The Recursive Podcast

The Recursive Media

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Entrepreneurship

The Recursive podcast is your weekly wander inside the minds of innovation leaders across SouthEast Europe. Each week our hosts cozy up with a digital economy champion and dive deep into their life philosophy, values, leadership style, and personal development. Join us for inspirational stories on how to grow, learn and think big.

Jun 28

What Really Happens When You Live With a Humanoid Robot? ft. Emily Kate Genatowski

Can We Safely Live with Humanoid Robots? 🤖 In this fascinating episode of The Recursive Podcast, we sit down with Emily Kate Genatowski, an AI PhD candidate, historian and domestic robotics researcher who provides a unique, hands-on perspective on our future with machines. Unlike most researchers who work in controlled labs, Emily lives full-time with a humanoid robot named Tova (a Unitree G1) in her apartment in Vienna. As the founder of PSL (Proportional Stake Liability), an insurtech startup bridging the liability gap in robotics, Emily’s career is dedicated to uncovering the practical, legal, and social friction points that arise when AI gains a physical body. She moves beyond the "AI hype" to explore how humanoid robotics will realistically intersect with our legal regulations, physical infrastructure, and the daily fabric of our communities. 🧠 Why Watch? Whether you’re a tech optimist, a skeptic, or someone worried about the future of work, this conversation offers a grounded, practical look at the challenges ahead. Emily moves the needle from philosophical fear to practical empowerment, showing us that we are still the architects of the future we want to see. 🔔 Subscribe to The Recursive for more deep-seated stories at the intersection of technology, society, and the European startup ecosystem. Find out more about Emily & her work: https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilykategenotovsky/ https://www.therecursive.com/emily-kate-genatowski-tova-humanoid-robot-laws-regulation-liability/
Jun 19

Why Most Companies Are Measuring AI Success Wrong ft. Karol Przystalski, Exadel

What does AI engineering actually look like inside modern enterprises — and how close are we to truly autonomous software development? In this episode of The Recursive Podcast, we sit down with Karol Przystalski, Chief Data and AI Officer at Exadel, to explore how organizations are moving beyond AI experimentation and into AI-native operations. We discuss the evolution from AI copilots and coding assistants to fully orchestrated engineering systems, why many companies are measuring AI success incorrectly, and how enterprise leaders should think about ROI, productivity, and organizational change in the age of autonomous engineering. Karol also shares insights into Exadel Colleague — an AI-powered engineering teammate designed to support entire software teams—and explains why the future of AI isn't about replacing humans, but helping them focus on higher-value work. In this episode we discuss: 🔹 Why AI adoption is shifting from experimentation to real business value How enterprises have moved beyond AI proof-of-concepts and are now focused on productivity, efficiency, and measurable outcomes. 🔹 The difference between AI-enabled development and AI-native engineering Why coding assistants are only the first step—and how autonomous systems are transforming entire software development lifecycles. 🔹 How to measure AI ROI beyond token usage The metrics that actually matter, including productivity gains, human-equivalent hours saved, accuracy, and business impact. 🔹 The future of autonomous engineering and the role of humans Why AI won't replace software engineers, but will fundamentally change how teams work and what skills will matter most. 🧠 Whether you're an engineering leader, CTO, product executive, or simply curious about the future of software development, this conversation offers a practical look at where enterprise AI is headed next. 🔔 Follow The Recursive for more stories at the intersection of tech, society, and startup ecosystems.
Jun 13

Where Is Your Old Smartphone? Rethinking the Way We Buy Tech Ft. Kilian Kaminski, Refurbed

In this episode of The Recursive Podcast, we sit down with Kilian Kaminski, the co-founder of Refurbed, the Vienna-based marketplace that has become a powerhouse in the European circular economy. Kilian shares insights from his transition from Amazon to entrepreneurship and the ongoing battle to establish refurbishment as a standardized global consumption category. A former head of Amazon’s Certified Refurbished program in Germany, Kilian left the corporate giant to revolutionize how we consume. Today, Refurbed has surpassed €2 billion in sales, proving that "rethinking new" is not just a sustainable choice, but a massive business opportunity that sits at the intersection of consumer trust and environmental impact. What we discussed in this episode: ♻️ The limitations of corporate sustainability and the origins of Refurbed’s marketplace model. ♻️ Overcoming the "chicken and egg" problem of acquiring sellers and building consumer trust in non-new products. ♻️ The critical need for standardized European legal definitions and quality criteria for refurbishment. ♻️ Cultural differences in consumption habits and the untapped "gold mine" of 600 million unused devices in European households. ♻️ The impact of the "Right to Repair" directive and the role of the European Refurbishment Association (EUREFAS) in policy lobbying. --- This episode was shot in Vienna, during CEE Forum 2026. Big thanks to wexelerate for hosting us in their hub, which was also the first home to Refurbed team as well. Make sure to check their website to learn more about other events they host and the community they are building 👉 https://wexelerate.com/ --- 🧠 This episode is a must-watch for entrepreneurs interested in marketplace dynamics, sustainability advocates, and anyone curious about how the "Right to Repair" legislation will impact the gadgets we use every day. 🔔 Follow The Recursive for more stories at the intersection of tech, society, and startup ecosystems.
Jun 6

Is Your Hiring Strategy Holding Your Ambitions Back? ft. Deel

Is Your Hiring Strategy Holding Your Ambitions Back? In this episode of The Recursive Podcast, we dive deep into the evolving talent landscape of Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) with Ivan Valev, Sales Manager for CEE & the Baltics at Deel. Deel is a global payroll and HR giant that has scaled from a small tool to a $7 billion powerhouse, helping over 40,000 companies navigate the complexities of hiring and paying talent across 150 countries. Ivan, a SaaS veteran and GTM expert, shares his unique perspective on how CEE has transitioned from a "low-cost destination" to a premiere hub for world-class technical skills and the next generation of global unicorns. We discuss: 🎙️ How the region moved from being an offshore destination to an established ecosystem home to over 50 unicorns and 12,000 startups. 🎙️ Why shoving compliance under the rug is a business-killer and how to avoid the legal traps of international hiring. 🎙️ Deel’s latest hiring data and the emergence of entirely new roles that didn't exist two years ago. 🎙️ How founders can test new markets in days rather than months, and why speed is the ultimate currency for snagging top-tier talent. 🎙️ Moving away from "boring" admin and Excel spreadsheets to focus on culture, leadership, and human-centric growth. ✨ This episode is a must-watch for startup and SME founders, HR leaders, and anyone looking to scale a distributed team without the regulatory headaches. 🔔 Subscribe to The Recursive for more stories at the intersection of tech, society, and the CEE startup ecosystem. This episode was shot in Vienna, during CEE Forum 2026. Big thanks to wexelerate for hosting us in their hub! Make sure to check their website to learn more about other events they host and the community they are building 👉 https://wexelerate.com/ Connect with Ivan & Deel: Website: https://www.deel.com/Ivan Valev on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivanvalev/Deel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/deel/
Jun 2

Europe Has MIT-Level Talent. So Why Are We Losing It? | The Recursive Roundtable

Is Central and Eastern Europe becoming the next global cybersecurity hub, or are we still exporting our best talent abroad? In this episode of The Recursive Roundtable, recorded in Vienna and hosted by Elevator Ventures, we bring together leading voices from the cybersecurity ecosystem to discuss Europe's biggest opportunities and challenges in cybersecurity, AI, digital identity, talent retention, venture capital, and digital sovereignty. Our guests explore whether Europe can compete with the US in building global cybersecurity champions, how AI is transforming both cyber defense and cyber attacks, and why keeping top technical talent in Europe may be one of the most important strategic challenges of the decade. We also dive into: ☑️ The cybersecurity talent advantage in Central & Eastern Europe ☑️ Brain drain and the race for top engineers ☑️ Why European startups struggle with Series A and Series B funding ☑️ AI-powered cyber attacks and autonomous defense systems ☑️ Europe's dependence on foreign cloud and security providers ☑️ Digital sovereignty and the future of European cybersecurity ☑️ Scaling cybersecurity companies from Prague, Vienna, and beyond Featuring: Maximilian Schausberger, Managing Director (Elevator Ventures) Petr Dvorak, Founder & CEO (Wultra) Rene Heinzl, CTO (CyberTrap) 💡 Key takeaway: Europe has world-class technical talent and cybersecurity expertise. The question is whether it can create the capital, ecosystem, and strategic vision needed to keep that talent, build global leaders, and secure its digital future. 👇 What do you think? Can Europe become a global cybersecurity leader, or will talent and innovation continue to flow elsewhere? Share your thoughts in the comments. 👉 Watch the full conversation and join the discussion. 🎧 Like and subscribe for more episodes of The Recursive Podcast. Chapters: 00:00 Europe's Cybersecurity Wake-Up Call 02:00 Can Europe Become a Cybersecurity Superpower? 06:00 The Brain Drain Crisis 08:55 Why Europe Struggles to Scale 13:20 Cybersecurity Cannot Be Outsourced 16:25 The Global Demand for European Cybersecurity 19:08 AI Is Already Attacking 23:42 The Startup Trust Problem 30:30 Why Cybersecurity Is So Hard 31:52 What If AI Was Smarter Than Your Team? 33:22 Quantum Computing Changes Everything 40:40 Europe's Opportunity to Lead
May 16

Inside the Future of AI in Banking with DSK Bank

In this episode of The Recursive Podcast, we dive into one of the hottest topics in tech right now — AI in banking. Our host Dilyana Haralanova speaks with Valentin Stepanovich, Head of Machine Learning Platform at DSK Bank, about where he leads ML and AI innovation initiatives. They explore how generative AI is transforming customer service, fraud prevention, software engineering, and financial operations inside modern banks, and more. 💡 How AI Is Transforming Customer Service in Banking: Why banks are replacing traditional rule-based chatbots with AI assistants, how customer interactions are becoming more natural, and why Valentine believes customer service will be the biggest area AI fundamentally changes. 💡 The Real Risks of AI in Finance: From AI-generated fraud and identity theft to GDPR, security layers, hallucinations, and the EU AI Act — the conversation unpacks the biggest challenges banks face when deploying generative AI safely. 💡 Why AI Isn’t Replacing Jobs (Yet): Valentin shares why AI is changing the nature of work rather than eliminating jobs, how engineers are adapting to AI-assisted development, and the surprising rise of candidates using AI live during job interviews.
Apr 27

It’s Never Too Early to Think About Your Exit | The Recursive Roundtable

Is the “Genius Founder” Myth Hurting Your Startup? In this episode of the Recursive Roundtable, we pull back the curtain on the real founder’s journey — from the grueling early days of fundraising to the high-stakes world of multi-million dollar exits. We are joined by three industry experts who see the lifecycle of a company from every angle: Gergana Stoichkova, a VC expert and fundraising advisor; Stan Andreev, an M&A specialist with a background at Citibank in New York and London; and Teodor Antonio, a narrative strategist who helps founders shape their public presence. Together, they debunk common misconceptions about "startup freedom," explain why your exit strategy should start on Day 1, and reveal why "chaos mastery" is the most important skill a CEO can have. 💡 What we discuss: The Biggest Startup Myths: Why building a great product doesn't guarantee distribution, and why the "lone wolf" founder narrative is a recipe for failure.The Reality of Selling Your Company: Stan explains why an exit is never "easy," how to align co-founder incentives early, and why a declining business is almost impossible to sell.Fundraising as a Relationship, Not an Outsource: Gergana breaks down why you can’t hire someone to raise capital for you and what VCs are actually looking for beyond a perfect pitch deck.Narrative as Infrastructure: Theodor explores how to use major milestones (like funding rounds) for customer acquisition rather than just vanity PR, and why public speaking is a learnable craft.Red Flags for Investors: How to tell when a founder’s confidence has turned into arrogance and when social media "vanity metrics" are masking a lack of real growth.🏆 This episode is essential viewing for early-stage founders, entrepreneurs planning their next exit, and anyone looking to understand the bridge between building a product and building a legacy. 🔔 Subscribe to The Recursive for more stories at the intersection of tech, society, and startup ecosystems.
Apr 10

AI Isn’t Ruining Creativity... Bad Taste Is! | The Recursive Roundtable

In this episode of The Recursive Round Table, we explore how AI is reshaping music, filmmaking, and advertising workflows. This isn’t a hype conversation. It’s a real look at what actually works, what doesn’t, and why most people are still getting it wrong. Composer and sound artist Emilian Gatsov – Elbi, advertiser and Director of Innovation at OM Group Konstantin Yankov, and film director and video producer Andrey Andonov share their perspectives from across disciplines. We talk about the shift from control to experimentation, why randomness can be a creative advantage, and how AI acts more like a collaborator than a replacement. One key idea stands out: the quality of output is directly tied to the quality of input. They discussed: ☑️ How AI changed creative workflows️☑️ Do you need experience to create with AI?☑️ Using AI as an enabler (not a replacement)☑️ AI in film production☑️ AI in advertising☑️ Real examples of using AI in projects☑️ Transparency, copyright & ethics☑️ Creative jobs, skills & the future of creation

The Recursive podcast is your weekly wander inside the minds of innovation leaders across SouthEast Europe. Each week our hosts cozy up with a digital economy champion and dive deep into their life philosophy, values, leadership style, and personal development. Join us for inspirational stories on how to grow, learn and think big.

Creator

The Recursive Media
Years Active

2021 - 2026
Episodes

139
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© The Recursive Media
Show Website

The Recursive Podcast