»The #1 Thing That Kills Startups« from an Ex-Operational VC

In this episode, we talk with Alex (Ex-Operational VC,
Interim Head of Product Design) about what really breaks
startups — especially now that AI makes building feel
effortless. Alex’s take: don’t get comfortable shipping
fast; talk to users, listen properly, and build from real
problems — because scaling only works when you have a
strong connection to customers.





We also unpack what an operational VC actually
evaluates in product/design due diligence (and why founder
openness to feedback matters), plus how Alex approaches
interim leadership to quickly integrate and
create impact inside scale-ups.   





What you will hear:




Why AI can make teams ship more but
learn less 




The difference between “usability feedback” and real
product-market understanding 




Why you still need a “human in the loop” for
the why — and how bad questions mislead you 




What VCs look for beyond “nice design” in due diligence and
founder collaboration