Episode Summary
Jon Paul is the CEO of Value Added Finance Resources and brings an incredible amount of experience to this interview. Jon has turned companies hitting rock bottom around to multiple million dollar revenue streams. He prevents entrepreneurs, nonprofits, and startups from making key mistakes that could ruin their success as a business. Jon talks on several different ways you can value your company and how you can prevent a down round from happening on your second round of funding.
Key Takeaways
- 02:10 - Harder, faster, cheaper is not a change in direction.
- 03:15 - What's Jon's background?
- 06:55 - Jon talks on helping a telecom provider grow their stock from $2 to $65 in two years.
- 12:45 - How much equity should I gave a CTO or someone similar?
- 14:30 - How do you value a company accurately?
- 19:15 - What's a down round?
- 21:05 - How can you prevent a down round from happening?
- 23:45 - Tips to keep in mind when pitching?
- 28:45 - Founders need opposite partners. Example: The risk taker who has someone to watch his back.
Tweetables
You need to start even if where you end up is not where you think you’re going.
Harder faster cheaper is not a change in direction.
Early investors should get rewarded the most.
Startups need yin and yang on the team.
Learn from the past, but look forward.
Links Mentioned
Disrupting Class by Clayton Christensen
The Innovator’s Dilemma by Clayton Christensen
Competitive Strategy by Michael E. Porter
Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking by Malcolm Gladwell
Freakonomics
People Smart in Business by Tony Alessandra and Michael J. O’Connor
Content Chemistry by Andy Crestodina
Value Added Finance Resources
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Episode Summary
Nasir Ali is an angel investor for Seed Capital Fund, the co-founder of a non-profit called Upstate Venture Connect, and he's the managing director for StartFast Venture Accelerator. Nasir shares his insights on what his companies look for in a pitch and the importance of coachability in an entrepreneur. Nasir believes data will point you to all the right answers and shares an example of a company who had to pivot four times based on new data they had collected.
Key Takeaways
- 01:55 - Nasir shares his story on why he loves startups.
- 05:00 - What's the Seed Capital Fund's process?
- 06:20 - What does Nasir look for in a pitch?
- 08:20 - Nasir explains common pitch mistakes new entrepreneurs make.
- 10:55 - Nasir talks about Chequed and what they did right in their pitch.
- 15:50 - How does Nasir help startups?
- 20:00 - Coachability is sometimes a double-edged sword, but it's a critical key in an entrepreneur.
- 21:25 - It's always about the data. The data will lead you towards or away from an action.
- 21:55 - Nasir shares a story about SpinCar and how they pivoted four times.
- 27:20 - What does StartFast's demo day entail?
- 30:00 - Nasir talks Upstate Venture Connect.
- 33:30 - Recommended reading? Startup Communities by Brad Feld and The Rainforest by Victor Hwang and Greg Horowitt.
Tweetables
Be coachable not impressionable.
Great investors solve unknown needs of founders.
Explain the problem you solve in a way that is easy to understand.
Links Mentioned
Chequed
SpinCar
Startup Communities by Brad Feld
The Rainforest by Victor Hwang and Greg Horowitt
Upstate Venture Connect
Upstate Venture Connect Twitter
StartFast
StartFast Twitter
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Episode Summary
Mike Brown Jr. was an Associate for Virgin and worked closely with Richard Branson where he used Richard Branson's money to invested in early stage software companies. He also worked as the General Partner for AOL Ventures before becoming the Founder of Bowery Capital. Mike shares his thoughts on what he calls, 'internet natives' and how they're now at an age where they're reaching C-level positions in large corporate companies. He also shares his thoughts on who he decides to take to the next level in his pitch deck.
Key Takeaways
- 01:45 - How did Mike become a VC?
- 08:10 - What's Bowery Capital's process like?
- 12:00 - What's a good pitch deck?
- 13:05 - Write down 10 key sentences that you want to convey to an investor.
- 14:05 - Keep your pitch simple. Those 10 headline/sentences are key.
- 15:25 - Why are you qualified to solve this problem? Why are you qualified to run a company?
- 22:30 - Bowery focuses heavily on who they invest in and how they can help the companies.
- 24:05 - Sales deck versus a pitch deck?
- 26:10 - The best founders are the most passionate and not necessarily the best sales people.
- 27:20 - Internet natives are making purchasing decisions and are being hired into C-level positions.
- 33:20 - Mike has an amazing podcast called Bowery Capital – Startup Sales Podcast.
- 34:45 - Mike recommends two books. The Sales Acceleration Formula by Mark Roberge and Traction by Gabriel Weinberg.
Tweetables
Write down the 10 key sentences that you want to articulate to an investor.
Best #founders are the ones with the most passion about why their idea is the best one now.
Internet natives changing the way #business is done.
Successful founders can answer why you are uniquely qualified.
Links Mentioned
Bowery Capital Blog
The Sales Acceleration Formula by Mark Roberge.
Traction by Gabriel Weinberg.
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Episode Summary
Lex Deak is the Founder and Managing Partner for QVentures, the Founder and CEO for Tendr Deals (renamed to OFF3R), and he is also the Ambassador for The Supper Club. QVentures has funded 14 companies and Lex talks on one key company that stands out from the rest. Lex also talks on the importance of listening more than you speak at a entrepreneur networking event and why it's important to read books you disagree with. It all comes down to diversifying yourself and keeping yourself knowledgeable on upcoming trends.
Key Takeaways
- 01:35 - What's Lex's philosophy on 'the entrepreneurial spirit'?
- 05:00 - What is The Supper Club?
- 07:30 - As a young entrepreneur, you should listen 5x as much as you talk.
- 08:15 - How did QVentures get started?
- 11:45 - Lex talks about Stratajet.
- 14:35 - An angel investor has to be impressed with the product as well as the founder/team.
- 17:20 - Lex talks about Tendr Deals
- 23:50 - What problems is Tendr Deals solving? John does a recap.
- 27:30 - What are some of Lex's favorite books?
- 29:10 - Lex disagrees with a lot of what he reads, but diversity is the key.
- 29:55 - You can follow Lex on Twitter @LexDeak
Tweetables
The definition of an entrepreneur is an artist in business who creates something.
Listen 5x more than you talk when you are in a room with people smarter than you.
TENDR gets rid of investors' inbox fatigue.
When you're reading something, the whole perspective is diversity.
Links Mentioned
The Super Club
STRATAJET
OFF3R The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder The Chimp Paradox by Steve Peters
Big Data For Dummies by Judith Hurwitz, Alan Nugent, Fern Halper, and Marcia Kaufman
Zero to One by Peter Thiel
Lex Deak Twitter
QVentures Twitter
Tendr Deals Twitter
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