Why This Ex-Google Exec Became a First-Time Founder

Berit Hoffmann, CEO and co-founder of Korl, joins The Tech Trek to share her candid journey from big tech leader to late-stage startup founder. With a resume that includes Google, Dell, and Sisu, Berit could have landed any top role—but she chose the riskier path of building her own AI company while raising two kids and fundraising while seven months pregnant. In this episode, she opens up about the internal tug-of-war, the realities of balancing family and founder life, and how she’s navigating the fast-moving, hype-driven world of AI. If you're a tech professional wondering when—or whether—to make your own leap, this one’s for you.

Key Takeaways:

Experience doesn’t remove fear—but it can sharpen your confidence in taking big risks

AI founders must constantly recalibrate as models evolve and moats evaporate

The best startups fall in love with the problem, not the initial solution

You don’t have to wait for perfect timing—it might never come

Execution and clarity win over buzzwords in a crowded AI market

Timestamped Highlights:

00:44 — What Korl actually does and why it's different from other AI presentation tools

02:30 — Why Berit waited to found a startup and how early roles shaped her confidence

07:03 — The hidden opportunity costs and fears of starting later in life

11:38 — Her zero-to-one playbook: validate the problem deeply before writing a line of code

15:50 — Fundraising in the age of AI hype and navigating the balance between clarity and buzz

20:33 — How she processes new AI releases and adapts strategy without spinning out

24:45 — What it was really like to raise VC funding while visibly pregnant

30:11 — Her honest take on founder-parent balance: sometimes 80% has to be enough

Quote of the Episode:

“There’s still such a gap between what many AI tools promise and what they actually deliver. Closing that gap is all about execution—and that’s where startups win.”

Resources Mentioned:

Koral: https://www.getkoral.com

Connect with Berit on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/berithoffmann/

Call to Action:

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