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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

00:19:49

[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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00:07:05

MARL Accelerator's GP: Integrity, Due Diligence, and...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/06/22

[00:00:00] Early-stage investing and integrity prioritization[00:03:07] Founder-Focused Accelerator Program Expansion[00:06:17] Integrity in Founders and Venture Capital[00:09:25] Investing in Founders with Integrity[00:12:27] The Value of Due Diligence in Early-Stage Investing[00:15:28] Building a Supportive Podcast Community

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00:18:04

1# Correlation to Startup Success: $340M AUM, Clear...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/06/13

Finding Investment Success with Clear Ventures' Rajeev MadhavanClear Ventures' founder and general partner, Rajeev Madhavan, knows what it takes to succeed in early stage investment. During a recent episode of TheTop.VC podcast with host Adam O'Donnell, Madhavan shared his insights on what he looks for when considering an investment opportunity.Madhavan emphasized the importance of having a strong background in technology. However, pedigree and expertise are only part of the equation. The next key

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00:18:18

[$9.9M Raised] Do you have a moat? Answering VC's,...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/05/23

Join Adam O'Donnell on TheTop.VC podcast as he talks to Dave Fink, founder of Postie, about his experience in raising a reasonable seed round, building disruptive technology, and finding a revenue model to offset costs. Dave shares his insights on how to approach VCs during the fundraising process and emphasizes the importance of having thick skin and a belief in the product. He also discusses the need to focus on the value a business provides and not get bogged down by the noise and risks that come

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00:23:01

[$29M raised] Getting Sequoia to Invest In Your Seed;...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/05/09

Doppler's CEO, Brian Vallelunga shares how they got Sequoia to invest in their seed round! He shares his experience with Sequoia and emphasizes the importance of understanding that fundraising is a game that requires a strong story, with no pitch deck required. He also discusses Doppler's mission to help developers manage API keys and how every company is becoming a software company, making secrets management essential. With engaging narratives and real-life anecdotes, this episode is a

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00:13:24

Inside the Mind of a Solo Capitalist; Itamar Novick,...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/05/02

Introducing TheTop.VC podcast, where host Adam O'Donnell has an exciting chat with Itamar Novick, founder of Recursive Ventures. They discuss how Itamar invests in early-stage startups that revolutionize industries like financial services, insurance, and real estate by leveraging data and machine learning. He also talks extensively about his investment experiences with promising companies like Tomato AI, Clarity AI, and Claire AI. The discussion covers Itamar's successful approach in evaluating

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00:23:04

Investor in Gusto & Robinhood; Chamaeleon's Managing...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/03/30

Article 1: The Importance of Dialogue and Communication in Presentations In this episode of TheTop.VC podcast, Adam O'Donnell interviews Nuno G. Pedro, the managing partner at Chameleon, an early-stage VC firm in San Francisco. Nuno speaks about the art of communication and presentation, and how important it is to incite dialogue with an audience. Many founders often focus too much on presenting slides to their audience, forgetting to create opportunities for engagement and feedback. This is a

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00:09:43

Founder Market Fit - what are investors actually...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/03/21

Founder Market Fit - Familiarity with the ecosystem - What is your experience? - Early stage investing is those two things (Vision + Team ) - Investors will do DD on your past. They will talk to people that worked for your in the past

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00:16:41

Sequoia & Kleiner invested pre-product; Shane Curran,...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/03/14

Young founder, no product, or real working experience...First 2-years were just trying to get capitalWhat broke through? - qualifying investors - going in person - working on the problem in a personal capacity for 5 years, as a teenager

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00:14:35

[$0-IPO] Braze's Founder, Mark Ghermezian; now...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/03/07

1. The founders have a thesis 2. The product is the way to get there3. Are they keeping their ear to the ground?4. Are they continuously iterating?5. Are they applying what they're learning?

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00:19:06

4 weeks of runway to $48M total raised; how did...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/02/28

Asking yourself, "if I knew what I know now, would I still pursue this business?" If the answer is no, you've saved yourself a lot of time! If it's yes, proceed with full force!

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00:16:15

[Seed Investor in Paypal & Co-Founder of Eventbrite]...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/02/14

[Seed Investor in Paypal & Co-Founder of Eventbrite] Kevin Hartz, GP at A* Capital; what does he look for in a founding team?Biggest learnings --> - Show investors that you have grit & intellect - how? It should be obvious from your background.

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00:17:31

Tesla of Motorcycles? - Oben's Founder, Madhumita...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/02/13

Tesla for Motorcycles? - Oben's Founder, Madhumita Agrawal; funding a hardware startup in a recession- Keep fundraising until the money is in the bank!- Referrals, referrals, referrals- Fundraising is for founders

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00:12:22

TechCrunch Disrupt Winner: Minerva Lithium's Founder,...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/02/07

What's it like to win Techcrunch Disrupt? Minerva Lithium's founder shares what they did, how she felt, and what their building!

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00:13:00

[$1.3B AUM] Crosslink Capital's Tobias Nilsson-Roos:...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/01/27

How to nail your first meeting with a VC-->1. Solve for getting a second meeting2. Nail your story/narrative3. Don't explain every part of your business!

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00:17:02

VamosVentures's Principal, Ashley Aydin: breaking...

The Founder Initiative ·

2023/01/24

Ashley Aydin is a Principal at VamosVentures. They invest in early-stage tech-enabled companies led by Latinx and diverse founders!

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197 results

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