Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

Fabian Tausch
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Unicorn Bakery - For the World's Most Ambitious Founders & Teams

Welcome to Unicorn Bakery: The podcast for the most ambitious founders & teams. Learn the tactics and lessons learned from the world's best founders and their teams to find out what it takes to start your startup, successfully scale, or support a founder turning their vision into reality. Unicorn Bakery is the founder's podcast about the essential questions and topics when starting a startup. We interview founders to cover every phase of the startup process, from idea generation and strategy to technical, legal, and financial issues.

  1. Investing in 10+ Unicorns: Kevin Hartz on Finding and Crafting Winning Founding Teams

    2 JUL

    Investing in 10+ Unicorns: Kevin Hartz on Finding and Crafting Winning Founding Teams

    Kevin Hartz is not only one of the most influential seed investors in Silicon Valley, but also a successful founder. In addition to early-stage investments in PayPal, Uber, AirBnB and SpaceX, he founded Xoom (exit to PayPal for approx. 1 billion dollars) and Eventbrite (IPO). With his current startup Sauron, Kevin is in the process of developing new technologies for the home security market. Kevin talks about how he identifies outstanding founders and thinks about team building in young startups. Kevin also elaborates on how he adapts to new technologies, evaluates them and draws conclusions for new companies and investments. Finally, he discusses his hypotheses on the future of value creation in AI startups and provides insights into the future of Sauron. What you learn: How does Kevin identify successful founders? What is the importance of flexibility and adaptability in building a company? What makes a good early-stage investor? Where will the value creation in AI startups take place? Building a founding team Further links: ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery Kevin Hartz LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/hartz/ A*: https://www.a-star.co/ Unicorn Bakery WhatsApp Broadcast: Find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker: (00:00:00) Importance of having a flexible mindset (00:02:31) Did the characteristics of great founding teams change over the last 20 years? (00:04:57) Great team & market opportunity: is it always working hand in hand? (00:07:14) Assessing potential in founder (00:20:25) First hires in Kevin’s new venture Sauron (00:23:10) Why incubations are often bad ventures? (00:28:22) Kevin Hartz thoughts on Fundraising (00:34:22) Inhouse creation vs. outsourcing?(00:37:19) Is the Go To Market Motion creating enough defensibility ? (00:39:50) Evaluating new trends and opportunities (00:43:38) Where will value creation happen in the future of AI? (00:51:34) What do you think about the lifecycle of companies? (00:56:51) The impact of AI on Startup Complexity: Will people focus on more complex problems  or focus on building  “easier” companies faster? (00:59:32) What are your takes on other ecosystems compared to Silicon Valley?

    1h 12m
  2. The AI Playbook: Richard Socher’s Guide to Building a Successful AI Company

    28 JUN

    The AI Playbook: Richard Socher’s Guide to Building a Successful AI Company

    Richard Socher, most recently Chief Scientist at Salesforce under Marc Benioff and one of the most renowned AI researchers in the world, has now founded you.com instead of joining one of the big AI companies. Richard believes that he can have a more positive impact on humanity. you.com now reaches millions of users and gives you as a user the opportunity to work based on the latest models. Richard talks about building an AI company that always has to work on the edge of innovation, how he would manage research teams today, how you as a founder find out which AI tools really help you and how he himself thinks about prioritization privately and in the product. The conversation was particularly impressive for me, as Richard grew up in Dresden and moved to Silicon Valley at an early age and (not only) became an absolute luminary for artificial intelligence from there. What you learn: How do you evaluate which AI tools will really help you and your company? When does it make sense to develop your own services in-house vs. outsourcing or buying in services? As a founder, how can I find out how much money I really want/should raise? How can I optimize my energy management as a founder? What qualities should a good mentor have? Further links: ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery Richard Socher: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardsocher/ Website: https://www.socher.org/ you.com: https://you.com/ Unicorn Bakery WhatsApp Broadcast: Here you can find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker:  (00:00:00) How to evaluate AI tools (00:22:01) Will AI and LLM wrappers be valid businesses?  (00:25:48) Product decisions: Building things inhouse vs. implementing things  (00:29:23) How to size funding rounds (00:34:24) you.com team setup & how to run high performing AI research teams (00:38:59) Why is it more impactful to build you.com than joining OpenAI? (00:43:44) Energy management as a founder (00:52:58) Prioritization for founders (00:56:19) What makes a great mentor? (01:00:57) What is the easiest way to try you.com?

    1h 10m
  3. Misconceptions of first-time founders: How to avoid Hiring-Red Flags & the Biggest Fallacies about Finding Product Market Fit - Dan Siroker, Limitless

    25 JUN

    Misconceptions of first-time founders: How to avoid Hiring-Red Flags & the Biggest Fallacies about Finding Product Market Fit - Dan Siroker, Limitless

    Dan Siroker built Optimizely to more than 120 million ARR before leaving the company. The company was sold and merged, and then launched, rewind.ai-now limitless.ai, a consumer product that, unlike Dan's previous company, has a software and hardware component. Dan gives deep insights into the transition from software to hardware development and the use of AI in modern startups. He explains how empathy and user research can improve the product development process and the strategies he uses to build an efficient team. He also shares his experience in fundraising and gives tips on how to choose the right investors. You'll also learn how to identify the biggest red flags in the hiring process and save yourself hassle and money. Basically, Dan shares many things that he now looks at differently as a serial founder: How do you find the right investor? What mistakes lurk in fundraising? & Which founder misconceptions are simply based on b******t? What you will learn: The challenges and opportunities of transitioning from software to hardware How AI can be used as a superpower to increase productivity The importance of empathy and user research in product development Strategies to avoid classic hiring mistakes How to attract investors and choose the right partners What you can learn for your energy management from a father of three and founder of two ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery Dan Siroker: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dsiroker/ Limitless: https://www.limitless.ai/ Optimizely: https://www.optimizely.com/ Unicorn Bakery WhatsApp Broadcast: Here you can find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker:  (00:00:00) Company Building in the era of AI (00:06:35) What do you use GPT4 for, and what about old habits that block us from using new tools like AI? (00:10:48) Building the founding team - what people are you looking for and how is your leadership-style? (00:19:59) How to do Backchannel References? (00:23:36) How do you find out if former founders are recruitable? (00:26:45) How do you describe the journey of Limitless to Product-Market-Fit? (00:32:13) What are the biggest fallacies about finding PMF? (00:35:01) Round Sizing: How do you evaluate how much money you want/need from investors?  (00:39:22) Why founders need to have empathy for investors (00:45:47) How do you know if the investor you are talking to is the right investor for you? (00:49:45) What unusual decision did you make in your fundraising? (00:53:30) How do you think about burn management? (00:56:16) To what extent can you test your hardware for product market fit? (01:01:03) How do you think about energy management now as a 3-times-dad and a 2nd time founder? (01:06:02) What is one of the biggest misconceptions that founders have?

    1h 12m
  4. Why startups fail with Dave Hersh, Founder & Author

    18 JUN

    Why startups fail with Dave Hersh, Founder & Author

    Only 10% of start-ups are successful and yet 82% of founders think they will be successful. 78% of start-ups don't even manage to pay back their investors. Dave Hersh scaled a company with Jive to more than 10 million dollars in turnover, took a growth investor on board and Jive later went public. Through his other positions as a coach, board partner at a16z and also as a buyer of start-ups, he has a 360-degree perspective on the things that go wrong in the venture ecosystem.  His book Reignition is all about dealing with the 90% of startups that don't achieve outlier success. As a founder, how can you prevent your startup from getting stuck halfway through, or pull the cart out of the mud if that has already happened. What you learn: The evolution of the venture capital ecosystem and its current challenges The importance of intuition versus data-driven decisions in company building When and how to raise capital and the risks of funding too early or too much The role of market access and operational efficiency in the success of startups How to choose the right investor and the importance of deep personal connection and trust ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY:  https://zez.am/unicornbakery Dave Hersh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davehersh/  Reignition - Transforming Stuck Startups: https://amzn.eu/d/3ZHnrUK  Unicorn Bakery Whatsapp Broadcast: Here you can find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S   Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker: (00:00:00) To what degree do you think the venture ecosystem is broken? (00:04:67) What questions must be answered before building a company? (00:11:33) Where do I position myself to set the guidance for the last few years? (00:16:23) When is the right time to raise money, and do you differentiate between private and institutional investors? (00:22:49) What do you tell founders that are scared of not reaching sales targets fast enough? (00:25:36) How do I find the right investor, and what should I look for? (00:29:26) How can founders see if they are on the right track and the company is moving in the right direction? (00:34:27) What is the flywheel that leads to being stuck as a company? (00:35:39) Trying to do my best hiring vs. putting persons in the position that hire better than me (00:38:33) How do I unstuck my company, and how do I realize my own mistakes? (00:49:01) What about overthinking in the early founder stage? (00:52:39) What do you have to think about to become the best performer, and where do I start? (00:59:20) Is it even possible to be successful in the early 20s?

    1h 9m
  5. Deeptech: The hurdles of making the first Quantum Computer accessible as a B2B Cloud Product - Alexander Keesling, QuEra

    28 MAY

    Deeptech: The hurdles of making the first Quantum Computer accessible as a B2B Cloud Product - Alexander Keesling, QuEra

    Alexander Keesling researched quantum computers at Harvard and, together with a team, decided to found a company based on his research. Today, QuEra generates tens of millions in revenue, licenses its quantum computer via AWS and is building a new quantum computer in Japan for around 41 million dollars. In the podcast, we talk about the status quo of quantum computing, when quantum computers will be available to the general public, and also how difficult it is to go from researcher to CEO of a fast-growing startup & where the parallels lie. What you will learn: What are the challenges of building a great technical team? When will quantum computing become interesting for the general public and in which industries can it be usefully applied? What do you need to set up a company as a researcher and how do you find your first customers? Technical sales: How do you set up a sales organization for a technically sophisticated product? What difficulties do you encounter when you want to export a new quantum technology to Japan? ALL ABOUT THE UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery      Alexander Keesling LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-keesling-66229730/  QuEra: https://www.quera.com/   https://aws.amazon.com/de/braket/quantum-computers/quera/ Unicorn Bakery Whatsapp Broadcast: Find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S        Our WhatsApp broadcast keeps you up to date Marker: (00:00:00) Researcher turning CEO: Job Similarities and differences (00:07:14) Why is it still complex to deliver quantum computers? (00:15:24) How would you explain what a quantum computer is? (00:26:41) What is the ChatGPT-moment of quantum computing - when will it be accessible to the public? (00:34:47) What circumstances made you build a business out of your research? (00:45:25) How do you build your sales motion for a complex technical product? (00:54:41) Why Quantum Computing will change the world and how you can try it today

    1h 9m
  6. 1100+ investments, 40% Annual Realized Return for 26 years: How Fabrice Grinda built FJ Labs, one of the most successful Venture Capital Funds globally

    7 MAY

    1100+ investments, 40% Annual Realized Return for 26 years: How Fabrice Grinda built FJ Labs, one of the most successful Venture Capital Funds globally

    Fabrice Grinda, founder of FJ Labs and extreme athlete, explains how he has made over 1100 investments, primarily in marketplace and network-effect startups, generating an average 40% return over 26 years. Fabrice also likes to simplify a lot in his life by outsourcing things. Find out his recipe for a fulfilling life and managing virtual assistants in the podcast. What you will learn: Outsourcing: How to outsource more professionally and privately to increase your quality of life and output Marketplaces: What are the difficulties in scaling marketplace companies, the most important KPIs and current valuations? FOMO: How do you manage not to be pushed by others? Senior hiring: Is it typically European to hire senior rather than young and motivated? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery Fabrice Grinda LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fabricegrinda/ FJ Labs: https://www.fjlabs.com/ Unicorn Bakery Whatsapp Broadcast: Find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker: (00:00:00) What does a successful life look like to you and what role does money play in your life? (00:05:50) How do you decide what things you outsource vs. what you do by yourself and how do you delegate successful? (00:12:56) Managing lessons to become a relaxed manager/avoiding things you don't like (00:16:38) Is hiring seniors instead of young ambitious people an European problem? (00:20:27) FJ Labs’ Investing Strategy that leads to 1100+ Investments and 40% realized IRR over 26 years (00:36:13) What fascinates you about marketplaces and why did you stay focused? (00:43:28) What is needed to scale a marketplace successfully (00:56:18) How do you manage and resist FOMO? (00:59:39) Fabrice Grinda’s view on the macroeconomics and their influence on the venture ecosystem (01:06:37) As an extreme sports-fanatic: what are the biggest parallels between extreme sports and investing/building a company? (01:09:37) What did you learn about yourself through your extreme adventures and how do you manage stress? (01:13:49) Was it as easy as it appears for you to reach everything you want and how much do you need other people's opinions?

    1h 26m
  7. Consolidation as Strategy: Razor Group's Path to Market Leadership - Razor Group Founder Tushar Ahluwalia

    5 APR

    Consolidation as Strategy: Razor Group's Path to Market Leadership - Razor Group Founder Tushar Ahluwalia

    Tushar Ahluwalia founded the Razor Group together with his founding team in 2020. Since then, the Razor Group has received more than one billion dollars in investment and credit, acquired and consolidated many Amazon FBA businesses and most recently some Amazon aggregators, such as Perch. Today, the Razor Group is the largest remaining player on the market in terms of sales and serves a product catalog of around 40,000 SKUs. The vision: to revolutionize e-commerce and shine in front of consumers with outstanding products. A concept that shone during Corona, but is now more of an anti-hype. Nevertheless, Tushar and his team have managed to scale extremely quickly. In this interview, he reveals to Fabian what his tricks and learnings are and what makes his business model so special. What you learn: Fast scaling: What do you need to be prepared for when hyperscaling? What are the stumbling blocks? What was the Razor Group's A-Team? How was the founding team put together? Is a company ever "too big to fail"? Why do so many of the Buy & Build models from the Amazon FBA space fail? Why is it attractive for Razor to consolidate these faltering players? Where should the Razor Group develop in the future? ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery Tushar Ahluwalia LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tushar-ahluwalia/ Razor Group: https://www.razor-group.com/ Unicorn Bakery Whatsapp Broadcast: Find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker: (00:00:00) What are the good and the hard things about hyperscaling? (00:04:09) What made the perfect founding team for Razor, and what were the first steps to create momentum? (00:16:34) What must we know about the aggregators (like Perch, Stryze and others) you bought and why they sold to you? (00:27:58) How exposed is Razor to leverage? (00:34:06) Is the Razor Group too big to fail after consolidating with Perch? (00:36:59) What is the vision for the next few years for the Razor Group

    1h 6m
  8. Misconceptions about pitching early stage investors - with Sequoia Capital Partner George Robson

    29 MAR

    Misconceptions about pitching early stage investors - with Sequoia Capital Partner George Robson

    Is the European climate for early-stage start-ups improving again? After the European fundraising ecosystem was somewhat more cautious in the years following the corona boom, the question is: how is it currently developing?  Fabian meets George Robson, Partner at Sequoia Capital, probably the best-known venture capital fund in the world.  Together they talk about financing start-ups with high capital requirements, the fine line between optimistic vision and realism when pitching and the right approach to investors like Sequoia Capital. What you learn: Which investor should you seek for your startup if you're building more of a cash-heavy business? Market assessment: Are consumer products making a comeback? Sequoia Capital: How does Sequoia invest and what does the company value in founders? How much storytelling in the pitch is good and when does it become too much? How important is the warm intro really and what chances do you have with cold outreach to investors? Here you can find tickets for MERGE: https://merge.berlin  Don't forget to use the code UNICORN for 30% off. ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery       George Robson LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgerobson   Sequoia: https://www.sequoiacap.com/   Unicorn Bakery Whatsapp Broadcast: Find out everything you need to know as a founder: https://drp.li/jrq5S         Our WhatsApp Broadcast keeps you up to date with insights into the scene, news and top content. Marker: (00:00:00) Is the European fundraising ecosystem waking up again? (00:04:21) How do I approach investors if I'm building a startup that combines hardware and software instead of the usual b2b SaaS startup? (00:07:12) What investor am I looking for if I'm a cash-heavy business? (00:11:40) How does investing at Sequoia work? (00:14:20) Are consumer products experiencing a comeback? (00:18:15) When it comes to pitching, where is the fine line between storytelling and "being too much"? (00:23:45) How to get in touch with Sequoia?

    30 min
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Welcome to Unicorn Bakery: The podcast for the most ambitious founders & teams. Learn the tactics and lessons learned from the world's best founders and their teams to find out what it takes to start your startup, successfully scale, or support a founder turning their vision into reality. Unicorn Bakery is the founder's podcast about the essential questions and topics when starting a startup. We interview founders to cover every phase of the startup process, from idea generation and strategy to technical, legal, and financial issues.

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