Yaniv Bernstein is the Founder & COO at Circular, a consumer electronics subscription company that allows people and businesses to sustainably and affordably access the latest tech in Singapore and Australia.

Yaniv started his career as a software engineer at Google before going on to a number of startups in Australia where he served in both VP Engineering and COO positions. He is co-host of The Startup Podcast, which brings weekly actionable insights to founders hoping to create Silicon Valley-style startups all over the world.

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👋🏼 How would you explain your job to someone outside tech?

I make sure that strategy turns into execution. Most of all, that means building a high-performing team of brilliant people and creating an environment where they can work together effectively.

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🧐 What's something about you or your job that would surprise us?

How much of a company's performance, even at an early stage, depends on effective internal communication. A big part of my job is to make sure that happens.

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🏆 What has been the biggest highlight of your career so far?

Back at YouTube, I was involved in building the Content ID system for detecting copyrighted material in uploaded videos. It was the perfect marriage of cutting-edge technology, vast scale, and fascinating commercial environment.

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Content ID saved YouTube and was part of transforming how the music industry interacted with fans. We won an Emmy for our efforts.

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🔍 What's a startup trend or space you're watching this year?‍

Web3.

Just kidding, it's AI.

Just kidding, it's spatial computing.

Actually, the trend I'm watching is the macro consensus on growth vs. cash efficiency. We've swung wildly from growth to prudence since the start of 2022, and I suspect the pendulum will start swinging back the other way sooner or later.

But how investors think about these things profoundly affect decisions being made at every startup.

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💼 What advice would you give someone starting out in your industry?

Prioritize learning and long-term success over gathering credentials and maximizing income in the short term.

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🗣 What's one thing you can keep talking about for hours?

My eight-year-old daughter.

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🎥 What's your favorite movie/TV show?

The Wire

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🍨 What's your go-to ice cream flavor?‍

Anybody who doesn't say chocolate is lying!