Beginner's Mind

Private companies are staying private longer, and that changes who gets liquidity, when, and why. Founders, employees, and early investors can wait a decade or more for an IPO or acquisition. Meanwhile, venture funds face growing pressure to return capital, and many of Europe's best companies struggle to access the growth capital needed to scale. In this conversation, Christian Soschner speaks with Alberto Chalon, Co-Founder of Giano Capital, about the rise of single-asset secondary investmen...

Some books explain how the world works. Influence explains why people move. Why someone takes the meeting. Why an investor leans in. Why a customer trusts. Why a team follows. Why a board stays stuck. Why a founder keeps defending a decision that stopped making sense months ago. Robert Cialdini’s Influence: The Psychology of Persuasion is one of those books that becomes more valuable the longer you build, invest, sell, negotiate, hire, and lead. Because at some point, you realize something un...

Most founders dream of raising millions. Few survive the 153 “no’s” it takes to get there. Behind every biotech breakthrough lies exhaustion — late-night calls, failed rounds, and investors who walk away at the finish line. What separates the ones who make it isn’t luck or timing — it’s resilience built into process. In this episode, Jason Foster, CEO of Ori Biotech, shares how he transformed relentless rejection into a billion-dollar trajectory. From rebuilding cell-therapy manufacturing to ...

Most founders obsess over products. Jensen Huang built a $3 trillion company by obsessing over inevitabilities. This episode unpacks The NVIDIA Way by Tae Kim—the definitive account of how NVIDIA went from near-death startup to the world’s most valuable chipmaker. More than a history, it’s a manual for founders and VCs navigating the messy, high-stakes stretch between Series A and IPO. But this isn’t just about NVIDIA. It’s about you—if you’re scaling in deep tech, wher...

Here’s the harsh truth: If your business model can’t survive a spreadsheet, it won’t survive the market. Every year, ambitious founders pour months into product, pitch, and brand—yet the single biggest reason startups die isn’t funding, it’s flawed modeling. What are the four variables investors use to spot winners before anyone else? In this episode, investor and hands-on builder Alex Oppenheimer (Founder & GP at Verissimo Ventures, ex-Facebook IPO, ex-NEA, Monday.com advisor) reveals wh...

Still trying to optimize your health with guesswork and generic advice? Most people settle for “one-size-fits-all” supplements and hope for the best-missing out on the breakthroughs that only real data and personalization can offer. In a world flooded with empty promises, few realize how quickly tailored, science-backed solutions can transform energy, focus, and longevity. Enter Vadim Fedotov—ex-pro athlete, CEO, and co-founder of Bioniq, the health tech company bringing truly personalized ca...

Most founders add layers to gain control. Reed Hastings built an empire by removing them. This episode unpacks No Rules Rules—the leadership playbook behind Netflix’s rise from a DVD mail service to a global entertainment powerhouse. Co-authored by founder Reed Hastings and INSEAD professor Erin Meyer, the book reveals how to scale not through policy, but through trust, talent density, and extreme transparency. But this isn’t just about Netflix. It’s about you—if you’re buil...

Europe has the science. The talent. The breakthroughs. But when an idea feels too uncertain, our systems shut it down before it has a chance to breathe. And with every safe bet… we quietly lose the next cure, the next Car-T, the next AI that could change everything. 🚨 Risk-aversion, fragmentation, and bureaucracy are draining Europe’s innovation power—and nobody dares to name it out loud. But Fabrizio Conicella, VP of Open Innovation at Chiesi Group, isn’t holding back. 💡 In this ...