The Recursive Podcast

By The Recursive Media

The Recursive podcast is your weekly wander inside the minds of innovation leaders across SouthEast Europe. Each week our hosts cozy up with a digital economy champion and dive deep into their life ph... more

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FAQs about The Recursive Podcast:

How many episodes does The Recursive Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 107 episodes available.

The Recursive Podcast episodes:

November 05, 2024 Being Close to Death Brought Me Closer to My Mission - Cosmin Curticapean #TheRecursivePodcast E106
How can extreme sports change your view on life & business? In this episode of The Recursive Podcast, Cosmin Curticapean takes us through his entrepreneurial journey that began in 1995, spanning industries from telecommunications to fintech. In 2016, he founded LENDOX, a tech startup focused on alternative financing solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises. Since then, LENDOX has secured around €3.5M in investment, fueling its growth in this innovative sector.
Beyond building companies, Cosmin actively supports the startup ecosystem. He co-founded the Romanian Fintech Association, mentors aspiring entrepreneurs, and acts as an angel investor through Techangels Romania.
In this conversation with Elena Vrabie, he discusses:
- The lessons his father taught him that shaped his entrepreneurial mindset
- How meeting his wife helped him embrace authenticity
- The future of fintech in Romania and beyond
Timestamps
0:00 Trailer
2:30 Building the first business in 1995 and Cosmin’s entrepreneurial journey
14:46 Cosmin’s leadership style and why authenticity is important
21:22 How LENDOX helps SMEs with alternative financing by leveraging AI
33:04 Building a fintech company in a highly regulated market
39:39 The culture & standouts members of LENDOX
45:11 The current state of fintech of Romania vs globally
50:37 Cosmin’s take on angel investing in CEE
55:54 What the future holds for LENDOX
...more
59min
October 18, 2024 There are people who work and those who think ft. Bogdan Iordache #TheRecursivePodcast E105
What was it like to study AI back in 2003, and how does it pay off today? In this episode of The Recursive Podcast, Bogdan Iordache shares his journey from becoming a CTO at just 21 years old to his evolution as a successful investor. Bogdan is a prominent person not only in Romania’s startup ecosystem, but in CEE.
Over the years, he has worn many hats—founder, advisor, event organizer—and today, he plays a leading role as an investor. Just a year ago, he announced the first close of Underline Ventures with $20M in funding.
Bogdan is also the founder of How to Web, one of the region’s most prominent tech conferences.
In his conversation with Irina Obushtarova, he discusses:
- Why he didn’t enjoy being a founder, but loves being an investor
- Passing the reins of How to Web to Alex Agatinei and Monica Zara
- Underline VC's approach to identifying excellent founders
______________
Timestamps
0:00 Trailer
1:33 Reflections on How To Web Conference & how it started
7:36 Doing business as a teenager and how selling sunglasses paid off
16:18 Getting a degree in AI in 2003 and what was it about 11 year ago
19:21 Becoming a CTO at 21 y/o in 2000 and challenging your superiors
26:56 Leaving for France, but finding the way back to Romania
31:08 Founder life vs investor and what is Bogdan better at
43:12 Underline VC’s checklist for finding investable founders
51:38 Bogdan’s daily routine and non-negotiables
______________
If you would like to find out more about these topics…
CHECK OUT 🟣 https://therecursive.com/
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https://therecursive.com/future-of-ai...
...more
1h
October 03, 2024 Age Is a Disease That Could Be Treated ft. Nika Pintar | #TheRecursivePodcast E104
...more
54min
September 20, 2024 "Perfect Marriage" Between Founders and Investors ft. Pedja Predin | #TheRecursivePodcast E103
What makes a “perfect marriage” between founders and investors? In this episode of The Recursive podcast we explore investor’s dilemma and founder’s mindset with Pedja Predin. He is General Partner at Fifth Quarter Ventures, a new early-stage venture capital fund creating global success stories from Southeast Europe.
Pedja has over 12 years of experience in venture capital, corporate strategy, business development, and global expansion. Before establishing his own fund, he was a venture capital investor at South Central Ventures.
In his conversation with Irina Obushtarova, he talks about:
- The importance of the diaspora bringing in new perspectives
- The challenge of cultural and historical attitudes towards feedback
- Chemistry and collaboration between investors and founders
______________
0:00 Trailer
1:25 The stepping stone to venture capital
8:35 Scaling to the US and other major markets
12:22 The founder’s mindset that scores higher
20:19 Achieving a level of maturity as an investor
27:06 Region’s potential in AI
30:00 The importance of the talent pool
32:42 VCs community involvement in future innovation
36:38 The “dating” process between founders and investors
38:41 Staying on top of the game
45:07 The symptoms of a good investor
51:23 Outro
______________
Follow Pedja and Fifth Quarter Ventures:
  / pedjapredin1986    / fifthquarterventures
Follow The Recursive (Team)!
  / the-recursive
Irina Obushtarova -   / irina-obushtarova
If you would like to find out more about these topics…
CHECK OUT 🟣 https://therecursive.com/
OR SUBSCRIBE to our NEWSLETTERS 🟣 https://join.therecursive.com/signup
🎆Get in line for our 2024 AI report!🎆
https://therecursive.com/future-of-ai...
...more
52min
September 05, 2024Would AI Recognize the Next Nikola Tesla ft. Martina Silov Ep.102
In this episode, Irina Obushtarova talks with Martina Silov, President of CroAI, the Croatian Artificial Intelligence Association, and Head of Partnerships at Mindsmits.
Martina is an advocate for tech optimism, focusing on integrating technology into education and fostering a strong AI community. In this episodes, she shares about:
Connecting with the AI community in Croatia and beyond

The responsibilities of the mentors and their role

The role of AI in decision-making
Timestamps
0:00 Trailer
1:27 Intro
3:07 The beginning of Martina’s journey to CroAI
8:46 Engaging the AI community in Croatia
13:05 How much Tech optimism is OK
24:23 Women vs men in technology
28:07 The role of the mentors
39:00 The future of AI and Croatia’s place in the change
58:00 Outro
...more
1h
July 10, 2024 How a Cup of Coffee Can Turn You Into a VC Investor with Karol Szubstarski from OTB Ventures Ep.100
For today’s episode, we talked with Karol Szubstarski, a venture investor at OTB Ventures.
With over a decade of experience in the realm of venture capital, Karol brings a blend of traditional and corporate VC expertise to the table. He spent five years as an Associate and Investment Analyst at Intel Capital, identifying opportunities across Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, to name a few.
In his current role at OTB Ventures, Karol spearheads investments in Series A opportunities, focusing on deep tech.
In this episodes, he shares about:
How personal experiences fuels his professional career
His transition to the VC world under the guidance of Marcin Hejka
The advantages and disadvantages of the Polish startup ecosystem
0:00 Trailer
1:33 Intro
2:25 Backpacking through Asia with two broken arms & other challenges
5:19 Karol’s adventure with the VC world and DeepTech
10:41 What are the skills a DeepTech investor should have?
12:09 Karol’s skills and learnings from Intel Capital and OTB Ventures
15:52 Perspective on the DeepTech ecosystem in CEE
21:27 Strengths of the Polish startup ecosystem
24:23 Challenges of European tech startups for scaling globally
27:42 How OTB Ventures assesses the investment opportunities
39:45 Striking the right risk vs advantage balance
42:19 Can CEE startups get money from US investors right from the start?
44:55 How to differentiate yourself as a VC fund?
47:17 Building the top team for OTB’s portfolio companies
51:24 The leap of faith in investment decisions
52:42 What’s needed to be a good VC investor?
55:05 The CEE VC ecosystem and the lack of private capital
57:45 How will the CEE startup ecosystem look in the future?
1:03:40 How is OTB Ventures adapting to the technological advancements
1:10:00 Outro
...more
1h 11min
July 09, 2024 The Secrets of a Resilient Tech Ecosystem With Bartosz Lipnicki | Еp.99
Our guest today is Bartosz Lipnicki, an entrepreneur, investor, and Managing Director at Endeavor Poland.
With a background in industrial engineering, Bartosz's career trajectory has evolved to encompass sales, business development, and entrepreneurship.
Bartosz is the Founder and Managing Partner at Alfabeat, a seed fund specializing in enterprise software companies from Central and Eastern Europe.
Beyond his professional endeavors, Bartosz is an avid marathon and tower runner.
In this episodes, he touches on:
☑️ How to escape the 'hamster wheel'
☑️ The skills of the future
☑️ The importance of collaboration within the ecosystem
00:00 - 01:42 Trailer
01:43 - 02:55 Intro
02:56 - 10:14 Running and personal development
10:15 - 15:42 Investor’s role and mentoring
15:43 - 17:24 Growth beyond the financial aspect
17:25 - 20:02 The right time for acquisition
20:03 - 26:00 Mitigating the risks in investing
26:03 - 30:22 The importance of networking
30:23 - 32:10 Lessons on mentorship
32:11 - 33:38 Getting off the “hamster wheel"
33:39 - 37:05 The purpose behind teaching
37:06 - 42:30 Valuable skills beyond formal education
42:31 - 52:27 Polish entrepreneurial ecosystem
52:28 - 55:05 The definition of success
55:06 - 01:01:39 Envisioning of the future of the Polish tech ecosystem
01:01:40 - 01:01:56 Outro
...more
1h 2min
June 12, 2024 Building a Real Business vs Passion Project With Krzysztof (Chris) Wrobel? | Еp.98
Our guest today is Krzysztof (Chris) Wrobel, the founder and CEO of Virbe AI, a startup incorporating a one-stop-shop solution to extend your team with AI-powered digital employees.
With passion and experience for the future of digital interaction, Chris founded Virbe AI, a Virtual Being creation suite, designed to transform Conversational AI and chatbots into interactive human-like avatars.
Chris is also involved in mentoring and guiding other companies in embracing emerging technologies.
In this episodes, he touches on:
How he started his entrepreneurial journey by accident;
What can a Virtual Being do for a business and why we need this technology;
The balance between innovation and ethical implications in VR/AR;
TIME STAMPS
0:00 Trailer
1:53 Intro
2:40 Chris’s entrepreneurial journey from hospitality to engineering
10:00 The skills one need to have in a startup
15:33 How Virbe started and what’s the story behind?
21:22 The business model of AI solutions
24:41 The EU AI Act and its impact
25:54 How to explain a new technology to investors
31:38 Virtual being vs chatbots
36:42 How is metaverse fitting in Virbe’s business?
39:33 Will AI steal our jobs?
47:27 What big problem is Virbe solving
53:04 Outro
...more
55min
May 28, 2024 Elevating CEE Potential & the Future of Venture Capital with Borys Musielak - Ep.97
Our next guest is an engineer turned entrepreneur turned investor. Borys Musielak is a founding partner at Polish SMOK Ventures, having a particular focus on software development tools, game development, and artificial intelligence.
In 2007, he founded OSnews.pl, a pioneering news site covering tech, marketing, and business. He also co-founded Filmaster, a platform providing personalized analytics solutions, acquired by Silicon Valley-based Samba TV in 2015.
His contributions to the ecosystem extend to mentoring early-stage startups across various platforms and accelerators in the CEE region.
He talks about:
Focus and motivation when starting a venture;
How to elevate the CEE potential;
The future of venture capital;
And more!
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 - 1:42 Teaser
1:42 - 3:33 Intro
3:34 - 12:28 Perks in being a VC with engineering and entrepreneurial background
12:29 - 15:19 The path on establishing your first venture
15:21 - 17:10 Focusing on one thing as a founder
17:11 - 21:24 Satisfaction as a VC investor
21:25 - 26:55 The art of being wrong
26:56 - 30:59 Lessons on fundraising
31:00 - 33:46 What is the secret of success in venture capital?
33:47 - 48:28 Potential across the CEE region
48:29 - 52:13 Thought on sales and marketing
52:14 - 54:09 Are founders couchable?
54:10 - 1:01:48 Working with youngsters
1:01:49 - 1:05:38 Hypothesis for the future & outro
...more
1h 6min
May 13, 2024How to Follow Industry’s Rules, Yet Stay out of the Box With Konstantin Bezuhanov @Evrotrust Ep.96
Our guest for this episode has a big, bold ambition to make digital identity services the cornerstone of all economic and social activities of people around the world.
Konstantin Bezuhanov is co-founder and CEO of Evrotrust Technologies, the company that aims to solve the challenges associated with secure digital identification.
Evrotrust's products are adopted by over 1.3 million users across 58 countries. The company has attracted partnerships with industry giants like Mastercard and leading banks such as Unicredit Bulbank, and KBC, and it has been recently recognized by governments and the European Commission.
In this episode, we learn more about the complexities of identity in the digital age, but also what it takes to solve meaningful problems.
Konstantin also shares:
How it is to build a global identity system transcending national borders and work with strict entities like banks or government;

Views on mission-driven entrepreneurship how a strong sense of purpose guides decision-making and success metrics;

How the future would look if digital identity seamlessly integrates into daily life;

The importance of data protection and compliance in Evrotrust’s solution;
TIME STAMPS
00:00 Trailer
0:56 Introduction
1:47 Moving from the comfort zone to entrepreneurship and what it takes
4:41 Konstantin’s endeavors in London and why he lived there
10:08 Why Konstantin moved back to Bulgaria
11:03 Why execution matters more than the idea
13:00 Evrotrust’s story and how the founding team was formed
20:42 Choosing the best market and end users for Evrotrust
24:00 The most difficult problem in the space of digital identity
28:58 The mission and vision of Evrostrust
36:08 Early adopters for digital identity solutions
38:05 Konstantin’s many hats and switching them
44:39 Finding success as a founder and in life
47:30 The future of digital identity
55:43 Outro
...more
58min

FAQs about The Recursive Podcast:

How many episodes does The Recursive Podcast have?

The podcast currently has 107 episodes available.