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Hi Sifted Reader,

After 10 weeks of Amy and Eleanor’s dulcet tones coming to your airwaves we’ve rounded up the best of season two of The Sifted Podcast so far. 

Tune in to everything from lab-grown breakfasts and trouble at Glovo to a live session from Europe’s unicorn factory Estonia. Plus…

• Why all startups need a BHAG
• The UK’s biggest unannounced rounds in 2022
• How to nail a job interview

Tom, digital editor & Amy, editor

It’s more than 20 years since OLIO cofounder Tessa Clarke first came across the concept of a BHAG. That is, a big hairy audacious goal. But back then she wasn’t convinced. 

That all changed when she introduced the concept at OLIO — and she now believes all startups should go around publicly declaring their BHAG.

So why is a BHAG a secret weapon for startups?

The cloud is key for growing digital companies, but it can get expensive fast if you aren't careful. Check out DoiT and Google Cloud's ebook for insights on how to optimise costs. 

Download the ebook here.

When startups raise their latest funding round most of them want to shout about it. But there are a host of deals that go entirely unannounced.

That could be down to a lack of PR resources, a company wanting to remain in stealth or a raise being at a lower valuation than a previous round. And the figure’s quite high — according to Beauhurst, 68% of UK equity deals sneak under the radar. 

So who’s been quietly raising money in 2022?

Back in March we brought you a roundup of the first four episodes of season two of The Sifted Podcast... but a lot's happened since then. 

We've covered everything from VC horror stories and trouble at Glovo to the inner workings of Europe's unicorn factory. 

Here's what you've missed from the last six weeks. 

You can listen to The Sifted Podcast on Apple and Spotify.

Typing “how to pitch” into Google returns over 2.7bn results — not particularly helpful if you’re looking to win €10k at 50 Founders Battle, TechChill’s annual pitch competition for early-stage startups, now in its 10th year. 

So what’s the secret? We spoke to several winners of TechChill’s pitch competition to find out. 

Here’s what they said.

As a candidate you might have the upper hand in Europe’s talent war right now, but that doesn’t mean you can get away with winging a job interview.

Knowing how to interview well is a skill you’ll rely on throughout your career, and it’s something Dr Barbara Zesik, chief people officer at travel tech startup Omio, is an expert in.

Here are her four golden rules for nailing your next interview.

This interview first appeared in our Startup Life newsletter. Sign up here. 

The art of adaptation | Online | May 11

A perfect product from the get-go? Impossible. On May 11, we explore how founders and startup leaders can protect the core values of their business while mastering the art of product change. RSVP here.

How founder diligence in VC is falling short | Online | May 17

All VCs evaluate founding teams, but are they doing the right kind of due diligence? In this member-only event join experts from Entrepreneur First and HV Capital as they demystify the founder due diligence process and reveal how it can be improved to capture founders’ potential to develop. Not yet a Sifted Member? Join here.

Founders, find out how to spend smarter | Online | May 25

A seed round today would easily have been the size of a Series A three years ago. So how best to spend this extra cash? Our next Sifted Talks will explore what challenges come with entering the next phase of growth. Don't miss it. 

Our recent piece on the future of work “soonicorns” got us thinking: what will the post-Covid world of work actually look like? Fortunately there are plenty of ideas in the Sifted archives — here are some of the best columns on how to manage team-building in the hybrid era.

🏠 Work from (near your) home. Does the post-Covid world of work spell the end of the mass commute into the city? The founder of coworking startup Patch, Freddie Fforde, thinks so. Here’s why he thinks the future of work will be led by local communities. 

⚔️ Win the war for talent. To survive the hyper-competitive job market in 2022, startups need to get creative with their hiring. People operation lead at startup builder Founders Factory, Becky Liu, argues that the right kind of workplace can actually be a tool for attracting talent — here's how to create one.

🏢 Swipe left on the virtual office. The CEO and founder of digital work hub Qatalog, Tariq Rauf, believes the “virtual office” is a big step backwards, combining the worst things about digital and in-office working. He says we should look at Tinder to learn how best to build a digitally native product.

Amy Lewin
Editor 

Get in touch with her at amy@sifted.eu
Or tweeting at @amyrlewin

Tom Nugent

Digital Editor

Get in touch with him at tomnugent@sifted.eu 
Or @TJNugent92

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