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 VCWhy do we research industries deeply before ever writing a business planThe role of operating partners as true co-foundersWhy second- and third-time founders are choosing to build with a studio instead of going soloHow Interplay went from 3 new companies in Q4 2025 to targeting 10+ in 2026Big 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 Background03:30 Early Career: Hyper-Growth at Haute Look05:45 BeachMint, Science Incubator & Chirp Ads08:00 Launching Lensable From Scratch09:30 Why Andy Joined Interplay13:00 What Is a Venture Studio?15:30 Interplay's Thesis-Driven Approach18:00 The Role of Operating Partners20:30 What Makes a Great Studio CEO24:00 Why Successful Founders Don't Go Solo27:30 The Value of a Firm as Co-Founder30:00 Administrative Support & De-Risking33:00 Distributed Teams & Geographic Flexibility35:00 Studio Growth: From 3 Companies to 10+Links:Andy Blinsky: LinkedInInterplay: Website, LinkedIn, TwitterMPD: LinkedIn, Twitter