E109: The Kindness Trap - Why You Must Draw a Line in the Sand (with Kayvan Nikjou)

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Perception Paradox with Zivile (Zivi) Ein

Zivile (Zivi) Einikyte

116 episodes

21 hours ago

Welcome to Perception Paradox - the podcast spotlighting Europe's Underdog Founders and focused on life, business & health. We dive into the complex relationships between perceptions, worldviews, and behaviors. Invite guests who've defied the ordinary, taken bold risks, and designed their own paths. Real people, real stories, real challenges - a weekly podcast that breaks the status quo and where authenticity meets inspiration. Every Monday, 4 PM CET. Hosted by Zivile (Zivi) Ein

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E109: The Kindness Trap - Why You Must Draw a Line in the Sand (with Kayvan Nikjou) | Web Summit 2025 Special

Perception Paradox with Zivile (Zivi) Ein

49 minutes 41 seconds

1 week ago

E109: The Kindness Trap - Why You Must Draw a Line in the Sand (with Kayvan Nikjou) | Web Summit 2025 Special

Recorded live at Web Summit 2025, this episode explores what most ambitious humans quietly struggle with: being too nice, avoiding conflict, and staying stuck in the “middle” instead of standing for something.

Kayvan Nikjou — creator, cultural communicator and viral storyteller — breaks down:
• the networking rules nobody teaches
• cultural intelligence & how different countries communicate
• why the “valley of cringe” is mandatory for creators
• going viral without friends/family knowing
• kindness vs niceness (and why nice people burn out)
• how to design unforgettable event experiences
• a spicy debate on AI & cognitive offloading
• one life lesson every founder should hear

This episode is a reminder: your uniqueness is your currency — but only if you let people see it.

Guest: Kayvan Nikjou, CEO Fade Proof https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaynikjou/

Event Architect (Tomorrowland, Davos) & Advisor to Artists, Founders and Leaders on partnerships, marketing and communication. He is also a content creator (25m views on TikTok) on master craftsmanship and Cross cultural communication.
Host: Zivile Einikyte - Perception Paradox Podcast

🎙️ Recorded at Web Summit 2025 (Lisbon)

Chapters

00:00 Teaser: The Valley of Cringe

00:18 Perception Paradox Intro (Jingle)

00:37 Zivile’s Intro + Why Kayvan Is “That Guy” at Events

01:40 Quality Networking at Web Summit 2025

03:38 The Art of Conversation: Hooks, Openers & Reading People

07:02 Cultural Intelligence: Why Talking to an Iranian ≠ Talking to an American

09:59 Planning vs. Serendipity at Events

11:15 Boundaries, Persistence & Saying ‘No’ Without Being Rude

13:40 The Valley of Cringe: Why You Must Go Through It

16:00 Viral Moments: TikTok, Māori Culture & Going Global Accidentally

18:35 Why Kayvan Pivoted to Architecture (and Went Viral Again)

19:54 “I’m Against AI”: Drawing a Line in the Sand

24:06 Choosing a Side: Diplomacy, Boldness & Radical Clarity

28:04 People-Pleasing, Identity & Standing for Something

32:36 Creating Memorable Event Experiences

36:20 Storytelling 101: Structure, Emotion & The Three-Act Rule