The Pursuit of Scrappiness Podcast

🎙️ NEW Episode (189)! Ads, Analytics & AI. How Distractions Rob Us of Ability to Think Deeply, Challenges of Tracking Marketing ROI & Creating B2B Content Optimized for ChatGPT Vlad Zhovtenko 🇺🇦 Zhovtenko is the founder and CEO of RedTrack.io, a leading ad tracking platform used by over 800 businesses to measure and optimize ad performance across 60,000 ad accounts worldwide. With deep experience in marketing technology, Vlad has built a solution that simplifies complex ad attribution, helping companies better understand their campaign ROI and maximize advertising budgets. The company recently raised 2.9mEUR to fulfill their mission. On this episode we talk about: - How AI improves ad performance tracking and automates decision-making processes for marketers. - Why accurate tracking remains difficult across multiple touchpoints and devices. - Why B2B companies should embrace Black Friday. - Why smaller companies often overlook valuable tools and strategies for optimizing ad spend. - How tracking and observing data daily helps founders identify key patterns and make better decisions. Links to the full conversation in Comments👇

Another year Wrapped! Huge thanks to everyone who tuned in! We’ve published: - 47 New Interviews - 11 Insights (short snapshots, the best of past episodes) Guests came from: - 15 🇪🇪 - 8 🇱🇻 - 7 🇱🇹 - 16 from all over the world 🇺🇸 🇫🇮 🇩🇪 🇸🇪 🇺🇦 We're still maintaining that ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating! And we’re super grateful for everyone who tuned in this year! Some more than others: - We were TOP 10 show for 759 fans on Spotify - TOP 5 show for 503 fans - And the TOP show for 118 fans! We'll be back in 2025! If you have any feedback, suggestions, comments share them with us below 👇

The latest episode of the The Pursuit of Scrappiness Podcast (#190) is out! Avery Schrader is the founder and CEO of Modash a leading influencer marketing platform that helps brands scale partnerships with content creators. With a background in building relationships and driving results for companies like Bolt and Verif, Avery’s journey to creating Modash stems from firsthand experience in the creator economy. Modash now serves over 1,500 customers globally, including brands like Victoria’s Secret and Birkenstock, enabling them to discover and manage influencer campaigns effectively. The company recently raised an impressive 11mEUR Series A round. On this episode we talk about: - Why influencer partnerships outperform traditional ads and how brands can leverage authentic storytelling. - Avery’s entrepreneurial journey, including product validation and pivoting to focus on search functionality. - Practical advice on selecting creators, setting expectations, and adopting a portfolio-based approach. - How startups can use influencers creatively for brand awareness and niche audience engagement. - Key metrics to track, attribution challenges, and strategies for ensuring ROI. - The importance of hiring top talent, structuring company values, and fostering a high-performance culture. Links to the episode in the comments below!

Tune in to the latest episode (#188) of The Pursuit of Scrappiness Podcast with a unicorn founder turned Ukraine activist! Ragnar Sass is a serial entrepreneur, co-founder of Pipedrive, LIFT99 and an active investor in the Baltic and Ukrainian tech scenes. Beyond his entrepreneurial success, Ragnar has emerged as a leading advocate for Ukraine during its time of crisis, founding the Help99 Convoy initiative, which has delivered over €10 million in aid and critical supplies. With deep ties to Ukraine through business and personal connections, Ragnar is leveraging his expertise to support defense tech innovation and foster resilience in the face of geopolitical challenges. On this episode we talk about: - The Role of drone technology in modern warfare - Stories of Ukrainian founders balancing entrepreneurship and national defense efforts amidst war. - Opportunities in DefenseTech and how also non-technical founders can contribute I- nsights into navigating compliance, fundraising, and long sales cycles in the defense sector. - Lessons from Israel’s defense model and how Europe must adapt to new security realities. Links to the episode in the comments below!

The latest episode (#187) of the The Pursuit of Scrappiness Podcast is out! Martin Sokk is the Founder and CEO of Lightyear - the greatest investing app for stocks, bonds, ETFs, you name it. The company raised 25mUSD back in 2022 from such big name investors as Lightspeed venture partners, Virgin Group, Taavet+Sten, Metaplanet and others and has been building relentlessly since. Martin was on our show before on episode 81 shortly after their Series A round, so you are welcome to scroll back! On this episode we talk about: - Navigating Regulatory Challenges in Fintech - The Importance of Localization in European Markets - Building a Simple and Intuitive User Experience - Balancing Sustainability and Profitability - Fundraising Strategies and Longevity in Startups Links to the episode in the comments!

🎙️ NEW Episode (186)! Being a Startup CEO in Constant Crisis Mode, Why Founders Make the Best Salespeople, Balancing Values & Profit, Why Companies Should Take a Political Stance Anna-Liisa Palatu is the Co-founder and CEO of Woola, an Estonian startup transforming waste wool into sustainable packaging to replace plastic. Under her leadership, Woola has gained recognition across Europe, securing high-profile clients like LVMH and raising €2.5 million to scale operations. In this conversation we talk about: - Why plastic is harmful, from fossil fuel origins to its lack of recyclability. - The challenges of pricing sustainable packaging in a plastic-dominated market. - How end-user demand is driving companies to adopt eco-friendly solutions. - Why founders are the best salespeople and how Woola built its customer base from day one. - Staying true to company values while navigating crises and rejecting unethical opportunities. Links to the full conversation in Comments👇

NEW EPISODE (#185) ALERT!!! Kieran Donovan is the Founder and CEO of k-ID a company dedicated to protecting children and teens online. Earlier this year the company raised a 45mUSD Series A round led by A16Z and Lightspeed Venture Partners. With a background in privacy law, Kieran combines his expertise with a commitment to creating age-appropriate online experiences. On this episode we talk about: - Challenges of trust and safety in digital spaces for kids - How traditional controls often fall short of creating safe online spaces for children. - Why parent involvement is critical in creating positive online experiences for kids. - Insights on navigating legal, ethical, and technical challenges in the trust and safety space. - How advancements in AI and tech can support safer digital environments. Links to the episode in the comments!

We're releasing a BONUS 🎙️ Episode (184) this Thursday! How to Apply the 80/20 Rule in Your Daily Life, What Role Education Plays for Startup Founders, and How to Use AI to Enhance Your Brain vs Outsourcing Your Intelligence to It Mathias Eklof is a serial entrepreneur and investor with multiple startup exits. He is currently founder of Pareto Business School and running his own investment company Hype Ventures. In this conversation we talk about: - Applying the 80/20 Pareto principle in life and business - Reimagining business education - The role of AI and skilful prompting in education - The power of cohort-based learning Check out also the Part 1 of our conversation with Mathias in our feed. Links to the full conversation in Comments👇

🎙️ NEW Episode (183)! Investor in Ukrainian Startups Reveals How Mobilisation Affects Tech Talent & How War Has Turned Ukraine into Future Defense Tech Powerhouse We first spoke to Mathias Eklof in May 2022. He was adamant about continuing to invest in Ukrainian 🇺🇦 startups. 2 years later he and everyone else who had confidence in Ukraine have been proven right. Mathias is a serial entrepreneur and investor with multiple startup exits. He is is spending a lot of time in Kyiv and has first-hand insights into the tech scene there. Currently founder of Pareto Business School and running his own investment company Hype Ventures. Mathias also has a background from the Swedish military and doesn’t shy away from giving direct opinions which makes Mathias a perfect conversation partner to discuss how war & mobilisation affect tech scene in Ukraine. In this conversation we talk about: - Controversial talent 'booking' system that allows some employees to avoid mobilisation - Why war is NOT the biggest risk for startup investors - Ukraine becoming Defense Tech powerhouse Links to the full conversation in Comments👇

🎙️ NEW Episode (182)! 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 Finance - Fundraising Landscape in 2024 - Traits of a Standout FinTech Company - Best Practices for Founders in Building and Maintaining Investor Relationships - The Role of ESG and Climate FinTech - Opportunities and Challenges in Neo-Banking and Digital Lending Links to the episode in the comments!