i am excited about coding, impact entrepreneurship, deep conversations and challenging myself in all ways. born and raised in 🇩🇪, roots in 🇹🇷, lived in 🇳🇿🇧🇪🇳🇱🇲🇽🇵🇹🇨🇴, speak ~7 languages. into inner work, ice baths, AI, longevity & camping.
values
- impact: using my abilities to have the greatest impact possible
- love: creating harmonic and deep relationships with the people around me
- truth: being and acting truthful, authentically, and taking responsibility for my thinking and living
- working with clients on ai & software through my new studio, derin studio.
- wound down voena.ai, the voice ai startup i co-founded — here's why.
- trying to be the most present, authentic and loving i can be.
- getting my deadlift to 150kg.
- freshly moved to berlin.
selected projects
mindtrospect
co-founded a startup to help people use microdosing of psychedelics for reflection.
life experience
co-founder / ceo
voena.ai
2025 - 2026
expand the box training
possibility management
2025
software & ai engineer
independent client work
2024 - 2025
software engineering
42 lisbon
2023 - 2024
business development & marketing
maaind
2023 - 2024
level 1 training
international school of temple arts
2024
retreat host & facilitator
return to the heart
2024
gestalt therapy based training
hero's journey
2023
bsc entrepreneurship & innovation
tilburg university
2021 - 2023
cold exposure & breathing techniques
wim hof expedition
2021
7 day silent meditation retreats
zen river temple
2019
living in a car, working on farms
new zealand
2018 - 2019
graduated best in math and physics
high school
2010 - 2018
latest blog posts
why i walked away from my startup right when it was about to lift off
making hard decisions
42 km.
reflections on training for a marathon
this is the whole point
why life is not about being happy
the pain of a longing heart
a poem about love
summer retreat 2024
hosting a retreat in belgium
building from aliveness, not fear
why most of us are building from the wrong place
values and principles at voena
culture work with jakob—integrity, candor, care, product pride.
i gave a talk at 42 berlin
voena, artha labs, engineer-founders—back at 42.
building a voice ai startup
what i built and what i learned in 1 year
how i deal with stress as a young startup founder
coaching, slow mornings, weekly offline days, friends, sport
we are turning oil into dopamine
what's wrong with capitalism, and how to fix it
380 kg.
how much power can i build in 2 months?
why discipline is necessary to be happy
without discipline you'll fall victim to short-term pleasure and long-term dissatisfaction
how to start a community
some first thoughts on the community i want to build
my work experience
my work experience
client work: ai & software projects
ai tools, automations and full-stack product work for businesses
connect
reach out on hi@benian.me