GSA STARS PODCAST: DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE - EPISODE 1
Episode aired: 7/7/2025 - 48m
Hosted by: Kim Balle
Guest: Jeppe Rindom, CEO & Co-founder, Pleo
Producer: Drobe Media
EPISODE OVERVIEW
In this powerful kickoff to the Down the Rabbit Hole podcast series, Kim Balle interviews Jeppe Rindom, the CEO and co-founder of Danish unicorn Pleo. From humble beginnings to leading a 900+ person FinTech company, Jeppe shares an unfiltered look into the emotional and strategic journey of scaling a mission-driven business.
Episode Chapters
Chapter 1: The Defining Moment
Jeppe reflects on the decision that changed everything, not settling for corporate comfort. With no mobile app and a very raw MVP, Pleo launched into a market that was desperate for change. A surprise surge of interest at TechBBQ confirmed they were onto something big.
Chapter 2: Scaling Culture Through Chaos
As growth accelerated, culture became harder to sustain. Jeppe explains how they moved from an organic, close-knit culture to a more intentional one, introducing vlogs, values-based performance reviews, and celebrating "silent heroes" to keep the mission alive in a fast-scaling team.
Chapter 3: The Loneliness at the Top
From the emotional cost of losing teammates to the burden of leadership in hypergrowth, Jeppe shares how isolating the founder role can feel. A misjudged on-stage improv moment taught him that being CEO also means managing perception. Today, he leans on peer relationships and honest reflection to stay grounded.
Final Reflection
“Giving up was never an option. But questioning the role I wanted to play? That happened.”
Whether you’re building a startup, leading a team, or dreaming big, this episode offers a rare and personal window into the realities behind the unicorn spotlight.
