I want to have a job that challenges me
Jan Krahulík, Business Developer
Text: Martina Hošková and M. Zisso; Photo: Archive
We have introduced you as a business developer, which is quite a broad term. Can you tell us more about yourself?
I am a business professional, entrepreneur, father, husband, friend, sportsman, traveller, poker player, and much more. I always liked diversity in my life, seeking a work-life balance. I am always up to new professional challenges and growth, as well as enjoying time with my friends and a beer. My passion is helping founders bring their visions to life. Through our VC fund, I provide startups in the CEE region with both the capital and the hands-on guidance they need to succeed. We’ve supported over 50 companies in our portfolio, and actively scout new talent by reviewing thousands of applications annually. What exactly is your role within the fund? I was one of the three founding partners, with dual responsibilities in fundraising / investor management and portfolio support. I took a hands-on role with “my” founders, specialising in business development, strategic direction, customer segmentation, and go-to-market strategy. Having guided dozens of startups through this process, my core expertise is best summarised as business development and strategy.
Work-life balance is important
You are speaking in the past tense. What happened?
Having successfully deployed the capital from our third fund, I decided it was the right time for a professional change. While I remain actively involved with our portfolio and am dedicated to our investors, the intense workload of fundraising and sourcing new deals is behind me.
After deciding on a change, you didn’t start a new career, though. Instead, you started spending more time with family. Why?
I didn’t want to jump directly to the next project as I felt I needed to take a little break and figure out what my next career steps will be. Having more time for my family was definitely one of the reasons. We travelled in southern France and Spain for two months, enjoying the sun and being together.
Would you recommend other fathers to do the same and go on paternity leave?
I would not call myself a father on paternity leave – as I said, I am still working part-time, and my wife is the one who is on maternity leave and taking care of the kids and our home, so she is the one who deserves all the credit. But yes, I would recommend it. Being able to leave for a midday swim with my daughter or spend a morning at the playground are joys that a rigid 9-5 job simply doesn’t permit. It’s an experience I would wholeheartedly recommend to any parent.
How long do you expect this phase to last?
Good question. My plan was to enjoy the summer and then re-engage professionally in the autumn. I’ve been selectively exploring opportunities and have done some interim consulting, but I am now actively seeking a permanent, mission-driven role where I can fully apply my skills.
“My passion is helping founders bring their visions to life,” says Jan Krahulík.
What responsibilities are you looking for?
I am a businessperson who handles sales, customer acquisition, and overall strategy. I am not much into the product, so I am thinking of joining a technical team as a business cofounder or CEO. Another option is to start a project from scratch for people who have an idea but don’t have time for execution and are looking for someone who would start it instead of them. Interim management or head of business development in an SME is also an option.
Which of your past professional experiences do you find the most valuable?
Before I started my first company, I was in a corporation and had quite a well-paying job. I quit, and started something new with no income. I am quite a risk adverse person, but I did it anyway, and it was scary – and it is scary for every founder to deal with that uncertainty every day. From a statistical point of view, there is a much higher chance that the founder will fail than succeed, but when you do, it is priceless, like any experience of overcoming a challenge.
What should the next generation of startup entrepreneurs do then, to improve their chances of success against the statistical odds?
The team is the number one asset for you, so choose its people wisely. You will spend more time with your cofounder than with your wife, so be sure that you are in the right team, where your cofounder is complementary to your skills but with the same values as you, and that you can rely on them 100%.
At the beginning of this interview, you mentioned you play poker. You won the Czech Poker Tour at Prague’s King’s Casino, so you must be good at it, right?
Poker is my biggest hobby; there are so many similarities between poker, business, and even life. The things I learnt in poker can be easily applied to business and life, and vice versa. You are learning how to work with risk, when to raise your stakes, when to give up and move on, discipline, how to work with tilt, etc. – qualities which not many people have and are so needed in today’s world.
With so many interesting possible activities ahead, where do you see yourself in 10 years?
For me, it is not about the state where I will be but rather about the journey I want to go on, and it is simple: I want to have a job that still challenges me, making me grow and providing me with enough flexibility to be able to spend quality time with my family. I want to be surrounded by people who I can learn from.