In this episode of The Innovantage Podcast, host Max sits down with Gytenis Galkis, Partner at Superhero Capital and venture capitalist with over a decade of experience investing across the Baltic and Nordic startup scenes. From evaluating 600 startups a year to spotting the elusive “founder–market fit,” Gytenis shares what really separates great founders from good ones — and why luck, timing, and conviction all matter more than most entrepreneurs think.
Together, they unpack how investors think, what makes a founder credible, and why being 40 might actually be your startup’s superpower. From poker-table analogies to billion-dollar lessons from Tesla, Uber, and OpenAI, this conversation reveals the human side of venture capital — where judgment, belief, and storytelling shape the future as much as data does.
What you’ll learn: ➡️ How VCs filter and evaluate 600 startups per year. ➡️ The real difference between product-market fit and founder-market fit. ➡️ Why founders around 40 years old statistically succeed more often. ➡️ How investors test “fit” before there’s traction or revenue. ➡️ What makes a non-consensus investment worth the risk. ➡️ Why venture capital is more like poker than spreadsheets. ➡️ How to impress investors with the right risk-reward profile. ➡️ The role of luck, timing, and preparedness in startup success. ➡️ Why some bets fail — and what investors learn from them. ➡️ How to turn deep market insight into a winning pitch. ➡️ The current and future potential of the Baltic startup ecosystem. ➡️ Why even in an age of AI, the future of investing — and entrepreneurship — is still human.
Tune in for a candid, insight-packed discussion on startups, risk, and the mindset behind every bold idea that just might make it big.
Connect with Our Guest
Gytenis Galkis – https://www.linkedin.com/in/gytenis/
Connect with Max (Host)
Max Golikov – https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxim-golikov/
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