Saverio Pulizzi is a data scientist turned entrepreneur who believes that great ideas shouldn’t be limited by access, background, or resources. From working at Meta and advising the Italian government to building an AI-powered platform that helps anyone start a company, Saverio’s journey is driven by one clear mission: to democratize entrepreneurship. His story resonates deeply with the Humans of Fuzia community because it champions equal opportunity, diverse perspectives, and the belief that when more people—especially women—have access to the right tools, the future becomes stronger and more inclusive.
Q: Saverio, what inspired you to start your entrepreneurial journey?
I actually started my career as a data scientist and spent about five years at Meta. During that time, I fell in love with computer science and went on to study applied artificial intelligence part-time. That’s where my fascination with generative AI really began, back in 2018. Later, I worked with the Italian government as a data science expert for the Prime Minister’s office, managing large-scale public-sector innovation projects. That experience taught me how complex systems work and how difficult—but impactful—innovation can be.
At the same time, I always had an entrepreneurial drive. My father was an entrepreneur, and from a young age, I wanted to build something of my own. I launched my first startup in Spain, working on advertising solutions for large language models. While it was innovative, I eventually realized it wasn’t aligned with my deeper passion. That moment taught me something crucial: entrepreneurship isn’t just about spotting an opportunity—it’s about building something you truly care about.
Q: How did that realization shape what you’re building today?
It pushed me to understand myself better and ask what change I really wanted to see in the world. Throughout my career, I noticed how many talented people—across genders, cultures, and backgrounds—had great ideas but lacked the tools, confidence, or access to start a company. Entrepreneurship felt inaccessible to most people.
That’s when I decided my mission was to democratize entrepreneurship. With my current startup, Denovo, we’re building a platform that allows anyone with an idea to start a company simply by chatting with AI. Ideas are everywhere, but opportunity isn’t—and I want to help close that gap.
Q: What challenges have you faced while building this idea, especially around marketing and growth?
One big realization was that the old startup playbooks don’t fully apply anymore. With AI, founders can now build high-quality products from day one, so launching a “scrappy MVP” isn’t always acceptable anymore. The space is also extremely crowded, which makes distribution and go-to-market strategy more important than ever.
What I’ve learned is that building a community is just as important as building the product itself. A strong community gives your product meaning, direction, and momentum. Today, if you want to scale, you need people who genuinely believe in what you’re building.
Q: Do you work as a solopreneur, or do you have a team supporting you?
I have a team supporting me. Building something meaningful at scale definitely takes collaboration and shared vision.
Q: What has been your proudest milestone so far?
Seeing people actually build their companies using Denovo. Every user has a story, a dream, and an idea they’re trying to bring to life. Being able to meet users, understand what they’re building, and support them at such an early stage is incredibly rewarding. Denovo feels like a story machine, and that excites me the most.
Q: How has your user base evolved as you’ve grown?
The response from the market has been very encouraging. We’re seeing strong growth, especially through strategic partnerships with NGOs, accelerators, and organizations focused on supporting entrepreneurship at local and global levels. These collaborations are helping us reach more founders and expand our impact.
Q: As someone building inclusive technology, what are your thoughts on women empowerment and leadership?
At the core, everyone—regardless of gender—should have access to the same tools. Ideas don’t have a gender. What matters is giving more people the ability to build and shape the future. From a collective intelligence perspective, the more diverse voices and perspectives we have creating companies and solutions, the better our future will be.
Q: Finally, what does success mean to you—professionally and personally?
Professionally, success is about the number of people I can serve with a positive impact. Personally, when you’re on a mission you truly believe in, the line between personal and professional success disappears. For me, as long as I’m working toward democratizing entrepreneurship, I feel successful.
“Success, to me, is serving as many people as possible with a positive impact—when you’re on a mission, everything else aligns.”
Connect with Saverio Pulizzi:
LinkedIn: Saverio Pulizzi | LinkedIn
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