Investor Connect Podcast

Zeigarnik Effect

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

The Zeigarnik effect is defined by Wikipedia as uncompleted or interrupted tasks that are remembered better than completed ones.

Investors will remember the pitch that leaves them hanging more easily than those with closure.

The cliffhanger in a serialized show is remembered because the action is left unfinished.

It leaves the viewer with an uncompleted story creating cognitive tension.

To use the Zeigarnik effect consider the following:

In your pitch close with a cliffhanger ending by discussing an upcoming event such as closing a big sale or hiring a great team member.

Use the pending outcome as an excuse to return to the investor later for a follow-up.

Investors are often curious about startups and how they turn out later.

Use this in setting up a follow-up call by offering to give them ‘the rest of the story’.

 

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.

_______________________________________________________

Thank you for joining your host Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

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: Ziegarnik_Effect.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Verbatim Effect

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

The Verbatim effect is defined by Wikipedia as the "gist" of what someone has said that is better remembered than the verbatim wording.

Catchphrases and taglines will help investors remember your startup and what it does.

Investors remember the essential meaning rather than the specific words you say in a pitch.

They will retain the core information but will lose the details.

Focus your pitch on the core elements of the deal including the core team, core product, and the core strategy.

Fine details will get lost in the process as the investor will only remember the core elements.

Avoid multiple scenarios in your pitch and instead focus on the primary scenario as investors will only retain one.

In the deck use images, charts, and graphics wherever possible to help communicate those messages.

Use mantras, taglines, and catchphrases to communicate the core messages.

Make the headlines clear, bold, and compelling.

If a detail is important to the pitch then call it out as such and make it a part of the core message. 

Investors will only remember the gist of the presentation so gear your pitch to highlight the core concepts and skip the extraneous details.

 

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.

_______________________________________________________

Thank you for joining your host Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

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: Verbatim_Effect.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Should You Raise Funding for Your Startup

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

Before raising funding consider if you should raise funding for your startup.

Ask why you need funding and see if you have a specific need for funding tied to growing the business. 

If you have a business on a high growth trajectory, consider venture funding. 

If the business is not high growth or you have no vision of selling it, consider other forms of funding such as SBA loans or revenue-based funding. 

Investors expect a return in the ballpark of five times their investment in five years. 

Angel and venture capital funding go to those startups.

Other factors to consider for venture funding include the following:

You have a large addressable market.

You are building a business that is scalable.

You are using a recurring revenue monetization model.

You are building a platform-based business rather than a single product.

You plan to sell the business rather than keep it for a lifestyle business. 

Finally, you have built enough of the business to prove product and market validation -- the product works and people will pay for it. 

 

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.

_______________________________________________________

Thank you for joining your host Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

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: Should_you_raise_funding_for_your_startup.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Rodney D'Souza, Managing Director of  Horned Frog Investment Network, a program from the Institute for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Texas Christian University (TCU).

Located in Fort Worth, Texas, United States, Horned Frog Investment Network brings together an empowering community of accredited investors to support the next generation of innovators. Their mission is to elevate the position of the TCU Neeley School of Business as an innovative leader in entrepreneurship and investing. They connect founders with value-added investors and leverage the resources of TCU to support success.

With the network they source unique, industry agnostic deal flow and deliver exclusive educational and networking opportunities, while also providing hands-on, experiential learning opportunities for top performing business students to help sharpen their skills and strategies.

Rodney is widely recognized as an influential figure in the field of entrepreneurship education and research, having achieved notable success as a business owner and angel fund manager. His expertise led him to assume the role of managing director at the institute and the esteemed Davis Family Entrepreneur-In-Residence position within TCU Neeley.

Prior to joining TCU Neeley, D'Souza held the distinguished position of the Fifth Third Bank Endowed Professor of Entrepreneurship and served as the director of the Center for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Northern Kentucky University.

Rodney talks about the Horned Frog Network network and what he hopes to accomplish with this unique network.He also shares the first things you should look for when you are looking to make a deal, and much more.

Visit Horned Frog Investment Network at neeley.tcu.edu/Centers/Institute-for-Entrepreneurship-and-Innovation/Horned-Frog-Investment-Network, and TCU at www.tcu.edu/, www.linkedin.com/school/tcu-entrepreneurship.

Reach out to Rodney at rodney.dsouza@tcu.edu, www.linkedin.com/in/rodneydsouza/, and on www.linkedin.com/in/rodneydsouza/

 

_______________________________________________________

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: Rodney_DSouza.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Testing Effect

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

The testing effect is defined by Wikipedia as the fact that you more easily remember information you have read by rewriting it instead of rereading it.

Investors remember what which they recall from memory better than just hearing the pitch again.

This comes from research showing that taking a test that requires one to write out a response improves retention better than just rereading the material.

This moves the information into long-term memory.

Founders can use the testing effect by asking investors questions about the pitch to exercise recall.

For example, ask the listener, ‘Remember the problem we are solving?’

Give them time to recall it.

If they don’t respond in a timely manner, then give the answer.

This avoids the awkward silence that can arise. 

During the Q&A portion, engage the investor in a dialog that recalls key points such as the problem you solve, the solution you offer, and the traction you have.

This will help the investor remember your deal better.

 

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_Effect.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Spacing Effect

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

The spacing effect is defined by Wikipedia as information is better recalled if exposure to it is repeated over a long span of time rather than a short one.

A series of updates is more effective in communicating your startup story as the investor will remember more than if the story were given in one go.

There’s only so much a person can take in during one session.

By spreading it over time and in smaller amounts an investor can absorb the information and retain it better.

Use a variety of communication methods such as email, conference calls as well as formal pitches.

Tie the pitch to real-world situations and events to drive the message home.

Stick to the core information and don’t waste time on side stories.

Summarize information from the last communication to bridge into the new information.

Repeat the key information several times throughout the process.

The more the investor remembers about your startup pitch the better.

 

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: Spacing_Effect.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Humor Effect

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

The humor effect is defined by Wikipedia as humorous items that are more easily remembered than non-humorous ones, which might be explained by the distinctiveness of humor, the increased cognitive processing time to understand the humor, or the emotional arousal caused by the humor.

Startup pitches with humor are more memorable than those without.

Founders should include humor in their pitches as investors will more likely remember it.

Humor also puts a positive spin on the pitch as it removes negative feelings from the investor.

It energizes and increases the interest level of the investor in the subject matter.

It improves the investor's perception of the founder as someone who is friendly and approachable.

Humor increases learning ability by telling the investor what they want to hear and then following up with what they need to know.

Finally, the humor must be positive and appropriate and not come at the expense of anyone.

 

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: Humor_Effect.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Context Effect

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

Context effect is defined by Wikipedia as cognition and memory are dependent on context, such that out-of-context memories are more difficult to retrieve than in-context memories

Investors need context in order to understand the startup offering such as the problem to be solved.

In pitching founders include basic concepts in the presentation.

The problem, solution, and product must be defined upfront.

With context, the investor can understand the rest of the pitch such as the business model, competitive advantage, and market positioning.

Investors are familiar with the standard list of business models, go-to-market strategies, and revenue models.

By connecting to these standards, the founder will find the investor more easily grasps the business of the startup.

For example, if your business provides a marketplace matching buyers to users, then highlight the term marketplace business model in your presentation.

Show how your business fits the marketplace model in terms of users, monetization, and metrics.

Make it easy for the investor to grasp what you are doing with standard startup models.

By showing how your business fits into the startup ecosystem, investors will retain it better.

 

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: Context_Effect.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Bizarreness Effect

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

The bizarreness effect is defined by Wikipedia as bizarre material that is better remembered than common material.

Presentations that use bizarre information are more easily remembered than conventional ones.

Founders can capture and maintain the interest of investors by using unusual wording or language.

This works when the unusual phrase or sentence is mixed with common words and sentences. 

It causes the investor to spend more time encoding the information.

This makes it easier for investors to recall later.

The unusual information should create an image that stands out in their mind as distinctive.

By repeating it several times, the investor will more easily remember it.

In your presentation, reword a key concept such as a value proposition to create a bizarre image.

For example, our education software is so effective it could teach a dog how to ride a bicycle.

Repeat this several times throughout the presentation.

 

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: Bizarreness_Effect.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Adam Besvinick, Founder and Managing Partner at Looking Glass Capital.

Located in Purchase, NY, USA, Looking Glass Capital is a pre-seed and seed fund that seeks to invest in and support mission-driven founders during the earliest days of company building. They are most inspired by entrepreneurs solving today's biggest challenges across health, climate, and empowerment (education; tools and platforms for SMBs; and products that enable access, identity, or self-expression).

Adam is the Founder of Looking Glass Capital, a pre-seed fund investing as a "first yes" or lead investor in non-consensus opportunities with independent conviction. Prior to starting Looking Glass, Adam invested for five years in pre-seed through Series C companies, including Transfix, BigID, One Concern, NomNom, and Plant Prefab, at Deep Fork Capital and Anchorage Capital Group.

Adam graduated from Harvard Business School, during which he worked part-time for Lowercase Capital, Gumroad, and a couple of other early-stage companies. He also co-led By/Association, an angel investor group, which made three investments. Prior to entering business school, he was a telecom investment banker at Jefferies and graduated cum laude from Duke University in 2009.

Adam shares his thoughts about investing as an angel investor, the economic reset in the venture capital world, and what it means to be in the age of resilience.

Visit Looking Glass Capital at lookingglass.vc/, www.linkedin.com/company/looking-glass-capital/, and on twitter.com/lookingglasscap.

Reach out to Adam at adam@lookingglass.vc , http://linkedin.com/in/besvinick, and on http://twitter.com/besvinick

_______________________________________________________

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: Adam_Besvinick.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

False Consensus Effect

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

The false consensus effect is defined by Wikipedia as the tendency for people to overestimate the degree to which other people agree with them.

Founders sometimes overestimate how others may share their beliefs.

They often mistake silence for consent in talking with investors.

Investors often nod in acknowledgment of what the founder says but this doesn’t mean they agree.

To overcome the false consensus effect, do the following:

Maintain awareness of the false consensus effect and realize not everyone has the same opinion as you.

Consider various viewpoints and how others may approach it from a different angle.

Consider how much your opinions come from your internal beliefs and personality rather than external factors such as the market and your environment.

View your opinions as if you were an independent observer to see how the deal looks based solely on external factors.

Break down your decision process into steps and verify the assumptions behind each one.  

From this, you can determine how others may view your deal.

Finally, this process can also apply to other persons considering your product.

 

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: False_Consensus_Effect.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Naive Realism

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

Naive realism is defined by Wikipedia as the belief that we see reality as it really is – objectively and without bias; that the facts are plain for all to see; that rational person will agree with us; and that those who don't are either uninformed, lazy, irrational, or biased.

Founders believe their view of the world best matches reality.

Some go further and believe that all other views are erroneous.

To overcome naive realism, consider the following:

Maintain awareness of naive realism and remember that one’s perceptions determine one’s beliefs.

Remember that not everyone perceives the world in the same way and so will not view it in the same way.

Look for alternative views and contrast and compare them to your own.

Look for the connection between their perceptions and their beliefs.

Use this information to inform your own approach to the problem your startup solves. 

There’s more than one way to run a startup or solve a problem. 

 

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: Naive_Realism.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Illusory Superiority

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

Illusory superiority is defined by Wikipedia as overestimating one's desirable qualities and underestimating undesirable qualities, relative to other people.

Every founder considers themselves superior and should be funded accordingly.

This is a flawed view of the startup world in which investors can see many startups while the founder sees far fewer.

In fundraising, there’s competition for startup investment.

To overcome illusory superiority, consider the following:

Maintain awareness of illusory superiority throughout the fundraising process.

Remember how many other startups are raising capital and the challenge that imposes.

Look at startups outside your own circle to see how they compare.

Always be learning about startups and the startup world.

Get an independent view of your startup to see how it compares to other startups.

Look for critical views of your startup to see how you can improve. 

Through constant improvement, you can overcome illusory superiority.

 

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: Illusory_Superiority.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Illusion of External Agency

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

Illusion of external agency is defined by Wikipedia as when people view self-generated preferences as instead being caused by insightful, effective, and benevolent agents.

Founders often believe someone else can make their fundraiser successful.

The responsibility of fundraising for startups lies solely on the founder's shoulders.

While others may help through introductions and mentorship, the duty to follow through lies with the founder.

To overcome the illusion of external agency, consider the following:

The strategy and content of the fundraiser come from the founder no matter who is driving the campaign.

Part of the fundraising process is to build a relationship with the investor. 

The founder must be integral to the fundraising campaign to do so. 

The founder is responsible for the outcome of the fundraising as investors look to the fundraising campaign as a proxy for the founder's skills including communication, execution, and follow-up.

The fundraising campaign is an opportunity to demonstrate those skills. 

While others can help, it’s the founders themselves who must own the campaign.

 

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: Illusion_of_External_Agency.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Group Attribution Error

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

Group attribution error is defined by Wikipedia as the biased belief that the characteristics of an individual group member are reflective of the group as a whole.

Startups often project the characteristics of one investor on the entire group when the group is much more diverse.

Angel groups for example are composed of people with a variety of experiences, expertise, and perspectives. 

One investor doesn’t define the entire group.

To overcome group attribution error, consider the following:

Maintain awareness of the group attribution error when working with investor groups.

Apply emotional intelligence by practicing self-awareness, empathy, and self-regulation.

Remember a time in which you were part of a group and were influenced by the situation.

Explain to yourself the rationale behind your judgment.  

This will help clarify your reasoning and highlight biases in your judgment.

Consider how the investor may view your deal from their perspective instead of your perspective.

 

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: Group_Attribution_Error.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Jonathan Stidd, President at DealMaker Reach.

Located in Toronto, ON, Canada, DealMaker is on a mission to create the most sophisticated capital markets tools on the planet, empowering capital to flow faster. It offers a suite of primary issuance, shareholder management, and capital raising solutions that includes equity crowdfunding, investor ranking algorithms, and data/analytical tools to support all capital raise types and all securities. Its innovative technology was designed to enable organizations to own and control exempt market raises to get the money they need, faster. 

DealMaker works for their issuers: putting brands and founders back in control to run streamlined, successful capital raises. Its mission is to turn the process of raising capital into simple eCommerce. As Canada’s 3rd Fastest Growing Company, DealMaker has taken major market share in the US and landed clients like the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. To date, DealMaker has processed over $1.9B in transactions and over 1,000,000 investments - more than any counterparts or competitor in North America.

With an unmatched entrepreneurial spirit, Jonathan Stidd has spent the last 10 years helping founders live their dreams. Beginning his career in management consulting, Jon soon found his passions took him down the path of entrepreneurship to launch his own connected device company and mentor other founders through programs like General Assembly. Throughout his journey, Jon was drawn to digital marketing as it was the nexus of his interests across growth strategy, startups, and innovation. 

In 2017, Jonathan co-founded Ridge Growth Agency which quickly became the leading digital marketing agency for equity crowdfunding - helping their clients raise a collective $500M+. Jon continues to help founders raise capital as he serves as President, of DealMaker Reach after Ridge Growth was acquired by leading capital raise platform DealMaker.

Jonathan discusses how to use equity funding, the different types of equity crowdfunding, the different digital trends in the market, and much more. 

Visit DealMaker at www.dealmaker.tech/, www.linkedin.com/company/dealmakertech/, and on twitter.com/Dealmakertech.

Reach out to Jonathan at jonathan.stidd@dealmaker.tech, www.linkedin.com/in/jon-stidd-8b225518/, and on twitter.com/jjstidd.

_______________________________________________________

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: Jonathan_Stidd.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Zero-Risk Bias

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

Zero-risk bias is defined by Wikipedia as the preference for reducing a small risk to zero over a greater reduction in a larger risk.

Customers will choose a product that eliminates risk over another product that has a greater price reduction.

For example, you could offer two products that are similar.

The first has a bigger discount but doesn’t provide a money-back guarantee.

The second is higher priced but provides a money-back guarantee.

Customers under the zero risk bias will opt for the higher priced product with a guarantee as they feel they are eliminating risk.

The fallacy in the zero risk bias is that risk can never be reduced to zero.

In this example, the company could go out of business and not provide a guarantee.

To avoid the zero risk bias, analyze your decisions more carefully and calculate the cost difference between the two options.

The price difference is the cost of the guarantee.

Ask yourself is the guarantee worth that cost.

 

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: Zero_Risk_Bias.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Survivorship Bias

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

Survivorship bias is defined by Wikipedia as concentrating on the people or things that "survived" some process and inadvertently overlooking those that didn't because of their lack of visibility.

Incubators often measure their results based on startups that get funded rather than all the ones who go through the program.

Taking out the startups that failed early can skew the results by only counting the ones that are up and running.

To overcome survivorship bias, consider the following:

Maintain awareness of the survivorship bias when evaluating a metric.

Consider what has been left out of the calculation.

In our incubator example consider how many companies applied, were accepted, and started the program but were never counted in the metric because they didn’t build a running company.

Find alternative data sources.  

In this example, look for companies that went through the program and talk to both those who succeeded and those that did not.

Go beyond the initial statistic as it often measures only a part of the story.

 

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: Survivorship_Bias.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Subjective Validation

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

Subjective validation is defined by Wikipedia as the perception that something is true if a subject's belief demands it to be true. 

In developing products founders look for information that matches their own view of the problem and solution.

Founders build their products for a market based on their own view of the customer's needs.

Founders will find customer research that matches their experience more valuable than information that doesn’t fit their views.

To overcome the subjective validation bias, consider the following:

Use a checklist so all collected information gets equal consideration.

Build teams of observers instead of single ones so they can check their observations with each other.

Move from qualitative to quantitative in the research.

It’s important to look holistically at the problem in order to devise a workable solution.

 

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: Subjective_Validation.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Pseudo-certainty Effect

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

The pseudocertainty effect is defined by Wikipedia as the tendency to make risk-averse choices if the expected outcome is positive, but make risk-seeking choices to avoid negative outcomes.

As the startup finds success, the founder becomes more risk-averse because something at stake can be lost.

For startups that are flailing, risk-taking becomes the norm with all projects.

To overcome the pseudo-certainty effect, consider the following:

Maintain awareness of the pseudo-certainty effect and how it can shift your risk-taking based on the current status of the startup.

Probability assessment is not a natural skill most people have.

It’s best to analyze the outcome of a proposed project by looking at other startups and their track record with projects such as generating leads and closing sales.

Assess the probability of the outcome based on actual evidence.

Take calculated risks that don’t put your startup in danger of going out of business.

Avoid the ‘go for broke’ plan unless you have solid evidence that it will work.

If things are going well, then know you can take more risks.

 

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: PseudoCertainty_Effect.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Authority Bias

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

Authority bias is defined by Wikipedia as the tendency to attribute greater accuracy to the opinion of an authority figure and be more influenced by that opinion.

Founders seek experts in various roles to help grow their startups.

In particular, this occurs when the founder is working in unfamiliar areas.

Problems arise if one follows blindly what someone else says without understanding what lies behind the advice.

To overcome authority bias, consider the following:

While experts have experience there is no guarantee of success.

Think through the advice of an expert to see if it makes sense logically.

Question the expert to learn more about the basis of the advice.

Ask yourself, what if this advice came from someone with no authority?

Finally, test out the advice before committing to it.

 

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: Authority_Bias.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Ethan Rigel, Founder, and Managing Partner at Gore Range Capital.

Located in New York City, New York, USA, Gore Range Capital is focused on investments in early-stage skin health businesses. Their approach is simple: they invest in what they know. Over the course of their respective careers, the Gore Range team has built domain expertise and extensive networks across multiple areas of healthcare. Through Gore Range Capital they are channeling their capabilities to focus on our largest organ and the most visible manifestation of who we are - the skin.

At Gore Range, they blend the hands-on approach of operationally focused private equity with the early-stage guidance needed in venture capital. They were formed in 2015 with the goal of partnering with industry pioneers, working closely with portfolio companies to bring skin health innovations to market. To accomplish this mission, they leverage their team of experienced healthcare investors, leaders, and practitioners to bring strategic, financial, and scientific expertise to their investments.

Ethan has more than 15 years of investing experience and spent most of his time actively working with small businesses with limited resources. During the course of his career, he has invested more than $900 million in companies with a combined enterprise value of greater than $2 billion across dozens of investments. Most of Ethan’s investments have been very hands-on, and he has taken an extensive role in the operations of the business in order to help drive the company’s success.

Ethan has two degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Bachelor of Science in Economics and Bachelor of Science in Management Science) and a Master of Business Administration from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University.

Ethan shares about the ins and outs of the skin healthcare industry, the opportunities and challenges, and how to thrive in this competitive industry.

Visit Gore Range Capital at www.gorerangecapital.com/, www.linkedin.com/company/gore-range-capital, and on twitter.com/gorerangecap?lang=en.  

Reach out to Ethan at ethan@gorerangecapital.com, and on www.linkedin.com/in/ethanrigel.

_______________________________________________________

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: Ethan_Rigel.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Optimism Bias

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

The optimism bias is defined by Wikipedia as the tendency to be over-optimistic, overestimating favorable and pleasing outcomes 

Startup founders often focus solely on the opportunity while ignoring the risks.

Skeptical investors do the opposite by focusing on the risks.

Startups succumb to the optimism bias because they believe more things are under their control and they can influence outcomes by their own efforts.

To overcome the optimism bias, consider the following:

Identify the average time it takes to perform each step in a startup such as hiring the team, building the first product, onboarding the first customer, etc.

Then use those averages in building out the schedule.

By using industry averages one can overcome the optimism bias.

In addition, conduct a premortem with the team in which you ask “Pretend we are in the future and the project failed.  Ask why it failed.”

Consider the negative outcomes to identify the risks in the plan.

This will reduce overconfidence in the plan and identify areas for improvement.

 

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: Optimism_Bias.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Ostrich Effect

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

The ostrich effect is defined by Wikipedia as ignoring an obvious negative situation.

It’s common among founders to ignore the challenging parts of the startup such as competitive position or weakness of the product, and more.

Some founders handle it by not paying attention to it.

Others misinterpret the situation as something else so they don’t have to deal with it.

Founders do this to avoid the difficult emotional effects of the situation.

To overcome the ostrich effect, consider the following:

Treat the situation as if someone else has this problem and you are analyzing it from the outside.

This takes your personal emotions out of it and gives you more freedom to explore solutions.

Take the situation and engage others to help you and hold you accountable.

Finally, set up a program that reviews the situation on a regular basis so you can work on it consistently over a period of time.

This lets you break down the problem and start solving it one piece at a time. 

 

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: Ostrich_Effect.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Planning Fallacy

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

The planning fallacy is defined by Wikipedia as the tendency to underestimate task completion times.

Projects take twice as much time and cost as planned.

First-time founders don’t have previous experience and cannot rely upon past projects when making plans.

Some founders recall selected cases in the past that went well and plan optimistically.

To overcome the planning fallacy, consider the following:

Break the project down into its component parts to make the analysis easier.

Analyze previous projects to determine how long it will take and use that information to build the timeline for the current project.

Have others review the plan to see if there are any tasks that have overly optimistic timelines.

Build accountability into the project timelines to make sure that the team stays on track.

Perform scenario analysis on what could go wrong and how to manage it.

Avoid ego, peer pressure, and other factors that drive optimism into the planning.

 

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: Planning_Fallacy.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Pro-Innovation Bias

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

The pro-innovation bias is defined by Wikipedia as the tendency to have an excessive optimism towards an invention or innovation's usefulness throughout society, while often failing to identify its limitations and weaknesses.

Startups overestimate the speed of adoption of new technology.

Users are often slow to adopt new technologies due to the cost of time and dollars to integrate them into their workflow.

To overcome the pro-innovation bias, consider the following:

Estimate the cost of switching and design your product to help transition customers from the current technology to the new one.

Make the transition seamless and automatic.

Promote the ease of transition and the cost savings that come from adopting the new technology.

Innovation often creates inequality in that some have access to new technologies while others do not.

Make sure everyone has the ability to access it.

Both startups and startup investors see technology as a solution to all problems and discount the risks and costs associated with it.

 

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: Pro_Innovation_Bias.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

Projection Bias

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

The projection bias is defined by Wikipedia as the tendency to overestimate how much our future selves share one's current preferences, thoughts, and values, thus leading to suboptimal choices

Founders who hire team members in the early stage come to realize that different skills will be required later in the life of the startup.

To overcome projection bias, consider the following:

In making decisions with long-term implications, maintain awareness of the projection bias.

On a regular basis make future projections to consider what will be needed in contrast to what is needed today.

Experienced founders often jump to their own conclusions based on their experiences. 

It’s best to engage others in the decision-making process.

Some founders project their views on a situation and assume others believe the same.

It’s best to keep an open mind and allow for other points of view in the decision-making process.

Over time priorities and values shift so it’s helpful to remember that today’s values may be different 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: Projection_Bias.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 5:00am CDT

1