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PODCAST

The Founder Initiative

Helping founders hit PMF, get funded & drive durable growth through podcasting & buyer events (Formerly TheTop.VC)

technology investing

All Episodes

00:43:15

[$70M raised] LucidLink's Founder; near shutdown to...

The Founder Initiative ·

2025/06/04

Peter shares how they confirmed PMF, got funded (after nearly shutting down) and eventually nailed their beachhead. (00:07:52) Decision to start (00:13:05) VC Rejection (00:16:50) Surviving Financial Struggles in Startup Journey (00:30:14) All in moment - focus shift (00:34:16) Break through (00:41:40) Resilience

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00:47:37

[VC Pitch] Hustle Fund's GP, Eric Bahn & Feather...

The Founder Initiative ·

2025/05/28

🎙️ Top 5 Unique Learnings from This Podcast1️⃣ The “What If It All Goes Right” Test Founders must paint a bold vision for their startup. The VC’s key question: 👉 What happens if everything goes right? Don’t just pitch a product. Sell the future where your solution changes the world. 2️⃣ Pre-Selling = Proof, Not Just Hype Pre-selling (getting LOIs, early orders, deposits) is a game-changer, especially for hardware. It shows there’s real demand—and real cash—before you even build. Pre-selling can

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00:23:27

The Funding Framework, ex 500 Global, Vijay Rajendran...

The Founder Initiative ·

2025/05/22

🔑 Unique LearningsFundraising reflects operational discipline—how you fundraise is a preview of how you’ll run your company. Vulnerability is only powerful when it’s paired with credibility. Cold outreach is almost useless without signal. Warm intros from LPs or founders are disproportionately effective. Running a tight, time-boxed process is a hidden superpower. Investment memos are underutilized but highly effective—especially when articulating risks and vision in written form. TIME

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00:17:52

[VC Pitch] Eventbrite's Founder (now VC at A*)...

The Founder Initiative ·

2025/05/14

Want to raise from VCs? Watch this before reaching out. It will give you an edge to close your round. REAL VC PITCH --> - Kevin Hartz, Founder of Eventbrite, now VC A*, and Peter Fitzpatrick, founder of Fawn LEARNINGS 1. How to pitch a VC 2. What are they thinking about you but not saying A* - https://www.a-star.co/ Fawn - https://www.fawnfriends.com/

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00:11:42

[VC Pitch] Foundation Capital's ($6B AUM), Partner...

The Founder Initiative ·

2025/04/23

Listen to a real VC pitch in Silicon Valley and then go behind the scenes to hear what the VC actually thought...Sid Trivedi is a Partner at Foundation Capital https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddhanttrivedi/, a $6B VC fund in Silicon Valley! Josiah Spartz is the Founder of Cofactory.ai https://www.linkedin.com/in/itsjcs/, an agentic customer acquisition platform! FORMAT 1. PERFECT PITCH - Sid - shares what the perfect pitch would look like for a company in this sector 2. PITCH DISCUSSION - Joey

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00:33:00

450 early stage investments; Founder & GP; Michael...

The Founder Initiative ·

2024/04/02

LEARN --> how they got started & how to impress them in a pitch1. How does Forum Ventures define its focus? #accelerator #startup 2. Which investment strategies resonate with you at Forum Ventures? #accelerator #growthstrategy 3. In your experience, why is Founder-Market Fit crucial for startup success? #startup #venturecapital 4. What founder considerations have personally impacted you according to Michael Cardamone? #B2B #SaaS

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00:20:05

[$300M AUM] Navy SEAL & Olympian to Harpoon Ventures,...

The Founder Initiative ·

2024/02/27

GEN AI summary! #LetsGoLarsen Jensen, a former Olympic swimmer turned investment guru, has an impressive background that spans from the swimming pool to the Navy SEAL teams, and finally to the world of venture capital. His perspective on investment focus on dual-use technologies, which are applicable in both commercial and government sectors, is shaped by his unique experiences and his belief in their transformative potential. Jensen, who now heads Harpoon Ventures, sees these technologies as having

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00:23:38

[$70M raised] Productiv's funding &...

The Founder Initiative ·

2024/02/06

(00:07:07) Challenges in understanding and managing SaaS applications(00:15:24) Building Meaningful Connections for Startup Success(00:18:13) Data-driven MVP development process(00:23:27) The Power of Community Support in Startups

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00:18:26

Immigrant founder to $10M+ raised; Oana Manolache,...

The Founder Initiative ·

2024/01/23

1. Quitting job, paying the bills and creating MVP 2. Landing first customers 3. Closing a Seed round in 2-months

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00:12:14

[$13M Raised] YC Space Tech startup, how they got...

The Founder Initiative ·

2024/01/09

(00:03:44) "The hardest thing for any founder to do is actually do it...it's really easy to convince yourself that it's stupid and that it's wrong and that your idea makes no sense and that you can do it somewhere else. And almost none of the metrics, if you were to draw a column of pros and cons, you're probably never going to have more pros and cons to start a business. And that, I think, is the biggest challenge, is you have to go against everything you're taught, everything you know, and take

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00:18:28

What VCs expect during a pitch: Emil Capital's...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/12/12

LEARN 1. Do I need to send my deck to a VC before a meeting? 2. What questions can I answer, "I don't know" to during a pitch 3. How can I get connected with the right investors? Check out Emil Capital here --> https://emilcapital.com/about-us/ Check out Marcel Bens here --> https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcel-a-bens-91825b/

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00:27:34

[$23M Raised] Getting into YC (no website) & how they...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/12/05

Please check out CommandBar --> https://www.commandbar.com/ and James Evans --> https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-evans-7086b3126/

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00:09:46

8 Unicorns (Deel & Miro); Altair Capital's, Igor...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/11/14

GPT-Powered SummaryIgor Ryabenkiy, a successful investor who has backed eight unicorns, recently shared his approach to venture capital investment in startups on the Top VC podcast. In this episode, Igor emphasizes the importance of founders having a clear understanding of their goals, plans, and target market. He also highlights key factors such as scalability, market size, industry landscape, business model, and customer approach that impact his investment decisions.One of the key traits Igor

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00:20:09

[Exit to Salesforce] Troops's Founder, Dan Reich: How...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/10/26

Closing a $1M+ round without customers or a product The key was in their analysis of the opportunity.

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00:26:43

Exits to SAP & Medallia: Shreesha Ramdas, Founder of...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/09/26

(00:01:31) Crafting a Compelling Story for Lumber(00:07:08) Drive and Determination in Founders(00:10:19) Founder's Assessment: Market Size, Competition, and Capabilities(00:14:46) The Significance of Grit in Fundraising(00:23:03) Understanding Customer Insights for Successful Fundraising ============Entrepreneurial Grit, Customer Focus, and Fundraising in Construction Tech Startups In a recent episode of the Top VC podcast titled "Pitching Lumber In," entrepreneur Shreesha Ramdas shares his

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00:19:49

[1,500 startups reviewed] Zamir Shukho, GP at...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/09/12

Zamir Shukho is a seasoned founder and venture capitalist with a wealth of experience in the startup ecosystem, having established 42 accelerators and worked with over 1500 companies... HIGHLIGHTS (00:00:28) Investing in Strong Teams and Tangible Progress (00:02:54) Uncovering Customer Problems and Emotions Effectively (00:05:40) Seed stage Venture Fund specializing in B2B SaaS startups (00:08:18) Navigating Conflict and Geopolitical Challenges as a Founder/VC

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00:24:44

Former a16z Partner, Rex Salisbury, now GP at...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/08/29

Check out Rex and Cambrian! Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@CambrianHQ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rexsalisbury/ (00:00:22) Speed of Execution (00:01:22) Fintech Investing (00:03:40) Building a Community (00:05:20) Time Commitment in Venture Capital (00:14:00) Benefits of running a solo GP firm (00:19:30) Size of Opportunity in Fintech 00:00:22 - Speed of Execution Speed of execution is a crucial factor in building a successful startup, as highlighted by Rex Salisbury, the founder and

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00:16:50

Navigating Fundraising Challenges: Insights from...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/08/15

Mike Peregudov shared his experience of overcoming fundraising challenges and offered valuable insights on the importance of a structured process, tailored pitches, and incorporating the company's vision and mission. We'll delve into Mike's journey, practical advice, and data-driven insights to help founders navigate the fundraising landscape.(00:06:35) But this current seed round extension we raised mostly from early stage funds and angel investors and they are not that mission and vision is not

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00:24:16

[$75M* Raised] Solve for: VC engagement; Matt Martin,...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/08/01

In this podcast episode, Matt Martin, founder of Clockwise, shares his journey of securing over $75 million in funding and the tactics he used to break through the attention barrier of investors. Adam O'Donnell joins the conversation to discuss the importance of focusing on the inputs they can control and to introduce through email, reach out to VCs on LinkedIn and Mastodon. Whether you're just starting the process or need to refresh your strategy, this podcast provides helpful information and

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00:14:17

[$5M Raised] Power Through Funding Doubt: Black...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/07/25

#entrepreneurship #funding #blackfounders #VC #doubt #belief #raisefunds #podcast #TheEntrepreneursJournal #motivation

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