Welcome to a new episode of the EUVC Podcast, where we bring you the people and perspectives shaping European venture.
This week, Andreas sits down with Andy Budd, Venture Partner at Seedcamp, founder-turned-investor, and one of the earliest pioneers of UX design in Europe.
Andy’s journey spans two decades of building and scaling—from creating one of the UK’s first CSS-based websites to founding Clearleft, Europe’s first UX agency, to now advising founders at Seedcamp. He’s used that knowledge to write a new book all about startup growth. Something we’re sure your portfolio companies will find super useful.
In this episode, Andy unpacks why design is central—not cosmetic—to early-stage success, how product-market fit often hides behind poor UX, and what AI might (and might not) automate in a founder’s journey.
Here’s what’s covered:
02:00 | UX Before It Was Cool: Launching Europe’s first UX agency
04:00 | Mentor to Partner: The Seedcamp connection and how it evolved
07:30 | Design in Venture: Why UX is essential to product-market fit
11:00 | AI & UX: Johnny Ive, ChatGPT, and designing for mass adoption
15:00 | Super Users vs. Everyone Else: Where AI tools fail the average user
18:00 | Operator Value: What Andy brings to the Seedcamp portfolio
22:00 | The Growth Equation: Seven factors every founder needs to master
30:00 | Fundraising Is Also UX: Using growth principles to pitch better
33:00 | Small Is Smart: The rise of leaner, faster, better startups
39:00 | Can Seed-Strapping Work? Why not all winners need to be unicorns
43:30 | Product-Led Growth: When it works—and when it doesn’t
Watch it here or add it to your episodes on Apple or Spotify 🎧. Chapters for easy navigation are available on the Spotify/Apple episode.
✍️ Show Notes
Design > Features
Andy breaks down why founders shouldn’t just build more functionality—they need to assemble it in ways that actually make sense to users. Design is central to discovering and scaling product-market fit.
The Growth Equation
His book lays out seven factors—audience, motivation, value, retention, virality, friction, competition—that help founders pinpoint what’s really going wrong with growth. And yes, it’s chapter one.
AI Doesn’t Change the Work—Yet
From auto-SDRs to AI-led UX, Andy’s verdict is clear: automation helps once you know your playbook. Not before.
Seed-Strapping & Smaller Teams
As capital efficiency increases, Andy sees founders choosing slower growth with smaller teams—and some funds adapting to support this model.
Product-Led Growth Isn’t a Cure-All
It works wonders—after product-market fit. Until then, founders need to do the hard things: talk to users, shape their narrative, and iterate with intent.
💡 Founder Takeaway
Design is not decoration. It’s how you unlock value, accelerate adoption, and build products people don’t just tolerate—but love. And as Andy proves, great UX isn’t a post-Series A luxury. It’s your wedge from day one.
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