This millennial AI CEO works with Ebay and has just raised millions for her start-up—unlike tech bros she doesn’t use futuristic gadgets calling them mostly ‘useless’
Being in the C-suite is a high-pressure job with long hours, broad responsibilities, and intense scrutiny. But what is it like to be a top executive when you’re off the clock?
Fortune’s series, The Good Life, shows how up-and-coming leaders spend their time and money outside of work.
Today we meet the co-founder and CEO of Faircado, Evolena de Wilde.
The 31-year-old entrepreneur based out of Berlin got her start in the high-energy startup world, working at burgeoning tech companies for five years before starting her own venture. She’s held professional stints at airline passenger compensation company Airhelp, and community-centric skincare brand HelloBody.
In 2022, she launched AI-powered second-hand shopping assistant Faircado with her friend Ali Nezamolmaleki. The advanced tech scans product images to connect users with the best second-hand purchasing options, aggregating information from different online marketplaces. It was voted the Product of the Day on Black Friday in 2023, and in 2024 the company closed a €3 million funding round led by World Fund, Europe’s leading climate VC.
Faircado has since become one the largest second-hand shopping tools in Europe through its partnerships with eBay, Vestiaire Collective, Sellpy, Back Market, and more. The AI function now aggregates more than 100 million offers across electronics, books, fashion, and more. De Wilde’s value of sustainability comes into practice at Faircado, too—she says users have saved millions of dollars and tons of CO2 by purchasing used goods through the digital add-on. Most recently, Faircado expanded into the UK with the launch of its browser plug-in.
De Wilde was able to connect her passion for sustainability with her professional background in Berlin’s startup scene. And she practices what she preaches in her own life—from where she buys her coffee and indoor decor, to how she celebrates her career ‘wins.’
“I’ve always tried to furnish anywhere I’ve lived sustainably,” she tells Fortune. “In fact, it’s at the heart of why I started Faircado.”
The finances
Fortune: What’s been the best investment you’ve ever bought?
A flat in Brussels, where I’m from. I bought it 2 years ago, and it has been a profitable investment since day one, as the rent covers more than my mortgage. I’ve done some renovations to make it more energy efficient so the value has increased already, and it will probably continue to rise as it’s well located. It was quite a bit of work, but I really like to build stuff made to last.
And the worst?
Nothing yet. I’ve been lucky.
What are your living arrangements like: Swanky apartment in the city or suburban sprawling?
I live in Prenzlauer Berg, Berlin. It’s considered a calm, fancy, family-friendly neighborhood, with a lot of small cafés and yoga studios. My flat is filled with art and Scandinavian vintage furniture. I’ve always tried to furnish anywhere I’ve lived sustainably. In fact, it’s at the heart of why I started Faircado.
Back in 2021, when I moved into this unfurnished flat during the pandemic, I couldn’t just go out to a shop and buy second-hand furniture. So I started doing it online and realised how clunky and time consuming the experience was. Same for clothes, books and electronics.
How do you commute to work?
By bike! I bike at least an hour a day. It keeps me fit and refreshes my mind. I don’t own a car (and hope I never will need to).
Do you carry a wallet?
I rarely have cash. My favourite bank is Tomorrow, a sustainable bank that invests my money into social and environmental projects. Plus, their cards are really beautiful.
Do you invest in shares?
I’ve played around with Trade Republic a bit. I invested in renewable energy companies that are doing really well at the moment, for instance. Also, eBay, because I truly believe that second-hand is the future, and Spotify, because it’s one of those products that just makes life nicer.
I’m not going to give anyone advice on the topic, but I would say it’s a good tool to promote businesses you understand and believe belong in the future of our economy.
What personal finance advice would you give your 20-year-old self?
Save 20% to 50% of your salary. Move it directly to a savings account on the day you get paid. Make sure your spendings don’t increase at the same rate as your earnings.
Buy less but better—and second-hand. Focus on high-quality things that will really bring you long-lasting joy and utility.
Never save on experiences and learnings. The things that make you grow are always a good investment (including therapy and trips to the mountains).
Be generous with the people and associations you love.
Buy a house or a flat as soon as you can. You can then either live in it (and invest your rent into something that will be yours in 20 years), or rent it out and let the mortgage pay itself. It’s a great investment (except if you’re really unlucky, or living in an unstable country), and if sh-t hits the fan you will always have a place to live.
Where’s your go-to wristwatch from?
I still wear the one I bought 15 years ago with the salary from my first student job. I’ve heard it doesn’t fit with my vintage Chanel necklace, but I don’t care.
The necessities
How do you get your daily coffee fix?
No capsules. I fully boycott Nespresso and Starbucks. But I’m a fan of all ethical coffee brands. The ones who actually pay the farmers behind the coffee beans. I get mine from Coffee Circle, in Berlin. I have a very simple Bialetti Moka machine at home, and we have a proper DeLonghi Dedica Arte espresso machine in the office (second-hand, of course), with a milk foamer for our daily doses of Oatly cappuccinos. Very Berlin Startup vibe.
“Never save on experiences and learnings. The things that make you grow are always a good investment.”
What about eating on the go?
I go out every day, usually with some team members or investors. Berlin offers amazing lunch options for 5 to 12 euros, and as I hate to cook, I don’t see a reason not to eat out. I usually go for a salad, falafel, Italian pizza, or sushi. I don’t need fancy expensive food, just quality ingredients and good vegetarian options to be happy.
Where do you buy groceries?
At the local organic farmers market, on Saturday mornings.
How often in a week do you dine out versus cook at home?
It used to be 4-5 days of eating out for dinner, but now we have HelloFresh which delivers great healthy recipes at home. So we cook more.
Where do you shop for your work wardrobe?
I buy most of my wardrobe second-hand and only stuff that I need, so I’m shopping on resale platforms (mainly Faircado) and finding unique pieces that way. I wear second-hand Céline, Maje, Comme des Garçons, Chloé, Sézane, Samsøe Samsøe, Acne Studios, etc. The fabric being the most important thing: I almost only wear wool and cotton.
When I buy new stuff (it’s rare) it would be to support small designer labels of fair fashion, ideally produced in Europe.
What would be a typical work outfit for you?
Navy blue T-shirt, wide jeans, Chloé boots/Birkenstock Boston.
Are you the proud owner of any futuristic gadgets?
No. I find most gadgets useless. The only futuristic thing I’ve bought is my Cube Nuroad gravel bike, in smokylilac’n’black. But I would say it’s more of a piece of art. A very beautiful and useful piece of art.
The treats
How do you unwind from the top job?
My weekly therapy, journaling, a good run, a yoga class, a drawing class, a dinner with my partner and/or with friends.
“I find most gadgets useless.”
How do you treat yourself when you get a promotion?
I try not to buy things for the sake of it. If I have something to celebrate, I do things that bring me joy: go dancing with my friends, go eating in a nice restaurant, going to a concert or a festival.
How many days of annual leave do you take a year?
I don’t know. I’m never fully off and travel quite a lot for work, so it’s difficult to say.
I did spend one month in Rwanda (traveling around the national parks and working from the amazing Norrsken House of Kigali) to escape the greyness of Berlin this winter. What struck me was that the people here seem a lot happier than back home. A great reminder of what we actually need: water, some food, a roof, strong communities, a lot of dancing, singing and laughing, and a beautifully preserved environment. That seems to be the best recipe for happiness.
Here at The Good Life you don’t have to imagine what life at the top looks like anymore: Get real-life inspiration for how the most successful live life.
Fortune wants to hear from business leaders on what their “Good Life” looks like. Get in touch: emma.burleigh@fortune.com
Hello and welcome to Eye on AI. In today’s edition…Companies experimenting with AI agents say the tech falls short of expectations; Nvidia announces its new chips and positions itself for the post-DeepSeek landscape; Elon Musk and Nvidia join the Microsoft-Blackrock AI fund; AI spammers are “brute forcing” the internet; and Foxconn emerges as a key player in the global AI race.
Hardly a day goes by without a tech company announcing a new AI “agent” it says will revolutionize workflows and unlock unprecedented efficiencies. But while the makers of these agents—companies like Salesforce, Amazon, Oracle, and tons of startups—are hyping them, some of their customers are growing skeptical that these tools can deliver, at least right now.
“Many customers report a gap between marketing and reality,” reads a new report from CB Insights, which analyzes the main pain points surrounding these products.
Throughout March, CB Insights surveyed over 40 customers of AI agents and found that they’re running into issues with reliability, integration, and security. Other recent headline events have highlighted some of the same issues. For instance, there was a surge of excitement over Manus, which was billed as the first fully autonomous “general agent” and lauded by some as another DeepSeek moment for China—until user tests revealed unreliable performance and questionable outputs.
The idea of an AI tool that can autonomously and accurately orchestrate and complete complex tasks makes sense as a goal to strive for, and it’s possible it can be achieved. But the current reality is that customers are traversing uncertain waters, and the hype cycle and muddled use of the term “agent” is causing confusion about what users can actually expect.
(Un)reliability is top-of-mind
DeepMind founder and CEO Demis Hassabis recently offered an insightful description of the reliability issues surrounding AI agents, comparing it to compounding interest.
“If your AI model has a 1% error rate and you plan over 5,000 steps, that 1% compounds like compound interest,” he said this week at a Google event, according to Computer Weekly. He went on to describe how by the time those 5,000 steps have been worked through the possibility of the answer being correct is “random.”
For companies that need to deliver accurate information and serve their own customers, a random possibility of accuracy is not usually acceptable. CB Insights reported reliability as the top concern among customers using AI agents, with nearly half citing it as an issue. One customer described getting partially processed information and hallucinations from an AI agent it deployed, for example.
Customers are also running into issues with integrating AI agents into their existing systems. A lack of interoperability has long caused headaches in the world of enterprise software, but with AI agents, integration is kind of the whole point. “It was a bit of a gamble that we were signing up for a product where they didn’t have quite all the integrations that we wanted,” one customer told CB Insights.
A new swath of security risks
Security also tops the list of customer concerns, and for good reason. Having a technology connect to various systems that contain sensitive information and take action autonomously opens up huge risks. Gartner predicts that by 2028, 25% of enterprise breaches will be traced back to AI agent abuse from both internal and external and malicious actors.
“Without proper governance, AI agents can and will inadvertently expose sensitive data, make unauthorized decisions, or create compliance blind spots,” Dimitri Sirota, CEO of data intelligence and compliance company Big ID, told Eye on AI.
He said the best way companies can experiment with AI agents safely is by avoiding products that aren’t transparent about how the AI agent makes decisions. Companies should also pilot AI agents in controlled environments so they can uncover risks and adjust as necessary before scaling.
What even is an AI “Agent”?
The market for AI agents is becoming saturated, especially in specific niches like customer support and coding. At the same time, “no one knows what the hell an AI agent is,” as TechCrunch bluntly put it in a story published last Friday, arguing that the term has become “diluted to the point of meaninglessness.”
Every company is defining “AI agent” a little differently. Some generally use the term to refer to fully autonomous AI systems that can execute tasks independently, while others use it to refer to systems that follow predefined workflows. Some offer yet other definitions. And some—such as OpenAI—seem to frequently change and contradict their own prior definitions. A lot of tools that were previously called “AI assistants” are now also being referred to as “agents.”
For IT leaders, this definitional chaos creates confusion and deployment headaches. Not only is it difficult to understand what the products do and how they work, but it’s also impossible to compare benchmarks and performance metrics.
None of this is to say companies aren’t starting to see some benefits from AI agents. But it is a reminder that these are still very early days for this technology, and the hype is running well ahead of reality.
Critical thinking is a cornerstone of effective leadership, problem-solving, and innovation, but what exactly is happening in your brain during the process? At the most basic level, critical thinking is the ability to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information to make reasoned decisions. It’s both deliberate and sustained, making use of various cognitive processes such as problem-solving, decision-making and reflective thinking—the polar opposite of reacting impulsively or relying on your gut instinct.
People approach critical thinking in many different ways based on their personal preferences, goals, or the nature of the problem they’re trying to solve. Some swear by productivity expert Cal Newport’s “deep work” concept, which includes extended periods of distraction-free thinking. Similarly, Andy Tryba’s marble method rewards your mind for completing 30-minute blocks of intense focus on a single task. Regardless of your method, the common thread is time. True critical thinking is a sustained and deliberate effort, and you could argue that this skill is more vital than ever in our quickly evolving and increasingly AI-powered world.
With AI permeating almost every layer of work, personal life, and education—and its ability to provide immediate feedback through a near-personification of intelligence—many people are beginning to over-rely on it. I have personally started to rely on it heavily for coding tasks, especially those that would have required hours of deep work that I now simply get cognitively “for free” from tools like Claude, GitHub Copilot, and Crowdbotics.
This got me thinking: Is AI making us “dumber?” Is our ability to think critically slipping away as we sit back and let AI do the dirty work for us? There’s growing research and evidence showing that this cognitive offloading does impact critical thinking that requires active cognitive engagement to analyze, evaluate, and synthesize information.
Cognitive offloading is simply the act of using an external force to reduce the cognitive load on your working memory. This can be as simple as tilting your head to see an image better or using a neural network of over 200 billion parameters to create a blueberry muffin recipe. We all do it. It’s human.
What we’re losing in the pursuit of speed and instant answers
When we look at what AI might do (or is doing) to our brains, it’s important to remember that this isn’t the first time technology has reshaped nearly every aspect of human life. In 2011, a group of researchers investigated the impact of Google’s ability to provide instant information access. They found that when people expect information to remain continuously available (such as we expect with internet access), they are more likely to remember where to find it than to remember the item’s details.
Like many of you, when I was young, information wasn’t instantly accessible. If you wanted to learn more about something, you’d go to the library, rummage through the card catalog, locate the section, find the aisle, search for the book, read the table of contents, flip to the chapter, and then read. If you didn’t want to do that, you’d simply not know the answer—which actually is kind of liberating to think about now, simply not knowing.
Today, the epic quests required to find answers have long abated. From Google to ChatGPT, we’re becoming natural cyborgs, symbiotic with our computer tools, where it matters less about knowing the information than knowing where or how to find it.
But with this undeniable convenience and speed, what is the trade-off?
Is AI fundamentally changing thinking?
There may be a knee-jerk reaction to see AI’s influence on critical thinking as a serious warning or sign that we’re outsourcing too much of our mental load. But maybe this is the wrong question. Would a decline in deep thinking be an unfortunate consequence, or is the shift inevitable? And is this necessarily a bad thing? Cognitive load theory says no(ish), while others say yes.
Every major technological leap, from the printing press to the internet, has been accompanied by a fear that it would dull human intellect. In fact, this line of thinking can be traced all the way back to Socrates, who showed concern that a reliance on writing would weaken humans’ memory and genuine understanding. Ultimately, however, each innovation eventually paved the way for new forms of progress.
Let’s dissect a real-world example from both sides. In the real world today, AI is heavily used in data analytics, where models can analyze massive data sets to identify patterns, predict trends, and filter out noise. On one side of the coin, this is great because it offloads a lot of cognitive work, allowing humans to see correlations and make decisions. The other camp would say this reliance on AI reduces humans’ ability to do in-depth independent analysis.
So is AI making us dumber?
The answer is maybe, with a hard lean toward yes. Cognitive offloading, while initially liberating mental resources, may ultimately diminish our intellectual capabilities. Some scholars warn of “cognitive laziness” developing as people become less inclined to engage in thorough analytical thinking. Delegating memory and decision-making functions to AI systems will gradually erode our ability to perform these mental tasks independently, potentially compromising cognitive adaptability and resilience.
Our extended dependence on artificial intelligence for cognitive support will weaken fundamental mental faculties, including memory, analysis, and problem-solving capabilities. This sustained and growing outsourcing of cognitive functions will lead to atrophy of internal mental processes, possibly leading to deterioration in long-term memory function and overall cognitive well-being. Time will tell.
But is this a bad thing? AI may accelerate “cognitive laziness” by today’s standards, but it doesn’t mean we’re worse off. Not long ago, simply using a calculator was deemed to be “lazy,” but now you carry one with you everywhere you go (your phone). As with new technology, humanity grows and transforms to make the best use of it. I think the difference with AI, however, is the speed at which it’s impacted us.
The question you have to ask yourself is: is a decline in cognitive skills a price worth paying for unprecedented convenience and global progress? Or is it possible that AI isn’t diminishing our critical thinking but evolving it? It could be that the ability to leverage AI-generated insights, adapt to rapid changes, and discern truth from misinformation will become the new benchmark for human intellect.
Ultimately, it isn’t about whether we’re losing old forms of thinking as AI infiltrates so many aspects of life—it’s whether we’re ready to embrace the new ones.
The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.
The question isn’t whether AI will change the workforce. The question is: Will you be ready? Technology has always transformed work and society. Artificial intelligence is just accelerating the pace. Imagine being a farm or factory worker in the 1850, watching new machines emerge that threatened to take your job. The fear was intense, as was the societal backlash. People rioted against automation, desperate to halt progress. But history marched forward. Machines did replace much of the grinding labor in factories and farms, yet humanity didn’t crumble, it advanced. As society adapted over the following decades, life expectancy increased, work became safer, people worked fewer hours, and the global standard of living skyrocketed.
We’ve seen this cycle before. AI is just the next wave. Instead of destroying jobs, it is redefining what valuable work looks like. The workforce has adapted before, and it will adapt again. The winners will be those who embrace this shift fastest.
AI is following a familiar playbook
As an economic anthropologist who has studied socioeconomic transitions, I see troubling historical patterns reemerging. In the 1990s, Russia experienced a dramatic shift from communism to capitalism. Because society resisted the change, millions of people who had relied on government jobs and the security of the socialist system were suddenly lost in a rapidly changing economy. Life expectancy plummeted, many turned to drugs, protested, or checked out of the workforce. Nostalgia for the past grew, and by the end of the decade, Russia elected an authoritarian leader who promised to reverse capitalist policies and systems. Now, Russia is facing the consequence of this resistance to progress, and it will take several generations to undo the harm of this social backlash to change.
The industrial revolution of the 1800s followed a similar trajectory. Economic upheaval and displacement led to social unrest, and many countries responded with fascist and communist authoritarian regimes. It took two world wars and a massive economic reset to move forward. But then, after we embraced change, we became much better off.
The lesson? If we don’t adapt fast enough to today’s AI-driven economy, we risk repeating the mistakes of history. This time, however, we have the opportunity to avoid suffering by proactively embracing change.
With AI, adaptation must happen faster
To prevent the kind of societal upheaval we’ve seen in previous economic transitions, individuals must step out of their comfort zones and adapt to AI faster than they think possible. What does this adaptation look like on a personal level?
1. Learn AI
If you’re not actively using AI tools today, you’re already behind. Start by paying for access to leading AI platforms like ChatGPT. Immerse yourself in AI-focused content from thought leaders like David Shapiro, Matthew Berman, Julia McCoy, Wes Roth, Mo Gawdat, Dwarkesh Patel, and Peter Diamandis. The more you engage, the better you’ll understand how AI is reshaping work and business.
2. Develop your intuition
AI is phenomenal at analyzing data and generating insights—but it lacks the ability to sense cultural shifts, anticipate human behavior, or see the broader picture beyond raw information. This is where human intuition becomes critical. Businesses will shift away from valuing purely “data-driven” employees to prioritizing those who can blend data with deep perception and foresight.
3. Become a performer
Jobs that thrive on human energy, emotion, and real-time interaction—like sales, live performances, public speaking, and advocacy—will continue to be in high demand. AI may write songs, but it can’t replicate the electricity of a live concert. AI may analyze legal arguments, but it can’t match the courtroom presence of a skilled litigator. The future workforce will favor those who bring irreplaceable human presence to their roles.
How to work with AI
The workforce isn’t facing extinction—it’s evolving. The key is not resisting AI but integrating it into your workflow. Those who use AI as an amplifier will outpace those who fear it.
Consider AI-human collaboration in action: AI-powered platforms, such as AI agent management systems, enable businesses to optimize workflows while keeping humans at the helm of strategic decision-making. For example, platforms like Wayfound help businesses deploy AI agents to streamline tasks while allowing human workers to focus on creativity, strategy, and high-value interactions. This is the model for the future—humans and AI working in tandem.
Future-proofing your career in an AI world
AI isn’t a job destroyer—it’s a catalyst for rethinking work. The best way to protect your job from AI is to lean into our full humanity, the things we set aside when we started staring at screens instead of focusing on each other. Double down on skills that AI can’t easily replicate—intuition, sensory intelligence, and the ability to create energy in live interactions.
The future belongs to those who embrace AI, not those who resist it. The faster we get out of our comfort zones and adapt, the sooner we all win.
The opinions expressed in Fortune.com commentary pieces are solely the views of their authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions and beliefs of Fortune.
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