Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In developing the pitch deck, there are several mistakes I often see.

One of the most common is trying to explain in great detail how the product or technology works.

Instead, focus on the benefits of the product and what it does for customers.

Save the detailed explanations for later when you are in diligence.

Other mistakes include: 

-- Not identifying the competition or claiming there is none.

-- Making the font so small that no one beyond the first row can read it.

-- Using too many words so that readers get distracted by reading it.

-- Not setting up a flow so the slides follow a logical story form.

-- Using market sizings to distract the audience from the fact that you have no traction.

-- Forgetting to put the investment ask at the end, so investors are left wondering what you want from them.

-- Using cut and paste from Excel for financials, rendering the slide unreadable.

-- Trying to tell the investor everything in one sitting.

The pitch deck should focus on your core product, team, customer and fundraise.

The details can be fleshed out later. 

Finally, the biggest mistake is not asking questions and listening.  

Most startups spend their time talking when they should be listening for objections and concerns. 


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
-----
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In the Coronavirus lockdown we’re seeing trends that will establish the next cycle of startup innovation.

While already underway, there’s an accelerating shift to digital.  

Startups in this area will find investor interest if they can provide the following:

Online businesses where you can work from anywhere.

Evergreen products that are always in demand.

Efficient delivery of products and services both online and offline, such as the internet or delivery to the customer’s doorstep.

Examples of this include:

Local restaurants moving from in-house dining to curbside delivery.

Local businesses move to sell online rather than in the store.

Instruction such as education and physical training delivered online.

Students moving from physical classes to online instruction.

Shopping is moving from the physical store to online.

These trends were underway before but are not accelerating.


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
-----
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In evaluating a team, there are elements to look for in a CEO for early-stage companies.

The first is character. The CEO must have integrity and demonstrate character.

Over time, the company will adopt the character of the CEO. If the CEO cuts corners, so will the rest of the company.

The second is confidence. The CEO must have enough confidence in their vision, plan and team that they can execute.

Starting up brings challenges that require confidence to succeed.

The third is coachability. This is especially true for first-time CEOs in that they don’t know what it is they don’t know. Experienced CEOs understand this better and recognize their limitations.

CEOs who shun advice or forego coaching will run into problems later.


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
-----
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In the Coronavirus lockdown we’re seeing trends that will establish the next cycle of startup innovation.

While physical events for esports have been cancelled and future events may be postponed, in general, esports continue with online activity.

Online competitive gaming will continue to accelerate through platforms such as Twitch.

Online access provides more opportunities to engage the audience and allow for audience communication with each other. 

Startups in this area will find investor interest if they provide the following:

Physical arena sports such as football, basketball and baseball will go on hold with esports taking over as the audience moves to online viewing.

Imposed quarantine has increased consumer play time. 

Software development for games carry on with remote workers.

While already underway, there’s an accelerating shift to online sports. Some sports programs such as Formula One are creating virtual events to showcase their events.

We may see traditional sports teams in football, basketball and baseball launch a virtual version of their team to continue to play in the rapidly-growing esports market. 


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
-----
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In the Coronavirus lockdown we’re seeing trends that will establish the next cycle of startup innovation.

While physical events for esports have been cancelled and future events may be postponed, in general, esports continue with online activity.

Online competitive gaming will continue to accelerate through platforms such as Twitch.

Online access provides more opportunities to engage the audience and allow for audience communication with each other. 

Startups in this area will find investor interest if they provide the following:

Physical arena sports such as football, basketball and baseball will go on hold with esports taking over as the audience moves to online viewing.

Imposed quarantine has increased consumer play time. 

Software development for games carry on with remote workers.

While already underway, there’s an accelerating shift to online sports. Some sports programs such as Formula One are creating virtual events to showcase their events.

We may see traditional sports teams in football, basketball and baseball launch a virtual version of their team to continue to play in the rapidly-growing esports market. 


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
-----
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

In this episode, Hall welcomes Yaniv Sneor, founder of Mid Atlantic Bio Angels (MABA). MABA is a life-science angel group focused on therapeutics, devices and diagnostics.

Yaniv started a career in physics and moved to working as a consultant with companies in the life-sciences sector. He noticed that these smaller, early-stage life-science companies were having difficulty raising money, so he decided to invest himself.

He talks about his excitement for the "very-challenging" life-science space, and explains what some of those challenges are.

He gives his advice to investors about what to do before writing that very first check and, on the flip side, gives advice to first-time entrepreneurs.

Visit Innovate Mid Atlantic Bio Angels at www.bioangels.net. 

Yaniv can be contacted via email at info@bioangels.net.