Roei Samuel built his first company at 21. Real Sport was a content creation toolkit for the sports industry — working with the Premier League, NBA and NFL — before being acquired by Gfinity in 2018. Then came the identity crisis. The "who am I now?" moment that every founder dreads.

What followed was Connected: a fractional talent marketplace that has grown from zero to 7,000 customers in just over four years, raised $20 million, and is now operating across five global cities.

In this episode of Screw It Just DO It, Roei breaks down the exact moment AI became Connected's biggest growth driver — and why it wasn't just productivity that changed, but the entire labour market. He shares why he spoke to 100 people before building anything, how he's generated 7–8 figures from LinkedIn without spending a penny, and why product is no longer the moat for modern founders.

Key Takeaways

• Why AI is driving both productivity gains and mass corporate layoffs — and how Connected benefits from both

• How to validate a startup idea by speaking to 100 people before building

• Why distribution and attention now matter more than product

• The identity crisis every founder faces after an exit

• How weekly therapy has made Roei a better CEO

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