The Startup Leap

<p>How did 4 MIT students build a $60 billion company that sold to SpaceX in just 4 years? This is the story of Cursor the AI coding tool that started as a pivot, turned down OpenAI's acquisition offer, and just sold to...

How did 4 MIT students build a $60 billion company that sold to SpaceX in just 4 years? This is the story of Cursor the AI coding tool that started as a pivot, turned down OpenAI's acquisition offer, and just sold to...

<p>Most business books teach you how to win. </p><p>Eric Ries' Incorruptible asks a different question: What happens after you do?</p><p>In this episode, we review the #1 New York Times Bestseller and explore why...

<p>Big tech is spending over $560 billion on AI infrastructure this year, bigger than the entire global venture capital industry in a normal year. </p><p>And everyone outside the room is calling it a bubble.After...

<p>This week, Eric Ries joins us for a conversation about the hidden cost of startup success.</p><p></p><p>From mission drift and shareholder pressure to governance structures and long-term thinking, Eric explains why...

<p>Most founders think they’re being rejected. They’re not—they’re being misaligned.</p><p></p><p>This episode unpacks the hidden mechanics behind investor decisions—why most “no’s” happen before your deck is even...

<p>OpenAI just acquired Tomoro, a 2-year-old Scottish AI startup that raised zero venture capital. It's the first move in a $4 billion wave most founders haven't seen coming. Maria breaks down the acquisition, the new...

<p>A 16-month-old startup. One pre-seed round. €9M raised.</p><p></p><p>Then SAP shows up with a €1 BILLION commitment. That’s not startup luck. That’s strategic engineering.</p><p></p><p>In this episode, Maria breaks...

<p>Mukund Jha shares how Emergent scaled at unprecedented speed, without a marketing or sales team, by focusing on product excellence and engineered distribution.</p><p></p><p>They built early credibility by ranking #1...

<p>The traditional startup playbook is being rewritten.</p><p>In this episode of The Startup Leap, Yvonne and Maria explore the rise of AI-native businesses—where a single founder can operate what used to require entire...

<p>We’re back with our first episode of 2026—and this one feels like a startup heist.</p><p>Mattias Scheek, Co-founder and former CEO of Mayht, shares the story behind one of the most unconventional startup...

<p>2025 was the year of resilience. After 27 episodes and hours of deep dives with the world's most innovative founders, we’ve distilled our favourites episodes of 2025. "If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to...

<p>In this episode, Miishe Addy-Asare co-founder, and CEO of JetStream Africa, shares her journey from working at Bain to raising over $21 million for JetStream. Miishe discusses the challenges and misconceptions of...

<p>What happens when a former record label founder applies the logic of venture studios to celebrity brand building? In this episode, David Olusegun, founder of Creative Control Ventures, reveals how he’s transforming...

<p>🐾 Meet Hedda Båverud Olsson, Founder & CEO of Lassie — the startup transforming pet insurance and pet health. From McKinsey & EQT Ventures to raising €50M+ and now also crossing €70M+ in annual revenues , Hedda’s...