From selling mangoes in Venezuela as a kid to building a video agency in Vienna — and now moving to Plovdiv to start a training company, Juan Guerra’s entrepreneurial journey is anything but conventional.
In this episode, we sit down with Juan Guerra, a seasoned agency founder turned scaling mentor. As the founder and CEO of Scaleyard, Juan helps service-based entrepreneurs grow their monthly revenue, systematize their delivery, and build teams that run without them. After nearly a decade of running his own video agency and experimenting with business models, Juan now focuses full-time on helping others scale to $30K+/mo while removing themselves from client fulfillment.
In this episode with Juan Guerra, Irina Obushtarova explores:
✅ How burnout reshaped his business and his definition of success
✅ Why focus beats flexibility when scaling a service business
✅ What it really takes to productize your service and sell it repeatedly
✅ How personal values and family priorities shape sustainable entrepreneurship
✅ The power of being an “outsider” and building from a global perspective
This conversation is for anyone navigating growth, burnout, clarity, and purpose in their business journey.
👉 Whether you're a service founder, coach, or creative entrepreneur—Juan's insights will challenge the way you think about focus, scale, and lifestyle design.
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📍 Recorded during ViennaUp Festival in Vienna, Austria.
🔔 Subscribe to The Recursive for more founder and investor stories at the intersection of tech, sustainability, and systems change.
🎙️ #TheRecursivePodcast takes a different turn this time, driven by a pressing question: Who is protecting Europe’s future?
How can we face and overcome today’s growing threats?
Which companies are shaping the future of cybersecurity and defense tech in Central and Eastern Europe?
🛡️ Over the past five years, Europe’s resilience has been tested like never before. And until now, the story of security innovation in the region has been fragmented.
Our latest report on the state of defense and cybersecurity tech in CEE brings those pieces together, offering the first integrated view of a complex and fast-evolving ecosystem.
📥 Download it here: https://report.therecursive.com
To dive deeper into these questions, we’re joined by Ruslan Trad, a Bulgarian journalist and security researcher specializing in hybrid warfare and disinformation. He’s a non-resident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab, with a focus on Eurasia, Syria, and mercenary groups. 🌍
Trad has reported from the Middle East and co-founded De Re Militari, a conflict analysis journal. He is the author of books on the Syrian civil war and Russian private military companies, and his work has appeared in outlets like BBC and Al Jazeera.
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🙏 Special thanks to Mad Stories for the shooting location: https://madstories.eu/en/home/
Can Games Fix Our Broken Education? 📚 In this powerful episode of The Recursive Podcast, recorded at ViennaUp Festival, we sit down with Yane Frenski, former United Nations innovation expert turned EdTech entrepreneur. Yane is the founder of Vizipedia, a startup using AI and game-based learning to transform how students learn critical skills for the future.
🎮 What you’ll learn:
* Why traditional education systems are failing in the digital age;
* How immersive, game-based learning can improve attention and outcomes;
* What it’s like working on innovation inside the UN for over 14 years;
* How to design education tools for underserved global communities;
* The difference between gamification and 'serious games' in learning;
🧠 This episode is a must-watch for educators, edtech innovators, and anyone worried about the skills gap of future generations.
📍 Recorded during ViennaUp Festival in Vienna, Austria.
🔔 Subscribe to The Recursive for more founder and investor stories at the intersection of tech, sustainability, and systems change.
In this special ViennaUp Festival edition of The Recursive Podcast, we sit down with Edward Feltmann, Investment and Deal Sourcing Manager at VERBUND X Ventures, to explore how sustainability, energy innovation, and venture capital intersect in the race toward a net-zero future.
Edward Feltmann is a strategic investment leader with a focus on sustainable energy innovation. At VERBUND X Ventures, he leads investments in early-stage European climate tech startups. He also serves as a Board Observer at NECTURE, supporting teams driving technology and impact.
In this episode, Edward shares:
🔹 How sustainability became his personal and professional mission
🔹 Why energy storage is key to both AI and energy transition
🔹 Lessons from building an in-house corporate accelerator and CVC arm
🔹 Opportunities and challenges in CEE’s energy innovation landscape
🔹 What it really takes to make impact-driven investments
📍 Recorded during ViennaUp Festival in Vienna, Austria.
🔔 Subscribe to The Recursive for more founder and investor stories at the intersection of tech, sustainability, and systems change.
Let's dive into what it means to build sustainable systems that are both scalable and socially responsible.
How do you turn a slow-moving, traditional economy into a thriving innovation hub? 🇦🇹 In this special ViennaUp Festival edition of The Recursive Podcast, we sit down with Awi Lifshitz, CEO of weXelerate – Austria’s largest innovation ecosystem – to explore how bold vision, strategic partnerships, and startup thinking can reshape entire economies.
In this episode, Avi shares:
🔹 Why Austria lagged in innovation—and how it's catching up
🔹 Lessons from working with 30+ corporates to drive digital transformation
🔹 The birth of Venture Cake, a co-owned accelerator redefining startup support
🔹 The cultural clash between startups and corporates—and how to bridge it
🔹 How Vienna positions itself as a gateway between Eastern and Western Europe
From personal insights to macro-strategy, this is a must-watch for founders, corporate innovators, and policymakers alike.
📍 Recorded during ViennaUp Festival in the heart of Europe.
🔔 Subscribe to The Recursive for more interviews from the forefront of innovation in CEE.
Dusan Duffek is a serial entrepreneur turned investor and Managing Partner at Zero One Hundred, an early-stage VC fund investing in companies across CEE and the Middle East. As a co-founder of The Doers Company, he drives initiatives like Reflect Festival and Doers Summit. Dusan also co-founded Zero One Hundred Conferences, fostering connections across the European investment landscape. Based in Abu Dhabi, he is passionate about bridging Europe and the Middle East, supporting founders on their journey.
In his conversation with Irina Obushtarova, he talks about:
🌍 the role of "doers" in solving global problems;
🎯 how community sparks a VC vision;
💼 the opportunity for investors in MENA;
Tune in! 📺
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György Simo is a Managing Partner at Day One Capital Fund. He began his career as a journalist before joining the Magyar Telekom Group, where he played a key role in launching [origo], Hungary’s leading internet portal. In 2003, György became the CEO of T-Online Hungary and took on executive roles at Magyar Telekom, overseeing media acquisitions, growth initiatives in media, e-commerce, and data services. He also founded the company’s innovation hub, Kitchen Budapest. In his conversation with Irina Obushtarova, he talks about:
Timestamps0:00 Trailer 5:31 Alternative journalism and mainstream media23:18 Media, identity and community36:10 Trump’s presidency affecting the CEE tech ecosystem46:40 Data is the center of everything1:15:35 Startup founders and problem solving1:30:18 The future solutions______________Follow György and Day One Capital:https://www.linkedin.com/in/gyorgysimo/https://www.dayonecapital.com/Follow The Recursive Team! https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-recursive/Irina Obushtarova! https://www.linkedin.com/in/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 our 2024 AI report!🎆 https://therecursive.com/future-of-ai-in-cee-market-report/
Mergim Cahani is the visionary founder of Gjirafa, which he describes as the fastest-growing tech company in the Balkans.
Founded by Mergim in 2013, Gjirafa is an internet company providing services such as e-commerce, video streaming, online marketing, cloud computing, and entertainment production.
Often referred to as the "Balkan Amazon," Gjirafa makes a remarkable impact in the region. Tune in the episode!
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Thaleia Misailidou is a prominent figure in the venture capital industry. She is an active Angel investor passionate about supporting ambitious founders in deep tech. Thaleia also co-founded the Tech Finance Network, a professional community dedicated to supporting Greek startups.
With seven years of experience as a seed-stage investor at Marathon VC from its early days, she played a key role in driving its exceptional performance in the industry.
Thaleia has a background in mechanical engineering and financial engineering and has a passion for Robotics, AI, and gaming.
In her conversation with Irina Obushtarova, she talks about:
- the importance of women in VC
- approach to angel investing
- the growth of the Greek VC ecosystem
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If you would like to find out more about these topics
CHECK OUT 🟣 https://therecursive.com/ OR
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Lars Rasmussen is a tech angel investor and startup advisor. Lars co-founded Where 2 Tech, which was acquired by Google in 2004, leading to the creation of Google Maps. His journey continued as a Director of Engineering at Facebook, where he led teams in Menlo Park and London.
Passionate about innovation, Lars’ investment portfolio includes standout companies like Canva, Astranis, Chiaro, Neara, and Weav Music — he’s also a co-founder of the latter.
Lars is currently a Founding Board Member at Panathēnea, a not-for-profit festival of innovation in Athens, Greece. He also enjoys sailing the Greek Islands, kite surfing, and savoring a good cup of coffee.
In his conversation with Irina Obushtarova, he talks about:
🔄 Facing failure before success;
💻 The dot-com boom;
📉 Surviving investors’ disinterest;
🗺️ The full story behind Google Maps;🎢 Why entrepreneurship seems like a roller coaster;
🚀 How future generations will work and innovate.
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If you would like to find out more about these topics
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Csongor Biás is the Managing Director of Startup Hungary, an initiative dedicated to accelerating the growth of Hungary's startup ecosystem. With extensive experience in the startup scene, he is an active angel investor and has worked with venture capital firms and accelerators.
Csongor also played a key role as Country Manager in launching Vacuumlabs’ operations in Budapest. Now, alongside 12 startup founders, Csongor focuses on strengthening Hungary’s entrepreneurial landscape.
In his conversation with Irina Obushtarova, he talks about:
Timestamps
0:00 Trailer 1:52 The development of the Hungarian startup ecosystem7:53 Startup Hungary’s mission15:44 Challenges that founders encounter in Hungary21:42 How to measure success31:30 Funding and finding the right investors37:05 Investing in early stage startups 42:30 Strengthening the ecosystem
Ivett Angyal brings experience from multiple industries. Currently, as Operations Lead for EDIHs at EIT Digital, she supports digital innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe by managing key processes, reporting KPIs, and ensuring impactful results. In 2018, Ivett co-founded and served as a CEO of a tech startup, a marketplace for pre-loved products.
In her conversation with Irina Obushtarova, she talks about:
Timestamps
0:00 Trailer 1:28 The function of European Digital Innovation Hubs14:11 The challenges of digital transformation for SMEs15:58 The success stories of the initiative 16:52 Growing up in entrepreneurial family and starting a venture19:52 Sustainability and consumers23:53 Lessons learned: failure and success43:40 Shifting priorities and prospects
In this episode of The Recursive Podcast, visionary entrepreneur Sergiu Negut shares his journey and insights on business growth, international markets, and fundraising. As the co-founder of FintechOS, one of the region's fastest-growing companies, Sergiu brings a wealth of experience, including raising a $60M Series B+ round this year.
Beyond leading a tech company, he is an angel investor, founding partner at the healthcare-focused Cleverage VC, Board Member of Romanian Business Leaders and a professor of entrepreneurship at the Bucharest International School of Management.
Together with Irina Obushtarova, they explore:
Tune in for an inspiring deep dive into Eastern Europe’s entrepreneurial pulse!
Timestamps
00:00 Trailer 2:01 Intro 4:45 Why CEE needs to stand together at a region 9:25 The halo effect of UiPath 13:45 How to create more success stories and systemic change 19:18 Is there a place for tech entrepreneurs in politics? 23:07 The American dream leaves in Eastern Europe 27:45 Why Sergiu Negut decided to go into entrepreneurship and his experience of living abroad 40:51 What does failure look like? 56:17 How does Sergiu deal with wearing more hats? 1:11:19 Next things in Sergiu’s career 1:23:46 Outro
In this episode of The Recursive Podcast, Mihnea Craciun shares his expertise and journey from media to banking, investing, and entrepreneurship, offering a comprehensive view of Romania’s entrepreneurial ecosystem. Together with Elena Vrabie, they explore:
Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of the factors shaping Romania’s entrepreneurial landscape!Timestamps00:00 Trailer 1:36 Intro 3:01 Mihnea’s experience with entrepreneurship and the theory of the lobster13:34 Why was Romania slow to move into entrepreneurship? 18:14 The profile of the Romanian entrepreneur20:21 The “sexy” part about entrepreneurship 26:12 The story of Endeavor Romania 40:07 Strategies to attract more foreign capital in Romania 47:00 How to build bridges between diaspora and local ecosystems? 50:25 Increased collaboration in CEE 53:07 How will entrepreneurship look in the future 59:09 Outro
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
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 ______________Timestamps0:00 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/ OR SUBSCRIBE to our NEWSLETTER 🟣 https://join.therecursive.com/signup 🎆Get in line for our 2024 AI report!🎆 https://therecursive.com/future-of-ai...
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...
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
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 careerHis transition to the VC world under the guidance of Marcin HejkaThe advantages and disadvantages of the Polish startup ecosystem0:00 Trailer 1:33 Intro 2:25 Backpacking through Asia with two broken arms & other challenges5:19 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 ecosystem24:23 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
