"I reverse-engineered my way into Goldman Sachs because I knew I wanted to be a startup founder."Meet Elaf, The cofounder behind Caspa AIWhen Elaf was in school, she studied the patterns of successful founders—what they studied, where they worked, and the common paths they took. She noticed many had backgrounds in engineering and worked at top-tier firms like Goldman Sachs.So, she did exactly that.- Studied Engineering at Warwick- Joined Goldman Sachs as an Investment Banker- Then went on to co-found Caspar AI with her brother and AlexCaspa AI is reshaping hyper-personalized e-commerce, making online shopping feel as intuitive as having a personal stylist.In this episode of Nova&Boba, Elaf shares:1️⃣ How to strategically use your career to build a startup2️⃣ Her experience joining accelerator programs like EF3️⃣ The journey of building Caspa AI from the ground up4️⃣ The future of hyper-personalised e-commerceOn Nova&Boba🧋, we dive into the unfiltered realities of founder life - the highs, the lows, and everything in between—offering practical insights for the next generation of entrepreneurs.Elaf’s story is a masterclass in calculated career moves and bold decisions.00:00 Reverse Engineering Success: The Goldman Sachs Journey00:14 Discovering Y Combinator and the Power of Accelerators00:53 The Blueprint for Success: Analyzing YC Founders01:49 The Goldman Sachs Experience: From Internship to Full-Time02:57 Building the First App: Lessons from TBH06:11 The Impact of COVID-19 on Career Plans11:09 Leaving Goldman Sachs: Pursuing the Startup Dream14:16 Challenges of Onboarding New Team Members14:59 Experiences at Entrepreneur First (EF)16:06 Building First Startup and Fundraising Efforts17:29 Co-Founder Challenges and Moving Forward18:16 Meeting New Co-Founders and EF's Role20:41 Resilience and Entrepreneurial Qualities23:16 Opportunities and Ethical Considerations in AI28:02 Advice for Aspiring EntrepreneursElaf LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elafdeyab/Host Ama LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amaoa/