Diogo Lopes 🇵🇹
- Jan 1
- 5 min read
''It’s better to iterate in public than wait for perfect in private''
Diogo is the Founder of SCREENER - The AI Layer That Powers The Invisible Interviewer Behind Every Great Hire. He has taken the challenge to answer our 20 Truth Questions, For us to gain some insight, And learn the Truth about the person behind the venture.
My TRUTH Story:
1. INTRODUCE YOURSELF IN THE THIRD PERSON TO A CROWD OF 10,000+ PEOPLE?
Diogo is one of the 3 Founders of Screener, a Portugal-based startup redefining how the world hires.
Originally from Aveiro, he has built products and teams across Europe, blending a background in operations and technology to solve one of the most broken problems in work today - recruitment.
With Screener, he’s creating AI-driven screening agents that help companies discover great talent faster, fairer, and without bias.
2. WHAT IS YOUR DEFINITION OF A TRUTH FOUNDER?
A Truth Founder is someone who builds with honesty, it's about what works, what doesn’t, and who they really are.
They don’t pretend to have all the answers; they stay real, even when it’s uncomfortable. They build not to impress, but to make something that matters.
3. WHAT EVENT OR EVENTS HAPPENED TO YOU THAT INSPIRED YOU TO BECOME A FOUNDER?
I grew up watching my father build his own project from scratch: no investors, no safety net, just persistence and a belief that he could create something on his own terms.
That shaped how I see work and freedom. For me, founding a company isn’t just about business; it’s about building a life where you set the rules.
4. WHAT IS YOUR MORNING ROUTINE & RITUAL? Early start, jiu-jitsu, shower, breakfast. It’s my way of setting the tone: control the morning, control the day.
5. WHAT MANTRA,QUOTE,LINE OR PHRASE DO YOU SAY OFTEN TO INSPIRE AND MOTIVATE YOURSELF? “Surround yourself with people who are smarter than you.”
6. WHY DO YOU THINK PEOPLE SHOULD CARE ABOUT YOUR VENTURE? Because hiring affects everyone. All of us have experienced issues in the hiring process and we are here to solve it.
7. WHY DO YOU THINK YOU ARE THE ONE TO MAKE YOUR VENTURE A SUCCESS?
I would say the main reason is going through the pain points first hand, being a typical user of the product, that allows me to really know what people are going through.
8. WHAT DOES SUCCESS LOOK LIKE FOR YOUR VENTURE? ( START WITH: IMAGINE A WORLD... WHAT IF... WE WILL BE... )
IMAGINE A WORLD where every candidate gets screened fairly, instantly, and with empathy.
WHAT IF companies could fill roles 10× faster without bias or burnout?
WE WILL BE the AI layer that powers that world, the invisible interviewer behind every great hire.
9. ANSWER THESE AS MANY TIMES AS YOU LIKE - I BELIEVE... I DON'T BELIEVE...
I believe technology should amplify fairness, not automate bias.
I believe speed and quality can coexist.
I don’t believe “good hiring” should depend on luck, who is doing the interview or who you know.
10. WHAT'S ONE DECISION YOU MADE AS A FOUNDER THAT COMPLETELY CHANGED THE COURSE OF YOUR JOURNEY? Switching Screener from B2C (helping candidates pay-per-interview) to B2B (helping companies scale screening) - that pivot changed everything.
It aligned the business with real demand and created room for sustainable growth.
11. WHAT DO YOU REGARD AS YOUR GREATEST SUCCESS PERSONALLY & AS A FOUNDER? Personally: staying consistent through uncertainty.
As a Founder: building a product that real companies now rely on to make hiring better - that’s a tangible impact.
12. WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHY? My persistence. I don’t stop until I find a way through.
13. WHAT'S ONE THING YOU CAN IMPROVE ABOUT YOURSELF, AND WHY DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE NOT DONE IT BY NOW?
Delegation. I tend to build and fix things myself, which slows scaling.
I’m improving by building trust and structure around my team.
14. WHAT'S THE BEST PIECE OF ADVICE YOU'VE EVER RECEIVED OR GIVEN, OR BOTH?
“Momentum beats perfection.”
It’s better to iterate in public than wait for perfect in private.
15. ON A SCALE FROM 1 TO 10 - 10 BEING THE BEST. HOW WELL DO YOU THINK YOU AND YOUR TRUTH STORY IS CLEARLY UNDERSTOOD BY YOUR COMMUNITY? ( WHY NOT 10? )
7. Because most people still see Screener as “AI for hiring,” not the deeper mission, fairness and efficiency for both sides of the market. That story takes time to unfold.
16. WHO DO YOU MOST ADMIRE AND WHY?
All the founders that I have worked with in the past who have helped me build who I am today.
17. DESCRIBE YOUR VENTURE - ELEVATOR PITCH STYLE?
Screener builds AI-powered screening agents that interview, assess, and shortlist candidates automatically.
18. WHAT IS YOUR CURRENT MISSION STATEMENT OR MESSAGE + MARKET FIT FOR YOUR VENTURE?
To redefine how the world hires. Mid-sized recruitment firms and HR teams are drowning in applications but lack time to screen them properly.
Screener automates early-stage interviews, saving up to 80% of screening time.
19. WHAT DO YOU LIKE TO DO TO UNWIND AFTER A LONG WORK DAY?
Running, jiu-jitsu, and swimming. It really helps me clear my head.
20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU TREATED YOURSELF TO AND WHAT DID YOU CELEBRATE? A trip to Paris. I celebrated launching our first enterprise pilot, a milestone that felt like the real beginning.
BONUS QUESTION: WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO SAY TO ALL THE PEOPLE THAT ARE SUPPORTING YOU ON YOUR AMBITIOUS JOURNEY?
Thank You for believing in something that didn't yet exist the way we imagined it would.
Thank You to every early believer who has built Screener with us.
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Audience and Reach:
Reach: 21,000+ Subscribers & growing.
Co-Found Events: 250 - 300 People.
Audience: Entrepreneurs, Creators, Early Adopters.
Job Titles: Founder, CEO, and Business Owner.
Average e-mail open rate: 55%
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