Why Leadership Is About Repetition, Not Charisma | Emmett Shear

Emmett Shear, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of MEVP, joins the Istanbul Slush’D Podcast for a deep conversation on leadership, AI, and what it really takes to build meaningful, long-lasting companies.

Hosted by Burcu Ağma, Co-Founder of Connectmind AI, this episode explores how leadership evolves under pressure, why repetition often matters more than charisma, and how founders can balance speed, responsibility, and long-term thinking in an age of rapid technological change.

Recorded at Slush’D Istanbul, the conversation dives into the mindset shifts founders must go through as they scale teams and ambitions. Emmett shares his perspective on how investors make decisions, why leadership is often misunderstood, and what it truly means to build products, and organizations that endure.

The discussion also explores one of the most critical questions in AI today: how to move beyond performance toward systems that can act as responsible, trustworthy collaborators. Drawing from his experience at the intersection of technology, leadership, and innovation, Emmett offers grounded insights for founders, operators, and investors navigating complexity in a fast-moving world.

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Timestamps

[00:00 ] – Welcome & introduction

[05:10 ] – How leadership evolves with scale

[11:13 ] – Mindset shifts founders must make

[18:48 ] – Building Softmax & responsible AI

[19:40 ] – Balancing speed, care, and results

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Credits

Host: Burcu Ağma

Guest: Emmett Shear

Recorded at:  Istanbul Slush’D 2025⁠ – ⁠KoProduction Podcast Studio⁠ 

Production: Poddict⁠⁠