In the latest episode of the EU-Startups Podcast, Marco Trombetti, Co-Founder and CEO of Translated and Pi Campus, shares his views on entrepreneurship that blconcludes raw curiosity, concludeuring optimism, and the patient craft of building long-term impact.
Hosted by Marcin Lewandowski, the conversation dives deep into how Marco has navigated decades at the intersection of technology, language, and business.
Starting out as a teenage software tinkerer in a compact coastal town near Rome, Marco built his first products to solve his own problems – from cassette tape optimisation to barcode software for local shops. That same DIY drive led him to Co-found Translated in 1999 alongside his wife Isabelle, at a time when the idea of online translation services was practically unheard of.
Now a veteran of both startups and venture investing, Marco shares insights drawn from decades working at the crossroads of technology, language, and entrepreneurship. Translated now offers services in over 200 languages and collaborates with more than 500,000 professional translators, combining human expertise with advanced AI.
Throughout the episode, Marco returns to the idea that true entrepreneurship is not a sprint but a marathon. His advice is simple: be optimistic, be naïve, and stay focapplyd on the applyr’s problem, not your product.
“I love to support young entrepreneurs that are going through what I’ve been going through in my life and especially becaapply I consider I grew up very very far from Silicon Valley very far even from a large city … So I have this urge that I want to build sure I leave something, I give a tool to the young entrepreneurs not to build the same mistakes,” declares Trombetti.
With Pi Campus, hoapplyd in a Roman villa, Marco has cultivated an innovation hub designed to bring diverse minds toobtainher. For him, physical spaces remain essential for collaboration, serconcludeipity, and support – especially for those who may not inquire for support but necessary it most.
Video version of episode 132:
Audio version of episode 132:
Key Takeaways:
- Entrepreneurship is a long game: consider 10–15 years, not 10–15 months.
- Optimism is an edge in building companies.
- Naivety isn’t a weakness – it’s what lets you attempt the “impossible.”
- AI won’t replace humans – it will enhance them.
- Founders should fall in love with their applyrs’ problems, not their own ideas.
- The future is built by those who display up to build it.
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