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Follow the Gradient

Follow the Gradient
Startups
Entrepreneurship
Leadership
Fintech
Venture Capital
Crisis Communication
Storytelling
Mental Health
Burnout
Product Market Fit
Customer Acquisition
Brite Payments
Startup Culture
European Startups
Team Performance
Delegation
Employee Engagement
AI Leadership
Startup Growth
Startup Founders

Insider knowledge and real stories about how to build a business from Europe while staying sane. Each week founders Melanie Gabriel and Christian Woese dive deep into one specific topic on a founder's or startup operator's mind and share how to solve the challenge together with an expert. Follow the Gradient and stay tuned. followthegradient.io/

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes83Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
BusinessEntrepreneurship

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Artwork for Follow the Gradient

Latest Episodes

Most companies design their strategy to fit the org chart they already have. Sana built it the other way around, and rebuilt the org around the new strategy every six months for almost five years.

In this episode of Follow the Gradient, Christian Wo... more

Most co-CEO setups end quietly with a Sunday restructuring nobody talks about. IQM ran theirs publicly for 22 months and ended it on January 1st 2026.

In this episode of Follow the Gradient, Christian Woese and Melanie Gabriel sit down with Dr. Jan ... more

European pension funds allocate 0.1 percent to venture capital. American pension funds allocate 3 percent. That single number explains a decade of European tech.

In this episode of Follow the Gradient, Christian Woese and Melanie Gabriel sit down wi... more

What if every metric your product team is optimizing for is already a debt? Daily active users, monthly active users, weekly logins. They were all built for a world where humans were the primary users of software. That world is ending.

In this episo... more

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Recent Guests

Olivia Elf
VP Operations at Sana
Sana
Episode: We rebuild the whole company every six months | Olivia Elf, VP Ops at Sana
Jan Goetz
CEO of IQM, Europe's first quantum computing company
IQM
Episode: Selling deep tech doesn't look like selling SaaS | Jan Goetz, IQM
Andreas Schwarzenbrunner
General Partner at Speedinvest
Speedinvest
Episode: The best European VC category is compliance | Andreas Schwarzenbrunner, Speedinvest
Tony Beltramelli
Leader in AI product development; formerly involved with Pix2Code and founder-level work; led AI initiatives at Miro
Miro (AI product leadership)
Episode: 55 Employees, 3 Million Users, $0 Marketing Budget. Then a Miro Exit | Tony Beltramelli
Pascal Hügli
Crypto expert, lecturer, advisor
Zurich-based cryptography and finance expert
Episode: $14bn profit, 150 employees: stablecoins are the real business model | Pascal Hügli
Gülsah Wilke
Partner at DN Capital; advocate for migrant founders and diversity as ROI
DN Capital
Episode: Germany's vertical AI opportunity is bigger than anyone admits | Gülsah Wilke, DN Capital
Nicolas Autret
Investor and deep tech veteran, on the board of Graphcore and co-author of the 2026 European deep tech report
Walden Catalyst / Samsung Catalyst Fund
Episode: "We need 10 DeepMinds" | Nicolas Autret on what's missing in European Deep Tech
Max Buckley
Exa founder/CEO discussing why he left Google
Exa
Episode: Why I left Google after 12 years to compete against them | Max Buckley, Exa
Francine Gervazio
Founder/Executive at Shiftmove, prior dealmaker who led multiple acquisitions
Shiftmove
Episode: "Organic growth won't get us to 100 million" | Francine Gervazio, Shiftmove

Hosts

Melanie Gabriel
Host of the show; guides conversations with guests and co-hosts; frequent emphasis on practical insights and European startup dynamics.
Christian Woese
Co-host; drives interviews, challenges guests, and adds multiple perspectives to European tech topics.

Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars from 55 ratings
  • Highly recommended - insightful, real & refreshingly honest podcast

    “Follow the Gradient” is a gem for anyone building or working in a scaleup. Melanie and Christian bring not only insider knowledge but also real, relatable stories. It’s insightful, grounded, and genuinely helpful. I can highly recommend for founders, operators, and anyone curious about the startup / scaleup ecosystem.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Maushart13
    Switzerlanda year ago
  • Priceless start-up podcast!

    Melanie and Christian tell it like it is. The highs, the lows, and how to best manage start-up life. Every week they invite founders and leading experts, serving up invaluable tips and tricks, and brutally honest experiences, to help start-ups learn from their mistakes and also focus on what matters. Love it!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Alice the Malice 666
    Switzerlanda year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Blunt, experience-driven discussions make complex topics approachable.
Founders and operators will get practical, honest takeaways they can apply next week.
Guests bring real-world lessons, not just theory.
Great mix of investors and practitioners offering actionable insights for scaling in Europe.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Selling deep tech doesn't look like selling SaaS | Jan Goetz, IQM
Q: What is the key takeaway for deep-tech founders about combining scientific rigor with commercial storytelling?
Balance scientific integrity with a compelling, grounded business narrative; be transparent about progress, deliverable timelines, and invite customers into product development to co-create value.
Selling deep tech doesn't look like selling SaaS | Jan Goetz, IQM
Q: How do you manage selling to long sales cycles like supercomputing centers?
Sales require execution across multiple stakeholder layers, building trust through a proven deployment track record, and engaging both leadership and technical teams to align budgets and procurement.
Selling deep tech doesn't look like selling SaaS | Jan Goetz, IQM
Q: Why pursue a dual listing, and why now?
A dual listing was pursued to capture European and US investor support, leverage strong capital markets in the US, and enable strategic flexibility, with a preference for a faster, more defined process through a SPAC-like route.
Selling deep tech doesn't look like selling SaaS | Jan Goetz, IQM
Q: Why did IQM choose a co-CEO structure, and what were the conditions that made it work?
The co-CEO setup solved immediate fundraising and market execution needs during a fast-growth phase; success depended on clearly defined roles, disciplined communication, and strong management processes.
Selling deep tech doesn't look like selling SaaS | Jan Goetz, IQM
Q: What did the first day of being sole CEO feel like, and what was the first decision you made in that role?
Jan describes a careful transition with clear reasons: preserving fundraising focus while the co-CEO handles the background business, leading to a stable path where the team gains clarity on strategic vision.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Follow the Gradient

What is Follow the Gradient about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A Europe-focused business podcast featuring candid conversations with founders, operators, and investors about building companies from the region while maintaining balance and sanity. Episodes center on pragmatic strategies for growth, funding, hiring, and operational scale, often through expert guests who share real-world lessons, challenges, and decision rationales. Notable throughlines include European capital dynamics, AI and deep tech in Europe, and the human side of leadership—from burnout and motherhood to executive support and team-building. It probably stands out for its blunt, experience-driven approach, practical takeaways, and a consistent emphasis on staying local in Europe while competing globally.

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How many listeners does Follow the Gradient get?

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Which podcasts are similar to Follow the Gradient?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Follow the Gradient:

1. David Senra
2. Hard Fork
3. Echo der Zeit
4. Think Fast Talk Smart: Communication Techniques
5. Alan Frei Podcast

How many episodes of Follow the Gradient are there?

Follow the Gradient launched 2 years ago and published 83 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Follow the Gradient?

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What guests have appeared on Follow the Gradient?

Recent guests on Follow the Gradient include:

1. Olivia Elf
2. Jan Goetz
3. Andreas Schwarzenbrunner
4. Tony Beltramelli
5. Pascal Hügli
6. Gülsah Wilke
7. Nicolas Autret
8. Max Buckley

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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