Following up on the highlights of the summer episodes of Voice of FinTech podcast, here are also book tips and additional resources related to the summer episodes:

Following up on Episode #2 with Claudia Bienentreu, Head of Open Innovation AXA Switzerland (AXAnauten), I’d like to share a great book tip with you! Many of you know it, but if you are interested in innovation or open innovation and haven’t read it yet, it’s an absolute must-read!

Clayton Christensen explains how even the most outstanding companies can do everything right — and still, get pushed aside when an innovation wave comes: unless managers know how and when to abandon traditional business practices! The Innovator’s Dilemma on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2WTboEa (all book tips through the Amazon Associates Program).

Following up on Episode #3 with Ralf Huber, co-founder of Apiax, award-winning RegTech start-up from Switzerland. Here is an excellent short overview of RegTech Europe.

We recorded Episode #4 of the Voice of FinTech podcast with Minh Q. Tran from Odysseus Partners at the Station F, the world’s biggest start-up campus, that celebrated the 2nd anniversary on June 27. See the article from Harriet Agnew from the Financial Times about Station F: https://www.ft.com/content/2b4a6fc8-9838-11e9-9573-ee5cbb98ed36

Courtesy of Bloomberg & The Financial Times

Following up on interviews with co-founders of Bambus.io (Franz Hoerhager) and Apiax (Ralf Huber), I’d like to share tips for excellent books that are an absolute must if you are thinking about starting your own company (or want to learn more about start-up lingo:):

The Lean Startup: How Constant Innovation Creates Radically Successful Businesses by Eric Ries: https://amzn.to/2XSdy6T

Lost and Founder: A Painfully Honest Field Guide to the Startup World by Rand Fishkin: https://amzn.to/2XGvugB

Zero to One: Notes on Start Ups, or How to Build the Future Blake Masters: https://amzn.to/2O68DLZ

Courtesy of Shutterstock

Episode 6: “If you can’t tell who the sucker at the poker table is, it’s you,” from Angel: How to Invest in Technology Startups by Jason Calacanis. Check out this great book on angel investing! https://amzn.to/2O5p2QB. This is a follow-up on the interview with David Sidler from Investiere.

Episode 7: “A study by McKinsey & Company estimated that, from 10,000 business ideas, 1,000 firms are founded, 100 receive venture capital, 20 go on to raise capital in an initial public offering of shares, and 2 become market leaders.” from Mass Flourishing: How Grassroots Innovation Created Jobs, Challenge, and Change by Nobel Prize winner Edmund Phelps. Check it out on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2SDAL7C (through Amazon Associates). Founders, with odds like these, wouldn’t you like to get a bit of help?:-) Check out the interview with Kelvin Au, Head of Venture at the Founders Factory in London.

Episode 8: Let’s say it’s the middle of the summer, and you are behind on one of many summer reading lists (or a yearly reading challenge like the one on Goodreads.com.) Do you turn to Blinkist or getAbstract book summaries or Audible, Inc. audiobooks:-)?

Check out also Founder’s Pocket Guide on Cap Tables: https://amzn.to/2YCVzSb and the podcast episode #8 with Mazin Biviji, co-founder of Toquity, a blockchain solution for cap tables.

In episode #9, we talked to one of the leading VCs in Switzerland and the DACH region, Redalpine. Founders, if you want to be well prepared when fundraising from VCs, you should get this excellent book by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson: Venture Deals. https://amzn.to/33hDBEl

In episode #10, we talked to Marwan El-Hakim, Partner at Veridian Ventures, London based business angel syndicate. He warned founders against a temptation to push for an unrealistic valuation in the early fundraising rounds. Check out how Pied Piper’s team in the HBO’s hit comedy show Silicon Valley dealt with this in the Season’s 2, Episode 1:

“Huh. I suppose you could argue it might have been easier to hit more realistic benchmarks and reach cashflow break-even,” Javeed says, realizing the magnitude of the disaster he caused himself. “And then we wouldn’t have faced that down-round. And we wouldn’t have had to settle for acquisition. … No, no, we could have done a legit series B. I’d still be CEO. I’d have my job, my kickass house, I’d probably still have my girlfriend. … Why didn’t anyone tell me I could take less!” from The Washington Post article.

The official Season 2 trailer:

Lausanne, Switzerland

In episode #11, we talked to Francois Briod, CEO and co-founder of Monito, Lausanne based money transfer comparison site.

“How Lausanne’s tech companies punch above their weight: Lausanne creates about the same number of startups as Zurich does, with only a third of the population. This is how the city’s tech community manages to punch above its weight.” Check out the article from Sifted.

In episode #12, we talked to Annie Guo, CEO and founder of SilkPay. The name of the company is inspired by the Silk Road, and I’d like to flag this book to you:

Far more than just a history of the Silk Roads, this book attempts to re-center our typical view of the history of the world. Check it out on Amazon: https://amzn.to/2KtsgcE

For comments or suggestions, please e-mail us at info@voiceoffintech.com. Happy to hear from you!