EUROPE BUILDS🎙️Ep. #8: How to scale up tech teams and avoid the fear of failure, with Michael Petychakis
Notes, insights and key points from the eighth episode.
Or:
How a chance encounter at an LA party led to a global tech journey intertwined with a Greek referendum and a company scaling from 5 to nearly 800 people.
From his early love of robotics and cognitive AI to navigating the highs and lows of building ORFIUM into a global powerhouse, Michael’s path has been anything but linear. What started as a B2C platform for indie artists morphed into a B2B enterprise leader in music licensing—thanks to some pivotal decisions and a keen eye for market shifts.
In Ep. #8, we had the privilege of sitting down with Michael Petychakis, the former CTO of ORFIUM and current CTO of Dialectica. His story is not your typical tech journey—it’s a masterclass in resilience, adaptation, and growth in fast-changing industries.
Key Takeaways and Insights
1. The B2C-to-B2B Pivot:
Transitioning from a fun, user-facing product to a serious enterprise solution wasn’t easy. It took over a year of hard conversations and realizations to reorient the team’s vision—and it paid off.
2. Scaling Tech Teams:
As the team grew from 5 to nearly 100 people, Michael emphasized the need to recalibrate leadership every 6 months. Scaling isn’t just about hiring—it’s about evolving with the needs of your team.
3. The Power of Mentorship:
Michael credits his success to surrounding himself with mentors and advisors who helped him navigate the challenges of scaling and leadership transitions.
4. The Human Element of M&A:
Mergers and acquisitions aren’t just about numbers; they’re about cultural alignment, communication, and trust. Michael recounts the complexities of integrating tech stacks and aligning teams post-acquisition.
5. AI’s Future:
Michael’s take on generative AI is a nuanced one. He warns against the hype and highlights the importance of symbolic AI and data-driven foundations for sustainable innovation.
Why Listen?
If you're aiming to grow your team or prepare for bold pivots in 2025, this episode is packed with lessons on leadership, adaptability, and the evolving role of AI in shaping industries. Michael’s journey is a reminder that success often comes from embracing the unexpected—and making bold moves when the stakes are high.
🎙️Listen to Ep. #8 on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or BORRN's YouTube channel.
Readings:
🔨 Learn more about EUROPE BUILDS: Does Europe Build Real Innovation?
🧑💻 Listen to Michael’s TED talk about building a better future with AI
About EUROPE BUILDS
Europe’s startup ecosystem is no longer just an underdog story. Europe builds and it builds well. This is a podcast dedicated to diving deep into the real stories behind its startups. Each episode tackles, among others, topics like scaling challenges, funding disparities, diverse entrepreneurial culture, and the art of storytelling—through candid conversations with those who live these realities every day. Visionary founders across the continent.
| Co-hosts: Mathilda Nathan & Niko Efstathiou
🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & Youtube