Roland Siebelink talks all things tech startup and bring you interviews with tech cofounders across the world.
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August 21, 202526 min
#098 GeniusLabs | If You Don’t Quit, Someday You Will Find Product-Market Fit
The modern gaming industry is massive, almost as big as the movie industry. However, things are tough, as game developers have to compete with user-generated content platforms like TikTok and YouTube. To keep up, game developers need to be able to produce quality content faster than ever before. That’s exactly the service offered by Nadav Benoudiz and his startup GenieLabs, which is a smart content engine for gaming studios. It’s been quite a journey for Nadav and GenieLabs in trying to gain traction in the gaming industry.Nadav recently sat down with startup coach Roland Siebelink on the Midstage Startup Momentum Podcast. He told Roland about the challenges and learnings he’s had on his long startup journey.How to get beyond the referral stage for acquiring new customers.The importance of picking an industry where you have a passion.The best way for early-stage founders to validate their idea.Why it’s hard for founders to solve market problems.The difference between being praised for a good idea and finding people who will pay for your product.When it’s time for a founder to pivot and change course.
August 21, 202526 min
#097 Mother Games | Creating a New Way of Seeing the World
The gaming industry is always open to creative and innovative ideas. Mother Games is one startup that is doing just that, both in terms of gameplay and in the way that it operates. The company’s first game Le Zoo will be out soon, promising a transformational experience for players. But outside of the gameplay, Mother Games is doing things a little differently. Co-founder and CEO Kelsey Falter is taking her experience from a previous startup and applying those lessons to Mother Games.Kelsey recently joined Roland Siebleink on the Midstage Startup Momentum Podcast for a wide-ranging conversation about the inspiration behind Mother Games, what makes Le Zoo different from other games, and the approach Mother Games is taking to building both games and a company.What it means to build in public and how Mother Games is allowing customers to participate in game design.Why Mother Games is rethinking boilerplate privacy policies. The best ways to gain the trust of customers.What it’s like for Kelsey to navigate the uniqueness of a company as it grows.How Mother Games constantly reorganizes the company around the strengths of its people.
June 29, 202526 min
#096 ForceMetrics | Go Head First Into the Bad
We can all agree on the importance of public safety. Yet, in today’s world, many of the people in charge of public safety are doing their jobs with less information than an Uber driver. That is precisely the problem that Andre McGregor has set out to change with his startup ForceMetrics. Using his experience as a former FBI special agent and building cybersecurity software in Silicon Valley, McGregor is building a company that aims to deliver critical information to police and other public safety officials as efficiently as possible to help make us all safer.Andre recently spoke with Roland Siebelink on the Midstage Startup Momentum Podcast to talk about his idea, how ForceMetrics is changing the world, and his journey as a founder:How ForceMetrics worked with real police officers to perfect its product.The art of finding design partners and getting the most out of customer feedback.How to find the right investors at the right time.The things Andre is no longer allowed to do as a CEO.The importance of not overcomplicating things.
May 30, 202523 min
#095 icetanaAI | We Write AI That Keeps People Safe
What happens when a business is struggling despite having great technology and a useful product offering?Just find someone with experience building startups to start from scratch. That’s the story of icetana AI, an AI-based security company based in Australia. The company had the technology to be successful, but was struggling to find success. But when experienced entrepreneur Kevin Brown was brought in as CEO and “re-founder,” everything changed for icetanaAI.Kevin joined his old friend Roland Siebelink on the Midstage Startup Momentum Podcast to talk about icetana AI’s unique journey and how he helped put the company on the path to success.How retaining one customer helped save icetanaAI.How to fix a startup that has a dying culture.Why it’s best to keep a small team when doing enterprise sales.Using competitors to educate customers.Measuring business success in non-financial terms.
May 24, 202524 min
#094 TechSee | If I Can See It, I Can Solve It
As amazing as modern technology can be, it doesn’t always work the way we want it to work. Sometimes your home Internet goes out or your new coffee machine isn’t cooperating. In those instances, calling customer support or having a technician visit isn’t always a smooth process either. Luckily, TechSee is revolutionizing how people receive customer support for their devices. For customers, technicians, and service providers, the entire process is simplified by TechSee’s solutions to reduce the time and money it takes to provide customer service solutions. On his recent appearance on the Midstage Startup Momentum Podcast, TechSee co-founder and CEO Eitan Cohen spoke to Roland Siebelink about how TechSee’s products are helping and the success they’ve achieved thus far.How TechSee developed its product offering.The importance of having a vision and not losing faith in it.Why TechSee’s indirect distribution strategy is rare among startups.How TechSee finds and brings value to its partners.What it takes to get customers involved in the process.
May 4, 202526 min
#093 SensiAI | The Best Thing I Learned Was to Trust My Intuition
The home care industry is more important than ever, but some would say it’s behind the times because it’s not harnessing the power of modern technology. But that’s starting to change thanks to Sensi.AI, which is utilizing artificial intelligence to help home care companies improve their service and take better care of seniors. Sensi is the first of its kind, creating a new category, while at the same time, trying to dominate the marketplace. With Sensi embarking upon new territory, co-founder and CEO Romi Gubes had a lot to talk about during her recent appearance on the Midstage Startup Momentum Podcast with Roland Siebelink.The advantages and disadvantages of an untapped marketHiring the right people at the right time.Learning to say no to a new opportunityDispelling the myth that startup burnout is unavoidableWhat does it mean for a founder to follow their intuition.
March 7, 202523 min
#092 Spines | Focus on the Business, and Investors Will Chase You
The publishing industry is what most would consider old and outdated, not exactly an ideal setting for an up-and-coming tech startup. But don’t tell that to Spines founder Yehuda Niv. Already established in the publishing world, Yehuda is using AI to disrupt and revolutionize the publishing industry the same way AI has done in countless other industries. Spines is off to a fast start early in its history with Yehuda hoping to one day (soon) make it the biggest publishing company on the planet. Naturally, that gave Yehuda a lot to talk about on his recent appearance on the Midstage Startup Momentum Podcast with Roland Siebelink. What makes Spines the ideal alternative to traditional publishing?How does Yehuda compare bootstrapping his first startup to working with VCs on Spines?The key to getting investors interested in your startup.Why it’s not the job of the CEO to solve the problems of team members?How does Yehuda prevent his employees from interrupting him with questions so that he can focus on growing the company?
February 28, 202525 min
#091 SymbianAI | The Importance of Intellectual Honesty
What if AI could make cybercrime too expensive for hackers to pursue?In this episode of the Midstage Startup Momentum Podcast, Ambuj Kumar, co-founder, and CEO of Symbian AI, discusses the power of intellectual honesty, innovation, and AI-driven cybersecurity in building scalable, impactful solutions. He emphasizes that true innovation comes from open challenges and discussions rather than blind loyalty, which is crucial for building meaningful solutions. Ambuj shares how Simbian is developing AI-powered cybersecurity agents to address the global shortage of security professionals by automating tasks at a fraction of the cost, ultimately aiming to make cybercrime economically unviable. He explains that their go-to-market strategy focuses on solving real customer problems, constantly improving through feedback, and scaling a strong, value-driven sales culture. Lastly, Ambuj highlights the importance of hypothesis-driven decision-making at all levels, ensuring continuous adaptation and avoiding stagnation as the company grows.Join us as Ambuj Kumar shares how Simbian is revolutionizing cybersecurity with AI-powered agents, tackling industry challenges, and building a trillion-dollar vision! Guest Ambuj Kumar:Ambuj Kumar is co-founder and CEO of Simbian, the Gen AI fuelled security company whose mission is to solve security with AI. Ambuj is a recognized leader in the cryptography space, with more than 30 patents in the field—and multiple successful startups. Ambuj was also the lead architect at Cryptography Research Inc. where he led and developed many of the company's security technologies that go into millions of devices every year. Previously, he worked for NVIDIA, where he designed the world's most advanced computer chips, including the world's fastest memory controller.Things You’ll Learn: Embracing open challenges and intellectual honesty in leadership fosters a culture where ideas can evolve, and the best solutions are found, enabling breakthrough innovations. By using AI-powered digital workers, Simbian aims to address the global cybersecurity talent shortage while making security tools more cost-effective and efficient. Sales should focus on genuinely solving customer problems and improving their experience, building trust rather than simply pushing products. A company’s culture must be built around shared values and respect, ensuring that all employees, from junior to senior, are aligned and motivated to contribute to long-term success. Successful growth requires continuously testing assumptions, learning from feedback, and adapting strategies. This allows the company to scale efficiently and overcome growth challenges.
June 21, 202420 min
#090 InHeirit | Coaching an Early-Stage Startup towards Launching
Founders who have never experienced coaching firsthand often wonder what it’s like to work with an experienced startup coach. At the Midstage Institute, we wanted to peel back the curtain a little to show you what it’s like during a coaching session.
I recently spoke with the co-founders of an estate planning startup called Inherit. With their permission, of course, I turned that into a podcast to give founders a little taste of what a coaching session is like and what was discussed.
Finding the right target group for the product.
How far along is the product.
What is the promise given to users?
Finding the balance between free and paid services.
Prioritizing actions for the founders moving forward.
May 9, 2024Episode 8932 min
#089 dub CEO Steven Wang: Expect Results Before Inspecting
How is someone with no investing experience or expertise supposed to get into the game without any know-how? Aren’t they just setting themselves up for failure? That’s no longer a concern with dub, which allows users to copy the portfolios of accomplished investors. Rather than having to pick individual stocks, dub allows users to invest in people and their ideas. It’s truly the next great innovation in investing.
Certified unicorn guide Roland Siebelink recently spoke with dub founder and CEO Steven Wang on the Midstage Startup Momentum Podcast to discuss how dub fits into the investing world and what Steven’s journey has been like as a young startup founder.
What it’s like having a startup in a regulated industry.
The unique challenge of being a young founder and hiring people twice your age.
How the role of a CEO changes immediately after a product launches.
Why it can be best not to pre-define an ideal customer profile.
The one company-wide metric dub uses.
How dub is navigating a two-sided market.
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