Turning an idea into something real is never just about timing or technology — it’s about understanding what truly matters. In this episode, we open up the early-stage world with Jon Kåre Stene, Partner & Co-founder of Skyfall Ventures and former COO of Oda.com.
Skyfall Ventures is an Oslo-based pre-seed and seed-stage VC investing in ambitious founders building technology with global potential.
More at: https://www.skyfall.vc/
Together, we explore why some ideas survive the AI wave while others stay concepts, how real problems become the backbone of strong companies, and what signals investors look for long before there’s traction.
Key topics
How early-stage investors read signals long before traction
Why real problems matter more than clever ideas
How AI tools shorten the distance from idea to impact
What makes founders stand out in fast-moving environments
Why some ideas gain momentum while others disappear
The mindset behind spotting “10% moonshot” potential
The culture shift inside the modern startup ecosystem
We also touch on two references from the conversation:
Chris Sacca on Dialectic: https://open.spotify.com/episode/6o9q6GKgiphuyWK3KqZR1s?si=3VObI5wfQb-BUdr6YshCZA
Coteau on team size and efficiency:https://open.spotify.com/episode/7h8ctH9qH746Dj20h0QDIx?si=7LnMjO9yQqCKQ6qCp0cZ_w
This episode isn’t just for founders — it’s for anyone curious about how innovation actually works today, when AI tools lower barriers and the time from idea to impact has never been shorter.
How early-stage investment actually works - A quick cheat sheet based on the episode:
Pre-seed / seed / Series A — the earliest stages of a startup, long before profitability.
Venture capital (VC) — investors provide funding in exchange for ownership, betting that a few wins pay for the many that don’t make it.
Valuation — an updated estimate of what a company is worth at each funding round.
What VCs look for today — data, distribution, margins, and a real problem worth solving.
“50x case” — an investment that could realistically grow fiftyfold.
Why so many startups fail — 8–9 out of 10 don’t succeed, which is why VCs search for early signs of exceptional potential.
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Guest: Jon Kåre Stene Skyfall Ventures
Host: Kristine Lium
Socials: LinkedIn & Instagram
Produced by: PIMM