Surfing a Hundred-Foot Wave - entering very competitive markets

In the small coastal town of Nazaré, Portugal, there’s a wave so massive it seems almost supernatural. Towering over 100 feet, it crashes with the force of a collapsing building. Most people run from it. A few dream of riding it. One person did it first: Garrett McNamara. In 2011, he became the first surfer to successfully ride one of Nazaré’s colossal waves. It was uncharted territory, full of danger and doubt. But in doing so, he redefined what was possible—not just in surfing, but in the human spirit.

I’ve been thinking about Nazaré a lot lately.

We're building Atrieon, an AI-based software program manager that helps run software development teams and coordinate autonomous agents to write code. It’s a radical rethink of how software is created. To see where this is going, check out this video of Atrieon in action. This is one of the most competitive and aggressive frontiers in tech today. We’re going toe-to-toe with some of the most formidable names on the planet: OpenAI, Microsoft, Anthropic, and many others. This isn't a quiet bay. It’s the Nazaré of startups.

And that’s exactly why I’m here.

Recently, I interviewed a candidate for the CEO position at Atrieon. I asked him if he’s up to a challenge like “surfing a hundred-foot wave.” Not just because of the metaphor but because of the mindset. Lucky for me and the project, he wasn’t looking for a safe bet or a gentle climb. He wanted the near impossible, the exhilarating, the terrifying ride that might end in triumph—or wipeout. That’s the kind of spirit that belongs at the helm of a company like Atrieon or many others entering challenging, fast-moving AI categories.

Let’s be honest: we don’t know if we’ll make it. This space is moving at blistering speed. We’re up against giants with deep pockets and deeper data. There’s a real risk we’ll run out of capital, get crushed by competitors, or misjudge the wave. But the potential reward is equally massive: a transformation in how software is built, who builds it, and what becomes possible when AI and humans collaborate deeply and seamlessly.

This is the kind of challenge I live for.

I’ve always been drawn to hyper-competitive arenas (swimming, sailing, startups...). Places where the stakes are existential and the rewards are transformative. Not because I enjoy risk for its own sake, but because that’s where growth lives. That’s where innovation happens. That’s where you get to test the limits of what you can build—and what you’re made of.

If you’re an entrepreneur, a builder, or just someone wondering whether to take that leap into uncertainty, I say: get on the board. Find your Nazaré. There are no guarantees. But there is success and glory.

We’re surfing a hundred-foot wave. And whether we ride it to the horizon or get thrown into the deep, we’ll know we tried something bold—something worth remembering.