Scaleup Valley Podcast: Recent Episodes
Scaleup Valley Podcast
Podcast for High-Impact Leaders & Scaling Companies. The mission of the ScaleUp Valley podcast is to share with the business community the hard learned lessons from world class leaders on their journey navigating wartime and scaling up.
In this episode of the Scaled Up Twilight podcast, Mike Dias interviews Lucas Lovell, VP of Product at Paddle. Lucas shares his unique journey from studying law in Australia to becoming a product leader in the tech industry. He discusses his experiences at Paddle, the importance of founder backgrounds in product management, and the skills necessary for transitioning from a founder to a VP role. The conversation highlights the significance of adaptability, empowerment, and the evolving nature of product management as companies scale. In this conversation, Mike Dias and Lucas discuss the challenges of cross-functional alignment in product and go-to-market functions, the impact of incentivization structures on decision-making, and the balance between passion and financial outcomes in leadership roles. They explore the evolving role of AI in product management, emphasizing the need for customer centricity despite the efficiencies AI brings. Lucas reflects on his career choices, highlighting the importance of continuous learning and growth.TakeawaysThe role of a VP of Product differs significantly from a PM.Metrics shift from product-focused to business-focused at the VP level.Collaboration across functions is essential for product success. Product leaders need a founder mindset to navigate silos.Cross-functional alignment is a maturity journey for companies.Clarity in strategy helps reduce friction among leaders.Incentivization structures can create misalignment between teams.Balancing passion and financial outcomes is crucial for leaders.AI is transforming product management by speeding up execution.Sound Bites"Paddle is a great place for founders.""Your primary artifact becomes strategy.""Why do we have such a lot of silos?""Alignment on strategy is crucial.""We didn't have alignment on ICP.""We want to be more piratic.""Execution is becoming cheaper and faster.""AI is making PMs less customer centric.""Keep indexing towards learning."
330 | Cracking the Code: Ida Tin on Femtech, Fear and Funding by Scaleup Valley Podcast
In this episode of the Scale Up Valley podcast, Mike Dias interviews Eric Carrasquilla, CEO of Vendavo. They discuss Eric's journey from product management to CEO, the value proposition of Vendavo as a commercial operating system, and key insights from Eric's first 90 days in the role. Eric emphasizes the importance of clarity, speed, and culture in leadership, and introduces the V2MOM framework as a tool for organizational alignment. The conversation also touches on building the right team and fostering a culture that supports growth and success. TakeawaysVendavo helps companies unlock profitable growth.Speed in decision-making is essential for success.Culture is set by the CEO and is vital for the organization.Growth mindset is necessary in a scale-up environment.Simplifying goals helps in achieving clarity and focus.Building the right team is critical for achieving goals.Sound Bites"I'm a recovering product guy.""Speed is about decisiveness.""Culture is a you thing.""You should watch what I do.""It's about who you need to become.""It's a very selfish thing.""You gotta earn it every day.""We are in the rentals business.""A little bit of empathy goes a long way."Chapters00:00Introduction to Vendavo and Eric Carrasquilla02:31Understanding Vendavo's Value Proposition10:35Key Insights from Eric's First 90 Days as CEO16:10The V2MOM Framework and Its Importance20:29Building the Right Team and Culture21:40Building a People-Centric Culture24:03The Commercial Operating System25:34Partner-Led SaaS Strategy26:32Customer Success as a Priority28:11Strategic Cross-Functional Initiatives30:35Leadership Development and Clarity32:52Balancing Discipline and Detachment35:26The Importance of Resilience37:27Building High-Performing Teams39:57Navigating the CEO Journey
Sound Bites"All boats rise in a rising tide.""You always want to go out on top.""I worked that plan every day for 12 years.""PE wants you levered up and hungry.""Good things happen to good people.""Business is a team sport.""Show up early and often, stay late.""Don't let what you want get in the way."Chapters00:00Introduction to Mark Drever and Accelerate Solutions02:23Mark's Journey: From Bootstrapping to Major Growth07:15Transitioning from Independent Business to Private Equity12:26Navigating Employee Growth and Leadership Changes17:55Timing the Exit: Building an Asset-Based Business24:02Understanding Business Dynamics: Asset vs. Lifestyle27:24Navigating the Sale: Strategic vs. Private Equity30:55The Importance of Business Structure and Clean Operations33:14Choosing the Right Partners: Lessons Learned35:17Reinvesting for Growth: The Role of Private Equity38:34The Future of Work: Remote vs. In-Person Collaboration42:43Advice to My Younger Self: Balancing Career and Life
n this episode of the Scale Up Valley podcast, Aytekin Tank, founder and CEO of JotForm, shares his incredible journey of building a successful bootstrapped company from the ground up. Over 18 years, JotForm has grown from a solo venture to a team of 700 employees, all while adhering to two fundamental rules that prioritize sustainable growth. Aytekin discusses the complexities of scaling a business, the importance of cross-functional teams, and how to maintain a focus on priorities amidst rapid growth. He emphasizes the significance of leadership development and the balance between reinvesting in the business and managing expenses. In this conversation, Aytekin Tank shares his insights on leadership, team management, and the evolution of JotForm. He emphasizes the importance of empowering teams with independence while maintaining oversight through regular reviews. Aytekin discusses his journey of delegation and automation to focus on product development, transitioning from a CEO to a founder mindset, and identifying key opportunities and bottlenecks for growth. He highlights the shift from customer acquisition to retention and the challenges of building a successful sales team, ultimately sharing valuable lessons learned about prioritization and focus.TakeawaysAytekin Tank bootstrapped JotForm to 700 employees over 18 years.He emphasizes the importance of having one year of salaries in reserve before hiring.Slow growth allows for better management and learning.Maintaining a 25% gross margin is crucial for sustainability.The complexity of managing a larger team increases as the company grows.Cross-functional teams enhance creativity and productivity.Independence within teams fosters innovation and decision-making.Leadership development is essential for scaling successfully.Prioritizing tasks is key to avoiding bureaucracy and inefficiency.Aytekin is currently focused on developing an AI product for JotForm. Empowering teams with independence fosters creativity and innovation.Regular reviews help align team efforts with company priorities.Delegation and automation are crucial for focusing on product development.Transitioning from a CEO to a founder mindset can reignite passion for work.Identifying the biggest opportunities and bottlenecks is essential for growth.The shift from customer acquisition to retention is vital for scaling.Building a successful sales team requires patience and the right hires.Learning from past mistakes is key to improving leadership skills.Prioritization is critical in addressing the most impactful challenges.Finding the crux of problems leads to more effective solutions.titlesTwo Rules for Bootstrapping SuccessMaintaining Focus Amidst Rapid Growth Empowering Teams for SuccessThe Art of Delegation in LeadershipSound Bites"From zero to 700 employees in 18 years.""I hate taking risks.""Slow growth is good.""Give the teams independence, give teams the creativity.""I automated many things about the way I processed emails.""I felt like I was this glorified administrator."
Julie Barbier-Leblan, CEO of Merit, shares her journey as an entrepreneur and the growth of her company. She started her entrepreneurship journey in the Middle East as a finance lawyer and later founded Merit, a global engagement technology company. Merit helps enterprise clients engage internally with their employees and externally with customers using a suite of SaaS solutions and rewards. Julie discusses the challenges and opportunities of scaling a business in the MENA region and the importance of building a strong network and partnerships. She also shares her decision to raise VC funding and the benefits of having local and regional investors.Key Takeaways:Julie Barbier-Leblan started her entrepreneurship journey in the Middle East as a finance lawyer and later founded Merit, a global engagement technology company.Merit helps enterprise clients engage internally with their employees and externally with customers using a suite of SaaS solutions and rewards.Building a strong network and partnerships is crucial for scaling a business in the MENA region.Julie decided to raise VC funding to support the growth and scalability of Merit, and she believes in having local and regional investors to educate the ecosystem.The Saudi 2030 vision and the shift towards a digital economy in the region present exciting opportunities for tech entrepreneurs. Transitioning from a founder to a leader requires adjusting and adapting to new roles and responsibilities.Choosing the right co-founder is crucial for scaling a company, but it's important to be cautious and ensure alignment of values and complementary skills.As a female founder, Julie faced resistance and bias, but she learned to stand up for herself and set boundaries.Self-awareness, embracing the journey, and not listening to those who tell you to slow down are key to success as an entrepreneur.
On this Episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Steven Freidkin, CEO of NtivaSummarySteven Freidkin, CEO of Ntiva, shares his journey of scaling the company from 100 to 800 employees and $18 million to $170 million in revenue. The company's purpose is to grow each other, and they focus on automation, organic sales and marketing, and strategic acquisitions. Fragin discusses the challenges he faced at different revenue plateaus and the decision to seek private equity investment. He emphasizes the importance of finding the right partner who aligns with the company's purpose and values. Ntiva has experienced significant growth and success through their strategic investments and partnerships. Steven Freidkin shares his experience of partnering with private equity firms to scale his business and create meaningful jobs and opportunities. He emphasizes the importance of finding the right partner and aligning goals and expectations. He also discusses the importance of self-awareness as a CEO and the need to work oneself out of a job to support the growth of other leaders in the organization. He shares his mistakes and lessons learned, including the importance of using debt intelligently and making cultural fit a priority in acquisitions. He encourages founders and CEOs to know their intentions, communicate openly with investors, and focus on creating a positive impact in the world.TakeawaysScaling a company requires strategic investments in automation, sales and marketing, and acquisitions.Finding the right partner in private equity is crucial for growth and success.Revenue plateaus can be overcome by making major adjustments and focusing on the company's purpose.Having a clear purpose and values helps drive the company's growth and energizes the team.Ntiva's journey from $18 million to $170 million in revenue showcases the power of strategic investments and partnerships. Finding the right partner is crucial when partnering with private equity firms to scale a business.Self-awareness is important for CEOs to work themselves out of their job and support the growth of other leaders in the organization.Using debt intelligently and considering cultural fit in acquisitions can prevent costly mistakes.Clear communication and alignment of goals with investors is essential for long-term success.Focus on creating a positive impact and leaving a legacy in the world.TitlesFinding the Right Partner in Private EquityScaling a Company: From 100 to 800 Employees Aligning Goals and Communicating with InvestorsCreating a Positive Impact and Leaving a LegacySound Bites"I was getting paid to do the thing that I actually love to do.""We exist to grow each other, technology is simply the accelerator of that growth.""If something doesn't change, you need to sell this business.""There was a tremendous amount of alignment.""I'm always trying to work myself out of my job.""We exist to grow each other."Chapters00:00Introduction and Background06:26Forming Antiva and Early Growth10:24Strategic Investments: Automation, Sales and Marketing, Acquisitions12:19Seeking Private Equity Investment16:41Choosing the Right Partner in Private Equity19:27Growth with Private Equity and Second Capital Sponsor23:05Partnering with Private Equity26:30Working Yourself Out of a Job29:38Lessons Learned: Debt and Cultural Fit34:58Aligning Goals and Communicating with Investors46:57Creating a Positive Impact and Leaving a Legacy
Chris Walker, the chairman of Refined Labs and CEO of Assetto, discusses his background in B2B companies and his new venture, Pesetto. He emphasizes the need for a new strategy in B2B marketing that focuses on profitability and efficiency. Chris also shares his vision for building an ecosystem of complementary B2B go-to-market technology and managed services. He talks about his transition from CEO to chairman and offers advice for others facing a similar stage in their careers.Key Takeaways"We need to figure out a new strategy for marketing that doesn't involve high volume lead generation.""There is a shift happening in the market where companies need to build a profitable, efficient growth and go-to-market engine.""The goal is to build a portfolio of complimentary specialized companies that handle different things from go-to-market operations, go-to-market strategy, analytics, advertising, content creation, website design, AI automated outbound.""We discuss the importance of having marketing, sales, customer success, and product aligned on the same page.""Content is one of the most effective channels to produce pipeline and generate conversations that might turn into opportunities, proposals, and deals.""A hybrid talent model inside a B2B company is the appropriate way to run most functions."Chapters00:00Introduction and Background01:02Chris's Career in B2B Companies02:01The Need for a New Strategy in B2B Marketing04:38Building a Data Structure for Informed Decision-Making06:11Creating an Ecosystem of Complementary B2B Go-to-Market Solutions07:24Transitioning from CEO to Chairman: Finding the Right Path10:02Understanding Your Leadership Strengths and Preferences
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Matthew J Desch, CEO of Iridium.Matt Desch, the CEO of Iridium, shares his journey of scaling the company from $15 million EBITDA to over $450 million EBITDA. He discusses the challenges and pivotal moments that shaped the growth of Iridium, including securing funding, building partnerships, and launching new products.Sound Bites"No one wins the Super Bowl or the World Cup or the Olympics without just a little bit of luck.""The more I practice, the luckier I get.""Find something you can do better than anyone else and specialize on that.""Doing something very unique, very differentiated""Play a game you can win""Team needs to be evolving as the company scales"Chapters00:00Introduction and Background of Iridium05:12Taking Over as CEO and the Challenges Faced08:12Company Growth and Expansion11:55Subscription Revenue and IoT16:25Key Moments of Truth in Scaling Iridium26:12Importance of Team and Company Culture28:21Differentiation and Innovation31:02Building a Strong Team and Culture37:07Transitioning to a Listed Company43:21Managing Stress and Work-Life Balance
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Ian Myers, CEO of Oceans.Key Takeaways:Finding Global Talent.Empowering employees all over the world.Lessons Learned building a global organizationWhy should a new Scaleup start hiring abroad.
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Robin Daniels, CBO and Product Officer of Zensai.Key Takeaways:Personal Branding & Category Building.Building a movement with strong personal brands.How to break through the noise?Building the brand of Executive Team membersHow to bridge company branding, personal brands and category building to make your GTM
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Alexis Normand, CEO at Greenly.Key Takeaways:- Raising a $52M B round in a downturn SaaS market- Scaling the GTM (Go to Market) organization- How to successfully succeed with inbound marketing- Content, Content & Content- Democratizing the access to carbon accounting- The carbon accounting platform that matches customer needs- Helping companies to reduce their CO2 emissions
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Colin Carvey, CEO & Founder of RevedyKey Takeaways:The necessary creativity to be successful in business M&A to open markets and then accelerate them through organic growthThe three ‘P’s’: People, Process and Prioritization How to successfully lead 88 M&A deals with Vacasa M&A to open markets and then accelerate them through organic growthThe beauty of bootstrapping Revedy
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Rob Bier, Smooth Scaling Author.Key Takeaways:- What not to do while creating a business- Rob’s definition of scaling— and how it differs from ‘growing’- Why the final stage is the hardest one to reach- How to deal with complexity- How the CEO role evolves in each stage of growth- How do you know if you have a high performing team?#smooth #scaling #leadership
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with John Than, Founder & CEO at AppficiencyKey Takeaways:- Coming from Myanmar to Canada when Johnny was 3 years old;- Representing world class brands as McKinsey, Dun & Bradstreet, Salesforce, Netsuite;- The foundation and the why behind Appficiency- The market maker strategy- How to overcome growth plateaus- How to transform yourself as the CEO the company needs to scale in each stage
In this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Kimal Singh, Founder & CEO at NDE Solutions.Key Takeaways‘The Art of the Start’ on bootstrapping mode: resilience and resourcefulness Focusing on the right ideal customer profileHow to consider the difficult decision of hiring a CEO to keep scaling the company Lessons learned scaling up from 0 to $8,5M in just 4 yearsTo leverage service business to fund your product business
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Brett Martin, VC at Charge & Co-Founder at Kumospace .Key TakeawaysCoping with being a Founder at Kumospace and a VC at ChargeTips to Manage in Person, Hybrid & Remote Teams How to connect more naturally in a virtual work environmentAI trends that CEOs should be aware The future of work
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Andrew Butt, CEO at EnableKey Takeaways"Strategically Bootstrapping a Services Business to Fuel Product Organization Growth""Scaling from the UK: The Natural Expansion into English-Speaking Markets""Transatlantic Transition: Insights from Moving London to Silicon Valley""Rapid Growth: Journey from an 80 to a 500-Person Team in 3 Years""Fundraising Insights: Lessons Learned on the Path to Success""Reinventing Rebates: Transforming Them into a Growth Engine"San Francisco vs. Silicon Valley: The Decision-Making Process Behind Settling Down"episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Leo Bottary: Founder & Managing Partner at Peernovation, hailing from sunny San Diego, California, USA and Chris Zhuang: Account Leader at Adaptive Growth Solutions, bringing insights from vibrant Shanghai, China 🇨🇳, AsiaKey takeawaysWhat Peer Advisory Groups Can Teach Us About Building High Performing TeamsThe Power of PeersLeveraging diversity to improve innovationHow to create a complementary team and create the conditions for people and teams to succeedBecoming a transcultural leader: no judgement and respect difference. The role of AI in leadership
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with John Warrillow, Speaker and Author.Key TakeawaysThe art of selling your businessHow to build a company that can thrive without youWhat to do after selling your companyThe right timing to sell and scaleHow to increase the valuation of your companyHow to make your company sellableThe different types of entrepreneurs and buyersWhat is the Switzerland structure and why is it important
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Joe Trammell, The American CEO & Author.Key TakeawaysA Serial CEO: founding companies in the early 2000sDifferences between bootstrapping and scaling through VCHow to successfully exit companies at the right timeScaling by acquisition: challenges and opportunitiesExperience leading a public companyHow to unblock the CEO fearsThe role of a CEO
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Nicolas Hess, CEO & Co-Founder at RoboyoKey takeaways1. Bootstrapping a professional services firm from 0 to 12M+, 5+ markets, 100+ people from 2016 to 20203. Raising Private Equity capital for further expansion in September of 2020 (pandemic)4. M&A thesis: 2 acquisitions in 2021 and 3 in 20225. M&A Growth vs Organic Growth6. Scaling from 12M+ to 75M+ (650+ people) from 2020 to 20237. How to differentiate a professional services firm and how to compete with the big firms8. International expansion
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Matthias Einig, CEO at RencoreKey Takeaways10+ Years leading Rencore;The Product and Go to Market lessons;Fundraising;Building a new category;Leveraging events and community to scale.
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Maria Colacurcio, CEO at Syndio.
Key Takeaways:
Creating the home of workplace equity
The duty of the CEO of empowering the CHRO to become the CHFO (Chief Human Financial Officer)
A hyper-focus to build customer devotion; the new ingredient to scale
How to bring people from diverse backgrounds to your board
Managing innovation without losing focus
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike DIas speaks with Claudio Mifano, CEO at Livance.
Key Takeaways:
Transitioning from hedge fund to entrepreneurship, going through a learning process in Stanford The reinvention of the medical office model The first steps as Angel Investor Board Member of Albert Einstein Hospital Raising a seed and A round with Astella
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Craig Everett, CEO at Holibob
Key Takeaways
Opening a world of possibilities for travellers, tour operators, and travel brands by pioneering solutions. How to innovate in a very crowded market like travel Leveraging technology to disrupt an established market Raising a Pre-Seed round during the Pandemic Bringing diversity in a very authentic way Lessons learned working in a remote first environment. The first acquisition just after Series A
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike DIas speaks with Ricardo Costa, CEO of Bernardo da Costa
Key Takeaways:
How to ensure long term success of family companies The first company in Portugal starting a Happiness Department Internationalization: Lessons learned expanding to Spain (M&A) The journey from a €1.8M family company to a €65M holding and 250 team members in 5 countries Investing in KuantoKusta (diversification) How to find the right partner to open a new geographical market What's next for Bernardo da Costa? The European Leader? The Southern European Leader by expanding to Italy?
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley, Mike Dias speaks with Alex Lempka, CEO at Connect Earth.
Key Takeaways:
A set of data tools that empower consumers and SMEs to take eco-conscious decisions Starting a company at only 24 years old Opportunities across the climate tech sector How to hire the right people at the right time Taking care of yourself as a founder. Think about your priorities on your personal side.
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Robert Graham, CEO at Pillar Health
Key Takeaways
The concept of acquisition entrepreneurship (ETA - entrepreneurship through acquisition) How to acquire a business Buying and scaling Pillar Health Group: From 1 to 10M+ EBITDA in 5 years with 3 acquisitions Self funded search and the SBA Loan Program (US specific) Helping acquisition entrepreneurs to succeed: How does the Search Investment Group (SIG) work The differences between the self-funded and the traditional search fund model
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Felix Poernbacher CEO at DeepDrive.
Key Takeaways:
From strategy consultant / investment banker to deep tech startup founder Is it wise to have 7 people in a founding team? The technology behind DeepDrive: disrupting the electric motors for Electric Vehicles Focusing on building a large scale series production From 0 to series A with BMW i Ventures, co-pace and UVC Partners Attracting high caliber talent to a very ambitious vision The upside vs downside
In this episode of the Scale Up valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Trish Higgins, Partner at Chenmark
Building a holding company model How to grow with a small business acquisition model Working with businesses to preserve legacies and position companies for long term success. The importance of having a pipeline of CEOs to lead the portfolio of companies Buying, owning and operating exciting businesses Back to basics: radical focus.
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, mike Dias speaks with David Heinemeier Hansson, Co-Founder at 37signals.
Key Takeaways
Lessons learned by founding and leading a SaaS company for 21+ years A product-led growth model vs hiring too many people Why limiting headcount growth to 50-75 people Why is it healthy to not scale at all? A different lens to work, scale and growth Enjoy your journey and don’t be focused on the end result
In this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Juanjo Mostazo, Co-Founder at Homa and Venture Partner at K-Fund.
Key Takeaways:
How to transition from CTO to founder to investor A new European city on the rise: Malaga Founding and scaling Homa - raised 160M+ Having a multicultural founding team covering different european countries (Spain, Germany, France) The gaming market: a huge opportunity for new companies that know how to monetise games. An investor who brings value to the table How to build a diversified portfolio When is the right time to start investing
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Salma Bakouk, CEO at SiffletKey takeawaysFrom investment banking in Asia to getting back to Paris to start up SiffletOn a mission to reduce Data EntropyGrowing a company with your best friend: challenges and opportunitiesCreating a healthy and friendly culture working remotely Raising $12.8M A round led by EQT Ventures in 2023 Q1
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Raja Skogland, Founder at The Visionary CompanyKey Takeaways:Investor in 70+ startupsHelping seed to series A companies fundraise and scale.Investor readiness and fundraising best practicesMistakes to avoid as early stage founders
On this Episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Christian Meinerding CEO at HiveMQ
Key Takeaways
How to build a new category The power of inbound marketing Learnings of a German Startup in Silicon Valley Reliable Data Movement for Connected Devices Overnight successes may take 10 years to succeed Expansion to the US without boots on the ground Lessons learned raising 49.3M
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Tim Veira, Founder, CEO & Investor.Key Takeaways:Lessons learned as entrepreneur building Special Edition Holding (Africa)Becoming famous with Shark Tank and the transition to investorBack to your purpose as entrepreneur: building the future of Education with BGA (Brave Generation Academy)How to successfully scale up a company in AfricaThe future of the world it’s in AfricaThe importance of having a lifeplan as a founderExploring your mindset and values to impact positively to your projectsHow to recover from setbacks
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Christoph Prieler, Co-Founder 6 MD at Finmatics.Key Takeaways:Leveraging passion for accountingAccounting Automation made easyScaling a technology SaaS company from WienPutting AI on the hands of the accountants.Creating a Go-To-Market strategy that combines partnerships with own channelsFocusing scarce resources on the right priorities to increase the value of the organisation Lessons learned around culture in multinational companies
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Scot Wingo, CEO of Spiffy.Key Takeaways- Lessons learned by leading ChannelAdvisor to IPO in May of 2013 at 80M+ ARR- Scaling Spify to a 30M series C earlier this year with 90%+ YoY growth in the last 2 years- How to digitize brick and mortar businesses- Lessons learned with Amazon - focus on serving the customer-How to create the perfect digital experience - Creating a truly convenient and eco-conscious car care- Similarities in changes in scaling up a company in the last 20 years.- The difficulties of reaching out to VC with an asset-heavy compan- From entrepreneur to investor
On this episode of the ScaleUp Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Ana Zamora, CEO at Vitaance.Key Takeaways:Improve the lives of your employees. Bring life to your companyThe advantages of gamification in improving people’s routines How to position a company in terms of wellbeingWhy focus on engagement? We make sure that we are used. From 0 to 1From Corporate Executive to StartUp FounderFundraising lessons
On this episode of the Scale Up valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Jens Noertershaeuser, Co-CEO at Kranus HealthKey Takeaways:Solving the care gap in Men's HealthRevolutionize men's health by providing innovative and accessible healthcare solutionsHaving a multi product approach without losing focusA evidence based approach to healthcare led by scienceThe difficulties to expand the product to other countries in the healthcare sectorBuilding a diverse founding teamThe evolution of the CEO role as the company scales
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Thomas Canguilhem, Co-Founder & CEO of EcoTree.Key TakeawaysClimate tech scaleup specializing in sustainability. Ecotree's goal is to promote environmental awareness and engage individuals and businesses in eco-friendly behaviorsHow to successfully combine a B2C and B2B without losing focus.How to transform climate change awareness to concise actionsWhy the Danish market is edging other European ones in sustainability.How to make ‘Mother Nature’ attractive to the consumer.Leveraging technology to grow a sustainability companyThe best VC to pick as a climate tech scaleup
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Shane Bigelow, CEO at CHAMPtitles.Key Takeaways:Starting a company in Cleveland, OhioHelping insurance carriers, lenders, state governments, vehicle retailers, and OEMs create, manage, and transfer digital vehicle titlesWhy don't sell SaaS to Governments - the power of distributionThe importance of recruiting in every stage of growthInvesting your own skin in the game: capital raised from the founders.
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Tate Hackert, President & Founder of ZayZoonKey Takeaways:The rise of a new category: Earned Wage AccessGiving employees the ability to access wages whenever they are needed.How to create a new concept and brand to a new categoryThe particularities of the Canadian ecosystem: challenges and opportunities Learning from your expansion mistakes and going back to your core marketsThe importance of having an effective daily meeting
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Neil Andrew, CEO & Founder of Lunio.Key Takeaways:The evolution of marketingThe importance of recruiting well the first 100 peopleEvolving from a performance marketing agency to a startup in just three years.Having a four member founding teamThe best way to let a co-founder goHow to create an inbound engine that actually worksRemove bots, fake users & fake touchpoints from your entire performance marketing stack to win against the competition.Eliminate Waste to Improve the Metrics That Matter in MarketingDoing the right thing or the profitable one?
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Joerg Heuer, CEO & Founder at EcoG. Key Takeaways:EV charging solutions that grow your business.Disrupting a market with a founding team that comes from the corporate world. Challenges and opportunities of the EV charging market.Lessons Learned from expansion to the US.How to handle strategic and financial investors.The power of a purpose driven venture.
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Daniela Braga, CEO & Founder of Defined.ai, the largest marketplace in AI.Key Takeaways:Building the world’s leading AI marketplace How Daniela raised more than $80M for Defined.aiFrom Academia to leading the AI sectorThe thin line between thinking outside the box and staying resilientHow to become one of the 2% of female founders who raise capital: My secret power is knowing my worthThe difficulties of the European market in AI How to choose the right investors. Can they lead? Or only follow?Cultural differences between Portugal and the US
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Simon Eklund, CEO at Legal DeskKey TakeawaysMake your own Legal Documents onlineHow to scale a legal tech company, being a lawyer and not having a technical Co-FounderHow to adjust a legaltech product to scale to other Scandinavian countriesRaising capital in a non VC fashion - capital efficient way - with sustainable metricsChallenges and opportunities of the Legal Tech sectorHow ecosystems can provide funding tools to develop and retain Regional Leaders
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Daniel Keiper-Knorr, General Partner at Speedinvest.Key Takeaways:The most innovative companies are created in the most turbulent times.The Speedinvest thesis evolution Why Speedinvest is investing in Emerging Markets Good Talent grows everywhereA match made in heaven: why founders should choose a fund that shares values and provides real expertiseA differential look into the different emerging marketsThe importance of storytelling in fundraising. Audience first. How to raise from LPs
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Sebastian Baier, Founder & MD at Buynomics.Key TakeawaysPricing, the key to profitability End-to-end revenue optimization.Lessons learned from raising a 13M Series A round Why expanding to mid-market instead of opening verticals in EnterpriseHow to make inbound workHow to successfully scale a company without a technical co-founderOperating system to help make rational commercial decisions
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Toni Hohlbein, CEO at Growblocks.Key Takeaways:A scientific approach to revenue planning and executionHow to align a Leadership Team with a revenue operating systemThe highs and lows of a revenue leader in a hyper growth expectation gameMoving from Revenue Leader to CEOTransparency as a pillar of a great culture
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley, Mike Dias speaks with Daniel Bakh, Co-Founder & CEO of FullviewKey Takeaways:How to build the first version of a productThe thin line between the founder and a product in the early stagesHow to operate during recessionLessons Learned during pre-Seed and seed stage: focus on building a great product for your ICPSimultaneously raising money from VCs and well-known angels that could validate and support you.How to get started as an Angel InvestorSolving support requests faster with automatic recordings
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Tobias Hagenau, CEO at awork.Key takeawaysFrom founding one of the first SaaS in Europe to create an exciting work management companyLearning from your mistakesHow to be happy at work. Organize your project based business – easily and efficientlyWhy keep expanding in Europe instead of trying to get to new marketsThe evolution of work - leveraging technology and trying to achieve happinessBuilding a great Go-To-Market Engine
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Anders Korsgaard, CEO at Blue World TechnologiesKey TakeawaysAccelerating the green transition of the world by enabling the use of green fuel through high efficiencyLessons learned from migrating an entire team of 40 people to a new ventureFundraising lessons - from pre-seed to series B raising funds every 12 monthsValuing partnership as a way to growThe experience of working with Bill Gates founded Breakthrough Energy fund
On this episode of the Scale Up Valey Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Michael Altshuler, Author & Global Speaker.Key Takeaways:Finding your core values as a leader.Your beliefs dictate who you are.Persistence and resilience: the two pillars of a successful leader. Having great peers and taking care of your environment to maximize your chances of success.Staying in your comfort zone is the killer of success
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Peter Sorowka, CEO of CybusKey Takeaways:Industry 4.0: How to manage the right timing to leverage a disruptive trend The journey of finding PMF (Product Market Fit): moving from SMB to EnterpriseHow to handle changes in your founding teamFrom founder CTO to founder CEOHow to find investors that understand and are comfortable with the growth dynamics of your market
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Hedda Baverud Olsson, CEO & Co-Founder of Lassie.Key Takeaways:Combining creativity and analytical skills to grow a companyHow to effectively build a founding team from scratch and get them ready to an angel roundChallenges and opportunities of the Swedish MarketHow to decide which European country to expand to
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Boaz Gaon, CEO & Founder of Wisdo HealthKey TakeawaysThe power of community in healthcare to cure loneliness at scale Pivoting from a consumer app to a B2B2C digital health business modelFundraising in a rocky market, how to navigate anxious momentsSimplicity and story-telling as key factors to get investors on board.Starting from Israel and moving to the US: challenges and opportunities.
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike DIas speaks with Stian Rognild, CEO of Aquaticode.Key Takeaways:Using machine learning to solve challenges in aquacultureBuilding a company with R&D in the core and launching multiple productsJoining a Venture Builder as CEO: advantages and challengesHow to keep focus and balance it with aspiration. The 80:20 rule.Being a software first company The experience of being a remote first companyThe future and trends of aquaculture
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Cristina Rossi, CEO of b-rayZ.Key Takeaways:Fighting Breast Cancer with Artificial IntelligenceMoving From Academia to startup CEOLessons learned in academia that can applied to a healthtech scale-upHow to structure a healthtech founding team. Should we have a Medical Director on board?
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Episode, Mike Dias speaks with Sigbjørn Nome, CEO of Ignite Procurement.Key Takeaways:1. Identifying a great opportunity in the procurement category 2. How to fund the development of your MVP with consulting fees3. The pros and cons of skipping the pre-seed round 4. How to make a startup work without a technical co-founder in the early days5. Investing 2/3 of the capital on product development as a way of impacting NRR 6. How to combine and evolve from Sales led growth to Product led growth7. The importance of hiring the first 100 employees right
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Tom Vollmer, CEO of Cofenser.Key TakeawaysBringing empathy into the workplaceThe power of great video content for effective asynchronous corporate communications From building a highly profitable 1M+ business in a bootstrapped fashion to start a scalable VC Backed companyWhat drives a founder? Market opportunity and personal aspiration.
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Peter Beckman, CEO of Treyd.Key Takeaways:Freeing up capital to invest in growthThe Pro’s & Con’s of joining an accelerator like Antler to grow your businessHow to find the right co-founder How to synchronize a distributed leadership team How do you get comfortable with uncertainty and make decisions with no dataHow to combine growth and resilience during hard times Adaptability as the main strength of a good CEO. From a Doer to a Leader
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Bill Snyder, CEO of Vivante HealthKey TakeawaysKey takeawaysLeveraging technology to revolutionize digestive health and wellness.Breaking the healthcare model. How to implement the B2B2C model.A fanatical approach to product design, creating a great customer experienceBuilding a culture where everyone feels like they own the company.Challenges of scaling a healthtech company in the US
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Martina Åkerlund, CEO of Triggy.Key takeawaysFrom 15 years in banking to joining a scaleup as CEOChallenges and strengths of joining a scaleup as professional CEOHow to stay lean and flexible in difficult timesThe importance of becoming Cash Flow positive in a downturnBuilding a strong culture that promotes a healthy balance between work and personal development.
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Egil Østhus, CEO & Co-Founder of Unleash.Key TakeawaysHow to successfully start a company with family in your founding teamThe importance of trust in managing the companyHow to get your first customersFinding the right balance between execution and perfectionThe best operators are the ones who have a lot of curiosityHow to successfully operate from Europe having the US as your top market through inbound
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Jussi Määttä, CEO and Founder at Buddy Healthcare.Key Takeaways:Founding one of the first healthtech companies in Finland and scaling up to 1.5M+ ARR The speed of growth in healthcare that sector agnostic VCs don't get From Finland to European Expansion: starting small and focused and growing to serve other countriesDoubling down on the UK - creating a strong team and hiring great peopleThe humbling power of knowing where your limits are as a CEO Challenges to successfully raising money in Finland
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Alex Mifsud, CEO of Weavr Key takeaways:From Academia to building three startups: Entropay, Ixaris and WeavrHow to manage expectations and create value for investors.Choosing your investors and growing with them Fintech evolution over the last decade. The critical and dangerous step to scale up to SEA & USTech Crisis in the US? A huge opportunity to grow by acquisitionThe amazing opportunities of the Singaporean market
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Lena Hackelöer, CEO & Founder of Brite PaymentsKey Takeaways1. Lessons learned scaling a fintech unicorn: recruiting and understanding the market;2. Lessons learned leading a listed company as professional CEO;3. How to transition from ScaleUp operator/executive to startup founder;4. How to compete with startups that raised 10x more funds than Brite - tips for a customer-driven funding;5. How to compete with legacy players in the payments/financial services universe.
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Esben Friis-Jensen, Co-Founder of UserflowKey TakeawaysHow to bootstrap your business to 1M+ ARR with just two employees.Product Led Growth (PLG) vs Sales Led Growth: Cobalt vs UserflowChallenges of transition from Sales Led Growth to Product Led GrowthTwo different ways to build a successful company: VC backed and bootstrapped
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Kenny Laplante, Founder of Genial CareKey TakeawaysA personal story about overcoming adversities and conquering learning difficultiesThe importance of why when starting upInvesting in powerful, positive change that enduresHow to achieve better outcomes at lower cost in healthcareHow to crack Go-To-MarketFrom operating in the US to founding a healthtech startup for LATAMThe myths behind being a solo founder
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Adrian Garcia-Aranyós, President at Endeavor.Key Takeaways:Being the president of an organization that supports entrepreneurship since 1997The Multiplier effect of Endeavor building new ecosystems How to scale in emerging marketsEntrepreneurship trends that Adrian sees across the worldHow to apply to EndeavorEvolution of the ecosystems since the beginning of Endeavor until nowEntrepreneurship in emerging markets
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Laura Gómez, General Partner at Latin Leap.Key Takeaways:Lessons from a female serial entrepreneur Successful exit very early onHow to navigate the ups and downs of entrepreneurshipThe purpose behind investing in Spanish speaking LATAMFrom founder to corporate VC to classic VCLearning from your mistakes and keep persevering
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Laura Constantini, Co-Founder at Astella.Key TakeawaysBuilding a fund in 2008 Early Stage VC investing in Brazilian founders since 2010Astella investment thesisHow to pick the best companies to invest onBuilding the future by leveraging the opportunities around consumer internet, software-as-a-service, and marketplaces Evolution of the Brazilian ecosystem in the last 15 years of AstellaBringing knowledge and new ideas to strengthen the startup ecosystemHow to successfully build a content machine
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Ben Gleason, Founder of Kamino.Key takeawaysStarting up in completely different maturity stages of the ecosystem with Groupon, GuiaBolso and KaminoFrom MD at Groupon to fintech founder at GuiaBolsoFrom GuiaBolso to KaminoHow did the passion for the Brazilian ecosystem startHelping underrepresented founders to break the barriers as angel investor and via EndeavorLessons learned being an angel investor and founderThe importance of creating the right culture and vision in a remote or hybrid work environment
On this Episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Miguel Arias, General Partner at KFUND.Key takeaways:Experience from being on all sides of the table of the innovation ecosystem: corporate leader, teacher, VC, operator, founder…The importance of psychology in creating and backing a startupHow is the LATAM ecosystem developing?In what ways is technology shaping the new world and creating new market opportunities?Will VR and AR create a new metaverse?Enabling tech applied to climate change
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Edouard de Montmort, Co-Founder at VelvetKey Takeaways:Building a startup as Founding Partner and Head of LATAM at MajoritasBuilding his first startup: ArvoreBuilding his second startup: VelvetVelvet offers liquidity to the brightest people in startups all over the world so that builders can monetize their vested equity through a seamless digital experience.The multicultural footprint of a serial entrepreneur.How Edouard built a differentiation as an angel investor.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with with Jessica Chao, Founding Capital Partner at IterativeKey TakeawaysHealthtech trends in the US, LATAM and Southeast AsiaExciting infrastructure-based startups that are re-shaping the healthcare sectorPatterns to succeed as a leader in the healthcare sector: eager to learn and be mission-driven. The main challenges to start a healthcare company: how to get your first clients. What is the investment thesis of Iterative and SVLC
On this episode of the Scale Up Valley Podcast, Michael Sidler, Co-Founding Partner at Redalpine speaks with Mike Dias, CEO & Co-Founder of Scale Up ValleyKey TakeawaysInvesting in vision and real disruption Top criteria to invest for Redalpine: The quality of a founding team.The passion of developing the European ecosystemHelping to create financial independence in EuropeChallenges and opportunities of the European and the Swiss MarketThe opportunities of longevity and psychedelics in the healthcare sector
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias with Mariano García-Valiño , CEO & Founder at AXENYA and Roebrto Vianna, CCO & CMO at AXENYA.Key takeawaysThe future of healthcareFrom IPO back into starting up Empowering Latin-America's healthcare ecosystem to plug into the future of medicine.How to align incentives of multiple stakeholders. How to deliver a value proposition that benefits health plans, employers and employees, simultaneously.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Manoela Mitchell, Co-Founder & CEO of Pipo Saúde.Key Takeaways:- How to successfully leave an established career in the private equity world to become a founder - The journey of Pipo Saúde conquering the healthcare industry- Why take the VC route- D&I (Diversity & Inclusion) as a critical differentiator to attract and retain great talent - How to level up the playfield for women founders
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Rui Brandão, CEO & Founder of Zenklub.The story and why behind ZenklubBuilding the mental and emotional wellbeing platform in Brazil.Why Brazil is a great place to run a mental health platformGo to Market lessons learned starting B2C and evolving into B2BHow to become a better CEO and grow faster than the company on a personal levelThe importance of a strong founding teamThe importance of KPIs to shape team culture
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with with Rasmus Holst, CEO of LMS365Key Takeaways:How to manage teams differently according to the cultural backgroundLessons learned joining a company as a professional CEO with bold ambitionsHow to manage a learning platform with more than 4 million users Don’t lose the accountability about the things that matterHow to accelerate market entry and presence with M&A
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Gonzalo Parejo, CEO & Founder of KaminoKey TakeawaysDifferences between scaling up in Europe and LATAM; taking higher risks and seeking higher rewardsBuilding Kamino - the financial infrastructure to accelerate the ability for high-growth companies to scale up quicklyFrom helping to scale Groupon in Brazil to create a new fintech startupIf you are able to do it in LATAM, you can do it everywhere! Lessons learned building and leading senior vs junior teams
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with João Ventura, Founder & CEO at Sling HubKey TakeawaysFrom financial markets to angel investor to founderBecoming the youngest president of the oldest and largest Brazilian angel clubLessons learned as an angel Investor and as president of an angel club Investing in people and teams vs ideas/metrics in the pre-seed stage Building Sling Hub - the “Crunchbase of LATAM”Evolution of the LATAM ecosystem according to Sling Hub data
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Maite Muñiz, Co-Founder of Truora Inc.Key TakeawaysWhat skills does a great Product Manager has to haveHow to grow as a PM in a region where product management is a new disciplineThe risk of not having the courage to say no to enterprise clients: the short line between a SaaS and a service companyHow to handle moments of truth and uncertainty as a founder: from fraud management to customer acquisition through WhatsAppHow to handle a strategic pivot to address a larger TAM (total addressable market) with 100+ teamThe importance of adapting the thesis for fundraising and lessons learned (15M series A with American funds)Communication and change management lessons
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Marcelo Toledo, Co-CEO of Klivo.Key TakeawaysFrom a fintech unicorn to a healthtechFrom Nubank to KlivoThe story of Marcelo Toledo: From Nubank to KlivoThe story of Marcelo Toledo: From fintech to healthtechFrom scaling a fintech unicorn to building a healthtech scaleupHealhtech is the new fintech
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Izabel Gallera, Partner at Canary
Key Takeaways:
- How Canary’s investment thesis transformed the Brazilian ecosystem in 2017
- Building a strong relationship between founders and investors
- The 3 pillars of a successful founding team: resilience, execution and a learning ability
- You can’t recruit a co-founder, but you can recruit technical skills. Ensure that you have a co-founder that will stay with you in the ups and downs.
- Success stories and lessons learned from Canary’s portfolio companies. Do’s and Don't’s
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Aaron McDaniel and Klaus Wehage, Co-authors of the Book Global Class.
Key Takeaways
How the world’s fastest growing companies scale globally How to successfully design an expansion strategy that actually works The importance of knowing and respecting the culture where you want to expand to Build a solid foundation before scaling up Home market vs Initial market: What's the big difference?
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Brian Requarth, Co-Founder of Latitud
Key Takeaways:
Why Brian - an american - moved to LATAM Starting and scaling a real estate venture in Brazil How to start investing as a business angel - lessons learned from 80+ investments across LATAM Brian’s vision to grow the LATAM ecosystem The importance of a strong community and how it drives Latitud initiatives How to go through the life and death moments of a startup How to raise a family and build a startup - relationship with life partners and becoming a dad
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Luiz Guilherme Berardo, Co-Founder and CEO of Sami
Key Takeaways:
Lessons learned from building 3 healthcare ventures 1st venture - Clínica Premium Care: Building a profitable non VC backed player 2nd venture - Dr. Agora: Lessons learned building the first VC backed company and the importance of timing 3rd venture - Sami: Building a successful VC backed venture with a healthy culture Disrupt a system that is designed to kill innovation or design a new system: the story of Sami
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Marcelo Wolowski, Partner & Founder at Invisto
Key Takeaways:
How investors pick the best founding teams How to design an investment thesis that is aligned with the maturity of your region Invisto's investment thesis Understanding the Southern Brazilian tech ecosystem The Brazilian opportunity for American and European funds Lessons from a VC investor
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Stefan Krautwald, General Partner at Latin Leap
Key Takeaways
Lessons learned scaling across LATAM as entrepreneur and investor An upcoming exciting region: Spanish-speaking LATAM Expansion from SEA to LATAM: differences and similarities The importance of having a local partner to expand to new markets
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Cristiano Englert, Healthtech Business Angel and Medical Entrepeneur.
Key Takeaways
How to develop an entrepreneurial mindset as a doctor - Learning how to embrace risk The big opportunity of the healthtech sector - Improving patient experience through AI and personalization. The big mindset shift that is happening in the health sector in Brazil How to think global and learn from other markets to improve your own product.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Isadora Kimura, Founder at Nilo Saúde
Key Takeaways:
Isadora’s journey in the healthtech ecosystem in San Francisco The calling to build a healthtech startup in Brazil (Leveraging learnings from the US to the exciting Brazilian market) How to create and measure impact How to create and nourish a diverse founding team in terms of gender Tips to women founders to start a new venture Leveraging technology to use patient data effectively to distribute care in a more effective way.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Victor Gadelha, Head of Innovation at Dasa.
Key Takeaways
Understanding the evolution of the healthcare model in the last decades to discuss the future The potential of Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality to improve the patient experience How to achieve the magical formula for healthtech: to bridge health, patient outcomes, great experience, technology and sustainability/cost How to combine the neurologist career, the computer science skills, the startup and corporate entrepreneur experience to bring value to the healthcare industry Leveraging technology to boost patients’ quality of care
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Fernando Ribeiro, CEO & Co-Founder at Alinea Health
Key Takeaways
Attracting the founder & CEO of the US Benchmark of Alinea Health as Business Angel The influence of strong purpose driven cultures of Bridgewater and Amazon in the process of building Alinea’s culture How to overcome the Nuclear Winter and emerge stronger than before The importance of doing an effective due-diligence while picking your investors
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Puja Bharwani, Co-Founder and CMO & Samir Khadepaun, Co-Founder and CEO of Wizly.
Key takeaways:
How Puja and Samir are helping entrepreneurs and corporate leaders to solve specific issues with top experts Culture starts with the founding team The importance of having a diverse and united founding team Focus on measuring and achieving Product Market Fit Fundraising lessons from a serial entrepreneur and the Venture Partner of Antler
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Arturo Sánchez Correa, CEO & Co-Founder at Sofía
Key Takeaways
Challenges and opportunities of the Mexican market Focusing on solving huge problems in emerging markets Being transparent as a CEO instead of ‘protecting your people’ from the challenges the company is facing. Working on culture explicitly to make sure it stays alive and strong as the team scales. How to be backed by the founder and CEO of the unicorn Nubank and by top regional and international investors including Kaszek, Ribbit and Index.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Stephanie Von Staa Toledo, CEO and Founder at Oya Care
Key Takeaways
Breaking the barriers: 70% of women don't feel comfortable talking to their OB/GYN. Preventative care over curing disease to bolster health How to create a multi-skilled founding team with different kind of intelligences The importance of having a great Medical Director in your founding team Start lean and start focused Everything starts with a ‘Why’. A strong vision-driven company that is attracting talent.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Thiago Bonini, CEO & Co-Founder at Vidia.
Key Takeaways
- How to provide access and affordability of care to patients in such a large market as Brazil
- How to align incentives across the different stakeholders of the healthcare system
- Understanding when to follow a proven playbook or when to create your own
- What are the first positions to hire in a startup? (Being product-centric, hiring a Product Manager)
- The state of the art of entrepreneurship in Brazil
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Alvin Ea, CEO & Co-Founder at Haulio.
Key Takeaways
- Why great founders are great storytellers: keep improving your narrative for your team, customers, investors
- Make sure you create value for your customers by understanding if the problem is painful enough and how to handle the most painful angles of it
- How to approach expansion across SEA: how to leverage a key customer to expand from Singapore to Thailand
- Get to know the Uber/Grab for container trucks and how Haulio is connecting SEA to the World
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Adam Dakin, Healthtech Partner at Dreamit Ventures.
Key Takeaways
Trends and the future of healthcare How to avoid common mistakes made by healthtech entrepreneurs The importance of having a clear problem statement The science of fundraising Rule #1 of a CEO: Never run out of cash.
Key Takeaways:
How to close the gap in women’s health care Empowering women with information: investing in data and education for patients. Tips on how to form a community to support each other How to balance growth with quality of service in healthcare Patient first culture
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Bruno Rodrigues, CEO & Co-Founder at GoGood.
Key Takeaways:
How to overcome challenges to engage the corporate world to embrace fitness Debunking the myths: how to operate a wellness company in Brazil Challenges and opportunities of the Brazilian startup ecosystem Reputation and connections: two keys to successfully fund-raise in Brazil How to strengthen the relationship with your Co-Founder during a crisis
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Tamas Kadar, CEO & Bence Jendruszak, COO at SEON. Fraud Fighters.
Key Takeaways:
Having a clear and different vision to stand out How to go from 40 employees to 200 in just 4 months Building a company from Hungary: creating a path without role models What is the right timing to expand into the US? Lessons learned raising a $94 million Series B Keeping the balanced between technology and operations in different countries
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Daniel Fallscheer, CEO at DasLab.
Key takeaways:
Why Spain is a great market to drive innovation? What was the impact of the Covid Crisis to the Digital Health Sector? How to form a dream team to lead a Digital Health company? The importance of the core values in hiring great people The advantages of taking the VC route Focusing on our core markets before expanding to new ones
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with David Pohlmann, CEO & CO-Founder at Billbee.
Key Takeaways: How to attract talent with a great culture What is the ‘happy profit’ concept? How to combine growth with profitability? Going from a 40-hour workweek to a 30-hour one How to balance speed and timing
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Genevieve Swenson, COO & Co-Founder at Nice Healthcare
Key Takeaways: How to overcome the limitations of the healthcare system in the US? Closing the gap between patients and healthcare professionals using technology The three big pillars of the founding team: clinical operations, financial growth and client engagement How to transition from a founding team to a leadership team? The importance of having a strong support system as a founder.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Malcolm Burenstam Linder, CEO & Co-Founder at Alva Labs.
Key Takeaways: Tips to find great co-founders How to define your expansion strategy Hire based on a great resume or based on potential? Insights on attracting and retaining talent
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Kathy McAleer, CEO at HerMD
Key takeaways:
- How to improve patient experience, doctor experience and make the business model work?
- A female-focused approach to health & wellness.
- Assessing your people and figure out the superpowers of your teams.
- Learnings from a professional CEO.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Mel Shakir, Managing Director at Dreamit Ventures
Key takeaways:
- How to stand out as a Venture firm
- Lessons learned transitioning from securetech entrepreneur to investor
- How to validate if the startups are solving the right problem? Insights on how to build and scale products
- The 4 Ts to assess if a startup is investable
- Mistakes that securetech early stage startups could avoid
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Elizabeth Burstein, Co-Founder & CEO at Neura Health
Key Takeaways
Navigating the complexity of the healthcare system How to identify core problems to solve in a very broad market? How to serve chronic ill patients in a careful and personal care The right moment to hire a Medical Director. (CMO) Tips on fundraising
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Hsu Ken Ooi, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Iterative
Key Takeaways: 1. The differences between Southeast Asia and Silicon Valley (and a few insights on similarities shared by SEA and Europe); 2. How VCs in both regions approach decision-making regarding probability and magnitude of success - US VCs are bolder; 3. What to prove in order to be well-equipped to raise a pre-seed, seed and A round.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Karin Stephan, Co-Founder & COO at Earkick.
Key Takeaways:
- Choosing your early investors right
- How to successfully raise a Pre-Seed Round 3 . Leveraging AI to transform Mental Health Care
- Making a difference for patients by leading a Mission-Driven Venture
On this brand-new episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias and his Co-Founder Andrew Wong, Co-Founder of Scale Up Valley speak with Janson Seah, CEO & Co-Founder at StaffAny. This is the first podcast of the 'Asian Edition' series, dedicated to cover the best scaleups across the region.
Key takeaways:
-Lessons learned leading the team during the pandemic -How to involve junior leaders on recruiting and onboarding senior talent in later stages of growth -Expansion from Singapore to Indonesia and Malaysia
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Luca Schnettler CEO at Qumata Group.
Key Takeaways:
- The importance of being in the trenches while scaling up across the Asia Pacific region
- Singapore and Hong Kong as important hubs for enterprise customers in the insurance industry
- Adopting a hybrid model of work as a tool to attract talent
- Fundraising lessons: How to choose the right investors 5.The personal aspect of doing business in Asia.
- Developing your brand by developing your product and focusing on sales
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Georg Steiger, CEO & Co-Founder at BillEase
Key Takeaways:
- How to scale up in the Philippines
- Meaningful purpose: Driving financial inclusion for Filipinos
- Fundraising lessons: from pre-seed to series B
- Diverse founding team: 1 Austrian, 1 Filipino, 1 Vietnamese
- How the pandemic accelerated growth
- How to operate in a rich and very diverse environment
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Tony Beltramelli, CEO & Co-Founder at Uizard
Key Takeaways
- The importance of combining product led growth (build something that people want) with a strong Go to Market team
- The advantages of having a 4-member founding team and the transition into a Leadership Team
- Remote-first culture lessons and competitive advantage
- Fundraising lessons from pre-seed to series A
- How to get from Product Market Fit to Product Channel Fit
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Nina Alag Suri, CEO at X0PA AI.
Key Takeaways
- The importance of a strong purpose: how to adopt a bias-free hiring process
- Walk the talk on Diversity & Inclusion by having investors from different regions
- How to A/B test international expansion from Singapore to India, the UK, UAE and the US/Canada
- The importance of building a strong leadership team to navigate different time zones
- Lessons learned navigating fundraising as woman CEO
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Casper Rasmussen, CEO at Monta.
Key Takeaways
- From CTO to CEO, having self-awareness to impact the most within your organization.
- How to go from idea to Series A in 18 months.
- Challenges of the EV sector.
- Understanding the context and details of a market before expanding.
- How to define the success metrics in a very new industry?
On this brand-new episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias and his Co-Founder, Andrew Wong, Co-Founder of Scale Up Valley speak with Janson Seah, CEO & Co-Founder at StaffAny. This is the first podcast of the 'Asian Edition' series, dedicated to cover the best scaleups across the region.
Key takeaways:
-Lessons learned leading the team during the pandemic -How to involve junior leaders on recruiting and onboarding senior talent in later stages of growth -Expansion from Singapore to Indonesia and Malaysia
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Oriol Tintoré, Co-CEO & Co-Founder at Belvo.
Key takeaways:
-The advantages of the Co-CEO Model to mitigate the loneliness of the CEO role.
- In Brazil, be Brazilian. In Mexico, be Mexican. In Colombia, be Colombian. Embrace the local culture to build the team to win the market. That’s why the Country Managers sit at the Leadership Team.
-LATAM first and only. It is critical to be local in the region. Huge proof of focus and clarity of the business strategy.
- Empower your teams to make decisions.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Miguel Arroja, Regional Sales Manager at Salesforce
Key takeaways:
-“You always take a little more of the blame and a little less of the credit” You are The person in charge of the team, so it’s really your responsibility. - The three pillars of a team leader: Recruiting, Onboarding and Coaching. - Incentives guide behavior. Don’t be afraid to compensate your top performers.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Benoit Menardo, Co-Founder at Payflow
Key takeaways: - How to be professional in your ideation process in order to leverage a market opportunity. - How to choose the right timing to surf an existing market category instead of creating a new one. - Why LATAM represents a great opportunity in the salary advance category. -“You don’t achieve product-market fit at the global level.” You need to adapt your product to each country to win the region. - How to set up the organizational structure to execute the expansion strategy. What is the ideal profile of a country manager to open a new country (“builder”) and to scale an existing one (“scaler”)?
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, in collaboration with Bridgewhat, Paulo Morgado and Ana Paula Reis speak with Michael Durante, CEO & Founder of The Interna
Key takeaways:
- Empowering your teams: Giving them knowledge and freedom to make their own decisions.
- The power of diversity
- Learning from your mistakes and recognize them in front of your people
This podcast is a collaboration with Bridgewhat. Let's Scale!
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with G Cohen-Skalli, CEO at Paloma Health
Key takeaways: The courage to doubling down on your niche How to leverage the no code revolution to scale your operations The importance of hiring “doers” in the early stages
In this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Zaedo Musa, CEO at Superb
Key takeaways: 1. The concept of radical differentiation. How can you master the art of doing things differently and much better for the customer? 2. Finding new opportunities in an already established market 3. Fresh insights on how to be a great CEO. How to be a mirror of your culture by truly taking care of your people on a personal level. Focus on the outcome of work, not time in front of your computer.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Andreas Cleve, CEO at Corti.ai
Key takeaways: 1. How to radically improve the experience of patient consultations with AI. 2. The role of AI in the digitization of the healthcare industry. 3. How to leverage Denmark as an innovation hub and pilot market. 4. How to conquer the US as the largest healthcare market in the world.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, in collaboration with Bridgewhat, Paulo Morgado and Ana Paula Reis speak with Libby Dale and Mike Crooks, cofounders of SmartMeasures
Key takeaways:
- How to understand data from an engineering perspective
- Prediction is only the start of the process. Until you are actually retaining customers, you are not delivering
- Double down on delivering instead of promising
This podcast is a collaboration with Bridgewhat. Let's Scale!
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Ilhan Zengin, CEO at ShowHeroes Group.
Key takeaways: 1. How to leverage M&A to open and to scale aggressively in new markets 2 .From Showheroes CEO to Showeroes Group CEO 3 . How to adopt an investment banking lens to search new target businesses to be acquired
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Aaron Ross, Dad of 10 & GTM Advisor
Key takeaways: 1. How to increase your energy, maximize results and minimize effort 2. From Predictable Revenue to Adaptable Revenue 3. The hypergrowth ingredients of the book “From impossible to inevitable”, co-authored with Jason Lemkin 4. Why energy and trust are critical to succeed in today’s world 5. Emotional skills are the new hard skills
In this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Amir Kaplan, Co-Founder and CEO at Ifeel
Key takeaways 1. How to enable the best out of your team with an emotional wellbeing platform. 2. How to grow your Heads into VPs 3. How to build successful partnerships across different markets (Spain, France, LATAM)
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Larry Robertson, Author and Speaker.
Key takeaways: - How to overcome the "superhero syndrome" - How to thrive in uncertain times - "Leadership keeps moving, it's a collective task"
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Ilkka Huotelin, CEO at Be Customer Smart
Key takeaways: - Making the most of the existing data to take evidence-based decisions - Try to put your assumptions wrong and revisit them often - What matters to the customers in today’s new normal situation?
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Mason Harris, Author and Speaker.
Key takeaways: - The importance of learning how to handle objections - Uncovering need, pain and opportunity - Zigzagging to achieve your goals. How to persevere and find an alternative way.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, in collaboration with Bridgewhat, Paulo Morgado and Ana Paula Reis speak with John Brahim, Founder and CEO of Maistrering.
Key takeaways:
- Focusing on your existent customer as a way to scale
- The 5 powerful engines to construct a business journey: Insights, Creativity, Execution, Collaboration and Trust.
- How to help and define the strategic plan of a company: a case study
This podcast is a collaboration with Bridgewhat. Let's Scale!
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Rav Dhaliwal Investor at Crane Venture Partners
Key takeaways:
-The new model of continuous sales in a SaaS company as a sustainable way to scale - The importance of the right metrics: Focusing on net revenue retention to keep growing. - “You want to hire people that think that their job starts in the contract signature, not ends there” -Incentive alignment over structure alignment: make sure that all the employers need to work together
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks Camilla Andersson, Investor and Founder at Feddie Distillery
Key takeaways:
- Leading by example. Being a role model as a leader.
- A company funded and invested entirely by women. What can we learn?
- What challenges do women face while scaling up?
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Fernando Amaral, VP of Marketing at Landbot.
Key takeaways:
- Everyone knows that focus is really important until the moment you have to put it in practice
- What will define your culture is what you allow to happen
- Coming back to work in the office to strengthen team culture
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Arthur Nobel, Investor at Knight Capital
Key takeaways:
- How to deal with failure scaling up
- HR learnings from the investor point of view
- Do we need a Head of Scaling?
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Jorge Poyatos, Co-Founder and Co-CEO of Seedtag.
Key takeaways:
- Growing inorganically during wartime
- A combination between promoting the right people and hiring senior roles
- How to manage growth in different European markets
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with David Jackson, Interim CCO at DeepCrawl
Key takeaways: - Don't overcomplicate your product, focus on solving a core problem - Customer Success is not about customers, it’s about people - How do we design metrics that foster collaboration?
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Kristi Faltorusso, VP of Customer Success at Client Success
Key takeaways: - Focusing on the retention engine to serve the right customers - Grouping your customers according to potential and growth, not only by size or sales - Democratization of data: everyone needs to be able to access and understand the status of the company
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Deepa Bachu, Co-founder & CEO of Pensaar Design.
Key takeaways:
- The importance of truly understanding customers using Design Thinking
- Considering alternative ideas in the decision-making process
- Emotional metrics over vanity metrics
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Guenia Gawendo, Managing Director at Telefonica Ventures
Key Takeaways:
- What value do Venture Corporates add to the table?
- The advantage (and challenge) of finding the right people in the States
- Recurrent revenue as the main thing to consider while scaling up
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Henrik-Jan van der Pol, Co-founder & CEO at Perdoo.
Key Takeaways:
- The importance of having a conscious strategy
- Setting annual themes for the company
- How to cascade OKRs
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Ryan Foland, Speaker, Author & Ginger.
Key Takeaways:
- Relatability as a main strength as a leader
- How to articulate your value proposition with the 3-1-3 method
- Empower your employees: everyone solves a problem
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Mathias Thulin, Co-founder & Chief Strategy Officer at GetAccept.
Key Takeaways:
- Scaling up focusing on SMB Companies
- Sticking to the core values while hiring
- How to apply the engineering squad models to revenue teams
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Deepak Chadha, Managing Director at Wurth Electronics India
Key Takeaways:
- How to adapt your leadership skills to other countries and realities
- Taking care of your employees both personally and professionally
- Communication builds trust and commitment
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Megan Bowen, CCO of Refine Labs
Key Takeaways: - Focusing on current customers to scale - Validating that you are solving a meaningful problem. - Creating psychological safety as a leader
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Verne Harnish, CEO of Scaling Up & Founder of EO
Key Takeaways: - The riches are in the niches - Find the right people doing the right things right - The importance of having the perfect COO for your company
In this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Oscar Macia, CEO at ForceManager.
Key Takeaways: - Simplification as a key element to scaling up - Revenue as a consequence of doing the right things - The management of managers
In this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Alex Bisbe, the Co-founder and CEO of Whisbi.
Key Takeaways: - How to expand an enterprise revenue machine in the US - Being industry oriented instead of geographically oriented - Customer Retention Rate as the most important KPI
In this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Manfred Kets-de-Vries, Management Thinker & Author.
Key Takeaways: - The importance of trust and safety in an organization - Showing vulnerability as a leader - The dangers of toxic personalities within the leadership team
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Javier Darriba, Co-Founder & CEO of Bloobirds.
Key Takeaways: - Providing clarity to different areas of the company as the CEO. - Don’t get rid of the company culture while scaling up. - Keeping the equilibrium between innovation and focus.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Monica Comalrena, COO at ForceManager.
Key Takeaways: - Learning to rationalize emotional decisions. - Back to basis while scaling up - Replicating processes and rituals as a tool to scale
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Colin Cox, Founder at Cox consulting.
Key Takeaways: - Trying to do too much while scaling - Trust as a foundation to a high performing team - Rituals as an opportunity to bring sanity
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Rav Dhaliwal, Investor at Crane Venture Partners.
Key Takeaways: - Pushing builders over scalers -The concept of continuous sales -Change management: the main skill of a leader
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Javier Perea, CEO at Smartprotection
Key Takeaways: - The need to be a global leader in a very specific area. - The importance of personal connections - Rituals as a key tool to execute.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Jean Gomes, Founder & CEO at Outside.
Key Takeaways: - The defensiveness of big corporations when scaling up - Changing mindsets of the leadership team - The "knowing-doing gap"
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Agapito González, Chief Customer Officer at ForceManager.
Key Takeaways: - Trust as a glue to create a World Class Team - Rhythms as the engine of your company - The system as a revenue for scaling up
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with both of the founders of BridgeWhat, Paulo Morgado & Ana Paula Reis.
Key Takeaways: - The 20 levers of growth around the five stages of client engagement - The purpose of growth companies - The importance of client simplicity
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with João Lobato Oliveira, Co-Founder at LAPA.
Key Takeaways: - How to go from product to business - The crucial importance of the core team - From togetherness to agile methodologies
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Giuseppe Giordano, Co-founder & CEO at Enerbrain.
Key Takeaways: - Three strategies for expanding into new markets - How to team build like in soccer - Creating a psychologically safe environment for taking risks
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Toni Perez, Co-founder & Chief Revenue Officer at Bloobirds.
Key Takeaways: - Following your strategy as a structure - The importance of sales development - Leveraging alignment over perfection
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, War Time season, Mike Dias speaks with Sterling Snow, Senior Vice President of Revenue at Divvy | Inc.
Key Takeaways: - How to explore while exploiting - Using structure as a way to attract talent - Creating good rituals of revenue
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, War Time Edition, Mike Dias speaks with Amelia Townsend, Principal at Burda Principal Investments.
Key Takeaways: - Using the data engine as a tool of focus - The differences between scaling up in Europe and US - Using authenticity as the main culture characteristic
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Peter Peek, MD/Head of Sales Netherlands at IMI Hydronic Engineering.
Key Takeaways: - The 2 prerequisites of growth - The importance of sharing and collaboration - Decentralizing the decision-making process
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast War Edition, Mike Dias speaks with Ruth Poon, Country Manager Director of Australia at Wurth Electronics.
Key Takeaways: - How Australia and New Zealand reacted to the COVID-19 outbreak - Tools and strategies for getting through tough times - Using diversity to create culture and a world-class team
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Aviran Yaacov, CEO & Co-founder at EcoPlant.
Key Takeaways: - Focus on the product and then the market - Don't hesitate when it comes to growth - How to choose a good accelerator program
On this episode of the Breakthrough Engineering season, Mike Dias speaks with Jordi Altimira, a Partner with UpBizor & Lanzame Capital.
Key Takeaways: - How to evolve your culture without losing your DNA - Overcoming the challenge of saying no - Learning that there's no perfect company
On this episode of the Breakthrough Engineering season of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Zoltán Andrássy, CTO at HeatVentors.
Key Takeaways: - The founder is the best salesperson in the early stage of the product. - Discovering your company's rhythms during War Time. - Advice for other founders on creating a business with a significant other.
On this episode of the Breakthrough Engineering season of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Sebastian-Justus Schmidt, Chairman at Enapter.
Key Takeaways - How to be efficient in the green sector - Creating simplicity when it feels complicated, Ex. labor contracts - Building a software based company today
On the first episode of the Breakthrough Engineering episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Philip Clifton, Divisional Managing Director at IMI Hydronic Engineering.
Key Takeaways: - Radical focus on solving customers problems - Creating a culture of both innovation and failing - The importance of diversity in decision-making
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Natalie Zeranska, Head of Marketing Communications & Horizon Z at IMI.
Key Takeaways: - Keeping a balance between the present and the future during the pandemic. - Having a lot of conversations to avoid isolation. - How to scale up? A mix between acquisition and organic.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Richard Franzi, Partner of Renaissance Executive Forums.
Key Takeaways: - The power of peer groups. - Adding value during COVID-19. - Aligning remote workers and keeping the focus.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Gonzalo Tradacete the Managing Partner at Faraday Venture Partners.
Key Takeaways: - How to be a War Time CEO. - Minimizing expenditure during War Time. - Adding value equals survival.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with the Co-CEOs of Talentful.
Key Takeaways - Working as Double CEOs - How to redefine priorities during COVID - How to start building a business in the US
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Leo Bottary, the Founder & Managing Partner of Peernovation.
Key Takeaways: - The power of peer groups. - How to build a high performative team. - An increase of productivity during lockdown and how to cultivate that after.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Samuel Gil, Partner at JME Ventures.
Key Takeaways - Business is about helping everyone. - Being passionate about the problem you are solving. - The importance of vision while making decisions.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Hugo Macedo, VP of Community at Unbabel.
Key Takeaways: - The importance of trust in B2B business. - How to scale up replicating processes. - The need to look at other, future options while scaling.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Roland Siebelink, Chief ScaleUp Ally, Coach & Advisor.
Key Takeaways: - Practical advice about surviving the COVID crisis. - His theory of moving from exploring to exploiting. - How to help big founders.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Vikas Bhambri, SVP of Global Sales and Customer Experience at Kustomer.
Key Takeaways: - How the COVID crisis has redefined communication and leadership. - How to make decisions as a CEO. - How to deal with clients and make sales despite the crisis.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Alberto Martínez Sanguino, VP HR at Schneider Electric Iberia.
Key Takeaways: - How to keep delivering services during coronavirus. - How to get back to work and face the economic crisis. - How leadership can step up in times of crisis.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Luis E. Fernández, Co-founder & CEO at TINC CMMS.
Key Takeaways: - How the health sector is coping with COVID-19. - How to avoid distraction and focus on your goals. - Tips to improve productivity: The Time Box.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Joe Haslam, Executive Director at IE Business School.
Key Takeaways: - How to invest and scale in the Middle East. - How COVID is accelerating changes that were already in motion. - How to act as a coach in these times.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Rahul Kapai, Founder & Chief Agilist at KpiFinit.
Key Takeaways: - The importance of simplicity, one of the 12 agile principles. - The concept of being patiently aggressive. - Defining leadership from an agile perspective.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Annemie Ress, the Founder of PurpleBeach.
Key Takeaways: - How to change priorities in wartime - The importance of being authentic as a leader - Relationship between Scaleups and Corporates
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Yaekyum Lee, Head of Sales at SendBird.
Key Takeaways: How to define priorities with 3 areas that we need to work right now: - Adapting to change in demand - Prioritising existing customers and stakeholders - Product and go to market RD
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Richard Robinson, a seasoned advisor and investor in the Chinese market.
Key Takeaways: - The reaction within the Chinese market towards COVID - How Stoicism can help us during these times - Competition within the Chinese market
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Brad McGinity, Chief Revenue Officer at 15Five.
Key Takeaways - The Rules of Thumb for living through times like this: - Always tells the truth - Be as transparent as you can - Celebrate the wins
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Alex Gu, Director at PageGroup China.
Key Takeaways - In China, now the challenge is the consumer confidence and exports - since all of the world is in a similar situation. - There are always two sides to every adversity. It is important to put your lens in a commercial way and look for creative solutions to overcome it. - Traffic in China has gotten worse because people are more wary. They don’t want to take public transportation; they'd rather take a car.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Marc Ferré Hausmann, Managing Director of the Bayer Service Center Barcelona.
Key Takeaways - Priorities should be easy to understand and remember. - It's important to have a diverse leadership team with a variety of gender, nationalities and ages, able to adapt to wartime and peacetime. - COVID has accelerated how we meet and work - in the future offices will be mainly meeting rooms, where people could meet, discuss and move forward.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Viviana Silva, VP at ASPPA.
Key takeaways: - We need to be global but also pay attention to our communities. - Not everything is disrupted. - You never know who needs help so it’s very important to reach out.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with William Kilmer, Managing Partner at C5 Capital.
Key Takeaways - Culture is what drives engagement within the company. - Operational resiliency will be key through this crisis. - Focusing on the well-being of employees and the company, while providing support.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mary Menezes speaks with Sónia Brochado, the Founder & CEO of BTRUST.
Key Learnings - The first priority should be to give hope to the team. - Diversity helps to increase our skills. - Invest in knowledge in times of crisis.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Sean Bacon, President of Dynamic Shift.
Key Takeaways: - Simple means success. - There are no bad teams - only bad leaders. - This is the best time in the world to be courageous.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Nick Mehta, CEO of Gainsight.
Key Takeaways - Focusing on renewal and retention during the crisis - Listen to other CEOs and your customers to understand the challenges they're facing - When the situation changes, you have to change
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with David Hartmann, Senior VP of Growth Ventures at Covestro.
3 Key Takeaways: 1. Learning how to accept mistakes 2. The difference between vulnerability and panic 3. The drive towards circular economy and sustainability
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Philippe Gelis, CEO of Kantox, about dealing with War Times.
3 Key Takeaways: - Diversification has proved very useful during this crisis. - How NOT to panic as a leader. - Ways to start thinking about market rebound.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Jeffrey Towson, Keynote Speaker on Digital China & Asia Tech.
3 Key Takeaways: - Crisis spurs innovation - DiDi, ByteDance, Douyin are the next big companies in China - We need to keep an eye on new AI based digital companies
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mary Menezes speaks with Marta Carvalho Araújo, CEO of Castelbel, about the key ingredients for getting back to scale after war.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Pedro Mesquita, MD at Fujifilm, about how his team finds their synergy between good plans and flawless execution.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Marcelo Lu, President of BASF Canada, about what makes a good warrior for your company in both times of war and peace.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast: War Time Edition, Mike Dias speaks with Rob Sperring, Vice President of Würth Elektronik Group, about developing a War Time Strategy that the whole team can get behind.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Alexandre Santos, Investment Director at Sonae IM, about navigating through uncertainty.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias spoke with Yoann Artus, the Country Manager of Spain at PayFit, about how the team behind one of the fastest growing HR tools is managing the COVID-19 situation.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast: War Edition, Mike Dias speaks with Leanne Kemp, CEO of Everledger, about their 5 year anniversary of creating digital transparency technology for diamonds - which will be celebrated digitally during this time of COVID-19.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley Podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Sanjoe Tom Joes, the CEO of Talview, to discuss scaling up this AI powered interview and online assessment tool.
On this episode of the podcast, Mike Dias speaks with James Barrett, Regional Director at Michael Page about scaling this human resource consulting group.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Anne de Kerckhove, the CEO of Freespee, about scaling up this customer sales acceleration platform.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Caroline Noublanche, CEO of Apricity - the next generation fertility clinic.
Mike Dias speaks with the Co-CEO of Holded, Javier Fondevila, about scaling their administration software on this most recent episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast.
Mike Dias speaks with Telmo Fernandes, formerly Natixis Portugal and current Country Head at Emergn, to discuss corporate scale on this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, we speak with Alison Murdock, former CMO of Social Chorus and current Founder of Trusted CMO.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Daniel Watkins, VP of Sales at Qualtrics, to discuss scaling the sales of this experience management company.
On this episode of Scaleup Valley, Mike Dias speaks with Shane Metcalf, CO-Founder & Chief Culture Officer of 15Five, about his experience scaling up this performance management software.
On this episode of Scaleup Valley, Mike Dias speaks with Ryan Bonnici, CMO of G2 to discuss his journey scaling this review platform.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias gets the investor's perspective of scaling up with Nader Sabbaghian, General Partner with 360 Capital Partners.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Sangram Vajre about his journey scaling up the ABM platform, Terminus.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Justin Welsh about his SaaS scaleup coaching.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Philippe Gelis, CEO & Co-Founder of Kantox.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Adrian Blair, CEO of Receipt Bank, about his process scaling up this auto bookkeeping platform.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Paul Hadjy, CEO and Co-Founder at Horangi.
Ep. 80 - Welcome to Scale up Valley podcast! Today, Mike Dias will have the opportunity to speak with Jiten Vaidya, Co-Founder & CEO at PlanetScale
Ep. 82 - Welcome to Scale up Valley podcast! Today, Mike Dias will have the opportunity to speak with Matthijs Welle, CEO at Mews Systems Hospitality Technology
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Stephan Morais, Managing General Partner with Indico Capital Partners.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Olav Ostin, Managing Director at Tempocap, to gain the investor perspective of scaling up.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Don Stalter, Parter of Global Founders Capital, about the investor perspective of scaling up.
Mike Dias speaks with Brad McGinity, the Chief Revenue Officer at 15Five, to learn his scaling up process with this continuous performance management software.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Luis Martin Cabiedes, Partner with Cabiedes & Partners, about the investor perspective of scaling up.
On the 100th episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, our CEO - Mike Dias - speaks with Anne Boden, the CEO of Starling Bank, about her journey scaling up this mobile-only challenger bank.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, our CEO, Mike Dias, sits down with the Head of Marketing at Signaturit, Conrado Lamas, to discuss their journey scaling marketing.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, our CEO, Mike Dias, speaks with Allison Pickens, the COO of Gainsight, about her journey scaling up this customer success platform.
On this episode of the Scaleup Valley podcast, our CEO, Mike Dias, speaks with the Paul Powers, about this journey scaling up Physna - the Google of 3D Models.
This week on the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with Hanno Renner, the CEO & Co-Founder of Personio about his journey scaling up this HR management tool.
This week on the Scaleup Valley podcast, Mike Dias speaks with the team that created Limitless about their journey scaling up.
This week on the ScaleUp Valley podcast, we discuss scaling up Fintech with the Founder of Bond.
Ep. 90 Scaling Up Product With Box Featuring Jeetu Patel, Chief Product Officer At Box by Scaleup Valley Podcast
Ep. 89 - Today, our podcast is about ScalingUp Product with Mike Dias, Co-founder & CEO at Scaleup Valley, Max Eskell, Head Of Product at Monese and Ross McNairn, CPO at TravelPerk.
Today, CEO of ScaleUp Valley, Mike Dias, speaks with Zohar Dayan about scaling up Wibbitz.
Ep. 87 - Welcome to the ScaleUp Valley podcast! Today, Mike Dias will have the opportunity to speak with Anna Gong, CEO at Perx Technologies.
Ep. 86 Interview with Miguel Arias, Global Entrepreneurship Director at Telefónica by Scaleup Valley Podcast
Ep. 84 - Interview with Vikas Bhambri, SVP Global Sales & Customer Experience at Kustomer. by Scaleup Valley Podcast
Ep. 83 - Interview with Chris Wade, Partner at Isomer Capital by Scaleup Valley Podcast
Welcome to Scale up Valley podcast! Today, we bring you a new episode in our interview series. Mike Dias will have the opportunity to speak with Greg Meehan, Head of Sales at Supahands (Kuala Lumpur).
Welcome to Scale up Valley podcast! Today, we bring you a new episode in our CEO interview series. Mike Dias will have the opportunity to speak with Deidre Paknad, CEO & Co-Founder at Workboard.
Welcome to Scale up Valley podcast! Today, we bring you a new episode in our CEO interview series. Mike Dias will have the opportunity to speak with Christine Heckart, CEO at Scalyr.
Today, we bring you a new episode in our investor series. Mike Dias will have the opportunity to speak with Olaf Jacobi, Managing Partner at Capnamic Ventures.
Welcome to Scaleup Valley podcast! Today we are learning from the experience of Imran Akram as General Partner at AXA Venture Partners.
Welcome to Scaleup Valley podcast! Today we are learning from the experience of Imran Akram as General Partner at AXA Venture Partners.
Welcome to Scale up Valley podcast! We are live with Gonzalo Tradacete from Faraday Venture Partners.
Welcome to Scaleup Valley podcast! Your #1 source about scaling up! Today you will get actionable insights and lessons learned about scaling up with our CEO, Mike Dias, and Igor Volzhanin, CEO at Data Sine.
Welcome to Scaleup Valley podcast! Your #1 source about scaling up! Today you will get actionable insights and lessons learned about scaling product from Max Eskell, Head of Product at Monese (London, UK), Florian Fournier, Co-founder & CPO at #Payfit (Paris, France) and Tarun Bhatti, VP Product Marketing at AppNexus (NYC, NY).
Welcome to Scale up Valley Podcast. On today's episode, Mike Dias has the privilege to interview Jessica Klek, VP Enterprise Sales at SalesLoft.
This is a very special show with 2 unicorn leaders scaling in the US with roots/offices in Europe. - Host: Pedro Torres, Engineering Director at Talkdesk (Porto / SF) - Guest: Stijn Christiaens, Co-founder & CTO at Collibra (Brussels / NYC)
Today a promising Scaling Marketing episode with experts from Agora.io, Terminus and Paddle. - Host: Ryan Foland (Los Angeles, CA) - Moderator: Dave Dabbah, VP of Marketing at Agora.io (San Francisco, CA) - Panelist: Torrey Dye, Director of ABM and Demand Gen (Atlanta, GA) - Panelist: Octave Auger, VP of Marketing at Paddle (London)
Do you want to know how to deliver a world class talent experience? Listen to this podcast with an awesome panel: - Ryan Foland [Host] - Miguel Dias, CEO at ScaleUp Valley - Shauna Geraghty, Vice President of Global Talent at Talkdesk - Rodica Belocosov, Director of Talent Acquisition at MoneyLion
Ep. 44 ScaleUp Heroes #Topic: Scaling Engineering - Career Ladder by Scaleup Valley Podcast
Ep. 38 ScaleUp Heroes Podcast | CEO Panel: How To Build A Great Leadership Team (320 Kbps) by Scaleup Valley Podcast
Ep. 26 Of ScaleUp Heroes #Topic Scaling Engineering (320 Kbps) by Scaleup Valley Podcast
Ep. 35 ScaleUp Heroes #Topic Scaling Up A Sales Team (320 Kbps) by Scaleup Valley Podcast
Ep. 30 ScaleUp Heroes #Topic Scaling Up - Investor Panel (320 Kbps) by Scaleup Valley Podcast
Ep. 18 Of ScaleUp Heroes #Topic Scaling Engineering (320 Kbps) by Scaleup Valley Podcast
Ep. 20 Of ScaleUp Heroes #Topic Scaling Operations (320 Kbps) by Scaleup Valley Podcast
Ep.10 Of ScaleUp Heroes #Topic Scaling Engineering (320 Kbps) by Scaleup Valley Podcast
Ep.3 Of ScaleUp Heroes #Topic Scaling Engineering Teams (320 Kbps) by Scaleup Valley Podcast
ScaleUp Heroes is the podcast of ScaleUp Academy that helps you scaling by learning with references from the best scaleups worldwide!
ScaleUp Heroes is the podcast of ScaleUp Academy that helps you scaling by learning with references from the best scaleups worldwide!