This Much I Know - The Seedcamp Podcast
Carlos Espinal
This Much I Know is the podcast from Seedcamp, Europe’s seed fund.
Tune into hear the inside story from startup founders, investors and leading tech voices: the people who’ve built businesses, scaled globally, failed fantastically and learnt massively.
Seedcamp invests early in world-class founders attacking large, global markets and solving real problems using technology. Seedcamp provides the infrastructure to fast-track a founder’s vision and create value through immediate access to smart capital, a lifelong community of support and a global network built upon a decade’s experience backing exceptional talent.
Tune into hear the inside story from startup founders, investors and leading tech voices: the people who’ve built businesses, scaled globally, failed fantastically and learnt massively.
Seedcamp invests early in world-class founders attacking large, global markets and solving real problems using technology. Seedcamp provides the infrastructure to fast-track a founder’s vision and create value through immediate access to smart capital, a lifelong community of support and a global network built upon a decade’s experience backing exceptional talent.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 23, 2024 • 47min
Di Cooke on the Societal and Security Implications of Artificial Intelligence
In a new Seedcamp Deep Dive, Carlos's guest is Di Cook, AI Fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), research affiliate at the Center of the Study for Existential Risk at the University of Cambridge, and a doctoral candidate in war studies at King's College in London. Her research interests lie at the intersection of defense, intelligence, and AI.
Their conversation revolves around the societal and security implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI), from the existential risks that AI could create, to the role of AI in national and international security. They also explore how AI technologies, and especially synthetic media, are augmenting and exacerbating societal and ethical issues and discuss potential initiatives and policies that can help to address these issues.
They also examine the risks, potential misuses, and opportunities presented by AI, especially in the field of open-source intelligence (OSINT).
Last but not least, they delve into different stakeholder's roles in re-establishing societal trust.
Show Notes:
Di Cooke - linkedin.com/in/dcooke34/
Carlos Espinal – linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal
Centre for Strategic and International Studies - csis.org
Seedcamp - seedcamp.com

Feb 1, 2024 • 1h 8min
The Power of Communities in Early Stage Startups
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]

Jan 16, 2024 • 34min
How data relates to building a great product at your startup. Lessons from Bumble and 173Tech
In a new episode of Seedcamp Firsts, Candice Ren, Founder of 173Tech and a member of the Seedcamp Expert Collective, talks with our Venture Partner Devin Hunt about how data relates to building a great product at your startup.
Candice, who contributed to building Bumble's data analytics function and team, explains the importance of understanding and utilizing company data effectively in startups. She provides insights into establishing Northstar metrics, user journey analytics, feature analytics, data dictionaries, and strategies for effective data sharing among teams.
Learn about:
- the user journey as your source of data;
- the difference between product/app and features analytics;
- how to think about your data stack;
- what to track and why you shouldn't track everything;
- why you need a master dashboard and what should it include.

Dec 19, 2023 • 49min
Balderton’s James Wise on AI, Entrepreneurship and the ‘Start-up Century’
In the latest episode of 'This Much I Know,' Carlos's guest is James Wise, Partner at Balderton and author of the newly published book "Start-up Century." They discuss:
- the global movement of entrepreneurship and its role in today's world and the decades to come
- the evolving nature of work and how AI is accelerating its transformation
the Five C's of AI Integration
- the new technological frontiers, including health, housing, and energy
- James's 'Entrepreneur's Manifesto,' a policy recommendation for governments to better support entrepreneurs
- the role writing plays in his day-to-day work as an investor, and how his book has influenced his investment strategies
Show Notes:
James Wise - twitter.com/jamespaulwise
- linkedin.com/in/jamespaulwise/
Carlos Espinal - twitter.com/cee
- linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal/
Balderton - balderton.com
Seedcamp - seedcamp.com
Start-Up Century. Why we're all becoming entrepreneurs - and how to make it work for everyone - https://www.bloomsbury.com/uk/startup-century-9781399410595/

Dec 7, 2023 • 39min
Convelio's Edouard Gouin on Innovating at the Intersection of Arts, Tech, and Logistics
The latest Seedcamp Deep Dive focuses on the intersection of art, logistics, and technology. Carlos's guest is Edouard Gouin, co-founder and CEO of Convelio, a tech-led global logistics startup specialised in fine art shipping.
They discuss:
- the journey and challenges of building Convelio;
- Convelio's position in and interactions with key players within the art ecosystem; and its innovative value proposition;
- the critical elements of customer service;
- the importance of forming cultural alignments in business partnerships;
the integration challenges after acquiring a 'brick and mortar type' logistics company;
- Edouard's appreciation for art and his regret of missing out on promising investment opportunities in the early stages of his favourite artists' careers.
Show notes:
Convelio is recruiting for multiple roles. Check out openings here: https://jobs.lever.co/convelio
Edouard Gouin - linkedin.com/in/edouardgouin
Carlos Espinal - linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal
Convelio - convelio.com
Seedcamp - seedcamp.com

Nov 24, 2023 • 1h 15min
The Impact of AI Innovations and Why We Need to Prioritise Responsible AI
In a new episode of This Much I Know, Carlos and his guests Aaron Rosenberg (Radical Ventures, previously at DeepMind) and our Partner Tom Wilson explore the current state and impact of AI innovations and future developments, as well as AI's broad-ranging impacts on society, job market, and geopolitical landscape.
They also reflect on the ways machine learning reshapes the dynamics in various industries, such as law and software development, and how AI-powered interfaces, like Humane's AI pin, could change how people interact with technology.
The conversation also covers investment trends in AI startups, the role of venture capital in prioritising Responsible AI, and regulatory frameworks needed as the technology evolves. Aaron also shares his experience and ideas learned from his tenure at DeepMind.
Show Notes:
RESPONSIBLE AI STARTUPS (RAIS) Framework
Aaron Rosenberg - linkedin.com/in/aaronrosenberg12
Tom Wilson - linkedin.com/in/tomwilsonseedcamp
Carlos Espinal - linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal
Radical Ventures - radical.vc
Seedcamp - seedcamp.com

Oct 27, 2023 • 56min
ClearBank’s Thomas Knowles on Cybercrime Prevention and Monitoring and Cybersecurity Measures
In the latest Seedcamp Deep Dive, our Managing Partner Carlos Espinal chats with Thomas Knowles, Head of Security Operations at ClearBank about all things cybersecurity - from essential cybersecurity foundations for early-stage companies to cybersecurity certifications and threat intelligence management.
Show Notes:
Thomas Knowles - linkedin.com/in/thomas-knowles-77a3509/
Carlos Espinal – linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal
ClearBank – clear.bank
Seedcamp – seedcamp.com
Cybersecurity Certifications mentioned in the episode:
SOC2 Certification (https://secureframe.com/request-demo/demo-secureframe)
CyberEssentials (https://cybersmart.co.uk/cyber-essentials-certification/)
Cybersecurity Framework | NIST (https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework)
Official PCI Security Standards Council Site - Verify PCI Compliance, Download Data Security and Credit Card Security Standards (https://www.pcisecuritystandards.org/)

Oct 5, 2023 • 47min
Pleo's CTO Meri Williams on Scaling Engineering, Open Source and Risks and Opportunities of GenAI
Listen to a wide-ranging conversation about scaling engineering and technological innovation, between Meri Williams, CTO at Seedcamp-backed Pleo (previously CTO at Healx and Monzo, a.o.) and our Managing Partner Carlos Espinal.
They cover:
- Meri's career journey from building satellites as a teenager in South Africa to becoming one of Europe's most renowned CTOs;
- The importance of applied learning and deliberate practice in keeping up with the fast-paced changes in technology; and how to create a "culture of learning";
- How to create the conditions and the environment for the success of your team as a CTO;
- The importance of diversity, values fit, and culture add;
- The current state of Generative AI, and the opportunities and risks it brings along;
- How to adapt to and mitigate Cybersecurity challenges;
- The role of Open Source in tech startups and scale-ups, and giving back to the OS community; and more.

Sep 29, 2023 • 39min
How to create and scale an iconic community. Lessons from Sorare
In a new Seedcamp Firsts podcast episode, our Partner Sia Houchangnia chats with Dan O'Kelly, an early Community Lead at Seedcamp-backed fantasy sports unicorn Sorare. They cover all things community building, including:
- the importance of community in a fast-growing startup;
- founders' key role in setting up the vision and building the foundations of an authentic community;
- the early tactics Sorare used to build their community;
- how to kickstart and nurture your community;
- how to nurture organic initiatives by community members;
- why it is important to put resources into community building;
- mistakes and lessons learned in scaling community in the hyper-growth phase.

Aug 31, 2023 • 53min
receeve's Paul Jozefak on the Current State of SaaS Businesses
This episode of This Much I Know, features Paul Jozefak, co-founder and CEO of Seedcamp-backed receeve, a Germany-based end-to-end debt collection and recovery platform.
In conversation with our Managing Partner, Carlos Espinal, Paul reflects on:
- his career trajectory in VC and entrepreneurship;
- the current state of SaaS businesses;
- reeceve's role and vision in the debt recovery and collection ecosystem;
- the importance of luck and good timing in business;
- how receeve navigatigated the COVID crisis;
- how to build a strong relationship with your co-founder(s);
- and more.
Tune in on your favourite platform or watch on Youtube.
Show Notes:
Paul Jozefak - linkedin.com/in/pauljozefak/
- twitter.com/pjozefak
Carlos Espinal - linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal
- twitter.com/cee
receeve - receeve.com
Seedcamp - seedcamp.com


