In this episode of This Much I Know, Carlos Espinal is joined by Matt Miller, a Partner at Sequoia Capital. Matt started his entrepreneurial journey at a young age, first as an avocado seller and eventually when he took two years off university to work on a restaurant tech product. Today, he helps lead Sequoia’s initiative in Europe, where he works on finding great companies to partner with. 

Throughout this episode, Matt talks about his favourite sectors, shares some stories about working with companies like Tessian, and explains how the investment in Graphcore spurred on Sequoia’s decision to approach the European ecosystem.

Show notes:
Carlos Espinal - [twitter.com/cee](http://twitter.com/cee)
Matt Miller - [twitter.com/mcmiller00](https://twitter.com/mcmiller00)
Seedcamp - [seedcamp.com](https://seedcamp.com/)
Sequoia Capital - [sequoiacap.com](https://www.sequoiacap.com/)
A Fireside with Matt Miller & Luciana Lixandru - [youtube.com/watch?v=tnjPCtG87dU](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tnjPCtG87dU)

Why Sequoia came to Europe, with Sequoia Partner Matt Miller

In the latest episode of 'This Much I Know,' Carlos is joined by David Singleton, the CTO of Stripe. David shares valuable insights and lessons from his decades-long career at global technology companies such as Symbian, Google, and Stripe. 

In a vivid conversation, he and Carlos explore:
- the essential nature of timing in technological innovation;
- the fast-paced changing financial world;
- the importance of putting customers first;
- the evolution and definition of the CTO role;
- Stripe's mission and operating principles;
- developer productivity;
- attracting and growing talent;
- building a learning organization;
- and more.

Show notes:
Carlos Espinal - twitter.com/cee
David Singleton - twitter.com/dps
Seedcamp - seedcamp.com
Stripe - stripe.com

Seedcamp is Europe's seed fund, identifying and investing early in world-class founders attacking large, global markets and solving real problems using technology. The Seedcamp Nation includes over 440 startups building breakout businesses that change the way people live, interact and buy and includes publicly listed UiPath, Wise, and unicorns Revolut, Hopin, Sorare, Pleo, wefox, Grover, and viz.ai along with fast-growing businesses such as Primer, Peppy and Ezra. 

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

Stripe's David Singleton on Technology Innovation, Putting Customers First and the CTO Role

In this episode, Carlos Espinal is joined by Karel Obluk, a cybersecurity expert, former CTO and interim CEO at AVG Technologies (a cybersecurity software company listed on the New York Stock Exchange and ultimately acquired by Avast Software) and now a Partner at Evolution Equity Partners.

They kick off the conversation with Karel's early career in tech, his leadership roles at the cybersecurity firm AVG and the history of the cybersecurity industry. They then discuss the risks and opportunities in the cybersecurity space, his firm's investment strategy, and what it takes for high-growth companies to expand internationally.

Show notes:
Karel Obluk - twitter.com/karelobluk
Carlos Espinal - twitter.com/cee

Evolution Equity Partners - evolutionequity.com
Seedcamp - seedcamp.com

Recommended read:
Spam Nation: The Inside Story of Organized Cybercrime-from Global Epidemic to Your Front Door, by Brian Krebs

Karel Obluk of Evolution Equity Partners, on Cybersecurity Risks & Opportunities, Growth Investments

In the latest Seedcamp Deep Dive, Carlos is joined by Itxaso del Palacio, Partner at Notion Capital and Sammy Rubin, Co-founder of YuLife. Their discussion revolves around making employees healthier, happier, and more productive. 

Sammy shares his inspiration to build the world's first lifestyle insurance company to have personal well-being at its core. He also emphasizes why it is essential to enable companies to build a well-being culture and help employees live their best selves.

Itxaso highlights why she backed Sammy and his co-founders and explains the difference between product-led and customer-centric businesses. She also emphasizes how YuLife's well-being challenges have been transformative for the Notion Capital team. 

Itxaso del Palacio - twitter.com/ItxasoLondon
Sammy Rubin - twitter.com/SammyRubin
Carlos Espinal - twitter.com/cee

Notion Capital - notion.vc
YuLife - yulife.com
Seedcamp - seedcamp.com

Further reading: 
Game Changers: The impact of hiring amazing people - and how to hire them by Notion Capital [https://www.notion.vc/resources/game-changers-the-impact-of-hiring-amazing-people-and-how-to-hire-them]

How to Make Employees Healthier, Happier, and More Productive, with Itxaso del Palacio & Sammy Rubin

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

Compensation Transparency, Employer Branding, and Trends in Hiring & Talent Retention

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

Welcome to Seedcamp VI

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

The Impact of AI Innovations and Why We Need to Prioritise Responsible AI

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/

Balderton’s James Wise on AI, Entrepreneurship and the ‘Start-up Century’

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

The Evolution and Future of Access Control Management

In the past, we've blogged about what investors look for in Founders (http://bit.ly/nTXFTz), but today Reshma & Carlos decided to kick off our podcasting series on the very subject but discussing what we both look for in founders in greater detail, walking through all the attributes we generally see correlate highly with successful founding teams. 

Visit our site http://www.seedcamp.com to learn more about us.

Reshma & Carlos Take On: What we look for in Founders

In this episode, Carlos interviews General Stanley McChrystal, a distinguished military leader with 34 years of experience commanding at a four-star level, including significant roles in Iraq and Afghanistan. 

They discuss General McChrystal's career, including his extensive awards like the Defense Distinguished Service Medal. General McChrystal shares his post-military endeavors, including founding the McChrystal Group and teaching leadership at Yale. The conversation delves into General McChrystal's books, particularly 'Leaders' and 'Team of Teams', exploring how writing these books shaped his views on leadership. 

Key themes include:
- understanding the complexities of leadership;
- the interplay between leaders, followers, and context,
- and the role of character and self-discipline in effective leadership. 

The episode also covers practical insights on managing and transforming organizational cultures. General McChrystal shares personal anecdotes and reflections on leadership mistakes, personal development, and mentoring.



00:00 Introducing General Stan McChrystal
01:26 General McChrystal's Career Evolution and Achievements
01:48 Discussion on Leadership
07:15 The Three Myths of Leadership
09:58 The Role of Followers and Breaking the Cycle
13:15 Leadership Evolution and Organizational Dynamics
16:58 Challenges in Leadership and Adaptability
20:52 Team Dynamics in Startups and Large Organizations
23:40 Adapting Leadership Styles and Overcoming Mistakes
30:09 Commander's Dilemma: Vehicle Maintenance and Leadership Challenges
31:48 Leadership in Counter-Terrorism Operations
32:35 The Importance of Character in Leadership
35:42 Defining and Reflecting on Character
39:43 Personal Development and Daily Routines
45:26 Mentorship and Learning from Mistakes
55:54 Military Traditions and Cultural Questions
57:37 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Show Notes:
General Stan McChrystal - linkedin.com/in/stanmcchrystal
Carlos Espinal - linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal

mcchrystalgroup.com
seedcamp.com

General McCrysyal's books - mcchrystalgroup.com/about/books

From the Battlefield to the Boardroom: Leadership Lessons with General Stan McChrystal

In the ever-evolving landscape of business communication, platforms like WhatsApp are no longer just messaging apps but have transformed into powerful platforms enabling businesses to connect with their customers in groundbreaking ways.

In the latest episode of Startups in Focus, our Managing Director Carlos Espinal and our Principal Felix Martinez, dive deep into this topic with Tarek Khalil and Mohamed Elbadwihi, co-founders of Rasayel, exploring how they are leveraging WhatsApp to redefine business communication.

They also explore:
- the evolution of WhatsApp as a platform and its impact on business communication, driven by its mass usage and business demand, highlighting the complexities of compliance and global usage variations;
- the strategic choice of focusing on WhatsApp due to its global prevalence and trusted infrastructure; 
- the potential of building a billion-dollar company on platforms like WhatsApp, drawing parallels with Salesforce and Shopify;
- how to navigate platform risks.
About Rasayel:

Rasayel focuses on enabling businesses to interact with customers via WhatsApp, which they see as the future of business communication, offering a more personal and immediate interaction compared to emails and phone calls. Tarek and Mohammed foresee significant business opportunities as WhatsApp evolves, aiming for Rasael to become a leading player on the platform. 


Show Notes:
Tarek Khalil - linkedin.com/in/tarek-khalil-wa/
Mohamed Elbadwihi -  linkedin.com/in/amuno
Carlos Espinal - linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal/
Felix Martinez - linkedin.com/in/felixjmartinez/

Rasayel - rasayel.io
Seedcamp - seedcamp.com


Get in Touch with Rasayel:
For businesses, investors, or users eager to explore further into Rasayel, the easiest way to reach them is—fittingly—through WhatsApp via their website. 


Dive Deeper:
Betting on WhatsApp - Tarek Khalil, Co-founder and CEO of Rasayel, wrote a thesis for anyone who wants to understand, build, or invest in the future of the WhatsApp platform. [https://justmessaged.substack.com/p/betting-on-whatsapp]

Overview:
00:00 Can WhatsApp Sustain a Billion-Dollar Company?
00:25 Introduction to the Podcast and Guests
01:05 Founders' Backgrounds and Journey
03:16 Lessons Learned from Previous Startups
05:29 The Birth of Octopods and Rassayel
08:10 How Rassayel Helps Businesses
10:36 WhatsApp as a Platform
13:34 Platform Risks and Meta's Strategy
21:24 Global Usage of Messaging Apps
23:53 Global Messaging Trends and WhatsApp's Dominance
24:47 Trust and Confidentiality in Messaging Platforms
25:47 WhatsApp's Strategic Development and Market Penetration
27:45 Navigating Multiple Messaging Channels
32:07 WhatsApp Business Platform: Features and Compliance
37:34 Future of Business on WhatsApp
45:03 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Rasayel: Revolutionising Customer Engagement via WhatsApp

In this episode, our Managing Partner Carlos Espinal is joined by our Talent Manager James Wright, and special guest Dominic Jacquesson, a veteran VC operator who recently received an MBE for his contributions to the UK entrepreneurship and technology ecosystem. 

Dominic shares insights from his varied career, including his extensive experience at Index Ventures working with top-tier tech companies, and from his latest book, 'Scaling through Chaos' written on behalf of Index to offer founders a comprehensive roadmap for scaling teams and leadership. 


The conversation covers key topics, such as:
- Building effective teams;
- Leadership, and the role of culture and values in scaling a startup;
- Risk management, setting up processes, and the applicability of OKRs/KPIs. 

Dominic also announces his new venture into studying neuroscience after an accomplished career in the startup ecosystem.


Show Notes:
Dominic Jacquesson MBE - linkedin.com/in/dominicjacquesson
Carlos Espinal MBE - linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal
James Wright - linkedin.com/in/jdhwright


Scaling Through Chaos and other resources from Index Ventures, including the web app TeamPlan, are available for free on Index Press (https://www.indexventures.com/index-press)


00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome
01:46 Dominic Jacquesson's Career Journey
07:53 Writing 'Scaling Through Chaos'
15:01 Scaling Startups: Key Insights
17:24 Navigating Leadership and Hiring
37:08 Risk Management in Scaling
45:29 Dominic's New Venture
49:50 Conclusion

Scaling Through Chaos: A Deep Dive into Entrepreneurship with Dominic Jacquesson

We are excited to announce the launch of our new podcast series, "Path to Market," where our Director Natasha Lytton and co-host Micah Smurthwaite, Partner at Pipeline Ventures dissect the art and science behind effective go-to-market (GTM) strategies for startups and scale-ups.

The introductory episode explores essential elements of go-to-market planning, real-world examples of startups overcoming market-entry challenges, and practical advice on avoiding common pitfalls. 

Highlights include:
- understanding the balance between art and science in sales;
- the importance of a focused market entry;
- the critical nature of making the right hire. 

What to Expect from “Path to Market”
Future episodes will cover an array of topics, from defining your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) to choosing between sales development representatives and product-led growth motions. Whether you’re embarking on your startup journey or are further along, there’s something beneficial for every stage.

The podcast series will feature seasoned marketing, sales, and product experts who have worked for companies such as Stripe, Snowflake, and Deliveroo.

Path to Market: The art and science behind effective GTM strategies for startups and scale-ups

In this insightful episode, our Director Natasha Lytton and co-host Micah Smurthwaite, Partner at Pipeline Ventures are joined by Alicia Carney, a seasoned product marketing expert with extensive experience at high-growth startups like Deliveroo.

Together, they dive deep into identifying and validating Ideal Customer Profiles (ICPs) in pre and post product-market fit stages. Alicia shares her insights on navigating early market fit through to scaling operations post-product market fit.

Key takeaways:
- Define and validate ideal customer profiles (ICP) through market needs and user research
- Be intentional and thoughtful about who you are serving and the value you offer
- Focus on empirical metrics and continuous customer engagement.

Show notes:
Alicia Carney - https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciacarney
Natasha Lytton - linkedin.com/in/natasha-lytton
Micah Smurthwaite - linkedin.com/in/micah-smurthwaite-2283b49

Interview guide link: http://bit.ly/3tJubmC
 ​​Establishing an ideal customer profile (ICP) by Notion VC
Market research platforms: userinterviews.com, pollfish.com, gong.io, grain.com

Path to Market: Defining and Validating Your Ideal Customer Profile with Alicia Carney

In a new episode of Path to Market, our Director Natasha Lytton and her co-host Micah Smurthwaite, Partner at Pipeline Ventures are joined by Ryan Lieber, an experienced Go-to-Market Leader and one of Snowflake’s earliest employees and its first SDR.

Together they discuss Snowflake's impressive growth trajectory, the challenges and strategies of category creation, key sales methodologies like MEDDPICC, the best approaches for scaling internationally, and cross-functional sales efforts. Ryan shares his experiences from joining Snowflake when it was an unknown startup in 2014 to its current status as a data giant with over 7,000 employees and a market capitalization of over $50 billion.

He also delves into when and how founders should hire their first SDRs and sales leaders, the metrics for measuring their success, and the role of marketing alignment in scaling sales. Moreover, he emphasizes the importance of understanding regional cultural and communication nuances, and how to leverage partnerships in new markets.

Key takeaways:
- taking an iterative approach to the sales process enables you to transition from broad outreach to focusing on sales-qualified opportunities;
- hiring SDRs earlier rather than later is not only cost-effective, but it also enables founders to focus on product development; 
- choose a sales leader who isn't afraid to "get their hands dirty" and is willing to adapt to the dynamic needs of a growing startup. They are in touch with the pulse of the market and the realities faced by their teams;
- international expansion is not a uniform process and differs significantly by region. This is why understanding cultural nuances, leveraging regional partners, and ensuring the market is ripe for entry are essential considerations; 
- taking a partnership approach to scaling accelerates growth and embeds credibility in the customer’s eyes.

Show notes:
Ryan Lieber – linkedin.com/in/ryan-lieber-8aa59a62
Natasha Lytton – linkedin.com/in/natasha-lytton
Micah Smurthwaite – linkedin.com/in/micah-smurthwaite-2283b49


Overview:
00:00 Introduction and Guest Background
01:00 Ryan’s Early Days at Snowflake
03:59 Career Growth and Opportunities
05:01 Building the EMEA Team
07:08 Challenges and Learnings
08:19 Finding the Ideal Customer Profile
13:57 Sales Methodology: MEDDPICC
19:30 Hiring and Building a Sales Team
21:48 The Daily Grind of an SDR
22:01 Key Traits for Sales Success
23:30 Red Flags in Sales Hiring
27:07 Effective SDR Metrics
32:09 Hiring Your First Sales Leader
34:54 The Power of Marketing in Sales
36:49 Scaling Internationally
42:26 Snowflake's Startup Program
45:02 Final Thoughts and Advice

Navigating Growth: Sales and Scaling Strategies from Ryan Lieber, Snowflake’s First SDR

In the latest episode of our “Path to Market” series, our Director Natasha Lytton and her co-host Micah Smurthwaite, Partner at Pipeline Ventures, speak with Gia Scinto, a partner at Cole Group, specializing in go-to-market executive hires for renowned startups like Airbnb and Stripe. Gia shares her extensive experience in building go-to-market teams for top startups across her different roles, including as the first talent leader at Y Combinator and as an executive talent partner at Andreessen Horowitz.

She emphasizes the importance of metrics in recruitment, the founder's role in hiring, and key considerations for early-stage companies hiring their first sales leaders. Gia also provides actionable advice on running an effective recruiting process, including aligning on job requirements, conducting thorough interviews, and ensuring a successful onboarding process. 

Key takeaways:
- Set a minimum experience threshold for the role
- In the first interviewing rounds, assess the candidate against the main goals of their roles
- Set clear expectations and establish attainable goals in the initial months to facilitate a seamless onboarding into the company.

Show notes:
Gia Scinto – linkedin.com/in/giascinto
Natasha Lytton – linkedin.com/in/natasha-lytton
Micah Smurthwaite – linkedin.com/in/micah-smurthwaite-2283b49

Overview:
00:00 Introduction to Gia and Her Extensive Experience
00:54 Working with founders at Andreessen Horowitz and Y Combinator
08:13 Advice for Early-Stage Sales Hiring
12:25 Running a Successful Recruiting Process
20:35 Interview Questions for Sales Leaders
24:35 Assessing Culture Fit in Early-Stage Companies
26:31 Hiring Challenges and Lessons Learned
28:17 Pitching to Senior Candidates in Startups
29:09 Importance of Product Differentiation
30:03 Segmentation and Market Strategy
34:09 Onboarding and Setting Expectations
38:03 Back-channeling and Reference Checks
41:16 Onboarding Best Practices for Success
43:17 Common Pitfalls in Hiring
46:40 Building Go-to-Market Systems
50:41 Advice for Go-to-Market Candidates

Path to Market: How to Build Highly Effective Go-To-Market Teams

Our “Path to Market” series continues with a new episode in which our Director Natasha Lytton and her co-host Micah Smurthwaite, Partner at Pipeline Ventures, delve into the intricacies of go-to-market strategies with seasoned CRO, Tim Bertrand. 

Tim shares his extensive experience scaling organisations like Acquia, Project 44, and HAProxy, offering actionable insights for founders and sales leaders on building sales teams, effective onboarding practices, the fundamentals of discovery and qualification in sales, and the nuances of pricing strategies for early-stage companies. 

Tim also discusses the significance of deal reviews and the evolving landscape of sales tactics, emphasizing the value of compelling events and robust qualification processes.

The discussion also covers:
- the dynamics of building sales teams;
- identifying customer pain points;
- the significance of practical sales methodologies like MEDDICC and BANT;
- fostering cross-functional collaboration;
- the role of open-source communities;
- and more.

Key takeaways:
- Understand product intricacies;
- Leverage economic buyers in sales cycles; 
- Align organizational culture with company values for success;
- Make the right hire according to the company’s growth stage. 

Show notes:
Tim Bertrand – linkedin.com/in/timbertrand
Natasha Lytton – linkedin.com/in/natasha-lytton
Micah Smurthwaite – linkedin.com/in/micah-smurthwaite-2283b49

Overview:
00:00 Understanding Customer Pain Points
00:22 Introduction to Path to Market Podcast
01:00 Interview with Tim Bertrand: Scaling Startups
01:39 Tim Bertrand's Journey: Acquia to HAProxy
05:07 Advice for Founders on Sales Playbooks
08:11 Hiring the Right Sales Team
16:29 Onboarding Sales Reps: Best Practices
18:31 Effective Sales Execution and Discovery
23:29 Creating Urgency in Sales
23:34 The Role of Compelling Events
25:18 Evolving Sales Tactics
28:53 Effective Deal Reviews
31:03 Pricing Strategies for Startups
32:59 Building a Strong Sales Culture
35:58 Cross-Functional Collaboration
39:17 Open Source Business Models
43:05 Sales Methodologies for Founders
44:30 Hiring the Right CRO
45:47 Conclusion and Key Takeaways

Path to Market: From Zero to Market Leader, A CRO’s GTM Playbook

In a new episode of This Much I Know, Carlos’s guest is Dr Melanie Garson, an associate professor at UCL and expert in cyber policy and geopolitics. Together they discuss critical issues in the current geopolitical and defence systems, including the evisceration of the US civil service, reactive politics, and the role of technology companies as geopolitical actors. 

Dr Garson emphasizes the importance of interdisciplinary approaches, stress-tested technology rollouts, and the holistic view of future defence strategies. She highlights the information domain as another critical area, where misinformation and disinformation can proliferate and destabilize, underpinning the need for robust measures to counteract these threats.

The conversation explores the strategic role of tech in geopolitics, the evolving nature of warfare, and the potential for innovation and international cooperation within the defence industry. Dr Garson also shares her views on the importance of building secure digital economies and engaging meaningfully with emerging technologies for long-term future defence capabilities.
Looking to the future, Dr Garson predicts the emergence of new industry players and the potential for existing companies to re-engage with defence manufacturing. She remains optimistic that the industry will recognize the value of entrepreneurs and facilitate environments where innovation can thrive alongside traditional primes.

Show Notes: 
Dr Melanie Garson linkedin.com/in/melaniegarson/
Carlos Espinal linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal/

Dr Melanie Garson -  profiles.ucl.ac.uk/25481-melanie-garson
institute.global/experts/melanie-garson 
Seedcamp - seedcamp.com

Decoding Modern Challenges: AI, Cyber Policy, and Global Politics with Dr. Melanie Garson

In the latest episode of “Path to Market,” Natasha and Micah are joined by Fanny Talagrand, Head of EMEA sales for startups and SMBs at Stripe to discuss key sales strategies from startups to enterprises. Drawing from her extensive experience in global tech companies like Google Cloud and Stripe, Fanny emphasizes the importance of understanding user needs and journeys, leveraging user feedback, and the different dynamics between selling to startups versus enterprises. 

She also provides advice for hiring the first sales reps, highlighting the need for candidates to be smart, driven, and coachable. She stresses the significance of onboarding processes and embedding new hires with users early on. Additionally, she explores how to balance product-led growth with enterprise sales and shares metrics to optimize sales performance.


Tune in to learn about:
- how to align sales strategies with the needs and journeys of different types of users;
- how PLG and enterprise motions can coexist with careful planning and differentiation in user journeys;
- why as companies grow, including a sales team becomes vital to extend market reach and support users who require more comprehensive solutions;
- and more practical strategies for founders looking to enhance their sales operations and build successful teams.



Show Notes:
Fanny Talagrand - linkedin.com/in/fanny-talagrand-a51a81b
Natasha Lytton – linkedin.com/in/natasha-lytton
Micah Smurthwaite – linkedin.com/in/micah-smurthwaite-2283b49

Overview:
00:00 Introduction to Path to Market
01:17 Meet Fannie Talegrand, Head of EMEA Sales for Startups and SMBs at Stripe
02:13 Fannie's Career Journey
04:29 Comparing Sales at Google Cloud and Stripe
06:58 The Importance of Product and User Feedback
13:31 Sales Metrics and Funnel Optimization
16:32 Differences in Selling to SMBs vs. Enterprises
24:07 Hiring the Right Sales Leader
34:29 Onboarding New Sales Hires
40:09 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Path to Market: Adapting Sales Strategies for Startups and Enterprise with Fanny Talagrand of Stripe

In an in-depth conversation with our Managing Partner, Carlos Eduardo Espinal, Miro’s co-founder and CEO, Andrey Khusid shares his incredible founder journey, from starting Realtime Board, his simple idea of bringing whiteboards into browsers, to Miro, now a global organization valued at nearly $20 billion. He reflects on the company’s explosive growth from 200 to 1800 people in just 18 months during 2020-21, the importance of hiring for mindset over experience, and the transition from a product-led growth model to incorporating sales-led strategies. 


Andrey highlights key moments, cultural shifts, and the impact of leadership on the company’s trajectory. Additionally, he offers insights into maintaining team cohesion, learning from failures, and adapting to the ever-changing business landscape, especially with the advent of AI. 


Tune into this insightful episode providing an in-depth look at scaling a tech startup globally and the lessons learned along the way.



Show Notes:

Andrey Khusid - linkedin.com/in/khusid

Carlos Eduardo Espinal - linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal

Miro - miro.com

Seedcamp - seedcamp.com



Overview:

00:00 Explosive Growth and Leadership Challenges

00:35 Welcome to the Seed Camp Podcast

01:18 The Origin Story of Realtime Board

03:06 Rebranding to Miro

05:49 Balancing Customer Feedback and Product Vision

12:20 The Power of Product-Led Growth

17:26 Transitioning to a Sales-Led Growth Model

22:29 Navigating Enterprise Expansion Challenges

22:45 Shifting to an Innovation Workspace

23:17 Adapting to Market Changes and Bundling

26:03 Embracing AI and Future Prospects

27:22 Building a Strong Company Culture

30:09 Scaling Challenges and Leadership Insights

32:28 Reflecting on Leadership and Growth

42:15 The Importance of Founder-Led Companies

43:16 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

Miro’s CEO Andrey Khusid on navigating explosive growth

In the latest episode of This Much I Know, our Managing Partner, Carlos Espinal and Nandan Nayampally, Chief Commercial Officer of Baya Systems (previously at ARM, Amazon and AMD), delve into the geopolitics and innovations within the semiconductor industry.

Nandan shares his extensive career journey from AMD to ARM and Amazon, providing valuable insights into the evolution of the semiconductor industry. He also emphasizes the shift towards specialized IP designs and the global distribution of manufacturing.

The conversation explores the impact of geopolitical factors on the chip industry, the rise of localized manufacturing, supply chain resilience and the future implications of AI and edge technology. Tune in!

Show Notes:
Nandan Nayampally - linkedin.com/in/nandannayampally
Carlos Espinal - linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal

Baya Systems - bayasystems.com
Seedcamp - seedcamp.com

Beyond Silicon: Navigating The Future of Semiconductor Innovation and Geopolitics

In the latest Seedcamp Deep Dive, our Managing Partner, Carlos Eduardo Espinal, discusses the complexities of investing in deeptech, dual-use and the defence sector. He's joined by two distinguished guests from defence and investment backgrounds: Nicola Sinclair, General Partner at Twin Track Ventures, and Samuel Burrell, Partner at Expeditions Fund.

Nicola begins the conversation by explaining her motivation for founding Twin Track, highlighting the need to connect startups with the defence and security sectors and detailing her approach to evaluating deep tech investments. Sam then discusses his transition from military service to venture capital and emphasizes the importance of understanding end-user needs in defense tech investments.

This insightful conversation covers a wide range of topics, including:
- The challenges of dual-use technologies
- The role of prime contractors
- The evolving geopolitical landscape
- Investment opportunities in space technology
- The future of defence tech investments

Show Notes:

Nicola Sinclair - linkedin.com/in/nicola-sinclair-

Samuel Burrell - linkedin.com/in/samuelrburrell

Carlos Eduardo Espinal - linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal


Twin Track Ventures - twintrack.vc

Expeditions Fund - expeditionsfund.com

Seedcamp - seedcamp.com


Sam’s weekly newsletter This Week in Dual-Use [www.samuelburrell.com]

“Working with Defence & Security” Survey. The results will be released on 14 November 2025 

From the Forces to Investing in Deeptech, Dual-Use, and the Defence Sector

In this episode, Carlos was joined by Yodit Stanton and Verena Wimmer, to unpick exactly what we mean when we talk about Data Science, the role of the Data Scientist, how startups can think about using data and when to consider hiring for the role, which tools are best and what we'd like to see in the future. If you're ready to learn more about the power of data, this podcast provides a great place to start.

Yodit Stanton is Founder of new Seedcamp company Open Sensors, the Internet of Things startup providing public and private infrastructure for real-time data, she is also the organiser of Women in Data Meetups in London.

Verena Wimmer is Lead Data Analyst at Hassle, the online cleaning marketplace recently acquired by Helpling. Verena also organises Data Mates, which brings together data-wizards, journalists, and data-driven designers to tell beautiful stories with data every eight weeks in London.

Seedcamp Dives into Data Science

This week we’re joined by serial entrepreneur and General Partner of LDV Capital, Evan Nisselson. LDV Capital invests in entrepreneurs building early stage Visual Technologies companies in Europe and North America. 
 
Evan’s fascinating background includes time as a photographer, photo agent and photo buyer before landing in Sillicon Valley in the mid-90s and becoming one of the first photo editors on the internet. Evan has spent the past 18 years building and investing in Visual Technology businesses and his expertise in the sector led to the creation of LDV Capital over four and a half years ago. 
 
In this podcast, Evan talks to Carlos about his own experiences as a founder and CEO of Digital Railroad, launched in 2004, providing professional photographers, agencies and image buyers with a web service platform and marketplace. Evan talks about the successes and failures of the company, liquidated shortly after the economic crash in 2008, and the critical lessons he learned from his experiences that he goes on to share with founders he backs today. 
 
Often described as “crazy” for his views, Evan has a habit of predicting future trends.  In May 2003 he wrote an article that said camera phones would replace point & shoot cameras. Evan talks through his predictions around the Internet of Eyes replacing the Internet of Things, satellite selfies and retina cameras as seen in Charlie Brooker’s Black Mirror. 
 
Tune in to hear more about Evan’s thoughts around the evolution of social interactions, whether privacy is dead and how timing is everything when it comes to investment. 

Show notes:
Carlos Medium: sdca.mp/2entVR3
Seedcamp: www.seedcamp.com
LDV Capital: http://www.ldv.co/

Related bio links:
Carlos: linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal / twitter.com/cee
Evan: linkedin.com/in/evannisselson / twitter.com/nisselson

Evan Nisselson, General Partner at LDV Capital on Visual Technologies & Satellite Selfies

From virtual assistants to risk analytics, and drug discovery to imaging and diagnostics, artificial intelligence’s scope for transforming the healthcare industry is significant. But just how will the use of AI and Machine Learning techniques reshape how medicine is practised today?

Healthcare dominates other industrial applications of AI in terms of money invested and number of deals, with $1.8B having been raised across 270 deals in startups within the space since 2012 according to data from CB Insights. Regulatory attention has followed this cash torrent: just recently it was announced that the Google-acquired startup DeepMind’s data-sharing partnership with the NHS was under investigation. 

To discuss AI’s use within healthcare, Carlos Espinal is joined by two Seedcamp-backed founders: Manoj Ramachandran, co-founder of Viz.ai, a startup working on deep learning algorithms to revolutionise imaging diagnostics; and Pascal Zuta, from the US-based GYANT, a digital health assistant and symptom checker.

Pascal discusses how using AI can help treat high frequency conditions, taking load off the system and letting medical professionals concentrate on more difficult and meaningful tasks. Meanwhile Manoj argues that the most difficult thing is ‘integrating it within a clinical workflow so that it augments the practice of a healthcare physician'.

Tune in to hear whether these founders believe an algorithm or robot can ever truly replace human interaction within the healthcare sector. 

Show notes: 
Carlos Medium: sdca.mp/2entVR3
Seedcamp: www.seedcamp.com
Viz.ai: www.viz.ai
GYANT: http://gyant.com

Related bio links: 
Carlos: linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal / twitter.com/cee
Manoj: linkedin.com/in/manoj-ramachandran-6186ba4 / twitter.com/manojram1
Pascal: linkedin.com/in/pascalzuta / twitter.com/pzuta

Manoj Ramachandran & Pascal Zuta on transforming healthcare with AI

In this week's episode of This Much I Know, Carlos speaks to Thomas Kristensen, Principal at LGT Capital Partners on how Venture Capitalists secure capital into their funds and how decisions are made from an Asset Manager's perspective. Kristensen reflects on his 14 years of experience at LGT, saying that Asset Managers invest in VC funds as it’s an exciting investment for them. If they do exceptionally well, the opportunity could produce outsized returns as well as keep investors afloat of latest technologies and business models that are being disrupted. He also lays out the criteria LGT assess before making investments into VC funds which, like venture investment decisions focus on the 'people' who deploy the capital and whether they have the proven capability of ‘sniffing out $10 billion valuation companies’. Tune in to hear more about the structure of funds, how they work and the expectations around what makes a Venture Capital fund attractive from an investment perspective.

Show notes:
Carlos Medium: sdca.mp/2entVR3
LGT Capital Partners: https://www.lgtcp.com/en/
Seedcamp: www.seedcamp.com

Related bio links:
Carlos Twitter: linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal / twitter.com/cee
LGT Twitter: https://twitter.com/LGT_Group

Thomas Kristensen, Principal at LGT Capital Partners on how to invest in Venture Capital funds

There’s no better way to kick-off 2019 than with an exclusive, behind-the-scenes look at the story of portfolio company and fintech unicorn, TransferWise, as told by Co-founder and CEO,  Kristo Käärmann. As part of the first ever Seedcamp podcast recorded in a sauna, Kristo tells us the story of how two Estonian friends went from exchanging money over a Skype chat to sending more than €3 billion across the world every month. Now valued at more than $1.5 billion, TransferWise has received backing from leading venture capitalists like Index Ventures, Valar Ventures, IA Ventures, Andreessen Horowitz, IVP, Baillie Gifford, and Sir Richard Branson, among others.

Tune in for a unique insight into one of the flagship companies in the fintech ecosystem and hear first hand from Kristo as he shares some of the challenges faced along the way in building a global giant in the currency exchange category. And if you want to be a part of TransferWise's mission to create money without borders, there are more than 130 openings at the company around the world!

Links:
Kristo - LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kkaarmann
Kristo - Twitter: https://twitter.com/kaarmann
Kristo - Website: http://kaarmann.com
Carlos - LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal
Carlos - Twitter: twitter.com/cee
Carlos - Medium: sdca.mp/2entVR3
TransferWise: https://transferwise.com
Seedcamp: www.seedcamp.com

Kristo Käärmann on building TransferWise, the 'Robin Hood' of currency exchange

This week Carlos is joined by Simon Beckerman, founder of Depop, the leading app for Gen Z shoppers boasting 16 million users, nearly 20 million items listed on the platform, and around one million active users per day. Depop is where the world's creatives come to buy, sell and discover the most inspiring and unique things. In conversation with Carlos, Simon shares what sparked the business idea and how it became one of the fastest-growing communities.

Prior to founding Depop, Simon immersed himself in industrial design and arts but eventually decided to steer towards entrepreneurship. Simon shares with Carlos the advice he would give to his younger self in the early days of Depop.

Tune in to discover how Simon overcame the early challenges in community building, when is the right time to hand the stewardship of a community to the community itself, and how and when to move aside as a founder and hire your first CEO.

Links:
Simon Beckerman - https://twitter.com/simonbeckerman
Depop - https://www.depop.com/
Carlos Espinal - twitter.com/cee
Seedcamp - https://seedcamp.com/

Simon Beckerman, founder of Depop, on community building for Gen Z

This week Carlos is joined by our brand new lead on all things talent and people, Marina Gorey, who we are incredibly excited to have join us to support our portfolio companies in helping them think about how they shape the most critical part of their organisations: their people.

Prior to joining us at Seedcamp, Marina co-founded and was Chief People Officer at pioneering Kidtech company, SuperAwesome. In this podcast, she discusses some of her key learnings on how to actively empower the people in your team, and create communication structures that will prevent teammates from leaving at critical stages.

Listen in to learn who and how to hire when scaling your company, the right time to invest in people management and people management tools, and how important it is to document your culture when onboarding new remote teams.

Links:
Marina Gorey - linkedin.com/in/marinagorey/
Super Awesome - https://www.superawesome.com/
Carlos Espinal - twitter.com/cee
Seedcamp - https://seedcamp.com/
 
Blog Post - https://medium.com/@marinalgorey/startups-scaling-people-operations-what-breaks-as-you-scale-31308179ce2d

Marina Gorey on the importance of empowering people in your team as you scale

This Much I Know is the podcast from Seedcamp, Europe’s seed fund.

Tune into hear the inside story from startup founders, investors and leading tech voices: the people who’ve built businesses, scaled globally, failed fantastically and learnt massively.

Seedcamp invests early in world-class founders attacking large, global markets and solving real problems using technology. Seedcamp provides the infrastructure to fast-track a founder’s vision and create value through immediate access to smart capital, a lifelong community of support and a global network built upon a decade’s experience backing exceptional talent.

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