I've always been curious about how much of my security I'm willing to risk for my freedom. Or the other way around.

I experiment with my boundaries, trying things I have no prior experience with. One such experiment was my "pay what it's worth" business model. I think it's a great idea, but to this day, no one has tried it. (Be the first!)

A few days ago, I shared a business offer that allows company leaders or aspiring entrepreneurs to pay for my consultations either with a fixed amount or by contributing to the conversation itself—through their insights and shared experiences.

So far, in the past five workdays, I’ve received nine inquiries and three podcast invitations. From these inquiries, I’ve scheduled two online meetings and seven dog-walking consultations. Out of the nine people, one expressed interest in paying, while the others gladly contributed by sharing their stories and experiences.

I couldn’t record the first conversation—I don’t yet have the proper setup—but by the end of the day, I had two recordings. I also started experimenting with how AI could help turn these into useful case studies.

I uploaded a 60-minute audio recording to TurboScribe, which transcribed the Hungarian text in about 10 minutes.

I then imported the text into NotebookLM, which processed it in a minute, generating a summary and an excerpt.

Using NotebookLM, I created a 22-minute English-language podcast conversation in about 10 minutes, then transcribed it with TurboScribe, hoping to create a more engaging and concise source (but I didn’t).

I uploaded the content to ChatGPT and asked it to generate a case study.

It’s clear that NotebookLM is incredibly good at summarizing. You can ask it questions, and its responses are well-structured, logical, and precise. ChatGPT can already produce a coherent and correct draft, even at length, but it struggles with emphasis, requiring significant post-editing.

I can imagine that a publicly accessible AI system, where I upload raw case study materials and allow users to freely ask questions, might be a better approach. It could be more useful and easier to navigate than a traditional collection of case studies.

Such a system would contain the stories, dilemmas, and life situations of those who reach out to me—along with the recurring discussions about these topics. A wealth of experiences, emotions, and decisions...

I’ll give it a try. And I’ll share it with you.

In the meantime, if you have any ideas on what I should experiment with, or any thoughts, suggestions, or critiques... let me know.

The article was translated from Hungarian to English by ChatGPT. Thank you, ChatGPT, for being here.

I've always been curious about how much of my security I'm willing to risk for my freedom. Or the other way around. I experiment with my boundaries, trying things I have no prior experience with. One such experiment was my "pay what it's worth" business model. I think it's a great idea, but to this day, no one has tried it. (Be the first!)

Experiments

So many of you are using Vendler AI by now that the system is approaching its technical limits. There's already a wait time—it can’t serve everyone promptly anymore.

According to its own estimate, about 100 users per day initiate 1–2 conversations on average—so this current version is reaching its capacity. I started a conversation with it about how we might develop a custom business application and expand its capabilities.

After some debate and brainstorming, the concept came together. The AI outlined a technical possibility, then asked me if I’d like it to create a testable software version so I could better visualize the final solution.

In the video, you can see the AI programming its own new version based on the plan we discussed—and a minute later, I was already clicking through it.
This used to take several people and a few days of work...

Now I'm testing it, thinking about it, and consulting a developer on how to finalize the software.

On Sunday morning, it was just an idea. Today, 100 people use it daily—it designs itself, codes itself, and even mentors me.

VENDLER AI – DAY 6

VENDLER AI – day 6

What kinds of questions do we explore with an AI? Do we trust it more easily, relying on our anonymity, than we would a real, flesh-and-blood professional? Is it easier to drop our inhibitions, our internal resistance, because of the facelessness, the convenience, or some other illusion?

The ChatGPT framework doesn’t provide me with exact data—I don’t know who asked what, or even who used it. But based on comments, private messages, and personal conversations, the number of active users seems to be around 100. While the system doesn’t grant access to individual conversations, it does analyze them—and the resulting data is quite interesting.

Looking at the topics, around 55–60% of the conversations revolve around entrepreneurial and career-related issues—starting out, resetting, getting stuck, positioning, confidence, sales, time management, or the classic: “How could I make a living from this?” The remaining 40–45% focus on personal and self-reflection themes—authenticity, relationships, indecisiveness, self-worth, letting go, burnout, and identity crises.

According to the AI’s analysis, many business questions are rooted in emotional dynamics (e.g., a need to please, “I want to prove something to my father”), while personal dilemmas often show up as business-related challenges (e.g., “I can’t say no to a client because I’m afraid of being rejected”).

Analyzing the style of these conversations is fascinating as well: about 40–45% of users take a practical, goal-oriented approach. These chats are filled with clear questions, concrete dilemmas, deadlines, and decision-making scenarios, with little emotional undertone. Common words: how, when, what should I choose, where do I start.

About 35–40% of the conversations are reflective and introspective, marked by longer introductions, metaphorical language, emotions, and questions behind the questions. There are fewer specifics, more of a “working from a feeling” vibe. The remaining 15–20% of users float between the two styles, bringing in both concrete topics and deeper thoughts—though they may not yet know which direction to take. A common phrase: “I’m just thinking, it’s not urgent, but I feel like something needs to change.”

The most frequent theme by far is identity crisis and internal realignment, especially during decision-making situations. This appears not just as a business or professional question, but as a deeply personal dilemma: “What I’ve been doing no longer works—but I don’t yet know what comes next.” This category includes transition, letting go, reimagining, burnout, uncertainty, and questions of authenticity.

I'm curious to see where this goes—how Vendler AI evolves and what you think of it. Try the prototype and let me know.

It would help a lot. Definitely me—but maybe you, too.

Link to use the AI:
https://chatgpt.com/g/g-67e0273295f88191b5525e71180265f9-vendler-ai

AI Conversations – Your Questions Answered

The other day, I had the idea to train an AI using the materials from my mentoring conversations. So I asked her – the Artificial Intelligence – how I could do that. I chose a method that allowed for a quick test to see if this even makes sense, and I created a custom ChatGPT-based mentoring AI system.

If you're curious, give it a try and see if there's anything unique about it. Every bit of feedback and critique helps 🙂 

Link: https://chatgpt.com/g/g-67e0273295f88191b5525e71180265f9-vendler-ai

— WHO IS IT FOR? —
My plan is for Vendler AI to become a self-awareness and decision-support companion, specifically for leaders of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and for those either preparing to start a business or actively building one.

— WHAT IS IT FOR? —
The goal isn’t for the AI to give you ready-made answers. Instead, it aims to help uncover the patterns, connections, and internal conflicts behind your personal and business dilemmas through deep, sensitive questioning.

Ideally, it works like a calm mirror: it reflects back, offers insight, and at times even responds in a more provocative or emotionally resonant way when the conversation reaches deeper levels.

— WHAT MAKES IT DIFFERENT? —
This AI was built with specific rules and logic that distinguish it from general ChatGPT, focusing especially on:

Personal conflicts behind business roadblocks

Recognizing goals used for self-justification

The link between belief and mental imagery

Is the decision born out of desire or fear?

Stress as a behavioral pattern and identity marker

The hidden fears behind young entrepreneurs' uncertainties

The tentative early stages of entrepreneurship (confidence, recognition, feedback)

With the help of a built-in question structure, it can gently guide entrepreneurs to reflect on where they are with their business — and with themselves. It doesn’t follow a linear script, but rather responds intuitively, step-by-step. When it detects a block, it can return to the axis of desire–goal–fear–values–uncertainty–planning for deeper exploration.

— WHAT’S BEHIND IT? —
To train the system, I used anonymized personal interviews, self-awareness dialogues, feedback from mentees, and my own recorded conversations with professionals. It’s based on about 300 pages of original writing, 15 hours of interview content, and a thematic questionnaire with around 300 questions.

Each week, I aim to upload another 8–10 hours of content to continue refining the system.

The purpose of the uploaded documents isn’t to replicate their content word-for-word, but to provide the subtle emotional layers, recurring questions, and hidden patterns that form the backdrop of these conversations.

You’ll find the AI link in the comments

A free ChatGPT registration is currently required

The system is tuned specifically for exploring business-related dilemmas and blocks

It was trained on Hungarian-language materials, which is where it can most precisely reflect emotional nuances — but it works in any language supported by ChatGPT

If you're curious, give it a try and see if there's anything unique about it. 

AI PROTOTYPE – TRY IT OUT!

How overwhelming uncertainty feels. It slowly kills you as it clouds your goals, slows your steps, and takes away your dreams. You keep pushing forward, results come, but something still feels off. No matter how many milestones you reach, you don’t feel the satisfaction you expected, and you don’t even know anymore if you still want what you once wanted.

Over the past few years, I’ve spent most of my time understanding my emotions—how I feel about them, how they impact my daily life, my decisions. I’ve written articles about this, developed surveys with experts, processed the topic, and tried to organize my own experiences. And for the past year, I’ve been talking to others about similar situations. But something is missing.

I can’t find my focus. Why am I doing all this? Why do I write, why do I mentor strangers, why do I keep looking for opportunities to talk about other entrepreneurs’ problems? What could come out of this? The stars don’t talk about it, tarot cards don’t either, and even my friends look at me with confusion.

Like so many times before, I thought I’d discuss this dilemma with one of my paid “friends.” So, I gathered my past writings, notes, surveys, and all the material I could find, fed them into NotebookLM, and then uploaded the summaries and analyses to ChatGPT. I asked if there was any information in the data that could serve as a guide to help me find my own way out.

It wrote: "Your materials could be structured into a methodological guide, a strategic framework designed to help entrepreneurs align their inner desires with their business goals. The premise is simple: if your goals don’t align with what truly drives you internally, sooner or later, you will burn out or lose motivation.

This framework could help entrepreneurs and business owners align their goals with their inner desires, enabling them to build sustainable, fulfilling, and profitable businesses. This methodology is based on the principle that real success stems from self-awareness and the conscious alignment of personal motivations with business objectives…”

I like this. Of course, I do. Two years ago, I was already thinking about this, even consulted some experts… But somehow, I let it go. Is this just about my ego? The idea, the desire to create something—not just anything, but a method that could help bring self-fulfillment closer to tangible action and then transform that into a business.

Can I develop my own methodology? Is it worth it? What does it take? What are the steps? How can AI help with this? How much time, resources, and experimentation does it require? Does something like this already exist? Surely! But what’s already out there—how does it work? Could I create something that’s a little different, a little simpler, more understandable, more relatable than what’s currently available?

And as these questions started spinning in my head, I realized that my focus had sharpened—not on how to move forward, but on the fact that these questions excite me. That I want to find answers, climb walls, dodge punches, and if needed, get back up and keep going…

Just like those who come to me with their problems. So many of us struggle with this—we want to take action, but we can’t. And the stronger the desire to create burns inside us while we’re stuck in our frustration, the more it hurts, squeezes, tears us apart inside—and sometimes outside, too.

And maybe that’s why I write, why I mentor strangers, why I keep looking for opportunities to talk about other entrepreneurs’ challenges. To figure out what could come out of all this!

And this is where conversations can help, as I wrote in my previous article, "Business Offer.” Every conversation can bring us closer to a solution—you, me, and maybe, eventually, others too.

Getting Started

So many of you have expressed interest in talking with me about your business but either can't or don’t want to pay under the “pay what it’s worth” model. Many of you have also mentioned that traveling to Pécs is difficult alongside your work commitments. Our Wednesday dog-walking conversations are popular, but this opportunity is very limited.

I love these conversations—they are valuable.

The stories you share with me are valuable. These stories have always meant much more to me than just a one-time discussion. They stay with me because most of them resonate with me as well: in one way or another, I have struggled—or still struggle—with similar questions. Our life situations may be different, but these experiences are universal. We all face the same questions, dilemmas, and fears—just in different forms.

These entrepreneurial stories have power.

They have often inspired me to rethink things, and many times, they have shaped the topics I write about on my blog. These conversations create value. And this value—if shared—can help others too. That’s why, from now on, every consultation or entrepreneurial discussion will come with two options for you to choose from.

Or you share your story—that is, you allow me to record, process, and later share it anonymously in some form (book, case study, podcast) so that other entrepreneurs can learn from it.

Consultations are available in three formats, all at the same price:

Forest walks – mornings in Pécs, duration: 3 hours

In-person consultation – at a café in Pécs, duration: 2 hours

Online consultation – from anywhere :) duration: 1 hour

And why is the price the same despite the different durations? Because a personal meeting requires a greater investment of your time and effort, especially if you have to travel for hours to get there—and I want to acknowledge that.

What matters to me is your story, your problem, your dilemma. I prefer that the conversation can be shared—without names, ensuring that it cannot be linked to you personally unless you choose otherwise. But if this feels unfamiliar to you and you’d rather pay, that is also an option.

So, if you have a problem, a challenge, or a personal story you’d like to share—either to get answers to your questions or to help others learn—then let’s talk.

If you’re interested, or if you know someone who might be, feel free to reach out and ask questions here or on my social media.

If you're interested, send me your questions or dilemmas that you'd like to discuss (via my website:https://www.vendler.hu/#contact, or through private messages on my social media).

Let me know which model you prefer (paying or sharing).

Let me know which format you'd like (walk, café meeting, or online).

If I’m good with the topics, we’ll set a date—and let’s go!

So many of you have expressed interest in talking with me about your business but can't or don’t want to pay under the 'pay what it’s worth' model. Many of you have also mentioned that traveling to Pécs is difficult alongside your work commitments. Our Wednesday dog-walking conversations are popular, but this opportunity is very limited. That’s why I’ve come up with a new offer.

Business Offer

Lately, I find myself crossing paths more and more often with people who noticeably influence my thinking. Engaging conversations where our thoughts intertwine, bringing us closer together and inspiring us to start new discussions. It doesn’t matter if it’s a young child surprising me with their purity, a near-retirement man searching for passion in his work, or a woman ten years older than me, inviting visitors to a shared game in an attempt to bring them closer to themselves.

That’s how I met Gábor Heller. A little over a week ago, Réka Bolváry suggested I meet him, saying she felt it would be worth it. I quickly looked him up because all I knew was that he runs the Igaz Történetek (True Stories) podcast, where I had previously come across Réka’s story. A quick Google search revealed an intriguing background: 20 years in New York, where after working as a taxi driver, he became the art director of the world's largest advertising agency; later, he turned to screenwriting (Just Sex and Nothing Else), then company building—he was the co-founder of Bónusz Brigád.

So, I went to meet him. We arranged to meet in a tiny little bakery on Retek Street in Buda. He was already there when I arrived, calm, kind, and genuinely interested as we started getting to know each other. Time flew by as topics unfolded—my questions, my dilemmas—and Gábor seemed to have an insightful story for almost everything. A conversation he had been part of, a story he knew inside out…

For years, Gábor has been building a project where different people share defining events from their lives. So far, I’ve watched four stories, but I’ve been thinking about them. What is this really about?

I feel like I’m starting to grasp the essence of these stories. I initially thought they needed to have a clear moral or a punchline at the end—some tangible takeaway. But from what I’ve seen, these are simply heartfelt, human stories where the real essence lies in how I emotionally connect with them. And some of them hit me hard, flooding me with emotions, bringing tears to my eyes: the elderly man playing the piano on a ship, or the little ballerina who didn’t tell her parents about her accident, even though there was a chance her leg might have to be amputated.

Of course, I know that different moments resonate with different people, or that on another day, something else might have struck me instead. But in those moments, I felt what they might have felt… and I found myself wondering what I would have done in their place. A purely theoretical question, of course, but perhaps that’s exactly why these videos are so important—just like great literature—because they immerse us in situations where we can reflect on our own emotional responses. Through these stories, we ultimately learn about ourselves.

It’s a beautiful thing being built here.

And a very challenging genre, too. It requires so much… If we’re the ones telling the story, perhaps the most important thing is that we value ourselves enough to see parts of our lives as meaningful, interesting, and worth sharing. Then, we need the courage to take the risk—will our story be engaging? And what if it isn’t?

Storytelling itself is an art, but not necessarily in the sense of acting skills or structured dramaturgy—how well we build or embellish the narrative—but in how honestly we can open up. How deeply we can return to the moment we’re recalling, reliving it, resonating with the emotions, becoming vulnerable… whether in front of an audience or in a recording studio. The real challenge is how close we can get to ourselves.

And if we can do this for ourselves, if we can grant ourselves this level of self-respect, maybe we’ll become better listeners, too.

Because there’s the other side as well—the listener, the viewer—who somehow needs to connect with this “creation.” With someone else’s life. But what kind of cultural and societal environment are we in? Do we, in our friend groups, in our families, have a culture of listening without judgment, without comparison, without feeling the urge to fix things—just with genuine curiosity? Can we listen to a stranger for 15–20 minutes and truly immerse ourselves in their story?

These stories don’t offer quick fixes, or even slow ones. They don’t aim to give life advice, career guidance, or self-improvement strategies. They’re simply beautiful, natural.

How do we connect with these quiet, novella-like stories in a world that moves so fast, bombarding us with constant stimuli? How do they break through our threshold for attention? How can ordinary life stories be important enough for us to truly listen?

This morning, I reflected on the videos and on what Gábor shared at the café. And I realized—this project is much more than just a podcast series. It’s really a social experiment, a movement that fosters empathy, openness, acceptance, and—perhaps as a natural consequence—a sense of connection and the courage to be ourselves.

What if more of us became storytellers and listeners like this?

Could it have a societal impact? Probably yes, but it wouldn’t happen overnight. The quality of public discourse is largely shaped by how willing people are to listen to each other without judgment and to put themselves in someone else’s shoes. One of the most significant effects of storytelling is that it momentarily removes the listener from their own perspective and reveals the deeper human experience behind every situation.

If listening to real, personal stories became more common, it might reduce snap judgments, the tendency to see things as having only one truth, and encourage greater openness. Think about how often we form opinions about people or situations without truly knowing their experiences. If we got used to listening first—seeking understanding before forming opinions—it could gradually change how we relate to one another.

Of course, this isn’t a magic solution. The tendency to judge is deeply ingrained in us, in our society, shaped by many factors—media influence, education, social environment. But one thing is certain: if we were regularly exposed to authentic, human stories, they could slowly reshape our thinking and help cultivate a more empathetic, accepting atmosphere.

But the kind of stories we listen to matters.

That’s why projects like Gábor’s are so important. It’s worth taking a moment to pause and give time to these True Stories. And if you feel that your own story could help others, reach out to him and share a piece of your life.

YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@igaztortenetekpodcast4450

Lately, I find myself crossing paths more and more often with people who noticeably influence my thinking. Engaging conversations where our thoughts intertwine, bringing us closer together and inspiring us to start new discussions. It doesn’t matter if it’s a young child surprising me with their purity, a near-retirement man searching for passion in his work, or a woman ten years older than me, inviting visitors to a shared game in an attempt to bring them closer to themselves...

In Sync

Below is the text of the interview published in the December 2024 issue of Growth Magazine. Many thanks to Beatrix Gosztola and her team for the opportunity to be featured and for allowing us to republish the text.

An exit can often seem like the final destination in an entrepreneur's journey—a milestone that crowns everything, symbolizing professional recognition, freedom, and financial security. But what happens when the long-awaited success does not bring what we had hoped for? Vendler Balázs, who embarked on a deep self-exploration after successfully selling his company, shares exactly this experience. A month ago, we invited him to our office to personally recount the inner journey that company building, exit, and the period that followed had brought him.

We first got to know Balázs through his LinkedIn posts, where we were already impressed by the openness with which he wrote about the emotional rollercoaster behind professional success. During the interview, it became clear that his story is not only inspiring but also full of valuable lessons—offering insight into the struggles and reinvention of an entrepreneurial soul. This is not the first exit story we've featured, but Balázs takes us somewhere entirely different: to the human side of entrepreneurship, where success, failure, and new beginnings are not black and white but filled with countless shades of experience. // Beatrix Gosztola, Editor-in-Chief – Growth Magazine

How did the startup begin, and what was your main motivation during its development?

Hm… It was quite a long process. Back in 2005, I had a small marketing company that had been operating for six years already. We had built a great team, working on both offline and online projects, and even had in-house developers, which allowed us to handle projects flexibly. That year, we were invited to take part in a tender we really wanted to win—I felt like this could be our big breakthrough. The task was to design a recruitment campaign, and instead of using traditional advertising platforms, we proposed creating an online game. My goal was that if we won, our client would spend that—at the time, for us, incredibly large—budget with us rather than media owners. We won, and that marked the beginning of our development of corporate goal-driven games.

The next seven years were filled with professional success, but they didn’t bring in much money. My marketing company grew, we gained a business angel investor, and we restructured the company—splitting it into a marketing and an IT company. This was during the 2008 financial crisis, a period full of tension, which eventually led to me burning out completely by 2012. I was exhausted. I simply hated going to my own company. I remember sitting alone in my office, realizing that I had to change something—I couldn’t go on like this. I was working 10–12 hours a day, responsible for all sales, and managing a team of over 20 people, which meant our costs were sky-high. Stress became my everyday reality. The work I once loved no longer brought me any joy.

I had to rethink why I was running my business in the first place: for freedom, financial security, and recognition—to prove that I was good, smart, and successful. As I reflected on the past years, I realized that corporate gaming could provide all of this. Or rather, I felt that it could provide all of this. It seemed like a way to break free from the limitations of being based outside a major city, to expand internationally, and to showcase what we were truly capable of. The emerging concept of gamification seemed like a perfect opportunity, so I bought out my investor and started building Games for Business.

What were the biggest challenges you faced during the building phase, and how did you overcome them?

The biggest question was whether we were even capable of doing it. Did we truly know what we wanted to create? Did I know exactly where I wanted to go and what my ultimate goal was? I was clear on my desires—freedom, security, recognition—but how could my company provide these for me? It took me a good three years to find my answer, but in 2013, we started building. We went everywhere we could to give talks on the topic, began publishing in English, and participated in international competitions—all for several years without any major success. But in 2015, something unexpected happened: an article was published about one of our projects in the U.S. edition of Forbes, then in the Hungarian edition, and soon, more and more international media outlets started featuring us.

And yet, something still wasn’t right. Something wasn’t working—we still weren’t making money, and clients weren’t coming in as I had hoped. Things were still not in place. Looking back now, nearly ten years later, I’d say I still didn’t fully know what I wanted to do. By 2015, I had to admit that something was off. My marketing company’s team was falling apart because my focus was entirely on Games for Business, and I wasn’t paying much attention to the agency itself. People started quitting one after another. I had a lot of conversations with people—something I’m grateful for. Entrepreneurs from Pécs, clients from Budapest, CEOs of competitor companies… Through these discussions, I came to realize that we couldn’t run two completely different businesses under one organization. A marketing agency executes projects, while Games for Business was about developing a product. Two entirely different mindsets, two fundamentally different approaches.

I had to ask myself: was I willing to let go of my agency? Could I walk away from the business that provided my income, funded G4B’s product development, and supported my family? Could I give up my financial security and my past for the future I envisioned? Did I believe in my vision, in myself, and in my team enough to take the leap? We jumped.

Our entire family’s savings became the foundation for the ten-person team that fully committed to Games for Business Ltd. in January 2016. By then, we had a plan—mapped out for five years, built around four to five key KPIs. That plan was the result of nearly ten years of experience, constant learning, and the drive to create something different. The team that stood beside and behind me had become a tightly knit unit. Under the leadership of Miki Szalai, they pushed through the next three and a half years.

The journey to the company’s sale in 2019 wasn’t easy. It involved an enormous amount of work, uncertainty, and stress. But I believe the biggest challenge was envisioning where I wanted to go—and believing in myself enough to make sacrifices to get there.

How did you experience the exit process? What emotions were swirling inside you when it happened?

It’s a strange thing. The exit was one of the possible outcomes of the plan I had put together. And how great is it to have an international company acquire you? That’s the ultimate validation, isn’t it? It confirms all the years of hard work we put in. It provides financial security (91% of the ownership was in my family’s hands), and what greater professional recognition could there be than building a company that catches the attention of global players and is worth acquiring? (We were involved in four acquisition processes within a year and a half.) And surely, all of this would reinforce the sense of freedom I had always valued. Right? Could there be a greater achievement in a man’s life than seeing his creative abilities bear fruit and being able to reap the rewards?

None of it turned out the way I expected. Or rather, it did—but I didn’t feel any of it. Recognition? Almost no one wrote about the acquisition of Games for Business. Just a few short articles, barely longer than obituary notices. Was that it? Did no one care that we made it? That I pulled it off? No recognition.

Money and security? For years, I was terrified of losing it—of making bad decisions, of an economic collapse. I had never felt as financially insecure or as stressed as I did during that time.

And my freedom? The freedom I had always been so proud of? It was locked away, rotting between the pages of my syndicate contract. I became an employee. After 25 years of being an entrepreneur—25 years where I made all the decisions, where, despite carrying all the risk, the final say was always mine—I now had to report to someone. First monthly, then every one or two weeks. I had to explain why I was doing what I was doing. To people who, despite their best intentions, simply didn’t understand our work—different culture, different industry, different goals.

It was terrible. I became a slave in my own team. A general turned mercenary. And that was so far removed from everything I had ever thought about myself, from the life I had envisioned, that it shook everything around me. No one had ever told me about this. I hadn’t read about it in Forbes, in startup magazines, or heard about it on entrepreneur podcasts. And I know it’s hard for many to understand—so many people dream of reaching this point. And yet, I would do it all over again. Again and again.

This event was one of the most important experiences of my life. I wish for everyone to have this experience if they truly desire it.

That period—the two years after the exit when I was still leading the company—gave me a lot. It held up a mirror, and what I saw in it didn’t sit right with me. But I wanted it to.

How did your life change after the exit, both professionally and personally?

Looking back, I see the exit as the closing of a life chapter. After selling the company, COVID hit. The shift in company dynamics, followed by the isolation of the pandemic, triggered something in me. I started asking myself deeper questions about my life. I had achieved everything on my to-do list, yet I didn’t feel good. I couldn’t find my place, and the tension inside me kept growing. I began questioning my place in the world at a fundamental level, which impacted many aspects of my life. The most significant of these was my relationship.

Less than a year after selling the company, I moved out of my home, ending a 25-year relationship with my then-wife. It was terrible, even though I was the one who left. There’s an immense amount of pain in such a breakup. And that pain didn’t spare our children either. It was a difficult period. But perhaps it was also what made me reflect on what kind of father, what kind of partner I had been. How much had my family truly been part of my decisions? Of course, I had always believed I was doing everything for them—for their security, their well-being. But maybe, in the process, I hadn’t considered what they truly needed. And, in a way, that stemmed from the fact that I didn’t even know what I truly needed.

After the divorce, I embarked on a deep journey of self-discovery. The space that opened up in my life demanded to be filled somehow. And something led me toward silence, introspection. I started diving into psychology again, reading extensively, watching professional videos, meditating, and exploring different spiritual paths. I tried everything—astrology, tarot readings, energy healing, numerology, Access Bars, family constellations. I went to coaches, psychologists, therapists. I even attended a Buddhist retreat and a silent course at the Pannonhalma Abbey.

I was searching for who I really was. Trying to put down the burdens life had given me—the ones I had carried so willingly over the years. Because somewhere along the way, I had come to believe that bearing those burdens made me good, useful, made me a man. And maybe, at that time, it really did.

I’ve now been with my wife, Kata, for almost three years. Around the time we met, I felt a renewed desire to build something again—to create a company, something new, something meaningful. Something that is truly me, something that—if I dare use big words—embodies my life’s purpose. I want to find that thing, the reason I exist, and build a company from it.

I know these are big words. And maybe we can never be completely sure that what we’re doing is truly the thing. But maybe we don’t have to be. Maybe it’s enough to believe in it. It’s enough if I believe in it—just as I once believed in Games for Business. And for me, that’s enough.

What new goals have you set for yourself since then?

This has been a process full of twists and turns. :) The first thing I told myself around the time of selling my company was that I would leave entrepreneurship behind. I had had enough. I would become an athlete, an internationally recognized one. Why not? :) I wanted to prove myself in an entirely new field and achieve results. Although I wasn’t exempt from PE in high school, I wasn’t exactly the sharpest tool in the shed when it came to sports. That made winning all the more appealing.

I reached out to people with outstanding achievements—Olympic champions, world champions, both men and women from various sports. I wanted to see and feel what they were like, what they believed made them exceptional, and what helped them reach their goals. I even had a few conversations, and I started thinking in terms of a ten-year cycle—how I could make this new goal a reality.

By early 2020, I had a clear direction. But then, changes in my personal life pulled me away from sports. By the time I could have gotten back to it, I realized it wasn’t my path after all. I came to understand that this whole endeavor was really about fear. I was afraid that if I started building a business again and it didn’t work out, the failure would take away my past successes. I was afraid that people would say, See? We told you—he just got lucky with G4B, nothing more.

What I truly want is to create. And now, I have a clearer vision of the field in which I want to do it. I believe I have a good eye for recognizing talent—for seeing when someone is exceptional at something, even if they don’t know it themselves or don’t believe in it. And I have the ability to help them transform that talent into the success they aspire to. I think, in a way, this is what I do with myself as well.

This realization led me to become a co-owner in multiple business projects. These include a company developing a parenting-support mobile app, a dietary supplement business, tourism projects, and I also remain a silent partner in the marketing agency where Games for Business began. On top of that, in January, I successfully completed my final exams at the National University of Public Service and officially became a space policy advisor—opening up the possibility for me to enter this industry with a solid understanding if life takes me in that direction.

But the most important initiative for me is helping business leaders find their own paths by exploring questions of self-awareness. As part of this, I write a blog, which has evolved into an offline blog—a book titled Párpercesek. For the past two years, I’ve been mentoring entrepreneurs, partially pro bono. I also launched forest walks—every Wednesday, someone joins me for a 2-3 hour dog walk, where we discuss their business challenges. My Wednesdays are booked three months in advance, and more than half of the leaders travel from the Budapest area for the Mecsek walk.

In December, we also launched our coffeehouse conversations, where we sit down over a coffee and talk about our experiences as entrepreneurs. I plan to expand this project to Budapest, meeting once a month in the capital to host these discussions.

I love these sessions. I feel like this is my calling. I believe that this is where I’ll find the direction that will define my next business venture. That the solution is already within me, but it will emerge through my interactions with others—whatever it may be. I don’t see it clearly yet, but hopefully, I will soon. And when that happens, the development of my new company can begin.

If you were to build a startup again, what would you do differently, and what would you keep from your original methods?

I’ve thought about this a lot. Last September, I decided to start a new company. I had already received inquiries for mentoring and consulting, but in 2023, I took on almost everything pro bono—deliberately. I simply wanted to understand what the true value of my work was. Once I figured that out, I could price it, and from there, I could develop a business model. But the desire to launch the company kept growing inside me. I knew I had to put pressure on myself. I had always thrived under pressure—historically, the riskier the situation, the better I performed.

So, I called my lawyer friend, got the paperwork done, and everything was ready to go. I started listing expenses, planning revenue, making calls, and reconnecting with people so that when I hit the green button, the business would take off immediately. It only took a few weeks, and I already felt fully armed and ready for battle.

Then, during lunch one day, my wife, Kata, gently asked, Have you noticed how tense you’ve been since you decided to start a company?

Uhh. She was right. But wasn’t this what I wanted? To put pressure on myself and perform again? Was that what I wanted? Is that what I want?

I love our life—the peace, the harmony around us. I’ve found my sense of purpose. By now, I’ve helped over a hundred business leaders, received a lot of positive feedback, and I can feel that what I do has meaning. The companies I’m involved in are moving forward. The company my wife and I built together, Lost Garden Kft., has won multiple international awards. Another big dream of mine came true—I was able to stand beside the most important woman in my life as a true partner, supporting her in pursuing her own dreams. And she’s doing it spectacularly.

I have no reason to rush. And maybe that’s the biggest shift. I no longer want to put pressure on myself just to move faster. I don’t want to dominate my life and force it into a shape I dictate. Instead, I want to explore what my life could be—so that when the right opportunities appear, I can choose the path that truly calls me.

Some days, this approach is hard. It’s tough when I don’t see the road ahead or when I feel like I’ve been standing still for too long. That’s when my old instincts kick in—when the conqueror, the alpha inside me, wants to take over and restart the well-oiled machine that used to work so well.

Because that machine still works today. I can still plan, set goals, define key KPIs, allocate resources, build strategies, execute them, and invoice every single item. And that has its time and place. Just not yet.

First, I want to understand where my path is leading me. I want to test it, get to know it, trust it, and believe in it. And that takes time.

I’m fortunate to have that time. And I want to use it well.

What advice would you give to those who are about to embark on a similar journey?

A few weeks ago, I was invited to a talk at the economics faculty in Pécs to share my journey—where I started, where I ended up, what drove me forward, and what fueled our company’s innovation. At the end of the discussion, one of the students asked what advice I would give to young people like them.

Honestly, I don’t think it matters what I say. :) So many people gave me advice, yet I only ever followed my own instincts. I loved experiencing life firsthand, figuring things out for myself, and I rarely listened to anyone else. Unfortunately.

But of course, I answered the question then, and I will now as well. If you want to start your own company, I believe three key things matter most.

First, know yourself. Understand what you truly desire, what is important to you. I believe everyone has a red button—a deep wound, a missing piece, or a strong ambition that drives them, shaping every decision they make. It’s good to be aware of this. Your desires pull you forward in life. It’s also important to recognize your fears, as these are the things that hold you back, the things you want to escape from. If your fear and your desire become too entangled, your path will be a constant struggle, like walking in place. And of course, get to know your strengths and resources. Once you have clarity on these things, you can figure out where you want to go, what a business can provide for you, what you already have, and what you need to acquire. From there, you can start building a strategy.

Second, pay attention to your relationships. It’s rare to live a fulfilling life completely alone. Being isolated in this vast universe can be an incredibly lonely and lost feeling. So, be mindful of the connections you form—who you can collaborate with, who energizes you, and who drains you. Surround yourself with people who uplift and inspire you, and try to distance yourself from those who deplete you. No matter what kind of business you want to build, success will always depend on human relationships—at least for a long time to come.

Third, understand your relationship with money. Money is the energy or resource that a business, as a legal entity, is created to generate. For years, I had a complicated “love-hate” relationship with money, and that’s not ideal when you’re responsible for generating revenue. If you want to build a company, take a hard look at this. Money matters. You can be as spiritual and pure-hearted as you like, but if you’re running a business, you must learn how to handle money. So, pay attention to it!

How difficult is it to manage the post-exit period well? Was there anything that particularly caught you off guard?

I have two sons, soon to be 23 and 20. I was there for both of their births, standing beside their mother the entire time. I saw, heard, and felt so much of it—I was part of the experience. But… I still have no idea what it’s like to give birth. That’s exactly how I felt about the exit.

I thought I was prepared. I had consciously worked towards making the company sellable. Everything was digitized—every document, invoice, contract, and record had been organized from day one to ensure we were always audit-ready. I accepted every investor meeting, enjoyed the negotiations because each conversation brought me closer to understanding how capital thinks and operates. I talked to successful business leaders, and I even had a mentor. The company was sold, almost exactly as I had envisioned years earlier.

But the void that followed—I was not prepared for that. The shift in identity. No one talked about it. And even if they had, I don’t know if it would have helped.

The real shock came when I finally left the company for good. Suddenly, I wasn’t important anymore. No emails, no phone calls, nothing to do. I woke up early, had my coffee, cleaned the house, went to the gym—and by the time I got home from my workout, it was only 9 AM. And I had already done everything I planned for the day.

I just watched the grass grow. And in January, the grass grows very slowly.

I had no output. Who am I if I’m not achieving something? What is the point of my existence if I’m not doing anything? My life felt so empty, everything I had built just crumbled into dust. I don’t even know how to describe it properly. For three months, everything felt meaningless.

Of course, my story has a happy ending—though "happy ending" isn’t the right phrase, because it’s not over yet. If my plans work out, I don’t intend to say my final goodbyes until around 2067-72.

How can you prepare for this kind of change? We need these stories. We need honest accounts, real experiences of what happens after selling a company. How people’s lives changed—if they changed. And what they did if they didn’t.

How do you see the Hungarian startup ecosystem, and what message would you send to those just starting out?

Honestly, I don’t really follow the startup ecosystem. I never even considered Games for Business a startup. So, I wouldn’t try to analyze it—especially because I’m quite skeptical about investment, and from what I see, the investor process plays a major role in this ecosystem.

If we’re talking about starting a business, my advice would be this: before you launch a company, understand who youwill be in it and what your value is. Understand how you relate to your own worth.

Don’t forget—it’s your responsibility to show the market your value. It’s up to you to figure out what your value represents. Once you know that, understand what you want to convert that value into: recognition, relationships, attention, love, money? What truly brings you joy?

Because a business will only be a fulfilling part of your life if you feel valuable in it and if it gives you what you truly desire. That doesn’t mean it will be easy, and it doesn’t guarantee success. But it does mean that you’ll know it’s worth working for.

I became an Excel cell after the exit.

I love mornings, the silence, the solitude. It feels as if the whole world is asleep, and I’m the only one awake. Around four in the morning, the vibrations, the feelings are somehow different. Nothing disturbs me. Thoughts flow more freely, images come and go in my mind with a freshness and clarity that feels almost surreal. Maybe because I’m still so close to my dreams at that hour. Maybe that’s why everything I see then feels cinematic, vivid. Lately, the film playing in my mind has been getting longer, more vivid.

I see something. And as I watch this movie unfold, a question arises: Can I think about something that doesn’t exist? But perhaps an even more intriguing question is this: If I can articulate something within myself, if I can think about it, does that mean it already exists?

I have been for a long time. Searching for where to go next. One of the best things about this journey is how much I reflect, how much I imagine things for myself, about myself. A feeling, a vision is taking shape within me. I see a future ahead of me, and I find myself wondering: How do I relate to this vision?

So, I started pushing these questions because I believe my life stands at the threshold of important decisions. And the way I approach these decisions will be shaped by the answers I find. I want to start a company, build a new venture, step into something that does not yet exist.

If I believe this thing doesn’t yet exist, then my task is to figure out how to create something from nothing. But am I even capable of bringing something into existence from nothingness? Giving shape and form to what does not yet exist?

If I believe it already exists—because I have envisioned it, because I think about it every day, because I imagine the details, maybe I’ve even given it a name—then I am already speaking about something. And if something has a name, then I can refer to it.

If I tell others, if I talk about it, if I name it, then others will easily understand what it is. I won’t have to explain it endlessly. That’s how this vision strengthens within me, that’s how people will start asking, “So, how’s that project going?” Even my mother will be able to ask, “How’s that thing coming along, dear?”

And through these conversations, this vision will expand. Others will connect to it more easily. I will write about it. There will be thoughts, articles, emotions, and people surrounding it. Surrounding me. These experiences build the awareness within me that this is not just something that exists—

Not just in me, but in others too. So the question is not whether it has come into existence—because I talk about it, because it exists, because people are interested—but rather, how do I develop it? How do I help it transition from thought into material reality? How do I make it tangible, so that more and more people recognize its name and connect with it?

And through these connections, it begins to grow, slowly becoming stronger and more alive. The question is no longer whether it exists—because it is here, within me, and soon within you. The only question is whatit will become.

And that what will be shaped by my actions. My actions will be shaped by my thoughts. So it matters what I think about this:

That which does not exist cannot connect to anything. But something—something can. And if something already has a name, then we begin to associate it with other things, we start coloring it with our thoughts, and that creates even more points of connection—accelerating the entire process.

As the clock nears seven and the outside world brightens, the film in my mind starts to fade. The noises return, neighbors head off to work, Otto is already waiting by the door, eager for his morning walk. Life is stirring.

And as I sit here on the couch, I simply know: The film I see is not a fabrication. It is more like a documentary. A story that already is, that has already happened—I just haven’t arrived there yet.

But I am here, standing at the edge of its existence.

Experiments
2025.03.17.

2025. BALAZS VENDLER

All rights reserved.

Experiments2025.03.17.

2025. BALAZS VENDLER

All rights reserved.

Experiments
2025.03.17.