Terra API Podcast - Stay Fit, Stay Connected

In the latest conversation at Imperial College London, Kyriakos is joined by George Robson, Partner at Sequoia.George went from leading global products at Revolut to joining Sequoia Capital - one of the most selective VC firms in the world.At Revolut, he helped scale the team from a few hundred to thousands and launched products used by millions. Now at Sequoia, he backs Europe’s most ambitious founders.In this episode, George shares:What made Revolut’s culture so intense and effectiveHow Sequoia actually decides who to fundThe founder red flag they won’t tolerateWhy “talent density” beats speed in the early daysWhether you’re raising your first round, building a team, or just curious how the top VCs think this episode is packed with real insight from both sides of the table.Follow George Robson on XFollow Kyriakos Eleftheriou on XTIMESTAMPS:00:00 – Intro: From Revolut to Sequoia03:15 – What made Revolut’s culture brutally effective06:40 – Nik Storonsky’s “gym” metaphor and hiring filter10:30 – The pod structure that unlocked speed and ownership13:50 – Why Revolut grew like a Darwinian startup lab17:10 – Inside Sequoia: culture, filters, and pace21:45 – What founders often misunderstand about VC24:30 – 50/50 founder equity splits: why it’s a red flag28:00 – How Sequoia filters for world-class founders31:00 – The 4 traits George looks for before investing35:20 – Working with founders after the check lands38:50 – Europe vs US: what’s still misunderstood43:00 – How to pitch Sequoia the right way46:30 – What great founders don’t do in a pitch50:15 – Why storytelling and obsession matter53:45 – What George would do differently as a founder56:00 – Lightning round: hot takes on VC, speed, AI59:10 – Closing thoughts: how to build for the long game

In the latest episode, Kyriakos is joined by Dmitry Gurski , the CEO of Flo Health, the fastest growing health startup in the world, for 2024, in their conversation at Imperial College LondonTimestamps:00:00 - Intro02:10 - Early Failures & $60M Mistake 05:45 - Smart Founders Fail 08:20 - Launching Flo11:10 - What Great Products Have in Common 13:30 - Beating Max Levchin & a16z16:00 - Winning against Apple20:30 - Fundraising23:10 - 300 Experiments26:00 - What Almost Killed Flo28:40 - From $1B to $10B Valuation 30:00 - AI is too slow 33:30 - Fast Decisions > Smart Decisions 36:28 Q&A

Kyriakos is joined by Ethan Kurzweil, a founding partner at Chemistry and former managing partner at Bessemer Venture Partners.He’s led early investments in Twitch, Twilio, Intercom, and PagerDuty — and in this conversation, he shares what separates good founders from iconic ones.In this episode, we discuss:- Why the best founders are like cult leaders- What makes a startup idea truly contrarian- How to build a focused, high-conviction VC fund- The future of AI-native companiesWhether you’re raising, investing, or building— This is a must-listen for anyone serious about startups.Follow Ethan on X: https://twitter.com/@ethankurzFollow Kyriakos on X: https://twitter.com/@kyriakoselChemistry VC: @chemistry_fund | [https://chemistry.vc](https://chemistry.vc/)TIMESTAMPS00:00 - Intro02:10 - What Makes a Cult-Like Founder05:20 - Why the Best Startups Start in SF08:30 - The Origins of Ethan & Chemistry VC10:20 - How He Spotted Twilio Early13:45 - What Great Founders Have in Common18:00 - Contrarian vs. Consensus Thinking21:00 - Lessons from Bessemer + Transition to Chemistry26:00 - Why Chemistry Focuses Only on Early Stage30:30 - Building a High-Conviction VC Fund35:00 - What Chemistry Invests In38:00 - How to Build a Durable AI Company43:00 - Why AI Will Reshape Healthcare First47:10 - Ethan’s First Healthtech Investment50:00 - Building Strong Startup Culture52:00 - Advice for Founders Moving to SF54:40 - Ethan’s 50-Year Future Vision58:00 - The Future of Creativity & Learning1:01:00 - Are Elite Universities Still Worth It?1:03:00 - How to Reach Ethan & Final Words

Ivan Selin, Chief Product Officer of AllTrails, previously crafted innovative products at Apple, Airbnb, and Uber. He shares fascinating insights on integrating technology with outdoor adventures and creating user-centric experiences. Ivan discusses balancing long-term goals with immediate planning while enhancing community engagement through user-generated content. He also highlights the role of AI in outdoor experiences and reflects on future hiking trends, emphasizing the connection between humanity and nature empowered by technology.

Kyriakos is joined by Kian Sadeghi, the CEO of Nucleus Genomics, the leading company in the world, in genome testing.As of today, Nucleus has raised $32m, from some of the best investors in the world, such as Founders Fund, Seven Seven Six, and many more. 00:00 Introduction02:00 Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson: How the deal happened05:40 Make America Healthy Again in Fox News08:00 How to generate attention21:20 How Nucleus started28:00 Raising the first $33:00 How Kian raised from Keith Rabois from Founders Fund45:25 'The modern day emperor is founders'48:40 'The companies that win don't care about trends'49:30 'The two startup models'52:00 'AI is a negative signal'55:50 'Join the founder that is insane'56:50 Nucleus product evolution57:20 The 23andMe acquisition1:08:00 'DNA future and family planning'1:16:00 Raising the Series A1:21:00 Deadlifts

In the latest podcast, Vanessa, who leads design engineering at Terra, in a discussion on how to speak to users and create products

In the latest podcast,Kyriakos Eleftheriou is joined byGeorge Hadjigeorgiou, who's the cofounder of ZOE, efood, GoldenGroup and others, in their discussion at Imperial College London.00:00 Intro4:10 Founding ZOE10:10 Launching the biggest study in the world in nutrition13:45 How to convince a scientist to join19:55 Using clinical studies as an early version of the product23:20 COVID and go to market26:12 Scaling the go to market27:00 Thinking of product lines - Supplements for the Gut29:10 Culture is what you do, not what you say34:15 What to eat for longevity36:45 How to invest39:15 Action produces information42:20 Take on the 'founder mode'47:40 Q&A

In the latest podcast,Kyriakos is joined by Matt Robinsonwho's a partner at Accel, and the cofounder of GoCardless and Nested, in their discussion at Imperial College London.00:00 Intro2:12 Launching GoCardless7:10 Leaning into real relationships8:48 'If you take everything you need to do in a successful business, we did the opposite.'12:08 There's no idea that two smart people can't tear apart in a day13:35 Finding the best idea is an irrational endeavor18:13 Paul Graham and Sam Altman as advisors in @ycombinator  22:15 Be a King or Rich24:35 Ensure you understand how a VC functions29:10 Customers knew before we did 31:27 Overcorrecting as a second-time founder35:50 Everything you do creates culture39:00 'Being the angel investor I wanted as a founder'40:39 Founder archetypes43:30 Angel vs VC46:10 Life is really easy48:25 If you change one thing you change everything49:45 Life is not a 0 sum game52:10 Q&A

In this conversation, Kyriakos discusses with Vadim - CEO of Bioniq on his journey from being a professional athlete to leading the personalised health supplement company.Vadim shares insights on fundraising challenges, the significance of early adopters, and the impact of celebrity endorsements, particularly https://twitter.com/Cristiano Ronaldo's involvement with Bionic. He also explores the future of personalized supplements and the need to address the broken food system that necessitates supplementation.Chapters00:00 Introduction01:58 Vadim's Personal Journey from Athlete to CEO08:50 Lessons from a Billion Dollar Company13:05 The Search that led to Founding Bioniq23:44 Shifting from Blood Tests to Questionnaires30:17 Integrating Wearables for Data-Driven Insights32:00 How Does it Work32:58 Making It Scale37:26 Navigating Fundraising for Complex Businesses41:42 Make or Break: First 1000 Users43:23 Cristiano Ronaldo Used Bioniq for Years49:10 Vadim's Take on the Future of Supplements50:43 Future Plans of Bioniq52:07 Addressing the Broken Food System

On the first Terra Health day, ⁠Kyriakos⁠ - CEO of ⁠Terra⁠, is joined by ⁠Lance Armstrong⁠, who shares his story with 300 Y Combinator founders, live from San Francisco. Lance shares his remarkable journey from a young athlete to a world-renowned cyclist, detailing his early struggles, his battle with cancer, and his eventual rise to fame. He discusses the challenges of competing in the Tour de France, the mindset required for success, and the impact of his fall from grace. Lance also reflects on the importance of resilience, the power of content creation in rebuilding his life, and his experiences in investing, particularly in Uber, Docusign, Terra, and others. Chapters 00:00 Introduction 03:30 The Early Years: From Swimming to Triathlon 05:52 Transition to Cycling and Olympic Aspirations 10:00 Facing Cancer: A Life-Changing Diagnosis 12:20 The Comeback: Returning to Cycling 14:51 The Challenge of the Tour de France 18:00 Winning Mindset: The Drive for Success 20:00 From Hero to Zero: The Fall from Grace 24:04 Rebuilding Life: The Power of Content Creation 24:20 Investing in Uber: The Chris Sacca Story 27:00 Investing in Docusign and Terra 30:06 Podcasting Success: Keys to Engaging Content 33:00 Reimagining the Future of Cycling 36:20 How to bet on people 36:42 Adapting Training as We Age 40:20 Reflections on Competition and Legacy 42:38 The Balance of Range and Consistency 45:30 'I Love Golf' 47:00 The Future of American Cycling 50:30 Motivation Beyond Winning 54:02 The Long Game in Venture Capital 57:30 Thoughts on Mindset