Emmanuel Straschnov is the founder of Bubble, a leading company in the no-code movement.Founded in 2012, Bubble was launched before the term "no-code" had even been coined, with the ambition to help anyone build web applications without any knowledge of code. It has since helped many entrepreneurs launch their companies without a technical co-founder.The company recently announced a $100 million Series A round and, in this episode, we discover that it's only the beginning for them. We dive into the early days of Bubble with Emmanuel, how he bootstrapped for 7 years, his vision for Bubble, and a lot more.Topics:00:23 — Introduction with Roxanne Varza01:40 — Emmanuel Straschnov on the rise of No-Code04:00 — Emmanuel's skepticism towards general code education05:41 — What Bubble does07:10 — How Bubble helps non-technical founders build businesses09:31 — Bubble's fundraising strategy: from bootstrapping during 7 years to raising $100M14:30 — Bubble's ambition as a company15:40 — Going public vs. getting acquired?17:18 — What's next on Bubble's roadmap for the next two years20:12 — What Emmanuel finds exciting in the No-Code spaceThis episode is supported by TikTok, hosted by Roxanne Varza, produced by Cindy Yang, and edited by Grégoire Duhourcau. Art is by Gaëtan Lefebvre. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

STATION F: The Podcast

Interview with Emmanuel Straschnov, Founder of Bubble

After the success of his first book AI Superpowers, a New York Times best-seller examining the role of the US and China in the future of artificial intelligence, Dr. Kai-Fu Lee is back with a new book! Co-authored with award-winning science-fiction writer Chen Quifan, his latest book is called AI 2041: Ten Visions for Our Future. AI2041 presents a roadmap to educate and explore the opportunities and challenges presented by AI over the coming decades. Kai-Fu has spent more than three decades at the cutting edge of artificial intelligence research, development, and investment in both the US and China. He is the chairman and CEO of Sinovation Ventures, a leading venture capital firm focused on developing the next generation of Chinese high-tech companies.In this episode, we discover how Kai-Fu became a leading voice in AI around the world, discover his new book AI 2041, and learn about how he invests in AI and DeepTech companies.Topics00:22 — Introduction with Roxanne Varza01:44 — How Kai-Fu Lee got into AI02:54 — Milestones in Kai-Fu's career: from his studies at Columbia University; to his work at Microsoft, SGI, Apple, and Google; to launching Sinovation Ventures.06:47 — His new book AI 2041: why this title, why 2041?07:27 — The format of AI 204108:31 — How AI 2041 paints the future of AI-based technologies09:40 — The possible dangers of AI12:53 — Kai-Fu's favorite part of AI 2041 (includes quantum computers, bitcoin, and robot romance!)15:00 — Possible solutions against AI's dangers17:55 — The link between Kai-Fu's two books: AI Superpowers and AI 204119:10 — How Kai-Fu invests in AI and DeepTech at Sinovation Ventures24:23 — Most exciting companies in Kai-Fu's portfolio25:45 — The trends that Kai-Fu's most excited about on the global landscape28:27 — Kai-Fu's vision for the future of AIThis episode is supported by TikTok, hosted by Roxanne Varza, and produced by Cindy Yang. Art is by Gaëtan Lefebvre. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Future of AI with Kai-Fu Lee, CEO of Sinovation Ventures and NYT Bestselling Author

Co-founder of Masterclass. Founder and CEO of Outlier.org. Aaron Rasmussen is most known for founding these two phenomenal EdTech companies but he is a very prolific builder who has successfully started and sold companies in the gaming, robotics, and consumer packaged goods industries. With Outlier.org, a company that creates beautifully shot online college courses, Aaron has for mission to create the world's best online college courses. The GV-backed company has been named as one of TIME's Best Inventions of 2020 for its work in making education accessible. Students enrolled in Outlier.org courses earn real, transferable college credit for $400, which is approximately one-sixth the cost of a traditional college course in the USA.Aaron is a fascinating entrepreneur, inventor, — and artist with a huge TikTok following. In this episode, we talk about how he started Masterclass and Outlier, discuss the future of education, and could not help but ask about what he is doing on the popular social media platform with over 130k followers!Topics00:22 — Introduction with Cindy Yang 01:17 — Aaron Rasmussen’s background and beginnings into the entrepreneurial journey03:34 — How Aaron ventured into the EdTech space06:17 — The beginnings of Masterclass: How Masterclass managed to get access to high-level speakers as an early-stage company10:23 — Fascinating things that Aaron has learned while building Masterclass 14:19 — Why Aaron left Masterclass 17:28 — How the idea of Outlier came about19:30 — Outlier’s model for online education based on educational psychology21:44 — Working with the University of Pittsburgh and their shared vision of making education more accessible23:41 — How online classes work on Outlier25:20 — Aaron on online vs. in-person education29:58 — How Outlier finds the best teacher for each class32:40 — Outlier’s long-term vision36:67 — High-level thoughts on education: the university vs. the anti-university model, the purpose of education, and more.42:29 — Aaron’s TikTok with 130k+ followers ?45:34 — Aaron’s advice for early-stage entrepreneursThis episode is supported by TikTok, hosted and produced by Cindy Yang. Art is by Gaëtan Lefebvre. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Interview with Aaron Rasmussen, co-founder of Masterclass and founder & CEO of Outlier.org

Mathilde Collin is the co-founder and CEO of Front. Since starting Front in 2013, Mathilde has raised over $138 million with an impressive roster of investors including Sequoia, Initialized, and the founders of Slack, Zoom, Atlassian, and more. She is known for her values-driven leadership style and for championing top-down radical transparency. From lessons in leadership to tips on fundraising, this episode is filled with invaluable tips for CEOs!Topics: 00:22 — Introduction with Cindy Yang 01:18 — Introduction of Mathilde Collin 02:23 — Mathilde’s background and mission to make “work happier” 04:48 — The importance of measuring what you want to improve in your company and how Front measures employee happiness 06:36 — Use cases of Front: Shopify, Lydia, Sender 08:45 — Surprising use cases: political campaigns and #CovidListe, COVID vaccine lists! 10:22 — Fundraising tips for CEOs: the importance of mindset, storytelling, and focus ⚠️ 16:06 — Building between Paris and San Francisco at Y Combinator 16:32 — The tech ecosystems in France vs. the US 18:14 — On sharing her learnings on her blog and on writing to clarify thoughts 20:28 — Mathilde’s most important lessons in leadership 23:56 — Good transparency vs. bad transparency 25:47 — On vulnerability28:15 — Startup spaces that Mathilde is excited about: mental health and asynchronous communication31:33 — Gender diversity in entrepreneurship See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Interview with Mathilde Collin, co-founder & CEO of Front

Back in 2018, Alex Bouaziz and his co-founder Shuo Wang picked up on the trend of remote work and founded Deel, a startup that helps companies of all sizes compliantly hire and pay talent remotely all around the world. Over a year into COVID, it's clear that remote work is here to stay and has become a new norm, particularly for tech companies. With this shift in work behaviour, Deel has seen their business explode with 20X growth in the past year, reaching a $1.25 billion valuation after a $156 million Series C funding led by the YC Continuity Fund and existing backers Andreessen Horowitz and Spark Capital.In this episode, we dive into the story of the newly-minted unicorn with its co-founder Alex and one of its first investors, Anish Acharya of Andreessen Horowitz. We discuss the future of work, learn about their VC-founder encounter, and —with Alex and Anish both having founded successful companies— pick up lots of founder wisdom along the way.Topics:00:23 — Introduction with Cindy Yang01:24 — Alex Bouaziz on the origin story of Deel03:16 — Anish Acharya's macro-analysis of work and employment04:14 — How Alex and Anish met through Ryan Hoover (Product Hunt, Weekend Fund)06:34 — Growth and unicorn status07:10 — Trends in remote work: contractor vs. full-time09:13 — Best practice for cross-timezone collaboration11:16 — How to find the best talent geographically12:10 — Working in a physical office vs. in remote14:01 — Anish and Alex on the future of work20:04 — The relevance of starting a company in Silicon Valley today23:15 — Anish's investment scope at a16z23:58 — Alex on how VCs perceive remote teams23:27 — Anish on FinTech and FinTech-adjacent companies25:32 — Alex on how Deel falls into the FinTech spectrum26:04 — How Deel helps companies compliantly employ and pay talent in so many countries28:15 — What Anish looks for in founders at a16z and what struck him about Alex and Shuo29:44 — Companies that Anish and Alex are excited about32:09 — Advice for early-stage foundersThis episode is supported by TikTok, hosted and produced by Cindy Yang. Art is by Gaëtan Lefebvre. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Interview with Alex Bouaziz (co-founder & CEO of Deel) and Anish Acharya (General Partner at a16z)

Jamie Macfarlane is the founder & CEO of Creator Fund, an early-stage VC fund that invests in student-led companies with student investment partners. Having studied both in the UK and in the USA, he started Creator Fund based on the observation that some of the world's most successful technology companies —like Facebook and Google— have been started in the dorm rooms and laboratories of American universities. Europe has universities of equal caliber but these have not yet managed to spin out as many tech champions. With the Creator Fund, Jamie hopes to support more student-led innovation and the creation of tech-driven companies across the continent. To do so, he has also designed a very unique student-focused model.In this episode, we talk to Jamie to learn more about how their model works, what are some of the most exciting companies currently being built in universities across Europe, and what Europe can do to encourage more DeepTech companies.Topics: 00:23 — Introduction with Cindy Yang 01:07 — How Jamie first started investing in students 02:29 — Creator Fund's investment model (and its secret sauce ?) 03:50 — How they recruit their student investment partners 05:02 — Why they're not called "ambassadors" or "scouts" 07:16 — The difference between investing in students in the US vs. in Europe 08:20 — What Creator Fund looks for in companies 12:16 — The advantage of getting investment from Creator Fund: talent network and follow-on investment 15:34 — The ideal founding team and the example of Touchlab 19:56 — Trends and companies that Jamie is excited about: Baseimmune and RecyclEye 23:44 — The technology behind vaccine company Baseimmune 28:10 — The limits to Creator Fund's investment model 31:44 — How IP works in universities 33:16 — What Europe can do to encourage more DeepTech companies 37:00 — Jamie's piece of advice for student entrepreneurs This episode is hosted and produced by Cindy Yang. Art is by Gaëtan Lefebvre. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Investing in Students with Jamie Macfarlane, founder & CEO of Creator Fund

The tech entrepreneur who raised the largest seed round in Europe this year. The restaurateur behind Paris' favourite group of Italian restaurants. Victor Lugger is the co-founder and CEO of Big Mamma Group and Sunday App. Being at the head of 26 very popular Italian restaurants across Europe, including La Felicità on our campus, Victor is embarking on a new FinTech adventure with his Big Mamma co-founder, Tigrane Seydoux, and their new partner, Christine de Wendel, to reinvent the way that people pay in restaurants. The trio recently announced a $24 million seed round for their new company Sunday App.In this episode, we catch up with Victor to learn more about what it means to have raised the largest seed round in Europe this year and how Big Mamma Group keeps launching restaurants that people cannot stop raving about. We'll talk about company culture, logistics, trends in the restaurant space, and a lot more!Topics:00:22 — Introduction with Roxanne Varza and Cindy Yang 01:53 — Victor Lugger on raising the biggest seed round in Europe 02:17 — The origin story of Big Mamma Group05:47 — The importance of company culture for Big Mamma's success16:12 — On choosing a co-founder19:44 — The beginnings of Sunday app23:00 — How Sunday works24:53 — Sunday's technology ?26:17 — Innovations in the restaurant space27:26 — On being a BCorp company28:48 — Scaling logistics at Big Mamma Group ?31:03 — The importance of pursuing ideas that are not easy32:35 — Victor's favourite Big Mamma restaurant ?This episode is hosted and produced by Cindy Yang. Art is by Gaëtan Lefebvre. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Interview with Victor Lugger, co-founder & CEO of Big Mamma Group and Sunday App

A few years ago, Sarah Guo became the first female and youngest General Partner at one of the leading Silicon Valley venture capital firms, Greylock. Sarah has led investments in companies like Figma, Clubhouse (not the social media ?), and Sqreen. She is bullish on SaaS and openly shares on her website the types of companies for which she's keeping an eye out. In this episode, we discover the vast landscape of SaaS with Sarah, dive into the future of work, and learn more about being an investor in this space.Topics: 00:23 — Introduction with Roxanne Varza01:12 — Sarah’s background prior to joining Greylock and becoming their first female and youngest partner02:58 — Greylock’s investment strategy08:15 — The story behind Sarah’s investment in Sqreen (acquired by Datadog)15:51 — Identifying areas of investment before finding the companies16:18 — Post-mortems and learnings on missed deals: Twilio & Benchling23:02 — Investing in a company called Clubhouse26:35 — Companies that Sarah is excited about: deep dive into the SaaS landscape30:21 — Service companies that are becoming SaaS companies: Rippling & Scale.ai31:50 — The impact of COVID on the future of work: the rise of remote & hybrid37:42 — Mistakes that companies are making about the future of work40:57 — Sarah’s advice for early-stage entrepreneurs This episode is hosted by Roxanne Varza and produced by Cindy Yang. Art is by Gaëtan Lefebvre. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sarah Guo (General Partner at Greylock) on SaaS and the Future of Work

Zach Sims is the co-founder and CEO of Codecademy, the leading online learning platform for technical skills. Since its founding in 2011, Codecademy has helped over 50 million people from 190+ countries learn how to code. The company has raised over $82M from investors like Union Square Ventures, Naspers, Owl Ventures, Y Combinator, and Kleiner Perkins, supporting its vision to close the technical skills gap and transform people’s lives through engaging, flexible, and accessible online education. Zach and Codecademy have been recognized by reputable thought leaders as technology pioneers, appeared on numerous 30 under 30 lists, and won many awards. Yet, behind all the hype, things were not always smooth sailing. In this episode, we talk about the story of Codecademy with Zach and dive into some of his key learnings throughout the journey: the difference between building a movement vs. building a business, the industry's attitude towards VC fundraising, the future of education, and more.Topics00:22 — Introduction with Roxanne Varza 01:05 — The background and growth stories of Codecademy 05:08 — Key learnings around VC funding from the early days of Codecademy 06:50 — Codecademy in a few numbers 08:06 — The type of people that Codecademy addresses 08:51 — How Zach learned to code 09:46 — The evolution of coding since 2011 11:00 — The importance of coding education and no-code 12:08 — How Codecademy keeps up with the no-code trend 13:14 — Life-changing stories from Codecademy learners 15:16 — Code education for kids 16:11 — Countries that are leading the way in code education 17:17 — The future of education 19:18 — The user experience on Codecademy 21:00 — The importance of community on Codecademy 22:20 — Zach on what he finds exciting in the education space 24:46 — What to expect from Codecademy in the coming months: international markets and Codecademy for Business  This episode is hosted by Roxanne Varza and produced by Cindy Yang. Art is by Gaëtan Lefebvre. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Interview with Zach Sims, co-founder & CEO of Codecademy

Fundraising has become a rite of passage for any startup that claims to be ambitious. It is perceived to be a must by many founders, especially those who are building SaaS products that need to grow fast and want to acquire a large market share. However, fundraising is not always the only way for such a company to succeed.In this episode, we catch up with Guillaume Moubeche, co-founder and CEO of Lemlist, who bootstrapped his company with $1000 to reach $5M ARR in less than 3 years. Guillaume recently turned down a $30 million offer from a private equity that included a $15 million cash-out for the three co-founders of Lemlist. That meant saying "no" to receiving $5 million straight into each of their bank accounts. What was the thinking behind this decision? Listen now to learn more.Lemlist is STATION F alum, part of Zendesk program alum and our list of Future40 companies in 2019.Topics: 00:22 — Introduction with Roxanne Varza 01:13 — Guillaume on why he publicly turned down €30 million 02:22 — Investment offers that Lemlist received from VC and PE funds 03:34 — The background and growth story of Lemlist 04:15 — Guillaume’s approach to company building: focusing on customers rather than fundraising 05:40 — Why he recently went after fundraising 09:18 — When fundraising is relevant for a company 10:26 — The advantage of having constraints on building product 11:31 — The number of offers that Lemlist got 12:23 — Growth strategies: how Lemlist turned $1000 into $5M ARR in three years 15:27 — Things that went wrong and learnings 18:47 — On selling vs. not selling 23:05 — What can we expect to see from Lemlist in the coming months This episode is hosted by Roxanne Varza and produced by Cindy Yang. Art is by Gaëtan Lefebvre. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why Startups Shouldn’t Raise Funds Just Because They Can

There could be more plastic than fish in the ocean by 2050, according to an Ellen MacArthur Foundation report. Plastic pollution is a huge problem — but it's not one that is irreversible if we act quickly enough.In this episode, we explore and address the issue of plastics with two founders that are striving to make a change: Samantha Anderson, CEO of DePoly, and Simon Hombersley, CEO of Xampla. Both companies are looking to eliminate plastic pollution but tackling the problem from two different angles. DePoly (STATION F startup in the L'Oréal Program) has developed a cutting-edge technology to recycle PET plastic. Xampla (Cambridge University spin-out) has developed a plant-protein material that provides a natural alternative to single-use plastic.Topics: 01:16 — What made Samantha and Simon want to go into plastic?05:11 — The recycling technology behind DePoly05:46 — How plastic recycling currently works07:30 — Xampla’s plant-protein material09:22 — How Xampla compares to existing plant-based solutions10:37 — Can Xampla’s material be eaten?!10:46 — Xampla targeting consumer markets11:56 — Samantha on where we use plastics today and how to address the plastic problem13:15 — Simon and Samantha on what’s necessary for large-scale change to happen16:15 — Samantha on the role of startups in the new plastic economy17:03 — Simon on the big companies’ change of attitude towards plastic18:30 — Simon’s background: serial cleantech entrepreneur19:54 — Samantha’s academic background and the DePoly team22:10 — The importance of practicality in solutions24:25 — Other exciting companies in the new plastics  This episode is hosted by Roxanne Varza and produced by Cindy Yang. Art is by Gaëtan Lefebvre. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Rethinking the Future of Plastics with Xampla and DePoly

Ivan Zhao is the co-founder and CEO of Notion, the all-in-one workspace for your notes, tasks, wikis, and databases. Entrepreneurs rave about it, VCs chase after it, and we simply cannot stop hearing about it.Notion bundles multiple use cases into one tool and helps teams cut down on their number of applications used. For many users, Notion sparks inner joy — it appeals to the Marie Kondo in all of us, helping us clear out the clutter and organize efficient workflows.On top of being a product that people love to use, Notion is also a company that entrepreneurs admire, especially in the SaaS space. At the beginning of COVID, it hit a $2 billion valuation after raising a $50 million round — with a relatively small team of 40 people. Notion’s approach to company-building has since been distinguished with two main elements: its lean team and its conscientious attitude towards VC funding.In this episode, we learn more about the Notion journey — where it comes from and where it's going — with its founder, Ivan Zhao.Topics:00:22 — Introduction with Roxanne Varza01:03 — Ivan Zhao on the market need for Notion02:13 — Notion’s mission to empower people to create their own tools03:16 — The 4 main use cases of Notion03:58 — How Notion built a product that people love so much05:48 — When Notion exploded in 201806:43 — Notion’s approach to building a company: fundraising and team size09:20 — Raising $50 million at $2B valuation during COVID11:08 — New offices in Europe and Japan11:33 — Notion API launch in April12:02 — New languages, including French!13:06 — Interesting alternative use cases for Notion ???15:08 — Tools that Notion can replace16:18 — Ivan on tools that he finds exciting: Figma16:55 — Bundling vs. unbundling strategy for building product17:30 — Ivan’s advice for early-stage entrepreneurs This episode is hosted by Roxanne Varza and produced by Cindy Yang. Art is by Gaëtan Lefebvre. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Interview with Ivan Zhao, co-founder and CEO of Notion

A new billion-dollar fund "crafting a fertile future". A new-generation VC backed by 15 top entrepreneurs to support the "new wave" of founders.The VC ecosystem is blossoming in France and we interview three investors at the heart of this movement: Marie Ekeland (2050), Pia d'Iribarne (New Wave), and Jean de la Rochebrochard (New Wave and Kima Ventures). If you are familiar with the tech ecosystem in Europe, then you are certainly no stranger to these three names.Marie, a pioneer in the French tech ecosystem, started her career in VC as a partner at Elaia and founded the VC fund Daphni as well as one of the biggest tech communities France Digitale. Her new fund 2050 is also breaking new ground with its new investment model that prioritizes sustainability and future well-being.Pia and Jean, highly experienced investors respectively from Accel/Stride and Kima, have rounded up 15 high-level LPs — including Xavier Niel, Yuri Milner of DST, Peter Fenton from Benchmark, Philippe Laffont from Coatue, and Tony Fadell of Nest and Apple — to launch New Wave, a next-gen fund to back the even more ambitious founders in today's European tech landscape.Topics:[Part 1 with Marie Ekeland] 01:03 — Introduction of 2050, Marie Ekeland’s new fund 02:10 — The structure and incentives of 2050, an evergreen fund 04:47 — Why 2050 gets away from a traditional VC partnership model 05:40 — The power of finance on the economy 06:25 — The kind of companies in which 2050 invests 09:46 — What kind of investments does 2050 make: cheque size, company stage, etc. 10:13 — Thoughts on “growth at all cost”: the example of Netflix 12:35 — On raising $1 billion by 2030 and building sustainable companies 15:03 — 2050’s investments: the story of Withings 19:20 — Marie Ekeland’s evolution as an investor 21:53 — Marie’s thoughts on the current funding situation in France 23:02 — How 2050 stands out from the competitive VC landscape 24:23 — France’s potential to lead in the sustainable transition[Part 2 with Pia d’Iribarne & Jean de la Rochebrochard] 27:08 — The impetus for starting New Wave28:42 — How Jean and Pia met and why they wanted to start a fund together30:45 — The incredible LPs at New Wave33:37 — New Wave’s investment thesis34:30 — The kind of founder profiles that New Wave backs35:53 — The characteristics that Jean looks for in founders38:28 — Investments at New Wave: cheque size, company stage, etc.39:14 — Jean on New Wave and Kima Ventures42:02 — Pia on her experience as a fund founder44:24 — Pia on smart money45:47 — Hopes and expectations for 2021 This episode is supported by Euronext, the leading pan-European stock exchange; hosted by Roxanne Varza; and produced by Cindy Yang. Art is by Gaëtan Lefebvre. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A New Generation of VC Funds: 2050 & New Wave

IPOs or acquisitions? When it comes to exit strategies, going public remains less celebrated in Europe. Most startups imagine huge barriers to listing...but is it really that complicated? In this episode, we learn more about the pros and cons of doing an IPO with Camille Leca, COO Listing at Euronext, and Odd Sverre Østlie, CEO at Pexip, a videoconferencing solution based in Oslo. This episode is supported by Euronext, the leading pan-European stock exchange.Topics:01:04 — Why getting acquired is not the best exit strategy02:36 — Why specifically an IPO: what IPOs can help you achieve, the advantages of doing an IPO: (liquidity for founders, shareholders, employees, etc.), credibility, financing, buildup04:01 —The advantages of listing on Euronext (vs. on NASDAQ in the USA)05:48 — Doing a dual listing in Europe and in the USA06:30 — What is Euronext and where does it operate in Europe?07:05 — Camille Leca’s role at Euronext07:12 — Example of companies listed on Euronext08:38 — When is a good time for a company to think about an IPO?09:56 — On how Camille helps companies get listed10:40 — On Euronext’s IPO program for startups: Techshare12:52 — Common pitfalls or misconceptions of companies14:08 — Camille’s advice for early-stage startups considering a future IPO15:30 — Introduction of Odd Sverre Østlie, CEO at Pexip16:02 — What Pexip is and how it compares to Zoom17:31 — Example of Pexip customers18:04 — How Pexip is used in healthcare19:15 — Pexip’s “perfect” IPO mid-pandemic21:54 — An outrageously successful virtual roadshow24:10 — Why Pexip chose to do an IPO26:06 — Why Pexip did not choose to list in the US27:29 — The advantages of listing in Europe28:15 — OS’ advice for early-stage company listing in Europe This episode is hosted by Roxanne Varza and produced by Cindy Yang. Art is by Gaëtan Lefebvre. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Doing an IPO in Europe

Last April, the world's leading accelerator Y Combinator announced that it would be going virtual for its S20 batch. One batch later, we interview YC President Geoff Ralston to learn about the difference that going remote has made. It turns out that there are more pros than cons: YC partners were able to work with companies in over 15 time zones, complete 50% more individual and group office hours than in previous batches (3600 hours in total), and chat with all of the teams in realtime (over 250,000 Slack messages were sent during the batch). Its Virtual Demo Day was also incredibly successful and out performed many in person Demo Days from years past — with over 28,000 introductions made between investors and founders. Note: this episode was recorded one week before the US Inauguration Day.Topics:00:22 — Introduction by Roxanne Varza01:19 — What the remote program at YC looks like05:08 — Examples of successful YC companies that started remote prior to the appearance of COVID: Zapier and Git Lab 05:48 — What works well remotely and what doesn’t07:16 — On YC’s virtual Demo Day08:17 — YC adopting a hybrid mode after COVID09:31 — On ecosystems11:18 — Tech trends accelerated by COVID12:50 — Some top companies at YC that benefited from the shift to digital: examples of Instacart and Stripe 15:12 — How tech solutions have helped make COVID easier*15:55 — How YC has evolved over its 16 years of existence19:20 — What’s next for YC?20:20 — Geoff’s background and how he got to YC22:27 — Geoff on his role as President of YC24:28 — The effect of COVID on investing25:19 — Geoff’s perspective on the Bay Area exodus27:06 — What the Biden presidency means for tech This episode is hosted by Roxanne Varza and produced by Cindy Yang. Art is by Gaëtan Lefebvre. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

YC on Going Remote with Geoff Ralston, President of Y Combinator

With more than 1.000 startups, STATION F is the world's largest startup campus. Located in central Paris, STATION F gathers all the services an entrepreneur needs like mentorship offices from Google, Apple, AWS and OVH, more than 40 VC funds and 30 public services. It's the perfect place to meet great entrepreneurs and to discover amazing projects. In this bi-monthly podcast, you'll be able to hear from STATION F's best entrepreneurs and guests.

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STATION F: The Podcast

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