Follow the Gradient

As co-founder of VEED, Sabba Keynejad spent years building without funding, optimising for what users actually searched for, and scaling through obsessive customer focus—not pitch decks.In this episode, we get into:•⁠ ⁠Why getting rejected by YC twice in a weekend became fuel for growth•⁠ ⁠How to build for what users search for (not what they say they want)•⁠ ⁠What makes SEO and YouTube a powerful GTM engine—if you’re scrappy•⁠ ⁠How loving your users more than your investors changes your roadmap🟢 And before you go, subscribe to our free newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠followthegradient.io⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Twice a week, we break down startup and tech news, share exclusive insights from our podcast guests, highlight top job openings from European startups, and provide food for thought you won’t find anywhere else. 🟡

Adrian Locher, a serial entrepreneur who co-founded DeinDeal and Almeronitics, shares his gripping journey through burnout and mental health struggles. He reveals the warning signs founders often overlook and discusses how ambition can turn into a personal downfall. Adrian emphasizes the need for reevaluating work-life balance and introduces the three-bucket rule that helped him rebuild his life. This conversation is a candid exploration of transforming failure into empowerment while nurturing personal well-being amidst the relentless pursuit of success.

Patrick Spychalski, Co-founder of The Kiln | A Clay Agency, is revolutionizing how B2B teams approach Go-To-Market strategies. He discusses the pitfalls of starting with tools too early, emphasizing the importance of genuine human relationships in sales. Patrick reveals how AI can enhance prospecting without replacing personal touch, and he introduces the role of the GTM engineer as a crucial connector between sales and tech. He highlights the need for tech-savviness in the evolving marketing landscape and practical steps for effective AI integration.

Omid Akhavan, a leading OKR coach and founder of Lucid Outcomes, shares his insights on effective goal-setting with organizations worldwide. He dives into the common pitfalls that lead to OKR failures and emphasizes the importance of intentional leadership over rigid systems. Akhavan discusses starting with simple tools for OKR management, the balance between ambitious goals and performance assessments, and the value of team collaboration in aligning objectives. This conversation is a goldmine for founders looking to enhance clarity and drive results.

Enzo Wälchli, Chief Commercial Officer of ANYbotics, shares insights from scaling a robotics startup into a significant player in physical AI. He candidly discusses the journey from founder hustle to strategic leadership, emphasizing the importance of hiring well and building a strong company culture. Enzo also touches on balancing the demands of work and family life while maintaining focus on what truly matters, offering practical strategies for personal and professional growth in the tech landscape.

Tobias Gunzenhauser co-founded Yamo with a mission to bring fresh, healthy baby food to families across Europe. After years of growth and recognition, the startup ultimately had to shut down. In this conversation, Tobias shares the rarely discussed realities of ending a company–from team communication to emotional processing, legal steps, and what he wishes he’d known. It’s a thoughtful, practical episode for any founder navigating uncertainty–and proof that endings can also lead to beginnings.🟢 And before you go, subscribe to our free newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠followthegradient.io⁠⁠⁠. Twice a week, we break down startup and tech news, share exclusive insights from our podcast guests, highlight top job openings from European startups, and provide food for thought you won’t find anywhere else. 🟡

Petter Made, co-founder of SumUp and today partner at EWOR, reflects on the chaotic early days of SumUp – assembling an all-WHU founding team, designing custom card readers in-house, and building a global payments company from Berlin with expansion playbooks and local MDs. He shares how SumUp nearly ran out of money three times, what it means to scale with intention, and why founders who neglect sleep are "literally unlearning their own lessons." A raw, tactical episode on what it really takes to build a European fintech giant.🟢 And before you go, subscribe to our free newsletter at ⁠⁠⁠followthegradient.io⁠⁠⁠. Twice a week, we break down startup and tech news, share exclusive insights from our podcast guests, highlight top job openings from European startups, and provide food for thought you won’t find anywhere else. 🟡

What do layoffs, leadership, and letting go have in common? In this episode, Tuomas Toivonen, co-founder and CEO of Holvi, shares what it really took to rebuild his company after a major acquisition and painful downsizing.We get into why charging for your product might be the healthiest move you can make, how growth can mask broken fundamentals, and what true leadership looks like when everything falls apart.Tuomas opens up about the hard decisions that followed Holvi’s buyout by BBVA, the lessons he learned from cutting his team by more than half, and why startups are never just about solving one problem.🟢 And before you go, subscribe to our free newsletter at ⁠⁠followthegradient.io⁠⁠. Twice a week, we break down startup and tech news, share exclusive insights from our podcast guests, highlight top job openings from European startups, and provide food for thought you won’t find anywhere else. 🟡

What do robots, risk, and resilience have in common? In this episode, Roman Hölzl, founder and CEO of RobCo, shares how he went from elite freestyle skier to building one of Europe’s most capital-efficient robotics startups.We get into what it takes to sell robots to people who don't want to buy robots, how to say no to average and build a Champions League culture, and move hardware at software speed – all while staying sane under extreme pressure.And yes, we unpack that one night in 2012 that still shapes how Roman leads today.🟢 And before you go, subscribe to our free newsletter at ⁠followthegradient.io⁠. Twice a week, we break down startup and tech news, share exclusive insights from our podcast guests, highlight top job openings from European startups, and provide food for thought you won’t find anywhere else. 🟡

In this week's episode we dive deep into hardware entrepreneurship: Vincent Martinez shares what it actually takes to build and scale a physical product company in a software-first world. From his early PhD research to the successful acquisition of Nanoleq, this episode is packed with raw insights founders need to hear.Here’s what you’ll learn:Why building hardware is 10x harder – and how to survive itThe real cost of scaling: team, machines, funding, and founder sanityHow to go from technology to product to full-stack businessHiring for innovation: balancing scrappy early teams with experienced specialistsWhat most founders get wrong when prepping for an acquisitionAdvice for PhDs and deep tech researchers considering a startup pathAnd before you go, subscribe to our free newsletter at ⁠⁠followthegradient.io⁠⁠. Twice a week, we break down startup and tech news, share exclusive insights from our podcast guests, highlight top job openings from European startups, and provide food for thought you won’t find anywhere else.