The Early Stages Podcast by APX

It’s a common perception that starting a company is one of the riskiest things one can do. But is that true? As of 2022, there’s a multitude of free options, knowledge and even free funding out there. We talk to the founders of Codio impact - Tilman Kemper and Sonja Radovic - about quitting their day jobs, living without an income you are used to, and jumping from risk-averse industries to being a startup founder having to embrace risk and the possibilties it creates.

A great idea is only going to become a successful business if there is a market for it. That's why identifying your 'Product Market Fit' is one of the most important steps on your startup journey. But how do you best do this? We talk to Jerónimo van Schendel, co-founder of Bildia, and Teddy Kim, Head of Venture Development at APX, about how to achieve this startup holy grail.

Host: Søren Lund Nielsen

No matter how experienced you are when you start a company, you obviously can't know everything. Luckily, there's an ocean of people out there who can help you on your journey, but how do you find the right advisors for your startup and how do you best work together? To discuss this, we talk to Anna Nazarova and Elena Engel from Marq, Esranur Kaygin from Hirize, and Jer Langhans, executive advisor for Hirize

Making a change in your original business strategy based on new insights - also known as pivoting - is not a sign of a failing startup. It's pretty much expected of most companies. Today we’ll dive into why it’s relevant for founders to be ready for pivoting - even at the earliest stages. We are joined by two founders - Kristof Szabo. CEO & Co-Founder at Colossyan, and Julian Herzog, founder and CEO of Osterus - who both pivoted with their companies.

When you start a new company, your team start out small, and everything revolves around your product and idea. But as your startup grows, so does your team, and humans need guidance. How do you grow into the role of being a leader for them, and what does that mean for your own role? We talk conscious leadership with coach Philip Horvath, partner at luman, and Sven Mulfinger, serial-founder latest with Dana, a digital health startup for new mothers.

Raising funds to run your company is one of the most crucial but difficult things you’ll face as a founder, especially if you’re a first-time founder and it is the first time you raise. We talk frequently asked founder fundraising questions with Tine Schmitz from Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund, and hear what Tolga Ermis, co-founder and CEO of promiseQ, learned from his first experiences with fundraising.

Hosts: Søren Lund Nielsen and Daniela Machado from APX.

For your company to become a success, sometimes something fundamental in its industry has to change. You know this, and you believe it will, but how do you face this challenge, and how do you convince investors to fund your company nevertheless? We talked to Evgeniya Polo, co-founder of digital funeral planning platform Emmora, and Jörg Rheinboldt, Managing Director at APX and former Managing Director of eBay Germany.

Hosts: Søren Lund Nielsen and Diego Siguelnitzky from APX.

The more diverse your team is, the more likely you will build a product that attracts a diverse group of customers. And the later you prioritize hiring and working with diversity in mind, the harder it is to change it. Meet Claudia Nassif, co-founder of Fyta, and Julia Carloff-Winkelmann, Chief People Officer at Dance, ​​an electric mobility subscription service, to discuss why diversity is vital at the earliest stages of starting a business.

Hosts: Søren Lund Nielsen and Amélie Gagné from APX.

The right brand is your foundation for a powerful future as a company as it helps people remember and connect with you. But how do you approach building a brand when you have only just started your own company? To discuss this, we talked to Kristian Rix, co-founder of POOL, an impact fashion rental, and Anna Lüder, Managing Partner at Sasserath +, a strategic consultancy based in Berlin.

Hosts: Søren Lund Nielsen and Jörg Rheinboldt from APX.

Building a company takes time, so finding the right long-term co-founder is crucial and must be done consciously. To discuss how you best do this, we talk to Darren Murphy from the global VC Antler, and Ivan Tan, the co-founder of Humant Life, who started his company without a team or specific idea. It turns out founders can learn a thing or two from Love Island.

Hosts: Søren Lund Nielsen and Jörg Rheinboldt from APX.