Startup

Founders Dilemma One of the most important criteria we evaluate before investing and backing any startup, is the founders ability of resiliency and adaptability.  This article was inspired by one of our backed companies that is currently pivoting. The most critical decision an entrepreneur faces is determining when to stay the course versus when to change direction. Staying the course requires resilience and belief in the original vision, but can be risky if market conditions, customer needs, or technology evolves beyond the initial plan. Conversely, pivoting at the right moment can open new opportunities, but it demands sharp insight, humility, and a willingness to abandon prior investments (both time and money). Successful entrepreneurs are those who master the balance between perseverance and adaptability, recognizing when persistence will pay off and when changing direction is essential for growth or survival. The ability to make this decision is often what separates enduringRead More »Pivoted  

So you’re getting ready for that call or meeting that you lined up, and you want to make sure you put your very best forward. Let us help with the things NOT to do. TOP 5 MISTAKES: Not clearly articulating what you do, the problem, and/or your solution. Cannot answer questions regarding: addressable market size target customer revenue runway CAC (customer acquisition costs) monthly active users CHURN rate The Ask (the details, how much are you raising and what will it go towards). Talking badly about competitors. Why you? Does not mention the founding teams competitive advantage, such as the team members experience and credentials that will add to the success of the company. Remember a smile and good manners go a very long way. And if you don’t know the answer to a question, don’t make things up or beat around the bush, admit it, and say that you’llRead More »Top 5 Mistakes When Pitching to Investors

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW BEFORE APPROACHING INVESTORS (Angels or VC’s) & RAISING CAPITAL If you haven’t already put together a pitch deck you can check out these posts to help you out: Build Pitch Decks Investors will Love, Top 5 Mistakes in Pitch Decks, and make sure you know your numbers and key KPI’s, they will ask you. Prepare and practice your pitch, so that it comes off the tongue with ease and clarity. If you don’t it will be obvious, and you can’t improvise with this one. Remember investors are looking for a return on their money, so that means an exit, such as an acquisition or IPO, so keep this in mind. Investors love large addressable markets, basically the bigger the problem, and the more frequent the problem the better. Investors are always on the look out for founder market fit, and startups with traction, so youRead More »Get Funded

A pitch deck is the first impression most will have of your business, and if you do it right, it could land you that funding to scale to new heights. The best pitch decks are concise, well organized, easy on the eye, conveys information through graphics, provides the necessary information, and leaves the person interested and engaged. Great pitch decks have: Also include the members of the advisory board if you have one. Also keep in mind your pitch to an investor will not be the same as how you pitch to your customer base. Refrain from using jargon, keep it simple, and avoid fluffy marketing language.

After reviewing hundreds of pitch decks, I can say that if it doesn’t leave me intrigued and informed, it’s a no from the get go. Most often the pitch deck is the first impression an investor will have of you and your company, so it needs to be a good one. If by the page 5 the investor cannot walk away knowing what your business does (the problem and the solution), the addressable market size, the KPI’s, the competition, how much are you raising and what the money will go towards, then something needs to change. TOP 5 MISTAKES: Not clearly articulating what you do, the problem, the addressable market size, and/or your solution. Very little or no KPI’s given, such as: revenue, including the growth MoM or YoY runway CAC (customer acquisition costs) active users CHURN rate Too wordy and unnecessarily long (think 25+ pages). The Ask (how muchRead More »Top 5 Mistakes in Pitch Decks