Dr. Anjali Raja Beharelle (https://www.linkedin.com/in/anjali-raja-beharelle/) is the CSO (Chief Science Officer) and one of the founders of collabree.com (https://www.collabree.com/). Collabree is a Swiss eHealth / digital adherence start-up focusing on improving therapy compliance of chronically ill patients by applying behavioural economics principles. Collabree is helping patients to make lasting behavioral changes and stick to their therapy regimen by combining human engagement with scalable algorithms and using the most relevant gamification factors: fun, friends and feedback. Anjali is responsible for the clinical track and integrating insights from behavioral economics and neuroscience into the app. Before founding Collabree, Anjali worked as a neuroscientist. Her research focused on the neuro(chemical) and behavioral components of decision making between short-term and long-term rewards (e.g. should I have a candy bar or some broccoli) and how to optimize these decisions. We discuss: * How behavioral economics can help us to make long-lasting positive habit changes * Taking the leap from Academia into the world of startups * Why medication adherence is so important * Collabree’s mission and future plans * Tips for forming habits Show notes: * 03:41 -- Intro of Anjali * 04:19 -- Why Anjali decided to leave academia and to join a startup * 05:38 -- Anjali’s academic research focus and how it links to her role at Collabree * 08:55 -- How Anjali joined Collabree / found her co-founders * 10:45 -- What is Collabree’s mission and what problem is the startup trying to solve * 15:52 -- Development status of Collabree * 17:18 -- More info about the Collabree app * 17:36 -- Deep dive into scientific results from behavioral economics and how it can help us to form healthier habits * 22:15 -- Pricing model of Collabree * 24:26 -- Broader focus of Collabree - healthy habits * 25:19 -- Deep dive into what habits are and habit formation from a scientific perspective * 31:11 -- Practical & actionable tips for forming positive habits * 34:49 -- Future plans for Collabree and status of fundraising * 37:04 -- Learnings from switching from academia to the world of startups * 40:43 -- Anjali’s favorite book * 42:43 -- Role model of Anjali * 43:35 -- Advice to your younger self * 44:28 -- What courage means to Anjali * 45:09 -- How to find out more about Collabree Please follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leaptakerspodcast/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheRemoKyburz), and my Website (http://www.leaptakers.com/), where I post new episodes and share resources & tips for anyone interested in entrepreneurship in Europe. Sign-up for the mailing list to stay in the loop (https://www.leaptakers.com/subscribe)! If you're enjoying the podcast, the best way to support the show is by leaving a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-leap-takers-podcast/id1468975811?l=en) or in your favorite podcast app. Special Guest: Anjali Raja Beharelle.

Leap Takers

Episode 26: Anjali Raja Beharelle - Path from academia into entrepreneurship, and how Collabree helps people to make lasting habit changes thanks to behavioral economics

Hugo Amsellem [@HugoAmsellem (https://twitter.com/HugoAmsellem)] is a thought leader covering the world of the creator economy and writes the blog “Arm the Creators (https://armthecreators.substack.com/)”. The Creator Economy enables an entire generation to bypass traditional gatekeepers for the 1st time in history. Anyone can learn anything online, build something new and distribute it all over the world—without asking anyone's permission In 2013 he jumped the fence and joined The Family (https://www.thefamily.co/) as part of the founding team. The Family is one of the world’s leading fellowship programs for founders. Twice a year, The Family selects 50 startups from around the world. In exchange for 5% equity, they provide everything you need to build a scalable business: advice, mindset, network & a world-class investor demo day.With the Family he backed hundreds of founders across Europe. Previously, he co-founded oocto (https://twitter.com/oocto?lang=en), a decentralized music label to help artists bypass the record labels and keep ownership of their projects. Hugo recently joined Jellysmack (https://www.jellysmack.com/), a “creator accelerator” to educate & empower the next generation of ambitious creators. We discuss: * Why the Creator economy will change everything * Lessons from startup failure * The origin story of The Family * Developments in the European startup ecosystem * Investing in creators and creator accelerators Show notes: * 03:09 -- Intro of Hugo * 05:31 -- Hugo Amsellem’s path into entrepreneurship / disrupting the music business * 08:32 -- Learnings and reflections from startup failure * 13:00 -- Unit economics - Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC) and Customer LifeTime Value (CLTV) * 15:30 -- Does risk mitigation in startups work? Should you start a startup? * 19:30 -- Ideas are worthless - true or not? * 20:39 -- The origin story of The Family and the startup ecosystem in Europe in the early 2010’s * 27:51 -- Structure of The Family fellowship program * 31:52 -- Who should apply to The Family program * 33:26 -- Intro to the Creator Economy and why it matters * 38:43 -- Jellysmack - the accelerator for creators * 43:09 -- Investing in creators * 47:43 -- Hugo Amsellem’s favorite book * 50:25 -- What courage means for Hugo * 53:32 -- Hugo Amsellem’s contact details and outro Please follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leaptakerspodcast/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheRemoKyburz), and my Website (http://www.leaptakers.com/), where I post new episodes and share resources & tips for anyone interested in entrepreneurship in Europe. Sign-up for the mailing list to stay in the loop (https://www.leaptakers.com/subscribe)! If you're enjoying the podcast, the best way to support the show is by leaving a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-leap-takers-podcast/id1468975811?l=en) or in your favorite podcast app. Special Guest: Hugo Amsellem.

Episode 25: Hugo Amsellem - The creator economy tsunami and “The Family” - building a leading fellowship for founders in Europe

Patrick Gobonya is one of the co-founders of Ovation eSports (https://ovation-esports.com/). Ovation was founded in Zurich / Switzerland in February 2020, and is the first sustainable eSports organization. Ovation is "a lit, young & dynamic pioneer which combines professionalism and fun in one team. A network platform of champs and eSports enthusiasts." Ovation accompanies and develops athletes on their journey to become leading eSports players. The company is committed to provide their athletes with support to protect their mental and physical well-being and offers an environment to master a successful future following a career in eSports. Ovation eSports AG is a Swiss team consisting of players from the DACH region and with partnerships all over Europe. Ovation is one of the fastest growing and up-and-coming esports teams in Europe and currently competes in the games of Fortnite (https://www.epicgames.com/fortnite/en-US/home) and Valorant (https://playvalorant.com/de-de/). In March 2021, Ovation announced that it has raised a seed round investment from billionaire twin brothers Maurice and Kyril Louis-Dreyfus (https://www.startupticker.ch/en/news/march-2021/swiss-esports-start-up-attracts-louis-dreyfus-twins-as-investors). We discuss: * The origin story of Ovation * Tips for starting an eSports team & scouting talent * Sustainability in eSports and gaming as a career track * Fundraising advice Show notes: * 02:23 -- Intro of Patrick Gobonya * 03:12 -- What is eSports and why is it relevant * 05:54 -- Ovation’s fundraise from Maurice und Kyril Louis-Dreyfus * 06:56 -- How the investment from the Dreyfus twins in Ovation came to be * 11:06 -- How Patrick for the first time got the idea to start his own company and the origin story of Ovation * 15:52 -- How Ovation came up with the name for its team * 17:16 -- How to start an eSports team, recruiting players, getting into the community * 19:50 -- How to scout talent in eSports * 22:18 -- Progress of ovation in 2020 * 24:55 -- Stats and further info about Ovation * 28:15 -- Revenue streams of Ovation and eSports teams - how the sponsorship model works * 31:48 -- What sustainability means in the context of eSports * 34:01 -- Patrick’s learnings from building an eSports brand * 35:22 -- Trends in the eSports space * 36:58 -- Patrick’s favorite game * 37:42 -- Patrick Gobonya’s advice to younger self * 38:22 -- Open browser tabs * 39:20 -- What courage means to Patrick Please follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leaptakerspodcast/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheRemoKyburz), and my Website (http://www.leaptakers.com/), where I post new episodes and share resources & tips for anyone interested in entrepreneurship in Europe. Sign-up for the mailing list to stay in the loop (https://www.leaptakers.com/subscribe)! If you're enjoying the podcast, the best way to support the show is by leaving a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-leap-takers-podcast/id1468975811?l=en) or in your favorite podcast app. Special Guest: Patrick Gobonya.

Episode 24: Patrick Gobonya - Building a sustainable eSports organization with Ovation eSports to deliver the next-generation fan experience

Arman Anatürk [@ArmanAnaturk (https://twitter.com/armananaturk)] is the founder and CEO of FoodHack (https://www.foodhack.global/). FoodHack is a community-driven platform that inspires, highlights and connects food entrepreneurs and innovators. With FoodHack Arman is is building the 21st century media / events company for the foodtech industry. The platform's offering includes a weekly food & food tech newsletter, ambassador run meet-ups, an annual FoodHack Summit, as well as a newly launched Food Discovery board (https://www.foodhack.global/discovery) (think of the “Product Hunt of Food”) where innovative food tech startups are featured. Arman’s goal with FoodHack is to make it easier for impact driven food founders to access the resources, network and knowledge they need to successfully launch and grow their Food (tech) business. The FoodHack newsletter has over 100+ editions sent and over 5k+ happy readers. Arman also hosts "The Secret Sauce (https://anchor.fm/foodhack)" Podcast, where he provides insights from food industry leaders. We discuss: * How Arman founded and grew a 21st century media company focused on food & technology * Cold outreach tips * Newest trends in the FoodTech space * Tools to run an emerging startup / platform * The origin story of FoodHack Show notes: * 02:33 -- Intro of Arman * 03:20 -- How Arman Anatürk got interested in startups and food tech * 07:04 -- Next steps after working for a coding school * 08:16 -- Cold outreach tips * 13:17 -- How Arman got his first client * 14:50 -- Description of FoodHack and its mission * 17:50 -- Sources of revenue for FoodHack / a 21st century media business * 20:13 -- The story of FoodHack and its different products * 23:51 -- Stats of FoodHack * 25:33 -- Arman’s favorite tools to run FoodHack / a media startup * 28:05 -- Tips to grow your newsletter * 30:31 -- Latest trends happening in the FoodTech space * 37:30 -- Book with the biggest impact for Arman * 37:54 -- Area in FoodTech that Arman is most excited about * 38:27 -- Lessons for other (aspiring) entrepreneurs * 40:44 -- What courage means for Arman Please follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leaptakerspodcast/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheRemoKyburz), and my Website (http://www.leaptakers.com/), where I post new episodes and share resources & tips for anyone interested in entrepreneurship in Europe. Sign-up for the mailing list to stay in the loop (https://www.leaptakers.com/subscribe)! If you're enjoying the podcast, the best way to support the show is by leaving a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-leap-takers-podcast/id1468975811?l=en) or in your favorite podcast app. Special Guest: Arman Anatürk.

Episode 23: Arman Anatürk - Food trends and the founding story of FoodHack - a global platform for the FoodTech industry

Job van der Voort (@Jobvo (https://twitter.com/Jobvo?s=20)) is the CEO and one of the founders of Remote.com (https://remote.com/). Remote makes it possible to employ anyone, anywhere in the world. Their mission is to simplify how companies employ the best talent globally and to help remote organizations do their best work. They offer services such as international payroll, benefits, taxes, and compliance for businesses big and small - so that they can hire anyone in the world - while outsourcing all the admin & legal work to Remote. Remote's vision is to become the "stripe for (remote) work". Remote is also among the fastest growing startups globally and is backed by some of the best venture capital investors in the world, such as Index Ventures (https://www.indexventures.com/), Sequoia (https://www.sequoiacap.com/), General Catalyst (https://www.generalcatalyst.com/), Two Sigma (https://twosigmaventures.com/), and many more very accomplished angel investors. Remote recently raised their Series A financing round (https://techcrunch.com/2020/11/10/remote-raises-35m-to-help-orgs-with-global-workforce-payroll-benefits-and-more/) of $35M. Before founding Remote, Job worked as neuroscientist, and he was one of the first engineers that joined GitLab (https://about.gitlab.com/). In his role as VP of product, Job was responsible for GitLab's product development and he helped grow the company from 5 to 450+ employees. Today GitLab is one of the largest distributed companies in the world. We discuss: * How Job entered the world of tech at GitLab * The advantages of remote work * Second order effects of remote work on the world * Best practices for working from home * The origin story of Remote.com * Tips for aspiring entrepreneurs and much more Show notes: * 00:50 -- Intro * 03:49 -- Personal intro from Job van der Voort * 06:59 -- How Job started as one of the first engineers at Gitlab * 07:37 -- Background to Gitlab - What is Gitlab? * 08:05 -- Job’s first touchpoints with working for a fully distributed / remote company * 10:07 -- Insights into Job’s role at Gitlab as VP of product * 11:37 -- Gitlab’s growth and scaling up * 12:40 -- Collaboration tools * 14:06 -- Advantages of remote work * 16:33 - The shift to remote-first from employers perspective * 17:56 -- Second order effects of shifting to remote work * 20:30 -- Best practices for remote work * 24:59 -- The origin story of Remote.com - How remote.com was started * 27:45 -- Introduction to what remote.com does * 30:35 -- Remote.com’s venture capital fundraise * 32:00 -- Customers of Remote.com * 33:23 -- Remote.com as stripe for remote work * 36:09 -- Job’s vision for remote.com in 5 years * 37:19 -- Job van der Voort’s advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and leaptakers * 40:39 -- Labor market and demand for remote roles * 42:36 -- Book that had biggest personal impact * 43:08 -- Job’s favorite remote collaboration tool * 44:42 -- Advice to younger self * 45:03 -- What courage means to Job Please follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leaptakerspodcast/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheRemoKyburz), and my Website (http://www.leaptakers.com/), where I post new episodes and share resources & tips for anyone interested in entrepreneurship in Europe. Sign-up for the mailing list to stay in the loop (https://www.leaptakers.com/subscribe)! If you're enjoying the podcast, the best way to support the show is by leaving a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-leap-takers-podcast/id1468975811?l=en) or in your favorite podcast app. Special Guest: Job van der Voort.

Episode 22: Job van der Voort - From first employee at GitLab to founding Remote.com and shaping the future of work

Merry Christmas everyone! ? This episode is going to be a small experiment. In this Christmas special, I'm introducing you to 5 of my personal and my podcast guests favorite business & startup books. Hence, I give you a crowd-sourced reading list from some of Europe's top up-and-coming entrepreneurs and VCs. I'm convinced that these books can help you to bring your business / startup to the next level, or to get motivated to "take the leap" yourself! It's also the perfect activity to read on a cold wintery day at home. Since it’s Christmas, I'm also doing a little giveaway and will send to some lucky winner a book of his or her choice from this list. All you got to do is to review the Leap Takers Podcast on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/leap-takers/id1468975811?l=en?l=en) (or your favorite podcast app), give it a 5 star rating, and send me proof (screenshot / link) to remo.kyburz1[at]gmail.com. I'll then randomly draw a lucky winner. Deadline is January 1st 2021. This is just a little thank you & Christmas gift from me to the listeners of the Leap Takers Podcast. ? Thank you for your continued support and I hope you get some benefit and motivation from listening to this podcast. I'm wishing you and your loved ones a Merry Christmas and all the best for 2021! Remo Please follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leaptakerspodcast/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheRemoKyburz), and my Website (http://www.leaptakers.com/), where I post new episodes and share resources & tips for anyone interested in entrepreneurship in Europe. Sign-up for the mailing list to stay in the loop (https://www.leaptakers.com/subscribe)! If you're enjoying the podcast, the best way to support the show is by leaving a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-leap-takers-podcast/id1468975811?l=en) or in your favorite podcast app. 

Episode 21: Christmas Giveaway & Best Startup Books

Alina Bassi (@alinabassi1 (https://twitter.com/alinabassi1?lang=en)) is the founder and CEO of Kleiderly (https://www.kleiderly.com/). Originally from London, she founded Kleiderly in 2019 in Berlin with the goal of solving the problem of fashion industry waste. She has developed a patent-pending technology to recycle waste clothing into a new and sustainable material, diverting clothing waste away from landfills and incinerators. Her mission is to lower the carbon footprint of fashion and eliminate tons of CO2 emissions. Alina is a Google for Startups (https://startup.google.com/) Female Founder alumna and a member of the Forbes 30 under 30 class of 2020. In this episode you will learn about: * Kleiderly and how they are trying to solve the problem of fashion industry waste * The Berlin startup scene and accelerators * How to build up confidence as a founder * Supporting minority founders * And much more…! Show notes: * 01:45 -- Intro of Alina Bassi * 02:04 -- Alina’s background before she launched her own startup * 03:13 -- Gaining first startup experience at bio-bean * 04:28 -- How Alina found a startup to work for and gather relevant experience * 05:07 -- The origin story of Kleiderly * 08:04 -- Kleiderly’s value proposition * 09:48 -- The first steps of entrepreneurship. How do you start your own company * 13:19 -- Alina’s experience with Accelerator programs * 16:42 -- Current stage and facts about Kleiderly * 19:10 -- Lessons learnt from an early-stage startup * 23:27 -- Mistakes to avoid as a founder * 24:38 -- Tips and insights into the Berlin startup scene * 26:33 -- Initiatives that Alina is involved in to support minority founders * 30:17 -- Alina’s favorite book she would recommend to fellow startup founders * 30:50 -- Alina’s best personal investment * 31:25 -- Alina’s favorite SaaS tool to help her as a founder * 32:29 -- Advice to your younger self * 33:32 -- How to build up confidence as a founder * 34:45 -- What courage means to Alina Please follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leaptakerspodcast/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheRemoKyburz), and my Website (http://www.leaptakers.com/), where I post new episodes and share resources & tips for anyone interested in entrepreneurship in Europe. Sign-up for the mailing list to stay in the loop (https://www.leaptakers.com/subscribe)! If you're enjoying the podcast, the best way to support the show is by leaving a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-leap-takers-podcast/id1468975811?l=en) or in your favorite podcast app. Special Guest: Alina Bassi.

Episode 20: Alina Bassi - How Kleiderly creates sustainable plastics made from textile waste

Tobias Gunzenhauser (@TobGunzenhauser (https://twitter.com/TobGunzenhauser)) is the CEO and one of the three co-founders of yamo (https://www.yamo.bio/en-ch/). yamo is Europe's first digital native vertical brand that produces fresh organic baby and children food. The company launched in 2017 in Switzerland with their first product of baby purees. In the meantime, yamo is also sold in "Coop (https://www.coop.ch/en/)", one of Switzerland's largest retailers. All of yamo’s products are 100% organic, natural and free from additives. They developed every recipe together with dozens of helpful moms, dads, their little ones, nutritionists and pediatricians. In the summer of 2020, yamo raised a €10M Series A. You will hear the fascinating origin story of yamo, tips around production & manufacturing, how to find a good production partner, advice on online stores, and much more! Show notes: * 02:15 -- Introduction of Tobias * 02:43 -- The origin story of yamo. How the founders came up with the idea for a baby food company * 07:45 -- Starting a company on the side vs. quitting and going all in * 11:53 -- How yamo started producing their first product * 15:39 -- The benefits of a production partner vs. producing yourself * 16:55 -- How to find a good production partner * 19:42 -- How yamo solved the problem of high minimum orders combined with limited capital to manufacture their product * 20:57 -- yamo’s approach to distribution and setting up their online store * 24:41 -- The state of the eCommerce infrastructure & online store integrations in Switzerland * 26:15 -- Overview of yamo’s product offering and their newest innovative product * 30:36 -- Tobias’ key learnings from starting yamo * 33:09 -- How to test your D2C business idea * 35:01 -- Tobias’ favorite book * 35:37 -- Another favorite D2C product of Tobias * 36:01 -- Advice to your younger self * 36:58 -- What courage means to Tobias * 38:01 -- Info about yamo Please follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leaptakerspodcast/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheRemoKyburz), and my Website (http://www.leaptakers.com/), where I post new episodes and share resources & tips for anyone interested in entrepreneurship in Europe. Sign-up for the mailing list to stay in the loop (https://www.leaptakers.com/subscribe)! If you're enjoying the podcast, the best way to support the show is by leaving a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-leap-takers-podcast/id1468975811?l=en) or in your favorite podcast app. Special Guest: Tobias Gunzenhauser.

Episode 19: Tobias Gunzenhauser - How to build a D2C company & the story of yamo - fresh organic baby food

Heidi Lindvall (@HeidiLindvall (https://twitter.com/HeidiLindvall)) is one of the founders and a general partner at Pale Blue Dot (https://www.paleblue.vc/). Pale Blue Dot is a seed stage ClimateTech VC investing in reducing and reversing the effects of climate change and preparing for a new world. They invest tickets of €200k - €2M, in pre-seed and seed-stage companies based in Europe and US. Heidi Lindvall previously co-founded Storygami, an online video company that increases viewers engagement & helped monetize content. She also founded CODOC, an award winning video production company. She has a background in Media and Human Rights and has studied for two degrees in the field in London. In this episode you hear how Heidi made her way from being a documentary filmmaker into the world of Venture Capital (VC). We also discuss her learnings from being an entrepreneur and what areas in ClimateTech she is most excited about to help save the planet. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did. Show notes: * 01:48 -- Introduction of Heidi Lindvall * 02:21 -- Description of Pale Blue Dot and the goal of the VC fund * 04:26 -- How Heidi got in touch with the world of startups & tech * 07:16 -- Documentary movies created by Heidi Lindvall * 07:54 -- How Storygami - a online video SaaS product - was born * 10:20 -- What is the right moment for a startup to start looking for investors * 11:33 -- From Storygami to joining accelerators, becoming an investor, and the origin story of Pale Blue Dot VC * 19:15 -- What is ClimateTech and in what areas does Pale Blue Dot invest in * 22:35 -- Investment target & fund characteristics of Pale Blue Dot * 23:50 -- Public investments of Pale Blue Dot VC * 24:41 -- The role of regulation in the ClimateTech sector * 26:27 -- Learnings from raising a VC fund in Europe * 29:35 -- Heidi’s advice and tips for (aspiring) entrepreneurs * 32:03 -- Book that had a big personal impact on Heidi’s life * 33:07 -- Resources for people interested in the climate & tech space * 34:17 -- Heidi’s most worthwhile investment * 35:24 -- Advice to your younger self * 36:10 -- What courage means to Heidi Please follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leaptakerspodcast/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheRemoKyburz), and my Website (http://www.leaptakers.com/), where I post new episodes and share resources & tips for anyone interested in entrepreneurship in Europe. Sign-up for the mailing list to stay in the loop (https://www.leaptakers.com/subscribe)! If you're enjoying the podcast, the best way to support the show is by leaving a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-leap-takers-podcast/id1468975811?l=en) or in your favorite podcast app. Special Guest: Heidi Lindvall.

Episode 18: Heidi Lindvall - From documentary filmmaker to investing in ClimateTech startups with Pale Blue Dot VC

Anne-Laure Le Cunff (@anthilemoon (https://twitter.com/anthilemoon)) is the Founder of Ness Labs (https://nesslabs.com/), an award-winning productivity & learning community and venture studio building products that focus on mindful productivity, wellness, creativity, and culture. She is an ex-Googler, MSc of Applied Neuroscience candidate at King's College, member of the Society for Neuroscience, and certified Mental Health First Aider accredited by the Royal Society for Public Health. Her work has been featured in WIRED, Forbes, FT, Rolling Stone, and more. Every week, she sends a newsletter to thousands of mindful makers with practical content at the intersection of neuroscience and entrepreneurship. She is half-French, half-Algerian. Anne-Laure was born in Paris, sold French wine in New York, studied in Tokyo, worked at Google in San Francisco, and started her company Ness Labs in London. In this episode you will hear the origin story of Ness Labs, we discuss fascinating topics such as the concept of time anxiety, and you hear Anne-Laure’s advice for anyone that wants to start & grow a content community. I found this episode incredibly interesting and I hope you enjoy it as well. Show notes: * 01:54 -- Intro of Anne-Laure Le Cunff * 02:42 -- Anne-Laure’s personal background and travels * 04:49: -- How Anne-Laure became interested in the human mind and neuroscience * 07:12 -- Ness Labs: What is it and who is it for * 11:18 -- The origin story of Ness Labs. How Anne-Laure Le Cunff built a learning platform for mindful productivity * 14:34 -- Lessons learned from a previous startup failure * 18:41 -- Tips on growing your audience and community * 20:43 -- Working with the garage door open * 22:03 -- Positive highlight of Ness Lab’s journey so far * 23:28 -- Ness Labs as a remote-first company * 26:13 -- Time Anxiety. What is it and how do we best counteract it? * 31:22 -- Top recommended articles on Ness Labs * 32:12 -- Key learnings from starting an online learning community * 34:19 -- Ness Lab’s newest product * 35:37 -- Anne-Laure Le Cunff’s favorite book * 35:55 -- Anne-Laure's best personal investment * 37:08 -- Anne-Laure’s advice to her younger self * 38:17 -- What courage means to Anne-Laure Please follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leaptakerspodcast/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheRemoKyburz), and my Website (http://www.leaptakers.com/), where I post new episodes, share interesting articles I found, and blog occasionally about cool startups! Sign-up for the mailing list to stay in the loop (https://www.leaptakers.com/subscribe)! If you're enjoying the podcast, the best way to support the show is by leaving a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-leap-takers-podcast/id1468975811?l=en) or in your favorite podcast app. Special Guest: Anne-Laure Le Cunff.

Episode 17: Anne-Laure Le Cunff - Mindful productivity - How Ness Labs became the leading learning platform that empowers makers to do their best work while keeping their sanity

Ville Vesterinen (@vesterinen (https://twitter.com/vesterinen)) is a serial entrepreneur from Finland. He is one of the original founders of Slush (https://www.slush.org/) - one of the world’s leading startup & tech conferences, that attracts around 25'000 attendees every year to Helsinki. He also founded Grey Area (https://www.crunchbase.com/organization/greyarea#section-overview) - a gaming company that was backed by Index Ventures (https://www.indexventures.com/), LVP (https://londonvp.com/), Lifeline Ventures (https://www.lifelineventures.com/). Ville also serves as the chairman of Swappie (https://swappie.com/en/), an ambitious young company selling refurbished mobile phones, which just raised $40M in June 2020. He is also on the boards of Maria 01 (https://maria.io/), a 70 000 m² campus for tech companies in the heart of Helsinki as well as on the board of Startup Foundation (https://startup-saatio.fi/en/), the organization that owns various initiatives supporting the Nordic startup ecosystem, among them Slush. Most recently Ville joined Atomico (https://www.atomico.com/introducing-the-atomico-angel-programme-year-2/), one of Europe's leading venture capital investors, as an angel investor to support new aspiring entrepreneurs. Ville also just started his own podcast - The Long Map (http://www.thelongmap.com/), where he explores how to live an interesting life. In this episode, we talk about the origin story of Slush, Grey Area, and Swappie. We cover Ville's learnings from being a serial founder and investor, as well as his tips for other aspiring entrepreneurs in Europe. Show notes: * 02:07 -- Intro - Who is Ville Vesterinen * 03:11 -- How Ville became interested in entrepreneurship & tech * 04:59 -- Retelling the experience of becoming an entrepreneur in the 2000’s * 07:08 -- The origin story of Slush, Europe’s leading tech conference * 10:24 -- Ville’s learnings from starting Slush and tips for founding a conference * 13:27 -- Major milestones and projects that Ville worked on so far * 15:38 -- Location-based games & Shadow Cities * 17:57 -- Swappie, refurbishing and selling second hand iPhones * 20:04 -- Learnings and advice for future startup founders * 24:46 -- Atomico Angel programme and Ville’s investing focus * 28:48 -- Ville Vesterinen’s new podcast - The Long Map * 30:32 -- Ville Vesterinen’s favorite book * 31:38 -- Ville Vesterinen’s best personal investment * 33:06 -- Advice to your 25 year old self * 34:13 -- What courage means for Ville Please follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leaptakerspodcast/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheRemoKyburz), and my Website (http://www.leaptakers.com/), where I post new episodes, share interesting articles I found, and blog occasionally about cool startups! Sign-up for the mailing list to stay in the loop (https://www.leaptakers.com/subscribe)! If you're enjoying the podcast, the best way to support the show is by leaving a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-leap-takers-podcast/id1468975811?l=en) or in your favorite podcast app. Special Guest: Ville Vesterinen.

Episode 16: Ville Vesterinen - Lessons from a nordic serial entrepreneur - Slush, Grey Area, Swappie - becoming an Atomico angel investor & more

Gonzalo (@gonsanchezs (https://twitter.com/gonsanchezs?lang=en)) runs and writes Seedtable (https://www.seedtable.com/), one of the leading newsletters focused on European tech. Seedtable is read by tens of thousands every week, and his work has been featured in Wired (https://www.wired.com/) and Sifted (https://sifted.eu/). Gonzalo's writing always provides unique perspectives of developments in technology in Europe and its impact on society. Seedtable is one of my all-time favorite newsletters and I'm super excited that Gonzalo decided to come on the LeapTakers Podcast. In addition to Seedtable, Gonzalo is Head of Growth at Jobbatical (https://jobbatical.com/), an Estonian Relocation Service for Tech companies, and he is mentoring startups. His previous experience includes having founded two startups, being a Content Specialist at Piktochart (https://piktochart.com/), growing EVELO (https://www.evelo.com/) from $1.2m to $4m as Director of Marketing, and helping to bring The Martec (https://www.themartec.com/) from 2,000 to 50,000 monthly visitors. Gonz likes to read and to fly. He speaks 4 languages and lifts heavy things, plus he seems to be into the occasional burger or ramen. In today’s episode we talk about practical tips for remote work and working from home, how Gonzalo started Seedtable, what makes a successful newsletter & advice on how to grow your own content, the impact of Covid-19 on various startup sectors, and more. Please follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leaptakerspodcast/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheRemoKyburz), and my Website (http://www.leaptakers.com/), where I post new episodes, share interesting articles I found, and blog occasionally about cool startups! Sign-up for the mailing list to stay in the loop (https://www.leaptakers.com/subscribe)! Show notes: * 01:53: Who is Gonzalo & introduction * 04:52: Is a certain personality type required to be able to work remotely? * 06:25: Tips & tricks for remote work * 10:08: Gonzalo's favorite city to work from remotely * 12:22: How did Gonzalo become interested in technology and entrepreneurship? * 15:40: How does website flipping work * 16:53: Learnings from his experience as a founder & failed startups * 19:11: How to pick and find your co-founder * 22:21: The beginnings of Seedtable * 24:09: How Seedtable got traction * 27:18: Tips to produce good content and to grow your audience * 30:19: How to separate a job and a side project * 33:30: Key facts about Seedtable * 36:32: Gonzalo's predictions for 2020 and the impact of COVID-19 * 39:18: Discussion of startup sectors that are positively or negatively affected by COVID-19 * 44:20: Gonzalo's understanding of courage * 45:14: Wrap-up Remo's Favorite Quote of the Month: “Discipline equals freedom” - Jocko Willink If you're enjoying the podcast, the best way to support the show is by leaving a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-leap-takers-podcast/id1468975811?l=en) or in your favorite podcast app. Special Guest: Gonzalo Sanchez.

Episode 15: Gonzalo Sanchez - Origin story of Seedtable, impact of COVID-19 on the startup ecosystem, and tips for remote work

Christian (@chrjantzen (https://twitter.com/chrjantzen)) is the founder of Futuristic.vc (http://futuristic.vc/), a micro-fund investing in Nordic pre-seed companies. He made his first investment at age fourteen when he bought shares in his favorite football club. He later started his first company, a real estate company, in 2011, which he grew while studying at university. Following his masters degree in Finance from Aarhus University , he co-founded another startup “Reunited Esports", which was a player-owned Esports organisation with teams competing in Overwatch (https://playoverwatch.com/) and Rocket League (https://www.rocketleague.com/). In 2017 he founded Futuristic VC, an early-stage VC fund investing initial capital into the next generation of Nordic founders. He has invested in +20 companies across the entire region and helped founders secure follow-on funding from some of the strongest investors in Europe. If you’re interested in starting your own company while studying / after graduating, or if you’re interested in the world of Micro VC’s, I’m sure you will find this episode very interesting and valuable. We talk about Christian’s path to starting Futuristic VC, his experience from starting an eSports company, fundraising advice, his best investment, and more! Please follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leaptakerspodcast/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheRemoKyburz), and my Website (http://www.leaptakers.com/), where I post new episodes, share interesting articles I found, and blog occasionally about cool startups! Sign-up for the mailing list to stay in the loop (https://www.leaptakers.com/subscribe)! Quote: “He who jumps into the void owes no explanation to those who stand and watch.” - Jean-Luc Godard Show notes: * 02:43: Who is Christian & Intro * 03:46: How Christian became fascinated with company and startup investing * 06:40: Christians favorite football club * 07:18: How Christian got into startups * 10:01: Christians first experience as a founder * 12:20: Christians startup company “REUNITED e-sports” * 15:23: Christians approach to find an e-sports team and collaborate with them * 16:42: Business model of an e-sports company * 17:56: Christians decision to start a VC fund and the origin story of Futuristic * 21:13: Fundraising and LP base of Futuristic VC * 24:46: Overview of Futuristic VC * 28:05: How Futuristic VC built up its deal flow and identifies startups to invest in * 32:44: Learnings for startup investors * 34:59: Learnings for startup founders * 37:34: Best Investment of Christian Jantzen * 38:52: What does courage mean to Christian * 39:58: Wrap-up If you're enjoying the podcast, the best way to support the show is by leaving a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-leap-takers-podcast/id1468975811?l=en) or in your favorite podcast app. Special Guest: Christian Jantzen.

Episode 14: Christian Jantzen - Path to becoming one of the youngest VCs in Europe, starting an eSports team, and Futuristic VC

Mathias (@ockenrock (https://twitter.com/ockenrock)) eats and breathes marketplaces. He is a partner at Speedinvest (https://speedinvest.com/), one of Europe’s leading Venture Capital funds. The fund has it’s headquarters in Vienna, Austria and just recently raised its latest fund of €190m. Mathias runs Speedinvest x, a focus fund investing into network effects and marketplaces. Previously he was a General Manager for the German market at Uniplaces (https://www.uniplaces.com/), an international marketplace for student accommodation. Before that, Mathias built out the marketplace-practice at Berlin-based Point Nine Capital (http://www.pointninecap.com/), an early stage fund focusing on SaaS and marketplaces, where he was a Principal for 4 years. Previously, Mathias led the M&A-department of Ricardo Group (https://www.ricardo.ch/), then a subsidiary of South African Naspers, that operates several online marketplace, classifieds and auction businesses across Europe. Earlier, he started his career as an Investment Manager at Mountain Partners (https://mountain.partners/) in Zurich where he lead early stage investments in companies such as Lieferando (https://www.lieferando.de/) or reBuy (https://www.rebuy.de/). Mathias holds a German-French double-diploma from European School of Business Reutlingen and Neoma Business School Reims. Knowing Germany’s capital city like the back of his hand, Mathias now leads Speedinvest's Berlin office as a Partner at Speedinvest x. Please follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leaptakerspodcast/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheRemoKyburz), and my Website (http://www.leaptakers.com/), where I post new episodes, share interesting articles I found, and blog occasionally about cool startups! Sign-up for the mailing list to stay in the loop (https://www.leaptakers.com/subscribe)! Show notes: * 03:08 -- Who is Mathias Ockenfels * 04:40 -- How Mathias got interested in the Venture Capital industry and how he landed his first job in VC * 08:44 -- Tips for getting a job in Venture Capital * 13:56 -- What are the most important skills and abilities to work in VC * 16:30 -- Mathias’ path from Analyst to Partner at a VC firm * 22:27 -- Intro to Speedinvest and what kind of companies Mathias is interested in and is investing in * 25:51 -- Key investment criteria to get an investment from Mathias / Speedinvest * 28:48 -- Books and Resources for (aspiring) entrepreneurs and VCs * 31:55 -- Mathias’ best financial and personal investment * 33:28 -- Advice to younger self / someone starting out their career * 35:23 -- Mathias’ favorite books and movies * 37:23 -- What does courage mean to Mathias If you're enjoying the podcast, the best way to support the show is by leaving a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-leap-takers-podcast/id1468975811?l=en) or in your favorite podcast app. Special Guest: Mathias Ockenfels.

Episode 13: Mathias Ockenfels - How to start a career in Venture Capital, from Analyst to Partner at a leading VC firm, Online Marketplaces, and Speedinvest

Vedika Jain (@vedikaja_in (https://twitter.com/vedikaja_in)) is an investor and Chief of staff at Weekend Fund (https://weekend.fund/), an early stage venture capital fund that is backing your next favorite thing. Previously she worked for high profile startups like Stripe (https://stripe.com/) and True Layer (https://truelayer.com/). Weekend Fund was started in 2017 by Ryan Hoover (https://ryanhoover.me/), the founder of Product Hunt (https://www.producthunt.com/) (an amazing site to discover new products. Product Hunt was acquired in 2016 by AngelList (https://angel.co)). While Ryan and Vedika invest broadly, they are particularly excited about distributed/remote working, audio/voice technology, and tools for creators/makers. The fund invests in early stage startups with check sizes ranging from $75K to $200K. Limited partners of the fund include high profile venture capitalists Marc Andreessen, Chris Dixon, Ben Rubin, Chris Sacca, Hunter Walk, Kevin Rose, Garry Tan, and others. Vedika has a really interesting background story and approach how she made her way into "the wonderful world of venture capital". In this episode you will hear about her tactics how she got into VC and general career advice for picking the right companies & startups to work for. In addition, you will learn more about Weekend Fund, Vedika’s favorite books & blogs, and much more! Please follow me on Instagram (https://www.instagram.com/leaptakerspodcast/), Twitter (https://twitter.com/TheRemoKyburz), and my Website (http://www.leaptakers.com/), where I post new episodes, share interesting articles I found, and blog occasionally about cool startups! Sign-up for the mailing list to stay in the loop (https://www.leaptakers.com/subscribe)! Show notes: * 03:48 -- Who is Vedika & Intro * 04:55 -- How Vedika became fascinated with technology and startup investing * 07:08 -- How Vedika joined two fast growing tech startups - Stripe and True Layer * 09:45 -- Vedika’s lessons learnt for picking your first jobs / companies * 13:00 -- Writing personal investment memos and how to "hustle" your way into Venture Capital * 18:05 -- Vedika’s investment areas and future trends * 20:57 -- How Vedika met Ryan Hoover and joined Weekend Fund * 22:35 -- Starting your own fund vs. joining an existing VC * 25:16 -- Introduction to Weekend Fund * 28:16 -- Favorite books and resources for aspiring VCs * 30:41 -- Vedika’s favorite non-entrepreneurship related books * 32:07 -- Most worthwhile investment of Vedika If you're enjoying the podcast, the best way to support the show is by leaving a review on Apple Podcast (https://podcasts.apple.com/ch/podcast/the-leap-takers-podcast/id1468975811?l=en) or in your favorite podcast app. Special Guest: Vedika Jain.

Episode 12: Vedika Jain - Hustle your way into VC, picking your boss, from Stripe to Weekend Fund, and More

In this podcast for the curious, Remo Kyburz interviews daring European entrepreneurs, investors, and shapers in various areas like emerging technologies, traveling, consumer, gaming & more. In each episode, you will discover how these leap takers started their journey, the insights and learnings they gathered, their mental models, tactics, and much more, so that - you too - can take the leap! Also check out the Leap Takers blog, where Remo writes about exciting new products & startups from an up-and-coming VC perspective.

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