Language opens doors in negotiation - Kate Liburdi - S6 - E17

This episode of A Founder’s Life is brought to you by Thankz, helping founders scale with reliable remote talent. Get $1,000 off your first month by emailing [email protected] with the subject line Founder’s Life.🌐 Follow A Founder’s Life • YouTube:   @AFoundersLife   • LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/a-founder-s-life-podcast/ • Instagram: @afounderslife  • Spotify & Apple Podcast: https://linktr.ee/afounderslife👤 Connect with Today’s Guest – Kate LiburdiWebsite: https://conversifi.comPlatform: https://app.conversifi.comLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kateliburdi/Language learning becomes truly powerful when it moves beyond textbooks and into real conversations. While technology has transformed education, the human connection remains the most valuable part of learning a new language.In this episode of A Founder’s Life, Leo Gestetner sits down with Kate Liburdi, Co-Founder and CEO of Conversifi, to discuss how she’s transforming language learning by connecting students with native speakers around the world through authentic video conversations.Kate shares her journey from teaching French and English as a Second Language to leading technology initiatives at a Fortune 50 company before launching Conversifi, a platform now used by more than 100 universities to help students build confidence through real-world communication.But this conversation goes far beyond education technology.Kate opens up about one of the biggest failures of her career—a software project that consumed nearly $1 million before her team realized they had to start over. Instead of seeing it as defeat, she explains how embracing Agile development, customer feedback, and continuous iteration completely transformed both the product and her leadership philosophy.We also explore entrepreneurship, focus, productivity, family, health, and why great founders often succeed by removing complexity instead of adding more.Whether you’re building a startup, leading a growing team, or simply looking to become more intentional with your time, Kate shares practical lessons that every entrepreneur can apply.In this episode you’ll learn:• Why authentic conversations accelerate language learning• The leadership lesson behind a $1 million product failure• How Agile development changed Kate’s approach to building companies• Why multitasking hurts productivity and focus• The importance of customer feedback during product development• How family influences better leadership decisions• Why founders should simplify instead of overcomplicate• How continuous learning creates better entrepreneurs• The mindset required to build resilient companiesKate also discusses adding new languages—including American Sign Language (ASL)—to Conversifi, why cultural exchange is just as important as vocabulary, and how meaningful conversations create deeper learning experiences than memorization alone.If you enjoy conversations about entrepreneurship, language learning, founder mindset, business leadership, startup journeys, and personal development, you’ll enjoy this episode.LinkedInlinkedin.com/in/leogestetnerWebsiteleogestetner.com/leoSubscribe Now!youtube.com/@afounderslife?sub_confirmation=1