The Recursive Podcast The Recursive Media

Our guest today is Radoslav Gaydarski, co-founder of CleverPine, a company that has made significant strides in the tech industry since its inception during the pandemic. Prior to this position, he was the co-founder and CEO of Upnetix, offering client-tailored software solutions, which was acquired by Scalefocus. 



With a deep background in software development and a passion for entrepreneurship, Gaydarski shares his journey from tinkering with computers in his youth to leading a company that has seen substantial growth and has recently partnered with Lufthansa Technik to innovate within the aviation sector.



In this discussion, you will discover Radoslav’s approach to leadership style,but also CleverPine's way of delivering exceptional value to its clients. 



On top of that, he touches on: 




How their company cultivates a positive and productive workplace culture;
The importance of surrounding oneself with the right team;
Learning from past challenges, and how these principles have guided his strategies for talent development and company growth; 



TIME STAMPS: 



00:00 Trailer 

01:47 Introduction

03:27 Why Radoslav Moved to the US and Back to Bulgaria

08:11 Choosing Entrepreneurship and What Does It Take

13:25 Radoslav’s Failures and What He Took Out of It

20:00 What Is a Lifestyle Company

20:33 Upnetix’s Acquisition and the Learnings Learned

23:20 Cleverpine and Lufthansa Technik’s Partnership and What Is ViTech

39:06 The Importance of Studying the Client’s Industry and How Cleverpine Does That

42:41 How a Lifestyle Company Works and Why It Doesn’t Care About Metrics

51:59 CleverPine’s Working from the Office Culture 

54:59 Team Structures and How to Deliver Quality Projects on Time 

1:01:17 Developing Yourself as a Leader and Self-Reflection

1:04:58 CleverPine’s Flans for the Future 

1:10:20 CleverPine Ventures and Supporting New Businesses 

1:16:30 The Happiness Culture and How Can a Leader Foster This 

1:21:40 Outro

Our guest today is Milen Manev, the co-founder and CTO of PlanDelta, a next-generation planning tool bridging the gap between strategic and financial planning. 

With over 20 years of experience in the IT industry, Milen has a wealth of knowledge in software product development and has held various leadership positions, including Vice President at the American software company SyncHR.

He holds a Master Degree in Management of Information Systems from Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski. 

In this episode we discover Milen’s approach to entrepreneurship, fundraising and what he learned from pitching to the biggest VC funds. 

He talks about: 


How visualizing failure and making peace with the worst case scenario can help you prepare for hard decisions; 


Why self-promotion and highlighting your capabilities is crucial during fundraising;


What sacrifices comes with entrepreneurship and what mental health challenges occur; 



 *This episode of The Recursive Podcast is released in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. As part of their mandate to support small and medium-sized businesses, The EBRD’s SME Finance and Development Team provides knowledge, network, and skills to help emerging businesses innovate, thrive, and succeed.

TIME STAMPS: 

00:00 - Trailer 

01:56 - Introduction

02:27 - How PlanDelta Choose the Problem They Want to Solve

05:52 - How to Know if You Are Solving the Right Problem

09:22 - Carving a Niche in Complex IT Ecosystems: How PlanDelta Identified Its Place in the Big Picture 

15:09 -  Data Integrity for Strategic Decisions in Fast-Moving Startups

17:06 - Mastering the Pitch and How Many Meetings With Investors You Need

27:48 - The Truth About Fundraising as an Early Stage Startup

30:32 - Why and How PlanDelta Fundraised from 17 Angel Investors 

34: 54 - Step by Step: PlanDelta's Methodical Approach to Growth

39:00 - The Fine Line Between Ego and Ambition 

44:28 - Navigating the Competitive Landscape of Tech Startups

51:09 - How to Get Energized as a Founder and the View on Failure

1:04:37 - Mentorship and Asking for Support 

1:08:33 - Outro

Our guest today is Diana Aladzhova, an experienced investment manager and partner at the first Bulgarian mezzanine fund Silverline Capital.

Shе is also the founder of the cloud-based provider of CFO services CFO Insights.

Diana has a background in banking and the private sector, with a focus on investment structuring, due diligence, financial analysis, and company valuation.

She holds a Master's degree in Finance and Private Equity from the London School of Economics and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA).

In this episode we follow her journey from finance, to private equity and entrepreneurship.

In her conversation with Irina, Diana Aladzhova talks about:

How her experience as an investor helped her found her own company focused on supporting startups and scaleups with financial expertise;
The importance of strategic financial management vs. “growth-at-all-costs” strategy;
How to build the right foundation for sustainable growth as a company;
Achieving balance between life and work is about building efficient work habits and self-awareness;

*This episode of The Recursive Podcast is released in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. As part of their mandate to support small and medium-sized businesses, The EBRD’s SME Finance and Development Team provides knowledge, network, and skills to help emerging businesses innovate, thrive, and succeed.

TIME STAMPS:


0:00 Trailer

03:13 Introduction

04:16 From LSE to Building Bulgaria's Private Equity Landscape

13:00 Learning Curve: First Experiences as Equity Investor

18:00 The Hedgehog Concept: Mastering the Art of Exponential Growth

25:40 How to Build A Sustainable Business Model: Lessons from an Investor Turned Founder

34:29 The Perils of Growth-at-All-Costs: A Financial Perspective

38:32 Building Strong Foundations: Resilience and Responsibility in Startup Culture

44:55 How to Scale a Service Business Efficiently: CFO Insights Long Term Vision

49:45 Creating Social Impact Through Business Logic: The Story of Box to Remember

54:55 Balancing Act: Juggling Work, Family, and Passion Projects

1:02:15 Balancing Vision and Action: Strategies for Long-Term Success

1:07:20 Overcoming Imposter Syndrome & Self-Doubt

1:14:31 Outro

Our next guest has come a long way in his professional and personal development - from investment banking, through digital media and marketing, and e-commerce to rethinking humanity’s relationship with food.

Victor Penev is a serial entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of the food database and nutrition data provider Edamam.

He is also a mentor and investor in food tech startups and an advisor to early-stage entrepreneurs.

Before that, Victor co-founded and sold Bulgaria’s largest Internet Company NetInfo BG.

In this episode we discover what is next on his journey.

In his conversation with Irina, Victor Penev talks about:

The legacy of one of Bulgaria’s firsts digital media companies and the early days of the Bulgarian Internet;
The bittersweet experience of selling your company as an entrepreneur;
Building a business on the intersection of food and technology without traditional fundraising;
Defining success beyond financial metrics, focusing on long-term impact;
His new longevity project: redefining health and food in Bulgaria



*This episode of The Recursive Podcast is released in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. As part of their mandate to support small and medium-sized businesses, The EBRD’s SME Finance and Development Team provides knowledge, network, and skills to help emerging businesses innovate, thrive, and succeed.

Time Stamps:

0:00 Trailer

03:25 Introduction

04:13 After the Fall of the Berlin Wall: Student Ventures and First Media Startups

08:50 From Investment Banking to Entrepreneurship

10:52 The Origin Story of NetInfo: Bulgaria’s First Digital Media Company

12:45 How NetInfo Shaped Bulgaria's Internet Landscape

19:25 Trust and Transition: Victor Penev's Experience with Succession at NetInfo

23:14 Cooking Up Ideas: The Birth of Edamam on a Thai Beach

24:30 Breaking the Mold: Building Edamam without VC Money

30:40 Reflections on Venture Capital: Addressing Inefficiencies in Investment Practices

33:26 Meditative Entrepreneurship: Finding Calm Amidst Chaos

37:20 Do You Have to be Competitive to be a Good Entrepreneur?

45:10 The Art of Mentorship: Nurturing Organic Connections

49:50 The Relationship between Food and Longevity: Victor’s New Project

1:03:10 Life as a Puzzle: Entrepreneurship, Home, and Identity

1:09:29 Outro

Our next guest is an entrepreneur in the promising field of circular economy, advocating for the continuous use and reuse of materials. 

Mihail Dimitrov is the co-founder and CЕO of Swipe.bg, a Bulgarian marketplace for buying and selling used smartphones. The company recently raised an investment to expand regionally and grow its market share. 

Mihail Dimitrov comes with vast experience in e-commerce and business development. He previously worked for the world's largest classifieds platform OLX and Bulgaria’s largest mеdia group Nova Broadcasting Group. 

In this podcast episode, Mihail and Irina talk about: 












 *This episode of The Recursive Podcast is released in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. As part of their mandate to support small and medium-sized businesses, The EBRD’s SME Finance and Development Team provides knowledge, network, and skills to help emerging businesses innovate, thrive, and succeed.

Our guest is on a quest to redefine the way businesses collaborate and work with data in the cloud.

With more than 20 years of experience in building successful enterprise software products, George Dochev is the co-founder and CTO of US-Bulgarian scale-up LucidLink. 

The company’s solution is used by the biggest names in the media, health, and finance industries, namely Adobe, Spotify, and WebMD. 

At the end of 2023, LucidLink closed the largest round for the Bulgarian ecosystem - a 75M dollars Series C. 

Is LucidLink on its way to becoming the next Bulgarian unicorn? Watch the episode to find out for yourself. 

In this conversation with George Dochev we unpack some of the big questions around scaling and growing a company to a multibillion dollars business: 












 *This episode of The Recursive Podcast is released in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. As part of their mandate to support small and medium-sized businesses, The EBRD’s SME Finance and Development Team provides knowledge, network, and skills to help emerging businesses innovate, thrive, and succeed.