From founder to VC. I recently sat down with Sami Niemi, who built and exited his startup to Nokia and is now on the other side of the table as a partner at Spintop Ventures, a Swedish VC.

Sami started his company while at university and saw campus less as a classroom and more as a talent pool. He’d attend lectures, observe who asked the sharpest questions, and recruit them. A smart way to finding great people.

We talked about his journey as a founder, the lessons that shaped his success, and what he now looks for in companies. Sami once took a reference call with a founder’s mum, listen to the pod to hear why.

A delightfully insightful (and fun) conversation on building, backing, and spotting potential early.