I'm joined by Matthias, co-founder of Avalana, who shares his journey building a startup in the video editing space & the lessons learned from previous ventures. We discuss how building in public has driven surprising growth, his approach to remote work, and his perspective on AI's impact on creativity.Timestamps:00:00 - Intro and rap01:26 - Experience from previous startups and focusing on one thing02:55 - Evolution of success definition04:47 - Most valuable daily habits (morning runs and sauna)07:28 - Managing expectations while building a startup14:42 - Content strategy and the unexpected benefits of building in public24:42 - Human creativity vs AI generated work in video editing42:34 - Building in Switzerland vs Silicon Valley47:22 - Remote work practices that work (and what they rejected)52:53 - Insights from shadowing video editors and product developmentKey Points:Focus is everything for startup success"I'd say my biggest failure was just doing a lot of things okay to good, but not really building anything to its biggest potential."Redefine success beyond external validationMatthias shifted from "How can I make money as fast as possible?" to "How can I be happy, build what I'm passionate about with people I enjoy working with?"Remote-first works with the right structureTheir approach: Monday/Tuesday/Friday standups, Wednesday deep dives, and no meetings on Thursdays for focused work.Building in public creates unexpected advantages"We have every week somebody wanting to apply either as a video editor, product engineer, or designer for free" - all from sharing the startup journey through vlogs.AI will amplify rather than replace human creativity"Finding the story" will remain the most valuable skill for creators as AI handles technical tasks.Europe offers startup advantages over Silicon ValleyLower talent costs, better work-life balance, and cultural diversity create a strong foundation for building sustainably.Taste is developed through intentional consumption"Be very conscious of how you consume... think why does this speak to me? Why does this not speak to me?"Notable Quotes:"The older you get, the more you learn to say no just because you said yes too many times.""I don't think you need to work 12 hours a day seven days a week to be successful.""The bigger you are, the more your personal brand matters, and the more that is directly connected with the value of your brand."