The Spiro Circle

There is so much in life that can be broken down into the simple understanding that everything is a form of storytelling - and that communication rests on the ears of the receiver.

It was a lesson I first learned while I was reading Surrounded by Idiots: The Four Types of Human Behavior by Thomas Erikson. And it was reinforced this week when I spoke with Ben Wiener, Managing Partner at Jumpspeed Ventures.

What is something we have in common? We both get pitched by tech founders!

But one of us is an investor and the other is a journalist - so it’s only normal that we look for different things and expect different messaging. We are the same coin, but on opposite sides.

We both know from experience how wrong a pitch can go if it’s not tailored for the right ears.

So Ben has developed the H.E.A.R.T framework to help founders perfect their pitches. He is also the author of Fever Pitch: A Novel About Selling Your Vision, Raising Venture Capital, and Launching Your Startup. It’s a business-fiction novel that follows founder Mark Edmond and his journey to launch his startup while avoiding the mafia - two high-stress environments!

I read the book over the recent holiday period, and we discussed why he felt he could best teach these insights in the form of a novel. We also discuss storytelling, communication, and the importance of understanding the ‘why’ behind a founder’s story.

Takeaways:

* The H.E.A.R.T framework is a five-part structure for pitching startups.

* Journalists and Investors both get pitched; the trick is tailoring your message to the right ears.

* Storytelling is crucial in both business and personal contexts.

* The protagonist’s struggles in ‘Fever Pitch’ reflect real entrepreneurial challenges.

* Founders often struggle to communicate their ‘why’ effectively.

* Investors are looking for specific elements in pitches that resonate with them.

* Effective pitches can be condensed into a one-minute format.

Those interested in learning more about the H.E.A.R.T method can access the playbook here: https://feverpitchbook.com/

You can also buy Fever Pitch on Amazon here: https://www.amazon.com/Fever-Pitch-Selling-Raising-Launching/dp/B0F72ZR4RS

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This episode is sure to raise a few eyebrows.

I wanted to better understand society’s reaction to feminism, but through the experience of women who are balancing their work and personal life. No better person expressed concern for the current infrastructure in place more than Dr. Stephanie Wilson, founder of She’s In Business, a global not-for-profit business platform.

Dr. Wilson is a PhD in Business, an autistic domestic abuse survivor turned award-winning entrepreneur, and her platform has helped more than 14,000 women across 85 countries move “from welfare to wealth” through fully funded, accredited business training.

Her work specifically takes aim at the rise of what she describes as “performative” female empowerment: think the glossy panels, hashtags, and campaigns that claim progress but rarely deliver real backing. UK government data shows women-led businesses have dropped from 19% in 2021 to 15% in 2023. Instead of true innovation, many women are pushed into franchises or survivalist side hustles that function more as jobs than scalable enterprises.

Dr. Wilson argues that this performance feminism doesn’t just fail women, it actively segregates men and women, fostering a false narrative of empowerment while leaving systemic inequities untouched. She describes how we, as a culture, are happy to celebrate women on stage but fail to fund them in practice. And with only 2% of global venture capital reaching women, the cost isn’t just to women themselves but to society, innovation, and GDP growth.

In our chat, Dr. Wilson discusses the complexities of female empowerment and entrepreneurship, highlighting the challenges women face in the business world. She shares her personal journey of overcoming adversity and the systemic issues that lead to gender disparities in business and critiques performative empowerment initiatives that fail to address the genuine needs of women entrepreneurs, emphasizing the importance of recognizing women’s contributions beyond their monetary value.

The discussion also explores “survivalist entrepreneurship”, which is a term I had never heard of, and the role of policy and societal change in fostering authentic female leadership.

Takeaways:

* Dr. Wilson’s journey began in an addictive household, leading to her advocacy for women’s empowerment.

* Many women start businesses out of necessity rather than innovation, termed ‘survivalist entrepreneurship.’

* Performative empowerment initiatives often fail to deliver real support for women entrepreneurs.

* Women contribute significantly to the economy through unpaid labor, which is often overlooked.

* The narrative around women’s roles in the economy needs to shift from monetary value to holistic contributions.

* Women face systemic barriers in accessing funding and support for their businesses.

* The majority of women entrepreneurs operate in low-profit sectors, making them vulnerable to economic crises.

* Societal expectations often place a dual burden on women to balance work and caregiving responsibilities.

* Data shows that women are often at a financial disadvantage compared to men, especially in retirement.

* Policy changes are needed to create a more equitable environment for women in business.

This episode addresses some hard truths that many people may find uncomfortable… but if you think someone may enjoy it, then please share it with a friend or family member.

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I’ve been thinking a lot about trauma recently.

As we reach the second anniversary of the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, we can see now the effect and damage that the war is having on the country and its people, not just on a macro level, but on the single, granular level felt by each person.

Trauma can manifest both collectively and individually, and how we respond to that trauma comes in how we can identify and treat it to avoid it getting worse. When our body fails to register its ‘fight or flight’ reflex, trauma can set in and activate symptoms such as anxiety, sweats, that lump in your throat, or even OCD.

Personally, I found the days after October 7 incredibly traumatic: not only in the sense of the physical safety for myself and my loved ones, but also by seeing the response in the West to Israel’s reaction, the explosion of antisemitism that followed, and the disassociation between Israel and its allies. We felt alone.

On today’s episode, I’m joined by Gina Ross, a trauma specialist, author, and founder and president of The International Trauma Healing Institute. Her new book, October 7: A Call to Action for Israel, Jews, and the World, explores how the Hamas attacks were not just a national tragedy, but also a turning point for Israel, the Jewish people, and the broader world. Drawing on her expertise in trauma, Gina frames antisemitism and radical violence as cycles of unhealed collective trauma—and argues that October 7 offers a chance for healing, unity, and moral clarity.

In this conversation, we talk about what redemption looks like in practice, the transformations she believes are necessary for Israel and its allies, and how ordinary people can play a role in answering this call to action.

Some key takeaways:

* How trauma can manifest both collectively and individually.

* Healing trauma is essential for peace.

* The October 7 attack highlighted unresolved issues.

* Collective trauma can repeat across generations.

* Understanding trauma helps in addressing violence.

* Israel’s military strength contrasts with its historical vulnerability.

* Awareness of antisemitism is crucial in today’s context.

You can order a copy of Gina’s book, October 7: A Call to Action for Israel, Jews, and the World, here: https://www.amazon.com/October-Action-Opportunity-Redemption-Century/dp/1956381899

If you or someone you know is suffering from trauma, you can watch Gina’s free 10-minute EmotionAid video, teaching how to release stress and trauma on the spot quickly. Follow the link here: https://emotionaid.tabs.design

The Spiro Circle is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

More ways to watch:

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Note: This episode is the final of three recorded interviews conducted on the same day using a new platform. Some growing pains were expected, and this final edit is a bit rougher than I’d like, including some intermittent sound issues that could not be removed. Thanks for your patience as we refine the process — future episodes will appear smoother. - JS.

A few weeks ago, I spoke with Erel Herzog, co-founder of Combatica, a company specializing in advanced tactical training simulators that utilize VR technology. We discussed the evolution of training technologies, the impact of VR on defense training, partnerships with law enforcement, and the potential for dual-use applications in entertainment.

The conversation was, in some ways, an update to some time we spent together last year, when I first became aware of the company and its devices. I visited its offices in Israel and experienced firsthand how the technology can help armies and soldiers in training. One of the perks of being a tech journalist in Startup Nation!

I was thrown into a virtual school and had to react to a live shooter, who was attacking students in several classrooms. It was pretty impressive (and, I’m told, it has only improved). Those interested in reading my in-depth review can see more on CTech, but here is a preview:

Whereas the Vision Pro was an impressive piece of technology, I wouldn’t rush to walk around with it on my face. The device is heavy and cabled, immersive but somewhat disorientating. Here, Combatica’s Quest technology and AI scenarios are the complete opposite: the light headpiece is barely noticeable and I felt no problems running, ducking, and navigating the artificial environment. It felt like I was inside the computer games I used to play or as if I had upgraded from the laser tag playgrounds I used to visit as a child.

More: Soldiers are getting an XR boost for training on the battleground

This time around, Erel shared insights on the future of immersive technologies more generally, as the company is expanding into the gaming space - think paintballing without all the bruising! We also spoke about Israel’s role in the growing industry, and emphasized the importance of real-world applications and community engagement.

Some takeaways from our talk:

* How Combatica aims to enhance tactical training for military and law enforcement.

* VR technology allows for realistic training scenarios without physical consequences.

* His time in the IDF helped him recognize a gap in simulation training technology.

* The company has a high satisfaction rate among users - 97%!

* Israel is positioned to lead in applied AI and immersive tech.

Feel free to check out the interview above, and follow them for more updates.

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Anyone who knows me understands just how much I love food. Good cuisine is nice, but bad dishes are sometimes even better! Anything from dining out with friends to ordering in on a lonely evening gets me excited to try new things.

But another thing people know about me is that I absolutely hate to cook!

It’s not that I don’t appreciate it, but I just find it too stressful, creative, and consuming. I leave it to close family and friends to explore a kitchen on my behalf. I’ll enjoy some time operating a BBQ, but my expertise stops there.

But there’s so much more to food than just mealtime. It can offer insight into someone’s heart, mind, and heritage. It can form a community and connect with culture. I wanted to speak with someone who truly understood this.

This week, I spoke with Maricel Gentile. In this episode, she shares her journey from growing up in the Philippines to becoming a celebrated chef and culinary educator in the United States.

She can claim to be Hulu’s Recipe Rumble Holiday Champion as well as the author of Maricel’s Simply Asian Cookbook. Over the years, she has also appeared on Food Network and PBS, and served as a Chef Ambassador for Korea’s Ministry of Fisheries (K-Seafood).

In our conversation, we discussed the deep connections between food, culture, and personal history, emphasizing how her grandmother's influence shaped her passion for cooking. Maricel highlights the uniqueness of Filipino cuisine, her decision to leave a corporate career to pursue her culinary dreams, and the recognition she has received in the food industry. We then discuss the role of food in building community and preserving cultural identity.

Some takeaways include:

* How food encompasses migration, parenthood, and belonging.

* Simplicity in cooking can lead to better dishes.

* Teaching Filipino cuisine is a way to share culture.

* How food triggers emotional memories.

* Quitting a corporate job can lead to personal fulfillment.

* Cooking can be a bridge between generations.

* How her cookbook can simplify the process of learning Asian cuisine.

Those interested can check out her website or purchase her cookbook, both of which can be found below.

https://maricelskitchen.com/chef-maricel/

https://www.amazon.com/Maricels-Simply-Cookbook-Maricel-Gentile/dp/B0F79Q684C

Follow Maricel on social media:

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Note: This episode is the first of three recorded on a new platform. Some growing pains were expected, and the final edit is a bit rougher than I’d like. Thanks for your patience as we refine the process — future episodes will appear smoother. - JS.

For 45 years, non-profit Beit Issie Shapiro has been a pioneering leader and innovator in the field of disabilities, and championed equal opportunity, full community involvement, and improved quality of life for people with disabilities.

They believe in the ability of people with disabilities and provide “innovative services, programs, knowledge-sharing models, and policy advocacy” to help them lead a full life and be actively involved in every part of Israel and globally.

Ahmir Lerner is its CEO. He joined The Spiro Circle to share his experience in the defense of Israel and his transition to social resilience, focusing on the work of Beit Issie Shapiro. He discusses innovative therapeutic techniques, the organization's response to the recent war, and the importance of addressing mental health needs for people with disabilities.

The episode was recorded as we approach the two-year mark of Israel’s ongoing war with Gaza following the Hamas attack on October 7. Since then, thousands of soldiers have been injured in war, with many of them facing life-changing recoveries. Like many other sectors in Israel, it adjusted its strategies and has since offered 1,500 free hours of therapy.

In our talk, Lerner emphasized the impact of their work on society, the legislative changes they have initiated, and the future initiatives aimed at improving inclusion and accessibility in Israel.

Some takeaways from our conversation:

* The organization provided over 1,500 hours of free therapy during the war.

* It aims to change societal attitudes towards disability and inclusion.

* Mental health services for people with disabilities are crucial and often overlooked.

* Legislation is a key tool for creating societal change.

* The organization is working on early intervention for children with disabilities.

* Community involvement and support are essential for success.

You can learn more about Beit Issie Shapiro and consider making a donation to its cause via its website: https://beitissie.org.il/en

The Spiro Circle is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

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This week, I sat down with Derek Crager for a conversation on the intersection of neurodiversity and artificial intelligence. Both topics are often misunderstood by the wider public, sometimes leading to misinformation, stigma, or even apprehension.

We explore how embracing different ways of thinking can unlock new opportunities in technology, why AI might be uniquely positioned to support neurodiverse communities, and what it means to build tools and workplaces that value every kind of mind.

The Spiro Circle is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

It wasn’t until Derek was 50 years old that he himself was diagnosed with ADHD, Dyslexia, and Autism. Before that, he knew he was a bit different.

He described himself as the ‘weird’ kid in the classroom, but he never quite knew the core differences that he had compared to others. He didn't quite understand where he fit in the world. But his diagnosis completely changed his life and hs outlook.

I wanted to speak a bit more with Derek about what it meant to be neurodiverse, and what it meant to be neurodiverse in a world that's being immersed in artificial intelligence. What are some of the best ways that people can learn or develop in a world that's being completely engulfed by technology?

Well, Derek is an AI Solutions Architect and the Founder of Practical AI . Its Pocket Mentor product sets out to be an AI voice tool for those seeking assistance in some of their workplace tasks. Some of the company’s core beliefs include that:

* AI should be practical

* Shared learning fuels growth

* Shared earning rewards effort

* Transparency and fairness matter

* Neurodiversity is a strength

We also discuss some of the nuances that neurotypical and neurodiverse people experience each day. He cites studies from the New England Journal, and we each share what kind of tech helps us thrive in our environments.

Please feel free to also catch this episode on YouTube, Spotify, and Apple - it has gone live there, too.

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This week I listened to a podcast about the virtue of justice. It was hosted by Ryan Holiday and featured a conversation with Rutger Bregman - two of my favorite writers!

The conversation was called “You’re Not Wasting Time, You’re Wasting Your Life,” and it talked about moral ambition, the truth about success, work, and impact. It tied in nicely with a separate conversation I had with my recent guest, climate entrepreneur Josh Dorfman, which took place for The Spiro Circle this week.

“The idea always has been how I can identify solutions to help a consumer or an individual become more sustainable in their lifestyles - in a way they're going to want to do it,” Josh explained in the episode. “[Where] it's not about sacrifice, it's not about suffering, it's not about inconvenience, because if it is those things, very few people are going to stick with it.”

Josh is the creator of The Lazy Environmentalist and Co-Founder and CEO of Plantd, which produces carbon-negative building materials made from fast-growing plant fibers. He is also the host of the Supercool podcast, which showcases scalable, profitable climate solutions.

It’s all well and good to strive to become a powerful CEO or influential world leader, but if you’re not living up to your full potential or trying to make the world a better place, are you truly succeeding? I wanted to hear more about Josh’s mission of climate entrepreneurship and how the world is benefiting from scientific and technological innovation.

We discussed the following things:

* Climate Entrepreneurship and how it differs from regular entrepreneurship

* $2.2 billion of investment globally into clean energy technologies in 2025

* Cultural and societal shifts toward climate innovation

* The ‘ring’ of countries around the equator helping boost innovation

* How storytelling influences climate technology adoption

* Emerging technologies in the space

* Companies that are revolutionizing antiquated services

I love it when different topics and ideas that I explore converge like this. I urge you all to listen to Holiday’s episode and check out Bregman’s books (I’ve read his first two, “Utopia for Realists: How We Can Build The Ideal World” and “Humankind: A Hopeful History”. His newest, “Moral Ambition: Stop Wasting Your Talent and Start Making a Difference”, is on my list, and I am starting it soon!

READ: The time I visited Ryan Holiday’s bookstore in Bastrop, Texas

Of course, I also encourage you to check out Josh’s work in the space and to listen to this episode to learn more about how our actions can help improve the world. You can subscribe for more updates and to be notified when more episodes go live.

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Welcome back to The Spiro Circle, where today I want to dive deep into identity, culture, and the people shaping Jewish life today.

With Tu B’Av right around the corner (for those who don’t know, think ‘Israel’s Valentine’s Day’), I was excited to speak with Aleeza Ben Shalom: Matchmaker, dating coach, author, and star of Netflix’s Jewish Matchmaking.

She has helped thousands of Jews navigate the complex, emotional, and challenging world of modern Jewish dating. Aleeza is also a Voice of the People Council Member and is working with them on a new series exploring the emotional, cultural, and generational challenges that define Jewish relationships in 2025.

We discuss everything from traditional matchmaking techniques vs. modern-day AI dating apps, spiritual connections and family pressures, and what the global Jewry is facing post-October 7.

This episode also included this podcast’s first ‘lightning round’ - hang around until the end to hear some surprising insights.

If you haven’t subscribed to The Spiro Circle yet, now’s a great time. If you upgrade to become a paid subscriber, you will get the first three months free — with full access to comment sections, exclusive articles, and special perks. Your support is always appreciated. - JS

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Today, I wanted to dive into another episode from the CTech BiblioTech archive. This time, I am highlighting my conversation with Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, author of “I, Human: AI, Automation, and the Quest to Reclaim What Makes Us Unique”, which was recorded in August 2023.

The book is an exploration of how AI will change our lives and what we can do to ensure we maintain our personalities and uniqueness. Many of the topics we address in the conversation relate to how different generations might respond to the algorithms living beside us.

For example, he cites tech leaders like Bill Gates and Elon Musk, who present concerning views of AI, but also respond positively to how Gen-Z might learn to adopt such technologies.

“One of the things that the digital age has introduced is ever more and more ADD-like behaviors,” he said. “We are pressed to do things quicker and quicker. And therefore, there are few rewards for pausing and thinking.”

Even though he believes humans are “perfectly capable” of stopping and taking time to consider their thoughts and actions, most decisions made today in the AI age are so rapid that they become predictable and therefore easily outsourced to machines.

“Gen-Z and the next generation will need to showcase their expertise in a different area or a different way,” he told me during the recording for CTech. “Expertise is mutating from knowing a lot of answers to asking the right questions - from memorizing and retrieving facts to knowing how, why, and where the facts are wrong… Demonstrating and cultivating expertise is a big challenge for the young generations.”

MORE: I asked Eric Weinstein about my baby's future in an AI world.

Tomas is an organizational psychologist who works mostly in the areas of personality profiling, people analytics, talent identification, the interface between human and artificial intelligence, and leadership development. He is the Chief Innovation Officer at ManpowerGroup, a professor of business psychology at University College London and at Columbia University, co-founder of deepersignals.com, and an associate at Harvard’s Entrepreneurial Finance Lab.

Those interested in an extended written interview with Tomas can find it on CTech by following this link.

You can also buy your own copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Human-Automation-Quest-Reclaim-Unique/dp/1647820553

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