The reality behind the Silicon Valley dream | Unlocked

🚀 What does it really take to build a startup in Silicon Valley? Oliviero Pinotti went from studying hospitality at EHL to teaching himself how to code, becoming an early engineer at a Y Combinator-backed startup, and eventually making it into Y Combinator himself. Today, he is building Alfera, an AI startup developing AI workers for businesses. 🎙️ In this episode of UNLOCKED, Oliviero takes us behind the Silicon Valley dream: the relentless pace, the pivots, the fundraising rejections and the reality of building a company from the ground up. He also breaks down what Europe gets wrong about startups, why execution often matters more than planning, and what Y Combinator really looks for in founders. From coding 12 to 14 hours a day in his student room to building at the heart of the AI boom, a conversation about ambition, risk and what it actually takes to turn an idea into a company. ➡️ Find Oliviero on Linkedin: https://swq.ch/4riaj3W ➡️ Learn more about Alfera: https://swq.ch/4y1kEno . . For informational purposes only. Not investment advice or a financial promotion. May not be applicable in all jurisdictions. _____ 👉 Discover our brand and philosophy: https://www.swissquote.com/en/group _____ 👉 Deepen your trading and investing knowledge with Swissquote Inspire: explore our articles, analyses, webinars and exclusive content: https://www.swissquote.com/private/inspire _____ 👉 Discover Swissquote’s culture and join a company that values innovation, diversity and team spirit: https://www.swissquote.com/en/careers