Startups Should Operate Like Sports Team – Romain Vidal (Teampact Ventures)

Startups Should Operate Like Sports Team – Romain Vidal (Teampact Ventures)

Author: Hugo Rauch March 20, 2025 Duration: 48:28

Listen now on Apple, Spotify, and YouTube.

***

This week, we’re joined by Romain Vidal, co-founder of Teampact Ventures, a VC firm leveraging high-performance methodologies from professional sports to support climate and health startups.

In this episode, we cover:

* Why startups should learn from sports teams, not from corporates

* How delayed gratification and resilience create long-term success

* The mindset of elite athletes that founders should adopt

* The importance of team culture in driving performance

* … and more!

***

⌛TIMESTAMPS

* 00:00 - Introduction

* 01:34 - The Philosophy Behind Teampact Ventures

* 06:04 - The Importance of the Mission and Values

* 07:50 - Lessons from Elite Athletes for Startups

* 13:54 - Building Disciplines and Resilience in Startups

* 16:24 - Individual vs. Collective Performance in Startups

* 23:08 - Common Challenges For Startups

* 24:48 - Peak Performance and Startups Readiness

* 26:32 - The Value of Teamwork in Individual Sports

* 29:02 - You Need to Collaborate with Your Ecosystem

* 31:11 - The Role of Team Culture in Startups

* 34:30 - Diversity in Investor Profiles

* 39:08 - Athletes x Investors

* 41:16 - The World Needs Better Role Models

* 43:37 - Fire Questions

***

▶️ CONNECT WITH ROMAIN

* Romain Vidal – https://www.linkedin.com/in/vidalromain/

* Teampact Ventures - https://www.teampact.ventures/

***

🔗 CONNECT WITH ME

* Newsletter - https://climateventuresvco2.substack.com/

* LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugorauch/

* Email - climateventuresvco2@substack.com

* YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@VCo2_HugoRauch

***

📚 REFERENCES AND MENTIONS

* Delayed gratification (Stanford marshmallow experiment)

* Sports team models (All Blacks, Spurs, French handball team)

* Nikola Karabatic (Handball)

* Raphaël Varane (Football)

***

🎙️PAST EPISODES YOU’LL LOVE

* Tina Dreimann on Community Investing in Climate Tech (better ventures)

* Yair Reem on The Death of The Green Premium (Extantia)

***

💚 LEAVE A REVIEW

* Apple Podcasts - https://shorturl.at/HIDcg

* Spotify - https://shorturl.at/yDTfR



This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit newwavenewsletter.substack.com

Hugo Rauch hosts New Wave, a podcast that lives at the intersection of business ambition and scientific reality. This isn't about distant predictions or abstract science; it's a grounded exploration of the technologies and companies being built right now to address our environmental future. Each episode focuses on the practical journey, dissecting the models, the breakthroughs, and the hard decisions that define the climate tech landscape. You'll hear from founders, researchers, and investors who are actively shaping this space, getting into the specifics of what works, what doesn't, and why. The conversations move beyond hype to examine the tangible mechanics of creating viable solutions, from energy storage and sustainable materials to carbon removal and regenerative agriculture. It’s for anyone who thinks about the climate challenge not just as a crisis, but as a complex and urgent field of innovation. By tuning into this podcast, you gain a clearer understanding of the economic forces and scientific principles driving the next generation of environmental solutions. New Wave connects the dots between the lab, the boardroom, and the impact we need to see in the world, offering a sober yet optimistic look at where substantive progress is truly being made.
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