40 Minute Mentor is on a mission to raise aspirations and inspire the next generation of category-defining Founders, through powerful career stories and inspirational mentorship. From purpose-led Founders to Olympic champions; learn first-hand from today’s successful leaders on what it takes to be brilliant, all in just 40 minutes. 40 Minute Mentor is one of the UK’s top Business and Careers podcasts and can be found on all popular podcast platforms, including Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts and Stitcher.
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40 Minute Mentor is on a mission to raise aspirations and inspire the next generation of category-defining Founders, through powerful career stories and inspirational mentorship. From purpose-led Founders to Olympic champions; learn first-hand from today’s successful leaders on what it takes to be brilliant, all in just 40 minutes. 40 Minute Mentor is one of the UK’s top Business and Careers podcasts and can be found on all popular podcast platforms, including Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts and Stitcher.
Thomas Plantenga on taking Vinted from near bankruptcy to a €5 billion valuation
40 Minute Mentor
48 minutes
2 weeks ago
Thomas Plantenga on taking Vinted from near bankruptcy to a €5 billion valuation
Today’s 40 Minute Mentor is Thomas Plantenga, the CEO of Vinted - Europe’s largest secondhand marketplace and Lithuania’s first-ever unicorn.
What started as a small Lithuanian startup in 2008 has evolved into a fast-growth business with millions of users, 2,000+ employees and a €5 billion valuation.
In today’s conversation, Thomas shares the ins and outs of his journey with Vinted, how it became such a global success, the biggest leadership lessons he learnt along the way and what’s next for the business with the launch of Vinted Ventures.
If you’re a founder or operator navigating scaleup challenges, this episode is a masterclass in turnaround strategy, culture building and leading with humility.
📚Episode Chapters:
➡️ Early years & the call that changed everything [07:30]
➡️ Realising Vinted was in trouble [16:00]
➡️ Spotting the first signs of growth [20:00]
➡️ The hardest leadership lessons [23:00]
➡️ The art of hiring at scale & psychological safety [27:00]
➡️ Launching Vinted Ventures [36:40]
🔍 Find out more:
✨ Connect with Thomas: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-p-19651414/?originalSubdomain=lt
✨ More about Vinted: https://www.vinted.co.uk/
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40 Minute Mentor
40 Minute Mentor is on a mission to raise aspirations and inspire the next generation of category-defining Founders, through powerful career stories and inspirational mentorship. From purpose-led Founders to Olympic champions; learn first-hand from today’s successful leaders on what it takes to be brilliant, all in just 40 minutes. 40 Minute Mentor is one of the UK’s top Business and Careers podcasts and can be found on all popular podcast platforms, including Apple, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts and Stitcher.