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150 Startup Bets with Itamar Novick
Itamar Novick has spent 15 years investing in startups, backing more than 150 companies, including early bets connected to unicorns, decacorns, and public companies.
But this conversation is not about the glamour of venture capital.
It is about the traps.
The mistakes that repeat. The patterns that quietly kill startups. The “good ideas” that look smart on the outside but drain years of time, money, and founder energy.
In this episode of Aggaeus, Haggai Klorman Eraqi sits down with Itamar Novick, Founder & General Partner of Recursive Ventures, for a conversation about VC, founder psychology, AI, startup anti-patterns, and what it really takes to build a venture-backed company.
Itamar has seen the startup journey from multiple sides: operator, angel investor, VC, board observer, and early supporter of companies from seed to IPO and beyond.
That experience taught him something most founders learn too late:
Success is hard to copy.
Failure patterns repeat.
From elephant hunting to “if we build it, they will come,” Itamar explains why many founders don’t fail because they are lazy or unintelligent. They fail because they follow patterns that feel logical in the moment — but destroy the company over time.
He also explains why early-stage investing is still mostly about the team, why great founders can pivot through broken markets, and why AI has changed the minimum bar for starting a company.
Today, showing up with only an idea is no longer enough.
If a demo can be built over a weekend, founders need to prove something deeper: judgment, speed, customer insight, resilience, and a real reason why they can win.
In this episode, we cover:
• Why venture capital carries more negative energy than outsiders realize
• Why startup success is unique, but failure patterns repeat
• The anti-patterns that quietly kill early-stage companies
• Why Itamar still bets heavily on founders at pre-seed
This is a conversation about founders, VCs, anti-patterns, AI, risk, resilience, and how to avoid building the kind of startup that looks promising right until it falls apart.
Check out the full episode notes, transcripts, and all links on Substack:
👉 https://aggaeus.com/
SPONSORS - EXCLUSIVE FOR AGGAEUS PODCAST LISTENERS:
KARDZ.BIZ
BUY 2, GET 3 ON KARDZ.BIZ — UP TO $479 VALUE.
AGGAEUSB2G3PREMIUM - for PREMIUM cards
AGGAEUSB2G3PRO+ - for PRO+ cards
When face-to-face impressions matter, pull out Kardz.Biz, the “business card too good to give away”.
Use this link: https://kardz.biz/?ref=yqrmczty
BETTER WEIGHT FOR LIFE
SAVE 10% ON BETTER WEIGHT FOR LIFE’S GLP-1 PROGRAMS WITH CODE AGGAEUS10 (LIMITED TIME).
Better Weight For Life is a transformational weight loss program led by a U.S. board-certified physician designed to keep it simple: personalized GLP-1 treatment, expert support, and discreet delivery.
They offer options including Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Zepbound®, Mounjaro®, plus compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide (eligibility depends on your medical evaluation).
Claim the offer here: https://www.betterweightforlife.com/partners/aggaeus
CONNECT WITH ITAMAR NOVICK
Website
Recursive Ventures
CONNECT WITH HAGGAI
FOLLOW AGGAEUS
TikTok
YouTube
SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST
Apple Podcasts
INQUIRIES
💼 Sponsorships / Business: [email protected]
🎙 Podcast: DM via Instagram
DISCLAIMER
Some links may earn affiliate commissions. Offers, terms, and availability may change without notice.
Aggaeus content is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should conduct your own research and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions.
We may feature companies, products, or entities in which Aggaeus, its affiliates, or the author have invested or may invest, or with which they have had, have, or may have a financial, professional, or other relationship.
View all episodes
By Hosted by Haggai Klorman-EraqiItamar Novick has spent 15 years investing in startups, backing more than 150 companies, including early bets connected to unicorns, decacorns, and public companies.
But this conversation is not about the glamour of venture capital.
It is about the traps.
The mistakes that repeat. The patterns that quietly kill startups. The “good ideas” that look smart on the outside but drain years of time, money, and founder energy.
In this episode of Aggaeus, Haggai Klorman Eraqi sits down with Itamar Novick, Founder & General Partner of Recursive Ventures, for a conversation about VC, founder psychology, AI, startup anti-patterns, and what it really takes to build a venture-backed company.
Itamar has seen the startup journey from multiple sides: operator, angel investor, VC, board observer, and early supporter of companies from seed to IPO and beyond.
That experience taught him something most founders learn too late:
Success is hard to copy.
Failure patterns repeat.
From elephant hunting to “if we build it, they will come,” Itamar explains why many founders don’t fail because they are lazy or unintelligent. They fail because they follow patterns that feel logical in the moment — but destroy the company over time.
He also explains why early-stage investing is still mostly about the team, why great founders can pivot through broken markets, and why AI has changed the minimum bar for starting a company.
Today, showing up with only an idea is no longer enough.
If a demo can be built over a weekend, founders need to prove something deeper: judgment, speed, customer insight, resilience, and a real reason why they can win.
In this episode, we cover:
• Why venture capital carries more negative energy than outsiders realize
• Why startup success is unique, but failure patterns repeat
• The anti-patterns that quietly kill early-stage companies
• Why Itamar still bets heavily on founders at pre-seed
This is a conversation about founders, VCs, anti-patterns, AI, risk, resilience, and how to avoid building the kind of startup that looks promising right until it falls apart.
Check out the full episode notes, transcripts, and all links on Substack:
👉 https://aggaeus.com/
SPONSORS - EXCLUSIVE FOR AGGAEUS PODCAST LISTENERS:
KARDZ.BIZ
BUY 2, GET 3 ON KARDZ.BIZ — UP TO $479 VALUE.
AGGAEUSB2G3PREMIUM - for PREMIUM cards
AGGAEUSB2G3PRO+ - for PRO+ cards
When face-to-face impressions matter, pull out Kardz.Biz, the “business card too good to give away”.
Use this link: https://kardz.biz/?ref=yqrmczty
BETTER WEIGHT FOR LIFE
SAVE 10% ON BETTER WEIGHT FOR LIFE’S GLP-1 PROGRAMS WITH CODE AGGAEUS10 (LIMITED TIME).
Better Weight For Life is a transformational weight loss program led by a U.S. board-certified physician designed to keep it simple: personalized GLP-1 treatment, expert support, and discreet delivery.
They offer options including Ozempic®, Wegovy®, Zepbound®, Mounjaro®, plus compounded semaglutide and compounded tirzepatide (eligibility depends on your medical evaluation).
Claim the offer here: https://www.betterweightforlife.com/partners/aggaeus
CONNECT WITH ITAMAR NOVICK
Website
Recursive Ventures
CONNECT WITH HAGGAI
FOLLOW AGGAEUS
TikTok
YouTube
SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST
Apple Podcasts
INQUIRIES
💼 Sponsorships / Business: [email protected]
🎙 Podcast: DM via Instagram
DISCLAIMER
Some links may earn affiliate commissions. Offers, terms, and availability may change without notice.
Aggaeus content is for informational and educational purposes only and should not be considered legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should conduct your own research and consult qualified professionals before making any decisions.
We may feature companies, products, or entities in which Aggaeus, its affiliates, or the author have invested or may invest, or with which they have had, have, or may have a financial, professional, or other relationship.