People working in large companies will probably relate: a flood of internal emails, newsletters, and intranet posts you  read, but never really get around to. It’s information employees need, wrapped in a format they don’t have time for. Alexandria Bohn and Patricio Castillo saw that gap clearly — and decided to fix it. 

Today, as the founders of Prodi, they transform written corporate updates into short, branded audio podcasts that employees can listen to on the go. “We take unread newsletters and turn them into something people actually want to consume,” Alexandria says. It’s a simple idea with a surprisingly big impact.

‍The very beginning of Prodi

Before Prodi was a company, it was a side project powered by ambition and late-night work sessions. Alexandria and Patricio both still had full-time jobs when they started the (ad)venture — trying to balance this dream with the reality of their schedules.

“We were confident, but also unsure if we were ‘ready enough’,” Alexandria admits. “That mix kept us moving.”

From there, the idea evolved fast: from a rough prototype to a semi-automated workflow, to a product that started landing real clients. And every small win pushed them a little further.

‍Two founders, many hats

Alexandria and Patricio complement each other naturally, but running a startup often means job titles quickly become irrelevant.

“I’m the technical one,” Patricio says, “but in an early-stage startup, titles don’t really matter. One day you’re coding, the next you’re writing LinkedIn posts or doing accounting.”

Alexandria thrives in sales, customer success, and anything that moves the business forward. But both founders stay close to their customers — a deliberate choice that keeps their product aligned with real needs. “It’s the only way to build something that adds value to people’s lives,” she adds.

But wearing many hats is a two-sided coin. Switching job titles and responsibilities — context switching — is one of the hardest parts of building a startup, they said. “You constantly jump between completely different roles,” Patricio explains. “Sometimes I think I’d be more productive if I could just focus… but what the company needs most at that moment is flexibility.”

‍A moment to remember

Luckily, it’s not a constant challenge. Enough things happen to keep them motivated. One of their most defining moments to date actually happened during their Future 5 pitch in 2025. A jury member suddenly stood up and defended Prodi without ever having met them.

“We had no idea who he was,” Alexandria recalls. “But as it turned out, his company was already a client of ours, and he listened to the internal podcasts we created for them.”

That unexpected validation hit them hard — in the best way possible. “Hearing someone explain the value of your work better than you can yourself… that hits different,” she says. “It was the moment I thought: yes, we’re on the right track.”

‍Building confidence

That moment still stays with them. Not necessarily the surprise, but the sense of recognition from someone who had experienced their product. That feeling, along with countless small moments of encouragement, serves as their fuel: a customer sending an enthusiastic message after a new episode went live. Someone referencing their product in a meeting. A warm introduction that came out of nowhere. None of it was “loud”, but it mattered.

“It’s rarely one big breakthrough,” Patricio says. “It’s all the tiny signals that slowly make you realize: people believe in this. They see the potential.”

‍The power of visibility

As their confidence grew, so did their presence. Sharing their journey on LinkedIn, attending events, pitching their story — all the things that once felt like side quests became essential parts of building Prodi.

And the effect was surprisingly exponential. A pitch video that gained traction on social media led to new conversations. A conversation led to a warm intro. A warm intro eventually led to a customer renewal.

“People sometimes underestimate how long B2B relationships take to grow,” Alexandria says. “It’s never just one touchpoint. Everything you put out there eventually circles back.”

And it worked. People remembered their name, recognized their faces, and reached out. Some even mentioned Prodi in conversations they weren’t part of.

“It wasn’t overnight,” Patricio says. “But over time, being visible made us look like a safe bet. And that’s a big part of earning trust.”

‍Looking ahead

Even though Prodi is still in an early phase, one thing is unmistakable: Alexandria and Patricio have full confidence in their team and the path they’re carving out together. Being entrepreneurs isn’t just a chapter in their lives; it’s a commitment they’re excited to keep choosing.  

And while the journey is full of unknowns and surprises, one thing is certain: the human side of entrepreneurship — the conversations, the validation, the shared struggles — is what keeps Alexandria and Patricio moving.

As Patricio puts it: “We’re still at the beginning, but we’ve already seen what’s possible. And that keeps us hungry.”