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In this episode, Remo Gerber (SkyCell) and Fabienne Doerig (CFO expert and consultant) discuss the challenges and strategies involved in building and scaling finance functions in fast-growing companies. The two share their experiences from different growth phases, from startups to billion-dollar organizations, and provide insights into the role of the CFO, process automation, successful fundraising tactics, and the importance of team building and system implementations. They also shed light on how CFOs can master the balancing act between being a strategic business partner and an operational gatekeeper.

What you'll take away from this episode:

The changing role of the CFO:...

In this episode, Cyrus Hessabi from Shore Capital Partners discusses the intersection of AI, traditional services, and roll-up strategies. He shares insights on how AI is transforming service businesses, why the democratization of AI creates new opportunities, and how the next generation of service companies will be built.

Key Learnings:

AI-Enabled Services:

Democratization of AI through cost & adoption

Balance between automation & human touch

Why service quality remains critical

Roll-up Strategy:

Customer acquisition through M&A

Integration challenges & solutions

The importance of operational excellence

Team & Leadership:

Required founder characteristics

Importance of industry experience

Building the right operational team...

In this episode of Unicorn Bakery, Mike Mahlkow sits down with Finn Murphy, General Partner at Nebular, to discuss how Finn identifies emerging trends and invests in founders building the future. Finn shares his philosophy of investing 12-18 months ahead of the market, focusing on areas like AI, robotics, space-based data centers, and quantum computing.

Finn discusses the challenges of being a solo GP, how he balances managing his fund while supporting founders, and why curiosity and a deep understanding of technology are essential to his approach. He also dives into the differences between the European and US startup ecosystems,...

In this episode of Unicorn Bakery, Nicolas Benady, co-founder and CEO of Swan, shares the journey of building one of Europe’s leading Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) platforms. Nicolas takes us behind the scenes of how Swan started in 2019, spent two years building its infrastructure, and has now grown to process over €20 billion in payments annually.

Nicolas discusses the challenges of creating a BaaS platform from scratch, the importance of conviction and timing, and how Swan is helping companies embed banking services, such as accounts, cards, and payments, into their own products. He also shares insights into fundraising, team building, and...

In this episode of Unicorn Bakery, Nir Eyal, bestselling author of "Hooked" and "Indistractable", joins Fabian Tausch to discuss how to design habit-forming products, balance personal focus, and build a life free from distractions. Nir shares his unique insights on the psychology of habits, why most people misunderstand distraction, and how founders can create meaningful, ethical products that improve users' lives.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

How to Build Habit-Forming Products:

The Hook Model and how it helps create products that build healthy customer habits

Why ethical design is critical when building products that people use frequently

Becoming Indistractable:...

Chris Merritt, former CRO of Cloudflare, shares how the company scaled from single-digit millions to $1 billion in ARR and built a foundation for long-term, sustainable growth. Chris unpacks the strategies behind scaling go-to-market teams, aligning product and sales for maximum impact, and creating strong customer relationships based on trust and value delivery.

He also discusses the challenges of building a world-class organization, maintaining momentum through different growth phases, and navigating the shifting dynamics of the SaaS landscape, especially with the emergence of AI and its impact on go-to-market strategies. 

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Scaling to $1 Billion...

Clay is one of THE success stories of the last years. 
But in early 2022, after 5 years of building, Clay did close to 0 in revenue. Two years later, Clay did approximately 30 million in ARR (Annual Recurring Revenue).

Kareem Amin, co-founder and CEO of Clay, shares the journey of building one of the most innovative AI-powered tools for go-to-market teams. From the early days of experimentation in 2017 to achieving hypergrowth and scaling to over $30 million ARR, Kareem dives deep into the challenges and lessons of building a product-led growth (PLG) company.

He explains how Clay helps...

Stevie Case, CRO at Vanta, explains how the company surpassed $100 million in ARR in just five years by building a predictable and scalable revenue engine. From founder-led sales to structuring a global sales organization, Stevie shares actionable insights for designing a repeatable go-to-market strategy and scaling effectively.
She breaks down the importance of discovery, identifying customer pain points, and building trust, along with tips on hiring and incentivizing your first sales team. 

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Key Elements of a Predictable Revenue Engine

Why discovery is the most critical skill for founders and sales teams

How to...

w Strava started as a "virtual locker room" in 1995 and why it didn’t work

The role of timing, technology, and social media in Strava’s eventual success

Building a Community-Driven Platform:

Why Strava focused on engagement over growth and how this approach led to organic scaling

Creating joy and reducing friction for users is important to keep them active and engaged

Key Lessons in Scaling:

How Strava expanded from cyclists to runners and other sports while staying authentic to each audience

The challenges of internationalization and adapting to cultural nuances in markets like Brazil and the UK

Navigating Challenges with...

In this episode of Unicorn Bakery, Hunter Walk, co-founder of Homebrew, joins Fabian Tausch for an in-depth conversation about his journey from product management at Google and YouTube to building one of the most respected early-stage venture capital firms in Silicon Valley. Hunter shares the story behind Homebrew’s evolution, why he and his co-founder Satya Patel decided to rethink the traditional VC model after nearly a decade, and how they now operate as a self-funded evergreen fund.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
The Transition from Builder to Investor:

Why Hunter left YouTube and Google after a decade to explore...