Carina Cunha

Find the highest-leverage variable. Small input → disproportionate output.

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I identify the highest-leverage variable in a business: where a deliberate intervention produces disproportionate returns.

Persuasion is translation. I study energy allocation through attention, time, money and effort, then translate your objectives into terms that reflect what customers, investors and partners value.

Through Y42, my real-world laboratory, I diagnose constraints and develop strategies across capital, communication, positioning, commercial growth, expansion, partnerships and operations.

I have 17+ years of experience and have advised 100+ organizations, from startups to FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 companies. My experience includes billion-dollar transformations and founding Nosy: 1B+ views on less than $5K in marketing spend and investment offers on Dragons’ Den UK.

I share these models in my newsletter, First Principles, and my forthcoming book, First Principles of Persuasion (2027).

Find the highest-leverage variable. Small input → disproportionate output.

United States
Startup & Venture Building

Services

Founder Deep Dive

For a challenge that spans several parts of your business. Share your deck, numbers, positioning or business model beforehand. We will trace how capital, communication and commercial decisions interact, identify the constraint and build the strategy around it. We will define which intervention to prioritize, how to execute it and what to measure across fundraising, GTM, sales, pricing, partnerships, expansion or operations. Small input → disproportionate output.

1 hour$500.00
Founder Strategy Session

Bring one strategic challenge: capital, positioning, GTM, sales, pricing, partnerships, expansion or operations. For 30 minutes, you have access to my pattern recognition across 100+ organizations. We will test the assumptions, identify the constraint and determine the intervention to prioritize. For a pitch, offer or negotiation, we will translate your objectives into what the other party values. Find the highest-leverage variable. Small input → disproportionate output.

30 min$250.00
Intro Call

For founders and leaders considering an ongoing strategy, capital or board advisory engagement. We will discuss your company, objectives and constraints, assess where my perspective can produce the greatest return and establish the scope of a potential engagement. For diagnosis and strategic advice on a specific challenge, book the Founder Strategy Session or Founder Deep Dive.

15 min$60.00

Endorsements

Dany M

CEO L7 Prime

“Carina is the kind of talent you rarely come across and when you do, you hold on. She brings a rare combination of creativity, strategy, professionalism, and genuine dedication that you will rarely see anywhere else. Working with her is always an absolute pleasure, and any team lucky enough to have her will feel the difference immediately. My recommendation is unconditional. 100%.”

Service provider

Mona Tiesler

Head of Investments

“Carina Cunha is a highly knowledgeable, thoughtful and engaging expert. She combines deep subject-matter expertise with strong strategic and commercial thinking, translating complex topics into clear, practical insights. Carina is collaborative, reliable and generous with her knowledge. I would highly recommend her to any organisation seeking an insightful and pragmatic expert.”

Colleague