The Pursuit of Scrappiness

• 211. 420M downloads, 80M Active users, $200 M raised. Dmitry Gurski (Flo Health): “Don’t Listen to Negative Opinions. I Was Shy & Nerdy—20 Years Ago No One Would Believe I Could Lead a $1B++ company.” Leadership Lessons Behind the World’s #1 Health App

  Dmitry Gurski founded Flo Health in 2015, turning it into the leading women’s health app globally with over 420 million downloads and 80 million monthly active users. From bootstrapped beginnings to a $200M Series C from General Atlantic in 2024 (valuing Flo at $1B+), Dmitry has scaled the company to profitability, with offices in Lithuania and the UK. 🎓 Expect to Learn:- How Flo became a $1B+ company without a clear playbook — and why long-term planning is mostly fiction- What 20 years of founder experience really teaches you — from stress tolerance to “rollercoaster immunity”- Why all big organizations are ‘shiny outside, messy inside’ — and why that’s totally normal- The hidden leadership lesson: never punish honest mistakes, but always bet on people with ownership mentality- AI’s real challenge isn’t tech — it’s building interfaces that people actually want to use- Why you should ignore negative people who question your background, pedigree, or ambition- How crises shaped Flo’s evolution- Why hiring interviews are overrated — and how real-world test work beats charisma every time- The myth of growth = hiring — and how limiting headcount can actually make your company better- How to stop bloated orgs: “Every layer you add cuts 30% efficiency.”==If you liked this episode or simply want to support the work we do, buy us a coffee or two, or a hundred, with just a few clicks at: https://buymeacoffee.com/pursuitofscrappinessFind all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

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• 210. Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges: “Russia Is Already at War With Us” — Making Decisions Under Uncertainty, Taking Ownership Without Blame & Ethical Dilemmas in AI Decision-Making

  Lieutenant General Ben Hodges is a retired U.S. Army officer who served as Commanding General of United States Army Europe from 2014 to 2017. With a 38-year career spanning infantry roles, combat deployments in Iraq and Afghanistan, and leadership in NATO exercises, he is renowned for his expertise in military strategy, alliance building, and deterrence. Post-retirement, Hodges has become a prominent analyst on European security, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and transatlantic relations, advising think tanks like CEPA and speaking at events such as the Nordic Business Forum. He advocates for strong Western support for Ukraine and emphasizes the need for societal resilience against hybrid threats.On this episode we talk about:How military leaders operate without perfect informationBuilding a culture of responsibilityRole of AI in decision-makingGeopolitical outlook for 2025-2026Countering RussiaSocietal preparednessThis episode is brought to you in collaboration with Nordic Business Forum, a leading summit of global leaders with 7500+participants, 25000+ online spectators and a lineup of world class speakers, such as Rick Rubin, Simon Sinek, Milda Mitkute and many more! The in-person event is sold out, but you can join online by following this link: https://registration.nbforum.com/product-category/online-tickets/==If you liked this episode or simply want to support the work we do, buy us a coffee or two, or a hundred, with just a few clicks at: https://buymeacoffee.com/pursuitofscrappinessFind all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

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• 209. No Cards, No Phones, Just Your Hand: How Handwave Raised €4.2M to Build the Future of Payments With Palm Biometrics w/ Janis Stirna

  Jānis Stirna is the co-founder and CEO of Handwave. The company’s palm-scanning tech enables cardless, phoneless payments and identity verification, emphasizing security (two-factor biometrics) and affordability to outpace rivals like Amazon One. With $5M raised—including a $4.2M seed from Practica Capital in August 2025—Handwave partners with Visa and targets retail pilots in Europe, the U.S. and beyond.On this episode we talk about:How fintech innovations like Apple Pay inspired HandwaveNavigating $5M in funding for hardware B2C fintechLeveraging Riga’s fintech hub for talent and pilots, challenges in U.S./EU markets (regulations/privacy)Visions for mainstream palm payments by 2030, AI’s role in scaling and the next big platformScrappy tips for Baltic founders—like focusing on technical edges and avoiding hype pitfalls.==If you liked this episode or simply want to support the work we do, buy us a coffee or two, or a hundred, with just a few clicks at: https://buymeacoffee.com/pursuitofscrappinessFind all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

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• 208. Bootstrapped, Profitable (€2.2M) & Paying Dividends: How HackMotion Turned a Niche Golf Gadget Into a Global Hardware Business w/ Atis Hermanis

  Atis Hermanis is the co-founder of HackMotion. With a Ph.D. in electronics, sensor systems, and signal processing, Atis brings a research background to the company’s wrist-worn tech for golf swing analysis. HackMotion has bootstrapped to profitability, hitting €7.3M revenue in 2024 (160% growth) and 476% profit increase, while pioneering paying €30K in dividends to employees in H1 2025. Winners of the Baltic E-Commerce Star award, they’ve scaled globally, partnering with PGA Tour pros and focusing on amateur precision improvement—proving scrappy Baltic innovation can conquer a competitive niche.On this episode we talk about:HackMotion’s founding, turning golf swing pain points into wearable techAtis’s journey from prototype to serving PGA pros, key milestones like €7.3M revenue in 2024, and balancing B2C e-commerce with global scaling challenges.Exploring AI’s role in swing analysis (e.g., real-time feedback), why not all use cases fit AI hype, and staying focused on client value amid tech trends.Atis’s strategies for 160% revenue growth without VC, including employee dividends (€30K in H1 2025), efficiency in marketing, and lessons for Baltic founders on sustainable scaling.Visions for AI-driven precision in golf, navigating hardware pitfalls, and scrappy tips for turning technical expertise into a profitable==If you liked this episode or simply want to support the work we do, buy us a coffee or two, or a hundred, with just a few clicks at: https://buymeacoffee.com/pursuitofscrappinessFind all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the showSupport the show

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• 207. From Managing Partner to Startup CEO: Mariana Hagström (Avokaado) on Automating Legal Workflows, Building AI That Replaces Repetition (Not Humans) & Why Corporate Professionals Must Learn to Trust AI

  Mariana Hagström is the Founder and CEO of Avokaado. Based in Estonia, Avokaado’s cloud-based contract lifecycle management (CLM) platform automates drafting, oversight and workflows. With over €2M raised from Tera Ventures, ParticleX and others, Mariana’s scaled a legal tech tool that is used not only by law firms, but also companies of various sizes across the globe. A 2020 European Woman of Legal Tech, she’s a vocal advocate for AI in legal teams, ethical innovation, and empowering women in tech, bringing Baltic grit to a global stage.On this episode we talk about:Avokaado origin story and Mariana’s career transitionAvokaado’s role in automating contracts and navigating AI adoption challengesInsights from raising €2M+Mariana’s vision for AI-driven legal futureHow to balance AI and human intelligence ==If you liked this episode or simply want to support the work we do, buy us a coffee or two, or a hundred, with just a few clicks at: https://buymeacoffee.com/pursuitofscrappinessFind all episodes on >  https://www.pursuitofscrappiness.co/Watch select full-length episodes on our YouTube channel > https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP6ueaLnjS-CQfrMCm2EoTAConnect with us on Linkedin > https://www.linkedin.com/company/pursuit-of-scrappiness/===============Support the show

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