Navigating the AI Boom and the Great Recession with Josh Gould

In this episode, Fredrik sits down with Joshua Gould, CEO of The Big Word, to discuss his journey from expanding a UK-based language services business to Wall Street right before the Great Recession, to successfully pivoting into government contracts. Josh shares his deep industry insights into how artificial intelligence is transforming translation and interpreting, and how investors and business owners should evaluate AI companies.  KEY TAKEAWAYS Setting up a business on Wall Street right before the 2008 Great Recession forced Josh to pivot away from the struggling private sector and focus on government contracts. That flexibility ultimately allowed the business to scale rapidly globally. If a company just bolts AI onto an existing service without solving a fundamental, structural problem, it is not a sustainable model. True value is created when AI is the core engine solving the issue. As large language models scale, their computing and energy costs grow exponentially. This could lead to a massive deflation or "bubble burst" for AI companies that lack the funding to keep up with hardware demands. There is a distinct difference between being an entrepreneur who simply creates a high-paying job for themselves versus building a scalable infrastructure. To truly scale, you have to replace yourself with systems and eventually hand over daily operations. You don't need to overhaul your entire business overnight to benefit from AI. Look for proven, localized AI tools that can safely increase efficiency in specific workflows without exposing your core client data to the open internet. BEST MOMENTS "I came to the US in 2006 and set up an office on 48 Wall. And if you are familiar with the Great Recession, probably the dumbest move ever." "You can't be everything at scale. And there's a big difference between entrepreneurs who create themselves a job... You cannot scale that; you still only got 24 hours in a day." "The only people who are truly building AI are the Anthropics and the Googles and the Microsofts. And you don't want to be them." "The quicker you are to adopt, the quicker you're going to capture market share. And what you'll find is the macroeconomics of any big tech movement, especially AI, changes everything." "AI interpreting isn't for using, it's just for selling. Everyone buys from us because we have it, but then no one wants to use it." TO CONNECT WITH JOSH https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuadgould/ Books by Fredrik Sandvall Options Strategy: Build to Keep. Ready to Sell Tomorrow. For founders and CEOs who want businesses that compound in value, stay under control, and are always sale-ready. ⁠https://amzn.to/4pwVhoi⁠ The Abyss of Finance: Trust, Leverage and the Cycles of Collapse For investors and leaders who want to understand why financial systems break before they do. ⁠https://amzn.to/3YsRKfI⁠ About the Podcast Invest in You is a global podcast where entrepreneur and investor Fredrik Sandvall shares practical ideas and conversations with founders, investors, and operators. Episodes focus on investing, entrepreneurship, and building long-term control and freedom. Occasionally joined by his sons Ivan and Charlie, the show offers both experience-based insight and a next-generation perspective. Listeners in 155+ countries tune in to think clearer, act smarter, and build with intent. Community & Contact Podcast community: https://bit.ly/4jxF94k Fredrik Sandvall LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/sandvall/⁠ Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/FredrikinLondon/