What happens when Europe's top startup operators become VCs — and use AI to disrupt billion-euro legacy sectors?
Today’s episode uncovers how Marton Sarkadi Nagy, Partner at Visionaries Club, is backing founders who are rewriting the playbook for industrial tech innovation.

• 🔧 How applied AI is replacing legacy SaaS and transforming industries like logistics and procurement

• 📊 Why Europe is perfectly positioned to lead in the application layer of AI

• 🧠 What defines a "genre-defining founder" in early-stage startups

• ⚙️ The secret behind Visionaries Club’s unique LP base: unicorn founders + industrial dynasties

• 🪖 How radical accountability and talent-first scaling are creating B2B breakout startups

Whether you’re a founder raising a seed round, an operator breaking into VC, or an investor looking to understand the future of industrial SaaS, this episode is for you.

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Marton Sarkadi Nagy is a Partner at Visionaries Club, a Berlin-based venture capital firm managing €600M+ in AUM. With a background as the former growth lead at Tier, Marton brings operator DNA to VC. Visionaries Club backs early-stage startups that use AI, SaaS, and cybersecurity to tackle massive industrial problems — with LPs ranging from unicorn founders to multi-generational family businesses.

Love hearing real-world startup scaling, AI disruption, and VC philosophy?

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Guest Name: Marton Sarkadi Nagy, Partner at Visionaries Club

Blog Post: How Europe’s Visionaries Are Using AI to Disrupt Industrial Tech

Relevant Resources:

• Visionaries Club

• Startuprad.io Unicorn Tracker

Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Welcome + Introduction

• 05:20 – From Tier to Visionaries Club: Marton’s transition from operator to investor

• 11:40 – Visionaries Club’s unique LP network

• 18:30 – Radical accountability and founder performance

• 25:50 – SaaS is dead — how AI agents are reshaping back-office work

• 34:00 – Europe’s opportunity in applied AI

• 42:30 – What makes a painkiller startup (vs. a vitamin)

• 49:00 – Supporting technical founders and Europe’s startup gaps

• 56:00 – Final thoughts and contact info

In Part 2 of our interview with Christian Conrad — coach, former Kellogg’s exec, and author of Magical Company Culture — we go deep into the execution side of culture.

Forget team-building retreats. Christian outlines a leadership playbook where trust, behavioral habits, and culture KPIs like eNPS are used to build high-performing, emotionally engaged teams.

• Why “100% trust from Day 1” transforms startup teams

• How to implement daily engagement boosters like connective listening and feedforward

• Why eNPS should be every founder’s culture KPI

• How one client scaled eNPS from 6 to 40 in 18 months

• The 4DX execution framework applied to startup leadership

Christian Conrad is the founder of Management Boost and author of Magical Company Culture. His mission? 1 million smiling employees by 2035. He’s coached global corporations and hypergrowth startups alike on measurable, trust-based leadership.

🔥 If you’re a founder, investor, or executive navigating scale, this episode is your culture execution guide.

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• Guest Name: Christian Conrad (https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianconrad-magneticculture/)

• Role: Leadership Coach & Author of Magnetic Company Culture

• Blog Post Part 2: Read the Full Blog Here: https://www.startuprad.io/post/the-culture-execution-playbook-for-founders-part-2-of-our-interview-with-christian-conrad

• Blog Post Part 1: https://www.startuprad.io/post/the-ultimate-guide-to-building-a-magnetic-company-culture-in-startups

• Resources:

  • Christian’s Website

  • eNPS Overview (Gallup)

• Timestamps:

  • 00:00 – Why Culture Execution Fails

  • 03:15 – Long-Term vs. One-Off Trainings

  • 06:00 – The Trust-First Management Mindset

  • 10:10 – The 4DX Framework for Culture

  • 13:50 – Case Study: eNPS Growth Story

  • 17:22 – Three Founder Habits to Start Today

  • 20:00 – Final Thoughts for Founders

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What if your company culture was your biggest growth engine? In this episode, we dive deep with leadership coach Christian Conrad to unpack what makes startup cultures not only magnetic but measurable — and how founders can lead with emotional intelligence and trust from Day 1.

📌 What You'll Learn:

• How to use eNPS to measure engagement and cultural health

• Why trust-first leadership beats control-based management

• The daily engagement boosters that scale with your team

• How to retain top startup talent during the Fachkräftemangel

• When to use the Kano model and 4DX to execute cultural transformation

👤 Guest Spotlight:

Christian Conrad, founder of Management Boost and author of Magical Company Culture, is on a mission to create 1 million smiling employees by 2035. He has helped startups and corporates alike transform their cultures into scalable engines for growth.

🎯 Your Turn:

If you’re building a startup, managing a tech team, or investing in founders — this conversation will shift your thinking on leadership.

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• Guest Name: Christian Conrad, Leadership Coach & Author

• Blog Post: The Ultimate Guide to Magnetic Company Culture

• Relevant Resources:

  • Magical Company Culture – Book

  • Christian's Homepage

⏱ Timestamps:

• 00:00 – Introduction

• 05:12 – What Is a Magnetic Company Culture?

• 13:20 – Measuring Engagement with eNPS

• 22:05 – Trust-Based Leadership and Emotional ROI

• 31:47 – Daily Engagement Boosters for Startup Leaders

• 40:15 – Case Study: Renewable Energy Company Culture Turnaround

• 48:05 – Closing Advice for Founders