What It Really Takes to Build World-Class Startups Outside Silicon Valley

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Startup success is often explained through geography, capital, or timing.

But the real story is about people, resilience, and long-term commitment.

In this episode of Couchonomics with Arjun, Arjun is joined by Allen Taylor, Managing Partner at Endeavor Catalyst, to unpack how world-class companies are being built far beyond Silicon Valley.

Allen shares how Endeavor identifies and backs the top 1% of founders across emerging and underserved markets, why venture outcomes are shaped over decades not fund cycles, and how resilience and ambition matter more than location. From Latin America and Eastern Europe to the Middle East and frontier markets like Nigeria and Pakistan, the conversation explores what it really takes to build billion-dollar companies from anywhere.

The episode also dives into how venture capital is evolving, why the traditional 10-year fund model no longer reflects reality, how AI is changing both startups and investing, and what creates durable entrepreneurial ecosystems over time.

🎙️ In this episode:

• Why billion-dollar companies can now be built from anywhere

• How Endeavor identifies and supports the top 1% of founders globally

• The power of role models, second-generation founders, and ecosystem flywheels

• Why resilience matters more than ideas in long-term company building

• How frontier markets create asymmetric venture returns

• The limits of the traditional VC model and what needs to change

• Where AI truly adds value in startups and venture investing

• Why ambition should move from regional champions to global companies

👉 Watch the full conversation to understand how global entrepreneurship is shifting, why emerging markets matter, and what the next decade of venture creation could look like.

#CouchonomicsWithArjun #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #Endeavor #GlobalStartups #EmergingMarkets #FounderMindset #AI #FutureOfVenture #Leadership

PARTNERS

Couchonomics with Arjun Season 04 is brought to you by:

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CHAPTERS

00:00 Building billion-dollar companies from anywhere
02:10 What Endeavor really does and why it exists
05:30 How Endeavor Catalyst invests differently
09:00 The globalisation of startups beyond Silicon Valley
13:30 Latin America’s rise and why it matters
18:00 Europe’s overlooked innovation markets
22:40 The Endeavor network and founder flywheels
27:30 Frontier markets, geopolitics, and long-term bets
33:00 How co-investment and trust actually work
38:30 Is the VC model outdated
43:20 Fund life cycles, liquidity, and LP–GP dynamics
48:30 AI’s real impact on startups and investing
53:00 What the Middle East needs to do next
58:00 Role models, exits, and ecosystem maturity
1:03:30 Resilience, ambition, and what defines great founders