In this episode of Perception Paradox, host Zivile (Zivi) sits down with Rishabh, Venture Partner at Hoxton Ventures — a London-based early-stage VC firm backing some of Europe’s most ambitious startups.

Before joining Hoxton, Rishabh co-founded Belong, an HR tech platform backed by Sequoia Capital, scaling it from a raw idea to one of India’s fastest-growing enterprise startups. Today, he invests in founders across Europe, the US, and India, while also leading Svagat, a thriving community of Indians in tech across Europe.

Together, they unpack:– Why timing is the most underrated factor in startup success– How hustle culture is evolving in the age of AI– The founder traits VCs actually look for (and the red flags they don’t talk about)– The cash flow and identity crises every startup faces– How community and culture can shape a founder’s resilience

This is a candid conversation about ambition, awareness, and the paradox of building while becoming.

Rishabh is a Venture Partner at Hoxton Ventures, an early stage venture capital firm based in London. He previously co-founded Belong, an enterprise HR tech platform backed by Sequoia Capital. He’s an active angel investor in over 25 startups in Europe, US and India and runs Svagat - a community of Indians in tech in Europe.

Chapters

00:00 The Hustle Culture: 996 vs. Work-Life Balance

06:21 Key Characteristics of Successful Founding Teams

08:56 Identifying Red Flags in Startups

14:35 The Journey of a Founder: Challenges and Triumphs

23:22 Current Trends in the Startup Ecosystem

31:07 Essential Skills for Founders in the AI Era

34:31 Pondering the Future of Education and Skills

🎙️Hosted by Zivile Einikyte:

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🎵 Music by Luca Nioi: 

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