Investor Connect Podcast

In this episode, Hall welcomes Brett P. Swarts, Founder & CEO of Capital Gains Tax Solutions and host of the Capital Gains Tax Solutions podcast. 

Headquartered in Folsom, California, Capital Gains Tax Solutions provide one-to-one business owner & investor guidance throughout your entire deferred sales trust process, from selling to reinvesting. They will help you outline the options of selling or not selling and the tax consequences for each deferral strategy, including Deferred Sales Trust, Opportunity Zones, 1031 Exchanges, Delaware Statutory Trusts, & Charitable Remainder Trusts. Then they will teach you everything you need to know to design a tax-deferred deferred sales trust transformational exit plan & provide DST trustee services to help you achieve proven results.

Brett is considered one of the most well-rounded Capital Gains Tax Deferral Experts and informative speakers on the west coast. His audiences are challenged to lean into multiple capital gains tax deferral strategies, create and develop a tax-deferred passive cash flow optimal timing wealth plan of their own, and execute on this plan so they can create and preserve more wealth.  

Each year, he equips hundreds of business professionals with the Deferred Sales Trust tool to help their high-net-worth clients solve capital gains tax deferral limitations. 

Brett discusses capital tax gains and how entrepreneurs can manage those gains when they sell their business. He also advises startups who are just now launching their business and what they should do to prepare for an exit.

You can visit Capital Gains Tax Solutions, at www.capitalgainstaxsolutions.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/capitalgainstaxsolutions. To listen to Brett’s podcast, please click on www.capitalgainstaxsolutions.com/podcast/

Brett can be contacted via email at brett@capitalgainstaxsolutions.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/brett-swarts. 

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Brett_P_Swarts_of_Capital_Gains_Tax_Solutions.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

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

In launching your product you have a choice to either set a high price that gives you a high margin, or a low price yielding a low margin for sales.

The high price is harder to sell but you don’t have to sell as many units to make the business profitable.

The low price is easier to sell but you have to sell more of them.

Choosing your margin is choosing what part of the business you want to work on.

The high price requires you to focus on sales and marketing.

You’ll need to hire more people and pay more in commissions.

The low price requires you to focus on providing the product at a low cost.

You’ll need to invest in reducing your operating costs and keeping expenses low to make it work.

Neither option is free and both are valid approaches to the business.

If you end up with low margins and low volume you will be out of business.

Think carefully about what your team can do and where they work best in making the pricing 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  

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: The_Role_of_Margins_in_Your_Startup.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

In this episode, Hall welcomes Patrick Ryan, Founder of Aardvark Research/PSR Lawfirm, LLC.

Patrick is the founder of Aardvark Research for angel investing. His day job is at Tik Tok, where he leads the team of Technical Program Managers for global network security. Before TikTok, Patrick was a Strategy and Operations Principal at Google for 9 years. Patrick has also co-founded companies including Towersource (a search engine for vertical assets) and Fastback Networks (wireless 5G).

In addition to work, Patrick is an academic and author of more than thirty papers about technology policy. He is the former Faculty Director of the Interdisciplinary Telecommunications Program at CU-Boulder. Patrick holds a Ph.D. from Leuven (in Belgium), an MBL from the University of St.Gallen (Switzerland), and a JD from the University of Texas. Patrick speaks fluent Spanish, French, and German and is currently studying literature, Chinese and Russian.

Patrick discusses the state of venture capital investing and his investment thesis. He also advises startups and investors.

You can visit Aardvark Research/PSR Lawfirm, LLC, at www.linkedin.com/company/psr-lawfirm-llc/about/.

Patrick can be contacted via email at patrickryan@gmail.com and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/psrlaw/. You can also access a list of his scholarly papers at www.ssrn.com/author=355448.  

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Patrick_Ryan_of_PSR_Lawfirm_LLC.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

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

In running a startup there will be upturns and downturns.

Managing a downturn takes a different approach from the upturns.

First, seek advice and guidance from others such as investors, mentors, and CEOs.

Don’t delude yourself into thinking it’s better than it is and that it will turn around soon.

Acknowledge that it’s a bad situation and action must be taken.

Get a little aggressive with those steps that must be taken.

Reconfirm your commitment to your company and mission statement.

You’ll most likely need to take on extra responsibilities which will require more of you.

In an upturn, it’s about increasing your top line, hiring new employees, and increasing market share.

In a downturn, it’s about keeping the lights on, getting more productivity with fewer team members, and living to see another day.

Downturns bring new market opportunities so start looking for 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 

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Managing_a_Startup_in_a_Downturn.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

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

In a fundraise, one typically uses the same term sheet throughout the raise.

From time to time, investors will demand certain rights and conditions.  

If there are no investor representations, then you may be able to do so.

For some investors, you may need to vary the terms of the raise and use a different term sheet.

The key is to keep the valuation the same but add additional terms to make the deal more attractive.

Additional terms include most-favored-nation status which means the investor gets the best deal that anyone else in the round gets. 

It also could include advisory and board positions, warrants, or redemption rights.

Lead investors often ask for special terms to compensate for their time and effort.

Investors spending time mentoring the team also may ask for these considerations.

Before changing the terms or using new term sheets, you should check with your attorney.


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 

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Varying_the_Terms_of_the_Raise.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

In this episode, Hall welcomes Dr. Stuart Titus, Chief Executive Officer and President at Medical Marijuana, Inc.

Headquartered in Poway, California, Medical Marijuana, Inc. is a cannabis product research and development company. The Company offers various CBD oils and related products such as CBD tinctures, concentrates, beauty products and pet supplements. Medical Marijuana distributes its products to worldwide customers.

Stuart, a 10+ year pioneer of the cannabis industry, is the CEO of the first-ever publicly traded cannabis company in the US, Medical Marijuana, Inc. He has been involved in all aspects of the medical marijuana and industrial hemp industries overseeing a robust portfolio of subsidiaries and investments. Through his leadership, Medical Marijuana, Inc. became the first company to deliver cannabis brands across U.S. state lines, and the first to hold import permits for hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) in dozens of countries such as Mexico, Brazil, Paraguay, Argentina and many European nations.  

He is also a veteran of the financial services and medical healthcare industries with over thirty years of combined experience in each discipline. In the investment banking industry, Stuart worked with well-regarded firms including A.G. Becker, Prudential-Bache Securities, and Credit Suisse-First Boston.

Stuart shares with Hall how he sees the industry evolving and some of the challenges startups face.

You can visit Medical Marijuana, Inc. at www.mjnagroup.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/medical-marijuana-inc-/, and via Twitter at
www.twitter.com/mjna_inc.   

Stuart can be contacted via email at Stuart@mjnagroup.com.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Stuart_Titus_of_Medical_Marijuana_Inc.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

In this episode, Hall welcomes Cam Houser, Founder of Actionworks.

Located in Austin, Texas, Actionworks mixes humans (from companies, universities, and governments) with algorithms trained on interesting topics (from business books to psychology textbooks to everything Paul Graham ever wrote) to create a process that helps organizations innovate. 

For over a decade, Cam has used video to win customers and build social capital. Actionworks' flagship offering is Minimum Viable Video, a cohort-based online course that teaches camera confidence and smartphone video. Cam also teaches entrepreneurship to students in 30 countries as an entrepreneurship educator and University of Texas professor. Before Actionworks, Cam founded 3 Day Startup, an organization accelerating 20,000 entrepreneurs at 300 institutions, including Harvard, MIT, and Stanford. Alumni have raised hundreds of millions of dollars, participated in Y Combinator, and exited to Google.

Cam shares with Hall what excites him now in the sector. He advises entrepreneurs and investors, and discusses what he sees as immediate opportunities for investors to pursue.

You can visit Actionworks at www.actionworks.co, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/actionworksco/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/cahouser.  

Cam can be contacted at http://bitly.com/camhouser, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/camhouser/.  

Music courtesy of Bensound.   

Direct download: Cam_Houser_of_Actionworks.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

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

In valuing a startup for an investment, it’s useful to find valuations by looking at similar startups.

This technique is referred to as ‘comps’ which stands for comparable.

This method looks for companies in the same sector and analyzes both exits and investments to determine the current valuation for the segment.

This is often a multiple of revenue or EBITDA.

Five to ten companies should give you an indication of the valuation metric currently in use.

Look for investments and exits that are three years old or less.

Valuations shift with the stock market, investor sentiment, and other factors.

For exits, note what the investor paid for.

Exits are driven by acquiring the team, the core technology, a product, or the entire business. 

This will help you determine the going rate for the company you are considering investing in.


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 

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: How_to_Use_Comps_to_Value_a_Startup_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

In this episode, Hall welcomes Juan Alonso-Villalobos, Fintech Program Director at Startup Wiseguys.

Headquartered in Tallinn, Harjumaa, Startup Wiseguys is a mentorship-driven accelerator program for early-stage B2B SaaS, Fintech, Cyber, and Sustainability startups, providing seed capital (€30K), office space, and most importantly – world-class mentors.

The intensive 5-month accelerator program is focused on validating, developing and selling products to business customers. Over 250 international and local mentors with B2B startup experience help startups move through those stages much faster than they would on their own. Founders are also prepared to sell their vision to investors, and the program culminates in a Demo Day, where startups get to present to venture capitalists and angel investors.

Focused during the last years in the investment and startups world, Juan is himself an entrepreneur at heart, having launched several projects (and closed some of them too).

Juan has been Fintech Director in Startup Wise Guys for the last 4 years, and although also supporting startups from other sectors, he sees all the startups within Fintech, Insurtech, or other “money-related” regulated businesses. As he says, he was already part of one of the first “fintechs” in Spain and France, within ING Direct, which was there to challenge the status of banking at the time. He is a Partner of his own consultancy firm, PMLG Advisory through which he gives support to International PE firms seeking to develop their Spanish businesses.

Juan has developed his professional career mostly in financial services (banking and insurance) in C-level positions covering very different organizational areas: Finance, Marketing, Business Development, Strategy, Digital. These multi-expertise skills allow him to have a 360º view on businesses. A vast experience in consultancy, banking, insurance, and capital markets.

He holds BA degrees in Law and Business, both from Comillas University in Spain, and gone through Executive Education in CEDEP (Fontenaibleau – France). He lives (most of the time) in Madrid with his wife, also a tech entrepreneur, and his four children.

Juan advises entrepreneurs and investors, discusses how he sees the industry evolving, and shares some of the challenges he has faced.

You can visit Startup Wiseguys at www.startupwiseguys.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/startup-wise-guys, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/StartupWiseGuys  

Juan can be contacted at juan@startupwiseguys.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/juanalonsovillalobos/.   

Music courtesy of Bensound.      

Direct download: Juan_Villalobos_of_Startup_Wiseguys.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

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

In negotiating the valuation, the investor can use current market comps or comparables to set the initial price.

By looking at companies in the same sector and stage, one can find the range of valuations.

From there, the investor can raise the valuation based on the values the startup has built already and lower it for the risks remaining.

Investors typically look for 20-25% of the equity for each raise.  

The investor can adjust the valuation depending on how much the company is seeking.

Other factors that can change the valuation include recent changes in: 

Market growth -- has the market growth changed?

Competition -- has the competitive landscape changed?

Also, by applying the current valuation to the fundraise, the investor can see if it is still in line with the longer-term roadmap of fundraising.

It’s important to ensure the startup doesn’t set the valuation too high on this round as it may prove difficult to raise a follow-on round at the next valuation.

Market comps give the investor a starting point but other factors must be considered.


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  

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: How_to_Use_Comps_to_Value_a_Startup.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

In this episode, Hall welcomes Ben Mackay, Principal at Evolve Capital.

Based in Dallas, Texas, Evolve Capital is a private equity firm focused exclusively on leveraged recapitalizations of entrepreneurial businesses. They provide entrepreneurs with liquidity upfront and also upon exit through their retained equity stake. In between, they provide professional management and a strong partnership, which increases shareholder value and attracts more potential buyers. Their entrepreneur and management team partners focus on positioning companies to maximize value upon exit.

Prior to Evolve, Ben worked as a collateral asset examiner for Wells Fargo Business Credit focusing on loans of $25 million and smaller. 

Prior to Wells Fargo, Ben founded and served as the COO of the Rosebud Group, a real estate investment fund focused on mixed-use commercial properties in emerging western recreational towns.

A Minnesota native, Ben earned his MBA with a concentration in finance from Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts and his BA from Colby College in Waterville, Maine.

Ben shares with Hall what excites him now in the sector. He advises entrepreneurs and investors and discusses how he sees the industry evolving.

You can visit Evolve Capital at www.evolvecapital.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/evolve-capital

Ben can be contacted via email at ben@evolvecapital.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/benmackay/

Music courtesy of Bensound.     

Direct download: Ben_Mackay_of_Evolve_Capital.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

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

As an investor, you can often see warning signs of trouble in small ways before they become full-blown in the startup.

Here are some of them:

  • The CFO quits unexpectedly
  • The paychecks to employees bounce and it’s called an “accounting error”
  • Information from the CEO becomes limited and they don’t return phone calls
  • Administrative people are let go without explanation
  • Missed revenue expectations -- again
  • Founders leave the company without six months’ notice

When you notice things seem out of the ordinary, it’s best to contact the team and ask for a straight-up answer.


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  

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Warning_signs_the_startup_is_in_trouble.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

In this episode, Hall welcomes back Mike Smerklo, Co-Founder and Managing Director at Next Coast Ventures and author of “Mr. Monkey and Me”.

“In Mr. Monkey and Me, Smerklo draws on his broad range of experiences and mistakes as an entrepreneur and venture capitalist. Using lessons he learned from renowned entrepreneurs, he developed the SHAPE formula — Self, Help, Authenticity, Persistence and Expectations — which gives readers an actionable approach to mental toughness that will help any entrepreneur start, grow and run a successful business. An anti-memoir, Mr. Monkey and Me features practical tools and the “other stuff” you don’t normally learn in classrooms or business books, such as the mental hurdles you have to overcome, the risks you have to take, and the sacrifices and mistakes you’ll make to become a successful entrepreneur.”

Mike is an experienced entrepreneur, investor, and business leader driven by the desire to turn ideas into reality. Having bought and scaled a small business into a publicly-traded company worth nearly a billion dollars in value, he has a deep understanding of the hard work, dedication, and grit that truly powers successful entrepreneurship. Today, as the co-founder and managing director of Next Coast Ventures, Smerklo is a champion for a new generation of entrepreneurs building disruptive companies in big markets. His new book, Mr. Monkey and Me, is a “real talk” guide for entrepreneurs who want to cut through the noise to cultivate a mindset that supports greatness.

You can purchase Mike’s book at www.mikesmerklo.com

Mike can be contacted via email at msmerklo@nextcoastventures.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/mikesmerklo/, and on his website at www.mikesmerklo.com.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Mike_Smerklo_book_review.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

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

In running a startup, it’s important to focus on the essentials of the business.

In your strategy planning, identify the Must-Dos.

The Must-Dos have to get done.

Beware of the Nice-to-Haves.

If you hear yourself saying “wouldn’t it be nice if we did this?”, it most likely will be taking you away from the essentials.

Here’s how to protect your time in the business :

  1. The first rule is to say “no” and often. This frees up time for the Must-Dos.
  2. Watch out for commitments that are recurring such as meetings that happen every week. If you can’t say no completely to a commitment, then bound your commitments.  
  3. Don’t signup with open-ended projects that aren’t well defined. Focus your efforts on the core aspects of the project, such as building the processes and enabling others to carry the project forward.
  4. Skew to the activities that can grow then scale.

Look for activities that directly contribute to the Must-Dos and focus on those.  


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

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Focus_on_the_Must_Dos.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

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

Running a startup is hard work.

The team must work long hours and often at low pay. This can wear down the team.

The CEO should monitor the employees for burnout.

Burnout can be caused by several factors:

  • Work overload -- too much work and too little time to do it leaves employees feeling unaccomplished.
  • Lack of control -- with little to no say about how the work should be done and who they work for, employees can feel trapped.
  • Insufficient rewards -- with pay at the minimum wage level, employees often feel underpaid.
  • Breakdown of community -- if one feels left out of the group, then the employee feels a lack of belonging.
  • Absence of fairness -- if the employee feels they are being treated unfairly, then their commitment will wane.
  • Value conflict -- if the employee feels the company’s values don’t align with their own, they’ll feel they are not part of the company.

Employees suffering from burnout exhibit signs of exhaustion, cynicism, and apathy. 

It’s important to watch out for signs of burnout.


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

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Employee_Assessment.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

In this episode, Hall welcomes Martin Saenz, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Bequest Funds.

Headquartered in Sarasota, Florida, Bequest Funds operates multiple residential mortgage funds designed to provide consistent income for qualified investors. The fund purchases and owns a diversified portfolio of income-producing mortgages. They purchase performing mortgages at a significant discount which produces above-market returns. The fund is secured by real estate in the United States.

Renowned as a thought leader in the mortgage note investment industry, Martin is generous with his first-hand expertise, to the benefit of his many clients and followers. Genuine, loyal, and passionate about creating a better world through profitable business, he works hard to share and spread success.

Together with business partner Shawn Muneio, Martin co-founded Bequest Funds with the dual purpose of helping investors grow their wealth and helping mortgage borrowers stay in their homes. Martin owned and operated multiple successful companies prior to launching Bequest. A successful entrepreneur and real estate investor for over 15 years, he brings a high level of strategy and experience to the Bequest model. He has directly helped over a thousand families stay in their homes and countless more through the influence of his mentorship.

Martin holds a BA degree in Philosophy from U.T. — San Antonio, an MBA from Drexel University, and an M.S. in Project Management from George Washington University. Martin, his wife Ruth, and their four children live in the D.C. area. Together, they enjoy exploring the history and natural beauty of state and federal parks and being a part of their church community.

Martin shares with Hall what excites him in the real estate space. He explains Note Investing, how he sees the industry evolving, and he discusses some of the challenges startups face.

You can visit Bequest Funds at www.bqfunds.com/, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/bequest-funds/.   

Martin can be contacted via email at martin@2cfnow.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/martin-saenz-45073b7b/

Music courtesy of Bensound.    

Direct download: Martin_Saenz_of_Bequest_Funds.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

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

Startups seek to grow as fast as possible.

One of the key barriers to growth is the Sales Learning Curve.

This learning curve is a combination of the product, marketing and sales working together to create customer acquisition and product-delivery system that achieves scale and can be maintained. 

In seed-stage funding, the investor looks for evidence of initial traction.

In growth-stage funding, the investor looks for evidence of growth traction.

Growth traction indicates the company is growing in a repeatable, predictable manner.

Sales, marketing, and product development are working in concert to achieve that growth.

Forecasting breakout growth without having mastered the sales learning curve will prove disappointing.

Investors looking to fund growth-stage companies look for evidence that the sales learning curve has been done.

This is most often evidenced by a sales funnel with known metrics such as time to close, cost to close, and well-defined steps that show lead generation, qualification, and closing.

In diligencing a company, look at the systems behind the numbers to see how much of the Sales Learning Curve has been done and what is left to do.

The Sales Learning Curve is another barrier - without it, the company won’t be able to generate the revenue necessary to achieve breakout growth.


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

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: The_Sales_Learning_Curve.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

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

In launching your startup, you’ll need to determine which sales channel is best for your business.

The sales channel is how you reach prospects and then turn them into customers.

Most first-time startup founders envision a channel and then assume that’s the best path.

Experienced founders know you must research, test, and analyze the channels to find the best one.

Here are the steps to choosing the right channel:

  1. First, determine what you are looking for such as quantity of leads, low-cost leads, new markets, or other.
  2. Consider the constraints - how much budget do you have, how much time do you have, do you need to contact a specific type of customer?
  3. Set up a table and fill out the various channels such as direct sales, affiliates, SEO/SEM, partners, and more. 
  4. Run some tests to see how the customer acquisition process goes.
  5. Analyze each channel for cost, time, ability to scale, response time, and other.

You’re looking for channels that provide high-quality leads at a low cost, with a fast response time, and the ability to grow lead targets through that channel.

Don’t assume that the first channel that came to you is the best channel.

 

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/ 
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group  

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Direct download: Choosing_the_Right_Channel.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

In this episode, Hall welcomes Tom Wallace, Managing Partner at Florida Funders.

Headquartered in Tampa, Florida, Florida Funders is a hybrid between a venture capital fund and an angel investor network that discovers, funds and builds early-stage technology companies in Florida. They exist to evolve Florida from the Sunshine State to the Startup State by ensuring there is as little friction as possible in the ecosystem, that investors have access to meaningful deal flow and entrepreneurs have access to a wide range of accredited investors. Florida Funders educates and ignites its community of investors and network of partners to drive investment in the most exciting startups Florida has to offer. Their one-of-a-kind angel investor network provides transparency, fosters communication, and empowers strategic relationships between the investor network and the founders. Their team is composed of serial entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and experienced angel investors singularly focused on uncovering Florida’s next breakout technology company. 

Tom is a 40 year veteran of technology startups, both as a founder and an investor. After multiple successful exits, most recently selling VectorLearning for $268M, he is now the Managing Partner at Florida Funders. As an angel investor for the last 25 years, Tom has learned how rewarding investing in early-stage technology companies can be...and how challenging. The mission at Florida Funders is to provide better and broader access to tech investments for new and existing angel investors and to turn Florida from the sunshine state into the startup state.

Bio (full)

Tom shares with Hall how he sees the industry evolving. He discusses his investment thesis and some of the challenges both startups and investors face.

You can visit Florida Funders at www.floridafunders.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/floridafunders, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/FloridaFunders.     

Tom can be contacted via email at tom@floridafunders.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/tom-wallace-568412.  

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Tom_Wallace_of_Florida_Funders.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

In this episode, Hall welcomes Jonathan Spangler, CEO & Founder of Ciari Guitars.

Headquartered in San Diego, California, Ciari Guitars is the creator of the Ascender, the world’s first pro-play, gig-ready guitar with foldable convenience. It is also the only guitar company approved for in-airport experiential marketing via the “Music Oasis” free guitar lounge.

A concealed lever “detensions” the strings and unlocks a hinge at the neck, which allows the guitar to bend completely backward as the strings follow the fold under light tension. The Ascender can fit in a backpack and takes up less space than any travel guitar on the market.  It’s perfect for all forms of travel - by air, by land, and by sea - and also great at home for space-limited places like apartments, condos, tiny homes, van life, etc.

Jonathan is a business and legal executive turned entrepreneur. To his leadership role, he brings the business acumen and experience from multiple successful start-ups over a 20+ year career in the medical industry based on market-making innovation, as well as a lifetime passion for music and guitars. He is an inventor on 18 US patents ranging from medical devices to music instruments. Jonathan received his B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Marquette University and his Juris Doctorate from the University of Dayton School of Law. 

Jonathan shares with Hall what led him to start working in this space. He discusses some of the challenges he has faced and how he sees the industry evolving.

You can visit Ciari Guitars at www.ciariguitars.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/ciariguitars/

Jonathan can be contacted via email at jspangler@ciariguitars.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/jonathan-spangler-127a037/   

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Jonathan_Spangler_of_Ciari_Guitars.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

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

Choosing a co-founder is an important step in launching your startup.

Consider these points before finalizing your decision:

  • First, understand what are the businesses’ needs and what skills must be recruited.
  • In the early stages of the startup, you need a complete team -- someone building it and someone selling it.  
  • Choose a co-founder who completes the team.
  • Look for candidates who share the same values as you.
  • Focus on candidates who you have known for some time. 
  • Consider what skills are less important so you know how to make the right trade-off decisions.
  • Make sure the co-founder is equally committed to the startup in time spend.
  • Discuss the potential exit strategies to see if there is alignment.
  • Before finalizing the decision, work on a small project. In the project, see if you work well together.

Is there any chemistry from the relationship?

Does their work ethic match yours?

Does their professionalism match yours?

Is the communication between you and the potential co-founder open and honest?

Choosing a co-founder is an important step, so by no means rush 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  

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Direct download: Choosing_a_Co-founder.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

In today’s show, you’ll hear investor perspectives on COVID-19’s impact on the CPG sector.

This is Investor Perspectives, I’m the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding.

It’s the time of COVID-19. The consumer product goods space is currently undergoing tremendous change across the U.S. The lockdown has disrupted the supply chain, manufacturing, and distribution.  Retail is undergoing transformation as consumer products move online and the market shifts to functional benefits prioritizing wellness. We have investors and startup founders describe the impact of COVID-19 on the consumer product goods market.

Our guests are:

I hope you enjoy this episode.

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

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Expected_Changes_in_Consumer_Product_Goods_-_Show_4_V2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

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

In planning your startup, consider the challenge you will have in converting users from their current solution to your solution.

Customers don’t move to a new product because it’s 10% better.

They move because it’s 10X better.

Make sure you are positioning your startup to be competitive in the market.

To do so, consider 10Xing your business.

The combination of the reduced price of the product and increased productivity provided over the competition, should be 10X or greater.

In addition to the basic price, consider these points of differentiation:

  • Easy onboarding -- is it easier for customers to get up and running?
  • Ease of use -- can the user access the solution more easily?
  • Better integration -- is the product integrated with other products providing more features?
  • Intuitive approach -- does the product have a more intuitive interface than the current standard?
  • Network effects -- does the product increase in value over time as more users join the network?
  • Gamification -- does it use gamification tools such as levels, avatars, and other tools used in games to make it more inviting and fun?

Consider how you are going to be 10X better than the competition.


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  

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Direct download: 10X_Your_Startup.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

In this episode, Hall welcomes Rick Grinnell, Founder and Managing Partner at Glasswing Ventures.

Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, Glasswing Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm investing in the next generation of AI and frontier technology startups that are enabling the rise of the intelligent enterprise. They are laser-focused on funding exceptional entrepreneurs who are leading the AI revolution, capitalizing on the intellectual might and talent from the premier academic institutions on the East Coast, and fostering growth for our ecosystem.

Whether they are helping their portfolio companies build the best teams, acquire their first customers or brainstorm about strategic opportunities, or scale their operations, they are there for their founders and CEOs in the good times and the bad times on their journey to success.

Rick has led investments and serves on the Board of Directors of Allure Security, Armored Things, Black Kite, and Terbium Labs. As an experienced venture capitalist and operator, Rick has invested in some of the most dynamic companies in security, storage, analytics, and SaaS applications during his 20 years in the venture capital industry. In his previous role as Managing Director at Fairhaven Capital, Rick led investments and served on the Board of Directors of Digital Guardian, EqualLogic (acquired by Dell, a unicorn and fund returner), Prelert (acquired by Elastic), Pwnie Express, Resilient Systems (acquired by IBM), TrackVia (acquired by Primus Capital) and VeloBit (acquired by Western Digital). He also has deep operating experience having held senior marketing and engineering roles at Adero (acquired by Inktomi), ClearOne Communications (acquired by Gentner Communications, later renamed as ClearOne), and PictureTel (acquired by Polycom).

Rick is a member of the Educational Council at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), is active with the entrepreneurial programs at Harvard and Tufts Universities, and is a frequent judge at MassChallenge. Rick’s contributions to the broader community include serving as a member of the Board of the Advanced Cyber Security Center, New England’s public/private security collaboration, and as Vice Chairman of the Board of Advisers at the Museum of Science in Boston. He previously served as a member of the Board of Directors of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Massachusetts Bay.

Rick has been recognized by New England Venture Network with the Community Leadership Award for his philanthropic work and contribution to the community. Rick holds BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering from MIT and an MBA from HBS.

Rick advises investors and entrepreneurs and shares his investment thesis.

You can visit Glasswing Ventures at www.glasswing.vc, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/glasswing-ventures, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/glasswingvc?lang=en.  

Rick can be contacted via email at rick@glasswing.vc, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/rickgrinnell.   

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Rick_Grinnell_of_Glasswing_Ventures.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

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

Pricing the product or service is a key step in running a startup.

There are four pricing strategies to choose from:

  1. Premium pricing is a price at the upper end of the scale and is used to attract higher-end users. The profit margins are greater here.
  2. Low-cost pricing is a price at the lower end of the scale and is used to attract customers in volume. This gives you the greatest market size to sell to.
  3. Skimming pricing is setting the price high at the beginning and then gradually lowering the price to capture new customers who could not afford the original price.
  4. Penetration pricing is setting the price below cost to obtain market share.

Once you’ve chosen your pricing strategy, you then set the specific price with one of the following:

  • Cost-plus pricing is setting the price as a calculation of the cost of making and delivering the product plus a margin.
  • Value-based pricing is setting the price based on what value the customer perceives it brings regardless of the cost to build.
  • Dynamic pricing is setting the price based on how much or how often the customer uses the product.
  • Loss-leader pricing is setting the lead product price low to attract customers and set follow-on product prices high to capture the margin.


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

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Pricing_your_Product.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

In today’s show, you’ll hear investor perspectives on COVID-19’s impact on the CPG sector.

This is Investor Perspectives, I’m the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding.

It’s the time of COVID-19. The consumer product goods space is currently undergoing tremendous change across the U.S. The lockdown has disrupted the supply chain, manufacturing, and distribution.  Retail is undergoing transformation as consumer products move online and the market shifts to functional benefits prioritizing wellness. We have investors and startup founders describe the impact of COVID-19 on the consumer product goods market.

Our guests are:

I hope you enjoy this episode.

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

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Participation_in_Consumer_Product_Goods_-_Show_3.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 11:09am CST

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

I often see founders begin work on their startup by building out their tech platform.

Customers will come later they say.

I recommend starting with the customer and have them guide you through to the tech platform you need.

In the early days, hire a few people to run the process manually. 

As the process evolves, so will your plans for the tech platform.

The chance that you will build the tech right in the first place without customers is near zero.

The more code you write at this stage, the more code you will throw away later when it becomes clear what the customer needs really are.

From the customer’s point of view, it doesn’t matter how you get it done as long as you do.

Also, the go-to-market plan is not the plan that scales. 

Building too much code at the early stage means you’ll have to rewrite it or throw it away to build out your platform for scaling.

It’s not hard to look like a tech company with websites and user interface forms for capturing data. 

Many startups launch with a WordPress site using standard plugins.

The go-to-market design is geared for the first 100 customers.

The scale design is geared for the next 10,000 customers.

The tech platform for each is very different.


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

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Customer_First_Tech_Second.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

In this episode, Hall welcomes Akhilesh Pathipati, Partner at MVM Partners.

Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, MVM Partners has been a life science investment fund for more than 20 years and invests broadly across the healthcare sector, including medical technology, specialty pharmaceuticals, diagnostics, life science tools, and digital health.

MVM has a global perspective on healthcare and maintains offices in Boston and London. Current MVM portfolio companies are headquartered in the US and Europe.

Prior to joining the firm, Akhilesh practiced medicine as a resident at Beth Israel Deaconness Medical Center and Signature Healthcare Brockton Hospital. In addition, his research on healthcare systems has led to more than a dozen scientific publications and 50 articles in the popular press, including in The Washington Post and Scientific American.

Akhilesh received an MD at the Stanford School of Medicine and an MBA at the Stanford Graduate School of Business. He also holds an AB magna cum laude with highest honors from Harvard University.

Akhilesh shares some of the challenges investors and startups face in the sector. He also advises investors and entrepreneurs.

You can visit MVM Partners at www.mvm.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/mvm-life-science-partners-llp/  

Akhilesh can be contacted via email at ap@mvm.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/akhileshpathipati/.  

Direct download: Akhilesh_Pathipati_of_MVM_Partners.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:30pm CST

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

Most startups envision a product and then proceed to build out an MVP. After they polish it enough they may show it to a customer.  

In some cases, they try and take it all the way to a finished product because they want to show completeness to a customer.

A customer should be involved before you even start building a product.  

Collect the customer’s careabouts and challenges and verbally propose solutions.

The customer should be involved every step of the way.

When it comes to developing the solution, then it’s best to ask for payment for the product before building it.

Sell it first, build it second.

If you can’t sell it in the first place, then there’s no need to build it in the second place.

Those who are first to pay for your solution are called anchor clients. You will need to add custom features to it, so charge accordingly.

Do this three times and you will have a product ready for the broader market.

Build all versions on the same architecture, format, and platform so you get maximum reuse.


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

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Sell_it_First_Build_it_Second.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CST

In today’s show, you’ll hear investor perspectives on the COVID-19 impact on the SaaS sector.

This is Investor Perspectives, I’m the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding.

It’s the time of COVID-19. Software as a Service is currently undergoing tremendous change across the U.S. The lockdown has disrupted many industries such as travel, hospitality, restaurants, and more. We have investors and startup founders describe the impact of COVID-19 on the SaaS market.

Our guests are:

  1. Matt Oguz, Chief Investment Officer, Iris Family Office and Founding Partner at Venture Science 
  2. George Spencer, Managing Partner, Seyen Capital 
  3. Chris Hall, Principal, Escalate Capital Partners 
  4. Nick Adams, Managing Partner, Differential Ventures 
  5. Jason Kraus, Partner, EQx Fund
  6. Karey Barker, Founding Managing Director, Cross Creek 
  7. John Gu, Principal-Growth Equity Group, Spring Mountain Capital 
  8. JD Weinstein, Head, Global VC Practice, Oracle 
  9. Stuart Kime, Co-Founder, Chief Future Officer, hOp


I hope you enjoy this episode.
_______________________________

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

Music courtesy of Bensound.


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

The Venture Capital method of valuation uses a discounted cash flow combined with a multiples-based valuation. 

The valuation takes into account cash flows in a best case, medium case, and worst-case scenario.

It then uses an industry multiple to set the anticipated sell price.

The cash flows and exit price are discounted giving three valuations - one for each scenario. 

Then each one is assigned a probability giving the final value with a probability-weighted sum of the three.

This method works well for growth companies and is better than a straight discounted cash flow because it factors in multiple scenarios. 


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

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Venture_Capital_Method_of_Valuation.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CST

In this episode, Hall welcomes Annette Finsterbusch, President & CEO of EnPower, Inc.

Headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, EnPower is focused on developing scalable, engineering-based innovations that unlock the full potential of lithium-ion, high energy density cells with their patented electrode architectures deliver 3X faster charging, 70% more power, and longer service life than today's best batteries.

Annette is a serial entrepreneur with more than 30 years of operating, management, and venture capital investing experience. Her career has been dedicated to driving growth and building value through successfully identifying, financing, and developing innovation into products and businesses in untapped markets. Her global corporate board experience spans multiple industries, including compound semiconductors, energy storage, lighting, advanced materials, 3-D printing, and the Internet-of-Things. 

Previously, Annette was the Founder of Applied Ventures, the venture arm of Applied Materials. She was responsible for developing the venture group’s investment strategy and execution plan. She sourced, led, syndicated, and managed Applied Material’s investments while also managing a group of investment professionals. From 1996 to 2000, she was based in Russia, where she led Applied’s expansion into Eastern Europe, chartering Applied’s first office in Moscow.

Other notable positions include CEO of MindShadow.com, a technology spin-out of DaimlerChrysler’s Research and Technology Center; Investment Manager at DaimlerChrysler Venture Capital, where she was responsible for enterprise software and fuel cell investments; and CEO of Ketra (formerly Firefly Green Technology), an IoT company based on LED lighting and wireless controls.

Annette has been a member of the National Science Foundation’s SBIR/STTR Advisory Committee since 2014 and was named the chair in 2019. She is a Kauffman Fellow, Class 11, where she was honored with the first annual Jeffrey Timmons Memorial Award. She is currently serving as a Mentor for Class 23.

Philanthropic Directorships include seats on the Board of Directors at the Junior League of San Jose, the Exceptional Women Executives of San Jose State University, and Los Gatos Rowing Club. She also serves on the Board of GLAC (Global Leadership Advancement Center). Annette holds Bachelor of Science degrees in Geology and Economics from the University of Houston and an MBA from San Jose State University. She received the Graduate of the Last Decade (GOLD) Award in 2004 from the faculty at SJSU.

Annette shares her investment thesis with Hall, advises investors and entrepreneurs, and shares some of the challenges investors and startups face in the sector.

You can visit EnPower, Inc. at www.enpowerinc.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/enpowerinc/

Annette can be contacted via email at annette@enpowerinc.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/annettefinsterbusch

Direct download: Annette_Finsterbusch_of_EnPower_Inc..mp3
Category: -- posted at: 11:23am CST

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

The CEO must operate in two modes: managing and leading.

As a manager, the CEO must define the strategy, recruit the team, and set goals for the company. 

This requires strong organizational skills.

As a leader, the CEO must set the vision, motivate the team, and create a culture. 

This requires having a vision, caring about the people, and communicating effectively.

The team will be more motivated if they can see themselves as part of the company’s vision. 

Start with the “Why?” and show how each person is a part of it.

In the early days of a company, there’s energy and excitement in the startup world.

As the company grows, the startup euphoria wears off and the company becomes an ongoing business.

The CEO establishes and reinforces the culture every day by the choices made.

The team watches the CEO for cues on what’s valuable to the company.

The CEO can articulate the values of the company, but what the CEO actually does will determine the culture the company achieves.


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

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Role_of_the_CEO_-_Managing_vs_Leading.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CST

In this episode, Hall welcomes Alex Suarez, Co-founder and Chief Legal Officer at Door Capital Partners, LLC and Managing Partner at Suarez Law Group. 

Door Capital Partners is a private equity firm investing in hospitality assets to increase its revenue and value through efficient management and a passionate vocation to service to their guests.

Suarez Law Group provides strategic legal advice to companies, private funds, and family offices with their cross-border business and investment projects.

In addition to being the co-founder and Chief Legal Officer at Door Capital Partners, Alex is also a business attorney and has been legal advisor to family offices and private investors in projects in  the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Spain for the past 20 years with renowned international law firms. Currently, he manages a boutique international business law firm, Suarez Law Group, while he co-manages Door Capital Partners. He is an advisor on the board of directors of several companies for strategic topics of international expansion. He is a private investor in startups in the city of Austin, Texas.

Alex discusses how he sees the industry evolving and advises investors and entrepreneurs in the space.

You can visit Door Capital Partners LLC at www.door.capital/en/home/, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/door-capital-partners-llc/.

You can visit Suarez Law Group at www.suarez law group.us, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/sumter-ventures/about/

Alex can be contacted via email at as@door.capital, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/alejandro-suarez-83025057/.  

Direct download: Alex_Suarez_of_Door_Capital_Partners-Suarez_Law_Group.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 8:05am CST

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

Companies with a strong culture do better with investors, customers, and employees.

Building a company culture is the long game, not a short one.

From the beginning, focus on instilling core values into the business.

As you recruit new team members, they too will have an impact on the culture.

Here are some key points for building your company culture:

  • Make sure you know every employee and spend some time with them regularly.
  • Share your investor deck with the team so they know what is going on and what you are telling the world.
  • Share the story of the company with every employee and highlight the core values.
  • Promote from within the company and base it on performance.
  • Encourage the team to speak up and share what’s on their mind.
  • Be willing to do anything and everything you ask others to do.
  • When things go wrong, take the blame.
  • When things go right, give the credit to the team.

It takes years to build a strong company culture.

Start early and work on it often.


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

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Building_the_Company_Culture_Part_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:52am CST

In this episode, Hall welcomes Krista Morgan, General Partner at Stage and founding partner of the Stage Fund.

With its headquarters in Denver, Colorado, Stage makes control-based investments in businesses that have proven market traction but need a new approach and capital partner to get to the next level. Stage is a turnaround venture fund that offers early stage-small and medium-sized enterprises both the capital and management expertise to rethink their approach to growth.

Stage specializes in situations that require restructuring, refocusing, and reinvesting for growth. They work with management teams to balance growth and cash flow to create a sustainable, valuable company. 

Krista is an accomplished fintech entrepreneur, founding two ventures prior to joining Stage. She has raised over $100M in debt and equity, managed a $75M loan portfolio, and provided over $1B of financing. She is a regular speaker on entrepreneurship, finance and a champion of diversity in tech.

Krista discusses how she sees the industry evolving and shares some of the challenges investors face.

You can visit Stage at www.stagefund.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/stagefund/.

Krista can be contacted via email at krista@stagefund.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/kristamorgan.

Direct download: Krista_Morgan_of_Stage.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 11:26am CST

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

Having a strong company culture helps the startup succeed.

Customers and partners are attracted to companies with strong cultures. It guides the employees on what is important.

The CEO fosters the company culture.

In general, CEOs build cultures they like to work in.

It’s important to hire well throughout the life of the company.

The first round of hires brings the team that will have a strong influence on the culture.

Here are the steps for establishing the culture at your startup:

The CEO brainstorms with the team to generate a list of potential values.

The goal is to identify values already in the company and not values that don’t exist.

Build the chosen values into everything -- website, internal communications, meetings, new hire onboarding, and more.

Setup rituals to showcase those values.

Capture stories that demonstrate those values.

Use the values to build products, run meetings, and make daily decisions.

Include it in your recruiting and hiring process. 

Continue to reinforce and reiterate the values through stories and experiences.

Culture is one of the harder assets to build into your business and one of the most important.


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 

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: Building_the_Company_Culture_Part_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CST

In this episode, Hall welcomes Abby Levy, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Primetime Partners.

With its headquarters in New York, NY, Primetime Partners are an early-stage venture capital fund that invests in, and builds from the ground up, companies that can transform the quality of living for older adults.

They support the founders and organizations that create meaningful new products, services, and experiences in the under-served, trillion-dollar global sector of Aging. They accelerate business growth through their direct-to-consumer marketing expertise, their strategic distribution partners, synergies across portfolio companies, and an engaged network of advisors. Also core to their mission, they unlock the talent and expertise of experienced older adults as founders and business builders.

Abby has spent her career helping businesses and consumer brands grow as an operator, entrepreneur and advisor, most notably in the wellness sector. Prior to Primetime Partners, Abby was an executive at SoulCycle, where she oversaw business development and revenue growth outside the consumer studio business, with an emphasis on building new digital products as the Senior Vice President of Strategy & Growth. Abby has also been a Founder herself, teaming with Arianna Huffington to launch Thrive Global, a behavior change technology company focused on employee productivity and wellness. Abby served as President of Thrive Global and remains on the Thrive Board. Abby began her career at McKinsey & Company then led product development at OXO International. She is a graduate of Princeton University and Harvard Business School. 

Bio found here: https://www.primetimepartners.com/abby-levy 

Abby shares what excites her right now in the aging sector, advises startups and investors, and discusses the state of investing in the sector.

You can visit Primetime Partners at www.primetimepartners.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/primetime-partners/

Abby can be contacted via email at abby@primetimepartners.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/abbymillerlevy/

Direct download: Abby_Levy_of_Primetime_Partners.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 11:22am CST

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

An entrepreneur raising funding must demonstrate confidence.  

Investors will look for someone who has confidence in their plan, their team, and themselves.

Oftentimes entrepreneurs fake confidence and come off looking cocky, which is unfounded confidence.

True confidence inspires others and persuades them to support the company.

Investors look for this in the founder as he must attract others to join the team as well as customers and partners. 

Customers must always be wooed and are attracted to confident companies.

Founders who inspire others have a greater chance of success at the early-stage startup since they didn’t have enough money to pay for everything. 


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

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Direct download: The_Value_of_Confidence.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CST

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