{"id":141349,"date":"2025-08-07T11:16:13","date_gmt":"2025-08-07T09:16:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/?p=141349"},"modified":"2025-08-07T11:22:48","modified_gmt":"2025-08-07T09:22:48","slug":"from-product-management-to-startup-how-a-sport-tech-company-built-on-mental-endurance-is-born","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bbs.unibo.it\/en\/from-product-management-to-startup-how-a-sport-tech-company-built-on-mental-endurance-is-born\/","title":{"rendered":"From product management to startup: how a sport-tech company built on mental endurance is born"},"content":{"rendered":"

Giovanna Bevilacqua, alumna of the <\/span>Executive MBA \u2013 English Edition<\/strong><\/span><\/a> at Bologna Business School, shares the origins of Unlimitme and explains why, in both sport and business, it\u2019s the mind that needs to be trained first\u2014long before the legs.<\/span><\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

There are moments when changing direction is not just an option, but a necessity. For <\/span>Giovanna Bevilacqua<\/b>, that moment came after several years in <\/span>product management<\/b>, when she decided to leave a permanent position to launch a startup. The industry? <\/span>Endurance training<\/b>, experienced firsthand and reimagined through the lens of digital innovation. Today, she is <\/span>co-founder and CEO<\/b> of <\/span>Unlimitme<\/b>, a <\/span>sport-tech platform<\/b> designed to transform long-distance training, starting from one key idea: <\/span>performance<\/b> is not just about numbers, it\u2019s about building consistency, awareness and balance\u2014day after day.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What inspired you to found Unlimitme, and what did the transition from manager to entrepreneur look like in practice?<\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n


\n<\/span><\/i>It all started with a potent mix of <\/span>frustration and caffeine<\/b>\u2014a classic recipe for any multitasking millennial juggling 15 apps, hybrid careers and existential crises throughout the week. At some point, I realised I no longer wanted to be stuck in roles that didn\u2019t reflect who I was. So I left a stable, public, long-term job to build something of my own. That\u2019s how <\/span>Unlimitme<\/b> was born: a self-funded project that forces me to manage my energy and resources with surgical creativity every single day. It hasn\u2019t been easy. Today I\u2019m a <\/span>co-founder<\/b>, <\/span>consultant<\/b>, <\/span>strategist<\/b>, and <\/span>aspiring trail runner<\/b>. This mix allows me to stay independent and keep the project alive without being held hostage by funding. <\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>Executive MBA<\/b> was crucial: it gave me tools and clarity, helped me recognise my value\u2014and without it, I probably would\u2019ve given up after the first \u201cno\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How did the Executive MBA experience influence your entrepreneurial mindset?<\/h4>\n


\n<\/span><\/i>It was a real turning point. It helped me reconnect with the ambitious version of myself that had gotten lost over time. The first big shift was in <\/span>mindset<\/b>: I learned how to break down complexity, imagine new scenarios, and identify the competencies I lack so I can find those who have them. That\u2019s thanks not just to the <\/span>hard skills<\/b>\u2014strategy, accounting, marketing\u2014but to the method: <\/span>case studies<\/b>, <\/span>simulations<\/b>, <\/span>group projects<\/b>, and tight deadlines that leave no room for comfort zones. Then there\u2019s the context: working side by side with people from vastly different backgrounds, nationalities and personalities taught me how to stay effective under pressure. If you can co-create a fintech startup during an <\/span>international hackathon<\/b> with a team that doesn’t speak the same language\u2014literally or figuratively\u2014you can definitely face the launch of a real startup.<\/span><\/p>\n

The <\/span>International Week in Silicon Valley<\/b> left me with one lasting truth: <\/span>talent is everywhere<\/b>, but <\/span>opportunity is not<\/b>. That\u2019s why continuous learning and adaptability are essential\u2014even when the path hasn\u2019t been built yet.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

How is the world of endurance training evolving, and what role can a sport-tech startup like yours play?<\/h4>\n


\n<\/span><\/i>Endurance sports are still the forgotten cousin of digital fitness. The people involved\u2014typically between 35 and 60 years old\u2014are often returning to sport after years of pause, seeking something almost spiritual in the process. Current platforms do a great job tracking data\u2014<\/span>Strava<\/b>, <\/span>TrainingPeaks<\/b>\u2014but if you\u2019re seven hours into a rain-soaked mountain run, you don\u2019t just need to know how many watts you generated. You need to have trained your <\/span>mindset<\/b>, your <\/span>metabolism<\/b>, your <\/span>resilience<\/b>. <\/span>AI<\/b> can be a game-changer, but only if used intelligently: not to replace experts, but to <\/span>enhance<\/b> their work, to <\/span>personalize<\/b> experiences, to <\/span>integrate physiological data<\/b>, and suggest <\/span>daily micro-decisions<\/b> tailored to each individual. We want to move beyond cluster logic, and speak to each athlete as a <\/span>unique person<\/b>.\u00a0 Because an algorithm won\u2019t save you at the 30th kilometre\u2014but it might help you avoid getting there in crisis. That\u2019s the challenge of our time: building solutions that blend <\/span>technology and humanity<\/b>.<\/span><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

What advice would you give to someone considering an Executive MBA to strengthen an entrepreneurial project?<\/h4>\n


\n<\/span><\/i>Let\u2019s be honest: many start an <\/span>EMBA<\/b> for that one <\/span>fancy line on the CV<\/span><\/i> that magically attracts headhunters with C-level offers and stock options\u2014without ever submitting an application. But what really comes is <\/span>200 slides of accounting at midnight<\/b>, project work on Sundays, and a calendar in permanent overflow. If you do it just to \u201cget ahead,\u201d you might be disappointed.\u00a0 But if you do it to grow, to change perspective, and challenge yourself\u2014then yes, it can be a <\/span>powerful accelerator<\/b>. It teaches you to think like a leader and to draw your own map instead of following someone else\u2019s. It gives you a common language for the business world, trains you to think in terms of <\/span>vision<\/b>, <\/span>strategy<\/b>, <\/span>value<\/b>, and eliminates excuses.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

And then there are the <\/span>people<\/b>: strangers who become mentors, colleagues who become friends. The true value of the EMBA isn\u2019t just in the content\u2014it\u2019s in the relationships that keep supporting you long after graduation. <\/span>And if you\u2019re waiting for the \u201cright moment\u201d to start\u2014know this: it won\u2019t come. You have to <\/span>create<\/b> it. And the moment is now.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Giovanna Bevilacqua, alumna of the Executive MBA \u2013 English Edition at Bologna Business School, shares the origins of Unlimitme and explains why, in both sport and business, it\u2019s the mind that needs to be trained first\u2014long before the legs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":132,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"rubrica":[708],"class_list":["post-141349","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","rubrica-alumni-pov-en"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFrom product management to startup: how a sport-tech company built on mental endurance is born | BBS<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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