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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...

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?...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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)...