Full Panel Discussion | The Founders’ Underground: Startup Mafia

PayPal, Skype, Exponea, Mews. Some companies don’t just grow. They shape a whole ecosystem through the people who once worked there and go on to found, run and back the next wave of companies. At The Founders’ Underground: Startup Mafia, we looked at why that happens and what founders can learn from it.

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On stage were Matthijs Welle (CEO, Mews), Uršula Králová (Chief People Officer, Bloomreach; former COO, Exponea) and Jason Smith (CEO & Co-Founder, TRIFFT Loyalty; ex-Exponea), moderated by our CEO Štefan Šurina.

A few thoughts from the panel

• Hire the best, even if they leave: Invest in top talent, even knowing that some of those people will one day go on to start their own companies.
• Alumni are an asset, not a loss: Former team members can help you win, repair or strengthen client relationships, sometimes even when they’re the ones going after those clients.
• Agency over playbooks: Look for people with strong personal agency, not just the ability to follow a playbook.
• A note of optimism: The panel closed with a clear message of optimism and hard work. It stood out, especially at a time when society and the business world feel pretty negative.

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But there’s a lot more in the full recording…

Thank you to our speakers for such an open conversation, and to everyone who spent the evening with us! Don’t want to miss the next one? Subscribe to our newsletter, where we announce our events first.