Our guest is on a quest to redefine the way businesses collaborate and work with data in the cloud.

With more than 20 years of experience in building successful enterprise software products, George Dochev is the co-founder and CTO of US-Bulgarian scale-up LucidLink.

The company’s solution is used by the biggest names in the media, health, and finance industries, namely Adobe, Spotify, and WebMD.

At the end of 2023, LucidLink closed the largest round for the Bulgarian ecosystem - a 75M dollars Series C.

Is LucidLink on its way to becoming the next Bulgarian unicorn? Watch the episode to find out for yourself.

In this conversation with George Dochev we unpack some of the big questions around scaling and growing a company to a multibillion dollars business:

Why Finding the right co-founder is crucial for your startup's success?
What it really mean to take care of your employees?

How your leadership style should evolve as your startup grows?
What is the winning argument to convince big brands to work with you?
How do you compete with tech giants on your path to market leadership?
Is exit really the end game for entrepreneurs?
Can you build a multibillion-dollar business and stay sane?


Timе Stamps:
0:00 Trailer

01:38 Introduction

02:06 Entrepreneurship as a Personal Growth Path

12:15 What is the True Measure of Success with Startups

18:45 Beyond Perks: The True Meaning of Treating Employees Well in Tech Companies

21:25 How to Find the Perfect Co-Founder for Your Startup

26:17 Balancing Belief in Your Idea with Investor Feedback

33:45 Growth Journey: The Changing Role of a Startup Leader

42:37 The Startup Race: Running Faster Than the Titans of Tech

45:25 How Lucid Link Convinced Big Brands to Work with Them

48:30 The Future of Data Protection: Lucid Link's Vision for Cloud Security

51:16 It’s All About Mindset: Differences between the Bulgarian and US Ecosystems

58:00 The Lonely Path of Entrepreneurship: Support Systems

61:00 The Myth of the Happy Exit: Exploring the Reality for Startup Founders

01:04:45 Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle as an Entrepreneur

01:06:45 Outro



*This episode of The Recursive Podcast is released in partnership with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development. As part of their mandate to support small and medium-sized businesses, The EBRD’s SME Finance and Development Team provides knowledge, network, and skills to help emerging businesses innovate, thrive, and succeed.