Paolo, after the bankruptcy of Noostech, there was a wave of negative press and online comments that will remain accessible indefinitely. How do you handle that?

Ah, the storm of negative press and online comments—yeah, that’s one of the harshest parts of public failure. And it’s true: once something’s out there online, it’s like it’s carved into digital stone. Those comments, those articles, those criticisms—they don’t just fade away. They stay, and in a way, they can feel like a permanent shadow looming over everything you try to build after. But here’s the thing: you can’t let it define you.

At first, when all that negativity started pouring in after Noostech’s collapse, it felt suffocating. You pour your heart, your soul, and your vision into something, and then suddenly you become the target of criticism—not just for the business failure, but often personal attacks as well. It’s not just about the business going under; it’s about being publicly labeled a failure, as if one event defines your entire worth. That’s a tough pill to swallow.

But here’s what I learned about coping with it: you have to shift your perspective. The first step is realizing that the negativity doesn’t define you—it reflects the moment, not the person. People love to kick someone when they’re down because it’s easy, and let’s be honest, it’s human nature. There’s a kind of twisted satisfaction people get from seeing someone who aimed high come crashing down. But once you realize that these comments, these headlines, are fleeting judgments, they lose their power over you.

I also had to disconnect from the noise. That doesn’t mean pretending it’s not there—it’s there, and I’m fully aware of it. But the key was learning to not internalize it. Those comments don’t know the real story, the real effort, the real obstacles. They’re snapshots from the outside, and I had to remind myself constantly: I know my truth. I know what Noostech was trying to accomplish, and I know that failure is part of the game when you’re pushing boundaries. Most of those people sitting behind their keyboards, throwing out criticism, have never built anything from the ground up. They haven’t risked anything. They haven’t failed because they haven’t even tried. That distinction is important.

Another thing that helped was owning the narrative. The more you try to run from or hide the failure, the more power you give to those negative voices. Instead, I embraced it. I talk about Noostech’s failure openly because it’s part of my story. It shaped who I am, and I’m not ashamed of it. In fact, I’m proud of the risks I took. People can say whatever they want, but I lived it. I learned from it. I grew because of it. When you own your failure, you take the power back. You take control of the narrative, instead of letting it control you.

Then there’s the long game. The negative press might stay up there forever, but so will what comes next. I’m not done. My story didn’t end with Noostech. I keep building, keep pushing, keep creating, and the legacy of my work will speak louder than those moments of failure ever will. The best way to cope with that storm of negativity is to outlast it. People forget, they move on. But you? You have to stay committed to your own path, and keep showing up.

The reality is, we live in a world where everything is documented, and public failures are magnified. But what I’ve learned is this: the storm always passes. What sticks with you, what shapes your future, is how you choose to respond. For me, it’s not about running from the negative press—it’s about using it as fuel. It’s about looking at all of that noise and saying, “You can criticize all you want, but I’m still here, and I’m going to keep creating.” Because at the end of the day, resilience is stronger than reputation. What matters is how you rise from the fall, not what people say about it while you’re down.

So how do I cope? I let go of the need to be liked or validated by everyone. I embrace the reality that failure, especially public failure, is part of the journey if you’re truly pushing boundaries. And I stay focused on the only thing that matters: what comes next.