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The Ali Kavousi Experience
Ali Kavousi
35 episodes
6 days ago
Everyone documents success, but no one talks about the struggle. I’m Ali Kavousi, and this is my real, unfiltered journey of building a startup from nothing. No investors, no budget, just execution. I came from Iran, started in Greece, and built a B2B2C hospitality tech platform that expanded to four countries—Greece, UAE, Hungary, USA—partnering with 1,500+ high-end merchants. Nobody believed in my idea, but I bootstrapped, reinvested every dollar, and played my own game. No fluff, just raw execution, lessons, and the reality of being a founder.
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Entrepreneurship
Business
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Everyone documents success, but no one talks about the struggle. I’m Ali Kavousi, and this is my real, unfiltered journey of building a startup from nothing. No investors, no budget, just execution. I came from Iran, started in Greece, and built a B2B2C hospitality tech platform that expanded to four countries—Greece, UAE, Hungary, USA—partnering with 1,500+ high-end merchants. Nobody believed in my idea, but I bootstrapped, reinvested every dollar, and played my own game. No fluff, just raw execution, lessons, and the reality of being a founder.
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Entrepreneurship
Business
Episodes (20/35)
The Ali Kavousi Experience
Would 80-Year-Old You Be Proud? | BONUS EP35

I always ask myself one thing before making any move — business, relationships, anything:

When I’m 80 or 90, lying on my deathbed, will I be proud of this decision?

Most people live for the moment.

If future you won’t be proud, don’t do it.

If future you will smile, then go all in.

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6 days ago
56 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
Train Your Brain Like a Muscle (And Stop Wasting Time) |Ep 34

Your brain is just like your body — if you stop training it, it gets weak.

Feed your mind the same way you feed your belly.


In this episode, I talk about:

👉 Why you must constantly train your brain like an athlete

👉 How to lead and mentor people instead of shaming them

👉 Why “later” is the biggest lie we tell ourselves

👉 Why you’re the creator of your own problems — and solutions

👉 How to calendar your days, own your time, and execute daily


This episode isn’t motivational fluff. It’s a call to action.

Because if you stop training your brain, life will train you the hard way.

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3 weeks ago
28 minutes 2 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
Dreams Don’t Work Without Execution | EP 33

Everyone dreams. Few execute.

I’ve had a friend say for 15 years he’ll get a six-pack “this summer” — but never left the couch. I’ve run 15km daily and still had belly fat until I realized: no abs, no weights, no diet = no results.

Dreams without action are just hallucinations.

In this episode:

👉 Why execution isn’t one thing, it’s everything (steps, habits, consistency)

👉 The truth about wasted tabs, apps, and “later” that never comes

👉 Why even “gold diggers” execute harder than most people chasing success

👉 How to stop complaining and start moving

This isn’t a formula. It’s a lifestyle.

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1 month ago
26 minutes 56 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
Don’t Fear Change. Fear Regret. | EP 32

Are you happy in your job? Your relationship? Your life?

Most people aren’t — but they stay anyway. Afraid of quitting. Afraid of breaking up. Afraid of pivoting.

But here’s the truth:

👉 Money can be recovered. Time cannot.

👉 Regret is the only thing in life with no cure.

👉 If you don’t walk away from what’s wrong, you’ll carry that regret forever.

In this episode I break down:

  • Why we cling to bad jobs, bad relationships, and bad decisions

  • How to spot when it’s time to quit

  • Why fear of change is killing your happiness

  • The brutal truth about regret: once you own it, you never lose it

Listen before you waste another year of your life.

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1 month ago
17 minutes 55 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
When Competition Comes, Level Up — Don’t Feel Jealous | Ep 31

Someone new enters your space. They shine. You feel small. You have a choice: stress or level up. This episode is about choosing the latter. Real stories. Real advice. For everyone who wants growth, not comparison.

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1 month ago
18 minutes 27 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
Your Team Should Fall in Love with You | Ep 30

Want a team that moves mountains—not just does tasks?

This episode dives deep into building a culture where your team isn’t just loyal—they love you.

  • Why transparency > blind loyalty

  • How to handle raises with empathy and clarity

  • Why hiring for heart isn’t soft—it’s smart

  • The “manager vs. mentor” mindset shift

  • The culture-defining moment: when you walk in, do they smile?

This one’s not just for founders. It’s for anyone who leads or cares about building great teams.

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2 months ago
22 minutes 49 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
Stop Saving Life for “Later” | Ep 29

We all do it — miss opportunities, waste time, let other people’s judgments control us. This episode is about acting now before “later” turns into never.

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2 months ago
9 minutes 22 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
Partnerships That Last: Honesty, Trust & Real Relationships | Ep 28

Partnerships make or break your business.

I’ve learned the hard way: it’s not about locking clients in with contracts — it’s about building relationships they never want to leave.

In this episode, I share my raw lessons on:

  • Why honesty beats “polished lies” every time.

  • Walking partners through agreements (and why the paper means less than you think).

  • Handling mistakes with humility instead of hiding behind walls.

  • How saying “no” the right way builds more trust than false promises.


This isn’t theory — it’s startup reality. Listen in.

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2 months ago
44 minutes 1 second

The Ali Kavousi Experience
Hiring & Firing at Startups: Brutal Founder Lessons | Ep 27

Early-stage hiring can make or break your startup. In this episode, I share the real mistakes I made: skipping the hard talks, putting people in the wrong roles, firing in anger, and moving too fast.


If you’re building a startup, these lessons will save you time, money, and sanity.

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2 months ago
35 minutes 42 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
10 Brutal Lessons I Wish I Knew Before 20 (Save Yourself Years)

If you’re under 20, this episode might save you years of pain.

I share the biggest mistakes I made — losing over 100K on taxes, trying to be a one-man show, ignoring time management, crab mentality, and more.

These are the lessons I wish someone had told me when I was younger.

Not theory. Not “LinkedIn motivation.” Just raw, real mistakes I lived through.

👉 Shoutout to Podcast.Today— they featured this show among some of the biggest podcasts out there. Not a promo, just grateful they help highlight the most useful content.

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2 months ago
39 minutes 8 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
Founder Mistakes That Cost Me 100K — Learn from This

You can’t build a startup by just watching YouTube or listening to podcasts. You have to do the work.In this episode, I share the raw truth about what really happens when you jump into entrepreneurship unprepared – How I got crushed by taxes and insurance– Why hiring too early almost killed my company– Why ego kept me from finding a co-founder– How watching smart content isn’t enough — you have to apply it. These are the lessons no one talks about. And I’m still paying for them. Literally. If you’re building something, this one might save you years of pain (and thousands of euros).

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3 months ago
27 minutes 41 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
Hiring & Firing in Early-Stage Startups (Real Talk)

In the early days of a startup, hiring feels exciting—but it can become your biggest mistake. No budget. No brand. No structure. And yet you need people. But who do you hire when you can’t afford A-players? How do you fire fast when it’s not working? And why do most early hires end up killing your momentum?

In this raw episode, I break down:

  • How I hired and fired in the early days

  • Why most resumes mean nothing

  • Interns, hustlers, and finding people who believe

  • Why you, the founder, MUST train every role early on

If you're building from Day 1, this is the blueprint I wish I had.


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4 months ago
37 minutes 42 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
5 Times I Could’ve Quit — But Didn’t! (How I Built TheList from Nothing)

There were at least five moments when I could’ve given up. I was broke, coming from Iran, rejected by banks, ignored by investors and VCs, blocked by the system, and stuck during a pandemic. But I didn’t quit. I kept executing. Today, TheList operates in 3 countries, with 1,500+ high-end venues and global users.This episode breaks down the 5 critical moments where it all could’ve ended — and how I pushed through every single one of them.

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4 months ago
1 hour 17 minutes 2 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
The Art of Business & Making Money

Two restaurants. Same revenue. One lives in chaos, the other lives in peace.


In this episode, I break down the art of building smart businesses vs. stressful ones — and why so many founders pick the hard road. One of my partners runs a flashy, high-end sushi fusion spot in Brickell. DJs, influencers, staff issues, low margins, and daily fires to put out. The other sells eggs and juice out of a chill boho café with mismatched chairs — no stress, high profits, no drama.


So why do founders still pick chaos? Because we’re crazy. Because legacy matters more than money. Because we chase problems, even when life is already good.


If you’re building a business, or thinking about it — this episode is your wake-up call.

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5 months ago
35 minutes 15 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
This One Fear Is Controlling Your Whole Life!

Most people don’t take action because they’re scared of one thing: judgment.


They stay quiet.

They play small.

They avoid risk—not because they can’t do it, but because they’re afraid of what others will think if they fail.


But here’s the truth:

No one’s really watching.

And the people you’re afraid of impressing? They don’t care.


This episode is your reminder to stop living for other people’s opinions.

Start living for yourself—before it’s too late.


Listen now.

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5 months ago
52 minutes 17 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
The Most Painful Regret of All...

Most people don’t fear failure—they fear judgment.

And because of that fear, they live a life that’s not even theirs.

They work jobs they hate. Stay silent. Play it safe.

All to impress people who don’t actually matter.


A palliative care nurse once documented the top regrets of people on their deathbeds.

The #1 regret?

“I wish I had the courage to live a life true to myself—not the life others expected of me.”


Let that sink in.

This episode is a reality check.

Live loud. Live real. Live your life—before it’s too late.

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5 months ago
58 minutes 32 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
Fear of Judgment Is Killing Your Growth! Post It. Say It. Do It. F*ck Their Opinions.

Most people aren’t stuck; they’re scared.

Scared of being judged. Scared of failing. Scared of what someone else might think.

They don’t post. They don’t start. They don’t wear what they want. They don’t speak their truth.

Why? Because they care more about impressing strangers than living for themselves.

In this episode, I break down:


  • Why fear of judgment controls your life

  • How to stop living for other people

  • The trap of trying to look “perfect” online

  • And how real confidence starts when you stop giving a f*ck

If you’re building something, chasing something, or even just trying to live your life—this one’s for you.

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6 months ago
39 minutes 35 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
Your Team Doesn’t Care (Unless You Do This)

Your team doesn’t care unless you do.

This episode is a raw breakdown of startup management in the early days—when it’s just you, chaos, no money, and a team that needs direction. I share the mistakes, the painful truths, and how to stay sane when everyone around you is dropping the ball.

Topics covered:

– Time blindness and bad culture

– Why you MUST calendar everything

– Building accountability without micromanaging

– Why ownership matters more than talent

– The real job of a founder: managing energy and execution

If you’re in the trenches, this one’s for you.

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6 months ago
32 minutes 11 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
Startup Struggles, Founder Chaos, and Why 9-5 Isn’t a Bad Life!

In this special episode, I sit down with Reza Kavousi for a real, unfiltered conversation.

We talk about:

  • The brutal reality of startups and founding a company

  • Why being a CEO isn’t as sexy as people think

  • How loneliness, chaos, and sacrifice come with the territory

  • Why 9-5 isn’t a failure—and sometimes, it’s the smarter move

  • The mental cost of chasing a dream no one sees but you

This is the side of entrepreneurship most people don’t show.

No fluff. No fake success stories. Just real-life struggles and lessons from the trenches.

🎧 Listen now on Spotify.

🍿 Watch the full episode on YouTube.

#Entrepreneurship #StartupStruggles #FounderLife #NoFluff

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6 months ago
1 hour 40 minutes 35 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
You Don’t Have a Time Problem — You Have a Calendar Problem!

Most people say “I don’t have time.”

What they really mean is — “I don’t know where my time goes.”

In this episode, I break down:

• How bad time management destroys your day

• Why you need to calendar every damn thing (yes, even grocery runs)

• How managers and founders become dictators without realizing it

• Why 5-minute tasks actually take 45 mins

• How to structure your energy and tasks smarter — not harder

This one is personal. It’s real. It’s not just about productivity — it’s about avoiding burnout and BS.


🎧 Listen now. You’ll get your time (and life) back.


#TimeManagement #FounderLife #Execution #StartupReality

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6 months ago
35 minutes 10 seconds

The Ali Kavousi Experience
Everyone documents success, but no one talks about the struggle. I’m Ali Kavousi, and this is my real, unfiltered journey of building a startup from nothing. No investors, no budget, just execution. I came from Iran, started in Greece, and built a B2B2C hospitality tech platform that expanded to four countries—Greece, UAE, Hungary, USA—partnering with 1,500+ high-end merchants. Nobody believed in my idea, but I bootstrapped, reinvested every dollar, and played my own game. No fluff, just raw execution, lessons, and the reality of being a founder.