A VC, a Headhunter, and a Trainer Walk into a Bar

A VC, a Headhunter, and a Trainer Walk into a Bar

A VC, a Headhunter, and a Trainer Walk into a Bar

Episodes 43
Avg. Duration 20m
Activity Highly Active
Apple Rating 5.0 (8)
Since Jan 2025
Latest Episode Jun 2026

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Publishing Details

Schedule
Every 2 Weeks
Format
Episodic
Consistency
57%
Hosting
feeds.captivate.fm

About This Podcast

VHTB is your guide to the talent, culture, and capital forces shaping the hard tech startup ecosystem. Each episode, hosts Justus Kilian of Space Capital, Seyka, and Brian Mejeur of AdAstra Talent Advisors, and Matt Gjertsen of BUILT bring stories and lessons from the front lines of building and backing some of the most innovative companies on the planet.

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Recent Episodes

S1E42 The SpaceX IPO just broke the best retention tool in hard tech, so what happens now?

Jun 10, 2026 22m

What happens to the top talent when companies like SpaceX go public?Do big windfalls make people retire, consult, or start the next hard tech startup?How do internal dynamics shift when early…

S1E41 How do you align capital, talent, and execution to build a space station fast? | Max Haot, CEO of Vast

May 20, 2026 53m

What does it actually take to build a space company from scratch?Not in theory. Not in a pitch deck.But in reality… where timelines are long, capital is massive, and failure isn’t an option.In this…

S1E40 Are we repeating the Clean Tech 1.0 mistake?

May 13, 2026 15m

Hardware cycles tend to look obvious in hindsight but are much harder to navigate in real time.In this episode of VHTB, we revisit CleanTech 1.0 and earlier infrastructure waves, where enthusiasm,…

S1E39 Why are investors suddenly obsessed with hardware?

Apr 29, 2026 21m

Capital is moving out of software and back into physical systems. What actually changes when that happens?In this episode of VHTB, Justus Kilian, Brian Mejeur, and Matt Gjertsen look at the rise of…

S1E38 Q1 '26 Recap: NASA reset, SpaceX liquidity, and what comes next

Apr 22, 2026 21m

What actually changes when leadership changes at NASA?You hear a lot about culture shifts, but what does that actually look like in practice?And how quickly does it show up in real decisions?In this…

S1E37 Where’s the line between pushing people and being an a*hole?

Apr 08, 2026 16m

Where’s the line between pushing people to do their best work… and just being an asshole?It’s a question that comes up a lot in high-performance environments especially in hard tech, where the stakes…

S1E36 Does every founder need a Gwynne Shotwell?

Mar 25, 2026 16m

Every Hard Tech Founder Needs a Gwynne ShotwellWe often focus on visionary founders, the big personalities pushing boundaries, taking risks, and shaping industries. But what about the people who…

S1E35 Are the best founders narcissists?

Mar 18, 2026 15m

Are the best founders actually narcissists?It’s a question that comes up a lot when you look at the personalities behind some of the most iconic companies. The extreme self-belief. The charisma. The…

S1E34 When should founders pivot, and when should they push through?

Mar 04, 2026 21m

When is it actually time to pivot?And when do you just need to keep grinding?This is one of those questions every founder runs into. You start with uninformed optimism. This is going to be great.…

S1E33 When should founders follow the market, and when should they lead it?

Feb 25, 2026 15m

Simplicity is winning.But how do you know whether to build what customers are asking for… or build what they don’t even realize they need yet?In this episode of VHTV, Seyka Mejeur from AdAstra Talent…

S1E32 How do you build a culture where people actually surface problems?

Feb 18, 2026 26m

Managing up is one of the most overlooked skills in hard tech.In this episode of VHTB, Justus Kilian from Space Capital is joined by Matt Gjertsen from Better Every Day Studios and Seyka Mejeur from…

S1E31 What is founder mode – and what happens when founders step into it?

Jan 28, 2026 16m

What Happens When Founders Go Into “Founder Mode”?Founder mode, a concept popularized by Brian Chesky and Paul Graham, describes how founders can take a highly selective, hands-on approach to solving…

Why do startup employees leave vs. stay after big milestones?

Jan 14, 2026 17m

What happens to space startup teams after big milestones?Big milestones in space startups, whether a Dragon 2 launch, a major funding round, or an IPO, often bring excitement, celebration, and…

What do abundant launches and big liquidity actually mean for founders in 2026?

Jan 07, 2026 21m

What’s Really Driving the Space Industry Right Now?Q4 2025 wasn’t just another quarter; it may go down as one of the most pivotal in the modern space economy. Between Blue Origin’s New Glenn landing,…

How do startups weigh experience vs. hunger?

Dec 29, 2025 17m

How Should Startups Balance Hunger, Energy, and Experience?The space startup ecosystem attracts brilliant, ambitious people fresh out of school, people who want to build fast, learn everything at…

Do You Really Understand the Equity You’re Being Offered?

Dec 17, 2025 21m

How to Actually Understand Startup EquityEquity is one of the biggest reasons people join early-stage companies, and one of the least understood parts of any offer. In this episode, the VHTB team…

How do technical founders prove they can scale into executives?

Dec 10, 2025 22m

How Technical Talent Grows Into LeadershipDeeply technical founders and engineers often struggle when their jobs shift from solving problems themselves to leading people who solve problems. In this…

How do startups defy the Valley of Death and ignite growth?

Dec 03, 2025 23m

The Valley of Death, Part III: Breaking Through the Other SideIn this final part of our Valley of Death series, the VHTB team, Matt Gjertsen of Better Every Day Studios, Brian Mejeur of AdAstra…

How do leaders stay focused during the hardest phase of scaling?

Nov 19, 2025 24m

The Valley of Death, Part II: Surviving the MiddleIn this episode of VHTB, hosts Brian Mejeur of AdAstra Talent Advisors, Matt Gjertsen of Better Every Day Studios, and Justus Kilian of Space Capital…

What is the Valley of Death, and how can startups bridge it?

Nov 12, 2025 27m

The Toughest Phase in Building a Space StartupIn this episode of VHTB, hosts Justus Kilian of Space Capital, Matt Gjertsen of Better Every Day Studios, and Brian Mejeur of AdAstra Talent Advisors…

Frequently Asked Questions

How many episodes does A VC, a Headhunter, and a Trainer Walk into a Bar have?

A VC, a Headhunter, and a Trainer Walk into a Bar has published 43 episodes since January 2025, covering topics in Business, Entrepreneurship.

Is A VC, a Headhunter, and a Trainer Walk into a Bar still active?

A VC, a Headhunter, and a Trainer Walk into a Bar is currently highly active with new episodes every 2 weeks. Average episode length is 20m.

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