Harsh Truth About European Startups ft. Joe Seager
NOV 5, 202565 MIN
Harsh Truth About European Startups ft. Joe Seager
NOV 5, 202565 MIN
Description
<p><strong>Glimpse</strong> is the all-in-one, AI-powered deductions management platform for CPG brands—automating deduction capture, classification, disputes, and accounting. Recover more revenue while saving time – <a href="https://www.tryglimpse.com/"><u>https://www.tryglimpse.com</u></a></p><p><br></p><p>What happens when a venture investor builds inside one of the world’s most consumer-obsessed ecosystems?</p><p>In this episode, Mike sits down with <strong>Joe Seager</strong>, Partner at <strong>True</strong>, a multi-stage investment and advisory platform that’s redefining what a consumer-specialist VC can be. </p><p>Before True, Joe spent five years working alongside <strong>Sir Richard Branson</strong> at <strong>Virgin</strong>, helping launch ventures across autonomous vehicles, fintech, and digital banking—giving him a front-row seat to innovation at global scale.</p><p>Joe shares what he learned from working inside <strong>Virgin’s founder-driven culture</strong>, what makes <strong>True’s vertically integrated model</strong> so unique, and how he’s seeing <strong>consumer venture evolve across Europe</strong>.</p><p><br></p><p>You’ll learn: </p><p>✅ What it was really like working with Richard Branson </p><p>✅ How True’s “multi-stage” structure gives founders an unfair advantage </p><p>✅ Why Europe’s venture landscape is so fragmented—and where it’s winning </p><p>✅ How Brexit changed the flow of capital, LPs, and cross-border investing </p><p>✅ What consumer categories are still venture-backable (and which aren’t) </p><p>✅ The truth about power-law outcomes in consumer investing </p><p>✅ Why AI will reshape—not replace—the future of consumer brands </p><p>✅ The founder traits Joe looks for when writing a first check</p><p><br></p><p>👉 If you’re a founder, operator, or investor curious about the intersection of <strong>consumer, venture, and Europe’s next wave of innovation</strong>, this episode is packed with insight from one of the most thoughtful voices in VC.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Timestamps</strong> </p><p>00:00 Intro </p><p>00:40 What It Was Like Working With Richard Branson </p><p>03:00 The Moment Joe Fell in Love With Venture </p><p>05:00 Why He Joined True & What Makes It Different </p><p>07:00 Inside True’s Multi-Stage Model (VC + PE + Public + Advisory) </p><p>09:00 How the Ecosystem Helps Founders Win </p><p>12:00 Leveraging True’s Corporate Network for Startups </p><p>15:00 True’s Split: B2B vs. B2C Investments </p><p>16:00 How Europe’s Venture Scene Differs From the U.S. </p><p>18:00 The Rise of Sweden, Estonia & the Nordics </p><p>22:00 How Brexit Reshaped Capital Flows in Venture </p><p>26:00 LP Structures: Why Europe Lags Behind the U.S. </p><p>28:00 The Need to Unlock Pension Capital in the UK </p><p>31:00 How Brexit Changed Startup Global Expansion </p><p>35:00 Is Consumer Still Venture-Backable? </p><p>38:00 Building Venture-Scale Consumer Brands </p><p>41:00 Why Now Might Be the Best Time to Invest in Consumer </p><p>43:00 How True Thinks About AI in Consumer </p><p>47:00 New Consumer Categories AI Is Unlocking </p><p>49:00 How Europe Differs Culturally From the U.S. </p><p>51:00 What Joe Looks for in Founders </p><p>54:00 The “Jockey vs. Horse” Debate in Early Stage VC </p><p>57:00 Why True Avoids Vice Categories </p><p>59:00 Book Picks: <em>James Dyson Autobiography</em> & <em>The Technology Trap</em></p><p><br></p><p>📬 Subscribe for more founder stories & venture insights: 👉 The Consumer VC Newsletter -<a href="https://www.theconsumervc.com/"> <u>https://www.theconsumervc.com/</u></a><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/2F7OcfZ"> </a></p><p>Follow Mike Gelb: Twitter / IG / TikTok → @mikegelb / @consumervc</p><p><br></p>
