AI, Risk, and Why Most Startups Don’t Make It

AI, Risk, and Why Most Startups Don’t Make It

Author: Burkland November 4, 2025 Duration: 32:00
On this episode of Startup Success, Kate sits down with Itamar Novick, Founder and General Partner of Recursive Ventures, who has been named one of Business Insider’s Top 100 Global Seed Investors for five years running. 

Unlike many VCs, Itamar brings a unique operator’s perspective, having helped scale Life360 from pre-seed to IPO and been part of multiple major exits. He reflects on what he’s learned from 25 years in the startup ecosystem, from the failures of his first company to his early bet on AI way back in 2012. And while Recursive Ventures is “all in” on AI, Itamar candidly shares his concerns about its potential risks to society.

We discuss:
  • What he looks for when investing in a startup
  • His use of “anti-patterns” to teach founders how to avoid failure
  • What it takes to build an AI company that will survive the long haul
Itamar’s top advice for founders: jump on the wave first, embrace disruption, pivot quickly, and keep adapting. Founders who last aren’t the ones who play it safe. 


----
Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn

Learn more about Recursive Ventures here, Itamar’s Blog here, and Itamar’s LinkedIn here.

Tuning into Startup Success: A Podcast for Founders & Investors feels less like attending a formal lecture and more like pulling up a chair in a room full of people who have actually built and funded companies. Hosted by the team at Burkland, the conversations here move beyond theory to focus on the tangible, often messy, realities of scaling a business. You’ll find episodes that feel timely, addressing the specific challenges and opportunities that founders and investors are navigating right now. The dialogue is driven by guests who have lived it-founders recounting pivotal moments from their journey and investors explaining the nuances behind their decisions. This isn't about generic advice; it's about the operational details that make or break growth. Each discussion naturally narrows in on a single, critical pressure point, whether that's untangling a complex financing round, refining a go-to-market strategy, or building a culture that can withstand rapid hiring. The value of this podcast lies in its specificity and the credibility of the voices featured. It serves as a practical resource for anyone actively involved in the lifecycle of a startup, offering perspectives that are immediately applicable to your own work. By focusing on real stories and current trends, the series provides a grounded, actionable look at what genuine progress requires from both sides of the founder-investor relationship.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Startup Success: A Podcast for Founders & Investors
Podcast Episodes
How Startups Can Find Product Fit Through Product-Led Growth [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 24:16
Product led growth drives customer retention and expansion through the value of your product. Today’s guest, Shannon Curran, Director of Content and Brand Strategy at OpenView VC, shares today’s key principles for produc…
Maximizing Benefits & Culture for a Winning Team [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 30:48
Benefits play an integral role in retaining and attracting employees, but for startups watching their cash runway, providing a strong benefit offering can be challenging. Alex X Frommeyer, Founder & CEO of Beam Benefits,…
For Both Founders & Investors: How to Find Success [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 19:25
From the football field to the board room, our guest is a former Super Bowl winning NFL player who now sits as a Managing Partner at Next Play Capital, a minority owned investment platform focused on investing in top-tie…
Founders: How to Start, How to Grow, How to Give Back [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 31:23
Moving to Silicon Valley in 1998, our guest has served his time in the trenches of startup land. With several successful startups behind him, including the successful sale of E-Nor, now he’s dedicated to sharing his know…
Modern Marketing for Startups [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:16
In the early stages of a startup, much is riding on the strengths of the founding team. There is critical importance on creating a marketing function, placing members in the correct function, and generating the most accu…
Fundraising Advice from a VC for the Current Market Conditions [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 21:11
In this episode, Alejandro Lozano, Founding Principal at Newtype Ventures, delves into the current market conditions and what founders can expect to see around fundraising: lower valuations, less favorable terms, and oth…
Leveraging the Government for Startup Funding & Tech Adoption [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:09
You may not know this but the government issues all sorts of grants and funding for startups in many sectors — sectors and products that would surprise you. This non-dilutive funding is an excellent option for many found…

«1...678910