In this episode of The Big Exit Show, hosts Johan and Anke sit down with Robin Haak, a seasoned entrepreneur and investor, to delve into the fascinating journey of his startup, Jobspotting. Launched over a decade ago with three co-founders, Jobspotting was at the forefront of AI-driven job matching, a concept ahead of its time. Robin shares the challenges and triumphs of navigating the VC landscape in Berlin when there were just a handful of venture capitalists and explains how they adapted to the evolving market. As a growth investor and founder of Robin Capital, Robin offers invaluable insights into structuring deals, performing due diligence, and the dynamics of exiting a company. Tune in to learn from Robin's rich experience and discover strategic approaches to building and successfully exiting a tech company.

This is what we discuss:
00:00 Introduction to the Big Exit Show
01:00 The Journey of JobSpotting
05:00 Scaling JobSpotting Internationally
11:02 Challenges in Growth and Funding
17:02 Deciding to Exit JobSpotting
23:08 Navigating the Exit Process
28:23 The Importance of Timing in Business
29:09 Navigating the Acquisition Process
30:53 Due Diligence and Team Dynamics
34:14 Lessons from the Exit Process
36:11 Final Offer and Human Connection
40:24 Valuation Insights and Strategic Fit
42:43 Trust and Due Diligence in Acquisitions
49:06 Reflections on the Acquisition Journey
51:34 Introducing Robin Capital and Future Aspirations

Want to know more about Robin Haak:
Robin Haak is a co-founder of Jobspotting, an innovative job discovery platform. He teamed up with three technically skilled co-founders, who collectively spent 20 years at Google and were among its first hundred employees in Europe. One of them, Hassam, hailing from Lund, Sweden with Iranian heritage, moved to Ireland and later to Berlin after marrying a German woman. Hassam's personal challenge of finding jobs in Berlin became the impetus for creating Jobspotting, underscoring the idea that personal obstacles can lead to groundbreaking solutions. Robin's collaboration with a diverse team highlights his knack for turning challenges into opportunities in the tech world.
You can find him on LinkedIn: Aage Reerslev or on his site: Robin Capital

The Big Exit Show is an initiative by Peak and NP-Hard. Want to know more about Peak and the ventures we back? Check out our website. Want to know more about NP-Hard? Have a look at our website.

Feedback for our podcast or want to be featured on our show? Please reach out at podcast@peak.capital.

In this conversation, Anthony shares his entrepreneurial journey, starting from his early fascination with sales at the age of 12 to founding Swogo, a company that evolved through multiple pivots. He discusses the challenges and strategies involved in transitioning from B2C to B2B, the importance of customer insights, and innovative sales tactics that helped him build credibility. Anthony also reflects on his experiences with crowdfunding, the decision to avoid traditional VC funding, and the pivotal moment that led him to sell his company, achieving his long-held goal of financial success. In this conversation, Anthony shares his journey through the exit process of his company, detailing the strategies he employed to create interest and FOMO among potential buyers. He discusses the importance of engaging a banker who understands the entrepreneurial mindset, the dynamics of his executive team during the sale, and the timeline of the exit process. Anthony emphasizes the need for entrepreneurs to define their personal goals and the significance of delayed gratification in achieving long-term success. He concludes with insights on maximizing value during the exit process.

What we will talk about:

00:00 The Journey of Entrepreneurship
03:16 From Idea to Product
05:34 Navigating the Retail Landscape
07:49 Innovative Sales Strategies
10:34 Early Influences and Motivation
11:40 Funding the Venture
14:48 Crowdfunding Success
16:48 Sales Skills in Fundraising
18:10 Choosing Crowdfunding Over VC
20:01 The Decision to Exit
21:35 Preparing for the Sale
24:44 Creating FOMO in Acquisition
26:22 Navigating the M&A Process
29:53 Engaging the Right Banker
32:03 Communicating Vision and Value
35:48 The Offer and LOI Process
39:52 Understanding Personal Goals in Exits
41:39 Delayed Gratification and Celebrating Success
43:27 The Entrepreneurial Spirit Continues

Want to know more about Anthony NG Monica:
Anthony worked at a number of startups, including ‘Seedrs‘ and ‘Student Money Saver‘, as well as at Venture Capital Firm ‘DFJ Esprit‘. It was whilst working as an IT Support Analyst that he came up with the idea for Swogo. His colleagues would consistently ask him to help them choose the right electronics product, and even though he kept up-to-date with the industry, he‘d have to research for hours across several sources to find the right product. He felt that there had to be a simpler way, and that‘s when he came up with the idea for Swogo.
You can contact him best through email at: anthony@dailybodycoach.com

The Big Exit Show is an initiative by Peak and NP-Hard. Want to know more about Peak and the ventures we back? Check out our website. Want to know more about NP-Hard? Have a look at our website.

Feedback for our podcast or want to be featured on our show? Please reach out at podcast@peak.capital.

In this episode, hosts Johan and Anke dive into the intriguing journey of Ferdinand Goetzen and his company Reveall. Ferdinand discusses the rapid growth, acquisition challenges, and strategic pivots that shaped the company over a short two-year period. From acquiring initial technology to adapting amid market volatility and eventually securing an acquisition, Ferdinand shares valuable insights on the dynamics of startup growth, fundraising difficulties, and the critical role of transparency and team morale in navigating these challenges. This episode offers a comprehensive look at the complexities of entrepreneurship and the importance of strategic decision-making in the path to a successful exit.

This is where we talk about:

00:00 Introduction and Key Takeaways

01:34 Starting Reveall: The Unique Journey

02:48 Building the Customer Insights Platform

05:27 Challenges and Realizations

14:40 Fundraising and Market Dynamics

18:45 Lessons Learned and Future Recommendations

26:37 Reflecting on Early Decisions

27:48 Facing Financial Realities

28:47 Pivots and Market Challenges

31:25 The AI Insight Generation Pivot

33:11 Exploring Acquisition Options

34:49 Negotiating the Deal

37:05 Team Transparency and Transition

45:39 Launching a New Venture

48:20 Final Thoughts and Farewell

Want to know Ferdinand Goetzen better:
Ferdinand Goetzen is a Founding Partner of The Growth Syndicate where he’s aiming to build the go-to brand for b2b rounds and professional looking to unlock scalable growth. He is the former CEO and Co-Founder of Reveall (acquired by NEXT) - a platform that allowed product teams to better prioritize what to build next with the help of customer insights. Previously, he was the Director of Growth at (3D) Hubs and the Chief Growth Officer at Recruitee (both exited in 2021). He is passionate about customer-led products and growth and is regularly featured at leading events and podcasts. He has helped countless companies, from the likes of PipeDrive to KLM, develop and implement strategies for growth.
Connect with him on LinkedIn

The Big Exit Show is an initiative by Peak and NP-Hard. Want to know more about Peak and the ventures we back? Check out our website. Want to know more about NP-Hard? Have a look at our website.

Please follow our podcast page on LinkedIn, you will now first when a new episode is coming.

Feedback for our podcast or want to be featured on our show? Please reach out at podcast@peak.capital.