The Recursive Podcast

In this special episode of The Recursive Podcast, recorded live at Latitude59 in Tallinn, we sit down with Jonas Bartasius, co-founder of Lithuania-born Based Collective, to explore a question Europe’s startup ecosystem has been wrestling with for years: what should it learn from Silicon Valley, and what should it build differently?For Bartasius, the answer goes beyond more capital, accelerators, or unicorns. What Europe needs is stronger, denser networks of founders who actively help one another build companies. Key topics covered in this recording:The origins of BaseSpace and the transition from a physical hacker house to the pan-European Base Collective.Why traditional VC and accelerator models often fail to provide the support founders actually need.An assessment of the "New Nordics" ecosystem and the current gaps in pan-European talent distribution.The dangers of over-glamorizing fundraising.Jonas's personal background in serial entrepreneurship, from selling flowers at 13 to navigating post-startup depression.

AI can generate logos, colors, taglines, and entire visual identities in seconds. But can it build a brand people actually remember?In this episode of The Recursive Roundtable, we explore one of the biggest questions facing founders, marketers, and designers today: what does branding look like in the age of AI?Joining us are three branding experts with decades of experience building companies across technology, consumer products, and global markets:• Zlatina Petrova — Founder & Creative Director, Brandly• Plamen Motev — Creative & Operational Director, Fontfabric• Kiril Hadjidinev — Brand Strategist & Marketing AdvisorThe episode is hosted by Etien Yovchev, Co-founder and CGO, The Recursive.☑️ Why the strongest brands shape identity, not just recognition☑️ How design, typography, and marketing create emotional connection☑️ Why AI-generated brands often struggle to build authenticity☑️ What happens to local brands in a world shaped by global AI models☑️ How founders can preserve cultural identity while building for global markets☑️ Whether AI can truly understand local language, heritage, and aesthetics☑️ What remains of a brand when customers discover products through AI assistantsWhether you're building a startup, launching a product, working in marketing, or simply curious about how AI is changing creative work, this conversation offers practical insights into what still requires human judgment, and why great brands are built through relationships, not prompts.👉 Check the full conversation and join the discussion.🎧 Follow us for more episodes of The Recursive Podcast.

In this episode of The Recursive Podcast, we sit down with Rakuten Viber CEO Ofir Eyal to discuss how the company is evolving beyond messaging through its partnership with OpenAI, the rise of AI-powered communication, and the long-term vision behind building a "super app."The conversation explores how the company approaches privacy and responsible AI adoption, and why Europe has yet to embrace the super app model seen across Asia.Ofir also reflects on his own journey from product manager to CEO, the leadership lessons he learned while navigating one of Viber's most challenging periods after the outbreak of the war in Ukraine.In this episode:☑️ Why Viber partnered with OpenAI☑️ The future of AI inside messaging apps☑️ Can Europe build a successful super app?☑️ Privacy, security, and responsible AI adoption☑️ How Viber makes money beyond messaging☑️ Leadership lessons from scaling a global platform☑️ Rebuilding after losing 40% of the business overnight🎙️ Subscribe to The Recursive Podcast for conversations with the founders, investors, and technology leaders shaping the future of innovation across Central and Eastern Europe and beyond.Í

Can We Safely Live with Humanoid Robots? 🤖 In this fascinating episode of The Recursive Podcast, we sit down with Emily Kate Genatowski, an AI PhD candidate, historian and domestic robotics researcher who provides a unique, hands-on perspective on our future with machines. Unlike most researchers who work in controlled labs, Emily lives full-time with a humanoid robot named Tova (a Unitree G1) in her apartment in Vienna. As the founder of PSL (Proportional Stake Liability), an insurtech startup bridging the liability gap in robotics, Emily’s career is dedicated to uncovering the practical, legal, and social friction points that arise when AI gains a physical body. She moves beyond the "AI hype" to explore how humanoid robotics will realistically intersect with our legal regulations, physical infrastructure, and the daily fabric of our communities.🧠 Why Watch?Whether you’re a tech optimist, a skeptic, or someone worried about the future of work, this conversation offers a grounded, practical look at the challenges ahead. Emily moves the needle from philosophical fear to practical empowerment, showing us that we are still the architects of the future we want to see.🔔 Subscribe to The Recursive for more deep-seated stories at the intersection of technology, society, and the European startup ecosystem.Find out more about Emily & her work:https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilykategenotovsky/https://www.therecursive.com/emily-kate-genatowski-tova-humanoid-robot-laws-regulation-liability/

What does AI engineering actually look like inside modern enterprises — and how close are we to truly autonomous software development?In this episode of The Recursive Podcast, we sit down with Karol Przystalski, Chief Data and AI Officer at Exadel, to explore how organizations are moving beyond AI experimentation and into AI-native operations.We discuss the evolution from AI copilots and coding assistants to fully orchestrated engineering systems, why many companies are measuring AI success incorrectly, and how enterprise leaders should think about ROI, productivity, and organizational change in the age of autonomous engineering.Karol also shares insights into Exadel Colleague — an AI-powered engineering teammate designed to support entire software teams—and explains why the future of AI isn't about replacing humans, but helping them focus on higher-value work.In this episode we discuss:🔹 Why AI adoption is shifting from experimentation to real business valueHow enterprises have moved beyond AI proof-of-concepts and are now focused on productivity, efficiency, and measurable outcomes.🔹 The difference between AI-enabled development and AI-native engineeringWhy coding assistants are only the first step—and how autonomous systems are transforming entire software development lifecycles.🔹 How to measure AI ROI beyond token usageThe metrics that actually matter, including productivity gains, human-equivalent hours saved, accuracy, and business impact.🔹 The future of autonomous engineering and the role of humansWhy AI won't replace software engineers, but will fundamentally change how teams work and what skills will matter most.🧠 Whether you're an engineering leader, CTO, product executive, or simply curious about the future of software development, this conversation offers a practical look at where enterprise AI is headed next.🔔 Follow The Recursive for more stories at the intersection of tech, society, and startup ecosystems.