Heresy

Ali Mitchell has backed more than half a dozen unicorns — but his story starts with failure.Before co-founding Huddle and later leading EQT Ventures, one of Europe’s most successful VC funds, Ali was a founder who learned firsthand how hard it is to build and scale. In this episode, we unpack what those early failures taught him about resilience, product-market fit, and what separates great founders from good ones.We also dive into:Why Europe still struggles to produce $10B startupsWhat the best founders get right about distribution and go-to-marketHow to raise VC capital the right way (and what most get wrong)Why Ali still believes in founder intuition — even in the age of AIA conversation about hard lessons, second acts, and the patterns behind six unicorns.🎙️ Heresy is a podcast about people who defy conventional wisdom — founders, investors, and thinkers reshaping how technology gets built and scaled.👇 Timestamps & Resources below 👇00:00 – Trailer01:01 – Ali’s Early Journey and Entrepreneurial Roots05:32 – Building and Scaling Huddle14:27 – Go-to-Market Lessons and Missteps22:18 – Why Europe Struggles with Commercialization27:56 – From Founder to Investor: Lessons from EQT Ventures36:14 – The Cultural Contrast: US vs. Europe43:40 – What the US Gets Right: Selling, Storytelling, and Scale48:54 – The Tuck Shop Story: Teaching Entrepreneurship Early50:06 – Returning to Europe: Family, Values, and Purpose51:56 – From EQT to Odyssey: A New Mission for European Tech54:51 – Flow and the New Era of Engineering Automation56:00 – Odyssey’s Investment Focus: AI + Automation in the Real World57:30 – Lessons for Founders: Ambition, Focus, and Resilience59:41 – What Most People Get Wrong About Venture Capital01:02:31 – Final Advice for First-Time Founders01:03:41 – Closing Thoughts🔔 Don’t forget to subscribe for more unfiltered conversations on technology, business, and defying the status quo.Follow Ali:🔗 LinkedIn:   / alimitchell   💰 Odyssey Ventures: https://www.odyssey.ventures/🎙 The Heresy Podcast – conversations with builders, thinkers & rebels 🔔 Subscribe:    / @heresypodcast   🔗 Follow Dimitar:   / stanimiroff   #Ali Mitchell #EQT Ventures #startups #venture capital #founders #SaaS #Europe #tech #VC #Heresy Podcast #DimitarStanimiroff #growth #failure #unicorns #scaling #productmarketfit #fundraising

Philip Su is an engineer and leader who helped build Microsoft, Facebook, and OpenAI from the inside. In this episode, he shares hard-earned lessons on thriving in the AI era — and staying human through it all.We cover:How AI is reshaping software careers (and what to do about it)Why “good enough” is no longer safeThe dangerous gap between exponential tech and human systemsBurnout, identity, and what working in an Amazon warehouse taught himThe rise of agentic tools, LLMs, and what CS students need to know nowWhether you’re an engineer, founder, or future-oriented thinker, this conversation will challenge your assumptions — and help you find a better path forward.

Max Altschuler (Sales Hacker, Outreach, GTMfund) joins us in London to talk about building category-defining companies, investing in breakout startups, and rethinking how venture capital works.We go deep on:Lessons from scaling Outreach with Manny MedinaThe birth of Sales Hacker and the GTMfund storyHow AI is reshaping go-to-market motionsWhy GTM is the last true moat in SaaSThe tension between being a founder vs fund managerHow Max picks winners—and his take on “The Death of VC”This is a must-listen for operators, founders, and anyone navigating the future of SaaS, sales, and startup investing.

This episode originally aired as the final Heresy podcast, recorded shortly after the winding down of Heresy.io — our sales software startup.After a last-minute acquisition fell through, we had no choice but to begin closing the company. In this episode, I sit down with my co-founder Svilen and our first hire Jack Otis Barker (frontend engineer) to reflect on the journey:The highs and lows of startup lifeThe things we got right (and wrong)What we’d do differently if we had the chanceWhy we still wouldn’t trade the experience for anythingWe’ve since relaunched the Heresy podcast with a broader focus on scaling, selling, and building in tech — but we’re keeping this episode up as a time capsule of sorts.💥 It’s raw, it’s real, and it was never meant to be the end.

In this episode of the Heresy podcast, Dimitar speaks to Farlan Dowell. Farlan is a sales pro & leader, but in reality what he brings is much more comprehensive approach to repeatable revenue. He has 15 years of startup experience in early stage B2B Saas companies. He currently serves as VP Sales at CleanShelf. Previously he was the VP of Sales at RainforestQA, where he increased ARR from $300k in founder-led sales to $10M ARR, increased ACV from 10k to ~100k, and built a 25-person sales team that continues to grow. In the past he’s held positions as the VP of Sales at Upsight and most recently has consulted for a number of companies including Replicated, Test.ai, and Kloudless. He’s interested in helping early teams find product market fit and scale rapidly while avoiding common mistakes developer companies make.

In this episode of the Heresy podcast, Dimitar is joined by Andrus Purde — founder of Outfunnel and former CMO at Pipedrive.With over 20 years of experience across companies like Skype and Pipedrive, Andrus has seen it all when it comes to digital marketing and growth. But lately? He’s had enough of cold email.Tune in to hear:Why Andrus believes we're slowly killing email as a channelHis personal framework for picking the right marketing channel for your businessLessons from scaling Pipedrive’s user acquisition from the ground upWhat most early-stage founders and marketers get wrong about demand generation🔥 A must-listen for anyone building go-to-market from scratch or rethinking how they reach prospects.

On this episode of the Heresy podcast, Dimitar is joined by Josh Allen, Chief Revenue Officer at Drift.Josh shares his journey through tech — from LogMeIn and CarGurus to leading Drift’s revenue engine — and offers a candid, no-fluff take on what managing hyper-growth really feels like.Tune in to hear:What it takes to scale from $40M to $400MWhy it’s totally normal to feel like your “hair is on fire”Hard-earned lessons on leadership, pressure, and pacePractical advice for navigating the chaos of scale

In this episode, Dimitar speaks with Jeremey Donovan, SVP of Sales Strategy at SalesLoft — the world’s leading sales engagement platform.Jeremey brings a data-driven perspective to modern sales outreach and shares actionable tactics you can implement immediately, including:How long your emails actually should beThe subject lines that get opened (and why)How to achieve up to 5x higher reply ratesWhere and how to use video to break through the noisePractical tips for SDRs, AEs, and Sales Enablement prosWhether you're building a sales motion from scratch or fine-tuning a mature machine, this episode is packed with insight.

Jason Lemkin — SaaStr founder, serial entrepreneur, and investor — joins Dimitar for a candid, practical deep dive on building a high-performing SaaS sales engine.First, hear Jason’s story — from his early career and first two exits to the hard lessons learned along the way.Then get actionable advice on:Why founder-led sales is criticalThe importance of closing your first 10 deals before hiring salespeopleWhat to look for (and avoid) in your first Account ExecutivesWhen and which type of VP Sales to hireWhether to hire VP Sales or VP Marketing firstWhen to start building your Customer Success teamJason’s top sales tips to scale fast and smartIf you’re serious about scaling SaaS sales, this episode is a must-listen.

Struggling to get your message to truly connect with prospects?Munyaradiz Hoto, Director of Digital Marketing at Foundry and London Revenue Collective teammate, breaks down how to operationalise your messaging for maximum impact.In this episode, you’ll learn:Why traditional prospect qualification is often misleadingWhy most deals aren’t lost in competitive bake-offsHow to help prospects uncover their “undiscovered needs”Techniques to destabilise “preference stability” and displace existing solutionsHow to address objections tied to “anticipated regret”Whether you’re an individual contributor, manager, or exec, this episode is packed with game-changing sales insights.

How do you build an outbound sales machine that consistently delivers?Best-selling author and sales leader Aaron Ross joins Dimitar to share:What inspired him to write Predictable RevenueHow he balances running two businesses and raising nine kidsTactical tips to cut through the noise and keep your outbound strategy razor-sharp in a crowded marketIf you want to master outbound sales, this episode is packed with actionable insights.For more from Aaron, visit predictablerevenue.com.

How do you build a sales team that consistently delivers?Jacqueline De Gernier, VP Commercial Sales EMEA at DocuSign, joins Dimitar to share:The secret sauce behind hiring top-tier sales talent—including the use of aptitude testsHow to onboard and train new reps for successWhat truly separates the best performers from the restTerritory planning strategies that minimize conflict and boost collaboration across regionsPlus, plenty of actionable sales advice from a seasoned leaderWhether you’re scaling a team or refining your process, this episode has you covered.

Want to run pipeline review meetings that actually drive results?Patrick Traynor, VP Sales at The Dots and former Head of Enterprise Sales EMEA at LinkedIn, shares his proven frameworks and hard-earned sales wisdom including:How to run pipeline reviews that uncover real blockersUsing BANT (Budget, Authority, Need, Timeline) to qualify deals and flag risks earlyWhy ego kills deals—and how to stay humble while winning bigIf you’re serious about leveling up your sales game, this episode is for you.

How do you build a world-class sales team at one of the fastest-growing tech companies?Elaine Mao, Global Head of Sales Ops & Strategy at Uber for Business, joins Dimitar to share:Why she’d hire a sales ops pro before any sales repsThe secret sauce behind Uber’s rapid sales scalingHow Sales Ops drives growth and efficiency in hypergrowth environmentsPractical tips for sales leaders looking to build ops from scratchIf you want to scale your sales org with operational excellence, this episode is a must-listen.

What does it take to build a truly world-class Customer Success team?Daniel Farkas, VP of Global Renewals and EMEA Customer Success at Box, joins Dimitar to share the blueprint—including when to invest, how to hire, and what to measure.You’ll learn:When to start building your CS org—and when it’s too earlyWhat traits to hire for in high-performing CS repsThe KPIs that actually matter (beyond NRR and churn)How to position CS as a strategic growth engine, not just a support functionWhether you’re building your first CS team or levelling up an existing one, this episode is your playbook.

Disqualify to win. That’s one of many lessons Tom Castley, VP of Account Management EMEA at Apptio, has learned over 20+ years in SaaS sales.In this fast-paced episode, Tom shares:Why disqualifying early saves time—and closes more dealsThe 7 questions every rep should ask to avoid dead-end opportunitiesHow to sell disruptive tech into complex orgsA crash course in the Sandler sales methodologyBattle-tested stories and tactics from the frontlineWhether you’re a founder, AE, or sales leader, this episode is packed with practical, no-fluff advice.

How do you scale a SaaS sales org from $2M to $10M in ARR without losing momentum—or your mind?Peter Crosby, Chief Commercial Officer at Triptease, joins Dimitar to break down:What changes (and what doesn’t) as you move from early traction to real scaleHow to build the right sales motion for your growth stageMistakes to avoid when hiring, structuring, and forecastingHow Triptease navigated this critical growth windowIf you're scaling a SaaS business, this episode is a roadmap for the messy middle.

What does it take to launch and scale the European arm of a hypergrowth US tech company?Dimitar sits down with James Parton, Twilio’s former Director of Europe, to talk about:The early days of Twilio’s expansion across EuropeHow “developer-led” sales really worksThe role of pre-sales, sales engineering, and enablement in technical GTMWhat it's like being the first boots on the ground for a US startup abroadA must-listen for anyone scaling international teams or building go-to-market in dev-first businesses.

What do Just Eat, Funding Circle, GoCardless, and Property Partner have in common? They all turned to Terry Russell to help scale their sales teams.In this episode, Terry shares:How to design comp plans that actually motivateThe secret to developing sales talent in fast-growing orgsHard-won lessons from inside some of Europe’s best-known startupsWhether you’re a founder, sales leader, or coach yourself, Terry’s stories are full of practical takeaways you can apply right away.

What changes when a company goes from private to public? Alan Kenny, GM Europe at Mimecast, shares the hard-earned sales lessons that rarely get talked about.We dig into:What salespeople and managers really need to know during hypergrowthThe leadership mistakes Alan would go back and fixHow to stay effective as the org scales and complexity kicks inPractical advice for navigating growth from startup to IPOIf you're in SaaS sales or sales leadership, this one's full of sharp, experience-backed insights.