The AI Playbook: Former Salesforce Chief Scientist Richard Socher’s Guide to Building a Successful AI Company (Founder of you.com)

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

#Business #Fabian Tausch #Entrepreneur #Trading #Billion Dollar

25:46

What does allyship look like when you’re leading a company? For Bhavesh Dayalji, it often means being honest about the challenges of balancing work and family, and choosing to show up as a husband and father first. This is a throwback episode, but Bhavesh’s reflections on leadership and allyship remain just as powerful today. Bhavesh shares how vulnerability can build trust and create cultures where people feel safe bringing their full selves to work. It’s a principle that extends to how he approaches innovation in AI. Bhavesh is the CEO of Kensho Technologies, an AI solutions provider, and also serves as Chief AI Officer at S&P Global. 1:34 Meet Bhavesh 4:46 Seeing inequality in tech 6:17 AI at Kensho and S&P Global 9:21 Lessons from the CEO seat 11:26 Why diverse voices matter in AI 15:41 Being real at work 17:43 Advice for newcomers in AI 19:43 Family and balance Links: Bhavesh Diyalji on LinkedIn Suchi Srinivasan on LinkedIn Kamila Rakhimova on LinkedIn About In Her Ellement: In Her Ellement highlights the women and allies leading the charge in digital, business, and technology innovation. Through engaging conversations, the podcast explores their journeys—celebrating successes and acknowledging the balance between work and family. Most importantly, it asks: when was the moment you realized you hadn’t just arrived—you were truly in your element? About The Hosts: Kamila Rakhimova is a fintech leader whose journey took her from Tajikistan to the U.S., where she built a career on her own terms. Leveraging her English proficiency and international relations expertise, she discovered the power of microfinance and moved to the U.S., eventually leading Amazon's Alexa Fund to support underrepresented founders. Suchi Srinivasan is an expert in AI and digital transformation. Originally from India, her career includes roles at trailblazing organizations like Bell Labs and Microsoft. In 2011, she co-founded the Cleanweb Hackathon, a global initiative driving IT-powered climate solutions with over 10,000 members across 25+ countries. She also advises Women in Cloud, aiming to create $1B in economic opportunities for women entrepreneurs by 2030. Subscribe to In Her Ellement on your podcast app of choice to hear meaningful conversations with women in digital, business, and technology.…

about a year ago 1:10:23

MP3•Episode home

Richard talks about building an AI company that always has to work on the edge of innovation, how he would manage research teams today, how you as a founder find out which AI tools really help you and how he himself thinks about prioritization privately and in the product.

The conversation was particularly impressive for me, as Richard grew up in Dresden and moved to Silicon Valley at an early age and (not only) became an absolute luminary for artificial intelligence from there.

What you learn:

How do you evaluate which AI tools will really help you and your company?
When does it make sense to develop your own services in-house vs. outsourcing or buying in services?
As a founder, how can I find out how much money I really want/should raise?
How can I optimize my energy management as a founder?
What qualities should a good mentor have?

Further links:

ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery

Richard Socher:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardsocher/

Website: https://www.socher.org/

you.com: https://you.com/

Unicorn Bakery WhatsApp Broadcast: Here you can find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content.

Marker:

(00:00:00) How to evaluate AI tools

(00:22:01) Will AI and LLM wrappers be valid businesses?

(00:25:48) Product decisions: Building things inhouse vs. implementing things

(00:29:23) How to size funding rounds

(00:34:24) you.com team setup & how to run high performing AI research teams

(00:38:59) Why is it more impactful to build you.com than joining OpenAI?

(00:43:44) Energy management as a founder

(00:52:58) Prioritization for founders

(00:56:19) What makes a great mentor?

(01:00:57) What is the easiest way to try you.com?

75 episodes

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

The AI Playbook: Former Salesforce Chief Scientist Richard Socher’s Guide to Building a Successful AI Company (Founder of you.com)

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

published about a year ago

MP3•Episode home

What you learn:

How do you evaluate which AI tools will really help you and your company?
When does it make sense to develop your own services in-house vs. outsourcing or buying in services?
As a founder, how can I find out how much money I really want/should raise?
How can I optimize my energy management as a founder?
What qualities should a good mentor have?

Further links:

ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery

Richard Socher:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardsocher/

Website: https://www.socher.org/

you.com: https://you.com/

Marker:

(00:00:00) How to evaluate AI tools

(00:22:01) Will AI and LLM wrappers be valid businesses?

(00:25:48) Product decisions: Building things inhouse vs. implementing things

(00:29:23) How to size funding rounds

(00:34:24) you.com team setup & how to run high performing AI research teams

(00:38:59) Why is it more impactful to build you.com than joining OpenAI?

(00:43:44) Energy management as a founder

(00:52:58) Prioritization for founders

(00:56:19) What makes a great mentor?

(01:00:57) What is the easiest way to try you.com?

75 episodes

#Business #Fabian Tausch #Entrepreneur #Trading #Billion Dollar

All episodes

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
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14 weeks ago54:57

54:57

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16 weeks ago1:13:29

1:13:29

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Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

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21 weeks ago54:02

54:02

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23 weeks ago1:30:53

1:30:53

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How Clay Scaled from 0 to $30M ARR in 2 years with Product-Led Growth with Co-Founder & CEO Kareem Amin 1:14:22

24 weeks ago1:14:22

1:14:22

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Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
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27 weeks ago1:23:03

1:23:03

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28 weeks ago1:34:46

1:34:46

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28 weeks ago51:16

51:16

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Master Educational Short Form Content: How HarperCarrollAI won 400k Instagram Followers in 13 Months without losing content depth 59:48

28 weeks ago59:48

59:48

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Investor in 1000+ Marketplaces: Fabrice Grinda (FJ Labs) on 2025 Trends for B2B and B2C Marketplaces 37:51

34 weeks ago37:51

37:51

Fabrice Grinda, co-founder of FJ Labs and one of the world’s most prolific marketplace investors, joins the Unicorn Bakery podcast again to share his marketplace outlook for 2025. With more than 1,100 investments and 355 exits, Fabrice is uniquely positioned to discuss the trends shaping the future of startups, marketplaces, and venture capital. In this episode, he dives into the state of venture markets, the rise of B2B marketplaces, the impact of AI on startups, and why IPOs remain elusive for many companies. Fabrice provides detailed insights into the hottest marketplace trends, which include B2B and B2C marketplaces with different verticals and USPs. What you’ll learn: Why the venture market is starting to recover in 2025 after years of stagnation. How B2B marketplaces transform industries and why they’re still in their early stages. The role of AI in improving marketplace efficiency and redefining business models. Why IPOs remain challenging and what needs to change for companies to go public. How founders can build defensibility and create network effects in their marketplaces. Key 2025 trends include live commerce, cross-border marketplaces, and SMB digitization. ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery Where to find Fabrice: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabricegrinda/ FJ Labs: https://www.fjlabs.com/ Join our Founder Tactics Newsletter: Twice a week you get the tactics of the world's best founders straight to your inbox: https://www.tactics.unicornbakery.de/ Chapters: (00:00:00) Which timeframes does Fabrice look at while building thesis? (00:02:20) The "Look-Back-Sentiment" of 2024 & the "Look-Out" for 2025 (00:07:11) What has to change to make IPO markets attractive again? (00:10:38) How does the market dynamic change the venture industry? (00:16:23) Current trends in new businesses (00:29:52) The AI-impact on defensibility (00:35:06) Hurdles to encounter when starting a marketplace today…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
From University Project to Billion-Dollar Exit: SIGNAVIO - Together As One – with Signavio Co-Founder & CEO Gero Decker 1:33:03

39 weeks ago1:33:03

1:33:03

On March 5th, 2021, SAP acquired Signavio for a billion dollars – this marks one of the largest Tech Exits in the German market to date. How does a university side project become a billion-dollar acquisition? In this episode, Gero Decker, co-founder of Signavio, shares the incredible journey of building the company – from its roots as an open-source project to bootstrapping, scaling, and eventually being acquired by SAP for over a billion dollars. Learn about the pivotal moments, the role of timing, and how a strong team culture propelled Signavio to success, even when the odds were against them. What you’ll learn: How a university project turned into a profitable company Why customer feedback and bootstrapping were critical in the early days How creative lead generation methods (like the "Hare Krishna Method") made a difference Why team culture and timing played a vital role in success How the billion-dollar SAP acquisition unfolded and the dynamics of negotiation MORE UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery More about Gero Decker: LinkedIn: https://de.linkedin.com/in/gerodecker Website: https://www.signavio.com/de/ Where to get the Book: Amazon: https://links.unicornbakery.de/signavio Spotify Audio Book: https://links.unicornbakery.de/signavio-audio-book Join our Founder Tactics Newsletter: Twice a week, you’ll get the tactics of the world’s best founders delivered straight to your inbox. https://www.tactics.unicornbakery.de/ Marker: (00:00:00) Why were so many coincidences necessary for Signavio to even be founded? (00:05:00) How did the Signavio story unfold? (00:12:10) From open source to profitable company: The milestones (00:21:22) Equity & founding team: The starting point for Signavio (00:27:54) Prioritization & team spirit in a small team (00:31:11) Product & growth in 2010 (00:34:46) Lead generation & the failure of conversion (00:42:02) First Go-to-market motion at Signavio (00:46:52) First customers: The challenges with Customer Success (00:52:42) From bootstrapped to VC case – why now & what changed? (00:59:13) Fast-growing company: How do you maintain focus? (01:07:54) The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on Signavio (01:13:04) The Path & Negotiation to the SAP Acquisition (01:17:14) The Future of SAP Signavio (01:21:37) The Lesson: Lifting Up Each Other…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Investing in 10+ Unicorns: Kevin Hartz on Finding and Crafting Winning Founding Teams 1:12:06

1 year ago1:12:06

1:12:06

Kevin Hartz is not only one of the most influential seed investors in Silicon Valley, but also a successful founder. In addition to early-stage investments in PayPal, Uber, AirBnB and SpaceX, he founded Xoom (exit to PayPal for approx. 1 billion dollars) and Eventbrite (IPO). With his current startup Sauron, Kevin is in the process of developing new technologies for the home security market. Kevin talks about how he identifies outstanding founders and thinks about team building in young startups. Kevin also elaborates on how he adapts to new technologies, evaluates them and draws conclusions for new companies and investments. Finally, he discusses his hypotheses on the future of value creation in AI startups and provides insights into the future of Sauron. What you learn: How does Kevin identify successful founders? What is the importance of flexibility and adaptability in building a company? What makes a good early-stage investor? Where will the value creation in AI startups take place? Building a founding team Further links: ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery Kevin Hartz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hartz/ A*: https://www.a-star.co/ Unicorn Bakery WhatsApp Broadcast: Find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker: (00:00:00) Importance of having a flexible mindset (00:02:31) Did the characteristics of great founding teams change over the last 20 years? (00:04:57) Great team & market opportunity: is it always working hand in hand? (00:07:14) Assessing potential in founder (00:20:25) First hires in Kevin’s new venture Sauron (00:23:10) Why incubations are often bad ventures? (00:28:22) Kevin Hartz thoughts on Fundraising (00:34:22) Inhouse creation vs. outsourcing?(00:37:19) Is the Go To Market Motion creating enough defensibility ? (00:39:50) Evaluating new trends and opportunities (00:43:38) Where will value creation happen in the future of AI? (00:51:34) What do you think about the lifecycle of companies? (00:56:51) The impact of AI on Startup Complexity: Will people focus on more complex problems or focus on building “easier” companies faster? (00:59:32) What are your takes on other ecosystems compared to Silicon Valley?…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
The AI Playbook: Former Salesforce Chief Scientist Richard Socher’s Guide to Building a Successful AI Company (Founder of you.com) 1:10:23

1 year ago1:10:23

1:10:23

Richard Socher, most recently Chief Scientist at Salesforce under Marc Benioff and one of the most renowned AI researchers in the world, has now founded you.com instead of joining one of the big AI companies. Richard believes that he can have a more positive impact on humanity. you.com now reaches millions of users and gives you as a user the opportunity to work based on the latest models. Richard talks about building an AI company that always has to work on the edge of innovation, how he would manage research teams today, how you as a founder find out which AI tools really help you and how he himself thinks about prioritization privately and in the product. The conversation was particularly impressive for me, as Richard grew up in Dresden and moved to Silicon Valley at an early age and (not only) became an absolute luminary for artificial intelligence from there. What you learn: How do you evaluate which AI tools will really help you and your company? When does it make sense to develop your own services in-house vs. outsourcing or buying in services? As a founder, how can I find out how much money I really want/should raise? How can I optimize my energy management as a founder? What qualities should a good mentor have? Further links: ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery Richard Socher: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardsocher/ Website: https://www.socher.org/ you.com: https://you.com/ Unicorn Bakery WhatsApp Broadcast: Here you can find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker: (00:00:00) How to evaluate AI tools (00:22:01) Will AI and LLM wrappers be valid businesses? (00:25:48) Product decisions: Building things inhouse vs. implementing things (00:29:23) How to size funding rounds (00:34:24) you.com team setup & how to run high performing AI research teams (00:38:59) Why is it more impactful to build you.com than joining OpenAI? (00:43:44) Energy management as a founder (00:52:58) Prioritization for founders (00:56:19) What makes a great mentor? (01:00:57) What is the easiest way to try you.com?…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Misconceptions of first-time founders: How to avoid Hiring-Red Flags & the Biggest Fallacies about Finding Product Market Fit - Dan Siroker, Limitless 1:11:43

1 year ago1:11:43

1:11:43

Dan Siroker built Optimizely to more than 120 million ARR before leaving the company. The company was sold and merged, and then launched, rewind.ai-now limitless.ai, a consumer product that, unlike Dan's previous company, has a software and hardware component. Dan gives deep insights into the transition from software to hardware development and the use of AI in modern startups. He explains how empathy and user research can improve the product development process and the strategies he uses to build an efficient team. He also shares his experience in fundraising and gives tips on how to choose the right investors. You'll also learn how to identify the biggest red flags in the hiring process and save yourself hassle and money. Basically, Dan shares many things that he now looks at differently as a serial founder: How do you find the right investor? What mistakes lurk in fundraising? & Which founder misconceptions are simply based on bullshit? What you will learn: The challenges and opportunities of transitioning from software to hardware How AI can be used as a superpower to increase productivity The importance of empathy and user research in product development Strategies to avoid classic hiring mistakes How to attract investors and choose the right partners What you can learn for your energy management from a father of three and founder of two ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery Dan Siroker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dsiroker/ Limitless: https://www.limitless.ai/ Optimizely: https://www.optimizely.com/ Unicorn Bakery WhatsApp Broadcast: Here you can find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker: (00:00:00) Company Building in the era of AI (00:06:35) What do you use GPT4 for, and what about old habits that block us from using new tools like AI? (00:10:48) Building the founding team - what people are you looking for and how is your leadership-style? (00:19:59) How to do Backchannel References? (00:23:36) How do you find out if former founders are recruitable? (00:26:45) How do you describe the journey of Limitless to Product-Market-Fit? (00:32:13) What are the biggest fallacies about finding PMF? (00:35:01) Round Sizing: How do you evaluate how much money you want/need from investors? (00:39:22) Why founders need to have empathy for investors (00:45:47) How do you know if the investor you are talking to is the right investor for you? (00:49:45) What unusual decision did you make in your fundraising? (00:53:30) How do you think about burn management? (00:56:16) To what extent can you test your hardware for product market fit? (01:01:03) How do you think about energy management now as a 3-times-dad and a 2nd time founder? (01:06:02) What is one of the biggest misconceptions that founders have?…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Why startups fail with Dave Hersh, Founder & Author 1:09:21

1 year ago1:09:21

1:09:21

Only 10% of start-ups are successful and yet 82% of founders think they will be successful. 78% of start-ups don't even manage to pay back their investors. Dave Hersh scaled a company with Jive to more than 10 million dollars in turnover, took a growth investor on board and Jive later went public. Through his other positions as a coach, board partner at a16z and also as a buyer of start-ups, he has a 360-degree perspective on the things that go wrong in the venture ecosystem. His book Reignition is all about dealing with the 90% of startups that don't achieve outlier success. As a founder, how can you prevent your startup from getting stuck halfway through, or pull the cart out of the mud if that has already happened. What you learn: The evolution of the venture capital ecosystem and its current challenges The importance of intuition versus data-driven decisions in company building When and how to raise capital and the risks of funding too early or too much The role of market access and operational efficiency in the success of startups How to choose the right investor and the importance of deep personal connection and trust ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery Dave Hersh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davehersh/ Reignition - Transforming Stuck Startups: https://amzn.eu/d/3ZHnrUK Unicorn Bakery Whatsapp Broadcast: Here you can find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker: (00:00:00) To what degree do you think the venture ecosystem is broken? (00:04:67) What questions must be answered before building a company? (00:11:33) Where do I position myself to set the guidance for the last few years? (00:16:23) When is the right time to raise money, and do you differentiate between private and institutional investors? (00:22:49) What do you tell founders that are scared of not reaching sales targets fast enough? (00:25:36) How do I find the right investor, and what should I look for? (00:29:26) How can founders see if they are on the right track and the company is moving in the right direction? (00:34:27) What is the flywheel that leads to being stuck as a company? (00:35:39) Trying to do my best hiring vs. putting persons in the position that hire better than me (00:38:33) How do I unstuck my company, and how do I realize my own mistakes? (00:49:01) What about overthinking in the early founder stage? (00:52:39) What do you have to think about to become the best performer, and where do I start? (00:59:20) Is it even possible to be successful in the early 20s?…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Deeptech: The hurdles of making the first Quantum Computer accessible as a B2B Cloud Product - Alexander Keesling, QuEra 1:09:28

1 year ago1:09:28

1:09:28

Alexander Keesling researched quantum computers at Harvard and, together with a team, decided to found a company based on his research. Today, QuEra generates tens of millions in revenue, licenses its quantum computer via AWS and is building a new quantum computer in Japan for around 41 million dollars. In the podcast, we talk about the status quo of quantum computing, when quantum computers will be available to the general public, and also how difficult it is to go from researcher to CEO of a fast-growing startup & where the parallels lie. What you will learn: What are the challenges of building a great technical team? When will quantum computing become interesting for the general public and in which industries can it be usefully applied? What do you need to set up a company as a researcher and how do you find your first customers? Technical sales: How do you set up a sales organization for a technically sophisticated product? What difficulties do you encounter when you want to export a new quantum technology to Japan? ALL ABOUT THE UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery Alexander Keesling LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-keesling-66229730/ QuEra: https://www.quera.com/ https://aws.amazon.com/de/braket/quantum-computers/quera/ Unicorn Bakery Whatsapp Broadcast: Find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp broadcast keeps you up to date Marker: (00:00:00) Researcher turning CEO: Job Similarities and differences (00:07:14) Why is it still complex to deliver quantum computers? (00:15:24) How would you explain what a quantum computer is? (00:26:41) What is the ChatGPT-moment of quantum computing - when will it be accessible to the public? (00:34:47) What circumstances made you build a business out of your research? (00:45:25) How do you build your sales motion for a complex technical product? (00:54:41) Why Quantum Computing will change the world and how you can try it today…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
1100+ investments, 40% Annual Realized Return for 26 years: How Fabrice Grinda built FJ Labs, one of the most successful Venture Capital Funds globally 1:26:10

1 year ago1:26:10

1:26:10

Fabrice Grinda, founder of FJ Labs and extreme athlete, explains how he has made over 1100 investments, primarily in marketplace and network-effect startups, generating an average 40% return over 26 years. Fabrice also likes to simplify a lot in his life by outsourcing things. Find out his recipe for a fulfilling life and managing virtual assistants in the podcast. What you will learn: Outsourcing: How to outsource more professionally and privately to increase your quality of life and output Marketplaces: What are the difficulties in scaling marketplace companies, the most important KPIs and current valuations? FOMO: How do you manage not to be pushed by others? Senior hiring: Is it typically European to hire senior rather than young and motivated? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery Fabrice Grinda LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabricegrinda/ FJ Labs: https://www.fjlabs.com/ Unicorn Bakery Whatsapp Broadcast: Find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker: (00:00:00) What does a successful life look like to you and what role does money play in your life? (00:05:50) How do you decide what things you outsource vs. what you do by yourself and how do you delegate successful? (00:12:56) Managing lessons to become a relaxed manager/avoiding things you don't like (00:16:38) Is hiring seniors instead of young ambitious people an European problem? (00:20:27) FJ Labs’ Investing Strategy that leads to 1100+ Investments and 40% realized IRR over 26 years (00:36:13) What fascinates you about marketplaces and why did you stay focused? (00:43:28) What is needed to scale a marketplace successfully (00:56:18) How do you manage and resist FOMO? (00:59:39) Fabrice Grinda’s view on the macroeconomics and their influence on the venture ecosystem (01:06:37) As an extreme sports-fanatic: what are the biggest parallels between extreme sports and investing/building a company? (01:09:37) What did you learn about yourself through your extreme adventures and how do you manage stress? (01:13:49) Was it as easy as it appears for you to reach everything you want and how much do you need other people's opinions?…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Consolidation as Strategy: Razor Group's Path to Market Leadership - Razor Group Founder Tushar Ahluwalia 1:05:58

1 year ago1:05:58

1:05:58

Tushar Ahluwalia founded the Razor Group together with his founding team in 2020. Since then, the Razor Group has received more than one billion dollars in investment and credit, acquired and consolidated many Amazon FBA businesses and most recently some Amazon aggregators, such as Perch. Today, the Razor Group is the largest remaining player on the market in terms of sales and serves a product catalog of around 40,000 SKUs. The vision: to revolutionize e-commerce and shine in front of consumers with outstanding products. A concept that shone during Corona, but is now more of an anti-hype. Nevertheless, Tushar and his team have managed to scale extremely quickly. In this interview, he reveals to Fabian what his tricks and learnings are and what makes his business model so special. What you learn: Fast scaling: What do you need to be prepared for when hyperscaling? What are the stumbling blocks? What was the Razor Group's A-Team? How was the founding team put together? Is a company ever "too big to fail"? Why do so many of the Buy & Build models from the Amazon FBA space fail? Why is it attractive for Razor to consolidate these faltering players? Where should the Razor Group develop in the future? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery Tushar Ahluwalia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tushar-ahluwalia/ Razor Group: https://www.razor-group.com/ Unicorn Bakery Whatsapp Broadcast: Find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker: (00:00:00) What are the good and the hard things about hyperscaling? (00:04:09) What made the perfect founding team for Razor, and what were the first steps to create momentum? (00:16:34) What must we know about the aggregators (like Perch, Stryze and others) you bought and why they sold to you? (00:27:58) How exposed is Razor to leverage? (00:34:06) Is the Razor Group too big to fail after consolidating with Perch? (00:36:59) What is the vision for the next few years for the Razor Group…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Misconceptions about pitching early stage investors - with Sequoia Capital Partner George Robson 30:22

1 year ago30:22

30:22

Is the European climate for early-stage start-ups improving again? After the European fundraising ecosystem was somewhat more cautious in the years following the corona boom, the question is: how is it currently developing? Fabian meets George Robson, Partner at Sequoia Capital, probably the best-known venture capital fund in the world. Together they talk about financing start-ups with high capital requirements, the fine line between optimistic vision and realism when pitching and the right approach to investors like Sequoia Capital. What you learn: Which investor should you seek for your startup if you're building more of a cash-heavy business? Market assessment: Are consumer products making a comeback? Sequoia Capital: How does Sequoia invest and what does the company value in founders? How much storytelling in the pitch is good and when does it become too much? How important is the warm intro really and what chances do you have with cold outreach to investors? Here you can find tickets for MERGE: https://merge.berlin Don't forget to use the code UNICORN for 30% off. ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery George Robson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgerobson Sequoia: https://www.sequoiacap.com/ Unicorn Bakery Whatsapp Broadcast: Find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker: (00:00:00) Is the European fundraising ecosystem waking up again? (00:04:21) How do I approach investors if I'm building a startup that combines hardware and software instead of the usual b2b SaaS startup? (00:07:12) What investor am I looking for if I'm a cash-heavy business? (00:11:40) How does investing at Sequoia work? (00:14:20) Are consumer products experiencing a comeback? (00:18:15) When it comes to pitching, where is the fine line between storytelling and "being too much"? (00:23:45) How to get in touch with Sequoia?…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Blitzscaling vs. Bootstrapping: How to choose your founder journey - Casper Rasmussen, Monta 47:45

1 year ago47:45

47:45

Monta has raised more than 120 million euros for its software platform for electric vehicles to improve the accessibility of charging infrastructure. Within 3 years, Monta has scaled to around 300 employees, is currently hiring 10-20 employees per month and is multiplying revenue annually. Previously, Monta founder Casper Rasmussen built 500+ mobile apps with his agency and bootstrapped the agency to 20 million in revenue. We talk about the differences between bootstrapping as an agency and the blitzscaling approach that Monta is currently taking. Casper has also made a role change from CTO to CEO - what has been particularly challenging for him in this role? He also gives you an all-round view on validating ideas quickly and avoiding tropical mistakes: what are the biggest challenges early stage founders face? Spoiler: Burnout and negative stress are only part of the picture. What you will learn: What are the major differences between founding a bootstrapped case and a venture-backed company? What mistakes can you make in hiring and how do you avoid them? How can you tell whether a business idea and a decision are good enough or not? What challenges await you when you switch from a specific role (in this case that of technical leader) to a generalized role (in this case CEO)? How can you prevent stress and burnout and how can you prevent your startup from undermining your private life? EVERYTHING ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery Casper Rasmussen LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/casper-h-rasmussen-63b13922/ Monta: https://monta.com/ Unicorn Bakery Whatsapp Broadcast: Find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker: (00:00:00) What are the main differences between building a bootstrapped case like the agency and a venture case like Monta? (00:02:24) How does the venture case challenge your growth - is it less focused than in the bootstrapping-experience? (00:04:32) Your most important learnings and mistakes in Hiring and Onboarding? (00:07:48) How do you evaluate if you bring in someone from the outside or promote from inside your own team? (00:09:40) What makes a decision good enough to take it? (00:11:21) How do you evaluate your ideas? (00:15:02) What are the biggest mistakes for early stage founders? (00:23:54) What are the hardest parts of switching roles from "only" being a CTO to CEO? (00:28:45) Would you say your personal life suffers from being a founder? (00:34:03) Who would you recommend becoming an entrepreneur and raising venture money? (00:40:58) Your tips for early stage founders that are struggling?…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
How does it feel to make a 100 million dollars with an exit? with GitHub and Gitbutler Founder Scott Chacon 1:17:31

2 years ago1:17:31

1:17:31

Scott Chachon is one of the co-founders of GitHub, a developer platform that was sold to Microsoft for around 7.5 billion dollars. We talk about the moment he found out about the sale to Microsoft, how much money he made from the sale and whether it made him happy. He is now founding his third startup, Gitbutler, after investing 12 million of his own money in Chatterbug and has now decided to grow the company profitably without investment. We talk about founding in Germany and Europe as opposed to the US and Scott explains why he is now founding in Germany for the second time. What you learn: Milestone exit: How desirable is exit as a goal really? Customer retention: How hard is it to retain customers and what options, such as experiential approaches, are there? Team composition: What makes a high-performance team? Made in Germany: What are the pros and cons of setting up in Germany vs. the USA? Looking for 100.000€ in Cloud Credits, then apply for the OVHcloud Startup Program: https://startup.ovhcloud.com EVERYTHING ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery Scott Chacon LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/schacon/ Gitbutler: https://gitbutler.com/ Merge: https://merge.berlin Unicorn Bakery Whatsapp Broadcast: Find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker: (00:00:00) What changes when you finally get the 100 million dollar exit? ? (00:06:20) Did you experience an exit-depression? (00:11:03) 12 million personal investment in Chatterbug? (00:15:04) What is your advice for founders to get to the "zero-to-one-effect"? (00:23:01) Gitbutler: Product & Vision (00:29:04) How did you build your third venture with all your experience? (00:32:55) What does it take to make a developer tool successful? (00:36:11) Was your product ready for a lot of attention when you got thousands of signups? (00:39:03) What do non-technical-founders forget about that makes it harder for tech people to succeed in the company? (00:42:26) Why is building from Germany great in some parts? (00:55:44) Investors vs. Bootstrapping: What are your thoughts? (01:00:14) How did you plan your runway? (01:03:44) The Merge: The developers conference…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Cost-Traps that Cost Your Company Millions David Heinemeier-Hansson, 37signals 1:09:14

2 years ago1:09:14

1:09:14

David Heinemeier Hansson is the inventor of Ruby on Rails and founder of 37signals, a company that has developed products such as Basecamp, Hey.com and more over the last 20 years. However, apart from Jeff Bezos, David and his co-founder Jason Friedman didn't take any money and bootstrapped the company. We talk about the biggest cost drivers for companies, how 37signals managed to develop multiple products in parallel and how David thinks about the differences between Europe and the US when it comes to starting a company. What you learn: When might it make sense to move away from the usual cloud services and choose your own hardware resources instead? What advantages does the USA offer compared to Europe if you want to set up a start-up? Who should raise money from venture capital investors and who shouldn't? How do you learn to correctly assess which topics (e.g. marketing or hiring) it makes sense to spend money on? Here you can find tickets for MERGE: Https://merge.berlin Don’t forget to use the code UNICORN for 30% off. Here you can setup your tech with Codesphere: https://codesphere.com EVERYTHING ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery David Heinemeier Hansson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-heinemeier-hansson-374b18221/ 37signals: https://37signals.com/ Unicorn Bakery Whatsapp Broadcast: Find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker: (00:00:00) How do you resist raising venture capital? Why was it not relevant to you? To whom would you recommend raising venture capital? (00:10:51) Would AI make it possible for me, as a non-technical founder, to build a technical company these days? (00:16:22) What are the biggest cost traps that founders run into? (00:23:16) How do you assess new costs like hiring or marketing? (00:29:08) The 37signals setup: team size and product variety (00:33:31) How did you and Jason find out what company you want to build? (00:43:23) How much money did you save by leaving the cloud? (00:51:41) US vs. Europe - what are the differences in living and working? (00:57:54) What would be the reasons to build out of Europe?…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
How AI changes creativity forever, with Adobe’s Chief Strategy Officer Scott Belsky 38:14

2 years ago38:14

38:14

What role does creativity play for entrepreneurs? And how is the understanding of creativity changing as a result of artificial intelligence? Scott Belsky founded Behance, sold the start-up to Adobe and is now Chief Product and Chief Strategy Officer there. Adobe is one of the 50 most valuable companies in the world. At Adobe, Scott oversees all new products and is deeply involved in what the future looks like for creatives. In this podcast episode of Unicorn Bakery, Scott Belsky and Fabian Tausch talk about the impact of artificial intelligence on entrepreneurship, creativity and product development in companies. What you'll learn: -What impact is AI having on work at large corporations like Adobe? -How are product teams changing due to AI? -How did Scott feel as a founder after selling his company to Adobe? -What do investors like Scott want when looking for new talent? -When is it worth launching a new product and when is it worth developing the existing one? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery Scott Belsky LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scottbelsky/ Adobe: https://www.adobe.com/ Unicorn Bakery Whatsapp Broadcast: Find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker: (00:00:00) How does creativity influence entrepreneurship? (00:06:28) How does AI impact such large organizations like Adobe? (00:10:21) How do you decide if you want to launch a new product vs. improve a "good old" one and what are your thoughts on a good launch? (00:18:37) How did you feel after selling to Adobe? (00:23:33) What are you looking for when you want to invest in a business?…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Why Your Product Launch is Overrated with Superhuman Founder Rahul Vohra 1:05:41

2 years ago1:05:41

1:05:41

Rahul Vohra sold his first company Rapportive to LinkedIn and then founded Superhuman. Superhuman is a premium email provider that is significantly faster to use than Gmail and other alternatives. Today, Superhuman has raised more than 100 million dollars and has tens of thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of users. But how do you develop a premium product in an area where there is a lot of competition and, above all, free alternatives? In addition to Superhuman, Rahul has co-invested with Todd Goldberg in more than 100 startups and we talk about Rahul's framework for investing and building an angel fund. In addition to background info on Superhuman, in this episode you'll also get helpful tips on the most common pitfalls in product launches, a look at the pros and cons of a personal brand as a founder, and the impact of AI in product building. What you will learn: What are the pros and cons of personal branding as a founder? How does Superhuman use AI in product development? Why are product launches overrated? When should founders use feedback in product development and when should they trust their gut feeling? Rahul's Angel Fund: https://www.toddandrahulangelfund.com/ ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery Rahul Vohra LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rahulvohra/ Superhuman: https://superhuman.com/ Unicorn Bakery Whatsapp Broadcast: Find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker: (00:00:00) How did you test the market for a premium email service? (00:07:34) Minimum Viable Product vs. Minimum Lovable Product: How long did the first version of Superhuman take? ? (00:12:25) How does the product market fit the engine of the growing company? (00:18:28) Why Superhuman has maintained a 1:1 onboarding process over the years (00:21:48) What are the most common misconceptions about THE product launch? (00:23:53) What is the difference between game design and gamification in product development? (00:31:08) When to focus on improving the product and when to focus on increasing sales in product development? (00:35:46) Superhuman's AI strategy (00:38:37) Rahul's favorite AI use cases and tools? (00:44:12) What are the positives/negatives of becoming a personal brand as a founder? (00:49:28) What are your favorite questions to find out the characteristics of a potential employee? (00:53:47) What is your framework for investing in startups?…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
This investor cold walks into offices to invest in a startup & why he doesn’t build a personal brand – Alex Finkelstein, Spark Capital 35:33

2 years ago35:33

35:33

Alex Finkelstein is a general partner at Spark Capital and has names like Twitter (X), Discord, Snap and Slack in his funds portfolio. But how does a fund like Spark Capital, and Alex in particular, invest? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery What you'll learn: Why is it sometimes useful as a founder:in to not just look at everything rationally? How far does Alex go to win deals and invest with founders? How does Alex shape his way of working and living to achieve as much success as possible in all areas? How do you build a successful venture company when all the world is focused on brand and reach? Alex Finkelstein, Spark Capital LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/finkelsteinalex/ Spark Capital: https://www.sparkcapital.com/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x a week get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter (00:00:00) What should newbies who just joined in the heyday of startups know about building companies? (00:04:54) What do you guys look for in good investments? (00:09:59) How do you convince companies (like Get Your Guide, for example) that you really want to work with you? (00:15:21) What's it like behind the scenes - how do you structure your work/life time? (00:18:32) How do you go about convincing executives to join the founders you think are a good fit for the company? (00:20:27) How senior/junior should you hire in the seed stage? (00:25:35) Building a successful venture capital firm: what does it really take?…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
“A Hybrid Setup is the worst” | How to get new hires up to speed during hyper-growth | How to not be the bottle neck of growth as a founder | - Job van der Voort, remote.com 49:01

2 years ago49:01

49:01

In the last 4 years Job van der Voort has founded remote.com, raised about $500 million from investors like Sequoia, Accel, Index and General Catalyst, reached a valuation of $3 billion and turned the company profitable last year. Fabian talks to Job about structures that make hyper-growth possible, how remote.com managed to scale without a fixed HQ & what it took to do so, and personal growth as a founder. ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery What you'll learn: What frameworks are needed to enable hyper growth? What characteristics do employees need to enable rapid growth? How does remote.com ensure new employees integrate quickly and are productive? Office culture, remote or hybrid - what is the best culture? Job van der Voort LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jobvo/ Remote.com: https://remote.com/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x weekly get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter (00:00:00) Hyper-growth of remote.com & efficient onboarding of new employees. (00:24:46) What went wrong in the hyper-growth year? (00:28:56) How do you delegate so employees can make quick decisions and take responsibility? (00:31:39) What has changed at remote.com compared to the Pandemic & the Hype Cycle? (00:35:01) Growth at any cost vs. efficient growth - what did you have to decide and plan differently as a founder? (00:42:39) What structures help fully remote companies scale? (00:48:41) Hiring other people if you want to make them exclusively remote? (00:58:10) Hybrid vs. remote vs. office culture. (01:02:14) What are currently your biggest challenges at remote.com?…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Why VCs shouldn't try to tick boxes & focus too much on pattern recognition | Seedcamp's Investment Process after receiving a Pitchdeck - Reshma Sohoni & Kate McGinn, Seedcamp 50:44

2 years ago50:44

50:44

Why VCs shouldn't try to tick boxes & focus too much on pattern recognition | How to choose your Fund-Strategy | Importance of the German Market | Seedcamp's Investment Process after receiving a Pitchdeck - Reshma Sohoni & Kate McGinn, Seedcamp Seedcamp has been investing in startups for more than 15 years. A few of the investments include companies like Wise, UiPath, Revolut, Ramp and many more. Recently, Seedcamp announced their 6th fund and will increase their presence in Germany with this fund. Together with Founding Partner Reshma Sohoni and Associate Kate McGinn, Fabian talks about Seedcamp’s Investment strategy, opening a new market and their investment process from a founder perspective. ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery What you'll learn: How did Seedcamp become one of the most renowned European (Pre-)Seed Funds? Why did Seedcamp never change strategy and raise significantly larger funds? Why shouldn't VCs rely too much on pattern recognition? Reshma Sohoni LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/reshmasohoni/ Seedcamp: https://seedcamp.com/ Kate McGinn LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/katemcginn/ Seedcamp: https://seedcamp.com/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x a week get a personal voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter (00:00:00) Why did Seedcamp switch their fund vehicle from accelerator to solely venture capital? (00:07:53) Seedcamp's new 160 million fund. (00:12:14) What does the collaboration between Seedcamp and Angel investors look like? (00:17:43) How do you think about fund strategy and why did you choose your strategy? (00:24:50) What dynamics does it take for the fund to perform well despite the many small tickets? (00:28:54) Who is Seedcamp talking to in order to arrive and establish itself in the German market? (00:31:17 As an investor, is it dangerous to only look at pattern recognition? (00:42:32) What is your typical process after getting a deck?…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Danger of Optimising for Valuation | The problem with large VC funds | Startups stay a high risk business at later stages | New Definition for Unicorns - Micah Rosenbloom, Founder Collective 59:48

2 years ago59:48

59:48

Founder Collective is a New York based fund that has invested in Uber, Trade Desk, Stack Overflow and many more top startups. Fabian talks to Managing Partner Micah Rosenbloom about the risk of using money to magnify problems rather than solve them. "Too much capital at early stages quickly leads to bad habits and inefficiencies," says Micah - but why is that? Plus, find out why high valuations often hurt rather than help founders:in and what the thesis is all about. ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery What you'll learn: Why is a lot of capital sometimes just the wrong approach for founders? Why does fixating on high valuations hurt me as a founder:in? Why are big VC funds part of the problem? What happens when my company doesn't become the perfect VC case - how do I deal with it? Micah Rosenbloom LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micah-rosenbloom-a0350 FirstMark: https://www.foundercollective.com/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x a week you'll get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter (00:00:00) How do VCs in early stages pick their founders and startups? (00:04:54) Why not focus too much on high valuations? (00:20:32) What happens if the dream I sold to everyone, (including myself), bursts and it doesn't become a billion dollar company? (00:26:24) How would you go about restructuring a startup if the original plan is not achievable? (00:38:35) What is the risk of VC funds that are too big? (00:46:15) What is the risk of developments (VC funds that are too big, expectations that cannot be realized) to the startup ecosystem?…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
How to win in the AI hype, is Growth Financing back? & European venture ecosystem with Matt Turck, FirstMark Capital 54:39

2 years ago54:39

54:39

In this episode, I talk with Matt Turck General Partner at the New York based Venture firm Firstmark Capital about succeeding as a VC. Firstmark invests in a very focused way, primarily in Series A rounds. Matt himself has been focused on Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning & Data for more than 10 years. AI Hype: What do companies and founders need to survive the hype? Growth Fundraising: Matt's portfolio companies Pigment and Synthesia just raised large growth roungs. Are growth financing rounds back? European Startup Ecosystem: As a French living in New York for 20 years, how does Matt perceive the European ecosystem? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery What you learn: What makes a good VC? How should startups choose their investors? What founder qualities are most important to Matt? Matt's take on the European ecosystem comapred to the US Matt Turck LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/turck/ FirstMark: https://firstmark.com WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x weekly get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter (00:00:00) What makes a successful venture investor? (00:06:36) How do you personally manage FOMO (Fear of Missing Out)? (00:12:58) What should founders look for when fundraising and choosing investors? (00:20:51) Why did your opinion change from looking for technical founder to accepting business founders, too? (00:24:52) What are your thoughts on the AI hype? (00:30:24) How do I survive the hype cycle as an AI startup? (00:38:07) How important is defensibility for startups in the (pre-)seed phase? (00:42:39) How is the growth financing dynamic changing at the moment? (00:46:14) How would you compare the European startup ecosystem to the U.S. ecosystem?…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
B2B SaaS Company Building: Learnings from two 9-figure exits & How to build a B2B Logo Machine: Learnings from Scaling MOAT, Jonah Goodhart, Montauk Labs 1:09:01

2 years ago1:09:01

1:09:01

Jonah Goodhart has had two exits with a total volume of more than $1.5 billion. He was a founding investor in Right Media (sold to Yahoo), but according to insiders, he was much more involved. He sold the advertising management platform MOAT to Oracle in 2017 for about $850 million. That's why we're talking about Jonah's company building for B2B SaaS startups. ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery What you'll learn: -Validating ideas: What makes a really good SaaS idea? -How do you develop a B2B logo engine that keeps growing? -How do you find product-market fit as reliably as possible? Jonah Goodhart LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonahgoodhart/ Montauk Labs: https://www.mtklabs.com/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: Receive a personalized voice message or content from me 1-2x a week that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter (00:00:00) How did you validate and select ideas at the beginning of your career vs. how has that changed over the years? (00:09:01) How much does your prominence in the scene and your environment influence you in idea implementation? (00:12:58) How would you go about being a First Time Founder when supposedly all the other founders around you have more experience and know what they are doing? (00:16:12) What things are really important when starting my business and what is more "go with the flow"? (00:19:33) As a serial founder, how do you define a good team? (00:23:02) As a founder, how do you decide what type of funding to choose? When do I bootstrap, when do I seek an angel investor, when do I seek a VC? (00:29:08) How much is it underestimated what damage debt financing can do if the founder doesn't know exactly what they're doing? (00:40:30) What does Product Market Fit mean to you and when did you know with your company that you were achieving it/on your way to it? (00:43:37) What does it take to build a Logo Machine in sales? (00:50:58) When can I best tailor products to my customers and when should I focus on scalability? (00:54:19) Have you ever had to turn down a customer because they wanted too much customization and what do VCs prefer - scalable products or customized? (01:04:10) How do you personally cope with the mental and stressful challenges that startups bring?…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
How to scale an organization to >100M ARR: From founder to CEO, Scaling culture, Agile organization - Ronni Zehavi, HiBob 53:02

2 years ago53:02

53:02

HiBob is now doing more than 100M in annual recurring revenue (ARR). They have cracked the threshold from 10m to 100M ARR in 3 years. But how does the organization need to be set up to withstand hyper growth? What you'll learn: How do I find my culture in early stages? How do I retain culture in hyper growth? What is the path from founder to CEO? Why didn't HiBob raise at a valuation higher than $2.5 billion? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery (00:00:00) Hibob intro & shortcomings of current leadership levels. (00:06:13) How has your role as CEO changed over the years? (00:10:46) How do you take the whole company with you to achieve goals? (00:18:42) How did you find your company culture at HiBob and how did you know which one was right? (00:27:11) When did you feel with HiBob that you had achieved Product Market Fit? (00:36:56) Do you have imposter syndrome? (00:41:35) How do you build a company that is flexible to change? (00:45:25) What do you think is important about the topic of valuations and investors? Ronni Zehavi LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronnizehavi/ HiBob: https://www.hibob.com/ This episode is produced in collaboration and paid cooperation with HiBob. Fast-growing companies around the world such as Taxfix, JIMDO and Happy Socks, among others, rely on bob, an innovative, intuitive and agile HR platform, to help recruiters and managers engage, develop and retain top talent for the long term. Bob's diverse features pay dividends for HR and business development, as well as company culture and employee retention. You can find all information about HiBob here: https://www.hibob.com/de/…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Taboola: Corporate culture, internationalization and advisory board, Adam Singolda, Taboola 55:18

2 years ago55:18

55:18

Taboula's success story is exciting for you as a founder in many ways: naivety and mistakes can break your neck on the one hand. In this episode, you'll get a behind-the-scenes look at a company that has focused on authenticity and the ability to self-correct. Today, Taboola is publicly traded, turns over more than $1.5 billion and employs more than 1,500 people, according to LinkedIn. ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery What you'll learn: The importance of authenticity and self-correction for success as a founder The question of whether naivety is an advantage or a disadvantage for founders Tips for building a work-life balance The fundamentals of a successful company culture: transparency, empathy and passion The importance of expanding into new markets and focusing on key investments Chapter: (00:05:44) - Finding investors and persuasion as a founder. (00:11:38) - Characteristics of successful CEOs (00:16:02) - Values & culture at Taboola (00:25:12) - Culture development at Hypergrowth (00:33:25) - C-level recruiting: what matters? (00:38:23) - Thoughts on global expansion: when should startups think about internationalization? (00:50:00) - How you put together a strong advisory board. Adam Singolda LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamsingolda/ Taboola: https://www.taboola.com/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x weekly get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Exit: What strategic buyers really care about, Jonathan Rothenberg, Cyderes 55:15

2 years ago55:15

55:15

In this episode, Jonathan Rothenberg, Chief Strategy Officer at Cyderes, shares their experiences and tips on M&A. He emphasizes the importance of a solid company foundation and M&A from a buyer's perspective. Why is due diligence critical here? And why should you focus on acquisitions? You'll also learn why and how market changes affect M&A deals. In addition, there's a look at the seller perspective: how do earn-outs and retention affect decisions? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery What you'll learn: When am I attractive as a company to potential buyers? Reasons for M&A beyond growth Evaluating potential acquisition targets and programmatic approach (0:01:34) Defining success and failures in M&A. (0:04:23) Reasons for M&A beyond declining growth (0:05:31) The right time for M&A as buyer & seller (0:08:18) Validating and prioritizing acquisition targets (0:19:36) Why there are no perfect acquisitions (0:23:47) Market environment for corporate divestitures (0:27:00) Deal structure and operational alignment (0:34:11) Earn-out arrangements and non-compete agreements (0:45:13) Structured process for M&A negotiations and due diligence (0:48:24) Integration plan and difficulties in the M&A process Jonathan Rothenberg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanrothenberg/ Cyderes: https://www.cyderes.com/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x weekly get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Profitability and adaptation: success strategies for founders in challenging times, Bastian Krautwald, OWWN & deineStudienfinanzierung. 19:02

2 years ago19:02

19:02

In this podcast, Bastian Krautwald talks about the impact of the current market situation on founders and their startups. He explains how he has adapted his internal goals to the new reality. We talk about how Basti has adapted his teams and business models to succeed in the current environment. Bastian Krautwald also talks about how he communicated his decisions with his stakeholders and the importance of transparency in doing so. ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery What you'll learn: The importance of cash and profitability for founders in the current marketplace Strategies for adapting teams and business models in challenging times Why having a profitable B2C business model from the start is critical The importance of stakeholder communication and transparency Why self-reflection and honesty are key factors for success (0:03:44) De-investment and focus on revenue generation (0:05:20) Adjusting goals in changing market environment (0:12:02) Collaboration and quick decisions in times of crisis (0:14:12) Difficulty for founders to release emotional attachment to product (0:15:02) Flexibility and adaptability in times of crisis (0:17:35) Self-reflection as a founder: honesty as the key to success Bastian Krautwald LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bastian-krautwald/ OWWN: https://www.owwn.com/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x a week get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Changes in the venture industry: a look at the last 20 years, Mark Sherman, Telstra Ventures. 54:34

2 years ago54:34

54:34

In this podcast episode, Mark Sherman of Telstra Ventures talks about the changes that have taken place in the venture and startup industry over the last 20 years. Telstra Ventures invests in companies with $1 million to $10 million in revenue, with a particular focus on identifying promising companies early and understanding product-market fit. Sherman also discusses the impact of artificial intelligence on the industry and stresses the importance of closely monitoring trends. Further, he explains that both large companies and startups will benefit from technology and that there are still opportunities to enter the industry. Sherman also shares insights on how Telstra Ventures is dealing with the impact of current market conditions and how data science and creating value for portfolio companies are key. What you'll learn: Changes in the venture industry over the past 20 years. How do you stay successful in the venture business for 20 years? Focus on companies with revenues of $1 million to $10 million Identify promising companies early and understand product-market fit Impact of artificial intelligence on the venture industry Opportunities and ways to enter the industry ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery00:01:21 How the venture industry has changed over the past 20 years. 00:02:06 The future: data-driven investing 00:13:04 Importance of artificial intelligence. 00:22:04 Technology as an opportunity for businesses 00:31:04 Human resource decisions and innovation 00:37:25 Capital efficiency and trends 00:41:04 Value-add as investor: how Telstra Ventures generates revenue for its portfolio 00:47:51 Dealing with self-doubt and vulnerability. Mark Sherman LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/markheyssherman/ Telstra Ventures: https://telstraventures.com/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x weekly get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Inside General Atlantic: How the investment firm invests in growth startups - Cory Eaves, General Atlantic 57:30

2 years ago57:30

57:30

General Atlantic invests in growth startups that leverage technology and are already successful in the marketplace. Important criteria for investment include business model, management, market and margins. In addition to capital, the firm offers industry knowledge and expertise in human capital and go-to-market strategies. Exit strategy is not the most important factor, but IPOs and sales to strategic buyers are equally important options. What you'll learn: General Atlantic's investment strategy and how the firm invests in growth startups. The key criteria for investing: business model, management, market and margins How General Atlantic offers its portfolio companies valuable resources in addition to capital General Atlantic's exit strategy and how the firm identifies potential investment opportunities The challenges companies face in moving from a customer-focused business model to a product-focused business model ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery (0:02:50) - How GA's DNA is lived today. (0:07:59) - Venture capital vs. growth capital (0:12:50) - The definition of "product-market fit" for growth companies (0:16:52) - The importance of business model and profitability (0:29:48) - Successful business models (0:34:22) - Partnership with clear goals (0:38:02) - Exit strategies: IPO vs. sale to strategic buyers (0:53:49) - Founder confidence and character as keys to success (0:56:12) - Partner selection for entrepreneurs. Cory Eaves LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ceaves/ General Atlantic: https://www.generalatlantic.com/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x a week get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
How to inspire 1 billion users - Chris Barton, Innovation Keynote Speaker & Shazam Co-Founder 56:48

2 years ago56:48

56:48

If you're currently looking for capital for your startup, check out re:cap: https://go.re-cap.com/unicorn Chris Barton developed an app before apps even existed - today, over 1 billion people use his invention. Many scientists thought it was impossible to develop an algorithm like Shazam's. But Chris Barton didn't give up. Developed the product, and since the launch of the iPhone, it has been delighting music fans. Apple then bought Shazam for over $400 million, and is now integrated into every iPhone... I Look forward to a founder story from before Apple iPhones & Co and about a billion-dollar idea. What you'll learn: Did Chris learn anything from his time at Google and Dropbox that he could apply to Shazam? How did the product establish itself without an app store vs. how did the story turn when there was then an app store? How did the company survive the many years until the big hit came? How did Chris make the impossible happen - and what advice does he have for founders who want to build a product that the big market players say is impossible? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery (00:01:15) What was the first prototype of Shazam looking like? (00:06:16) What was the breaking point in popularity for Shazam? (00:11:02) How did the first version of Shazam work, and how much did it change in the years after? (00:12:43) How did you bootstrap your company for eight years? (00:19:01) What were the hardest decisions to make from launching until it took off? (00:26:57) What would you tell founders worrying about "What if the large corporations are building the same thing as we do"? (00:30:08) When you look at your competitors: why did Shazam survive all the years? (00:32:33) What is your defensibility, and how much longer did it take you to launch because of that? (00:37:13) How did you invent "the impossible thing"? (00:46:26) What did you learn at Google or Dropbox that you brought to Shazam? (00:49:44) Did you ever regret not spending your whole time at Shazam and working at other companies during the building process? (00:52:00) How does your day-to-day life look today? Chris Barton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cjpbarton/ Book Chris as an Innovation Keynote Speaker: www.chrisjbarton.com…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
How to disrupt and protect yourself from disruption - Pascal Finette, be radical 35:34

2 years ago35:34

35:34

Especially in today's market, major macro changes can happen quickly. But how do I react to this as a founder? Pascal Finette does just that with be radical: He helps companies arm themselves against disruption and has written his new book "Disrupt Disruption" to do just that. What you learn: How do I recognize impending disruption and what signals do I need to watch out for? How much do I need to consider future market conditions when building my products today to avoid losing value? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery (00:01:44) How do you define disruption/disruption in the market? (00:08:08) How do I identify which innovation in the market needs my attention and which is important to my business? (00:17:04) How do you know you need to act in the market to avoid a disruption? (00:21:00) Of the startups you deal with, how many are working on ideas that are worth investing in? (00:28:18) How forward-thinking should founders be in building products today, and what is the risk of being outcompeted in four five years if they don't? (00:31:59) What was the writing process of your book like in terms of the two important factors you needed to focus on? (00:38:40) How important are values and ethics to you personally in the startup world, and how do you test whether startups are in line with them? (00:44:02) What are important criteria for you when choosing investors for your own projects or for the startups you invest in? Pascal Finette LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pfinette/ be radical: https://beradical.group/ Book Disrupt Disruption : https://amzn.to/40R0F9q WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x a week get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Operational Excellence: A look behind Uber's China business - Cleo Sham, Stride VC 50:01

2 years ago50:01

50:01

Formerly an operator at Uber China, now an investor at Stride VC - that's Cleo Sham. In addition to exciting impressions of the Asian market, she also has operational insider knowledge for your success. What you learn: Do you necessarily need people on the ground if you want to operate in a non-European market? What are the differences between the Asian market and Europe and the US? What kind of help do I look for when my company needs operational support? What makes a good internal playbook? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery (00:01:21) How did you get into venture and startups? (00:02:41) Why did you start at Uber China instead of entering the US market? (00:04:21) How has Uber China changed as a result of your involvement? (00:07:08) What differences does China or the Asian market have from Europe and US and do I necessarily need locals to operate there? (00:15:51) How do you define operational excellence? What is important? (00:26:26) Playbook topic: How do you get started creating a playbook? (00:32:24) What should be included in my playbook? (00:34:40) How does the cadence of communication differ for a small business vs. a large business? (00:40:02) As an investor today, how does your experience in operations help you identify startups that are on a good path to operational excellence? (00:45:11) I'm a young startup looking for operational help: what skills should that help bring and how can I test the potential for help? Cleo Sham LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cleosham/ Stride VC: https://stride.vc/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x a week you will get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs): For clearer processes and better team goal achievement - Blake Hutchison, Flippa 41:19

2 years ago41:19

41:19

Blake Hutchison has a different view of the company: His years of sales experience now help him keep an eye on the problem at Flippa, just as they do at other companies: Where is the strategy hiccuping, where are SOPs not quite optimized, and where do you need to tweak things to hit the target? What you'll learn: How does the leadership style differ for a sales-savvy CEO versus a product-savvy CEO? What SOPs are helpful for my company? What should a sustainable and stable strategy look like in a startup? As a founder, when should you include Sales as a relevant topic in your planning? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery (00:02:12) How did you get into the venture world and Flippa? (00:04:56) How do you analyze a company and any challenges within it - and how do you not lose touch with the team? (00:11:18) What do you recommend for a sustainable strategy in the company and where do you see the value of a simple strategy vs. DeepDive? (00:19:22) What do you recommend as operational processes and SOPs and where do the latter have their flaws? (00:26:41) When do you repeat the internal sprint to achieve goals when you realize that you need to work deeper here and there? (00:32:03) You're a CEO with sales experience and not your typical product visionary. How would you say that influences your leadership style? (00:35:04) What do you recommend to founders: When should they include sales as a topic in their planning? Blake Hutchison LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/blakehutchison/ Flippa: https://flippa.com/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x a week you will get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Billion Dollar Exit, Churn Rate Optimization, Cab Table Management & The Importance of Giving Shares to Employees - Ragnar Sass, SaltoX & Ex-Pipedrive 55:15

2 years ago55:15

55:15

Ragnar Sass built Pipedrive up to a billion dollar exit - but how does it work? Which KPIs are important for this, how do I manage a clean cap table as a founder and how do I deal with investor feedback on my KPIs? We talk about concrete numbers, mistakes in hiring and cap table management from Ragnar's last years and why he is now rethinking employee ownership with Salto X. What you'll learn: What opportunities are there in a market that seems saturated? What processes and skills did the Pipedrive team have to develop on the way to becoming a Unicorn? When do you have the chance as a founder to turn an investor deal with bad terms in your favor? What tricks of the recruiting trade have made Pipedrive successful? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery (00:01:02) How did you get into startups and what did you do differently than other founders? (00:07:58) How do you define the right moment for you to pursue your projects and dreams? (00:10:03) Did you develop a different solution for the same problem because the market needed it or because you didn't want to compete with the big players in the market? (00:15:36) When did you realize you needed to upgrade your work to scale Pipedrive and what processes and skills were involved? (00:25:05) What has changed at Pipedrive along the way to becoming a Unicorn? (00:30:37) What KPIs were important for you guys to increase revenue? (00:35:10) Cap Table: What is important and should definitely be considered? (00:39:07) How do I turn down a deal with bad terms and then turn the terms around to a better position? (00:45:48) What's wrong with employee ownership or what can go wrong? (00:50:34) How do you approach employee ownership better? LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ragnarsass/ SaltoX: https://www.saltox.co WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x a week get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
"CEOs shouldn't have meetings" - 5 million users, 20M ARR with no investors and empty calendar! - Amir Salihefendic, doist 53:04

2 years ago53:04

53:04

Amir Salihefendic completely bootstrapped doist and didn't bring in any investor money even at the market high of 2021 - but why not? In this episode you'll get a deep insight into bootstrapping mindset and the art of keeping a huge market success alive without outside help. Todoist is probably the best known product of the group and has more than 5 million users. Basically, I find it exciting that Amir has almost no meetings and doesn't just rush from appointment to appointment. Definitely exciting insights into the life of a CEO who does things differently. What you learn: Why does it sometimes make sense to fully rely on bootstrapping instead of bringing VCs on board? Why is it important to keep an eye on revenue per employee and make it the most important KPI in the company? How does Amir manage to get by without meetings? How do I communicate within the team when I don't have meetings to do so? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery (00:01:30) How did you get into starting up and why did you start Todoist? (00:03:55) How important is it to be a power user of your product and when did a side hustle turn into a solid company? (00:08:43) How do you manage growth and revenue when a majority of users could theoretically be free users forever? (00:11:39) How did you have to adapt processes and structures of the company after you started targeting more B2B? (00:15:29) You pay a lot of attention to revenue per employee - can you give us deeper insights into when and why that became an important KPI? (00:20:16) Give us a crazy story from your career. (00:22:23) What were the biggest challenges in bootstrapping? (00:24:47) When did you feel you had achieved Product Market Fit? (00:28:04) You probably could have raised millions in the 2021 market for faster growth, but decided against it. Why? (00:32:33) How do you define a productive company? (00:34:32) What is your daily and work schedule? (00:39:31) What tips do you have for prioritizing meetings (when are meetings useful?)? (00:42:08) What does the right ambition/incentive look like for you to build a business? (00:47:39) Should IPO be the final goal for any company? LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amix3k/ doist: https://doist.com/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x weekly get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
First company sold to Google, purchase offer rejected by Mark Zuckerberg, successor search together with Ben Horowitz: a look behind the story of Dennis Crowley (LivingCities, Street FC & Foursquare) 59:39

2 years ago59:39

59:39

Dennis Crowley founded Foursquare and is one of the most blatant insiders of the last 20 years. Originally known as a consumer product, the company now does more than $100M in revenue with B2B licensing. Dennis sold his first company to Google and dubbed it a failure. That's why he turned down Mark Zuckerberg's offer to buy the second company. After pivoting the business model to B2B, Dennis knew he didn't want to be CEO anymore. He picked his successor in Ben Horowitz of a16z. After Foursquare, not planning to start up again. Together with two outstanding co-founders, he is now responsible for the product of Living Cities, with which they want to create the interface between the real and virtual world... A very open and honest conversation about Imposter Syndrome, Challenges and at the same time a lot of experience from Dennis Crowley. ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery What you learn: As a startup, can I gear up for virality? As a successful CEO, how do you find a successor who will run the company well and decouple yourself more from the company? Why is the inner child important in making serious business decisions? Why should you never take yourself too seriously? What moves a founder to stick to his idea even though the entire environment rejects it? How does Dennis deal with impostor syndrome (spoiler: he has it every day)? (00:01:51) What were the most difficult decisions you had to make as a person and as a CEO/Founder? (00:05:47) Growth issue: where is the sweet spot between being prepared for growth and being overwhelmed? (00:08:55) How do you approach product building and what role does a good reputation play - does that build pressure? (00:13:45) In development and product development, where is the best balance between data-driven decisions and gut decisions? (00:19:16) Can you explain the pivot from Foursquare? (00:24:32) How did you find a suitable successor for your CEO position and what was the process like? (00:28:58) What convinced you to start a company again, even though a few years ago you said you didn't want to? What does Living Cities do? (00:32:56) What do experiences mean to you? (00:36:57) Why did you stick with your business idea even though you were initially rejected by everyone around you? (00:40:41) What are your hypotheses about future experiences of people, related to Living Cities? (00:47:36) How important is it to not lose or consult your inner child when making business decisions and product building? (00:51:33) What people and mentors have inspired and helped you on your startup journey? Dennis Crowley LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dpstyles/ Foursquare: https://foursquare.com/ Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Award-winning company culture & the relevance of capacity building as a founder – Robert Glazer, Acceleration Partners 37:59

3 years ago37:59

37:59

30+ awards für company culture and a lot of learnings in capacity building and leadershipment – that is what Robert Glazer brings into the interview. He wrote three books and shares all of his knowledge, so that you can start your personal development as a leader and elevate your team. What you’ll learn: How to be a good leader for a remote team or a physical one How to hire exactly the people your company needs – without telling them you are “that one company” with “that important values” How to build team capacity and a good matching, divers team Which qualities are often overlooked when it comes to leaders? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery (00:00:58) How did you get into writing books? What was the process, what's your story? (00:03:41) How is personal development as a leader different from creating a framework to see your team grow? (00:06:23) How do I decide if I want a remote team or not? Where do leadearship styles differ? (00:08:52) What makes a good leader and how honest do you need to be? (00:10:35) How do you define capacity and what should I consider as a leader when building capacity? (00:15:21) Do I need to look for a leader who has a good leadership style or one who fits my values? (00:17:48) How do I build a good team before I build capacity and how important is diversity? (00:23:24) How do I build capacity for my team and how individual/general do I go? (00:25:41) How do you define culture and how do you make sure everyone knows how important it is? (00:28:56) How do I find candidates that fit my company values? (00:31:34) What leadership traits are often overlooked? (00:33:22) Who is your new book written for and what can the reader expect? Robert Glazer LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/glazer/ Acceleration Partners: https://www.accelerationpartners.com/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x a week you'll get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Learnings as Head of Product at Instagram, Airbnb & Coinbase; product strategy, leading product teams & scaling - Sanchan Saxena. 58:46

3 years ago58:46

58:46

Sanchan Saxena was one of the first employees at Instagram, then led product management at Airbnb, and then was responsible for everything consumer at Coinbase. What you'll learn: How do the product strategies of Kevin Systrom (Instagram), Brian Chesky (Airbnb), and Brian Armstrong (Coinbase) differ? What qualities do I look for in product management? How do I test a senior executive in product management? What skills does a good product team need and how do I select the right people for it? Do products always have to be developed in combination with customer feedback or is the intuition of the founders enough? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery (00:01:14) What excites you about product management? (00:03:19) What does good product management mean? (00:08:07) What are the biggest mistakes and misconceptions of product management that you have encountered in your career? (00:10:44) Balancing data and intuition in product development. (00:12:37) How do the product strategies of Kevin Systrom (Instagram), Brian Chesky (Airbnb), and Brian Armstrong (Coinbase) differ? (00:19:01) Are there only the two options: Either total product management nerd or very aten-driven? (00:22:48) Which metrics should I measure in product management, which ones shouldn't I, and how do I build meaningful structures for that? (00:27:24) How do I best prepare my product for scaling? (00:30:51) How do I manage a product team properly? (00:35:29) What qualities make up a strong product team? (00:40:38) How do I decide whether to hire a senior or someone who prefers to get their hands dirty and really get involved? (00:42:48) Best practices in hiring product teams. (00:47:03) What are the biggest challenges when I want to scale a product-based business? (00:52:29) How do you find the right pace to embrace growth, challenges, and opportunities without going under? (00:59:46) Of all the people you've met over the years, who have inspired you the most? Did you have a mentor? Sanchan Saxena LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sanchans…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Customers pay this founder >100,000 per year: pricing software and the interplay of content and business - Kison Patel, DealRoom. 1:01:00

3 years ago1:01:00

1:01:00

Kison Patel created Dealroom.net, the solution for corporate transactions as a tool, without investors. Over the years, he has additionally launched MA Science, an educational brand for the Mergers & Acquisitions (company acquisitions) space, and has shaken up the scene. What you'll learn: What problems are really worth solving with a product or software Pricing of software solutions (Dealroom sometimes charges more than 100.000€ per year from customers) The challenges of team building and organizational structure How not to forget to develop yourself in between all the problems of building a company ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery (00:01:04) What brought you to the M&A field and why are you still in it? (00:04:41) Why do you tend to work with smaller deals and what is the challenge behind large deals? (00:08:49) What are the most important learnings from founding and existing DealRoom and why did you build a content brand on top with M&A Science? (00:19:24) What is the right balance between innovation and products based on customer feedback? (00:21:33) How do you find the right relevant problems for your target audience and prioritize like you do the existing problems? (00:28:23) You are 50 employees today - what challenges did you face on the way to becoming a team and a structured organization? (00:36:40) How have you personally evolved as the company has grown and what challenges have been most difficult? (00:43:19) How do you structure your projects and how far along does one need to be before you can start something new? (00:49:17) How do you go about pricing your products? (00:52:56) What is your ultimate tip for founders? Kison Patel: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kisonpatel/ M&A Science: https://www.mascience.com/…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Finding Focus, User Engagement at Any Cost & The Social Dilemma - Nir Eyal, bestselling author. 49:22

3 years ago49:22

49:22

Finding Focus, User Engagement at Any Cost & The Social Dilemma - Nir Eyal, bestselling author. Nir Eyal is internationally known for his books "Indistractable" and "Hooked". What is actually the difference between habit-forming and addictive products and what is our responsibility as a founding team here? Additionally, we talk about how you deal with distractions in your everyday life and develop focus. Nir, by the way, was interviewed for "Social Dilemma" on Netflix for over three hours. He also tells you why he still only ended up in the credits, but not in the film. What you learn: As a founder, do I have to intervene if I notice that my product is leading to unhealthy overconsumption among users? As a founder, how do I keep the focus on my projects and prevent external triggers from determining my time allocation? The Social Dilemma: Just window dressing? How concerning is it that bad habits like alcohol consumption are laughed at rather than criticized because it's considered normal? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery (00:01:34) Who did you write your books for and what is the message? (00:04:11) As a founder:in, what responsibility do I have to the user:in terms of consuming my product? (00:09:18) How much can I leave users:in to their own responsibility to use my product and should I include safety elements in my product? (00:17:07) How do you feel about the fact that too often overconsumption (e.g. alcohol) is laughed at rather than criticized because it is "normal"? (00:21:16) Is too much self-optimization unhealthy, even if you are happy with your situation? (00:23:49) What levers can I move if I feel too much outside influence is affecting my focus on my own projects? (00:29:09) How important is repetition when you want to tackle things and make them happen, and how do you get rid of external triggers that distract you? (00:38:32) What is your perspective on the topic of To Do - Lists? (00:44:42) How does your knowledge of focus and productivity influence your work as an angel investor? Nir Eyal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nireyal/ Website: https://www.nirandfar.com/…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Impact of the current market situation on VC funds; finding the right CFO & fundraising strategy - Alexander Langholz, Cherry Ventures 54:15

3 years ago54:15

54:15

Alexander Langholz is CFO at Cherry Ventures and has previously supported various IPOs for years. He talks to Fabian about the business as CFO of a venture capital fund, IPOs and fundraising strategy. What you learn: What impact does the current market situation have on venture capital firms (using Cherry Ventures as an example)? At what point do I absolutely need a CFO in the company? How have funding rounds changed due to the crisis years and market changes? How can I recognize a good CFO who is suitable for my startup? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery (00:01:05) How do the current market changes affect a seed VC company like Cherry Ventures? (00:04:11) As a CFO, what data and information are you most interested in about the companies' portfolios? (00:06:10) What indicators do you use to tell if companies are well positioned? (00:06:45) Why has the relevance of profitability changed so much? (00:08:52) If you are now supposed to get to faster profitability with less money - is that as contradictory as it sounds? (00:10:53) What needs to change for IPOs to matter again? (00:14:15) How do you make it clear to startups that the growth valuations of recent crisis years are no longer attractive now? (00:16:36) As a fund, have you had to reevaluate your portfolio and adjust it to market conditions? (00:20:41) Do you communicate to the founders when the paper value of the company is adjusted? (00:21:01) What are the challenges of being a CFO at a venture capital firm? (00:23:32) How would you estimate the market will be in 2023? (00:26:30) As an entrepreneur, when do you realize that you are ready for an IPO or that you should think about different financing/exit strategies? (00:31:40) Differences between an IPO in Germany vs. the U.S. (00:32:51) When do I hire a CFO? (00:36:34) Is it okay to look for an interim CFO first? (00:37:32) How do I recognize a good CFO? (00:39:11) How would you currently structure a financing round from a founder's perspective? Alexander Langholz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-langholz-baikousis-905b193a/ Cherry Ventures: https://www.cherry.vc/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x a week get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Recalibrating as a startup: without aligned milestones, you won't get new funding - Marvin Liao, Diaspora Ventures 45:42

3 years ago45:42

45:42

With over 450 investments in early-stage startups, Marvin Liao is one of the most active investors in the world, In the podcast, we talk about how you recalibrate as a founder to see if you're on track. Marvin often sees with his portfolio companies that founders assume too much that it only affects others and don't want to perceive that the market situation affects them too... What you learn: In what ways are people currently investing differently? Who is currently getting money?? Why is it super important to get outside help in tough times? How do I communicate to my team and investors when I realize we are in crisis mode? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery (00:01:23) You've made over 450 investments - what were the most unusual ones from a VC perspective? (00:02:30) What should founders be prepared for in 2023? (00:04:41) To what extent do I need to revise milestones and plans for my next round of funding? (00:05:59) How likely is it that the million-dollar rounds from previous years will be repeated this year? (00:06:25) How can I make sure I survive in 2023 with the money I took in from previous years? (00:08:12) How unprepared are the founders currently and what are the consequences? (00:9:18) How can founders determine if they are prepared for the next crisis year? (00:12:33) Is everything bad in the current market situation or are there also positive points? (00:14:07) How should I approach my fundraising to have a meaningful survival strategy for the current market? (00:17:38) Who can Green:ers turn to for help and advice in times of crisis? (00:18:48) What thoughts do I need to have before a funding round??? (00:20:44) Application example for crisis fundraising. (00:24:13) Why are corporate culture and communication so important? (00:26:42) As a founder:in, how can you try to keep a level head and not rush into anything? (00:28:21) How do you communicate (internally & with investors) when you realize that the company will not survive the next phase? (00:30:48) What is the best way to communicate problems??? (00:36:00) What are your goals in VC work and how are they evolving in light of what's happening in the market? (00:38:48) Has your way of investing and evaluating changed with market conditions and how do you continue to achieve successful investments? (00:40:45) What is the best way for European founders to build an international business? (00:41:33) What advice do you often give but find difficult to follow yourself? (00:44:27) Your final words to the founders who are listening Marvin Liao LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marvinliao/ Diaspora Ventures: https://www.diaspora.vc/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x wöchentlich bekommst du eine persönliche Sprachnotiz oder Inhalte von mir, die dich zu einem besseren Gründer machen, melde dich jetzt mit einem Klick an: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Companies are bought, not sold - Mike Janke, Datatribe 55:45

3 years ago55:45

55:45

Mike Janke has built Datatribe, one of the best data science and cyber security venture studios globally.... His experience with Special Forces helped him build the company - but how? We talk about team leadership, growth stage, when your Head of or VPs shouldn't grow with the company and how to teach them to go easy on themselves. What you'll learn: How good team building works and whether you always have to herd experts. If you are planning an exit - how should you prepare your team and business for it? Why do they say companies are bought and not sold? How do you find the right VC for your company and how do you communicate changes between stages? How do you communicate to executives that they are not right for the next stage of the company? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery (00:01:08) What is Datatribe? (00:09:14) What does a good team look like to you, even with the background knowledge of team building in Special Forces? (00:14:37) Skills vs culture fit: how can I tell which employee is a better fit for my company? (00:19:29) Why not delay or postpone decisions for too long? (00:24:13) How do I communicate with my VPs and managers the nextphases of the company, even if they may no longer be right for the tasks, without them feeling attacked? (00:28:41) What role do company culture and revenue play in key personnel decisions? (00:34:55) How do you approach an exit internally and how do you communicate a possible sale or exit with your team? (00:40:26) How do you identify the VC that will "benefit" your company the most and move you forward? (00:43:23) How important is money really and how do I find the right one for my business among all the supposedly good VCs? (00:47:29) What is the role of the investor and the VC's respective partner? (00:50:55) When does ego help me build a good company and at what point is it too much ego? (00:54:31) Mike's last words for the audience? Mike Janke LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-j-a79327/ Datatribe: https://datatribe.com/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x weekly get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Seed to Series A, good pitch deck & network building - Jon Dishotsky, Giant Ventures 43:58

3 years ago43:58

43:58

Jon Dishotsky has raised 50 million himself from top investors like Y Combinator or Index Ventures, meanwhile, he is an investor at Giant Ventures and thus works on the other side. In the podcast, we talk about the phase between Seed and Series A, a good pitch deck, how to properly ask for intros, and much more. What you'll learn: Why you should always give context when asking someone for help as a founder: in- and the role a like-minded trusted network plays in this. What is important in a convincing pitch deck? How to present yourself and your company as a motivated and convincing competitor. How you should approach fundraising when everything doesn't go like a fairy tale (00:00:44) What things do you wish you had known as a founder that you only learned as a VC? (00:02:49) As a founder:in you need to manage your investors and continue to build relationships after a round of funding (00:04:21) Why context is incredibly important when asking for help as a Founder: in (00:09:18) What makes a good pitch deck (00:13:59) Competitive slide in the pitch deck: How do I position my company cleanly to the competition without using irrelevant slides? (00:17:13) How can I convince as a founder: in such a way that an investor picks up the spark of motivation and vision and can no longer say no? (00:19:04) How important is a peer group/trustworthy network in terms of contact with the VC? (00:21:37) What uncomfortable tasks await me on the way from the seed round to Series A? (00:28:38) How do I explain to my Series A investors that not everything went optimally in the seed phase? (00:31:51) Is Series A still the logical consequence after pre-seed and seed? Did companies get Series A funding too quickly last year? (00:36:18) Where is the line between "I'm too confident in myself and my product" and "I'm too reflective and doubtful"? (00:40:31) What advice do you often give but find hard to follow yourself? Jon Dishotsky LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jondishotsky/ Giant Ventures: https://www.giant.vc/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x a week get a personal voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Anecdotes from Spotifys founding days, personal growth and insights into the mindset of a seed investor - Sophia Bendz, ex-founding team Spotify, General Partner at Cherry Ventures 45:00

3 years ago45:00

45:00

Sophia Bendz is a general partner at Cherry Ventures. Sophia joined Cherry from Atomico, where she was also a Partner and built the firm's well-known Angel program. Sophia's passion is supporting early-stage companies, an interest she has discovered in over 40 angel investments in Europe and North America. Sophia was also Global Marketing Director at Spotify for seven years, taking the audio platform from a Swedish apartment-based startup to an international player with hundreds of millions of users and 3000+ employees. We talk about anecdotes from her early days at Spotify, building a global brand in the consumer space, her learnings as an investor, the role of Scandinavia in Europe, founder egos, the part of personal development in your success, and how you figure out what success means to you in the first place. What you'll learn: What are the critical cornerstones for a successful marketing and brand strategy? How close is the Netflix series "The Playlist" to the real deal in Spotify creation? How do you make difficult decisions without letting emotions and ego get the upper hand? What role do personal development and work-life balance play in a successful career? Chapters: (00:01:51) How do you make important decisions, and why did you choose the relatively unknown Cherry at the time? (00:04:52) Who is Cherry Ventures? (00:05:46) Why was the growth peak at Spotify the right moment for you to leave the company? (00:07:33) What were the early days at Spotify like? What all was happening at that time?? Can you walk us through those early days? (00:10:31) How does brand focus fit into a developer-focused team? How did Sophia convince the rest of the group of its relevance? (00:12:22) When did you feel like you were working on something massive at Spotify? (00:13:33) How real is the series "The Playlist" on Netflix about the rise of Spotify? (00:15:11) From your experience: What does a marketing and brand strategy need? What are the fundamental cornerstones? (00:21:02) How much are the brand strategy and the founder's vision related? (00:23:05) What tips do you give "your" founders (that you invest in) regarding ego? How do you make the right decisions? (00:27:41) How important is trusting your "founding family"? (00:28:50) Do investors focus too much on the B2B and software sectors and neglect consumer startups? Or is this just a distorted perception? (00:30:32) What characteristics do you use to define successful brands? What signals do you observe among founders? (00:32:16) What influence does AI have on future startups? (00:35:00) What is the role of Scandinavia in Europe? (00:37:48) How do you live personal development and work-life balance to grow with your challenges? (00:45:05) What advice do you often give but find hard to follow yourself? Sophia Bendz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sophiabendz/ Cherry Vertures: https://www.cherry.vc/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x a week, you'll get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder; sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/unicorn-bakery-news ALL IMPORTANT LINKS TO UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
How to build billion-dollar companies from pivots – Cal Henderson, Co-Founder 6 CTO Slack 40:57

3 years ago40:57

40:57

Cal Henderson and his team wanted to improve ways to connect online. The result was a lot of bad decisions - and finally, Flickr and later Slack. Where did the courage come from to build something from the failed pile to such successful companies? What you learn: When was the right moment for Cal to walk away from Flickr, and how that led to the idea for Slack What strategies have been established for a small company to make software popular in the B2B space? What role do blockchain, crypto, AI, and other technologies Play in the future - and can artificial intelligence improve software like Slack? Chapters: (00:03:11) When and how did you start as an entrepreneur? (00:06:41) Why didn't you go to Microsoft after all, and what was your work like at Flickr? (00:08:46) How did the purchase by Yahoo! change your work, and how did it feel to be bought by such a corporation? (00:09:50) When and why did you decide to leave Flickr, and how did you end up on Slack? (00:14:46) Why a communication tool, and how did you approach companies to promote Slack? (00:17:20) From today's perspective, would you promote software the way you did with Slack back then? (00:20:53) When did you realize that Slack could do more than just enterprise communications and what impact does that bring to the future? (00:23:43) What is coming technologically in the next few years? Will things like blockchain and AI become more critical? (00:27:10) How would you evaluate the role of blockchain and crypto from an expert perspective, and are you concerned about it yourself? (00:31:17) What book would you recommend? (00:35:58) How did your company culture evolve when you proliferated? (00:38:08) Closing Words Cal Handerson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/iamcal Slack: https://slack.com/…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Ryan Breslow on the silicon valley mafia, founding multiple Unicorns, company culture & what makes founders successful 52:14

3 years ago52:14

52:14

Ryan Breslow looks back on many successful founding years: Bolt (11 billion dollar valuation), Eco (Unicorn), and now love.com. He gained plenty of experience on the road to success, which he now shares with you. He talks to Fabian about the influence of Silicon Valley, the importance of setbacks, his biggest mistake, and the perfect company culture. What you'll learn: What mindset & skillset do you need to start a stable business outside the flourishing ecosystem? Can a successful business be built entirely remotely? How do you achieve the optimal product-market fit & what tips does Ryan have for early-stage founders in particular? What matters most in an impact-driven business? Chapter: (00:00:41) Is Silicon Valley a mafia? (00:02:24) How has Silicon Valley rejection affected Ryan's journey as a founder & do you see it more as an opportunity or a challenge? (00:04:26) What mindset & skillset is helpful when building a business from a place that's not part of a flourishing ecosystem? (00:05:28) Is it necessary to meet like-minded people in person, or can you build a solid network purely online? (00:07:22) Can you build a good company culture remotely at all? (00:08:36) On what important cornerstones do you build a good company culture that works well during the growth phase? (00:10:30) How do you define and measure the impact of a company? (00:12:42) How to find the right balance between achieving results and investing until growth is visible? (00:18:50) What are the pros and cons of simultaneously building a new business and, on the other hand, producing content as a founder? (00:22:32) What is your north star or vision that drives you? (00:25:44) What are the specifics of your new company love.com? (00:31:01) How do you want to achieve product-market fit with love.com & what tips do you have for other early-stage founders? Ryan's recipe for product market fit (00:35:25) What accomplishments are you most proud of? (00:36:02) What was the most challenging compromise you had to make to succeed? (00:36:44) What was your biggest mistake (so far)? (00:38:08) What is one thing about you that people often misunderstand? (00:41:02) What is your greatest strength in the company & what is the area with the most potential for improvement?(00:42:18) You've met many people in your career so far - who has impressed you the most? (00:45:31) Ryan's advice for founders. Ryan Breslow LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryantakesoff/ Love Health: https://www.love.com/ Ryan and Fabian talked about this some more: Ryan's Twitter profile: https://twitter.com/ryantakesoff Ryan's book on fundraising: https://amzn.to/3F3odjA Ryan's book on recruiting: https://amzn.to/3ij8ZOs WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x a week, get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder. Sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/unicorn-bakery-newsletter…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Finding a million dollar idea, pros and cons of scaling with flat hierarchis and the story of Blinkist, with Blinkist Co-Founder Holger Seim 55:09

3 years ago55:09

55:09

Blinkist is now globally known, has been profitable since last year, and seems at first glance to have been a stroke of genius. Behind it, however, is a process of many years that the founders have thought out and followed. They also built their company based on holacracy. What are the pros and cons of scaling with flat hierarchies? What you learn: Why is it good if "the one idea" needs a little more time to mature? What challenges do pretty much all founders face along the way & how can you prepare for them? Why can brainstorming with like-minded people be elementarily important for your founding success? How can you approach the topic of recruiting in a structured way & what should you definitely keep in mind?…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
How do I improve my decision-making as a founder? With Daniel Weinand, Co-Founder of Shopify 26:47

3 years ago26:47

26:47

Entrepreneurs and startups make decisions all the time - but what if you realize your decision was wrong? Daniel Weinand (formerly Co-Founder of Shopify) joined me at START Summit to answer questions about making important decisions: - What makes good decisions? - How do I assess risk when making important decisions? - How do I react to changing circumstances after I've already made a decision? - How do I evaluate the quality of my decisions? This much up front: you won't make a good decision without information and advance work. Chapters: 00:54 Introduction of the Fireside Chat 02:06 Short introduction Daniel 04:07 Daniel's framework on decision making - how do you make great decisions? 06:56 Example Fabian: When is it necessary to reconsider the decision? 08:07 How do you make sure you don't change the decision too early? 10:40 Example Daniel: How do you proceed when you need/want to change a decision? 14:03 Tips for good decisions - and how to avoid bad decisions. 17:32 Bold decisions require scaling 18:36 How do you scale the culture to make a collaboration work? 21:48 Do you think remote work is a risk or an advantage? 23:14 What happened next for you after Shopify? 24:50 What is your mission? Daniel's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielweinand/…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Personality development as a founder, USA vs. Europe and the role of mentors, with ResearchGate founder Ijad Madisch live at Stage Two 41:23

3 years ago41:23

41:23

Ijad Madisch has turned the world of science upside down: Through his platform ResearchGate, he offers scientists the opportunity to exchange information about things that have not worked. With his concept, he convinced Bill Gates, Peter Thiel and Benchmark Capital, among others, as investors. He tells Fabian live at Stage Two how he doesn't lose focus despite his success and why work-life balance is of considerable importance to him. What you learn: How does Ijad manage to grow along with his tasks and develop personally fast enough? Why was a social platform for scientists absolutely necessary? How does Ijad achieve his work-life balance - and what can you learn from this for your entrepreneurial life? How does entrepreneurship in Germany differ from the US - and why is it worth looking across the pond? Which people have helped Ijad on his way, inspired him and acted as mentor:in? Ijad Madisch LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ijad-madisch-4428229/ ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/ WHATSAPP NEWSLETTER: 1-2x a week get a personalized voice note or content from me that will make you a better founder, sign up now with one click: https://bit.ly/ub-whatsapp-newsletter…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Toxic investor traits & Recruiting for Diversity | Monika Liikamaa, Co-Founder of Enfuce 28:21

3 years ago28:21

28:21

How do I create a diverse recruiting process and avoid toxic investors? Monika Liikamaa is the founder of the Finnish fintech startup Enfuce. There are currently more than 100 people working for Enfuce and more than 60 million euros have been invested in the startup. We talk about: - How you promote diversity in your team - why diversity has a positive impact on your startup - what to look for in the application process when your CV is not the deciding factor - what toxic characteristics you need to recognize in your investors early on MONIKA LIIKAMAA LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/monikaliikamaa/ Enfuce: https://enfuce.com/…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Building a unicorn by enabling banks through software and cloud -Eugene Danilkis, Co-Founder of Mambu 27:18

4 years ago27:18

27:18

Eugene Danilkis is the founder of the fintech unicorn Mambu. About 10 years ago, there was no interface for cloud and banking. In the last 10 years, Eugene has completely changed that with Mambu. We talked in Fireside Chat at START Summit 21 about how the whole journey started. Where did Eugene actually meet his co-founders and how did Mambu evolve from that? How did Mambu get its first customers in such an industry? Of course, we addressed many more questions. Important links: - Eugene's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/edanilkis/ - Mambu: https://mambu.com - START: https://startglobal.org…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Building the worlds leading marketplace for luxury watches - Tim Stracke, Co-Founder of Chrono24 26:43

4 years ago26:43

26:43

How the market leader for luxury watches was founded in Karlsruhe This podcast episode is a recording from the START Summit, where Fabian Tausch interviews Tim Stracke, CEO of Chrono24. Tim Stracke and his co-founders took over the Chrono24 brand at an early stage and built it up to become the global market leader. Today, billions of dollars worth of luxury watches are traded through Chrono24, hundreds of thousands sell their watches through the marketplace, and you'll learn how it all came to be in this podcast episode. Important links: – Tim’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timstracke/ – Chrono24: https://www.chrono24.com/ – START: https://www.startglobal.org/…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Jack Constantine, CDO Lush 53:28

6 years ago53:28

53:28

How Lush is working during this digital era Our guest today is Jack Constantine, the Chief Digital Officer at Lush. Lush is an innovative, ambitious company manufacturing fresh handmade cosmetics. According to its web site, the company's goal is to make Lush (and the wider world) a better, fairer, and more sustainable place. How? By building an ethical, environmentally-friendly, and fair business. I was intrigued by their vision and amazed by Jack's enthusiasm and dedication to making a difference. Lush was founded by his parents, Mark Constantine and Elizabeth Weir. Jack has helped in various sectors of the company but finally found his place as the head of Digital Apartment. He immediately recognized the need to position the company in the online space. It was the beginning of social media and social networking evolution. Jack decided to use that opportunity and interact and communicate with customers. He built great social media channels and community forum, so today Lush is famous for its loyal and dedicated followers called "Lushies." But that didn't come overnight. They have always listened to their customers, being very attentive to their thoughts, needs, and expectations. Communication was one of the keys to their success. Moreover, here are some useful links: You can get the newest strategies and tools here: https://thevaluelab.co/news Look at our Digital Leaders merch: https://thevaluelab.co/shop Digital Leaders on YouTube: https://thevaluelab.co/r/youtube/ Digital Leaders Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8680696/ Digital Leaders on Instagram: https://instagram.com/digitalleaderspodcast…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Cal Fussman, NY Times bestselling author 51:57

6 years ago51:57

51:57

What is a good story and why you need to tell yours Cal Fussman is a New York Times bestselling author, interviewed many of the most famous personalities in the world for Esquire magazine and is the best storyteller I've met so far. In this podcast, Cal shares his knowledge by sharing stories and then explains why this is so powerful and why you need to learn how to tell your story. Moreover, here are some useful links: You can get the newest strategies and tools here: https://thevaluelab.co/news Look at our Digital Leaders merch: https://thevaluelab.co/shop Digital Leaders on YouTube: https://thevaluelab.co/r/youtube/ Digital Leaders Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8680696/ Digital Leaders on Instagram: https://instagram.com/digitalleaderspodcast…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Joachim Schreiner, Salesforce 54:37

6 years ago54:37

54:37

How Salesforce wants to become bigger than SAP Salesforce is one of the largest SaaS (software as a service) companies in the world. Together with Joachim Schreiner, managing director Germany and Austria, we're tapping into the Salesforce ecosystem and discover why Salesforce is different and how they plan to become bigger than SAP. Moreover, here are some useful links: You can get the newest strategies and tools here: https://thevaluelab.co/news Look at our Digital Leaders merch: https://thevaluelab.co/shop Digital Leaders on YouTube: https://thevaluelab.co/r/youtube/ Digital Leaders Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8680696/ Digital Leaders on Instagram: https://instagram.com/digitalleaderspodcast…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Cedrik Neike, Siemens 34:54

6 years ago34:54

34:54

How one of the biggest companies in the world tries to change Cedrik Neike works in one of the largest companies in the world and together with the rest of the board, he is responsible to drive the company further. In this interview the main case to get an understanding of how companies like Siemens work and make decisions as they drive our countries. Cedrik gives honest insights and opens up about the future plans of Siemens. Moreover, here are some useful links: You can get the newest strategies and tools here: https://thevaluelab.co/news Look at our Digital Leaders merch: https://thevaluelab.co/shop Digital Leaders on YouTube: https://thevaluelab.co/r/youtube/ Digital Leaders Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8680696/ Digital Leaders on Instagram: https://instagram.com/digitalleaderspodcast This episode is sponsored by SevDesk ( https://sevdesk.com ). SevDesk is your cloud-based accounting software to help you digitize and automize your accounting. I use SevDesk for three companies myself and that's why I was really happy when they approached me for a collaboration. Go to https://sevdesk.com and use the code DIGITALLEADERS25 to save 25% for the first three months. (The code is valid until the 31st of December.)…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Dagogo Altraide, Coldfusion TV 53:06

6 years ago53:06

53:06

How Dagogo built a YouTube channel with nearly 200.000.000 views I'm following Coldfusion TV for a long time already because I love the documentaries that are created on the channel. To be honest, for the longest time I didn't know that Dagogo is the brain behind. When I heard that he will visit Europe I decided to ask for a podcast interview and got a reply in thirty minutes. Sometimes it is very easy to reach people if you just ask. A few days later Dagogo and I met up in Barcelona for the interview and it was very interesting to understand the journey and the brain behind the channel. Moreover, here are some useful links: You can get the newest strategies and tools here: https://thevaluelab.co/news Look at our Digital Leaders merch: https://thevaluelab.co/shop Digital Leaders on YouTube: https://thevaluelab.co/r/youtube/ Digital Leaders Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8680696/ Digital Leaders on Instagram: https://instagram.com/digitalleaderspodcast This episode is sponsored by SevDesk ( https://sevdesk.com ). SevDesk is your cloud-based accounting software to help you digitize and automize your accounting. I use SevDesk for three companies myself and that's why I was really happy when they approached me for a collaboration. Go to https://sevdesk.com and use the code DIGITALLEADERS25 to save 25% for the first three months. (The code is valid until the 31st of December.)…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Clarissa Shen, former Udacity 40:13

6 years ago40:13

40:13

Why professional growth becomes more and more important Constant learning is important to me because at some point in my life I thought that the process of learning will end. I have no clue how this could happen but I am more than happy that I didn't stick to this mindset too long. Clarissa Shen is the former COO of Udacity and we were talking about professional growth for everybody but also how companies can implement it as part of their culture. Moreover, here are some useful links: You can get the newest strategies and tools here: https://thevaluelab.co/news Look at our Digital Leaders merch: https://thevaluelab.co/shop Digital Leaders on YouTube: https://thevaluelab.co/r/youtube/ Digital Leaders Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8680696/ Digital Leaders on Instagram: https://instagram.com/digitalleaderspodcast This episode is sponsored by SevDesk ( https://sevdesk.com ). SevDesk is your cloud-based accounting software to help you digitize and automize your accounting. I use SevDesk for three companies myself and that's why I was really happy when they approached me for a collaboration. Go to https://sevdesk.com and use the code DIGITALLEADERS25 to save 25% for the first three months. (The code is valid until the 31st of December.)…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Boris Veldhuijzen van Zanten, The Next Web 36:29

6 years ago36:29

36:29

How to not lose your fun and happiness between all the business Boris is the Founder of TNW and I have to thank them a lot for their event because it is the reason that this podcast exists. I got to know so many great people, that I recorded Digital Leaders in English. Boris is one of the most relaxed people and still fully committed to his business. Very often it seems like people lose their fun and happiness between all the business, and that's why I invited Boris. See the full article and more episodes here: https://thevalulab.co Moreover, here are some useful links: You can get the newest strategies and tools here: https://thevaluelab.co/news Look at our Digital Leaders merch: https://thevaluelab.co/shop Digital Leaders on YouTube: https://thevaluelab.co/r/youtube/ Digital Leaders Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8680696/ Digital Leaders on Instagram: https://instagram.com/digitalleaderspodcast This episode is sponsored by SevDesk ( https://sevdesk.com ). SevDesk is your cloud-based accounting software to help you digitize and automize your accounting. I use SevDesk for three companies myself and that's why I was really happy when they approached me for a collaboration. Go to https://sevdesk.com and use the code DIGITALLEADERS25 to save 25% for the first three months. (The code is valid until the 31st of December.)…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Finn Age Hänsel, Founder Sanity Group 41:58

6 years ago41:58

41:58

How to overtake a company in a crisis At the NOAH conference 2018, we had a great opportunity to talk to Finn Age Hansel, Managing Director of Movinga - a revolutionary startup offering online moving services. He is also a Co-Founder of Berliner Berg, Berlin-based craft beer brewery. Before that, he was a Rocket Internet SE, Managing Director of Epic Companies, and Managing Director of The Iconic - Australia's biggest online fashion retailer. Finn Age Hansel is a "business angel and serial entrepreneur passionate about the product, brand, and technology with the goal of finding the perfect balance between visionary ideas, creativity, and best-in-class execution." He was very generous to share his thoughts and reveal the ups and downs of his entrepreneurial journey. We were thrilled to talk about Rocket Internet, Movinga, and future of the relationship between corporate companies and startups. See the full article and more episodes here: https://thevalulab.co Moreover, here are some useful links: You can get the newest strategies and tools here: https://thevaluelab.co/news Look at our Digital Leaders merch: https://thevaluelab.co/shop Digital Leaders on YouTube: https://thevaluelab.co/r/youtube/ Digital Leaders Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8680696/ Digital Leaders on Instagram: https://instagram.com/digitalleaderspodcast…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Constantijn Van Oranje-Nassau, The Dutch Prince 43:42

6 years ago43:42

43:42

How the Dutch prince works in the startup ecosystem I first met Constantijn on an event in Berlin and was confused. The Dutch prince is interviewing a rapper on stage. I had two questions: What has the Dutch prince to do with startups? Why is he interviewing and not being interviewed? After the fireside chat, I approached Constantijn and asked for a podcast interview. As I hadn't had equipment with me, we needed to figure out where we can record in the future. That's why I flew to Amsterdam one week later and attended thenextweb.com to record an interview with Constantijn. This interview is what I found out as answers to the two questions, I asked myself. See the full article and more episodes here: https://thevalulab.co Moreover, here are some useful links: You can get the newest strategies and tools here: https://thevaluelab.co/news Look at our Digital Leaders merch: https://thevaluelab.co/shop Digital Leaders on YouTube: https://thevaluelab.co/r/youtube/ Digital Leaders Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8680696/ Digital Leaders on Instagram: https://instagram.com/digitalleaderspodcast…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Ton van't Noordende, 01 Ventures 40:47

6 years ago40:47

40:47

How to survive in the startup economy Ton is a deep tech investor based in the Netherlands. He is one of the most connected people I know, and every time I visit Amsterdam there is a new surprise waiting for me. He is definitely a hidden champion, and I don't want to give too much insights upfront. Have fun with this episode! See the full article and more episodes here: https://thevalulab.co Moreover, here are some useful links: You can get the newest strategies and tools here: https://thevaluelab.co/news Look at our Digital Leaders merch: https://thevaluelab.co/shop Digital Leaders on YouTube: https://thevaluelab.co/r/youtube/ Digital Leaders Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8680696/ Digital Leaders on Instagram: https://instagram.com/digitalleaderspodcast…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Marc Teerlink, SAP Leonardo 1:01:25

6 years ago1:01:25

1:01:25

Is Artificial Intelligence a chance or a risk for humankind and businesses? When we mention artificial intelligence (AI), many people think of gloomy future in which machines are completely replacing human workers making an army of unemployed people that are good to nobody and living on the verge of poverty. The question is, are we looking at things in the right perspective? What if artificial intelligence is something that is bringing humanity back to humans? Bringing humans back to their roots? Taking the heavy lifting processes from their shoulders and enabling them to focus on more important things? Freeing them from tedious, repetitive tasks, and giving them a chance to spread their creativity and bring real value? That is how Marc Teerlink, Global Vice President at SAP sees the goal of artificial intelligence and its development. Marc Teerlink began his professional journey by applying data around observed consumer behavior to statistics. He deeply understood that the value of data would very soon surpass the value of oil. At the same time, he realized data itself is useless if one did not have the knowledge to interpret it. If you know how to interpret and how to use data, which is precisely what artificial intelligence provides, you have a very powerful tool! Data is a driver for growth in today's economy, and only if used in the right perspective, it provides insights that lead to actions which create business value. Moreover, here are some useful links: You can get the newest strategies and tools here: https://thevaluelab.co/news Look at our Digital Leaders merch: https://thevaluelab.co/shop Digital Leaders on YouTube: https://thevaluelab.co/r/youtube/ Digital Leaders Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8680696/ Digital Leaders on Instagram: https://instagram.com/digitalleaderspodcast…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Tiffani Bova, Salesforce 39:53

6 years ago39:53

39:53

Hands-on strategies to grow your business Tiffani Bova is the Customer Growth and Innovation Specialist at Salesforce, author of "Growth IQ" and host of the "What's next"-Podcast. In this interview, we talk about different strategies to grow your business and give insights into Tiffany's day-to-day life. Make sure to stay until the end to understand, how you can win one of her books. See the whole article & shownotes at: https://thevaluelab.co/ Stay in touch with Tiffani: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tiffanibova/ Growth IQ: https://thevaluelab.co/r/growth-iq What's next Podcast on Spotify: https://thevaluelab.co/r/whats-next-tiffany-bova Moreover here are some useful links: You can get the newest strategies and tools here: https://thevaluelab.co/news Look at our Digital Leaders merch: https://thevaluelab.co/shop Digital Leaders on YouTube: https://thevaluelab.co/r/youtube/ Digital Leaders Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8680696/ Digital Leaders on Instagram: https://instagram.com/digitalleaderspodcast…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
5 days after Microsoft's GitHub acquisition: What does it take to build a billion dollar company? With Scott Chacon, Co-Foudner of GitHub & Chatterbug 40:39

6 years ago40:39

40:39

How is it to sell a company for 7.5bn dollars? Imagine you sit down next to somebody who sold his former company five days ago to Microsoft for more than 7bn dollars. That's what it felt like when I interviewed Scott. We sat down in Berlin and talked about GitHub, what he learned for his new company Chatterbug and why customer focus is so important for him. Have a lot of fun while listening, it is definitely worth it. See the whole article & show notes at https://thevaluelab.co/ Moreover, here are some useful links: You can get the newest strategies and tools here: https://thevaluelab.co/news Look at our Digital Leaders merch: https://thevaluelab.co/shop Digital Leaders on YouTube: https://thevaluelab.co/r/youtube/ Digital Leaders Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8680696/ Digital Leaders on Instagram: https://instagram.com/digitalleaderspodcast…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Bracken Darrell, CEO of Logitech 43:30

6 years ago43:30

43:30

How to transform a global player and make it a huge success story In the last 8 to 9 years, Logitech became one of the great success stories regarding the transformation of a corporate. I grew up with Logitech keyboards and mice, but over the years I barely heard fresh news. When I met Bracken at TNW 2018 in Amsterdam (https://thenextweb.com) and listened to his keynote, blew me away. It's incredible how the companies' approach changed since he came in as CEO. That's why I invited Bracken to the show. See the whole article & shownotes at: https://thevaluelab.co/ Moreover here are some useful links: You can get the newest strategies and tools here: https://thevaluelab.co/news Look at our Digital Leaders merch: https://thevaluelab.co/shop Digital Leaders on YouTube: https://thevaluelab.co/r/youtube/ Digital Leaders Community on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/groups/8680696/ Digital Leaders on Instagram: https://instagram.com/digitalleaderspodcast…

Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

1
Guy Kawasaki - Lessons from a life 39:46

6 years ago39:46