Educators

Ep 87 – The state of venture funding with Maximilian Eckel

February 7, 2024

Dive into the heart of Germany’s startup ecosystem with our latest podcast episode, where we explore the vibrant yet challenging landscape of entrepreneurship in this dynamic country. Despite being a hub of innovation and potential, German startups face unique hurdles, from stringent regulations to the quest for funding. Our episode sheds light on these intricacies through the lens of industry insiders, offering a rare glimpse into what it takes to thrive in Germany’s competitive startup arena. 🚀🇩🇪

Join us as we dissect the layers of support and struggle that define the German startup journey, from the early stages of ideation to the complexities of scaling globally. Our guests share their firsthand experiences, navigating through bureaucratic tangles, cultural nuances, and the ever-evolving digital landscape. This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about the realities of startup success and the resilience it demands in Germany’s unique ecosystem. 🌐💼

EP 83 – From strategy consultant to Global Top 20 LinkedIn Creator with Jeroen Kraaijenbrink

December 13, 2023

Strap in for a riveting new episode on ‘The Most Awesome Founder Podcast’ as our hosts, Dries Faems and Gerrit McGowan, are joined by strategic mastermind Jeroen Kraaijenbrink. Jeroen shares captivating real-life experiences that he acquired while working on strategic matters with all kinds of clients from the corporate and startup world. Coming from an academic background, he gives insights into his method-oriented approach to strategy and how he aligns his work style with the customers.
But that’s not all – with a staggering 200k+ followers on LinkedIn and a spot in the Top 20 Global Content Creators, Jeroen is not just a strategist but a digital influencer powerhouse. Hungry for tips on amplifying your online presence? He’s got insider secrets you won’t want to miss.
If you are into strategy, make sure to catch this episode.
Stay tuned!

EP 82 – Should startups promote a social vision with Murat Tarakci and Timo van Balen

November 29, 2023

This episode is for everybody who wants to get a bit nerdy with top-notch entrepreneurship research. We are excited to welcome the two renowned scholars Murat Tarakci & Timo van Balen to gain insights into their electrifying research about how startups with a social vision struggle to attract job talent. Gerrit’s trajectory perfectly complements this academic understanding as the founder of a nonprofit startup and inevitably leads to fascinating discussions.
Revisiting some of our most commonly discussed topics, like message-market-fit, communication strategies for startups, and the struggles of building a solid recruiting strategy, but this time with the sound support of top-level research.

EP 80 – Inspiration session #10: Startup subsidies, lean impact and dark side of AI

November 1, 2023

We are excited to unveil the 10th installment of the inspiration session, featuring our co-hosts GerritMcGowan and Dries Faems.
They discuss a captivating mixture of different topics in the realm of entrepreneurship from an academic and a practitioner perspective, such as:
• Why aren’t there more sustainability-driven unicorns although badly needed
• Which startups get supported by government grants
• What the academic research on the controversial topic of hybrid work yielded
• The next big thing on the horizon: quantum computing
And have you always wanted to know how to create the boyfriend/girlfriend of your dreams? Then, gear up for a rollercoaster of knowledge, reflection, and pure amusement! You won’t want to miss this exhilarating episode!🔍

EP 79 – Mitigating Startup Founder Burnout with Ute Stephan

October 18, 2023

In today’s episode 79, Dries & Gerrit explore the toll it can take on a founder’s mental health whilst trying to materialize his entrepreneurial dream into a reality, and they have an excellent guest for that matter: Prof. Ute Stephan, a renowned entrepreneurship scholar from King’s College and an outstanding expert on entrepreneurial wellbeing and founder stress.
The three plunge into the fascinating topic of how entrepreneurs’ wellbeing directly impacts the success of their ventures and the vital role strict leisure time management can play. 💼 How can one implement coping strategies to avoid getting caught in a cycle of overwork and why meticulously tracking health and fitness can be a curse and blessing? 📆 Dive into a captivating episode where personal journeys intertwine with cutting-edge entrepreneurship research, all shining a spotlight on mental health.
Check on yourself and, if you can, on others!

EP 74 – Inspiration session #9: Golf, Gender and Generative AI

August 2, 2023

We are thrilled to announce the launch of the 9th edition of the inspiration session with Gerrit and Dries! 🎉
They will once more discuss diverse and thought-provoking topics, combining insights from an academic and a practitioner perspective. What are the legal implications of AI-generated inventions, which entrepreneurs should consider entering a venture studio and why women should be careful if their boss plays golf?
These and other questions will be answered, so be prepared to learn, think, and laugh. Don’t miss this captivating episode! 🔍

EP 71 – Leveraging data to build an augmented venture capital approach with Dr. Andre Retterath

June 21, 2023

We are thrilled to welcome Andre Retterath to episode #71 of our podcast. Andre is one of the leading figures in disrupting the traditional VC landscape by implementing data-driven approaches to improve decision-making. So tune in to hear interesting use cases, why the days of purely gut-based decisions investing seem to be over and what the future might look like.

EP 68 – Mastering the Art of Founder Communication with Jag Singh & Oliver Aust

May 10, 2023

🎧 We are thrilled to welcome Jag Singh (Managing Director @ Angel Invest) and Oliver Aust (CEO & Founder @Eo Ipso Communications) for a second time to the show!

This time we discuss their newest book MESSAGE MACHINE: How Communications Will Make You An Unstoppable Founder where they share essential aspects for founder communication mastery.
Tune in to find out why communication is the biggest challenge for a growing company and why startups need to have a compelling message market fit.

We hope you enjoy this episode!

Ep 66 – Inspiration session #8: Does generative AI decrease inequality – the future of VC

April 12, 2023

Get ready for today’s episode E66 of the Most Awesome Founder Podcast! As always, the Inspiration Session will discuss topics that made Dries and Gerrit think, learn, and laugh.

Here are some exciting sneak peeks of the topics explored within the episode:

– What impact do prominent Venture Capitalists have on replacing startup founders over time?
– The four main challenges Venture Capital is facing, calling on the question of whether VCs need to change
– Generative Artificial Intelligence and its impact on productivity

Take advantage of this thought-provoking and informative episode!

Looking forward to hearing your opinion in the comments! 🙂

Ep 65 – The art of hypothesis testing in startups with Alex Osterwalder

March 29, 2023

🎙️ Want to know how to optimize your hypothesis testing and find out how the experts do it?
Tune in to today’s engaging podcast, where Alex Osterwalder, the creator of the Business Model Canvas and co-founder of Strategyzer, is interviewed. Ranked no. 4 of the top 50 management thinkers worldwide and visiting professor at IMD, Alex is known for simplifying the strategy development process and turning complex concepts into digestible visual models.
Within the episode they dive into the art of testing and developing hypotheses to give you the most valuable insights, indulging into deep dives in topics such as:
– Why hypotheses should focus on desirability rather than feasibility
– The relevance of leveraging AI in hypothesis testing
– How to test hypotheses without direct contact with the desired data sources
– Testing hypotheses in corporate or B2B environments
Plus, stick around for some great advice Alex would have given his younger self! You don’t want to miss out on this thought-provoking conversation!

P.S. The YouTube video can be very beneficial to see the great visuals Alex creates during the podcast to make the content more digestible.

Thank you for listening to our podcast! Don’t forget to subscribe to the podcast and stay tuned for more exciting episodes 🙂