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In this conversation, Kyriakos discusses with Vadim - CEO of Bioniq on his journey from being a professional athlete to leading the personalised health supplement company.Vadim shares insights on fundraising challenges, the significance of early adopters, and the impact of celebrity endorsements, particularly https://twitter.com/Cristiano Ronaldo's involvement with Bionic. He also explores the future of personalized supplements and the need to address the broken food system that necessitates supplementation.Chapters00:00 Introduction01:58 Vadim's Personal Journey from Athlete to CEO08:50 Lessons from a Billion Dollar Company13:05 The Search that led to Founding Bioniq23:44 Shifting from Blood Tests to Questionnaires30:17 Integrating Wearables for Data-Driven Insights32:00 How Does it Work32:58 Making It Scale37:26 Navigating Fundraising for Complex Businesses41:42 Make or Break: First 1000 Users43:23 Cristiano Ronaldo Used Bioniq for Years49:10 Vadim's Take on the Future of Supplements50:43 Future Plans of Bioniq52:07 Addressing the Broken Food System

"The best companies are bought, not sold." In the latest podcast, Kyriakos is joined by @RealAnttoni, CEO of @veristable, the company that helps users discover better metabolic health, who just completed an acquisition with @ouraring. 03:55 How Veri Started11:00 The first Growth Hack12:10 The First Launch15:45 Evolution of the Product22:07 Meal Scores Using LLMs26:30 From the First Users to Fifty Thousand Users34:00 Initial discussions with Oura for an acquisition37:55 How to think about an acquisition44:00 Tactical acquisition advice for founders49:05 Take on The Future of Health Tech53:37 What To Expect From the Future Products of Oura55:21 Looking Back 100 Years From the Future

Amber Taylor is the Chief Digital Product Officer at Les Mills. In a discussion with Kyriakos , Amber discusses about her journey with Amazon, Nike, and joining Les Mills, the company behind the fitness classes offered in over 20,000 clubs across more than 100 countries.Chapters00:00 Introduction and Background03:18 Training for Marathons and Mental Resilience06:50 The Customer-Centric Approach at Les Mills24:46 Moving Abroad for Career Opportunities26:15 Navigating Cultural Differences and Joining a New Company28:14 First things to do when joining as an executive30:30 Understanding Company Culture and Ways of Working39:08 Consistency in Fitness Programs and Personalization49:53 The Role of VR and XR in the Fitness Industry56:23 Creating Safe and Effective Fitness Content in VR58:30 Les Mills' Roadmap: Helping Clubs Excel and Improving Digital Experiences01:01:17 The Future of FitnessOther episodes from TerraMore details on les mills

Kyriakos is discussing with Sean Harrington , VP of Teamworks, and founder of Notemeal. Sean Harrington shares his journey from working with the New England Patriots to starting his own company, which was eventually acquired by Teamworks. He discusses the importance of technology in sports, particularly in areas like nutrition and performance tracking. The conversation also highlights the challenges of selling to different personas in the sports industry and the role of economic buyers in the purchasing process. He also discusses the evolution of the company's products and their impact on the sports industry. He shares how Teamworks provides an operating system for sports, allowing athletes and teams to access all the necessary tools and information in one place. Harrington also highlights Teamworks' expansion into the military space and the challenges of selling to the government. He emphasizes the importance of data in optimizing performance and the need for a global policy on wearable technology in the military. Harrington concludes by discussing the future of human performance and the need for a shift toward preventative medicine.Chapters:00:00 Intro04:30 Joining the New England Patriots05:40 Technologies Patriots are using10:20 Starting Notemeal13:50 Focusing on sports dietitians instead of athletes14:25 The first customers21:45 The product journey25:25 The acquisition process35:45 The product discovery at Teamworks42:50 Learnings from the go to market, and data 47:06 Improvements in the military sales processOther episodes from Terra

In our latest podcast Kyriakos is joined by Mike Nemke co-founder of Function Health.He discusses his background as a Green Beret and the leadership lessons he learned. He emphasizes the importance of building teams and trusting others to maximize outcomes. He also shares the founding story of Function Health, including how he met his co-founders and their mission to empower individuals to own their health. The customer experience involves answering a medical questionnaire, scheduling lab visits, and receiving test results. Function Health provides comprehensive lab testing and analysis to help individuals understand their bodies' systems and biomarkers. It offers an application that shows foods to eat and avoid based on the test results. The company aims to empower individuals to take control of their health by providing them with information and insights. The healthcare industry has slowly adopted this approach, but digital health has enabled remote testing and analysis. Function Health has an extensive waitlist and has seen rapid growth due to its strong business fundamentals and execution. They plan to expand their team and improve their product and marketing efforts.Chapters00:00 Intro02:10 Leadership Lessons and Building Teams13:58 The Founding Story of Function Health17:32 The Customer Experience18:03 Comprehensive Lab Testing and Analysis19:11 The Importance of Information Over Time19:41 The Role of Digital Health20:14 Challenges in the Healthcare Industry22:07 Identifying Cancer and Other Concerns23:40 Empowering Individuals with Information24:43 Function Health's Approach25:32 Understanding the Customer Base26:04 Partnership with Equinox26:52 The Impact of Co-founder Dr. Mark Hyman29:58 Function Health in the next five years31:26 Utilizing data from wearables and sensors34:40 The Future of AI in Health35:47 The Value and Limitations of Supplements38:13 Building an Outstanding Business43:08 Expanding the Team and Improving Marketing

In this podcast, we are joined by John Anthony, who led the teams at Swim.com, WHOOP, Google Health and others. He created and led technologies such as AI-based swim trackers, WHOOP's Live Heart Rate functionality, Google's Health connect, and many others. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 04:19 The AI wearable for swimmers 10:22 Joining Whoop and the Importance of Product Focus 25:42 Enhancing Spectator Engagement with Live Heart Rate Monitoring 29:23 The Potential of Real-Time Performance Metrics in High-Intensity Sports 38:05 The Evolution of Wear OS: Collaborations and Power Optimization 44:00 Sensor Fusion: The Future of Wearables 56:52 Shaping the Next 100 Years of Wearables

In this conversation, Kyriakos Eleftheriou is joined by Lucia Huang , CEO of Osmind. They discuss the founding story, the problem in mental health, fundraising, and many more. Chapters 00:00 Intro 03:03 Founding Story 11:31 User Feedback 21:19 The Y Combinator Experience 23:14 Go-to-Market Strategy 23:50 Tracking Patient Outcomes and Interim Feedback 25:02 Building a Full Electronic Health Record System 29:20 Fundraising and Choosing Investors 31:36 Selecting Good Investors and the Importance of Operator Background 33:41 Creating Scarcity Mindset in Fundraising 35:56 Hiring for Values and Building Company Culture 41:30 Scaling the Team and Transitioning to a Management Role 44:06 Exploring the Potential of Psychedelic Medicine 48:06 Looking backwards from 100 years in the future

Doug Sweeny is the Chief Marketing Officer at ŌURA Health, home of the Oura Ring. He oversees the company's marketing, growth, and brand. In the latest discussion with Kyriakos, they discussed about marketing, brand, and his journey with ŌURA. Doug has led iconic brands like One Medical, Nest, Levi's, Adidas, and General Motors EV1. 0:00 - Introduction 1:57 - Discussion on Doug's career journey and the companies he has worked with. 3:29 - The mission with Nest Labs 4:47 - Shift to healthcare and joining One Medical. 6:03 - Transition to Oura, and why Doug joined 6:48 - Criteria for choosing companies 9:18 - How marketing changes through different stages 11:27 - Initial steps when joining a company as a leader. 13:03 - Deep dive into Oura's mission and branding. 15:39 - Product positioning 19:27 - Partnerships and market expansion 24:42 - Membership strategies and the launch of new features 26:53 - The impact of Oura in the tech community 29:28 - Strategies to enhance word-of-mouth recommendations 31:49 - Women's health 34:28 - Global marketing strategies and adjusting to different markets 36:40 - Expansion through API and partnership integrations 38:24 - How to deal with competitors 41:03 - Leadership and team building 43:53 - Identifying candidate passion and alignment with company mission 45:34 - Personal leadership style and team interaction 47:35 - Future of healthcare and consumer-driven health management More about Oura ► https://ouraring.com/ More about Doug ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/dougsweeny/ More about Terra ► http://tryterra.co More Podcasts ►https://tryterra.co/podcast Twitter ► https://x.com/terraapi More about Kyriakos Eleftheriou ► https://x.com/kyriakosel

In this conversation, Kyriakos is discussing with Eswar, the Chief Technology Officer for Equinox. They discuss Eswar's journey at Equinox and the company's technology and user experience evolution. They also delve into the role of data in enhancing the athlete experience and personalizing workouts. The conversation covers various topics related to fitness coaching, data tracking, nutrition, sleep, technology, company culture, collaboration, scaling teams, and future focus. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 07:19 - Early technology team and growth 09:39 - Core principles: member acquisition, retention, and revenue 14:41 - Personalized class suggestions and streamlined check-in 16:55 - App integration with club's Wi-Fi 20:51 - Custom content on cardio equipment 22:54 - Data-driven product development 26:58 - Coaching product for strength training 29:01 - Data for fitness progress tracking 33:05 - Live data for real-time coaching 35:14 - Role of technology in coaching 39:27 - Leadership 45:29 - Team Culture 47:34 - Building balanced and diverse teams 51:45 - Future focus on aging, mental health, and nutrition

In the latest episode with Kyriakos, we explore InstaLab with Adora Cheung, who transitioned from personal health struggles to creating a pioneering preventative healthcare company. Adora discusses how InstaLab is altering the landscape of health diagnostics by making advanced testing more accessible and understandable for everyone. She emphasizes the importance of proactive health management and how InstaLab's services can empower individuals to take control of their health before issues arise. The conversation also touches on the challenges within the healthcare system that inspired the foundation of InstaLab and the future directions of health technology.  Chapters 00:00 Launching Instalab 04:05 Challenges with Traditional Healthcare 09:17 Focus on Cardio Panel 11:05 Biomarkers for Heart Disease 12:47 Recommendations and Legal Considerations 16:22 Longevity and De-risking Chronic Conditions 19:40 Blood Extraction Methods 23:22 Word of Mouth and Organic Growth 25:08 Focus on Founders' Health 26:36 Fundraising and Building a Forever Business 27:24 Building a Sustainable Business Model 29:13 Lessons from Y Combinator 31:23 The Importance of User Feedback 33:07 Characteristics of Successful Founders 34:55 The Role of Quick Decision-Making 35:12 Future Plans for Instalab 37:32 The Potential of Real-Time Data Sensors 39:20 Exciting Technologies in Healthcare 43:55 Changing the Healthcare Landscape 44:01 Company Culture and Hiring 46:01 Hiring for Roles You Don't Understand 47:12 Finding the Right People for Your Team 50:18 The Flaws of the Insurance System 51:33 Questioning Current Healthcare Practices More about Instalab ► https://www.instalab.com/ More about Adora ► https://twitter.com/nolimits More about Terra  ► http://tryterra.co More Podcasts  ►https://blog.tryterra.co/podcast/home Twitter  ► / terraapi  LinkedIn  ► / terraapi

In this episode with Kyriakos from Terra, the CEO of the OK Capsule, Dr. Andrew Brandeis shares his journey from naturopathic doctor to founder of a company revolutionizing personalized supplements.  Dr. Andrew's transition from healthcare practitioner to tech entrepreneur highlights the potential of technology to tailor health solutions. His vision for the future of supplements and commitment to innovation offers valuable insights into the evolving landscape of health and wellness. 0:00 Intro 1:32 OK Capsule's mission 9:48 Early challenges and breakthroughs 11:18 Lessons in entrepreneurship 13:00 Evolving customer profiles 17:22 Personalizing health solutions 23:10 Impacts on health and wellness 27:30 Quality assurance in supplements 33:46 Future health technologies 36:00 Company culture 44:23 The future of supplements 47:36 Looking backwards from 100 years later More about OK Capsule ► https://www.okcapsule.com/ More about Dr. Andrew ► https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-brandeis/ More about Terra  ► http://tryterra.co More Podcasts  ►https://tryterra.co/podcast Twitter  ► / terraapi   LinkedIn  ► / terraapi

Dave Wright, the founder of MyZone, discusses with Kyriakos the journey of creating MyZone and the challenges of manufacturing wearable technology. He shares insights on finding the right manufacturer in China and the importance of building strong relationships. Dave also explains the unique B2B approach of MyZone, connecting consumers with fitness facilities. He highlights the impact of MyZone on workouts and the future of the industry being in insights. Lastly, he provides advice for entrepreneurs attending trade shows and emphasizes the importance of having a strong presence. The conversation with Dave Wright from Myzone covers topics such as actionable insights from data, company culture at Myzone, testing for adversity in interviews, and the future of wearable devices. Takeaways Myzone focuses on providing actionable insights from data to help users stay motivated and achieve their fitness goals. Company culture at Myzone emphasizes hard work, avoiding negativity, and having fun. Testing for adversity in interviews can help identify candidates who can handle challenges and setbacks. The future of wearable devices may involve continuous biomarkers, smaller form factors, and devices that are fit for specific purposes. Chapters 00:00 Introduction and Background 01:36 Creating MyZone and Solving Industry Problems 05:10 Expanding into Hardware and Manufacturing Challenges 08:57 Choosing Hardware and Controlling the User Experience 09:17 Finding the Right Manufacturer in China 11:14 Lessons Learned from Manufacturing 16:25 The Importance of Manufacturing Relationships 19:59 Advice for Finding a Manufacturer in China 20:23 Insights on Manufacturing in China 24:02 Dealing with Recalls and Learning from Mistakes 27:43 Telemetry and Displaying Live Data 33:46 B2B Approach and Connecting with Facilities 36:40 Impact of MyZone on Workouts 41:32 Approaching Trade Shows and B2B Sales 53:35 Actionable Insights from Data 01:01:02 Company Culture at Myzone 01:06:16 Testing for Adversity in Interviews 01:08:11 The Future of Wearable Devices More about ⁠MYZONE -- More about ⁠Terra⁠  More ⁠Podcasts⁠

Melanie Strong shares her journey at Nike and the inception of NEXT VENTŪRES. Starting at Nike in 2002, Melanie's role evolved from managing non-e-commerce websites to spearheading Nike's digital products, including the Nike Run Club app. She recounts Nike's strategic shift in soccer, initially dominated by Adidas, and how Nike disrupted the market by scouting and nurturing untapped talent, like Cristiano Ronaldo, and making strategic acquisitions like Umbro. Her experiences showcase Nike's commitment to innovation, consumer-focused approach, and the importance of cultural relevance in different markets. Melanie also delves into Nike's forays into wearable technology, like the Fuel Band, highlighting the blend of technology and marketing strategy. Finally, she discusses transitioning to venture capital with NEXT Ventures, focusing on whole-person health and the lessons from Nike that influence her investment approach. Next Ventures ► https://nextventures.com Twitter ► https://twitter.com/girlstrong -- TERRA ► http://tryterra.co More Podcasts ► https://tryterra.co/podcast Twitter ► https://twitter.com/terraapi , https://twitter.com/@kyriakosel -- 0:00 Intro 0:14 - Melanie's early role and Nike's initial digital forays 1:17 - Overview of Nike's evolution 2:52 - Initial major projects 4:06 - Nike Run Club and digital innovation 5:13 - 2010 World Cup 7:22 - Beginnings in Football 10:10 - Talent scouting methods 13:02 - Product innovation and athlete focus 16:00 - Melanie's personal involvement in talent scouting 19:08 - Development and challenges of Nike's wearable technology 22:00 - Marketing strategies for Nike's new product launches 26:10 - Building authentic influencer relationships for product launches 31:20 - The consumer-focused approach and innovation culture at Nike 37:15 - NEXT VENTŪRES and working with Lance Armstrong 47:23 - Investment approach and future trends in health and wellness

In this interview, Ulrich Schoberer, the founder of the cycling power meter, delves into his journey from a medical engineering student and cyclist to an innovator revolutionizing cycling training. He shares the inspiration behind creating the power meter, addressing the gap in cycling performance metrics. Schoberer details the technical challenges he faced in the 1980s, from conceptualizing to manufacturing and data transmission. The power meter's adoption in professional cycling, its initial use by German cyclists, and its global spread are highlighted. Schoberer also discusses the evolution of the power meter, including improvements in data transmission, storage, and features like Bluetooth connectivity. He reflects on the impact of his invention on training different types of cyclists and the broader changes in cycling technology and competition. Website ► https://www.srm.de -- TERRA ► http://tryterra.co More Podcasts ► https://tryterra.co/podcast Twitter ► https://twitter.com/terraapi https://twitter.com/kyriakosel LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/terraapi/ 0:00 - Intro 1:05 - Inception and development of the cycling power meter. 3:00 - Technical challenges in creating the power meter. 6:03 - Data transmission and initial prototypes. 7:00 - Adoption by professional cyclists and national teams. 10:00 - Use of the power meter in space research. 11:25 - Business aspects and manufacturing of the power meter. 14:24 - Evolution of bike computers and their impact on training. 17:00 - Analysis of cycling data for different types of cyclists. 21:40 - Expansion and manufacturing of the power meters. 28:54 - Interaction with professional cyclists like Lance Armstrong. 32:19 - Improvements and diversification of the power meter over the years. 38:04 - Predictions for the future of cycling and technology integration.

In this podcast, we connected with Gil Blander, founder of InsideTracker, a longevity company that creates evidence-based solutions that are simple, clear, and actionable. Gil explains his personal motivations for working with longevity and how he witnessed a close family member facing mortality at a young age. He discusses his journey of studying biology that led him to earn his PhD from the Weizmann Institute of Science and work at one of the most renowned aging labs in the world, the Leonard Guarente Lab, at MIT. Moreover, Gil shares his extensive scientific knowledge of how blood biomarkers and genetics affect longevity and explains how he built his own biological clock calculator called 'inner age'. Lastly, the discussion centers around how InsideTracker is using data from wearable devices, his thoughts on TRT and hormone therapy, and shares the future plans for InsideTracker. Website ► https://www.insidetracker.com/ LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/insidetracker/ Twitter ► @InsideTracker -- TERRA ► http://tryterra.co More Podcasts ► https://tryterra.co/podcast Twitter ► https://twitter.com/terraapi , http://twitter.com/@kyriakosel LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/terraapi -- 00:00 - Intro 00:53 - Pre-history of InsideTracker 09:43 - First product released by InsideTracker 12:05 - Initial customers and working with the Boston Red Sox 13:51 - Product-market-fit realization 16:55 - Working with Dr. Huberman early on 17:40 - Using podcasts as a medium to demystify longevity 19:20 - How to best educate people about longevity 22:49 - Understanding glucose and CGM devices 26:08 - How InsideTracker is using data points from wearables 30:35 - The customization aspect of InsideTracker's products 33:19 - Genetics and health span vs life span 38:51 - TRT and hormone Therapy 40:57 - Biological age calculator - inner age 44:58 - The future of InsideTracker

In this podcast, we connected with George Hadjigeorgiou, co-founder of Zoe, a health science company that is committed to helping people live to their fullest. George highlights how they started with the science first at Zoe and why thinking from first principles led them to conduct their own research studies instead of relying on existing knowledge about nutrition. Their unconventional approach included going to hospitals before going to market and building the largest-ever community-based science project during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, George talks about how they're using data from wearable devices such as CGMs to better understand how foods impact people's health and how their team is continuously working on adding better insights and advice for people from these data points. Lastly, George shares unique insights into how they're treating their culture as a product at Zoe and how founders can test for cultural fit traits during interviews. More about ZOE X.com -- More about TERRA More Podcasts X.com -- 00:00 - Intro 00:30 - Pre-history of Zoe and George's background 08:35 - Finding his co-founder 09:31 - Build the science first 14:29 - The clinical research studies behind Zoe 18:55 - First principles approach - not relying on past knowledge 21:06 - Deciding on the initial product 24:15 - How people learned about Zoe and COVID's role in the early growth 30:33 - How Zoe is using data from wearable devices 33:25 - Fundraising strategies 37:17 - Building the team and culture at Zoe 40:57 - How to test for cultural-fit during interviews 47:14 - Favorite books and how they've shaped George 48:43 - Startup ecosystem in Greece

In this podcast, we connected with former Navy SEAL Phil McCullough, founder and managing director of O2X Human Performance, a Boston-based organization providing comprehensive science-backed programs to elite sports teams, federal agencies, and the military. Paul talks about his motivations for joining the military at a young age and the strong culture and tough leaderships lessons he learned as a Navy SEAL. He highlights how things such as a the 'buddy-system' and the no-man-left-behind mentality is still deeply engraved in his values as a leader. Furthermore, Paul speaks about founding O2X and supporting a wide range of organizations such as Harvard varsity hockey team, Boston Fire Department, and US federal agencies. The former Navy SEAL asserts that he did not want to build a brick-and-mortar business, because he knew that their clients were not and he wanted to mould to their needs. Lastly, Paul shares his thoughts on how O2X has partnered with various data-driven organizations, such as Terra, to get a large set of datapoints from people's vitals and biomarkers through wearable devices. Website ► https://www.o2x.com/ LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/o2x/ Twitter ► @o2xhp -- TERRA ► http://tryterra.co More Podcasts ► https://tryterra.co/podcast Twitter ► https://twitter.com/terraapi LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/terraapi -- 00:00 - Intro 00:26 - Paul's background before O2X 02:55 - Motivation for joining the military as a Navy SEAL 05:15 - Mental toughness of enlisting at a young age 10:43 - Leadership lessons from his time as a Navy SEAL 13:25 - Importance of team over individuals and the 'buddy system' 15:45 - Building a human performance company - O2X 26:32 - Methodology of O2X 33:42 - How O2X is using data to enhance human performance 40:12 - The culture and personalities at O2X 44:36 - The future of O2X

In this podcast, we spoke with the CEO and founder of Supersapiens, the company that is on a mission to use real-time glucose insights to shape the future of human performance.  Phil discusses his personal motivations for starting Supersapiens as a Type1 diabetic and his love for entrepreneurship. He also gave us exclusive insights into the company's long-time partnership with Abbott and how the American medical company has built a unique real-time streaming sensor for its use case.  Moreover, Phil talks about the power of referrals and how this led him to work with powerful sports organizations such as the Atlanta Falcons (NFL), the New York Yankees (MLB), team Ineos Grenadiers (Tour de France), and the San Antonio Spurs (NBA).  Lastly, the conversation centers around the future of wearable sensors and continuous glucose monitors.  Supersapiens ► LinkedIn ► Twitter ► @supersapiensinc -- TERRA ► More Podcasts ► Twitter ► LinkedIn ► -- 00:00 - Intro 01:09 - What is Supersapiens  07:07 - The evolution of continuous glucose monitors (CGMs) 14:31 - Phil's personal motivation to starting Supersapiens 19:53 - The first athletes adopting the product - elite cycling teams 22:30 - Partnership with Abbott and real-time streaming sensor 23:33 - The first product they built - MVP 26:17 - Working closely with elite athletes and metabolic response to stress 33:25 - Phil's approach to fundraising and investors - the power of referrals 44:15 - Advice for pitching to investors - insights from Eric Min and Chip Hawkins 49:38 - The future of sensors and partnership with Terra

In this podcast, Kyriakos discussed with the CEO and founder of Sword Health, one of the fastest growing companies in healthcare, with a $2b valuation. Virgilio gave us exclusive insights into the company's incredible track record of raising funds from some of the most powerful venture capital firms such as Khosla Ventures, Founders Fund, and General Catalyst.  He also discusses why he believe attracting the best talent is more important for a startup than anything else, and the importance of thinking from first principles as an outsider in the healthcare industry.  Website ► https://swordhealth.com/ LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/swor... Twitter ► @SwordHealth -- TERRA ► http://tryterra.co More Podcasts ► https://tryterra.co/podcast Twitter ► https://twitter.com/terraapi LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/terr... -- 00:48 - Intro 03:51 - Raising the initial funds  05:13 - How their products changed over the years 07:53 - Introduction to Khosla Ventures 10:03 - The first product that went to the market 13:53 - The moment they found a product-market fit  15:03 - Series A journey - cold emailing Vinod Khosla 21:03 - What he wrote in his cold email to Khosla Ventures 22:02 - First hire in the US - Chief Talent Officer 24:12 - The power of VCs and how they feed you talent 26:01 - Philosophy on hiring 30:20 - How to find the unique candidates in an interview 33:26 - Training people to become managers 34:44 - Going from $2M to $100M 40:08 - Listening to your users and customers 45:17 - Thinking from first principles and being an outsider 47:39 - Key learnings from the best investors in the world 50:39 - What we should expect from Sword in the future

In this podcast, we had an in-depth conversation with Niko Bonatsos from General Catalyst. Niko shared his story from his upbringing in Greece and his long academic journey that spans across the University of Cambridge, Harvard Medical School, and Stanford University. He talks about the power of connectivity in Silicon Valley that led him to join General Catalyst and what it was like cold-emailing Elon Musk and seeing Steve Jobs walking his dog across the neighborhood in Silicon Valley. The conversation also dives into the similarities and discrepancies between venture funding and the startup environment in Silicon Valley, US, and Cambridge, UK. Lastly, Niko gave us exclusive insights into what he looks for in founders he invests in and the main pitfalls he sees in young entrepreneurs. GC Website ► https://www.generalcatalyst.com/ Niko's Twitter ► @bonatsos -- TERRA ► http://tryterra.co More Podcasts ► https://tryterra.co/podcast Twitter ► https://twitter.com/terraapi LinkedIn ► https://www.linkedin.com/company/terraapi 00:00 Intro 00:45 - Pre-history to General Catalyst 02:08 - What brought Niko to Stanford University 05:34 - Introduction to General Catalyst 11:30 - The evolution of GC and Niko's investment philosophy 17:08 - What Niko is looking for in great founders 18:09 - Why Niko invested in Terra 24:37 - Common mistakes from early-stage founders 34:40 - Thoughts on European Ecosystem 43:20 - The best and worst ways for founders to approach Niko