He Invested in 7 Unicorns. Now He Tells Founders "Don't Take the Money" | Cornelius Schmal

In this fascinating episode of Be Yourself Podcast I am joined by Cornelius Schmal, a veteran of the early "cowboy" days at Uber who successfully invested in 7 unicorns. We dive deep into his high-stakes journey of managing the Uber expansion across Africa and the intense market wars against Yandex in russia. Cornelius reveals the raw truth behind the glamour of venture capital, explaining why raising millions is often the quickest way to ruin your business and your mental health. We discuss why bootstrapping is the ultimate "sanity" for modern founders and how to shift your focus to net profit to build a sustainable legacy. Whether you are looking for startup scaling secrets or trying to avoid burnout, this conversation is a masterclass in staying true to yourself while building a billion-dollar trajectory. Don't take the money until you watch this!Subscribe if you enjoyed this episode! 0:00 - Intro 01:44 - How the Journey Started03:14 - The Onset of the Career05:04 - New Job at Uber 08:00 - Uber's Early Days Stories10:21 - Expansion into South Africa11:26 - Fighting with Yandex in russia and Ukraine15:51 - Why Maps and Email Matter So Much17:18 - First Investment Capital19:06 - How to Spot the Next Unicorn22:38 - Slowing Down after Burnout25:01 - Scaling-Focused Coaching29:47 - Startups North Star Metrics32:42 - Net Profit is Sanity34:00 - Why Bootstrapping is Better than Fundraising35:41 - Being Someone Else39:44 - Reinventing OurselvesCornelius Resources ~ LinkedIn: ttps://www.linkedin.com/in/cornelius-peter-schmahlCompany: https://scalingbrilliance.com/IG: https://www.instagram.com/cornelius4life/-- -- --If you're interested in cooperation of any kind, feel free to drop a line: [email protected]: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sergey-leshchenko-81371198/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/serhiybeverlyTik-Tok https://www.tiktok.com/@serhiybeverlyMy Video Production & YouTube Agency: https://beverlyen.com/production