At the Amela Frequency 📡, every Monday, we reflect on tech news, share thoughts from our network ✍️, and hand you tools and frameworks for early-stage builders ⚒️. If you’re building (or dreaming about it), you’re in the right place.
Hi all👋
I’m finally back in Berlin, after some intense but very energizing days in London. I got to spend time with people across very different contexts: founders, investors, aspiring builders, and also close friends.
And what struck me most wasn’t something someone in the startup world said, but what one of my girlfriends said:
“I don’t see myself as an entrepreneur.”
Someone thoughtful, capable, curious, someone who, in my view, could absolutely build something of her own. I guess it mostly stuck with me because, if I’m honest, I didn’t always see myself that way either. I grew up around entrepreneurship. My grandfather and my mom both built their own paths. But instead of pulling me in, it actually pushed me away for a long time.
I saw the volatility. The uncertainty. The emotional rollercoaster. And I thought: I don’t want that.
So I did everything “right.” I followed the corporate path. Consulting. Structure. Stability. Until the pandemic hit, and I got laid off. You could even say that in some ways I was pushed into entrepreneurship.
It was simply… the next step that made sense.
Which is why I struggle with the idea that people are “just not entrepreneurs.” Because in most cases, it’s not an identity you’re born with.
It’s a context you step into.
A few things I’ve been reflecting on:
Globally, over 90% of businesses are small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Entrepreneurship doesn’t mostly look like venture-backed startups — it looks like people building something practical, often out of necessity.
In many countries, more than 1 in 3 entrepreneurs started because they saw no better work option. Not because they always dreamed of it. On that note Hummingbird literally just launched a fund to back “the unemployable founders”.
And interestingly, studies consistently show that women are less likely to identify as entrepreneurs, even when they’re already doing entrepreneurial activities.
So when someone says “I’m not an entrepreneur”, I can’t help but wonder: Is that a fact? Or just a story we’ve told ourselves based on a very narrow definition of what entrepreneurship looks like?
Because if you expand that definition, things start to shift.
Entrepreneurship can look like:
building a tech company
starting a small business
launching a side project
monetizing a skill
solving a problem you care about
It’s not one path. It’s a spectrum. And maybe the better question isn’t: “Am I an entrepreneur?”
But:
“At this moment in my life, does building something make sense for me?”
Because for most people, that’s how it actually starts. Not with identity. But with context. And a decision to try.
I leave you all with this reflection and let’s continue to this week’s newsletter:
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🎙️✨ Celebrating Antonieta Herrera! Launching Reimagina Blueprints, the new global series of Reimagina Latam Podcast, featuring conversations with leaders in innovation, technology, and beyond.
🏥🚀 Congrats Susa Horvath & ZenZen! Just received the ORCHA Badge, a major milestone in healthtech.
🚀🔥 Big wins for Vanessa Wachtmeister! She has officially launched Go Onwards. To support more people to find their dream job.
💎✨ Celebrating Natalia Cano from DocoKids & Cristina Campero from ProsperIA! Both have been selected as 2026 Cartier Women’s Initiative Fellows, representing Latin America. This is HUGE.
🍷 Berlin: Amela Dinner 🇩🇪
A cozy evening for founders, investors, and aspiring builders to connect over good food and meaningful conversations. Small group, curated vibes, and real connections.
📅 April 15 · 19:00 Berlin · In person → Register here
💃 CDMX: Morning Club — Move Your Body, Connect Your Mind 🇲🇽
Not your typical networking event. Start with a dance class, then slow down for coffee and real conversations with founders and investors. Built around energy, connection, and well-being.
📅 April 18 · 11:00 CDMX · In person → Register here
Articles, videos, and other resources to learn
💄 The Playbook Behind Billion-Dollar Consumer Brands
A breakdown of why brands like Rhode, Skims, and Gymshark work, and why most celebrity brands don’t. From distribution-first thinking to surrounding yourself with the right people, this episode unpacks how top founders actually build.
🍷 Wine, Cheese, and AI
A sharp reflection on how AI is reshaping creative and knowledge work, not by replacing taste, but by amplifying those who already have it. The gap isn’t closing; it’s widening between those who know what good looks like and those who don’t. Read more
💥 How I Really Hurt My Startup
A candid reflection on the subtle mistakes that quietly kill momentum, from misaligned priorities to avoiding hard decisions. A useful reminder that most damage isn’t dramatic, it’s accumulated over time. Read more
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