Share

cover art for AVC15: The future of distributed work with Sten Tamkivi

Antler VC Cast

AVC15: The future of distributed work with Sten Tamkivi

Season 1, Ep. 15

In this episode, we talk about the future of remote and distributed work, the product-building models, and the importance of maintaining your core values as your company grows. To discuss this and more, we are joined by Sten Tamkivi, the Chief Product Officer at Topia, where he builds products to break down the barriers between people and places. Prior to co-founding Teleport (acquired by Topia in 2017) he served at Skype as an early executive and played a key role in its transformation from a startup to a leading telecom player with 300 million active users and a whopping $8.5 billion exit to Microsoft. A native Estonian, Sten has entrepreneurship in his blood. He started his journey when he was just 18 by founding Estonia's first digital media agency.

[18:56] Sten discusses the role of a physical office in an increasingly hybrid work environment [20:31] Sten highlights the principles you need to build a successful distributed working team [39:33] Sten shares his decision-making process when it comes to investing in early-stage companies Listen to the podcast to discover stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

More episodes

View all episodes

  • 22. AVC22: The Future of Food with Josh Tetrick

    36:19
    In Episode 22, we speak to Josh Tetrick, founder of Eat Just Inc., a San Francisco-based FoodTech startup that is radically reimagining the way we consume meat globally. Eat Just is best known for its mung bean-based egg substitute called "Just Egg" and its “lab-grown” cultured chicken. In December 2020, Singapore became the first country in the world to grant approval of the sale of cultured chicken. Eat Just was founded in 2011, and the company has raised over US$650 million and had last been valued at US$1.2 billion.In this episode, Josh talks about how he came to focus on the problem with food, solving massive challenges in the food industry and building a new universe of tools to supply food in a more ethical way. He discusses the hurdles to widespread adoption of plant-based meats, talks about the mindset shift towards FoodTech innovation that will occur in the next decade, and shares advice for aspiring founders looking to solve real problems in our society. 
  • Trailer for AVC 22: The Future of Food with Josh Tetrick

    01:12
    In our next episode, we speak to Josh Tetrick, founder of Eat Just Inc., a San Francisco-based FoodTech startup that is radically reimagining the way we consume meat globally. Eat Just is best known for its mung bean-based egg substitute called "Just Egg" and its “lab-grown” cultured chicken. In December 2020, Singapore became the first country in the world to grant approval of the sale of cultured chicken. Eat Just was founded in 2011, and the company has raised over US$650 million and had last been valued at US$1.2 billion.In this episode, Josh talks about how he came to focus on the problem with food, solving massive challenges in the food industry and building a new universe of tools to supply food in a more ethical way. He discusses the hurdles to widespread adoption of plant-based meats, talks about the mindset shift towards FoodTech innovation that will occur in the next decade, and shares advice for aspiring founders looking to solve real problems in our society.
  • 21. AVC21: Embracing Diversity Through Entrepreneurship with Piers Linney

    43:38
    In Episode 21, we speak to Piers Linney, a British entrepreneur and investor well known for being a "dragon" on the BBC’s business series Dragons' Den. Piers is also a content creator and keynote speaker focused on supporting individuals with ambitions to build a start-up, and is passionate about diversity and inclusion within the venture capital industry. In this episode, he shares his experience as a tech investor on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, doles out valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, and speaks passionately about the importance of making progress in diversity and inclusion within the technology entrepreneurship space.
  • Trailer for AVC21: Embracing Diversity Through Entrepreneurship with Piers Linney

    01:07
    In Episode 21, we speak to Piers Linney, a British entrepreneur and investor well known for being a "dragon" on the BBC’s business series Dragons' Den. Piers is also a content creator and keynote speaker focused on supporting individuals with ambitions to build a start-up, and is passionate about diversity and inclusion within the venture capital industry. In this episode, he shares his experience as a tech investor on BBC’s Dragons’ Den, doles out valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, and speaks passionately about the importance of making progress in diversity and inclusion within the technology entrepreneurship space.
  • 20. AVC20: The Future of Events with Renaud Visage

    37:28
    In Episode 20, we speak to Renaud Visage, co-founder and former CTO of Eventbrite. Renaud has been at the helm and foundation of Eventbrite’s technical architecture from its inception and has built it into the leading events platform of the world. Renaud is also an avid photographer, startup mentor and angel investor. In this episode, he shares how Eventbrite successfully and quickly pivoted to online events during the Covid-19 pandemic, his predictions for the future of hybrid events and doles out valuable advice for entrepreneurs.
  • Trailer for AVC20: The Future of Events with Renaud Visage

    01:08
    In Episode 20, we speak to Renaud Visage, co-founder and former CTO of Eventbrite. Renaud has been at the helm and foundation of Eventbrite’s technical architecture from its inception and has built it into the leading events platform of the world. Renaud is also an avid photographer, startup mentor and angel investor. In this episode, he shares how Eventbrite successfully and quickly pivoted to online events during the Covid-19 pandemic, his predictions for the future of hybrid events and doles out valuable advice for entrepreneurs.
  • 19. AVC19: The Human Side of VC with Simon Schmincke

    40:13
    In Episode 19, we speak to Simon Schmincke, General Partner at Creandum, a VC advisory firm with offices in Stockholm, San Francisco and Berlin. Spotify, Klarna and Kahoot are among their portfolio of companies across Europe and the US. Originally from Germany, Simon built three companies for Rocket Internet and was part of the founding team of FoodTech startups Foodpanda in Singapore and HelloFresh in the United States.In this episode, Simon talks about the fundamentally human side of venture capital, his ideal founder-investor relationship and the differences in consumer behaviour he has noticed while working and investing across Asia, Europe and America. 
  • Trailer for AVC19: The human side of VC with Simon Schmincke

    00:43
    In Episode 19, we speak to Simon Schmincke, General Partner at Creandum, a VC advisory firm with offices in Stockholm, San Francisco and Berlin. Spotify, Klarna and Kahoot are among their portfolio of companies across Europe and the US. Originally from Germany, Simon built three companies for Rocket Internet and was part of the founding team of FoodTech startups Foodpanda in Singapore and HelloFresh in the United States.In this episode, Simon talks about the fundamentally human side of venture capital, his ideal founder-investor relationship and the differences in consumer behaviour he has noticed while working and investing across Asia, Europe and America.
  • 18. AVC18: Understanding Consumer Behaviour in a Hybrid World with Nicole Quinn

    23:22
    In Episode 18, we speak to Nicole Quinn, General Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners. Lightspeed Ventures is an iconic Silicon Valley fund that has 10 billion dollars in assets under management. Nicole’s focus is on early-stage consumer internet and fintech companies, with a portfolio that includes mental wellness app Calm, Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop, Lady Gaga's Haus Laboratories, cult shoe brand Rothy's,  Zola and Girl Boss. Nicole talks about consumer behaviour that is going to stick post COVID, the incredible value of Influencer Marketing for customer acquisition, and shares her predictions for the next big trend in the consumer world.