Andris K. Berzins is the managing partner of Change Ventures, the first and largest pan-Baltic seed investor. With an MBA from Stanford and 20+ years of tech experience in all kinds of roles from founder to executive, to an investor, Andris brings a uniquely nuanced opinion on the Baltic startup scene through the eyes of a VC. He is also credited for being one of the most visible shapers and champions of the Latvian startup ecosystemOn this energizing pod, we discuss the Baltics as the next startup nations by drawing parallels to Israel, what it takes to be a successful startup founder, how to build valuable mentor-mentee relationships as well as talk about the overall Baltic startup market situation through the lens of the Baltic Startup Funding Report latest issueThe topics covered in this episode with Timestamps[03:15] - Introduction, the birth of Latvian startup ecosystem and going to top US universitiesBuilding the Latvian startup ecosystemThe promise of the Baltic startup sceneThe value of going to top US universities and business schools[13:00] - Investing in the Baltic startup sceneWhen you are a founder, there is no boss to help with your challengesComparing the Baltics to Israel - Baltics as the next startup nationsWhat can the Baltics learn from Israelis?The emergence of cross-Baltic founder cases and senior hires going across Baltic bordersWhat Andris looks for in foundersHow to test for gritHow to build a working mentor-mentee relationshipThe value prop of Change Ventures for Baltic foundersInternational and US investors comingIt’s never been a better time to raise money in the BalticsWhat mistakes founder’s make when approaching VCsHow to test the ability to ability to enter big foreign markets[50:40] - The Baltic Startup funding reportTrends behind growth in Baltic round sizes and valuationsBaltics as a destination for talent, not low-cost laborDo you need to set a valuation for your raise?Is it possible for Latvia and Lithuania to catch up with Estonia?Global trends in VC funding and the longstanding effect of the pandemicThe right time for a productInteractio app experience in timingThe future for Change VenturesFind out more on https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/ Support for this episode comes from Nexpay > https://paynexpay.com/===See the video content exclusively on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/ Questions/suggestions? Join our Telegram group > https://t.me/pursuitofscrappiness The full interview with Andris is available NOW on Apple Podcasts, Spotify and Google Podcasts Find out more on https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/ Support the show

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