Exiting times at OmW! I am currently changing the format to in person conversations. As this requires a new skill-set to be learned and the guest-list to be changed, it results in fewer episodes at the current moment. I believe it brings quite a change in output quality though and I hope that also comes across. I would appreciate your feedback on this, either per PM or in the Episode Q&A (on Spotify only).
Thank you for listening!
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Eric is a Software Engineer at Meta's Large Language Models (LLM) applications team and a part-time Electrical Engineering student at Stanford.
In our conversation we talk about Eric's experience at Meta, product development and management approaches, startup successes factors, democratizing AI and current LLM based advances in education.
Diyala is the founder and head of Vento, the Venture Building Program/Startup-Accelerator of Exor Ventures in Italy.
Listen to a conversation about founders, entrepreneurship and startups. We discuss Diyala’s learnings from recruiting and mentoring dozens of founders, her take on characteristics of successful venture entrepreneurs, her learnings on early stage entrepreneurship, what to look out for in your co-founders, reaching product-market fit and more.
Are you ready to get your own hands dirty? Vento is currently recruiting their next batch of venture entrepreneurs to boost their success. Apply here until October 8th.
If you want to get in touch with Diyala, to talk about Vento or to pitch your startup, you can reach out to her on LinkedIn.
Katrine is a recent Stanford MBA and MIT Computer Science alumna, and a former strategy consultant and product manager.
We discuss Kat's blog Learn with Kat, the relevance of communication and group dynamics at work and Kat's experience with hiring processes as a product manager. Kat also gives her opinion on the difference in the culture of MIT vs. Stanford and lots of advice on product management. Enjoy!
If you want to get in touch, you can reach out the Katrine here.
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LINKS MENTIONED:
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Othman is a current Ed-Tech Founder and an alumni of Stanford’s MSc. in Education Data Science.
We are talking about his time at Stanford, his data science work with the Moroccan Ministry of Education, as well as educational challenges in Morocco and around the world.
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LINKS MENTIONED
Stanford MSc. in Education Data Science: https://ed.stanford.edu/eds
Othman's work on student dropout prediction: https://ed.stanford.edu/eds/project/rescuing-moroccan-students-it-too-late-drop-out-early-warning-system-dews
Khan Academie's AI Assistant: https://www.khanacademy.org/khan-labs
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Ohad is a successful founder and business angel based in San Diego, California. Since leaving Israel for the US in 2011 he has held roles at Google, Ezoic, Smith.ai and his own company Kahoona.
This episode includes two core elements: Founding and Israel. Ohad starts off with giving insights into his own track record and his approach to entrepreneurship. We then talk about why Israel has more unicorn startups per capita than any other country and Ohad shares his insights into Israels shifting political landscape. We top it off with a discussion about successful company cultures, advice for founders on fundraising, Bootstrapping vs. VC funding, and early founding advice. Enjoy!
Do you have questions about founding and investing? Get in touch with Ohad on LinkedIn.
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LINKS MENTIONED:
Israels Universities are taking the lead on unicorns: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7080185869218840577/
Four Tribes of Israel Speech: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ci5zZi5Zpb0
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Lorenz is a journalist at the ORF, Austria’s largest journalistic organization, and a sports commentator. Additionally, he co-hosts the comedy podcast Erlesene Dummheiten which is currently in its third season.
In this episode, we dive into Lorenz's daily routine in radio, his early 3 AM starts, the evolution of his podcast to a YouTube channel, sports commentating and how he gathers the will and energy to juggle all these roles.
If you have questions for Lorenz or want to dive deeper into his insights, connect with him on LinkedIn.
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LINKS MENTIONED:
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JÜRGEN’S CURRENT BOOK LIST:
Originals by Adam Grant: https://www.amazon.com/Originals-How-Non-Conformists-Move-World/dp/014312885X
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl: https://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl-ebook/dp/B009U9S6FI
A Simpler Life by The School of Life: https://www.amazon.com/Simpler-Life-greater-serenity-clarity/dp/1912891689
Michael is the current CEO of Silana, a robotic startup with the goal to automate the fashion industry.
Listen to the journey of Silana, the state of the art of clothing manufacturing, fast-fashion, the new EU legislation and pollution.
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JÜRGEN’S CURRENT BOOK LIST:
Originals by Adam Grant: https://www.amazon.com/Originals-How-Non-Conformists-Move-World/dp/014312885X
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl: https://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl-ebook/dp/B009U9S6FI
A Simpler Life by The School of Life: https://www.amazon.com/Simpler-Life-greater-serenity-clarity/dp/1912891689
Alex and I met after she gave a keynote about Quantum Computing, at age 17 at the We Are Developer conference. Besides public speaking, Alex is pursuing her MSc. in Drug Development & Regulatory Affairs, and explores the tiny universe around us.
Listen to an energizing conversation about her fascination with the sciences, a new perspective on mathematics, a definition of "bad science" and science communication. Further, we dive into adventures, anxiety and how to handle mental challenges in life.
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LINKS MENTIONED:
Learn math with 3 Blue 1 Brown: https://www.youtube.com/c/3blue1brown
The Andrew Huberman Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/79CkJF3UJTHFV8Dse3Oy0P
Originals Nobel laureate Table: https://marcellus.in/blogs/marcellus-non-conformism-underpins-original-thought/
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JÜRGEN’S CURRENT BOOK LIST:
Originals by Adam Grant: https://www.amazon.com/Originals-How-Non-Conformists-Move-World/dp/014312885X
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl: https://www.amazon.com/Mans-Search-Meaning-Viktor-Frankl-ebook/dp/B009U9S6FI
A Simpler Life by The School of Life: https://www.amazon.com/Simpler-Life-greater-serenity-clarity/dp/1912891689
Sam is a fundraising manager for Save the Children and an incoming volunteer at the Peace Corps in Lesotho.
We talk about Save the Children and the not-for-profit sector, Lesotho and the Peace Corps and have fun, sharing traveling stories and safety tips.
If you have questions for Sam, get in touch on instagram (sgaspar.jpg)
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JÜRGEN’S CURRENT BOOK LIST:
<< As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. >>
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity DE/US
Originals by Adam Grant: DE/US
Nico is a Senior Analyst at the Venture Capital firm FoodLabs, an Early Stage VC investor and venture studio for food, sustainability and health.
We kick it off lightly with how Nico got to work at FoodLabs, what the company does and what his typical day looks like. In the second half of the podcast Nico answers all the questions I had about VCs and how they think: What do VCs look for in their founder-teams? Which documents should founders have ready before getting in touch? How do VCs finance themselves and what is the difference between Pre-Seed, Seed and Series A etc.? We close with a discussion about Alternative Financing and Bootstrapping.
Do you have questions about FoodLabs, VCs or early stage financing? Nico is happy to answer any questions you might have on LinkedIn. Just make sure to include a message: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolaus-norden/
NOTE: Unfortunately, after minute 38 the podcasting platform stopped recording my audio and video. This resulted in the loss of a segment of mine, talking about the venture builder I participated in (tbc in a different episode). I had to cut a bit of the middle segment, and the audio later on is from a backup and not as crisp. I hope you still enjoy it!
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JÜRGEN’S CURRENT BOOK LIST:
<< As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. >>
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity DE/US
Originals by Adam Grant: DE/US
Dominik is a successful solo-preneur and indie-hacker. He develops apps like HelpKit and Casetools.app. Check out his company page https://sevendegrees.io/ for more. Dominik's first appearance on OmW can be found here.
Listen to a conversation fully loaded with talk about performance, routines, and Dominik's account on his first three years as a digital nomad. Starting minute 01:18:00 Dominik shares how to get started with bootstrapped (aka self-financed) entrepreneurship and why trying out solo-preneurship is a valuable experience for every founder.
Follow Dominik on Twitter:
https://twitter.com/sobedominik?s=20
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LINKS MENTIONED:
Sleep Cycle App: https://www.sleepcycle.com/
Thomas Van-Schneider: https://vanschneider.com/
Check Zayne as your guide in Ho Chi Minh City: https://rb.gy/ld7p4
The Stair Step Approach of Entrepreneurship: https://robwalling.com/2015/03/26/the-stair-step-method-of-bootstrapping/
Y-Combinator Episode "Avoid These Tempting Startup Ideas": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GMIawSAygO4
JÜRGEN’S CURRENT BOOK LIST:
<< As an Amazon Associate I earn money whenever you buy something after clicking the link. >>
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity: https://amzn.to/3MwHGNF
Originals by Adam Grant: https://amzn.to/3pG8qCx
Nick is a global citizen, who loves art and business. He holds a graduate degree from UCL and is an Alumnus of the Vento Venture Originator.
Listen to us having a lot of fun while discussing venture backed entrepreneurship, bias in AI applications, beer and Nicks upcoming art show.
Follow Nick on his artist account for more:
https://www.instagram.com/woolleynickart/
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LINKS MENTIONED:
The Outfit (Movie): https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14114802/
School of Greatness (Podcast): https://lewishowes.com/sogpodcast/
teamLab Borderless: https://www.teamlab.art/e/borderless_azabudai/
JÜRGEN’S CURRENT BOOK LIST:
[ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.]
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity: https://amzn.to/3MwHGNF
Originals by Adam Grant: https://amzn.to/3pG8qCx
Ivana is singer, ESCP alumna and current project manager at Forever Day One.
Listen to a conversation about purpose and work and how the music industry is silently undergoing a financial revolution.
Follow Ivana on Instagram for more:
https://www.instagram.com/ivanacld/
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LINKS MENTIONED:
Scott Galloway - Do not follow your passion: https://www.cnn.com/videos/business/2023/06/03/smr-galloway-dont-follow-your-passion.cnn
Ikigai Framework: https://medium.com/ideas-into-action/ikigai-the-perfect-career-diagnostic-3de932834be7
JÜRGEN’S CURRENT BOOK LIST:
[ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.]
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity: https://amzn.to/3MwHGNF
Yes to Life in Spite of Everything: https://amzn.to/3IOMWJU
<< As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. >>
Peter is the Co-Founder of KÜHBREIN (https://www.kuehbreinmost.at/), a Cider Start-up in Austria, that has won several international awards, including the “World Best Cider 2023” award. Furthermore, Peter is an advocate and supporter of environmental responsibility initiatives.
Listen to Peter’s KÜHBREIN success-story and how they are reviving a forgotten product, his experience on 2 Minuten 2 Millionen, a discussion about trends on the international markets, food-waste and the difficulties of being a responsible consumer.
Read up on food-waste facts here:
Follow Peter on Linkedin for more:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/peter-kargl-b3189316b/
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>> Links mentioned
Kühbrein Instagram: https://instagram.com/kuehbrein__?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Initiatives to reduce food waste: https://www.kitro.ch
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>> Jürgen’s Current Reading List
[ As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.]
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity: https://amzn.to/3MwHGNF
Yes to Life in Spite of Everything: https://amzn.to/3IOMWJU
<< As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. >>
Pietro is the Co-Founder of Plino (plino.it) and a current participant in Vento, a Venture Builder in Italy.
Enjoy a conversation about digital CFOs, the definition of success, billionaires and a conversation about startups more broadly.
Get in touch
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pietro-galimberti/
plino.ai@gmail.com
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Links mentioned
Bad Banks: https://www.netflix.com/at-en/title/80994411?source=35
Y-Combinator free online startup school: https://www.startupschool.org/
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Jürgen’s Current Reading List
Outlive: The Science and Art of Longevity: https://amzn.to/3MwHGNF
Chiara is the Co-Founder and CTO of Eoliann, a climate-tech startup that helps businesses predict climate risks based on satellite data and machine learning models (https://www.eoliann.com/).
Listen to our conversation about the origin of her company, the need for great climate models and her thoughts and decision making on organizational behavior.
Want to talk to Chiara? Feel free to reach out to her on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chiara-cs-mugnai/
Lukas is a former professional musician and a current Strategy Consultant at Google. There he runs the “Peak Performance” workshop-series that helps Googlers to develop better principles for their physical and mental health.
In our conversation Lukas breaks down his peak performance methodology and gives insights into his practices for healthy body, mind and emotions.
Get in touch with him on LinkedIn or follow him for weekly updates on https://www.linkedin.com/in/lukasstangl/
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Eric is a Software Engineer at Meta, building large language models (LLMs) and a part-time Electrical Engineering student at Stanford.
If you want to understand what is happening around the ChatGPT hype this episode is for you.
Listen to us discuss the current state of LLMs like GPT and LAMA, AI applications he anticipates, as well as ethical concerns about this new technology.
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Content mentioned:
"Stratechery" by Ben Thompson https://stratechery.com/
"Lesswrong" by Eliezer Yudkowsky https://www.lesswrong.com/users/eliezer_yudkowsky
https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/29/23662621/google-bard-chatgpt-sharegpt-training-denies
https://time.com/6266923/ai-eliezer-yudkowsky-open-letter-not-enough/
Shlok is a CS graduate from Georgia Tech and a Software Engineer at Salesforce in San Francisco.
Enjoy a conversation about learning, utilitarianism & personal principles, mindset, cultural differences and dealing with the paradox of choice in your career.
[Recorded on March 5th 2023]
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Content mentioned
“Make it Stick: The Science of Successful Learning” by Peter C. Brown https://www.amazon.com/Make-Stick-Science-Successful-Learning/dp/0674729013/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1680898224&sr=8-1
"12 Rules for Life" by Jordan Peterson: https://amzn.to/3kTS2eM
“Principles: Life and Work” by Ray Dalio: https://www.amazon.com/Principles-Life-Work-Ray-Dalio/dp/1501124021/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1680898420&sr=8-4
Anvit is a graduate from Minerva University and currently pursuing his M.S. in Education Data Science at Stanford.
Growing up in the US and India, Anvit has a lot to share about different educational and economic systems. Hear him break down his experience at Minerva, the worlds most innovative university, and our conversation about cultural differences, skill based education and how to escape bubbles and echo chambers.
If you want to chat with Anvit, send him a message on https://www.linkedin.com/in/anvit-garg/
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What’s Our Problem? by Tim Urban: https://www.amazon.com/Whats-Our-Problem-Self-Help-Societies-ebook/dp/B0BTJCTR58?ref_=ast_author_mpb
Alexey Guzey: https://guzey.com/
The Prism: https://gurwinder.substack.com/