Stephane Maes

Most startup founders want to build great products and a category leading company, but over 75% fail. They fail because (without realizing it) they've been brainwashed (harsh but true) to compete. For just 24% of the market. Because on average (in tech) the category king earns 76% of the total value created. So if you're not the category queen. You're f*cked. (Harsh but true) Success comes down to one simple, powerful, (very) controversial strategy choice. A decision that most founders, CEOs and creators never (even ) stop to consider. 1) CREATE your own category (be different) 2) COMPETE in a market category designed by someone else (be better) This different Vs. better decision makes the difference, that makes ALL the difference. Yet most founders (unknowingly) pick number one. You see, it turns out (almost) all business education is about competing .(better) There are over 20,000 business strategy books on Amazon. Over 100,000 marketing books. Mostly about competing. Our education system. About competing. Our sports. More competing. Almost nothing in our world is about creating. Our whole lives, we've been trained to fight over scarcity. Not to create abundance. Yet, every legendary entrepreneur, creator, or artist created abundance by introducing the world to something new. Something different. Yet, very few courses, books, podcasts, newsletters are about how to design a different future. (Isn't that weird 🤔) So before you make you're next move. Ask yourself. "Am I competing, or creating." Ps. This a sign 👇🏻 is from a pizza joint in Santa Cruz, California. There are many un-different pizza joints in Santa Cruz, fighting for the same customers. But their is only one place you can get "Inauthentic Detroit Pizza"... Bookies! Proving, in any market, there is always to create, not compete. 😎🏴‍☠️ (If you want to go deep on this different strategy, check out the link in comments 👇🏻)

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How to structure your venture studio SaaS portfolio company right from the start Venture studios are keen on creating SaaS portfolio companies. If structured right, SaaS companies can become profitable cash machines for venture studios. Combining fifteen years of experience with SaaS business models and researching venture builders for a PhD project, these are my five major learnings: 🔗As most SaaS products may be copied. Excellent distribution and long-term customer relationships are crucial. Long-term and strong relationships impact many important KPI's including ARR growth, Churn, NPS and eNPS. ➡️For venture studios, that means building on the existing network to creating legitimacy for the portfolio start-up. ---- 🚥A streamlined organization where everyone knows what to do makes recruiting during scaling much easier. Hiring too fast, before the need of more team members occurs, may hinder efficiency. Create job descriptions, routines and procedures for the organization open enough not risking losing founder mode. ➡️For venture studios, that means knowing what competence to look for in different states. Use accumulated knowledge timing and managing recruitment as best as possible. ---- 📈 Keep track on the blended CAC ratio. Inefficiency and high cost in acquiring new ARR will eat up your EBITDA margins. Most B2C SaaS gets scalable through higher numbers of customers. In B2B SaaS, expansion, cross-selling, and price increases are fundamental for fast growth. ➡️For venture studios, that means share customer databases, cross-sell as much as possible, and develop a value-based pricing structure as soon as possible. ---- 🔁 Having routines and procedures in place capitalizing from a management quality system (we used ISO) helps bringing your start-up from a healthy creative chaos to an efficient scale-up. ➡️For venture studios, that means creating a management quality system and put it in place in each portfolio company will help increase speed of development and growth. ---- 💻 An understanding that an intuitive and ‘friendly’ user interface with few bugs in the product, allow support and customer success to be part of the sales organization focusing on the core product, rather than being a business unit trying to help customers handle an in-efficient product to avoid churn. ➡️For venture studios, that means accumulate knowledge in software development in relation to user friendliness and learn from previous start-up attempts to avoid churn. From your experience, what other learnings should be added here? #venturestudio #venturebuilder #entrepreneurship #scaling #saas ________________________________ Did you like this post? Connect or Follow @john-erik hassel

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"𝘉𝘶𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘮𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘦𝘭𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘰𝘱𝘴 𝘴𝘩*𝘵, 𝘱𝘭𝘻 𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘤𝘬 𝘪𝘧 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝟤𝟦𝘩𝘳𝘴.” -Me, last week for my internal away message to the team. This is simply the “𝙉𝙊𝙏 𝙃𝙊𝙏” unsexy side of entrepreneurship. If you are already in it… You already get it. 𝗪𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲: The building, scaling, shipping, and iterations of a new company or product. 𝗪𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲: The backend maintenance of keeping it all together. For instance: When you’re watching an F1 race, all you see is the high-speed action. What you don’t see is all of the prep-work and management of keeping the team, cars, engineers, and drivers together. Well, the backend maintenance is the price of admission for the entrepreneurship game. If you want to win a race and get those “𝙏𝙃𝘼𝙏’𝙎 𝙃𝙊𝙏” moments we all strive for… Make sure the ops are fine tuned. EZ ways to make that happen? - Hire a solid fractional CFO and pair them with a modern financial reporting software. - Use a project management tool that you will actually use. - Pair your team with VA “Chiefs of Staff” to handle administrative tasks. - Run Payroll through an HR management system. - Bank with a modern banking platform. I’m working on an operational checklist from the real work we have done at PatientParnter to up-level our ops department. Shoot me a DM if you’re interested and I will send it your way!

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💼 𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐞𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲? Ready to capture investor interest? ✨ Then give them what they crave: - An Engaging Story: Your unique vision. - Market Potential: Growth opportunities. - A Stellar Team: Talent and passion. - Solid Financials: Clear projections and a robust model. Investors are searching for their perfect match—could it be YOU? 🔑 ❓Not where you need to be for funding? #InvestorMagic #StartupJourney #FundingSuccess #PitchPerfect #GetFunded

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𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝘀 (𝗩𝗖𝘀) 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗻𝘆? While brainstorming for a light-hearted April Fool's article, my editor and I debated on Slack whether VCs are inherently funny. The concept of venture capital itself often seems humorous, as demonstrated by HBO's Silicon Valley, where VCs deliver some of the show's funniest lines. But when it comes to VCs being funny in and of themselves, it's subjective. While I find some VC-created content humorous, other attempts, such as certain VC podcasts or holiday music videos, can come across as forced or even smug. However, not all VC humor misses the mark for me. The mockumentary series Bubbleproof is a notable exception, providing genuine laughs, particularly with its insider jokes and surprisingly competent performances from its VC cast. When I asked if VCs think of themselves as funny, Bessemer's David Cowan replied that they do, but often in a self-deprecating way. This perspective is consistent with the inherent risks of venture capital and mirrors the risks that comedians take with humor. So can VCs be funny? It seems so, especially given the unpredictable nature of the startup world. The funniest moment for me came from a conversation with an investor about the most absurd startup pitches, proving that humor often finds its way into the venture scene. #VC #SiliconValley #Investing #Fintech

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Congratulations and many thanks for this work First Momentum Ventures, Dr. Maximilian Ochs, David Meiborg, Lena Späth, Reinhardt Karpenko ! Tach2yone GmbH as a Growth Equity investor in the Green Energy Transition and related areas is looking to invest in more mature Deep Tech companies (Series B and later). One of our most important investment criterion is (positive) EBITDA: we believe, that in industries with high CapEx, EBITDA is useful because it eliminates the distortions caused by significant depreciation and amortization expenses, providing a clearer view of operational profitability. Thus, EBITDA is an essential tool for us to assess a company’s core profitability and financial health. First Momentum Ventures and community: what are your thoughts on this approach and would you consider to take also EBITDA into your napkin for later stage companies?

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𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘀𝗲𝗿𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀? 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝟱 𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝘅 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗱𝗼𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 Many business owners struggle with pricing strategy. It doesn't matter if you're in your first 100K revenues or above 7 figures. Founders often have a hard time pricing their services without a reference, not knowing what is right or wrong. Unfortunately, when I assess their numbers, most of them are undercharging and leaving a lot of money and value on the table. Here are 5 ways to know if you’re undercharging and how to fix it: ① 𝗙𝗲𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗲𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗮𝘆? If you’re exhausted, you’re likely giving too much and not receiving enough. → Balance your workload and compensation. ② 𝗥𝗲𝘀𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗕𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗼𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀? Resentment signals you’re not getting what you deserve. If you feel proud and satisfied, you’re in a good spot. → If not, it’s time to adjust your prices until you're satisfied. ③ 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗔𝗱𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗥𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆? Fear of losing clients can hold you back. → Regular price adjustments are crucial. Inflation alone can erode your profits if you don’t keep up. ④ 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗧𝗼𝗼 𝗘𝗮𝘀𝗶𝗹𝘆? If everyone can afford you, your prices are too low. Not everyone should be able to buy your services. → Evaluate your pricing and target the right clients. ⑤ 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗕𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗲𝗮𝗿? Don’t let fear dictate your prices. → Focus on the value you deliver, not the time spent. Clients pay for results, not hours. Need help with pricing strategy? I’ve helped hundreds of clients worldwide. Click the link in my bio and book a decision call. I can help you double your profits and ensure you’re charging what you’re worth!

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🚀 Entrepreneurial Insight: Build a Painkiller, Not a Vitamin 🚀 One of the key lessons I shared in my recent keynote speech at the University of the Witwatersrand was all about focusing on solving real problems. Here’s why it’s crucial: 🔍 Painkillers vs. Vitamins: In the world of startups, your product or service should address a pressing need—a "pain" for your customers. A painkiller provides immediate relief, while a vitamin is a nice-to-have but not essential. 💡 Why It Matters: When you solve a significant problem, you create real value and a strong demand for your solution. This approach not only drives growth but also ensures you’re meeting a genuine need in the market. 🔥 Actionable Tip: Always ask yourself, “What problem am I solving?” Make sure your solution is indispensable, not just an enhancement. Stay tuned for more insights from my keynote! For a deeper dive into this and other key lessons, check out the full video https://lnkd.in/d34JfAFY ! #Entrepreneurship #Startups #Innovation #BusinessAdvice #PainkillerNotVitamin

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🎢 The Entrepreneurial Rollercoaster: Highs, Lows, and Everything in Between As a tech startup founder, I've learned that this journey is anything but smooth. The highs? They're exhilarating. The lows? They can feel crushing. But it's the resilience in between that defines us. Recently, we hit a major roadblock. Just two weeks into our go-to-market strategy, our website crashed. 😱 Talk about a reality check! We had to make a tough call: pause, reassess, and rebuild. For the past three months, I've been in what I call "stealth ninja mode" 🥷 (or "monk mode" if you prefer). It meant stepping back, diving deep into problem-solving, and iterating relentlessly. But guess what? I’m back, and we're stronger than ever. 💪 This experience taught me that sometimes, taking a step back is the best way to leap forward. We've emerged with a more robust platform, a clearer vision, and an unshakeable determination. To all my fellow entrepreneurs out there: embrace the challenges. They're not setbacks; they're setups for your comeback. We're now swinging for the fences, and I can't wait to share our journey with you all. Stay tuned! 🚀 Visit uzazihub.com today! #Entrepreneurship #TechStartup #Resilience #Comeback

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Absolutely love this, Namrata! This is exactly what The Octopus Movement is all about—turning nonlinear brilliance into tangible change. The way we are harnessing AI to capture, organize, and validate ideas is a game-changer. It's like we've found a way to connect the wild creativity of our non-linear brains with the precision and depth of AI's pattern recognition. This isn't just ideation—it's about creating a constant flow from thought to think tank, to white papers, to startup potential, and beyond. We are unlocking new possibilities, making sure no brilliant idea slips through the cracks. I'm excited to see how this synergy between human creativity and AI's capabilities will lead to world-changing outcomes. Let’s bring those ideas to life and redefine how we create in this age of chaos!

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I haven't (really) posted on LinkedIn for 5 months. So I thought Let's introduce myself. 👇 I’m Sven, 44, from Amsterdam, living in Asia. • I'm an investor & dealmaker • co-pilot to 6 & 7 figure founders • seeking to Fast track Growth Funding & Acquisitions. • track record of 300+ clients | US$240m transactions 𝟭𝟮 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗯𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗺𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝗠𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗦𝘂𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁: → Shut up & Listen. It solves 50% of your problems 𝗠𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗗𝟮𝗗 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗮𝗹𝗲𝘀𝗺𝗮𝗻: → Sales highlight problems. You're the cure to better futures 𝗠𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗿: → Great Experiences create loyalty. Incorporate them. 𝗠𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝟳-𝗙𝗶𝗴𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗖𝗘𝗢: → Just build what the market wants. Nothing else. 𝗠𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗘-𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲: → Engineer your AOV to beat CAC. Win by maxing CLV 𝗠𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗲𝗳 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗢𝗳𝗳𝗶𝗰𝗲𝗿: → Maintain investor relationships to fund any opportunity at hand 𝗠𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸𝗲𝗿: → Deals need "airtime". Close investors with worst-case scenarios 𝗠𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗠&𝗔 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁: → Work your deal around what the seller wants, you get there. 𝗠𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘁𝘆 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿: → Build Big vs Small. Same process. Easier to Fund. 𝗠𝗲 𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝘀𝗼𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝗛𝘂𝘀𝗯𝗮𝗻𝗱): → Your partner is key to achieving anything—invest in a balance 𝗠𝗲 𝗮𝘀  𝗗𝗼𝗴 𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗲𝗿: → Teach morning routines and what unconditional love means. Get one 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱: → Create circles that help you thrive. Kick out those to make you survive. And that's 50^of it! ------------------------- 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 👉 I help founders raise capital smarter & faster To fund Growth & Acquisitions as fast as 60-90 days 𝙎𝙤 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 (𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙙) 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙚 → 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙖 𝘿𝙈 :) ------------------------- Look forward to connect with everyone! Questions about insights? Comment below 𝗣𝗦 - 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗻𝗼: 𝗢𝗡𝗘 𝗰𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗯𝘆?

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Pre-Revenue Valuation – Striking the Right Balance 💡 Valuing your early-stage, pre-revenue startup is no easy task. 💡 You want to aim high, but not too high! Pitch too high and investors will walk away. Go too low, and you’ll end up selling more equity than necessary. Finding that balance is tricky, especially when you're working from projected figures rather than solid revenue. If you’re in this position, check out our guide on how to approach pre-revenue valuation with confidence and use facts, not fiction, to back it up. 🔍📊 Remember: Investors want ambition, but grounded in reality. #StartupValuation #PreRevenue #Entrepreneurship #Fundraising #EarlyStageStartups

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💡 Want to know how to build instant credibility with investors in just TWO minutes? Investors receive dozens of pitch decks daily, giving each deck only a brief scan—often no more than 2 minutes. In this fast-paced environment, it’s not enough to have a good idea; your pitch deck needs to inspire instant trust. So, how can you do it? Here are 8 ways to create a pitch deck that makes investors say, "Wow, this founder is prepared!" ✅ Understand the Power of Credibility Investors back founders they believe in. A credible pitch deck doesn’t just share your vision; it makes investors confident in your ability to execute it. Think of your pitch deck as your first handshake—it needs to be strong, clear, and full of purpose. ✅ Include Only the Essentials Time is limited, so every slide needs to work hard. Focus on these key slides: Problem, Solution, Market Size, Traction, Financials, and Team. Each one should convey that you’re prepared, that there’s a market need, and that you’ve got a solid plan to address it. ✅ Craft a Standout 'Why Us' Slide This slide should answer one question: “Why are YOU the team to solve this problem?” Highlight your strengths, whether it’s unique tech, deep market insight, or critical partnerships. Make it clear that your approach stands out. ✅ Back Claims with Real Data Investors are data-driven. Use reliable market data, traction metrics, and clear financial projections to back up your claims. When investors see concrete numbers, they see a well-researched, realistic vision—not just hope. ✅ Tell a Compelling and Honest Story Storytelling makes your deck memorable. Walk investors through the journey: problem, solution, why it matters, and where you’re going. Be transparent—don’t sugarcoat challenges. Investors trust founders who are honest about obstacles and prepared to face them. ✅ Use Clean, Consistent Design Your visuals should be as polished as your pitch. A clean, consistent design with high-quality images and clear charts sends a message: you’re professional, you value quality, and you’ve come prepared. ✅ Answer Questions Before They’re Asked Anticipate investor concerns and address them directly. Briefly cover risks, market fit, competitive landscape, and growth strategy. When you’re proactive, you make it easy for investors to say “yes.” ✅ End with a Strong Ask The closing slide should be specific: “We’re raising $X for Y goals.” Include a brief timeline and milestone targets. This clarity leaves a strong final impression and reinforces that you’re ready to use funding wisely. Ready to create a pitch deck wins investors? -- #startuplessons #founders #pitchdeck #investorpresentation #vc #fundraising -- 🔔 Follow me for more insights on pitch decks, startups, and fundraising strategies.

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“When you invest in venture actually matters.” Jaap Vriesendorp is a legend. There’s no doubt about it. Whether you believe me or not, Episode 6 of this season of Superclusters is a must-watch. By far, one of the most deliberate guests I’ve had on the podcast so far. Not only does he break down the three pillars of building a community of entrepreneurial LPs, but also shares 3 facts that led him to create Welt Ventures’, now Marktlink Capital’s portfolio construction model. My 3 biggest takeaways: 🚪🏃 Exit windows matter more than entry windows. “The truth of the matter, when we look at the data, is that entry points matter much less than the exit points. Because venture is about outliers and outliers are created through IPOs, the exit window matters a lot. And to create a big enough exit window to let every vintage that we create in the fund of funds world to be a good vintage." 🏆 The Champion's League Effect “85% of returns flow to 5% of the funds, and that those 5% of the funds are very sticky. So we call that the ‘Champions League Effect.’" Jaap and his team constantly spend time looking at the data behind venture and is probably one of the most data-informed teams out there. He breaks down in the episode as well why his portfolio construction is 80% established, and 20% emerging managers. 🤗 Great communities all have 3 things: fun, value, uniquely organized knowledge. You need all three to create a community where each node of the network creates compounding effects. And much much more, including how much individual LPs often allocate to venture. Full episode in the comments!

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Some useful points for Startups and Founders 😎

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After coaching +50 founders, here’s the biggest lie they tell themselves when their company is struggling to go upmarket: “I don’t know how to scale” B*llshit. Whenever I ask what it is that they want the most, they answer: “I want to scale”. But here’s the facts: - These are the 10% who became high achievers. - The 1% who scaled from $0 to $500K to $3M per year. - The 0.5% who survived economic downturns without going under. They sure know how to scale. It’s this one big misconception that has us all banging our heads against the wall… The real question is: “What happened in the meantime that got me stuck?” And this is a much harder question to face because 80% of the time, the bottleneck in the company is... the founder. Here’s what coaching these founders looks like: It’s like being 100 pounds overweight and going to a nutritionist. You already know the basics: - Eat better - Work out more - Change your habits You’ve read all the books, watched the videos—you know the theory. But you’re not doing it. Why? Because you’re: - Completely overstressed - Losing laser focus - Drowning in time management struggles - Burnt out—logically, predictably, and totally I’ve been there too. And asking yourself, “Why did I get stuck?” feels like breaking the block holding up the entire pyramid. But here’s the good news: You’re a damn good architect, and you don’t have to rebuild alone. This Friday, I’m hosting an open session to help founders uncover their biggest blockers and start scaling again. Comment “I’m in” below, and I’ll send you the details. It’s time to build again.

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🚀 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗠𝗮𝗴𝗶𝗰 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗖𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹: "𝗪𝗲'𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱." 🚀 Most founders launching a raise overlook this crucial point—𝟴𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗻'𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱; they prefer to co-invest. Spending all your time on meetings with potential lead investors, not just co-investors, is key. Imagine taking 30 calls, expecting leads, and realizing only 5 were actual potentials. It feels like a fundraising failure, but it's really a strategy misstep. 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗱𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗰𝗼-𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀? At our firm, we leverage millions of data points from the last 12 months to track who's leading which rounds. If you don't have that luxury, LinkedIn is a goldmine with hundreds of relevant posts weekly. Network with non-competitive founders in your niche for insights. 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗼𝘀𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝘂𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀? Craft your outreach list meticulously—ask directly, 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘧 𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘥𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨. "When X firm has conviction on a bet, do you typically lead or co-invest?" Be proactive, secure that lead, and watch your fundraising strategy soar. 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿, 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗶𝘁'𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹. Securing a lead investor follows the classic 80/20 rule. Once you have them (and they're strong in your niche), bringing in co-investors—even for the same amount of capital—is 20% of the work. When launching a raise - go get that lead, then everything else falls into place.

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“𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗜'𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲!” Recently, a startup founder opened up to me about their struggles. They had ambitious goals: growing revenues, expanding their team, scaling the business, and maybe even an eventual exit. After reviewing their business model, I asked, "𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁'𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗘𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 (𝗘𝗜) 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻?" Their answer? Vague. It was clear they hadn’t fully grasped the crucial role EI plays in shaping a successful business model. A perspective shift was in order. So I kept probing, gently, asking why they avoided giving a direct answer. In a moment of raw honesty, they finally said, "But then I'll be accountable!" What they didn’t realize was that, by admitting this, they were already stepping into accountability. 𝗜𝗴𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗘𝗜 𝗶𝗻 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗼𝗱𝗲𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗰𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀—missed opportunities, low morale, and, ultimately, business failure. Without an EI-driven model, adapting to market shifts, retaining top talent, or even harnessing AI for growth becomes a struggle. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁’𝘀 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗘𝗜 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻? An EI-focused value proposition isn’t just a line on a mission statement. 𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗮 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝘀𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘀𝗳𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘀𝗲𝗴𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀—investors, teams, customers, and suppliers alike. For instance, if you're delivering exceptional value to your investors, how are you ensuring the same level of care for your employees, customers, and suppliers? The businesses that fail often only focus on satisfying one group—like shareholders—while draining their other resources, like employees or suppliers. #technology #businessmodel #emotionalintelligence #AI #responsibleAI #AIethics #businessdevelopment #accountability #leadership with Dov Baron... The Science of Emotion

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