This Much I Know - The Seedcamp Podcast

In the newly launched "Startups in Focus" series, our Managing Partner Carlos Espinal chats with Johannes Keienburg, co-founder and CEO of Cakewalk. Their conversation revolves around the importance of access control, visibility, and security in organizations. Johannes shares insights on the need for access management processes from the early days of an organisation, the challenges of data security, the evolution and future of access controls. Show notes: Johannes Keienburg - linkedin.com/in/johannes-keienburg/ Carlos Espinal – linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal Cakewalk getcakewalk.io Seedcamp seedcamp.com

In a new episode of This Much I Know, Carlos's guest is Chris Tottman, General Partner at Notion VC, one of Europe's top-tier VC firms. Chris shares insights on: - his journey as an entrepreneur and Venture Capital investor - the evolution of venture capital in Europe - how founders can become successful in company building. - the role of mentorship in the VC industry. He also highlights the significance of founder-led sales, strategic pricing, understanding customer needs, fundraising challenges, and more. Show Notes: Chris Tottman - linkedin.com/in/chris-tottman Carlos Espinal – linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal Notion VC - https://www.notion.vc/ Included - https://included.vc/ Seedcamp - seedcamp.com Chris's Book 'THE GO TO MARKET HANDBOOK FOR B2B SaaS LEADERS' - https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0CJ45462M?ref_=cm_sw_r_apin_dp_CBFYWJN41F41CBK033SA

In a follow-up to their Seedcamp Firsts conversation on data, our Venture Partner Devin Hunt and Candice Ren, Founder of analytics agency 173Tech and a member of the Seedcamp Expert Collective, dive deep into A/B testing and good data science practices. With new and exciting AI technology emerging around recommendation engines, how can product leads evaluate which solution is better and how to really measure a “better recommendation”? Focusing on a specific case study - a furniture marketplace, Candice, who worked on A/B testing and recommendation engines for Bumble, Plend Loans, MUBI, Treatwell and many others, shares her thoughts on: - the intricacies of setting up and analyzing an A/B test experiment focused on comparing two different recommendation algorithms - how you set your hypothesis - the best way to segment your user basis - how to select what you are controlling for (e.g. click-through rate) - how to interpret test results and consider broader business metrics impact. Candice and Devin also emphasize the importance of granular testing, proper test design, and documentation of test results for informed decision-making within a company's testing framework.

In a new Seedcamp Deep Dive, Carlos's guest is Di Cook, AI Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), research affiliate at the Center of the Study for Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge, and a doctoral candidate in war studies at King's College in London. Her research interests lie at the intersection of defense, intelligence, and AI. Their conversation revolves around the societal and security implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI), from the existential risks that AI could create, to the role of AI in national and international security. They also explore how AI technologies, and especially synthetic media, are augmenting and exacerbating societal and ethical issues and discuss potential initiatives and policies that can help to address these issues. They also examine the risks, potential misuses, and opportunities presented by AI, especially in the field of open-source intelligence (OSINT). Last but not least, they delve into different stakeholder's roles in re-establishing societal trust. Show Notes: Di Cooke - linkedin.com/in/dcooke34/ Carlos Espinal – linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal Centre for Strategic and International Studies - csis.org Seedcamp - seedcamp.com

In the latest Seedcamp Deep Dive, Carlos is joined by Kyran Schmidt, co-founder of Outverse, a community-first solutions platform; Jonathan Reimer, co-founder of crowd.dev, a developer data platform; and our Partner Sia Houchangnia. They discuss: - the importance of community-building for tech startups; - why intentionality and fostering a sense of belonging in community development are essential; - types of communities namely product and practitioner communities; - challenges, and strategies in creating and managing communities; - the community tech stack and specific tools (e.g., Discord, WhatsApp); - key success metrics and budget management considerations; - and more. Overview: 00:38 - Introduction to the Power of Communities 06:47 The Role of Community in Product-Led Growth 18:02 Defining Community and Its Importance 26:28 Managing Community Dynamics: Heroes vs Nutters 28:50 The Importance of Community Culture 29:43 Building, Designing and Scaling Community 33:49 Community Segmentation and Success Metrics 37:49 The Role of Founders in Community Building 57:47 Community Building: Tool Stack and Budgeting 1:05:31 Concluding Thoughts on Community Building Show Notes: Jonathan Reimer - linkedin.com/in/jonathimer Kyran Schmidt - linkedin.com/in/kyran-schmidt Sia Houchangnia - linkedin.com/in/siahouchangnia Carlos Espinal - linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal crowd.dev - crowd.dev Outverse - outverse.com Seedcamp - seedcamp.com Resources: How to build a developer community: a step-by-step guide‍ CrowdDev's blog (includes many articles about community building) [Seedcamp Firsts] How to create and scale an iconic community. Lessons from Sorare – Features Dan O’Kelly, an early Community - - Lead at Seedcamp-backed fantasy sports unicorn Sorare in conversation with our Partner Sia Houchangnia Appwrite's community and blog [appwrite.io]

In a new episode of Seedcamp Firsts, Candice Ren, Founder of 173Tech and a member of the Seedcamp Expert Collective, talks with our Venture Partner Devin Hunt about how data relates to building a great product at your startup. Candice, who contributed to building Bumble's data analytics function and team, explains the importance of understanding and utilizing company data effectively in startups. She provides insights into establishing Northstar metrics, user journey analytics, feature analytics, data dictionaries, and strategies for effective data sharing among teams. Learn about: - the user journey as your source of data; - the difference between product/app and features analytics; - how to think about your data stack; - what to track and why you shouldn't track everything; - why you need a master dashboard and what should it include.

In the latest episode of 'This Much I Know,' Carlos's guest is James Wise, Partner at Balderton and author of the newly published book "Start-up Century." They discuss: - the global movement of entrepreneurship and its role in today's world and the decades to come - the evolving nature of work and how AI is accelerating its transformation the Five C's of AI Integration - the new technological frontiers, including health, housing, and energy - James's 'Entrepreneur's Manifesto,' a policy recommendation for governments to better support entrepreneurs - the role writing plays in his day-to-day work as an investor, and how his book has influenced his investment strategies Show Notes: James Wise - twitter.com/jamespaulwise - linkedin.com/in/jamespaulwise/ Carlos Espinal - twitter.com/cee - linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal/ Balderton - balderton.com Seedcamp - seedcamp.com Start-Up Century. Why we're all becoming entrepreneurs - and how to make it work for everyone - https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/startup-century-9781399410595/

The latest Seedcamp Deep Dive focuses on the intersection of art, logistics, and technology. Carlos's guest is Edouard Gouin, co-founder and CEO of Convelio, a tech-led global logistics startup specialised in fine art shipping. They discuss: - the journey and challenges of building Convelio; - Convelio's position in and interactions with key players within the art ecosystem; and its innovative value proposition; - the critical elements of customer service; - the importance of forming cultural alignments in business partnerships; the integration challenges after acquiring a 'brick and mortar type' logistics company; - Edouard's appreciation for art and his regret of missing out on promising investment opportunities in the early stages of his favourite artists' careers. Show notes: Convelio is recruiting for multiple roles. Check out openings here: https://jobs.lever.co/convelio Edouard Gouin - linkedin.com/in/edouardgouin Carlos Espinal - linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal Convelio - convelio.com Seedcamp - seedcamp.com

In a new episode of This Much I Know, Carlos and his guests Aaron Rosenberg (Radical Ventures, previously at DeepMind) and our Partner Tom Wilson explore the current state and impact of AI innovations and future developments, as well as AI's broad-ranging impacts on society, job market, and geopolitical landscape. They also reflect on the ways machine learning reshapes the dynamics in various industries, such as law and software development, and how AI-powered interfaces, like Humane's AI pin, could change how people interact with technology. The conversation also covers investment trends in AI startups, the role of venture capital in prioritising Responsible AI, and regulatory frameworks needed as the technology evolves. Aaron also shares his experience and ideas learned from his tenure at DeepMind. Show Notes: RESPONSIBLE AI STARTUPS (RAIS) Framework Aaron Rosenberg - linkedin.com/in/aaronrosenberg12 Tom Wilson - linkedin.com/in/tomwilsonseedcamp Carlos Espinal - linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal Radical Ventures - radical.vc Seedcamp - seedcamp.com

In the latest Seedcamp Deep Dive, our Managing Partner Carlos Espinal chats with Thomas Knowles, Head of Security Operations at ClearBank about all things cybersecurity - from essential cybersecurity foundations for early-stage companies to cybersecurity certifications and threat intelligence management. Show Notes: Thomas Knowles - linkedin.com/in/thomas-knowles-77a3509/ Carlos Espinal – linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal ClearBank – clear.bank Seedcamp – seedcamp.com Cybersecurity Certifications mentioned in the episode: SOC2 Certification (https://secureframe.com/request-demo/demo-secureframe) CyberEssentials (https://cybersmart.co.uk/cyber-essentials-certification/) Cybersecurity Framework | NIST (https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework) Official PCI Security Standards Council Site - Verify PCI Compliance, Download Data Security and Credit Card Security Standards (https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/)

Listen to a wide-ranging conversation about scaling engineering and technological innovation, between Meri Williams, CTO at Seedcamp-backed Pleo (previously CTO at Healx and Monzo, a.o.) and our Managing Partner Carlos Espinal. They cover: - Meri's career journey from building satellites as a teenager in South Africa to becoming one of Europe's most renowned CTOs; - The importance of applied learning and deliberate practice in keeping up with the fast-paced changes in technology; and how to create a "culture of learning"; - How to create the conditions and the environment for the success of your team as a CTO; - The importance of diversity, values fit, and culture add; - The current state of Generative AI, and the opportunities and risks it brings along; - How to adapt to and mitigate Cybersecurity challenges; - The role of Open Source in tech startups and scale-ups, and giving back to the OS community; and more.

In a new Seedcamp Firsts podcast episode, our Partner Sia Houchangnia chats with Dan O'Kelly, an early Community Lead at Seedcamp-backed fantasy sports unicorn Sorare. They cover all things community building, including: - the importance of community in a fast-growing startup; - founders' key role in setting up the vision and building the foundations of an authentic community; - the early tactics Sorare used to build their community; - how to kickstart and nurture your community; - how to nurture organic initiatives by community members; - why it is important to put resources into community building; - mistakes and lessons learned in scaling community in the hyper-growth phase.

This episode of This Much I Know, features Paul Jozefak, co-founder and CEO of Seedcamp-backed receeve, a Germany-based end-to-end debt collection and recovery platform. In conversation with our Managing Partner, Carlos Espinal, Paul reflects on: - his career trajectory in VC and entrepreneurship; - the current state of SaaS businesses; - reeceve's role and vision in the debt recovery and collection ecosystem; - the importance of luck and good timing in business; - how receeve navigatigated the COVID crisis; - how to build a strong relationship with your co-founder(s); - and more. Tune in on your favourite platform or watch on Youtube. Show Notes: Paul Jozefak - linkedin.com/in/pauljozefak/ - twitter.com/pjozefak Carlos Espinal - linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal - twitter.com/cee receeve - receeve.com Seedcamp - seedcamp.com

Listen to an excellent conversation between our Managing Partner Carlos Espinal and Philippe Boteri, Partner at Accel and a co-investor in companies such as UIPath (NYSE: PATH) and Synthesia. Philippe shares the story of his foray into tech during the dotcom boom, how he became an investor and the key learnings of his 15+ years-long career in VC. He also reflects on some of the most iconic investments he has made over the years, including UIPath and DocuSign. Philippe and Carlos explore the potential of Generative AI and discuss our co-investment in Synthesia, an AI video creation platform Accel has recently backed.

In this new episode of This Much I Know, our Managing Partner Carlos Espinal chats with serial entrepreneur Rogier Fischer, Co-founder and CEO of Hadrian, about the global state of cybersecurity, how companies of all sizes can mitigate risks, and how AI might change the game for the cybersecurity industry. Show notes: Rogier Fischier - linkedin.com/in/rogierfischer/ Carlos Espinal - twitter.com/cee Hadrian - hadrian.io Seedcamp - seedcamp.com

Welcome to Seedcamp VI! We are incredibly excited to invest at the earliest stage in the next 100 most ambitious European companies, from Angel to Seed rounds. The power of Seedcamp truly comes from the impact and reach of the ever-growing Seedcamp Nation. Now with a portfolio of 460+ companies including 9 unicorns that span different sectors and originate from all over the Continent, our belief that European entrepreneurs can compete on a global scale has never been truer. If you’re looking for pre-seed funding, we want to hear from you. Tell us what you’re building. In this special episode of This Much I Know, our leadership team shares what you can expect from Fund VI. Tune in! Show Notes: Seedcamp Announcement: seedcamp.com/introducing-seedcamp-v/ Looking for Funding?: seedcamp.com/looking-for-funding/ Seedcamp: seedcamp.com Fundraising pitch deck: sdca.mp/SeedcampVI_Deck

In a post-pandemic world, early-stage founders have multiple options for building their teams and choosing their ideal work mode(s). However, the decision between on-site, hybrid, and remote can be a complex one, involving multiple factors; such as access to talent, legislation, and people operations. While remote work became the default at the height of Covid-19, post-pandemic life has seen many organisations revert to old behaviours, pulling people back to offices and causing a fair deal of controversy in the process. April Hoffbauer, Vice President of People at Maze, Seedcamp-backed global and fully distributed startup Maze, still believes that remote and fully distributed offers an excellent opportunity for early-stage startups to tap into the global talent pool from day one. In conversation with our Director, Natasha Lytton, April shares her insights on everything that goes into how to think about and set up building a remote, fully-distributed, and asynchronous team. Tune in! Show notes: April Hoffbauer - linkedin.com/in/aprilhoffbauer Natasha Lytton - linkedin.com/in/natasha-lytton Maze - maze.co Seedcamp - seedcamp.com

In the latest Seedcamp Firsts episode, Joanna Christie, a VP of Brand & Marketing at Seedcamp-backed company Gaia, shares her best insights on how to lay the foundation for your startup brand and think strategically about the brand as you scale up. In conversation with our Head of Brand and Network, Natasha Lytton, Joanna emphasizes the essential role Brand plays in company building, from customer acquisition to retention. Key takeaways: 1. Brand is the first building block for anything you do as a business, not just marketing. 2. When done right, the brand plays an important role in customer acquisition and retention. 3. Brand equity is built on consistency and it evolves 4. Ideally, you want a brand guardian in-house. 5. Brand equals recognition equals trust. 6. For B2B2C marketplaces, you don’t need different brands (e.g., supplier-focused vs. demand-focused). It is one brand, and you just have different audiences Show notes: Joanna Christie - linkedin.com/in/joanna-christie-60104b15/ Natasha Lytton – twitter.com/Natashalytton Seedcamp – seedcamp.com

In this Seedcamp Deep Dive, Carlos is joined by Virgile Raingeard, co-founder and CEO of Figures, a Seedcamp-backed company providing the only compensation benchmark product for European start-ups and scale-ups. Carlos and Virgile discuss the current trends in hiring, talent retention and development, local vs. global pay, as well as compensation transparency. Virgile emphasizes the factors that lead to more compensation transparency in the tech industry. Furthermore, he shares why early adopters have a first-mover advantage from an employer branding perspective. Show notes: Virgile Raingeard - twitter.com/vrraingeard Carlos Espinal - twitter.com/cee Figures - figures.hr Seedcamp - seedcamp.com This episode is brought to you by Stripe. Stripe is a financial infrastructure platform for businesses. Millions of companies—from the world's largest enterprises to the most ambitious startups—use Stripe to accept payments, grow their revenue, and accelerate new business opportunities. Headquartered in San Francisco and Dublin, the company aims to increase the GDP of the internet. Contact their team to learn more: https://bit.ly/39TVMrT

In our latest Seedcamp Firsts edition, Victor Riparbelli, co-founder of our portfolio company, Synthesia, speaks with our Venture Partner, Devin Hunt, about making big bets, how to get comfortable with long-term product decisions, and learning from mistakes. Synthesia is the world's largest AI video platform. Using anthropomorphic AI avatars, the company helps people make video content without the need for cameras, studios, actors, and any other physical recording process. Key Takeaways: - The early days are about survival and getting to product-market fit. As the company grows, you can take bigger bets. - Think about new markets as opposed to an incremental solution in an existing market. - Plan and think out the potential scenarios before starting to code. Learn more here: https://sdca.mp/Big_Bets Show notes: Victor Riparbelli - twitter.com/vriparbelli Devin Hunt - twitter.com/hailpixel Synthesia - synthesia.io Seedcamp - seedcamp.com