<![CDATA[Other 80 %]]>80% of VC-backed companies fail.

The industry calls it the cost of doing business.

I'm not convinced.

The Other 80% is an investigation — running in public, one conversation at a time — into why most companies that fail didn't have to, and what the 20% know that the rest don't.

I'm Katerina Hayes.

I run a deeptech seed fund called Scaler Capital, building between the UK and the Gulf. Every week on this show, I sit down with the people who'd actually know: venture capitalists who've watched the pattern repeat, institutional investors who fund the funds, and operators who've scaled through the moments most companies don't survive.

The questions are the ones nobody asks on conference panels.

What did you see coming that the founder didn't?

Which board meeting was the one where it tipped?

What support arrived too late — and why didn't it arrive sooner?

No pitch decks. No rehearsed answers. No recycled Silicon Valley playbooks.

Just what it actually takes to move a company out of the failure column, in a new era of venture where structural support, speed, and operator-grade insight separate the funds that build from the ones that gamble.

If you've ever sat in a portfolio review and thought we should have caught this six months ago — this show is for you.

New episodes weekly. Follow if you want to know what they're not telling you.

]]>https://www.katerinahayes.comRiverside.fm (https://riverside.com)Tue, 03 Nov 2026 19:40:17 GMTWed, 13 May 2026 07:34:46 GMT60Katerina Hayes<p><b>80% of VC-backed companies fail. </b></p><p>The industry calls it the cost of doing business. </p><p>I'm not convinced.</p><p></p><p><b>The Other 80% is an investigation </b>— running in public, one conversation at a time — into why most companies that fail didn't have to, and what the 20% know that the rest don't.</p><p></p><p>I'm Katerina Hayes. </p><p>I run a deeptech seed fund called Scaler Capital, building between the UK and the Gulf. Every week on this show, I sit down with the people who'd actually know: venture capitalists who've watched the pattern repeat, institutional investors who fund the funds, and operators who've scaled through the moments most companies don't survive.</p><p></p><p>The questions are the ones nobody asks on conference panels. </p><p>What did you see coming that the founder didn't? </p><p>Which board meeting was the one where it tipped? </p><p>What support arrived too late — and why didn't it arrive sooner?</p><p></p><p>No pitch decks. No rehearsed answers. No recycled Silicon Valley playbooks. </p><p></p><p>Just what it actually takes to move a company out of the failure column, in a new era of venture where structural support, speed, and operator-grade insight separate the funds that build from the ones that gamble.</p><p></p><p>If you've ever sat in a portfolio review and thought <i>we should have caught this six months ago</i> — this show is for you.</p><p></p><p>New episodes weekly. Follow if you want to know what they're not telling you.</p>episodicKaterina Hayeskaterinahayes.uk@gmail.comno<![CDATA[Operator's Edge Series. E.1 Stephen Halpin Portfolio XD]]>80% of VC-backed companies fail.

Not because the product breaks — because the team does.

In this episode, Stephen Halpin from Portfolio XD breaks down why leadership, not just capital, determines whether a company scales or stalls.

Why do most venture-backed companies fail— even with funding, momentum, and a strong product?

In this episode of The Other 80%, Katerina Hayes sits down with Stefan from Portfolio XD to unpack the hidden reason so many startups stall: leadership gaps at the exact moment execution matters most.

The conversation delves into the challenges faced by startups and the role of operational leadership in addressing these challenges.

It explores the origins of Portfolio XD C-suits as SaaS model, as well as the importance of selecting the right executives and the challenges founders face.

The discussion also covers the stages at which companies can engage with Portfolio XD and the limitations of traditional hiring for scale-ups.

The conversation covers a range of topics including

revolutionizing recruitment,

leadership mistakes,

accessing quality talent,

investor expectations,

centralizing support ecosystems,

shift in leadership dynamics,

milestones-based funding,

responsibility for VC portfolio failures,

impact of strategic investors,

and the founder's journey.

The discussion emphasises the importance of leadership quality, team readiness, and the impact of strategic support on business success.

Takeaways

  • Operational leadership is crucial for the success of startups.
  • Portfolio XD offers a unique C-suit SaaS model that provides embedded operational leadership.
  • Traditional hiring is broken for scale-ups, and Portfolio XD offers a more effective alternative. Revolutionizing recruitment is about accessing quality talent in a user-friendly, flexible, and scalable way.
  • Milestones-based funding increases the importance of execution precision and the need for outcome-focused delivery.

Chapters

  • 00:00 The 80% Failure Rate
  • 06:16 The C-suit as SaaS Model Explained
  • 16:08 Founder Challenges and the Role of Portfolio XD
  • 24:50 Engaging with Portfolio XD
  • 32:39 Traditional Hiring vs. Portfolio XD
  • 39:04 Accessing Quality Talent
  • 46:31 Centralizing Support Ecosystems
  • 54:30 Milestones-Based Funding and Leadership Pressure
  • 59:33 Impact of Strategic Investors
  • 01:04:53 Founder's Journey and Impact of Leadership
]]>1cf40142-0230-4e4a-b369-7d6afea48bf1Wed, 13 May 2026 09:44:00 GMT<p><b>80% of VC-backed companies fail.</b></p><p></p><p><b>Not because the product breaks — because the team does.</b></p><p>In this episode, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephenhalpin/" target="_blank">Stephen Halpin</a> from <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/portfolioxd/" target="_blank">Portfolio XD </a>breaks down why leadership, not just capital, determines whether a company scales or stalls.</p><h2></h2><p>Why do most venture-backed companies fail— even with funding, momentum, and a strong product?</p><p></p><p>In this episode of <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/theother80percent" target="_blank"><b>The Other 80%</b></a>, <a rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/katerinahayes/" target="_blank">Katerina Hayes</a> sits down with <b>Stefan from Portfolio XD</b> to unpack the hidden reason so many startups stall: <b>leadership gaps at the exact moment execution matters most</b>.</p><p></p><p></p><p>The conversation delves into the challenges faced by startups and the role of operational leadership in addressing these challenges.</p><p></p><p>It explores the origins of Portfolio XD C-suits as SaaS model, as well as the importance of selecting the right executives and the challenges founders face.</p><p></p><p>The discussion also covers the stages at which companies can engage with Portfolio XD and the limitations of traditional hiring for scale-ups.</p><p></p><p>The conversation covers a range of topics including</p><p></p><p>revolutionizing recruitment,</p><p>leadership mistakes,</p><p>accessing quality talent,</p><p>investor expectations,</p><p>centralizing support ecosystems,</p><p>shift in leadership dynamics,</p><p>milestones-based funding,</p><p>responsibility for VC portfolio failures,</p><p>impact of strategic investors,</p><p>and the founder's journey.</p><p></p><p></p><p>The discussion emphasises the importance of leadership quality, team readiness, and the impact of strategic support on business success.</p><p></p><p>Takeaways</p><ul><li>Operational leadership is crucial for the success of startups.</li><li>Portfolio XD offers a unique C-suit SaaS model that provides embedded operational leadership.</li><li>Traditional hiring is broken for scale-ups, and Portfolio XD offers a more effective alternative. Revolutionizing recruitment is about accessing quality talent in a user-friendly, flexible, and scalable way.</li><li>Milestones-based funding increases the importance of execution precision and the need for outcome-focused delivery.</li></ul><p></p><p>Chapters</p><ul><li>00:00 The 80% Failure Rate</li><li>06:16 The C-suit as SaaS Model Explained</li><li>16:08 Founder Challenges and the Role of Portfolio XD</li><li>24:50 Engaging with Portfolio XD</li><li>32:39 Traditional Hiring vs. Portfolio XD</li><li>39:04 Accessing Quality Talent</li><li>46:31 Centralizing Support Ecosystems</li><li>54:30 Milestones-Based Funding and Leadership Pressure</li><li>59:33 Impact of Strategic Investors</li><li>01:04:53 Founder's Journey and Impact of Leadership</li></ul>no01:09:3011Operator's Edge Series. E.1 Stephen Halpin Portfolio XDfull