Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Inner Edge

Should you drop out to build your startup? The data says probably not. This episode digs into what's really driving students to leave school, how AI is reshaping what a degree is even worth, and why real-world experience keeps outpacing the classroom. 

Jennifer Baum-Minkus is the Founder and CEO of gitti, the Berlin-based conscious beauty brand behind clean, plant- and water-based nail polish that has become a category leader in Europe. Jennifer left a corporate career at Coca-Cola to launch gitti from her kitchen table, building the brand into a company that has raised $11.7M in funding and expanded internationally, all while staying rooted in community trust and product transparency. Today, she continues to lead gitti's growth and is a vocal advocate for rethinking industry standards around ingredient safety and sustainability.

Jennifer joins Valerie to talk about leaving the corporate world behind, what it took to build gitti from scratch, and the lessons she's learned scaling a beauty brand rooted in authenticity.

Europe is producing great founders. It's just not always keeping them. This episode looks at the funding gaps pushing talent out, what market proximity really means for early-stage companies, and the emotional side of deciding where to be.

Not many people have taken a European startup all the way to a 2 billion-dollar IPO. Daniel Beutler has, and then he walked away to become a coach. As COO of Captain Train and later President of Trainline International, he helped build one of Europe's most successful tech companies, leading a €200 million acquisition and a €2 billion IPO along the way. Before that he served as CEO for Western Europe at Deutsche Bahn, one of the world's largest mobility companies. After more than a decade at the top, he made a deliberate shift, retraining as an executive coach and chairman to work with the founders and C-suite leaders who are where he once was.

Daniel joins Andy to talk about his journey from corporate leadership to coaching, the importance of inner clarity and purpose, and how founders can build trust, stay accountable, and protect their personal lives without sacrificing their ambition.

Why do so many early startup teams fall apart? Most first-time founders are never taught how to lead people and build trust. This episode explores what gets in the way and what it actually takes to fix it. 

Chris Bach is the Co-founder of Netlify, the web development platform that pioneered the Jamstack movement and serves over 1 million developers worldwide, including Twilio, Nike, and Verizon. Chris helped scale Netlify from an idea into a company that has raised nearly $100M in funding. Today, he is an active investor, board member, and advisor to founders across the modern web ecosystem, and serves on the Board of the MACH Alliance.

Chris joins Valerie to talk about co-founding Netlify, his unconventional path into tech, and what he's learned from building for developers over the past decade. 

Dr. Klaus Kleinfeld — former CEO of Siemens and Alcoa, and ex-Chairman of Arconic — joins Andy for a reflective conversation on leadership from the inside out. A leader who has stewarded global organisations spanning energy, manufacturing, and technology across more than 40 countries, Klaus brings hard-won perspective that goes far beyond the boardroom.

Drawing from decades of global executive experience, he shares insights on energy management, emotional discipline, and the importance of aligning work with personal values. This episode invites leaders to pause, recalibrate, and reconsider where their energy truly goes.

In this episode:

• Why energy management outperforms time management
• Emotional control under sustained pressure
• Purpose as something that evolves
• The role of spirituality in leadership
• Investing in relationships that endure

Andy and Valerie sit down to unpack what it means to build in markets where there is no clear roadmap — especially in established industries that don’t move easily. Andy reflects on entering the railway sector as a startup outsider and the discipline required to earn credibility. Valerie explores the advantage of fresh perspective — and the humility needed to make it work.

They discuss speed versus precision, the reality that startups can’t afford to run out of money, and why the customer ultimately defines what’s true. This episode is about learning fast, adapting constantly, and building without assuming you already understand the rules.

In this episode:

• The strategic edge of a beginner’s mindset
• Earning trust in legacy industries
• Balancing urgency with patience
• Staying grounded when resources are tight
• Letting customer reality guide decisions

Andy and Valerie sit down to discuss the emotional weight of leadership — especially in moments when the outside world sees momentum, but internally things feel fragile. They reflect on the pressure founders carry, how transparency can strengthen teams when handled thoughtfully, and where honesty needs discernment. The conversation also touches on the changing venture landscape — including the shift back toward revenue discipline and sustainable metrics.

Rather than offering surface-level advice, they examine what steadiness actually looks like in practice — and why defining success for yourself is one of the most important leadership decisions you’ll make.

In this episode:

• Managing anxiety while leading others
• Communicating transparently without destabilizing the team
• The evolving expectations of investors 
• Maintaining motivation after fundraising
• Setting your own definition of success