This Much I Know - The Seedcamp Podcast

In a new episode of Path to Market, our Director Natasha Lytton and her co-host Micah Smurthwaite, Partner at Pipeline Ventures are joined by Ryan Lieber, an experienced Go-to-Market Leader and one of Snowflake’s earliest employees and its first SDR. Together they discuss Snowflake's impressive growth trajectory, the challenges and strategies of category creation, key sales methodologies like MEDDPICC, the best approaches for scaling internationally, and cross-functional sales efforts. Ryan shares his experiences from joining Snowflake when it was an unknown startup in 2014 to its current status as a data giant with over 7,000 employees and a market capitalization of over $50 billion. He also delves into when and how founders should hire their first SDRs and sales leaders, the metrics for measuring their success, and the role of marketing alignment in scaling sales. Moreover, he emphasizes the importance of understanding regional cultural and communication nuances, and how to leverage partnerships in new markets. Key takeaways: - taking an iterative approach to the sales process enables you to transition from broad outreach to focusing on sales-qualified opportunities; - hiring SDRs earlier rather than later is not only cost-effective, but it also enables founders to focus on product development; - choose a sales leader who isn't afraid to "get their hands dirty" and is willing to adapt to the dynamic needs of a growing startup. They are in touch with the pulse of the market and the realities faced by their teams; - international expansion is not a uniform process and differs significantly by region. This is why understanding cultural nuances, leveraging regional partners, and ensuring the market is ripe for entry are essential considerations; - taking a partnership approach to scaling accelerates growth and embeds credibility in the customer’s eyes. Show notes: Ryan Lieber – linkedin.com/in/ryan-lieber-8aa59a62 Natasha Lytton – linkedin.com/in/natasha-lytton Micah Smurthwaite – linkedin.com/in/micah-smurthwaite-2283b49 Overview: 00:00 Introduction and Guest Background 01:00 Ryan’s Early Days at Snowflake 03:59 Career Growth and Opportunities 05:01 Building the EMEA Team 07:08 Challenges and Learnings 08:19 Finding the Ideal Customer Profile 13:57 Sales Methodology: MEDDPICC 19:30 Hiring and Building a Sales Team 21:48 The Daily Grind of an SDR 22:01 Key Traits for Sales Success 23:30 Red Flags in Sales Hiring 27:07 Effective SDR Metrics 32:09 Hiring Your First Sales Leader 34:54 The Power of Marketing in Sales 36:49 Scaling Internationally 42:26 Snowflake's Startup Program 45:02 Final Thoughts and Advice

We are excited to announce the launch of our new podcast series, "Path to Market," where our Director Natasha Lytton and co-host Micah Smurthwaite, Partner at Pipeline Ventures dissect the art and science behind effective go-to-market (GTM) strategies for startups and scale-ups. The introductory episode explores essential elements of go-to-market planning, real-world examples of startups overcoming market-entry challenges, and practical advice on avoiding common pitfalls. Highlights include: - understanding the balance between art and science in sales; - the importance of a focused market entry; - the critical nature of making the right hire. What to Expect from “Path to Market” Future episodes will cover an array of topics, from defining your Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) to choosing between sales development representatives and product-led growth motions. Whether you’re embarking on your startup journey or are further along, there’s something beneficial for every stage. The podcast series will feature seasoned marketing, sales, and product experts who have worked for companies such as Stripe, Snowflake, and Deliveroo.

In this episode, our Managing Partner Carlos Espinal is joined by our Talent Manager James Wright, and special guest Dominic Jacquesson, a veteran VC operator who recently received an MBE for his contributions to the UK entrepreneurship and technology ecosystem. Dominic shares insights from his varied career, including his extensive experience at Index Ventures working with top-tier tech companies, and from his latest book, 'Scaling through Chaos' written on behalf of Index to offer founders a comprehensive roadmap for scaling teams and leadership. The conversation covers key topics, such as: - Building effective teams; - Leadership, and the role of culture and values in scaling a startup; - Risk management, setting up processes, and the applicability of OKRs/KPIs. Dominic also announces his new venture into studying neuroscience after an accomplished career in the startup ecosystem. Show Notes: Dominic Jacquesson MBE - linkedin.com/in/dominicjacquesson Carlos Espinal MBE - linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal James Wright - linkedin.com/in/jdhwright Scaling Through Chaos and other resources from Index Ventures, including the web app TeamPlan, are available for free on Index Press (https://www.indexventures.com/index-press) 00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome 01:46 Dominic Jacquesson's Career Journey 07:53 Writing 'Scaling Through Chaos' 15:01 Scaling Startups: Key Insights 17:24 Navigating Leadership and Hiring 37:08 Risk Management in Scaling 45:29 Dominic's New Venture 49:50 Conclusion

In this episode, Carlos interviews General Stanley McChrystal, a distinguished military leader with 34 years of experience commanding at a four-star level, including significant roles in Iraq and Afghanistan. They discuss General McChrystal's career, including his extensive awards like the Defense Distinguished Service Medal. General McChrystal shares his post-military endeavors, including founding the McChrystal Group and teaching leadership at Yale. The conversation delves into General McChrystal's books, particularly 'Leaders' and 'Team of Teams', exploring how writing these books shaped his views on leadership. Key themes include: - understanding the complexities of leadership; - the interplay between leaders, followers, and context, - and the role of character and self-discipline in effective leadership. The episode also covers practical insights on managing and transforming organizational cultures. General McChrystal shares personal anecdotes and reflections on leadership mistakes, personal development, and mentoring. 00:00 Introducing General Stan McChrystal 01:26 General McChrystal's Career Evolution and Achievements 01:48 Discussion on Leadership 07:15 The Three Myths of Leadership 09:58 The Role of Followers and Breaking the Cycle 13:15 Leadership Evolution and Organizational Dynamics 16:58 Challenges in Leadership and Adaptability 20:52 Team Dynamics in Startups and Large Organizations 23:40 Adapting Leadership Styles and Overcoming Mistakes 30:09 Commander's Dilemma: Vehicle Maintenance and Leadership Challenges 31:48 Leadership in Counter-Terrorism Operations 32:35 The Importance of Character in Leadership 35:42 Defining and Reflecting on Character 39:43 Personal Development and Daily Routines 45:26 Mentorship and Learning from Mistakes 55:54 Military Traditions and Cultural Questions 57:37 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Show Notes: General Stan McChrystal - linkedin.com/in/stanmcchrystal Carlos Espinal - linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal mcchrystalgroup.com seedcamp.com General McCrysyal's books - mcchrystalgroup.com/about/books

In a new episode of Startups in Focus, our Managing Partner Carlos Espinal is joined by Ryan Donnelly, co-founder and CEO of Enzai, an AI governance platform that allows organisations to adopt best-in-class AI governance policies and measure against them. They discuss: - the impact of AI as a technological revolution similar to the mobile shift, dotcom boom, and web invention - the importance of regulations and standards in ensuring AI's responsible use and trustworthiness - the challenges and opportunities in AI adoption - Enzai’s mission of enabling organizations to leverage AI technology effectively and responsibly, in compliance with emerging regulations - Enzai's vision of enabling trust in AI future regulatory landscapes and the necessary frameworks for AI adoption. Tune in for an insightful discussion on the future of AI governance and compliance. Show Notes Ryan Donnelly - linkedin.com/in/ryan-donnelly-enzai Carlos Espinal - linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal Enzai - enz.ai Seedcamp - seedcamp.com Reach out to Ryan and his team at hey@enz.ai. Time stamps: 00:00 Introduction to the AI Technological Revolution 00:36 Meet Ryan Donnelly: Co-founder and CEO of Enzai 01:14 The Inspiration Behind Enzai 02:19 Understanding Enzai’s Customers 03:13 The Role of Regulations in AI 05:07 The Evolution of AI Regulations 10:26 The Importance of Standards in AI 14:20 Enzai's Vision for the Future 15:49 Final Thoughts and Call to Action

In the newly launched "Startups in Focus" series, our Managing Partner Carlos Espinal chats with Johannes Keienburg, co-founder and CEO of Cakewalk. Their conversation revolves around the importance of access control, visibility, and security in organizations. Johannes shares insights on the need for access management processes from the early days of an organisation, the challenges of data security, the evolution and future of access controls. Show notes: Johannes Keienburg - linkedin.com/in/johannes-keienburg/ Carlos Espinal – linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal Cakewalk getcakewalk.io Seedcamp seedcamp.com

In a follow-up to their Seedcamp Firsts conversation on data, our Venture Partner Devin Hunt and Candice Ren, Founder of analytics agency 173Tech and a member of the Seedcamp Expert Collective, dive deep into A/B testing and good data science practices. With new and exciting AI technology emerging around recommendation engines, how can product leads evaluate which solution is better and how to really measure a “better recommendation”? Focusing on a specific case study - a furniture marketplace, Candice, who worked on A/B testing and recommendation engines for Bumble, Plend Loans, MUBI, Treatwell and many others, shares her thoughts on: - the intricacies of setting up and analyzing an A/B test experiment focused on comparing two different recommendation algorithms - how you set your hypothesis - the best way to segment your user basis - how to select what you are controlling for (e.g. click-through rate) - how to interpret test results and consider broader business metrics impact. Candice and Devin also emphasize the importance of granular testing, proper test design, and documentation of test results for informed decision-making within a company's testing framework.

In the latest Seedcamp Deep Dive, Carlos is joined by Kyran Schmidt, co-founder of Outverse, a community-first solutions platform; Jonathan Reimer, co-founder of crowd.dev, a developer data platform; and our Partner Sia Houchangnia. They discuss: - the importance of community-building for tech startups; - why intentionality and fostering a sense of belonging in community development are essential; - types of communities namely product and practitioner communities; - challenges, and strategies in creating and managing communities; - the community tech stack and specific tools (e.g., Discord, WhatsApp); - key success metrics and budget management considerations; - and more. Overview: 00:38 - Introduction to the Power of Communities 06:47 The Role of Community in Product-Led Growth 18:02 Defining Community and Its Importance 26:28 Managing Community Dynamics: Heroes vs Nutters 28:50 The Importance of Community Culture 29:43 Building, Designing and Scaling Community 33:49 Community Segmentation and Success Metrics 37:49 The Role of Founders in Community Building 57:47 Community Building: Tool Stack and Budgeting 1:05:31 Concluding Thoughts on Community Building Show Notes: Jonathan Reimer - linkedin.com/in/jonathimer Kyran Schmidt - linkedin.com/in/kyran-schmidt Sia Houchangnia - linkedin.com/in/siahouchangnia Carlos Espinal - linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal crowd.dev - crowd.dev Outverse - outverse.com Seedcamp - seedcamp.com Resources: How to build a developer community: a step-by-step guide‍ CrowdDev's blog (includes many articles about community building) [Seedcamp Firsts] How to create and scale an iconic community. Lessons from Sorare – Features Dan O’Kelly, an early Community - - Lead at Seedcamp-backed fantasy sports unicorn Sorare in conversation with our Partner Sia Houchangnia Appwrite's community and blog [appwrite.io]