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Building Companies From Scratch: Inside Interplay’s Studio
Venture studios are quietly becoming one of the most effective models for company creation, but most people still don't understand what happens inside one.
For this podcast episode I sat down with Andy Bilinsky, Partner at Interplay leading our Studio, to break down exactly how we build companies from the ground up.
During our conversation, we covered:
- What a venture studio actually is and how it differs from traditional VC
- Why do we research industries deeply before ever writing a business plan
- The role of operating partners as true co-founders
- Why second- and third-time founders are choosing to build with a studio instead of going solo
- How Interplay went from 3 new companies in Q4 2025 to targeting 10+ in 2026
Big thanks to Andy for pulling back the curtain on how we build. We’re grateful to have him here at Interplay.
⏱️ Chapter Markers:
00:00 Introduction to Andy Bilinsky
01:15 Andy's Entrepreneurial Background
03:30 Early Career: Hyper-Growth at Haute Look
05:45 BeachMint, Science Incubator & Chirp Ads
08:00 Launching Lensable From Scratch
09:30 Why Andy Joined Interplay
13:00 What Is a Venture Studio?
15:30 Interplay's Thesis-Driven Approach
18:00 The Role of Operating Partners
20:30 What Makes a Great Studio CEO
24:00 Why Successful Founders Don't Go Solo
27:30 The Value of a Firm as Co-Founder
30:00 Administrative Support & De-Risking
33:00 Distributed Teams & Geographic Flexibility
35:00 Studio Growth: From 3 Companies to 10+
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