Launch and Learn

Leading a company through a growth phase is challenging, to say the least. It can be hard to balance profitability with growth, particularly in Europe where language and regional differences can limit expansion opportunities.

Benjamin comes on the show to share about how Péntech is approaching their expansion across the Eastern European market and brings some practical strategies on how to approach sales and hiring during a time of rapid growth.

PIVOT!

As we've learned in previous episodes, pivoting can be hard. But sometimes just one pivot isn't enough! Shane Fast digs into the story of how Athennian pivotted 3 times before becoming what they are today - a leading legal tech company with a focus on Entity Management and Corporate Law. Shane was formerly the CFO but recently stepped down to a Team Lead role - we also cover this story and how to place an importance on your family life.

Many forward-thinking businesses these days partner with non-profits, NGOs, or support causes they care about. Other businesses tackle social problems head-on: like Yusudi, an impact business based in Nairobi which offers training and equipping programs with the goal of improving the Youth employment rate in Kenya and beyond.

Charlotte De Ridder shares about her journey to social entrepreneurship, how to balance business KPIs with social impact, and the future of Yusudi.

Stefan Richter has been part of numerous startups, both as a Product Manager and CPO. He comes on the show to share about how he approaches hiring Junior PMs, what the Product landscape looks like these days, and how he approaches running Product teams at scale.

The fashion industry is undergoing some serious change these days, with many companies turning their focus away from fast-fashion and towards sustainable and transparent supply chains. Eshita Kabra only launched her clothing rental marketplace 10 months ago but has seen significant interest, due in part to her media coverage and focus on sustainability.

Eshita Kabra is the Founder of By Rotation and was recently named as one of the "14 Inspiring Women Leading The Fight Against Climate Change" by Refinery29 alongside Greta Thunberg, Stella McCartney, Ellen MacArthur and Dr Jane Goodall. We talked to her about building a community, her motivation for entering the fashion industry, and why she decided to build her product with a team of freelancers.

Starting a new company can be a daunting task to new entrepreneurs. But just because the business model is proven doesn't mean the work is over - in fact, it has only just begun. Lifelong friends Julian & Sebastian share their experience in scaling Airgreets, including finding a technical Co-Founder, expanding to multiple countries, and building trust with customers.

Marketing these days is about a lot more than fancy ad campaigns and graphic design; it takes a scientific mindset and an iterative approach to help a product launch successfully. In this episode, Adomas Baltagalvis joins us to talk about his career as a math & finance enthusiast before becoming a freelance marketer and digital nomad who specialised in crowdfund campaigns. Now he's trying to change the travel experience through his role as a Co-Founder and CMO of Eddy Travels - a travel chat bot that helps you find the best deals on flights and accommodation. 

In this episode, we talk to Vartika Manasvi about being an entrepreneur in India before moving to Canada and pivoting to what is now Stackraft: a company that is looking to change recruitment and hiring for the better. She talks about what made her move to Canada, the importance of having a clear focus, and what the future of hiring could look like.

We take a break from digital products and talk to Anja Willms about her experience in launching and building a health food startup called Shileo after being inspired by a trip to Malaysia. She talks about bootstrapping, the challenges of distributing physical products, and how to keep a clear mind through the ups and downs of running your own business.