break down the very first paid 3rd Space Bucharest event — what worked, what surprised me, what flopped (yes, the QR code), and why shared learning and small group conversations changed the energy of the room.

From breakfast icebreakers to mini TED-style talks about Cuba, Mexico, and entrepreneurship… to an unexpected karaoke finale — this is the behind-the-scenes story of building intentional connection in a city that doesn’t always make it easy.

If you’ve ever wondered what it takes to create real connection among strangers in Bucharest, this one’s for you.

Interested in joining a 3rd Space Bucharest event?

⁠3rd Space Bucharest⁠ — sign up to hear about events & learn about the 3rd Space AI Circle

Most adults have two places in their lives:
Home.Work.

And that’s the problem.

Somewhere along the way, we lost our third place—the space where people gather just to connect, talk, learn, and feel human again.

In this episode, I’m announcing the launch of 3rd Space Bucharest and sharing why I believe in-person connection matters more than ever—especially in a world obsessed with screens, swipes, and Slack messages.

Get our newsletter:

https://3rdspacebucharest.substack.com

Get on the waitlist for the next 3rd Space event in Bucharest: https://forms.gle/HQApbV4cHzAKDXUB7