Unicorn Bakery - For Startup Founders

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/

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(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?

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/

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(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?

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?

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/

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(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?

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/

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/

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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/

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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/

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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

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

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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/

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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

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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)

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:

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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

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/

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/

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/

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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/

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

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?

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/

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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