The Pursuit of Scrappiness

Mathias Eklof is a Swedish impact entrepreneur and investor with Hype Ventures. He has remained steadfast in supporting Ukrainian founders as war continues raging on in Ukraine. Since his last appearance on the show in 2022, he has been spending considerable time in Kyiv and with his military background being able to offer unique insights into Ukraine’s tech and investment scene during this critical period. More recently Mathias has co-founded a new higher education product called Pareto School, which offers an alternative to traditional business education.On this episode we talk about:Applying the 80/20 Pareto principle in life and businessReimagining business educationThe role of AI and skillful prompting in educationThe power of cohort-based learningListen to the first part of this recording discussing building companies in wartime Ukraine on the previous episode from this Tuesday!Listen to the 2022 recording with Mathias on episode 70: https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/episodes/70-mathias-eklof-hypeventures==Find all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

Mathias Eklof is a Swedish impact entrepreneur and investor with Hype Ventures. He has remained steadfast in supporting Ukrainian founders as war continues raging on in Ukraine. Since his last appearance on the show in 2022, he has been spending considerable time in Kyiv being able to offer unique insights into Ukraine’s tech and investment scene during this critical period. More recently Mathias has co-founded a new higher education product called Pareto School, which offers an alternative to traditional business education.On this episode we talk about:The mood on the ground in Kyiv tech sceneChallenges with mobilization and “booking”Investing when founders and key people can be mobilizedGrowth of Ukrainian DefenseTech sectorListen to the second part of this recording discussing the future of education on the next episode this Thursday!Listen to the 2022 recording with Mathias on episode 70: https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/episodes/70-mathias-eklof-hypeventures==Find all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

This is an insight from our previous conversation on dealing with self-delusion and self-awareness:Defense mechanisms like denial keep people from recognizing uncomfortable truths about themselvesThe importance of self-awareness in understanding personal thoughts, emotions, and behaviorsJournaling of thoughts and feelings and regular self-talk can help with self-awarenessKristina Mänd-Lakhiani is the co-founder of Mindvalley, a life transformation platform with a following of 20 million, as well as a writer, speaker, mother and philanthropist. She is one of the most successful businesswomen in Estonia. Kristina has set her mission to help people heal their most important relationship in life - the relationship with self. To achieve this, Kristina has recently released her new book called “Becoming Flawesome” and the book has become the No. 1 bestseller in the US on the lists of the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, Barnes & Noble and Amazon.Listen to the full conversation with Kristina here on Episode 131:Link to SpotifyLink to Apple Podcastshttps://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/episodes/131-kristina-mand-lakhiani===============Find all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

Uve Poom is the Head of Operations at Tenity Tallinn - one of the 6 hubs in Tenity's international ecosystem. Tenity is a global fintech accelerator and VC. In addition to advising startups in Tenity's portfolio, he also works with financial and state institutions to drive their innovation agendas. Uve firmly believes in building ecosystems and leveraging the strength of weak ties. Before completing his MA at Stanford, Uve spent 5 years as CEO of the Unitas Foundation (founded by 2x Estonian Prime Minister Mart Laar) and as a fundraising consultant at Civitta, a leading independent management consulting firm in the Baltics and CEE.On this episode we talk about:Building an Ecosystem for FinTech and Climate FinanceFundraising Landscape in 2024Traits of a Standout FinTech CompanyBest Practices for Founders in Building and Maintaining Investor RelationshipsThe Role of ESG and Climate FinTechOpportunities and Challenges in Neo-Banking and Digital Lending==Find all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

This is an insight from our previous conversation on focusing on what differentiates successful content creators:Focusing on quality/engagement of the audience not the sizeFinding your X-factor and the true authentic selfAvoiding mimicking other creatorsElvis Kruze is the founder of Eksplodemedia - a content creation strategy and execution agency. Elvis has helped his clients get over 1Bn views in the past 2 years on social media. He is working with famous YouTubers such as Mike Thurston and runs an agency that specializes in helping brands, influencers & entrepreneurs produce consistent short form content to grow organically. Listen to the full conversation with Elvis here on Episode 173:Link to SpotifyLink to Apple Podcastshttps://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/episodes/173-elvis-kruze===============Find all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

Andreas Helbig is a partner at Atomico, one of Europe’s leading venture capital firms, focusing on B2B SaaS, vertical SaaS, and B2B marketplaces. With extensive experience in the tech and investment space, Andreas leads Atomico’s coverage in the Nordic and Baltic regions, helping to drive innovation and scale in some of Europe’s most promising startups. One of Europe's Venture capital juggernauts, Atomico announced a massive $1.25 Bn raise across 2 funds just a month ago. On this episode we talk about:How AI is transforming businesses and why founders need a clear AI strategy.Atomico’s $1.2 Billion FundWhy startups without AI can still be attractive to investors and how to stand out.The importance of founder-investor relationships and how they can impact success.The differences between the US and European tech ecosystems and their potential.Insights into how startups can scale efficiently and manage the challenges of growth.==Find all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

This is an insight from our previous conversation on focusing on the key principles of successful B2B sales:How to Apply "Sell, Demo, Build" philosophyIncrease FOMO, reduce FOMU (Fear of Messing Up)Decide if you are selling reduced costs or increased revenueKalev Kaarna is a Mentor at Creative Destruction Lab and recently became ex-VC at Superangel where for the past 5 years Kalev operated as an investor and startups coach two in one. Kalev has specialized in propelling early-stage software and deep-tech startups to significant growth, with a keen focus on AI/ML, robotics, logistics, mobility, and SaaS B2B sectors. His prowess in guiding startups through initial challenges, especially in the Nordics and Baltics, is marked by his success in leading Superangel's accelerator program, where 33 startups collectively raised €40M. Listen to the full conversation with Kalev here on Episode 146:Link to SpotifyLink to Apple Podcastshttps://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/episodes/146-kalev-kaarna===============Find all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

Ervins Grinfelds is the Co-founder of TestDevLab, a leading quality assurance and software testing service provider that works with global tech giants such as Microsoft, Zoom, and Twilio. TestDevLab has grown from a small startup to a company with more than 500 employees, all without external funding. Ervins is passionate about ensuring that software products meet the highest quality standards, and he brings invaluable insights into the importance of trust, scaling a service business, and the role of quality assurance in the tech ecosystem.On this episode we talk about:Why founders often only turn to QA when s%&t hits the fanHow TestDevLab expanded from a small team to a company with over 500 employees and global clientsThe balance between people-driven services and product-based scalabilityHow to ensure trust and reliabilityHow TestDevLab has managed to remain profitable and grow without external investment.==Find all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

This is an insight from our previous conversation on focusing on the US market for B2B startups:US companies are more innovative and have larger budgetsSilicon Valley still beats all other hubsHow good investors can push founders to take bold betsKaan Eren is a Principal at 500 Emerging Europe, the Istanbul-based arm of the 500 Global organization. The team in Europe has recently raised its second fund and is boasting several unicorns among its investments. Kaan concentrates on the Eastern and Central European regions, with a particular focus on the Baltics. Before his current role at 500, Kaan had a successful career in investment banking, after which he transitioned to the dynamic world of startup investing​​​​.Listen to the full conversation with Kaan here on Episode 142:Link to SpotifyLink to Apple Podcastshttps://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/episodes/142-kaan-eren===============Find all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

Rokas Peciulaitis is the Founder and Managing partner of Contrarian Ventures, a venture capital firm specializing in climate tech investments across Europe and Israel. With a background in trading and finance, Rokas brings a unique perspective to venture investing. His firm focuses on backing ambitious founders tackling climate change with innovative business models and sustainable solutions.On this episode we talk about:Why climate tech investing is difficultScaling ClimateTech startupsHow to build companies that create both economic and environmental valueAttracting scientists and technologists to build impactful solutions How artificial intelligence can accelerate ClimateTech==Find all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show