The Pursuit of Scrappiness

• 201: Sales Expert with $2Bn in Deals Signed Reveals Why People Fear Sales, Why Good Writing Is Critical, How to Do Founder-Led Sales, Common Mistakes, How to Build a Sales Process in a Startup, and the Impact of AI w/ Zoltan Vardy (Launch Code)

  Zoltan Vardy is a seasoned sales strategist, startup mentor, and now also a published author whose career spans over 30 years, more than $2 billion in closed deals and more than 200 startups assisted in building their sales function. From leading multinational sales teams to advising early-stage B2B startups, Zoltan has dedicated his work to helping founders build scalable, recurring revenue engines. His signature methodology, “The Launch Code,” is now also the title of his debut book—a practical, story-driven guide to founder-led sales and sales organization design. With a background in journalism and a family of prolific writers, Zoltan combines clear thinking with structured methodology to teach founders not only how to sell, but how to love the process.On this episode we talk about:What it Means and Takes to Write a Book.Founder-Led Sales vs. Sales TeamsCommon Sales Mistakes in StartupsHow to Use Storytelling in Sales and PitchesDiagnosing Fixing a Broken Sales ProcessAI and the Future of SaaS SalesResources referenced in the episode:Free 1st Chapter Offer for Zoltan’s book: https://zoltanvardy.com/book/“The Launch Code” on Amazon: https://mybook.to/thelaunchcodeTo reach out to Zoltan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zoltanvardy/==If you liked this episode or simply want to support the work we do, buy us a coffee or two, or a hundred, with just a few clicks at: https://buymeacoffee.com/pursuitofscrappinessFind all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

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• INSIGHT #16: VC Reveals The Inside Pressure Of Hitting 3X Return Benchmarks And Having To Wait 6–8 Years To Know Whether The Fund Succeeded (And Most Don’t)

  This is an insight from our previous conversation on the intricacies of VC business:Winners in VC portfolios usually take 6–8 years to emerge—sometimes longer.The 3x return benchmark is extremely difficult to hit.Many funds don’t actually meet their targets, especially emerging managers.Emotional reality: fund managers often don't know if they succeeded for almost a decade.Jone Vaituleviciute is the managing partner and co-founder of Firstpick, an early-stage VC and accelerator program based in Lithuania and operating across the Baltics. In this episode we decided to focus more on VC as a business rather than looking at startups and founders from a VC perspective. Before starting Firstpick, Jone was a partner at StartupWiseGuys. Listen to the full conversation with Jone here on Episode 164:Link to SpotifyLink to Apple Podcastshttps://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/episodes/164-jone-vaituleviciute==If you liked this episode or simply want to support the work we do, buy us a coffee or two, or a hundred, with just a few clicks at: https://buymeacoffee.com/pursuitofscrappinessFind all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

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• 200th Episode Q&A: What Does It Mean to Be Scrappy, Most Impressive Learnings in 4 Years, Beliefs We Held That Are No Longer True, Tips to Stay Focused & Motivated

  Welcome to the 200th episode of the Pursuit of Scrappiness podcast! We  celebrate this major milestone by flipping the script. Having interviewed top founders, VCs, and operators across Europe and beyond, we turn the mic on ourselves this time—reflecting on four years of podcasting, lessons learned, and what it truly means to stay “scrappy.” Fueled by thoughtful questions submitted by past guests, this episode is a candid and insightful deep-dive into what it takes to consistently create meaningful content, stay motivated, and grow a show in an ever-changing media landscape.On this episode we talk about:Reflecting on 200 EpisodesWhat It Means to Be a Content Creator TodayScrappiness ReimaginedWhat Can the Region Improve to Become More Successful Lessons from Guests That Changed Our ThinkingHow to Stay Consistent and MotivatedAnd more!Special thanks to the guests who submitted questions:Martins VaivarsFrank SondorsMartins LasmanisDonatas KerasAvery SchraderAnna AndersoneJekabs EndzinsVytautas KubiliusJulija JegorovaMikus Krams==If you liked this episode or simply want to support the work we do, buy us a coffee or two, or a hundred, with just a few clicks at: https://buymeacoffee.com/pursuitofscrappinessFind all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

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• INSIGHT #15: Ragnar Sass Explains How Founders Can Make Real Impact on the Security of Europe by Leveraging Their Startup Experience (Technical Expertise Not Required)

  This is an insight from our previous conversation with Ragnar Sass on helping Ukraine and Europe win:Why the Baltics are uniquely positioned to lead in defense tech.Defense sector sales cycles vs. SaaS—and how Baltic agility offers an advantage.How Ragnar’s team is building a fast, hands-on defense startup ecosystem with hackathons, bootcamps, and testing in Ukraine.Real examples of non-technical founders thriving in defense tech, and why operational skills are more important than ever.Ragnar Sass is a serial entrepreneur, co-founder of Pipedrive, and an active investor in the Baltic and Ukrainian tech scenes. Beyond his entrepreneurial success, Ragnar has emerged as a leading advocate for Ukraine during its time of crisis, founding the Help99 Convoy initiative, which has delivered over €10 million in aid and critical supplies. With deep ties to Ukraine through business and personal connections, Ragnar is leveraging his expertise to support defense tech innovation and foster resilience in the face of geopolitical challenges.Listen to the full conversation with Ragnar here on Episode 188:Link to SpotifyLink to Apple Podcastshttps://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/episodes/188-ragnar-sass==If you liked this episode or simply want to support the work we do, buy us a coffee or two, or a hundred, with just a few clicks at: https://buymeacoffee.com/pursuitofscrappinessFind all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

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  13:27
• 71% of Exit Funding in 2024 Came from Secondaries: Learn How It Works, When Your Startup Is Ready, and How to Negotiate the Best Terms w/ Rando Rannus (Siena Secondary Fund). Ep 199

  Rando Rannus is a general partner at Siena Secondary Fund, the first and only dedicated secondary VC fund in the Baltics. With a unique background as both a company founder and operator—having built and sold an advertising business to MTG Group, and held leadership roles at Bolt and Viveo Health—Rando brings an operator’s mindset to venture investing. His fund specializes in providing liquidity to founders, employees, and early investors in high-growth scaleups, with a focus on the CEE and Nordic markets. Through Siena, Rando is pioneering a more flexible, founder-friendly approach to secondaries in a region where the concept is only now beginning to gain momentum.On this episode we talk about:Why over 70% of tech exits in 2024 involved secondary deals and what’s driving this shift in the startup funding lifecycle.How Sienna’s model works, what types of companies qualify, and the benefits for founders and employees.Insight into how deals are valued, including discounting vs. premium pricing, share classes, and rights analysis.Why getting into companies like Bolt and Aura requires trust, timing, and strategic positioning.Rando’s personal story of transitioning from building startups to launching a fund and the lessons learned along the way.==If you liked this episode or simply want to support the work we do, buy us a coffee or two, or a hundred, with just a few clicks at: https://buymeacoffee.com/pursuitofscrappinessFind all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

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  48:56

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