Melanie Gabriel
@melaniexgabriel.bsky.social
👩🏽💻 Co-Director & COO @eth-ai-center.bsky.social
🦄 Co-founder Yokoy & @followthegradient.bsky.social
🚀 Board member, Angel Investor & Advisor
👩🏽🏫 Lecturer at ETH & HSG
🦄 Co-founder Yokoy & @followthegradient.bsky.social
🚀 Board member, Angel Investor & Advisor
👩🏽🏫 Lecturer at ETH & HSG
5 📘 "Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building" by @stripepress.bsky.social's former COO @Claire Hughes Johnson
July 30, 2025 at 8:46 PM
5 📘 "Scaling People: Tactics for Management and Company Building" by @stripepress.bsky.social's former COO @Claire Hughes Johnson
4 📙 "Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism" by former Director of Public Policy at Facebook Sarah Wynn-Williams
July 30, 2025 at 8:46 PM
4 📙 "Careless People: A Cautionary Tale of Power, Greed, and Lost Idealism" by former Director of Public Policy at Facebook Sarah Wynn-Williams
3 📘 "A Different Kind of Power: A Memoir" by former Prime Minister of New Zealand, @jacindaardern.bsky.social
July 30, 2025 at 8:46 PM
3 📘 "A Different Kind of Power: A Memoir" by former Prime Minister of New Zealand, @jacindaardern.bsky.social
2 📗 "A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy" by philosophy professor William B. Irvine
July 30, 2025 at 8:46 PM
2 📗 "A Guide to the Good Life: The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy" by philosophy professor William B. Irvine
1 📕 "Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race that Will Change the World" by @opinion.bloomberg.com tech journalist @parmy.bsky.social
July 30, 2025 at 8:46 PM
1 📕 "Supremacy: AI, ChatGPT, and the Race that Will Change the World" by @opinion.bloomberg.com tech journalist @parmy.bsky.social
Not just founder war stories, but the kind of books that help you scale teams, stay sane, decode AI hype, and rethink what power should look like.
Whether you’re beachside, roadside or office-side, consider this your permission slip to slow down and read up:
Whether you’re beachside, roadside or office-side, consider this your permission slip to slow down and read up:
July 30, 2025 at 8:46 PM
Not just founder war stories, but the kind of books that help you scale teams, stay sane, decode AI hype, and rethink what power should look like.
Whether you’re beachside, roadside or office-side, consider this your permission slip to slow down and read up:
Whether you’re beachside, roadside or office-side, consider this your permission slip to slow down and read up:
I’m looking forward to further growing this lighthouse for AI together with you all, anchoring Switzerland on the global AI map, and unlocking new opportunities at the intersection of research, industry and entrepreneurship.
July 3, 2025 at 10:11 AM
I’m looking forward to further growing this lighthouse for AI together with you all, anchoring Switzerland on the global AI map, and unlocking new opportunities at the intersection of research, industry and entrepreneurship.
The ETH AI Center doesn’t just talk about bridging science and society; it 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘴 that bridge.
Thank you to the amazing team for the very warm (re)welcome.
Thank you to the amazing team for the very warm (re)welcome.
July 3, 2025 at 10:11 AM
The ETH AI Center doesn’t just talk about bridging science and society; it 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘴 that bridge.
Thank you to the amazing team for the very warm (re)welcome.
Thank you to the amazing team for the very warm (re)welcome.
Over the past year as Entrepreneur in Residence, I’ve had the privilege to work with brilliant team members, fellows, and professors and witnessed first-hand what world-class research excellence looks like.
July 3, 2025 at 10:11 AM
Over the past year as Entrepreneur in Residence, I’ve had the privilege to work with brilliant team members, fellows, and professors and witnessed first-hand what world-class research excellence looks like.
🎧 Listen to the full episode of our conversation: followthegradient.io/p/sabba-keyn...
From art school to $40M ARR – with no money, no network, and no plan B
🎙️ Sabba Keynejad on building a resilient company when everyone says No
followthegradient.io
June 26, 2025 at 6:09 AM
🎧 Listen to the full episode of our conversation: followthegradient.io/p/sabba-keyn...
In our conversation with @sab8a we also covered:
→ How dyslexia shaped how he designs & leads
→ Why simplicity beats the Swiss army knife (I’m Swiss. I get it.)
→ Why it matters that he went to art school—not Stanford
→ And yes, Patagonia vests are out. It’s Carhartt now 💁🏽♀️
→ How dyslexia shaped how he designs & leads
→ Why simplicity beats the Swiss army knife (I’m Swiss. I get it.)
→ Why it matters that he went to art school—not Stanford
→ And yes, Patagonia vests are out. It’s Carhartt now 💁🏽♀️
June 26, 2025 at 6:09 AM
In our conversation with @sab8a we also covered:
→ How dyslexia shaped how he designs & leads
→ Why simplicity beats the Swiss army knife (I’m Swiss. I get it.)
→ Why it matters that he went to art school—not Stanford
→ And yes, Patagonia vests are out. It’s Carhartt now 💁🏽♀️
→ How dyslexia shaped how he designs & leads
→ Why simplicity beats the Swiss army knife (I’m Swiss. I get it.)
→ Why it matters that he went to art school—not Stanford
→ And yes, Patagonia vests are out. It’s Carhartt now 💁🏽♀️
Because that’s the job.
That’s the reality.
That’s what founders do to succeed.
That’s the reality.
That’s what founders do to succeed.
June 26, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Because that’s the job.
That’s the reality.
That’s what founders do to succeed.
That’s the reality.
That’s what founders do to succeed.
And Sabba’s story?
It’s not a hype deck. It’s founder reality:
🚴 Cycled to a coworking space at 7 am
🔑 Split the entry card with his co-founder
🥪 Lived on discounted food
💸 Sold crypto to keep the lights on
📩 Rejected by YC twice in one weekend
Still showed up the next day.
It’s not a hype deck. It’s founder reality:
🚴 Cycled to a coworking space at 7 am
🔑 Split the entry card with his co-founder
🥪 Lived on discounted food
💸 Sold crypto to keep the lights on
📩 Rejected by YC twice in one weekend
Still showed up the next day.
June 26, 2025 at 6:09 AM
And Sabba’s story?
It’s not a hype deck. It’s founder reality:
🚴 Cycled to a coworking space at 7 am
🔑 Split the entry card with his co-founder
🥪 Lived on discounted food
💸 Sold crypto to keep the lights on
📩 Rejected by YC twice in one weekend
Still showed up the next day.
It’s not a hype deck. It’s founder reality:
🚴 Cycled to a coworking space at 7 am
🔑 Split the entry card with his co-founder
🥪 Lived on discounted food
💸 Sold crypto to keep the lights on
📩 Rejected by YC twice in one weekend
Still showed up the next day.
Why?
Because users don’t want to help you.
They want help from you.
That copy tweak led to:
✅ 100s of calls
✅ A tighter feedback loop
✅ A roadmap built on what people search for—not what they say they want
Because users don’t want to help you.
They want help from you.
That copy tweak led to:
✅ 100s of calls
✅ A tighter feedback loop
✅ A roadmap built on what people search for—not what they say they want
June 26, 2025 at 6:09 AM
Why?
Because users don’t want to help you.
They want help from you.
That copy tweak led to:
✅ 100s of calls
✅ A tighter feedback loop
✅ A roadmap built on what people search for—not what they say they want
Because users don’t want to help you.
They want help from you.
That copy tweak led to:
✅ 100s of calls
✅ A tighter feedback loop
✅ A roadmap built on what people search for—not what they say they want
So he changed just one sentence in his onboarding email.
From:
❌ “I’d love to learn how you’re using VEED.”
To:
✅ “Get personally onboarded by the founder and CEO.”
His calendar filled up.
From:
❌ “I’d love to learn how you’re using VEED.”
To:
✅ “Get personally onboarded by the founder and CEO.”
His calendar filled up.
June 26, 2025 at 6:09 AM
So he changed just one sentence in his onboarding email.
From:
❌ “I’d love to learn how you’re using VEED.”
To:
✅ “Get personally onboarded by the founder and CEO.”
His calendar filled up.
From:
❌ “I’d love to learn how you’re using VEED.”
To:
✅ “Get personally onboarded by the founder and CEO.”
His calendar filled up.
Book recs like this are part of our Food for Thought section in our weekly @followthegradient.bsky.social newsletter, published every Tuesday by Christian Woese and me.
Subscribe now: followthegradient.io
Subscribe now: followthegradient.io
Follow the Gradient
Get hands-on advice and real stories on how to build a business while staying sane.
followthegradient.io
May 4, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Book recs like this are part of our Food for Thought section in our weekly @followthegradient.bsky.social newsletter, published every Tuesday by Christian Woese and me.
Subscribe now: followthegradient.io
Subscribe now: followthegradient.io
What’s the last book or article that challenged how you see things?
May 4, 2025 at 8:44 PM
What’s the last book or article that challenged how you see things?
The book doesn’t offer easy answers, but it asks the right questions. It’s a valuable read for anyone thinking critically about where AI is headed and who it ultimately serves.
May 4, 2025 at 8:44 PM
The book doesn’t offer easy answers, but it asks the right questions. It’s a valuable read for anyone thinking critically about where AI is headed and who it ultimately serves.
Who holds the power?
As AI capabilities concentrate among a few tech giants, it raises important questions:
Are we headed toward monopolistic control?
Can ethical governance keep up?
And what does this mean for global inequality?
As AI capabilities concentrate among a few tech giants, it raises important questions:
Are we headed toward monopolistic control?
Can ethical governance keep up?
And what does this mean for global inequality?
May 4, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Who holds the power?
As AI capabilities concentrate among a few tech giants, it raises important questions:
Are we headed toward monopolistic control?
Can ethical governance keep up?
And what does this mean for global inequality?
As AI capabilities concentrate among a few tech giants, it raises important questions:
Are we headed toward monopolistic control?
Can ethical governance keep up?
And what does this mean for global inequality?
Idealism meets Big Tech
Both founders began with grand, humanity-first goals. But over time, those visions were pulled into the corporate strategies of Microsoft (OpenAI) and Google (DeepMind).
Both founders began with grand, humanity-first goals. But over time, those visions were pulled into the corporate strategies of Microsoft (OpenAI) and Google (DeepMind).
May 4, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Idealism meets Big Tech
Both founders began with grand, humanity-first goals. But over time, those visions were pulled into the corporate strategies of Microsoft (OpenAI) and Google (DeepMind).
Both founders began with grand, humanity-first goals. But over time, those visions were pulled into the corporate strategies of Microsoft (OpenAI) and Google (DeepMind).
Technology is shaped by people
Olson shows how the personal histories, beliefs, and ambitions of Altman and Hassabis aren’t just backstory; they actively shape the direction of the AI systems we’re building.
Olson shows how the personal histories, beliefs, and ambitions of Altman and Hassabis aren’t just backstory; they actively shape the direction of the AI systems we’re building.
May 4, 2025 at 8:44 PM
Technology is shaped by people
Olson shows how the personal histories, beliefs, and ambitions of Altman and Hassabis aren’t just backstory; they actively shape the direction of the AI systems we’re building.
Olson shows how the personal histories, beliefs, and ambitions of Altman and Hassabis aren’t just backstory; they actively shape the direction of the AI systems we’re building.