The Startup Journey Interviews

There is a misconception that the most successful founders are young. This is largely perpetuated by the few exceptional cases of wunderkinder that have become startup lore. Mark Zuckerberg with Facebook at 19. Larry Page & Sergey Brin with Google at 25. Bill Gates & Paull Allen with Microsoft at 20. Steve Jobs with Apple at 21. In reality, the most successful founders are around 45 years old.  And it stands to reason. Older founders have more experience in their sector. more extensive network. They tend to have more financial resources to put into a new venture. And, quite simply, they’re more emotionally mature. Studies have shown that older founders tend to be more positive, stable, and resilient. All of which are key traits for handling the demands of startups. That doesn’t mean, however, that an exception can’t come along every now and then. Today, I want to bring you a story of such an exception –  Founder and CTO of Indico Data, Slater Victoroff.  A few years ago, while still in his dorm room, Slater and his co-founder had an idea: to create a platform capable of transforming raw data into structured, actionable insights, enabling the development of better […]

It’s no secret that one of the biggest challenges a founder of a startup or SME faces is liquidity. Especially today as VCs are becoming more selective than ever, betting more money on fewer companies, with AI startups taking around 28% of all VC funding in Q2 alone. Moreover, bank lending to SMEs has continued to decline in 2024, with 68% of brokers expecting this trend to continue. Yet, 86% of brokers expect the demand for SME financing will only increase. All this means startups and SMEs are increasingly reliant on new ways to generate working capital. If they don’t’ they risk severe cash flow issues that hinder their ability to meet operational expenses and invest in growth opportunities. This is where Maex Ament steps in. He’s the visionary founder of Taulia. Taulia is a leading provider of working capital solutions used by over 1.8 million companies worldwide, including giants like Airbus, Nissan, and even the UK Government. Maex and his team set out with a very specific goal: “When a company invoices a client, they typically have to wait anywhere between 30 to 90 days to receive payment. We wanted to solve that problem for companies.” While addressing payment […]

Building a startup is a challenging journey. One of the best ways to navigate this path is by learning from those who have walked it before you. Imagine the excitement of raising millions in funding, the thrill of a successful exit, or the satisfaction of seeing your user base grow to tens of thousands. In this comprehensive list, I’ve compiled all of the Startup Journey Interviews our team has conducted with successful entrepreneurs who have done just that. These founders have faced numerous challenges, from pioneering fintech solutions to revolutionising customer communication, and have emerged with thriving startups. Each story provides unique perspectives on how to build a startup, offering key takeaways that can help you turn your vision into reality. Their experiences highlight the importance of resilience, innovation, and a strong team. Whether you’re just starting to build a startup or looking to scale your existing business, the lessons shared here will provide you with the knowledge and inspiration you need to succeed. Explore these interviews to discover actionable advice on product development, marketing, fundraising, team building, and much more. Contents 1. Wade Eyerly – Multi-Exit Unicorn Founder Wade Eyerly is a remarkable founder. He started by pioneering subscription-based […]

In the realm of the modern software-as-a-service (SaaS) startup, data is the currency of choice. Yet, despite its value, the path from data to actionable insights is often fraught with complexity. Enter Vizzly, the entrepreneurial vision of Matt Williamson, a first-time founder with an extensive background in business development and product having worked at Skyscanner & Duffel. In Matt’s own words, Vizzly is “in the business of making data accessible and digestible through customer-facing dashboards. Our target users are B2B SaaS apps, and marketplaces that prioritize data transparency with their external stakeholders.” Matt and his team had the experience to pull off this idea and had found a gap in the market that was ripe for a solution – a perfect storm for the potential of entrepreneurial success. Therefore, it’s not surprising that Y Combinator was keen to interview them. Recently, I was lucky enough to sit down with Matt to explore his journey building Vizzly and Y Combinator’s pivotal role in increasing his chances of success. It’s clear from our conversation that his unique blend of seasoned industry insights and entrepreneurial drive has been instrumental in crafting Vizzly’s trajectory. Moreover, it underscores the Y Combinator experience as a crucible for […]