In this replay episode, we’re thrilled to spotlight Jyri Engeström, a serial entrepreneur whose early ventures led to successful exits to Google and Groupon. Now a General Partner at Yes VC, the fund he co-founded with Caterina Fake of Flickr, Jyri continues to shape the future of startups. He's also investing in bold new ventures alongside Petteri Koponen at Lifeline Ventures, one of Finland’s leading VC firms.
Join us as we explore the cutting-edge opportunities shaping tomorrow, insights from Jyri’s time in Silicon Valley, and why Finland could soon be a global startup hub!
TIMESTAMP / KEY TAKEAWAYS
0:00 - Intro
02:41 - The Innovator’s Dilemma, Sociology, & bi-continental life in Finland & the US
06:20 - Working in Nokia to founding Jaiku
08:56 - Google’s acquisition of Jaiku
12:52 - Selling Ditto to Groupon; “I knew to kill the app immediately after the acquisition,”
16:09 - Lessons learned as a serial entrepreneur; leadership
19:01 - New chapters with True Ventures and Yes VC; patterns of success in portfolio
25:04 - Yes VC’s super early stage approach; thoughts on legacy
32:06 - Identifying the potential unicorns; how to be curiosity-driven, continuously
37:00 - Minting the unicorns & the anti-portfolios
39:37 - The founder product fit; Petteri Koponen’s pattern of success
44:48 - Raising children; parallel entrepreneurship
49:58 - The liquidity & exit landscape and deal flow in Finland today
54:11 - Jyri's trajectory for the next five years; messages to global investors
56:29 - Billion Dollar Questions
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