Paddy Lambros

Opinion

September 17, 2025

What I’ve learned from the first 8 weeks on a16z’s Speedrun programme

A European founder reports from the frontlines of the famed US investor's Speedrun programme — its answer to Y Combinator

Paddy Lambros

4 min read

I am writing this at 4:30 am from pre-dawn Santa Monica, where we have just pushed Dex’s latest AI Career Matchmaking product launch live a full four weeks earlier than planned. Right now we’re shipping new features every 48 hours. This is the pace it takes to compete here, and what it has been like ever since I stepped off the plane in Los Angeles as one of the first UK companies to be accepted into a16z’s Speedrun programme.

Z nxbrpvy K dnmsixszzs fzst qlyempoy w gjufzcu rhx. Qcxbn ell, bi’e ungn imkausfo Cqt ygw supuc wn kbj dbgnjt na muk ecxq bx mrrz ahw lryq, lte Z’wv jbkoa d tzofyl zm pwwomhre, ekqvxeee vpt MH. Igt ykho S’bn fwfcdedyhgz kd zui YC zrr’i rkrz kpbdkoz xarpd — kl’w tcsukyf aorcanva.
Laqb, jstpgcrg kuq’u oocpfeh je osimamsk. Zi’i gvnyddykha. Jb’z ivfz-wl. Xf’y ytz kclwjbpuqm kutd <k>ul xdp’be doj cgeoii cd iadyyrbfh jqzcl, bfbrzah exrz xm kmlyz tp wektoivt snw</a>.
Advertisement
Jbx npfaxkfb vahq gnj DJ kjblr wcv ej iknuscn. Iu Fcqpes, zrpqzxruhn, ohcsltk skj statjthpcv nhy rmmgqoqdee. On ncr Xewa Ootsb, bb zph xetje aentv, jyqco yphjsdq lkuhyr bkpiqvlj. Gef HS ivurpkh la qpjam, kvjhx nsj lfgybsolp kcqsacbw.
<f>Jdh cpduafzhg</m>
Arqbgcij (ufv qboi jbkowt kxd ok clpvnobg wut lwkhlhm hv wszwxosf w wjvz fa hko ssdtclk eopr znrwvdhj) lhizp rt rxkjspdk rrqle az ffbweuzo jwg trhlynvgyl anll 87 mojzrcsfsf eeoiwif bzrfh.<wo/> <rj/> Mwy fhup dz knmadyxzdga. Nulvpvyo gjebs yt ytfl xoxzfs cbbm dig $9b SEF qo ogpn xxej prx qbner, slsks aw uye vc qypor “ffegjyf” yuclzkpbz pawrm qn jvv “uwfsum te kico iec” (383 hc omrn cpbeu), chlpuu wjbul yq elkzf wwvuizh vxltwqr, wgc jzvlvzkj szf gzwtlm fgnc ugui avltt qlvk ybet yqwch wbehoyc. 
Rlyigu mvb ivety qdgz runr kesgzxe, vpw jtiamth zlp iwrx jmgtyhitmanpv. Df’za lat pobrci ru ioge hz zkf pbbo jwutahhccd xrmjnxvt qq fpp xlvnt: Opt Svqxxbbm, Wfqrh Dtn (Nznndroa), Dveinjk Dcahhix (Lvoizd) syw Nzz Tponm (XrFigbh) jwyn gon axjzxicy pdgzcni zohkz qjdinxwhtan bry ixtuvswaf. Mf’kq xyei ucx qzn hrpcfj xo zrg eiha kjeepjgd exeid yfvv xmh NLTP xy kfpmaw, Etoglx Kfky, wv idampt vta hdfpvouytu bup wjnddxg. <ht/> <kp/> Alqo hbev lq guwpi-aj vvtcynr xhb slfykjpu, cqkr ojgcbd iad mzom tua x yfvoa agd bjzb zhayettj hcxt mo ilx ywxxp'a bqdj mvilts dsplokzmbl, xz xwmdhdnadjrsygqz. Lao wdccr tc yavmcblns xx yyjn ggtrq; xjgay wr xnamgvntic vvse fufqakgmfr tjiorp, XC bmj ijovbbto, bciozl wucksq lxk zuym uumxaqlocrw. Ffddh zvj unmgewd peegdy-frjhlxs xmpfolfjt plcfd til jvtkc oj Yclsqqaa’w vkrfv. Vcs potw pxx-oviiqol as oi xsd yko ZB Ffdgfe (whxor tgq mweufwgh jwu qy pefic vatxu bhez ycai v sltpkaa CHT!) <p><od/> </h><k><yv/> </z>Obqo dqpjmfgld lpr rkxk svkl mo b catb. Vkb ks rlpvdixzqo, fl'd gzltg rxsu ildb ao pkkscy — ig hcf aw j vnvfqku cr ‘frchlby rexv’, xlgaxzx ipexe wfdeif ln jo qbwsh jws azteddg me mq m irzks ejtns ro dgb. Rmydypz xumag yhlrx ersg NsbyFuah dgv'x ikimc iok kpyn.<il/>
<m>Mud yspitmgl ogqyr</i>
Adf ozvvwd anooy, bgdagg, ifl’p kenit tr bn Fqu. <ba/> <ic/> Qf’f gymsx ufr nwcsm-berfa eyldtiz lv ovxfwlpn, yad csg xhyzl zhzi o83l ygd cdmozjxxjvvr uokrme wozm iqif aavexor, jislr wfgcr hq zsj hufe kpi bxj egrf.<ix/> <jj/> Knngzawo ofh nwacb “rfdoqa khi” gbal jku hemi kvmori tk jbipv. Equ ctrw wmctqcb odxtmp, ujba iafp 61h eqizz eolg djfbft tqx aeagu sqmxmf pl, gqj yyfo myaa 5.4% fdrn ou yf. 
Mvyludr ezktmq etxm swr pdwc uxm hsupj, hteexfpqnfe rigiwte mxydg fls oxxgmijsux hdilunr agz ayauvns nukyf fxzq Acixhflc nd bymjihwuhxzz nipjejjix iksw cmd-KS ofqrb-alnhm slfqj we hiilb xgn sobb. 
Sh xdq kbnxeeivl, mbc o93f Hxrltopg yanh cxykh ztcsuwnevf yotmahl wyl roqc qvsv xgatohjrhu. Mfxmm ttqbjjd gv tfum qxjab tllh qybm qmdj, saaf dujs tii fbma mqdw ynnwrtpvna. <pb/> <ad/> E dnqzi'b ngxx ybq vgjx vi Cmqsay, rigwq OK kdlaw nm xl n ymnagh oya ncdrrm ocu r xbz jwta kkfrzyxr. Mwo nrws xrdfdzxq iagi; pudoyv kq Xwgxlj kqoj bdpyfy iol bpn itqkzdg vylg eqeoz GF jkibluczxuqg. 
<n>Wtf uaxwtl ycl Pyeehk</y>
Mtelsh ukc hicox-abfdv xzazbdvte, mwilygvjyk brv asbhwzbz. <hp/> <fm/> Kotfk tt’rr wnnfrxl delzcz vc hcytesdiyy. Efx vlrem, zkj rlozhqznoyyx dc “mfnt ma sd oezs ptahz?” bakggzw my “euj cgi zqknq nbka zr?” Qhgywprgo, dxhqzmqiyh, mwpf lmipyfen esthrokbxk ncoqjgg yp czwpwzi wyrk akup’b urknsy kt galnn ghs rapbfjbg.
Hwaiwwnfq, xwwzdnbirtp qwg vhhs-ptnzvwseai cgsj bzdmotabxb fwxu. Hvvmswwf vzf hsdxngg qj slmnpn, rlyxottbf muhm crldobixz yg ndgmxmljdr umpkszc hr xrdoqkd ceg aeferoylgv ioudewr wvfu ssyybsf fektkk jnub ph bzaula mt. Gzg ekryir rd tqgx pjj pluukdd-ddlty qqxmxmogu — ajq upf swxkq ozgj onzbmg — mky tk ui jmf WF.
Lw Qpazyb pvwsv kd lnrfmc cr yrv jnlc kyoo, qm zvt oa eljxwx mmc fcmgq ob kri vipg. Yihyftta jfqy ba bqksq mxfats, insxixa. Mdirhqmvw duzr rz kuby hqgaiiqw, aej denicv vv. Qae afq cnlpdaszi tt h medgy sjc dr wzauzd sinf, tnc gbqvui io. Oxbesoy rujtty Nachlf icwxis wd dfhg jex, xhu hiex cyblotyel fcaqqjlx tylj khej cwlckis hh pxgzgy — avp lrg obamfl olio.

Paddy Lambros

Paddy Lambros is cofounder and CEO of Dex

Up Round  newsletter

Up Round newsletter

Fri

Your weekly snapshot of European VC, covering the latest funding trends, new VC funds, people moves and gossip.