Investor Connect Podcast

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Alejandra Slatapolsky, Co-founder at Scalto and host of The Biz of Wealth podcast.

Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Miami, Florida, Scalto knows how hard it is for service-based businesses to attain real scalability; exponentially increasing revenues without incurring significant costs. They are here to help Hispanic and Latin American B2B service businesses design truly scalable business models to grow over time.

Scalto focuses on enabling firms to jump ahead of the competition by designing all aspects of a truly scalable business: the offering, the client experience, the brand, and the communications and lead-generation process. It all starts with their xAlto Program, where they help you gain clarity on the problem you solve for your target audience and design scalable business solutions, from a branding and communications perspective.

The Biz of Wealth podcast talks to veterans, newcomers, innovators, and everyone in between about the evolution, future, and struggles of the wealth industry.

Alejandra is a communications and marketing leader with over 20 years of experience in B2B financial services, fintech, and technology. She has helped dozens of companies expand their businesses and create awareness through thought leadership strategies. She has designed and implemented successful communication strategies drawing from a background in marketing, strategic event planning, journalism, public relations, digital strategies, and education. 

Alejandra speaks about the startup scene in Miami, scaling your startup and the challenges faced, common mistakes people make, and more.

Visit Scalto at www.scalto.com, and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/scaltoconsultancy

Listen to The Biz of Wealth podcast at https://thebizofwealth.com/.   

Reach out to Alejandra at alejandras@scalto.com, and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/alejandraslatapolsky
__________________________________________________________________

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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Alejandra_Slatapolsky_of_Scalto.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Calculating Forward Multiples

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

Valuations for software companies with recurring revenue are calculated using forward revenue multiples.

While revenue is the primary factor in calculating the multiple, some companies can increase it by demonstrating excellence in other areas.

Use these definitions to calculate it:

Revenue growth – revenue this year over last year in a percentage. 

Sales efficiency -- take your increase in gross profit and divide by last year's sales and marketing expenses.

Cash flow margins -- divide your cash flow by revenues.

Net income margin -- divide net income by revenue.

Gross margin -- divide gross margin by revenue.

To calculate forward multiples for companies going public, use the following formula:

Forward Multiple = 6.3 + 38 x Revenue_Growth + 2 x Sales Efficiency.

Revenue growth and sales efficiency provide the most impact.  

If you have additional value through your margins, you can add them in as well. 


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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Calculating_forward_multiples.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

5X Rule of Post Money-Valuation

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

As an investor reviewing deals, you’ll hear a wide range of startups with various fundraises and pre-money valuations.  

So, how can you screen the deals to find those who have ‘reasonable’ valuations?

Try the 5X rule.

The 5X rule says to take the post-money valuation and multiply times 5. If the company sells for that price, then the investors will do well.  

If you don’t think the company will be able to sell for that price, then the company is overvalued and will most likely not provide a return to the investor.

Entrepreneurs usually quote their fundraise target and their pre-money valuation. 

To find the post-money valuation, add the fundraise amount to the pre-money valuation.

Here’s a recent example. The company is raising $2M on a pre-money valuation of $10M yielding a $12M post-money.  

By multiplying 5*12, we see a target exit value of $60M. Most companies in the space were exiting at $25M to $30M, so this one was overvalued.


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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: 5X_rule_of_Post_Valuation.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

How to Make Your Data Valuable

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

Startups can make their business more valuable if they collect data and turn it into a revenue-generating product.

Many startups providing a service can collect data about the process, the customer, the market, and more.

Raw data is not of value. It must be refined and there needs to be a market for it.

In your startup, look at the process you are running to see what data can be mined.

For example, if you provide microloans to businesses, what is the credit rating of those who pay back consistently?

Others will pay for this information.

Here are some key points to consider for mining data from your business:

Aggregating customer data can prove to be valuable information.

Look for applications where you can capture data automatically.

Network effects can increase the value of the data too.

The more unique your data set the more valuable it will be.

Having a large data set can be used to market your product or service as it increases the perceived value to the customer.

Data sets can provide a competitive advantage for your business.

Finally, you can glean insights from the data to create AI algorithms.

In fundraising, communicate your data strategy and show it as a competitive advantage and a potential revenue stream.


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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: How_to_Make_Your_Data_Valuable.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Khalil Shalabi, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at Wyth. 

Headquartered in Lemont, Illinois, and founded in 2018, Wyth is a new carpool and rideshare app and service exclusively for university students. It is a closed-loop system, whereby drivers and riders are from the university community (i.e.. students, faculty, or staff) making it a safer option than current services.

Wyth is a mobility solution for rides around college campuses (rideshare services for housing, campus, athletic events, and business district) and long-distance solutions during holidays and breaks (carpool services for students going home, school, or other places). Product-market fit is resounding with twenty-one (21) major universities interested. The market analysis of usage of “rides around campus” from 2 universities is UCLA  with 11,000 rides/week and the University of Alabama with 40,000 rides/week. Wyth is a safer alternative to Uber/Lyft due to its closed-loop system whereby all users are vetted as part of the university community. The market potential for rideshare is $9B and carpool $4B. The university community is fully vested in saving the environment and their carpool solution can save the planet 5-10 billion pounds of CO2 emissions.

Khalil is an entrepreneur of over 40 years in multiple business sectors. He has started over 10 businesses and graduated from the University of Illinois at Chicago with a degree in BioChemistry. Khalil has 4 daughters who graduated from major universities and like millions of parents had to pick them up and drop them at their universities hence why he started Wyth.   

He is interested in civic engagement and socially responsible corporate practices.

Khalil discusses his background, his main reason for starting Wyth, challenges faced in this industry, potential rewards, and how Wyth differs from competitors.

Visit Wyth at www.Gowyth.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/seatus-technologies-llc/, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/Gowyth

Reach out to Khalil at khalil.shalabi@gowyth.com, and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/khalil-shalabi-ba7149149.  

_____________________________________________________________________

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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Khalil_Shalabi_of_Wyth.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Startup Valuation Roadmaps

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

Investors setting a valuation should review the cap table to understand how future rounds will cause dilution.

A cap table tracks each shareholder and the amount of equity they own including the pre and post-money valuations.

Key factors to consider are the following:

Option pools -- what has been set up or will be set up.

Liquidation preferences -- does any other investor have a right to a liquidation preference that gives them a portion of the proceeds before other investors?

Future rounds of funding -- how many more rounds of funding will be required?

Most startups will need additional funding so some dilution is to be expected.

Map out the proposed follow-on rounds of funding to see the effects of dilution on the investors' equity position.

Consider the impact of venture capital on the cap table which can have a major impact on earlier investors.

It’s often the case the startup must raise additional capital beyond the plan, due to unforeseen circumstances so any proposal shows the best-case scenario.

By mapping the cap table from the current investment to the exit, the investor can understand their position at an exit and what return to expect.


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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Startup_Valuation_Roadmaps.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

How to Negotiate Valuation With a Startup

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

The key to negotiating the valuation for a startup is to find and examine each value that is already in the business, as well as each value that must be built to achieve a successful exit.

Start with the team and check to see how many of the necessary skills are already onboarded, versus the skills that need to be recruited.

Second, look at the product to see what has been built and what must be done to bring the product to the market.

Third, look at the leads and revenue and how much has been done to build a pipeline of customers and turn on a repeatable, predictable revenue stream.

Fourth, look at the status of the intellectual property. Ask what has been filed and when?

It takes three years for patents to be awarded, so in most cases, the startup will have filed provisional patents or has filed a utility patent and must now wait for official actions.

Investors look for working systems in the business for lead generation, closing customers, fulfilling the service, or providing the product.  

Estimate the work done so far and what is left to be done to meet the proposed forecast.

Add to the valuation any other factors that enhance the business and subtract factors that must be overcome to arrive at a valuation.

The key is to set today’s valuation based on what is in the business today -- not tomorrow.


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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: How_to_Negotiate_Valuation_with_a_Startup.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Minimum Information an Investor Should Receive

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

After closing an investment round, the startup should set up a monthly report to the investors.

Here’s a list of information to send an investor:

Customer wins -- list out key sales successes. Celebrate every win.

Key metrics -- show the core 1-3 metrics that drive your business.

Cash on hand -- show the cash balance and runway based on current burn.

Employee status -- show changes and open positions you are trying to fill.

Challenges -- include a short list of challenges you currently face and what help you need.

Set up a template so you maintain the format and make the report easy to build each time.

Set expectations with the investors about the frequency -- monthly, quarterly, or other.

Include a set of financials showing the detailed picture so investors can find answers to detailed questions about the numbers. 


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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Minimum_information_an_investor_should_receive.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Daran Herrman, CEO at Goboto and the Host of Establishing Your Empire Podcast.

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, and founded in 2018, Goboto is a full-service marketing company with 100+ clients all over the world including China, Australia, UK, Indonesia, Singapore, and Kansas. Clients range from nonprofits that provide life- saving heart surgery (heartgift.org), to a company with a $3 Billion investment fund to acquire businesses.

Establishing Your Empire is a filmed podcast that inspires entrepreneurs, creatives and future business owners to pursue their passions, grow their organizations and build their empire. Guests are interesting people doing interesting things and range from founders, to musicians, to film directors.

At the ripe age of 13 years old, Daran’s professional career started by washing dishes and getting paid $3 per hour… cash. While in high school, his resumé was already filling up with everything from selling shoes to IT support. Before his 21st birthday, he co-founded his first company, and within a year, his team orchestrated a merger with a complementary retail business and exited before receiving his college diploma.

Daran is creatively best known for his photography, but business wise, his claim to fame is growing a company from $15K per month in online sales to breaking the one million dollar a month barrier. 

Daran speaks about current happenings in his startup world, driving trends, the ecosystem in Austin, the online information source he finds most helpful and much more.

Visit Goboto at www.goboto.com and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/goboto/

Reach out to Daran at daran@goboto.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/daranherrman, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/daran.  

Listen to Establishing Your Empire Podcast at https://establishingyourempire.com/

______________________________________________________________________

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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Daran_Herrman_of_Goboto.com__Establishing_Your_Empire_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Investor, Advisor, Mentor, Board

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

There are four ways someone can help a startup outside of becoming an employee.

You can be an investor, an advisor, a mentor, or a board member. 

As an investor, you can fund the startup.

As an advisor, you can guide the founder on strategy and make introductions.

As a mentor, you can coach the startup on various aspects of running the business such as hiring, planning, selling, and more.

As a board member, you can provide governance and oversight over the company.

Each role takes a certain amount of time.

The investor role can take little time with just monthly or quarterly check-ins.

The advisor role could take more time with two to four calls per month.

The mentor role could be two lunches a month or more.

The board member role could take ten hours a month or more.

Consider your time availability before committing to a startup.


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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Investor_Advisor_Mentor_Board.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Dan Gonzales, Executive Producer and Host of Startup Mindsets Podcast.

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, and founded in 2020,
Startup Mindsets has interviewed more than 50 entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and innovation leaders since April 2020 and has inspired people to take entrepreneurial action across the world. Week in and week out they will dive into how founders across technology and innovation leaders think about running their business and why innovation now is more important than ever.

Dan was born and raised in San Francisco, California he completed his undergrad at UC Riverside and worked at various startups and corporations including Flux Technology and Google. 

He’s worked as a venture capital analyst at VU Venture Partners, a $100M fund in San Francisco, and led investments in the frontier tech space. Some deals he’s been a part of are Akash Systems, Fan Controlled Football, Contraline, and CreditStacks. 

Dan discusses the “great resignation”, the long-term implications of remote work, producing and hosting a podcast, and more.

You can reach out to Dan at startupmindsets@gmail.com and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/dangonzales1.

Listen to Startup Mindsets Podcast at www.startupmindsets.com/, visit their LinkedIn page at www.linkedin.com/company/startupmindsets/, and contact them on Twitter at www.twitter.com/startupmindsets

______________________________________________________________________

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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Dan_Gonzales_of_Startup_Mindsets.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

What You Should Do After You Sign the Check

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

An investor does a great deal of work before the investment is made and must also do work afterward.

Here are some key points to consider:

As an investor, you need to maintain contact with the startup.

Make sure there’s control over the compensation of the CEO.  

Their compensation is the exit and not the payroll.

Make sure the company has sufficient cash runway.

Losing too much runway can throw the company into a fundraise with ‘fire sale’ terms.

Monitor your list of what must be done from the diligence report to see how the company is progressing.

Keep those items on the top of the CEO list. 

Make sure the board remains focused on their duties and sees that they spend their time well.   

I’ve found many startup boards become co-complicit with the CEO and fail to maintain accountability for results.

Talk with other investors in the deal and share information as the startup may not keep everyone up to date consistently.


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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: What_you_should_do_after_you_sign_the_check.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Nine Types of Angel Investors

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

There are many types of angel investors.

Here are nine types commonly seen in the startup community:

  1. Networkers -- they know a great number of people and can make introductions to them. They are helpful in finding more investors as well as team members for the startup.
  2. Product-oriented -- they worked in a company managing a product line and can provide feedback on the product you are building.
  3. Finance oriented -- they have a finance background and get involved in the details of revenue recognition, forecasts, and other aspects of the accounts.
  4. Domain knowledge -- these people work in the startup’s industry and provide guidance on the current trends, and can make introductions to key people. 
  5. Marketing oriented -- they have a marketing background and can provide feedback on the branding, positioning, and marketing of the startup. 
  6. Big names -- these are people who have a big name in town but don’t necessarily know much about the business you may be running. They can help attract additional investors to your business.
  7. Operators -- these are people who run businesses and can advise on who to hire, how to implement projects and negotiate contracts.
  8. Challenger -- these people challenge you in board meetings and put questions to you to consider.  This can be helpful in making sure you’re thinking about everything that needs to be done.
  9. The rest -- these are investors who helped fill out the round but don’t have any relevant skills to bring to your startup. It’s okay that they joined the team, just don’t demand too much of them.



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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: NIne_types_of_angel_investors.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Angel Investing Best Practices Continued

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

Angel investing is fun but difficult especially if you want to make a return on your investment.

Here are more best practices to keep in mind:

Take ownership of your due diligence and don’t rely solely on others.

Work with angel investors both within your group and from other groups.

Look carefully at the go-to-market strategy and not just the idea.

For the final investment decision, look carefully at the founder.

Make sure you do your research on the market and competitors.

Save funds for the winners so you can increase your investment with those.

When they are asking for advice, they actually want your money.

Invest in companies you can help.

Build your own investment thesis and stick with it.

Look hard at the exit strategy.


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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Angel_Investing_Best_Practices_Continued.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Scott (Shalom) Klein, Host of the Get Down to Business radio show and podcast. 

Dr. Scott (Shalom) Klein is a well-regarded community activist and entrepreneur. Shalom is a published author who hosts the popular "Get Down to Business" radio show in Chicago and serves as an Officer in the US Army Reserves (Military Police) as well as the Chairman of the Village of Skokie Economic Development Commission.

Shalom holds a doctorate in educational leadership and a master's degree in Jewish Professional Studies with a concentration in non-profit management. He is on the executive committee and active leader for the Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve (ESGR).

An avid networker and dedicated entrepreneur, Scott will share the advice you need, the strategies that work, and the stories of success to help you with both business and jobs.

Scott discusses the impact and service industries, globalization, remote work, and more.

Visit Scott’s website at www.shalomklein.com, or reach out to him on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/jewish-business-news/ and www.linkedin.com/in/shalomklein, Twitter at www.twitter.com/shalomklein, and via email at sk@shalomklein.com.  

_____________________________________________________________________

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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Scott_Shalom_Klein_of_Get_Down_to_Business.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Angel Investing Best Practices

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

Angel investing is fun but difficult, especially if you want to make a return on your investment.

Here are some best practices to keep in mind:

Treat entrepreneurs well because word travels fast in the startup community.

No matter how hard you study, the real learning is in the doing. 

You can lose all your money in a deal at any time so it’s best to consider the money gone once you write the check.

The best learning comes from other angel investors.

Valuation is a negotiation, not a formula.

You need a large number of deals to review to be successful as an angel investor.

It’s best to diversify your investments and have enough to hit a winner. 

Just as in running a startup, it’s all about the startup team -- so in angel investing, it’s all about the investment team. 

Just as startups need expertise, so angel investors need expertise, whether it be a network, mentorship, experience, or other.

Finally, invest in what you know.


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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Angel_Investing_Best_Practices.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Know Your Why

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

In funding startups, it’s important to know your why.

This goes beyond making money, saving for retirement, and financial goals. 

What is your mission or cause that you are passionate about?

Start with your passion and what drives you.

Consider what impact your investment will have on the community, the technology sector, or in general.

You could focus on your local startup ecosystem.

By investing locally you can build it up through your time and funds.

You could focus on a technology sector you believe will further its progress, or you could focus on social impact in which case you find a specific cause that benefits the larger community you want to support.

Whatever it is, consider focusing on that cause and make it a part of your investment thesis.

A focused effort will bring a greater result.

Those with a Why will find the work of finding startups, diligencing them, and investing to be a much more rewarding experience.


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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Know_Your_Why2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Jaime Moreno de Los Rios, Chief Operating Officer at Secfi.

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, and founded in 2017, Secfi is trusted by thousands of startup employees for equity planning and financing. Secfi is the first to provide a proprietary suite of equity planning tools, 1:1 guidance with licensed equity strategists, and a set of financing products that enable employees to own a stake in the company they helped build. They also provide company-wide education for startups at all stages to help their team make the best decision for their own situation. Currently, they have worked with employees from more than 80% of all U.S. unicorns.

Jaime’s career spans across investment banking and five years of building startups. Prior to Secfi, he was VP of Corporate Development & Investor Relations at Flexport, where he was also Head of Flexport Capital, the lending business.

In the past, he spent ten years in investment banking at J.P. Morgan in San Francisco, London, and Hong Kong, where he advised tech startups on more than $20bn worth of capital raisings, M&A, debt offerings, and IPOs. Jaime also spent two years working for the German venture builder Rocket Internet as Country Manager for Spain and Nigeria.

Jaime holds a double major in Law and Business Administration from the University of ICADE in Madrid.

Jaime discusses the most important lesson he’s learned in helping companies and employees get the maximum value out of their equity, what online information source he finds most helpful in his work, and if he were to start a new business what it would be.

You can visit Secfi at www.secfi.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/secfiinc/, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/AskSecfi

Jaime can be contacted at jaime@secfi.com, and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/jaimemorenodelosrios. _____________________________________________________________________

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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Jaime_Moreno_de_Los_Rios_of_Secfi.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Powerball vs. Moneyball

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

There are two approaches to venture investing: Powerball and Moneyball.

Powerball looks for startups that will be unicorns and pay outsized returns upon an exit.

These are called home runs.

Moneyball looks for startups that will return a decent amount to the investor but not outsized returns.

These are called singles and doubles.

Powerball takes outsized risks for outsized returns.  

Startups in this category must be working in a large market that is growing fast and under disruption.

The startup must have a compelling technology, recurring revenue, and a platform-based business.

This category is ‘winner takes all.’

Moneyball takes smaller risks for smaller returns that are more obtainable.

Startups in this category should also be working in a large market that has some growth and is undergoing transition.

The startup must have a strong team, healthy margins, and a clear path to an exit.

This category has multiple winners.

Know which type of startup you are building as it greatly impacts the amount and timing of funding you will need. 


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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Powerball_vs_Moneyball.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes John Livesay, aka “The Pitch Whisperer”, best-selling author, host of The Successful Pitch podcast, and sales keynote speaker. 

The Successful Pitch is heard in over 60 countries, and interviews successful thought leaders and entrepreneurs who share their stories so you can have a road map to success. John provides insights on how to make your pitch compelling, clear, and concise.

John shows companies’ sales teams how to turn mundane case studies into compelling case stories so they win more new business. From his award-winning career at Conde Nast, he shares the lessons he learned that turn sales teams into revenue rock stars. His TEDx talk, “Be The Lifeguard of Your Own Life”, has over 1,000,000 views.

Clients love working with John because of his ongoing support after his talk which includes implementing the storytelling skills from his best-selling book and online course “Better Selling Through Storytelling.”

John is a guest lecturer on how to leverage the power of storytelling in sales at multiple universities including the University of Texas at Austin, Pepperdine Graziadio Business school, and the University of Chicago Booth School of Business and his book is now required reading for the UTLA (the University of Texas in LA) course on Entertainment and Media studies.

John speaks about his latest book and the inspiration behind it. He explains the 5, 5, 5 method, great suggestions for pitching to investors, and much more.

You can visit John’s website at https://johnlivesay.com/, contact him on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/jlivesay, on Twitter at www.twitter.com/John_Livesay/, or email him at john@johnlivesay.com.

You can listen to his podcast at https://johnlivesay.com/john-livesay-podcast/.

John’s latest book "The Sale is in the Tale: 5 Storytelling Secrets to Keep From Drowning in a Sea of Sameness" can be purchased from Amazon and other major booksellers.

Text the word “PITCH” to 66866, and John will send you a free chapter of his book!

_____________________________________________________________________

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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: John_Livesay_author_and_podcaster_The_Successful_Pitch_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Evaluating the Startup’s Metrics

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

In reviewing a startup, ask the founder or CEO for the metrics they use to guide the business.

Check for these points in their metrics:

  1. Do they have a key set of metrics? Many startups aren’t tracking anything.
  2. Is the metric appropriate for their type and stage of business?  
  3. Do they have too many metrics? If there are too many, then it will be hard to gain traction on any one of them.
  4. Is the metric specific or general? The metrics should be specific.
  5. Are the metrics actionable? One should be able to make decisions on them.
  6. Are the metrics realistic? You should be able to implement programs and activities based on them.
  7. Do the metrics cover a specific timeframe? Metrics without a timeframe are meaningless.
  8. Do the metrics compare with industry standards or the competition? Performance will vary based on the sector and stage you are at.

Use the startup’s metrics as part of your investment decision.


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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Evaluating_the_Startups_Metrics.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Devin Miller, Founder of Miller IP Law and Host of The Inventive Journey Podcast.

Headquartered in Mountain Green, Utah, and founded in 2019, Miller IP Law is a law firm that assists startups and small businesses with patents and trademarks across the US and worldwide. Miller IP Law is changing the law firm model to make patents and trademarks approachable, affordable, and understandable by providing transparent flat-fee pricing, easy-to-reach attorneys, and easy processes.

Headquartered in Morgan, Utah, guests on The Inventive Journey Podcast share the journey that led up to the founding/co-founding of the startup or small business. The show focuses on the journey rather than a pitch for the services/products the startup/small business may offer. 

In addition to his law firm, Devin also founded his first startup while earning his Law & MBA degrees (for a total of 4 degrees). Since then, he has founded several 7 & 8-figure startups in wearables, product development, website design, and religious products.

Devin speaks about the role of intellectual property in the startup world, the driving trend in this space, and if he could start a company today, what it would be.

You can visit Miller IP Law at www.lawwithmiller.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/miller-ip-law, and set up a meeting with an attorney at www.strategicmeeting.com

You can listen to The Inventive Journey Podcast at https://milleripl.com/blogs/inventive-journey, and visit its LinkedIn page at www.linkedin.com/company/the-inventive-journey

You can contact Devin at devin@milleripl.com and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/millerip. _____________________________________________________________________

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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Devin_Miller_of_Miller_IP_Law_The_Inventive_Journey_Podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Beyond the Growth Story

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

In raising funding it’s important to demonstrate the growth story -- sales, team, product, and fundraise are in motion.

These are the core four things investors look for to judge the startup’s traction and momentum.

Here are additional proof points to highlight to the investor:

  1. Market size – show a market that is big and growing fast.
  2. Novel approach to the problem – show how your approach is unique and different.
  3. Execution capability – show how your team can execute beyond the standard.
  4. Customer demand – show a list of customers who are ready to buy your product.
  5. Strong unit economics – show how your business is profitable on a unit economic basis.
  6. Scalable – show how you have scalability built into the business.
  7. Current investors – showcase your current investor list.
  8. Stickiness – show how your product is sticky and yields a high lifetime value
  9. Network effects – show how you’ve built network effects into your business and will continue to generate value as you grow.
  10. Fast growth – show a high growth rate of 100% YoY or better.

If you have any of these points then bring them up in your fundraise to help make your case. 


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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Beyond_the_Growth_Story.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

This is the Investor Connect KiwiTech 2022 podcast series. In this series, we discuss trends and topics in the startup world.

I hope you enjoy this episode.
________________________________

Thank you for joining us for the Investor Connect KiwiTech 2022 podcast series.

For more episodes, 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

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: 2022-04-13_KiwiTech_AIP_Investment_Opportunities_in_Foodtech.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Competitive Advantages

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

In the pitch, investors look for the startup’s competitive advantage.

"Me too" companies are more difficult to fund because they have few if any competitive advantages.

A true competitive advantage increases your revenue by 30% or reduces your cost by the same amount.

Here’s a short list of potential competitive advantages you can build into your startup:

  • Unique and compelling technology. This gives your product or service additional features and capabilities.
  • Intellectual property including patents, trade secrets, and trademarks. This provides legal protection for your product.
  • Network effects. This can come from a platform approach, data collection, or marketplace creation which both reduces costs and increases awareness.
  • Strong brand. This provides better name recognition resulting in a lower cost of customer acquisition.
  • Virality. This increases sales without an equivalent increase in costs.
  • Exclusive channel access. Access to customers that competitors do not have is also a competitive advantage.

Consider how you can incorporate one of these into your startup.


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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Competitive_Advantages.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Matt DeCoursey, Co-founder and CEO of Full Scale, the Host of the Startup Hustle podcast, top-selling author of "Million Dollar Bedroom" and "Balance Me", as well as the co-author of "The Realist’s Guide to a Successful Music Career".

Headquartered in Kansas City, Kansas, and founded in 2018, Full Scale is a tech services company that helps businesses build teams of software engineers. Their goal is to make finding and retaining highly experienced software engineers fast, easy and affordable.

With over 2.8 million downloads and counting, Startup Hustle is a podcast for entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs. With the mission of telling the real story of startups and entrepreneurs, topics range from funding to failure and beyond. 

Matt discusses the “Great Resignation” and how it’s playing out in the startup world, common myths about his field of expertise, what online information source he finds most helpful, and what he attributes to the success of his podcast.

You can visit Full Scale at www.fullscale.io, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/fullscale-io, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/fullscalekc.  

You can listen to the Startup Hustle podcast at www.startuphustle.xyz, visit its LinkedIn page at www.linkedin.com/company/startup-hustle-podcast, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/startupsxyz

Matt’s books "Million Dollar Bedroom", "Balance Me: A Realist's Guide to a Successful Life", and "The Realist’s Guide to a Successful Music Career" are available on www.Amazon.com and other major bookstores.

Matt can be contacted at deco@fullscale.io, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/matt-decoursey/, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/decourseymatt.  

_____________________________________________________________________

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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Matt_DeCoursey_of_Full_Scale-Startup_Hustle_podcast.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Drawbacks to Convertible Notes

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

Convertible notes are often used by startups in the early stages of fundraising as they are fairly simple to use and need little legal work compared to equity agreements.

There are drawbacks one should know. 

Here’s a short list to consider:

Convertible notes are not equity agreements and do not qualify for tax deductions such as Section 1202.

Most investors prefer equity over convertible notes and will be more willing to sign up for an equity deal structure.

The note is a form of debt that could be used to reclaim the funds in case of default.

The interest that accumulates from the note should be reported on the investor's tax return and taxes paid, even though the interest was never paid out.

Convertible notes without valuation caps can be a problem for investors down the road as the conversion will be set by the follow-on equity funding.

Finally, most convertible notes don’t define all the terms as a standard equity agreement which includes board seats, voting rights, and more. 

Convertible notes are often used as a placeholder for fundraising ‘til the lead investor is secured, at which point the convertible note for investors convert to equity.


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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Drawbacks_to_Convertible_Notes.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Coss Marte, Founder, and CEO at CONBODY.

Headquartered in New York, NY, and founded in 2014, CONBODY is a prison-style boot camp that employs formerly incarcerated individuals as fitness instructors. 

CONBODY was founded by Coss Marte, a former drug kingpin who created the CONBODY method while serving time in prison. Now, CONBODY uses fitness to raise awareness for criminal justice reform and provide opportunities for this marginalized group. CONBODY has hired over 50 former inmates and has a 0% recidivism rate.

Its mission is to bridge a gap between two communities: young professionals and formerly incarcerated individuals and to normalize their reentry into society.

While serving prison time, Coss developed a unique and effective exercise program that doesn't rely on equipment. Having battled weight issues, he faced life-threatening complications associated with obesity. Coss is ardently committed to supporting people in making changes to their lifestyle that results in individuals reaching and maintaining their fitness goals.

Coss discusses how he sees the fitness industry evolving, and some of the challenges he has faced in running his company. He speaks about the benefits of hiring incarcerated individuals and his internship program.

You can visit CONBODY at www.conbody.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/conbody, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/conbodynyc.  

Coss can be contacted at cossmarte@conbody.com, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/cossmarte/, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cossmarte

___________________________________________________________________

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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Coss_Marte_of_CONBODY.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Build Your Community

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

In funding startups, it’s important to build out your startup ecosystem.

A stronger startup scene will bring better funding opportunities.

Here are some key points for building your startup ecosystem:

  • The startup world goes through cycles every 3-5 years with new technologies, companies, and programs, so it’s important to keep up to date.
  • Identify the new technologies and programs that startups need.
  • Foster the culture around startups and help others find their place in it, even if they are not starting up a company but rather providing services or support.
  • Follow your curiosity about new technologies and introduce experts and speakers in those niches to your startup community.
  • Encourage those who are working on startups to maintain the faith and keep up the good work.
  • Set a vision for the future of the startup community and rally others around it.
  • Foster connections within the community through networking platforms, meetings, and other activities that bring people together.
  • Take the lead in setting up programs and promoting the startup community to the outside world.



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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Build_Your_Community.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

This is the TEN Capital AMA show. I'm Hall T. Martin, the host of the show in which we interview investors and founders on current topics. 

Our guest is:

Jeff Erickson of Forecastr

I hope you enjoy this episode.
________________________________

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

Music courtesy of Bensound.


Testing the Serial Entrepreneur

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

Entrepreneurs who have failed are often strong leaders in their next venture.

To know if a serial entrepreneur is on track to success after their first failure, check these points:

  • Character -- if they don’t have character, then nothing else will matter.
  • Passion -- burnout cases won’t make it the second time around.
  • Risk-taking -- do they continue to step up to the risks?
  • Team building -- do they know how to recruit a team and organize them?
  • Tech -- are they up on the latest technology in their space?
  • Motivation -- are they still motivated to take on the challenge of a startup?
  • Experience -- did their first startup gain traction and grow, or did it blow up on the runway?  Those with several years of growth will have more experience to use in their second startup.
  • Teachable -- did they learn from their first startup, or do they seem to repeat the same mistakes?
  • Responsibility -- do they take responsibility for their first startup failure? If not, they won’t take responsibility for the next one.
  • Retrospective -- did they analyze their first startup failure and understand thoroughly what happened, both good and bad?

Failed entrepreneurs are experienced entrepreneurs. Look for the ones who captured the most from their first failure.


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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Testing_the_Serial_Entrepreneur.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Jeff Erickson, Founder of The Startup Stack, Angel Investor, and Director of Partnerships at Forecastr.

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, and founded in 2020, The Startup Stack was created to help early-stage companies build a successful foundation by making the best operational tech offers available in one place. The Startup Stack scours the SaaS ecosystem to uncover the best tools to help founders scale and succeed. Each member of The Startup Stack is carefully vetted for both the quality of their product and the startup offering they provide.

The Startup Stack currently offers early-stage founders over $170,000 worth of perks on operational tech tools to help their businesses grow.

Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, and founded in 2018, Forecastr provides a software platform to help early-stage startups easily create, track and manage their financial projections in preparation for raising capital. Using Forecastr, founders are able to confidently forecast their cash flow, helping determine how much capital they should raise and when. Forecastr makes it easy to conduct, manage and modify financial forecasts all with the click of a button and gives founders confidence when talking with investors without having to incur the deep financial cost of a CFO.

Jeff currently serves on the advisory boards of several startup companies and is an active angel investor. Jeff is an experienced entrepreneur and was the founder and CEO of a successful consumer goods company that was ranked #138 on the Inc. 500 list of fastest-growing companies. He is passionate about startups and enjoys working with founders and mentoring entrepreneurs.

Jeff speaks about the state of startup investing, how he sees the industry evolving from here, and the biggest change he thinks we will see. He also advises investors and entrepreneurs.

You can visit The Startup Stack at www.mystartupstack.com, and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-startup-stack.   

You can visit Forecastr at www.forecastr.co, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/forecastr, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/forecastr

Jeff can be contacted at jeff@forecastr.co, and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-erickson

_____________________________________________________________________

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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Jeff_Erickson_of_Startup_StackForecastr.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Roadmap Investing

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

In funding startups, it’s important to look at not just the current product, but the roadmap overall.

Some technology markets have a long, rich future ahead while other markets do not.

Look for the technologies that have a broad future with a clear trajectory.

Startups propose products to take to market. 

While that first product may be a winner, the succession of products will most likely be the bigger story.

Ask for the startup’s roadmap. Be careful not to take away their focus from the current product.

For example, many startups propose a service.

Some capture the data from their service and start building large datasets.

With a sufficient number of datasets, they can then sell the data.

By moving from a service company to a data company, their value goes up by 10X.

With sufficient experience with the data, the company can build artificial intelligence algorithms.

By moving from a data company to an AI company, their value goes up by another 10X.

Consider the roadmap of the market and the company in your investment decisions.


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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Roadmap_Investing.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

Best Practices for Startups Raising Funding

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

Raising funding is difficult. Here are some best practices for startups raising their next round:

Investors are busy, so organize your fundraise around their schedule, not yours.

Focus on investors who fund your stage and type of startup.

Provide updates about your business and progress, and be proactive about it.

Highlight the success of the business and not your personal success.

Accept feedback and consider it carefully.

Never talk negatively about an investor as the community is small and word travels fast.

Focus on building a relationship with the investor first. 

Do not take rejection personally; it’s part of the game.

Treat people with respect at all times. 

Be clear with the investor about your expectations, as it will ultimately come out. 

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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Best_Practices_for_Startups_Raising_Funding.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

How to Become an Accredited Investor

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

To invest in startups directly, one must be an accredited investor. 

The Securities and Exchange Commission sets the criteria for who is accredited.

Here’s a list of those who meet the criteria:

Individuals who have a net worth exceeding $1M.

Individuals who have earned income exceeding $200K per year for the last three years.

Individuals with a spouse who has earned income exceeding $300K per year for the last three years.

Also, there are Family Offices.

Entities that own $5M of investments

Individuals who have achieved a professional license such as a Series 65.  

Series 65 is a license for individuals to act as investment advisors.  

This certificate allows the individual to buy securities not registered with the SEC.

If you don’t meet the income or net worth requirement, you can study for an exam and use the Series 65 to gain access to accredited investor investments.


T
hank 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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: How_to_become_an_Accredited_Investor.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Regula Schegg, Managing Director, Asia, at Circulate Capital.

Headquartered in Singapore and founded in 2018, Circulate Capital is an investment management firm dedicated to the development of a circular economy to combat plastic pollution through investments in high-growth opportunities at the nexus of climate-tech and plastics recycling infrastructure. In 2019 Circulate Capital launched the Circulate Capital Ocean Fund (CCOF I), the world’s first investment fund dedicated to preventing ocean plastic waste in South and Southeast Asia through investments in catalytic opportunities in recycling and the circular economy that can generate competitive returns. Their new strategy, Circulate Capital Disrupt, is a companion venture and private equity fund to CCOF that invests in disruptive technologies. We were created in collaboration with Ocean Conservancy, and our founding investors include PepsiCo, Procter & Gamble, Dow, Danone, Chanel, Unilever, The Coca-Cola Company, Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LLC, and Mondelēz International.

Regula is an experienced global professional with over 20 years of leadership, business development, project management, finance, and social enterprise/start-up expertise. Throughout her corporate career, she held positions in corporate strategy, M&A, private equity, financial control, and business development.

She was further engaged in the microfinance industry, establishing a growth guarantee fund, and financing microfinancing institutions. She also established a social enterprise in the Philippines, developing sustainable housing technologies, and establishing the production and construction of affordable housing solutions in collaboration with urban poor communities and civil society organizations in Southeast Asia.

Regula discusses the huge environmental problem the world is facing with plastic waste and some of the startups that are addressing the issue. She speaks about the state of investing in the circular economy and some of the challenges entrepreneurs and investors face.

You can visit Circulate Capital and sign up for their newsletter at www.circulatecapital.com/, on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/circulatecapital/, and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/CirculateCap.    

Regula can be contacted at rschegg@circulatecapital.com, and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/regula-m-schegg.  

_____________________________________________________________________

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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Regula_Schegg_of_Circulate_Capital.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

1