Follow the Gradient

Follow the Gradient
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Insider knowledge and real stories about how to build a scaleup in Europe while staying sane. Each week founders Melanie Gabriel and Christian Woese pick for you the latest startup news, dive deep into one specific question on a founder's or startup operator's mind and share how to solve the challenge together with an expert. Follow the Gradient and stay tuned.

  1. How founders build (or break) trust in high-stakes moments - HV Capital's Lina Chong on hard decisions in startup leadership

    VOR 6 STD.

    How founders build (or break) trust in high-stakes moments - HV Capital's Lina Chong on hard decisions in startup leadership

    What actually determines whether a founder scales or silently stalls? In this episode of Follow the Gradient, we sit down with Lina Chong, Partner at HV Capital, to unpack what she’s learned from being on both sides of the table: building and exiting companies, then backing some of Europe’s most successful scale-ups. It’s a candid conversation about decision-making under uncertainty, founder psychology, and the uncomfortable trade-offs that define real growth. We talk about: Why the best founders make fast, irreversible decisions, even without perfect clarity The dark side of founder identity (and what happens after an exit) When loyalty to early employees becomes a growth constraint, not a virtue How resilient founders respond when capital tightens and markets shift Go-to-market lessons from companies like TravelPerk and Fresha When European founders should go global and why “home market first” is often arbitrary Rather than playbooks, this episode focuses on how great founders think, decide, and adapt when the path forward isn’t obvious. — Our biggest takeaways, including Lina’s perspective on what most founders get wrong when scaling: https://www.followthegradient.io/p/lina-chong-podcast  — Where to find Lina: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/linachong/  — 🎙 Follow the Gradient: conversations about building a business from Europe while staying sane. Follow us: Melanie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/melaniexgabriel/ Christian: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christian-woese/  Subscribe to our channels: Newsletter: https://www.followthegradient.io YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@followthegradient LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/followthegradient/ X: https://x.com/followgradient Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/followthegradient/ — 00:00 Introduction 01:43 From Founder to VC 03:05 Experimental Cultures vs Rigid Vision 05:05 The Post-Exit Emotional Crash 07:58 Founder Signals That Predict Scale 11:40 Loyalty vs Scale 14:58 When Caution Kills Growth 16:28 How VCs Form Conviction 21:07 Using Investors for GTM and Fundraising 25:16 European SaaS Go-To-Market 27:30 Global First vs Home Market 32:53 Resilience in Downturns 33:43 Personal Resilience

    38 Min.
  2. Behind the Mic: What We Have Learned from 50+ interviews with Melanie Gabriel & Christian Woese

    24.12.2025

    Behind the Mic: What We Have Learned from 50+ interviews with Melanie Gabriel & Christian Woese

    We close out the year by turning the mic on ourselves. After a full year of conversations with Europe’s most thoughtful founders, operators, and investors, we reflect on the lessons that truly changed how we think about building companies, leading people, and staying sane along the way. From international ambition to focus, ego, and introspection, this episode pulls together the patterns that kept showing up, on the podcast and in our own journeys. In this episode we talk about: •⁠ ⁠Why thinking big and international from day one is a mindset, not a stage •⁠ ⁠How saying no became one of the most important growth skills •⁠ ⁠Why introspection and emotional intelligence are underrated founder advantages •⁠ ⁠How to define success beyond funding rounds, titles, and external validation A reflective end-of-year conversation about ambition, focus, and what it really means to build meaningful companies in Europe - without losing yourself in the process. For more reflections, book lists, and behind-the-scenes insights, subscribe to our newsletter at followthegradient.io.

    46 Min.
  3. Nice-to-Have Is Not Enough - Building Must-Have Products with Bea Knecht, Founder of Zattoo

    18.12.2025

    Nice-to-Have Is Not Enough - Building Must-Have Products with Bea Knecht, Founder of Zattoo

    Bea Knecht is founder of Zattoo and a serial founder who’s built and led companies across the US, Europe, and Asia, and who brings a uniquely deep lens on what it really takes to succeed across startup ecosystems. From navigating Switzerland’s internationalization challenge to reshaping what leadership looks like in tech, Bea blends raw operational insight with powerful personal perspective. In this episode we talk about:•⁠ ⁠Why internationalization is Switzerland’s unavoidable founder skill•⁠ ⁠How to lead startups through uncertainty—without clinging to perfect structure•⁠ ⁠Why social science grads might be tech’s most overlooked leaders•⁠ ⁠How to separate a “must-have” product from a distraction—fast A conversation about sharp strategy, mindset shifts, and the courage to question what’s considered “normal” in building tech companies today.For more from Bea subscribe to our newsletter at followthegradient.io.

    36 Min.
  4. No Funding, No Managers, No Problem - Olivier Gaudin on Scaling SonarSource Intuitively

    11.12.2025

    No Funding, No Managers, No Problem - Olivier Gaudin on Scaling SonarSource Intuitively

    Olivier Gaudin is the co-founder of SonarSource, the developer tooling company that quietly became a global force, without raising a cent in its first years. Built out of frustration with bad code quality, SonarSource started as a side project among three friends and grew into a 800-person company powering millions of developers worldwide. In this episode we talk about:•⁠ ⁠Why staying “use case focused” beats being “customer obsessed”•⁠ ⁠How to scale a culture without adding managers—until you absolutely have to•⁠ ⁠Why open source was the smartest product decision they ever made•⁠ ⁠How SonarSource expanded into the U.S. by trusting intuition over playbooks A conversation about intentional scaling, deep product convictions, and the silent compounding of community trust.For more from Olivier - including early decisions that unlocked adoption and how SonarSource stayed aligned across continents - subscribe to our newsletter at followthegradient.io.

    46 Min.
  5. Tech Sovereignty, Digital Colonies and Europe’s Edge – Andy Yen, Founder of Proton

    04.12.2025

    Tech Sovereignty, Digital Colonies and Europe’s Edge – Andy Yen, Founder of Proton

    Andy Yen built Proton after realising that the business model of the internet was heading in a direction that could undermine democracy, privacy and long-term freedom.In this episode he talks about how growing up Taiwanese next to China shaped his worldview, why Europe has become a digital colony, and what it takes to build products that stay independent when your competitors own the operating systems and set the rules. We also break down Proton’s rare hybrid structure, why the company moved under a Swiss non-profit foundation, and what tech sovereignty means for founders and operators who are building in Europe today. Recorded during Open-i in Zurich. For more from Andy check out our newsletter at followthegradient.io.

    44 Min.
  6. The Inner Work of Founders: Burnout, Psychedelics & the Drive to Be Enough – with Jonas Muff

    27.11.2025

    The Inner Work of Founders: Burnout, Psychedelics & the Drive to Be Enough – with Jonas Muff

    Jonas Muff is the founder of Vara, a deep tech health startup - and a rare founder willing to dissect the emotional cost of ambition. After facing over 100 rejections during a critical fundraising round, he experienced a breakdown that forced him to confront the hidden engine behind his drive: fear. What followed was a years-long journey through therapy, meditation, and rethinking what it means to lead. In this episode we talk about:•⁠ ⁠Why being “driven” is often just fear in disguise•⁠ ⁠How to spot when your inner narrative is sabotaging your startup•⁠ ⁠What “thinking in bets” really means for founder decision-making•⁠ ⁠How to rewire overthinking loops with meditation, journaling & intention A conversation about ego, identity collapse, and the difference between chasing performance and building from purpose.For more from Jonas - including his essays and reflections on founder psychology - check out our newsletter at followthegradient.io.

    49 Min.
  7. Not All Angels Have Wings: Thomas Dübendorfer on How to Spot the Right Angel Investors

    20.11.2025

    Not All Angels Have Wings: Thomas Dübendorfer on How to Spot the Right Angel Investors

    Thomas is a veteran angel investor and board member with 40+ startup deals under his belt—and a front-row seat to what makes early-stage companies thrive or fall apart. He’s also the president of SICTIC, Switzerland’s largest angel network, and someone who’s seen the European startup scene evolve from local coffee chats to global Zoom deals. In this episode we talk about: •⁠ ⁠Why most first-time angels invest too soon—and too big •⁠ ⁠How founders can spot the difference between a project and a real business •⁠ ⁠What makes a healthy cap table at seed (and what absolutely breaks it) •⁠ ⁠How to activate angels after the wire hits—without burning yourself out A conversation about pattern recognition, post-wire dynamics, and the slow art of building trust between founders and funders. For more on early-stage investing and startup strategy, subscribe to our newsletter at followthegradient.io.

    37 Min.
  8. The Spark Behind Project Europe: Kitty Mayo on Starting a Pan-Continental Startup Revolution

    13.11.2025

    The Spark Behind Project Europe: Kitty Mayo on Starting a Pan-Continental Startup Revolution

    Kitty is the co-founder of Project Europe, a new initiative backing under-25 founders with bold, unproven ideas—and helping them build companies from day zero. After years in early-stage talent investing, Kitty was ready for a reset. Then came a cold LinkedIn DM from Harry Stebbings, a mountain trip with no Wi-Fi, and a viral launch that turned her into one of the most talked-about names in European tech. In this episode we talk about:•⁠ ⁠Why young founders need cultural permission before capital•⁠ ⁠How to spot “earnestness” as a superpower in early-stage talent•⁠ ⁠What makes European ambition different—and what still holds it back•⁠ ⁠How to build a continent-wide founder movement with no HQ, no rules, and a lot of trust A conversation about narrative shifts, deep founder signals, and the emotional chaos of building fast.For more from Kitty, including founder traits she watches for and how Project Europe scouts talent, subscribe to our newsletter at followthegradient.io.

    43 Min.
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Insider knowledge and real stories about how to build a scaleup in Europe while staying sane. Each week founders Melanie Gabriel and Christian Woese pick for you the latest startup news, dive deep into one specific question on a founder's or startup operator's mind and share how to solve the challenge together with an expert. Follow the Gradient and stay tuned.

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  • Erstellt von
    Follow the Gradient
  • Jahre aktiv
    2024 - 2026
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