Start - Launch - Grow

Verena and Simon revisit one of the foundational frameworks in startup building - the Lean methodology - and ask whether it still holds up in the age of vibe coding and no-code.In this episode they explore how Eric Ries' build-measure-learn loop has been reshaped now that building a product is up to 10 times faster and 10 times cheaper than the traditional 100k, 12-to-18-month build. They dig into the hidden danger of that speed: founders skipping validation altogether because building is suddenly easy, and finding out there's no customer only after they've spent the money. Their takeaway - speed solves the build, but not the clarity of knowing what you're actually testing.Verena sits down with Aneta, founder of Aithea.Aneta is a Munich-based founder with over 16 years in the compliance industry, building an AI-powered marketplace that helps organisations self-assess their financial crime risks and get matched to the right technology vendors - effectively replacing the expensive consultant for businesses with limited budgets.Aneta shares how deep market knowledge from her years as a global market strategy planner became her real validation, why she landed on a product "way beyond an MVP," and the honest reality of pricing something the compliance industry has never seen before. She also reflects on the trap of perfectionism, the unglamorous surprises of going from no-code prototype to live product - databases, hosting, password resets, notification emails - and learning to take the cut on feature creep and just launch.👉 Learn more: millionlabs.com 👉 Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MillionLabs

Verena and Simon tackle one of the most common pitfalls they see in startup advisory calls: the vague Ideal Customer Persona (ICP).In this episode they explore why founders instinctively cast their net too wide, trying to include everyone in their target market, and why this "shotgun" approach actually hurts growth. They break down how startups that nail down a specific ICP and geography are 55-60% more likely to succeed than those with broad, woolly definitions.Interview: Simon sits down with Janvier Wete, CEO and founder of Minute Shorts.Janvier is the founder of a video platform showcasing incredible short films from around the world, often described as the "Spotify of short films." Janvier shares how strong branding led to inbound opportunities like a Samsung TV Plus channel, a partnership with American Airlines, and brand activations with Nike, BBC, and WeTransfer. He discusses the realities of juggling multiple revenue streams, navigating tricky licensing and IP agreements, and he also reflects on resilience, patience, and his rule of thumb: whatever timeline you expect, double it.👉 Learn more: millionlabs.com👉 Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MillionLabs

Verena and Simon discuss the dramatic shift in app development: moving from Legacy Builds to "Vibe Coding."Drawing on data that shows traditional projects often cost $100k and take 18 months, they explore why the "old world" of 200-page specifications is now a liability. They break down the three biggest pitfalls of modern development: poor specification, underestimating QA, and the hidden costs of AI APIs, and explain how "Vibe Coding" has reduced development costs by 10x.They introduce the 5% Scoping Rule: a lean framework for defining personas, data architecture, and wireframes in just two days to ensure you ship a functional MVP in weeks, not years.Interview: Verena sits down with Ken, the Managing Director of Employtest.Ken is the founder of a pre-employment testing platform that helps small to medium-sized businesses verify candidate skills through a suite of hundreds of validated tests.Ken shares his journey of transitioning from reselling third-party tools to building a unified dashboard that now administers 75,000 tests per year. He discusses the hard lessons of "over-listening" to edge-case customers and why he wishes he had adopted low-code tools years earlier. Ken also reflects on the balance between AI automation and the "human touch" required to sustain a B2B company for over two decades.👉 Learn more: millionlabs.com👉 Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MillionLabs

Verena and Simon discuss the most underrated founder skill: knowing when to quit. Drawing on data that shows 42% of startups fail because of a lack of market need, they explore why founders often fall into the "sunk cost" trap and how to differentiate between a challenge that requires grit and a signal that an idea simply doesn't work.They introduce the 30-Day Kill Test: a practical, data-driven framework for validating demand through landing pages and waitlists before spending months building the wrong product.Interview: Simon sits down with David Bourne, who transitioned from a junior doctor to a medtech founder. David is the creator of SimPat, an AI-driven simulation platform designed to help medical students and healthcare professionals practice patient interactions.David shares his journey of teaching himself to code to solve a gap in medical education and discusses the "Start-Launch-Grow" phases of building his MVP. He also reflects on the vital role of accountability and building a support system to navigate the "trough of sorrow" in the early days of a startup.👉 Learn more: millionlabs.com👉 Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MillionLabs

Verena and Simon discuss why most MVPs fail and why founders often jump into building before validating what customers actually want. Drawing on their experience working with more than 2,000 startups, they explore the common mistakes founders make - from skipping customer research to leaving marketing and distribution too late.Verena speaks with Kausar Tahir, who transitioned from pharmacist to medtech founder, and is the creator of Me-Now, a multilingual menopause companion app.Kausar shares how she validated the idea and built her MVP using the low-code platform Bubble.io to support underserved communities globally.👉 Learn more: millionlabs.com👉 Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MillionLabs

Verena and Simon introduce the Start Launch Grow podcast. After working with more than 2,000 businesses, their motivation is to share real innovation journeys.We often hear about the Ubers of the world - but how did the next generation of rising companies actually get started? This podcast focuses on the practical steps you can take to turn ideas into reality.Catch-UpWe discuss the rise of vibe coding and what it means for innovators - from rapid idea validation to building custom tools for SMEs.InterviewSimon sits down with Phil Chell, founder of Chiron.ai, to discuss his journey from the construction industry into building an AI startup. Phil shares how he spotted the opportunity, built an MVP to validate the idea, and used his industry network to gain traction and raise investment.👉Learn more at: millionlabs.com👉 Follow us on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@MillionLabs