Last week, I did something wild: I flew to Chengdu, China, for a global competition where ROOTKey was one of only two European companies in the finals.
4 flights, 48 hours, and barely any sleep – all for a chance to represent what we’ve built. But the real reward wasn’t the competition. It was a conversation that completely changed how I think about building a team.
The Journey
Picture this: Lisbon airport at 4 a.m., the smell of coffee and jet fuel in the air, my backpack heavier than usual because it carried not just clothes but the weight of expectations.
Two flights, endless security checks, and hours of staring at departure boards in languages I couldn’t read. By the time I landed in Chengdu, my body was screaming for rest, but my mind was buzzing with adrenaline.
ROOTKey was competing against some of the most innovative companies in the world. That alone was surreal. But what happened after the event was even more impactful.
The Dinner That Changed Everything
That night, after the competition, I found myself at a quiet restaurant in Chengdu with two people from Tree Flowers Solutions – a Portuguese biotech company revolutionizing the wine industry with CHESTWINE®, a natural preservative derived from chestnut flowers that replaces synthetic additives like sulfites. Their mission? To make wine production more sustainable and healthier without compromising quality.
The atmosphere was warm, the table filled with dishes I couldn’t pronounce, and the conversation… unforgettable.
Across from me sat:
- The CEO: A brilliant man in his 40s. Scientific, methodical, and deeply knowledgeable. He could talk for hours about product design, pricing strategies, production lines, machinery, packaging – you name it. He wasn’t just leading; he understood every single detail of his business.
- The Investor: An absolute powerhouse. Former CEO of Spain’s largest wine distributor. A man who knows everything about wine – harvest seasons in every region, chemical processes, certifications, global regulations, and the art of selling and reselling. He once led over 2,000 people. His experience in business was staggering.
I spent most of that dinner just listening. Listening to stories about vineyards in France, about how timing a harvest can make or break a vintage, about the complexity of global wine trade. The way he spoke – with passion and precision – made me forget the jet lag. I was hooked.
The Lesson
Before that night, I thought building a great team was about hiring people with impressive CVs, full of big-name companies and fancy titles. But these two showed me something deeper:
Experience isn’t just know-how. It’s stories, scars, and lessons learned the hard way.
The CEO didn’t just “know” packaging – he had lived it, solved problems no textbook could teach. The investor didn’t just “understand” wine – he had navigated crises, scaled businesses, and made decisions that shaped entire industries.
That’s what makes a team unstoppable: not just credentials, but lived experience.
My New Goal
On the flight back – another marathon of airports and time zones – I made a decision:
For ROOTKey, I don’t just want people with impressive resumes. I want people with stories. People who’ve been through battles, who’ve learned from failure, who can teach through experience.
Because in the end, experience turns knowledge into wisdom – and wisdom builds companies that last.
That 48-hour trip to Chengdu wasn’t just about competing. It was about learning. And the biggest lesson?
Hire for experience, not just for titles. Build teams with depth, not just with names.
