Jan Strandberg

Some great details from the inside on what to include in your investor updates 👇 Great content, thanks for sharing this Tim Suzman! p.s. thanks Tech Philomaths for guiding towards such insightful content 🙌

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I’m often asked why I left VC to start Mimo. Honestly, I sometimes ask myself the same question… In case you hadn’t heard, startups are hard 🥲 But my answer is always the same: The opportunity to simplify how SMEs manage payments and cash flow with two awesome friends was just too significant.. No founder starts a business to spend their days working in spreadsheets. They want to spend them working towards their vision. Talking to customers. Building products. Solving problems. Making memories. Having fun. But so much of their time goes towards manually processing payments, bookkeeping and managing cash flow. It still blows my mind how time-consuming these tasks are. Do I miss VC? Yes (especially those NYC helicopter rides during portfolio days 🙃). But has the first 18 months of Mimo been the most fulfilling of my career? Also yes (even on the hard days).

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#TISeed #ImpactBillionsRevenueTrillions #SanjayBhargavaMentoredFund Sanjay Bhargava is on the scaled up disruption path again. I have known him for more than 13 years of more than 20 years, since he and his better half Anita came back post the PayPal buyout in 2002 by eBay. For me the couple has the flavour of Don Quixote, wanting the Muskian Mars-shots on Earth ! They have involved themselves in IAC ( India Against Corruption), Anita has been involved in Clean Up Delhi campaigns, been shadow Municipal Councillor to see how Indian Bureaucracy stymies much progressive movement but then both worked on setting up International Innovation Corps (now headquartered in University of Chicago), to help top bureaucracy get talent from top US & Indian universities to envision & implement big transformations. They were involved in setting up Bharosa Club along with their son and his partner, to encourage direct selling and transparent data analysis of mutual funds. Now Sanjay is going solo. He wants young teams anywhere to attempt impact disruptions of planetary scale, and willing to put 100,000 USD of his own, help raise the other 400,000 USD and mentor through governments and his networks, these pilots. And he desires to see teams from anywhere in the world, working on all sides of the Economic & Social Pyramid, across geographies to build a Balanced Sustainable, Healthy and Prosperous planet, inspired by the Gita, he doesn't care if he succeeds but he is going to do his bit. And the prosperity index for him includes good health of both it's peoples and nature. He believes the world can live better lives with lesser consumption. These are the top professionals, who have seen the West & East and want the enterprise pathways out of the ideological & geopolitical impasses. And what are the ideas that will get this support? There are many trillion dollar impact ideas possible from any domain. These examples are just pointers. Poverty Eradication Not Just Alleviation: Reimagining responsible credit, welfare, and UBI Target: 1B+ users, $10+ ARPU Global Youth Platform: Serving the 18-45 demographic Focus: Community and global prosperity Target: 1B+ users, $10+ ARPU Sustainable Employment: Bridging global labor market inefficiencies Solving worker surplus/shortage mismatches Focus on scalable, ethical solutions Smart Villages: Innovative rural development Climate change mitigation Replicable, customizable solutions Investment Focus Focus on trillion-dollar impact potential Deep involvement until Series A AI-powered solutions for global scale Sanjay's Track Record : PayPal pioneer (Employee #7 at X.com) Former Country Head, Starlink India Led Citibank's growth from 1% to 36% market share in Thailand Scaled Citibank India to process 5% of national GDP with just 6 branches Endorsed by industry titans: Elon Musk Founder & CEO, Tesla, SpaceX Reid Hoffman Co-founder, LinkedIn David Sacks First COO, PayPal

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🔥 Attention: Visionaries & Builders in MENAP region 🔥 🚀 This call is for all Aspiring VCs and Angel Investors in the MENAP region! Are you ready to level up your Venture Game? Join us for this value packed, invite only, 2-part Masterclass - Venture Investing for Angels - where we’ll dive deep into the essential principles of venture investing. Gain insights that can save time, money, and risk as you navigate this exciting space! Masterclass Details: 📅 Dates: December 13th & 14th @ 4pm (KSA/Egypt), 5pm (UAE), 6pm (Pak) & 9pm (SG time) 📍 Platform: Zoom 🎙 Host: Angel School 🤝 Partner: YouPitchLive Register Now ➡ https://lnkd.in/gsR38CB7 Jed N. who is the founder of Angel School is a self-taught angel investor with 2x unicorns in his portfolio and millions invested, He’ll share his top strategies: 1️⃣ First Principles of Angel Investing 2️⃣ Venture Math Essentials – Fundraising, Dilution & Valuations 3️⃣ Startup Evaluation Frameworks – Making confident, data-driven decisions Don’t miss out on building your strong foundation in venture investing. See you there! Register Here ✅️ https://lnkd.in/gsR38CB7 #startups #angelinvestors #venturecapital #vc #angels

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A lot has been said about PMF—Product Market Fit, which is about having a product (or service) that the market repeatedly buys, recommends and from which you make money. However, there is a second type of PMF—Product Marketing Fit. Let's call it PMF2. PMF2 is when you devise a marketing or sales plan that at least brings your one-year LTV divided by CAC to 1. That means when your one-year sales value (including repeats from the same cohort), say it's Rs. 1000 from a cohort, your CAC for that cohort should also be Rs. 1000. Even better, if your CM1 from the sale is Rs. 400, then your CAC for that cohort is also Rs. 400 or lesser. However, most founders struggle with this; their CAC is too high to give the all-important CM1 (for the year)/CAC = 1 From what I have seen, there are three big causes: A. They are impatient and don't realise that buying is a journey. They put out offers and other ads, pushing people to buy. They set up "sales" campaigns on online platforms. While this produces some quick wins, it causes CAC to remain high: because CPA performance is low! The correct approach is to take customers on a journey known as AIDA: Awareness Interest Desire Action At the 1st stage, Awareness, you make customers aware of the problem they have: for example, your smartphone is too slow. Next, at Interest, you deepen that message: Expert opinions on what could be done with a faster smartphone. Then, at Desire, you get them to the point where they really want the product: testimonials from people who benefited from the faster smartphone. Lastly, at Action, close the deal by giving them an offer, or addressing objections they may have: Smartphone with 0% EMI (BTW, Apple got AT&T in the US to bundle the iPhone with their subscription plan and that is what made it a huge hit). B. Extensive research shows that people need to see your message 16 times before it registers! Till then your brand is invisible. Not keeping this in mind, many marketers try and close the message with just a few exposures. Even when using AIDA, less than 16 is too few. C. Many marketers stick to a single type of media. Such as Digital. Even worse, they may only use one channel, like Meta. Yes it's easy, load up some creatives and let the algorithm do the rest. Result: High CAC. What is needed is a multiple media approach: Digital, TV, Billboards, Event, Newspapers, etc. Hope this help. Good LuCAC ! Ps. The above with suitable tweaks works great for B2B as well

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Founders: Can I interest you in lunch on us? Yes, we’re back with another ecosystem initiative from Tin Men Capital Namely: TINFLUN (There is no free lunch until now) It’ll be held in a unique format: 🔸5-6 VC funds across investment stages will be in attendance. 🔸Fundraising founders get to seat with a GP/VC investing in their stage/sector. 🔸Only 6-8 founders per table. 🔸Conversations will be had, deals could be made. The best of all? Lunch is free for founders! All thanks to our amazing sponsors. For those fundraising from Seed to Growth (Series A/B) stage, It’s a nice opportunity to meet VCs in a casual setting. Especially in the current fundraising climate where interest is tougher to find. As with any of our events typically (and even more so for this), This event on the 30th of August will likely be oversubscribed very quickly. 🥲 Bring an empty stomach and your fundraising-hat. Murli Ravi , myself and our other participating VCs Hsu Ken Ooi , Arshad Chowdhury , Tanuja Rajah , Karan Mohla look very much forward to see you there. P.S. Will leave the link in the comments - more info there. Credits to John T. for the funky name.

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📢 Product Launch: Verivend Strategic Services One-size-fits-all is dead. Tailor Verivend Strategic Services to meet more of your needs beyond our core platform. Launching your next fund or SPV? Need a fund accountant or help with investors' K1s? We’ve got you covered. Mix and match modular services with Verivend to meet your specific needs, investor demands, and compliance requirements. Looking for more help? Verivend White Glove Support is our new fully outsourced turnkey solution. We manage your account on your behalf, keeping you informed at key milestones while you focus on your core business. Tailor Verivend Strategic Services to meet the unique needs of your firm. The future of investment management is unbundled and flexible. Pay only for what you need. Learn more about the many options and the 'unbundled future' here: https://lnkd.in/eHjh_scQ #PrivateCapital #PrivateEquity #VentureCapital #FundAdministration #SPVAdministration #CapitalRaising #InvestmentInnovation #InvestorRelations

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UPDATE: For anybody who hasn't received the link: https://bit.ly/3XF773C Raising funding? Here’s an alternative.  +200 Non-VC Funding Sources for SaaS Founders With a list of:   🔹 Accelerators 🔹 Incubators 🔹 Crowd Funding  🔹 Angel Investor Groups Here’s a sneak peek: 🇺🇸 Lair East Labs: 10-week accelerator program for US startups accessing Asian markets, with access to Silicon Valley founders, mentors, and investor networks experienced in Asian markets. $50k investment accelerating 10-12 startups yearly. 🇺🇸 Halo Incubator: Incubator program for early-stage female entrepreneurs, offering mentorship and education on business plans, strategies, and raising capital. 🇺🇸 MassChallenge: Non-profit accelerator program for high-impact, early-stage startups. Accelerated 2.3k startups, 136k jobs created, $2.7b total revenue, and over $5b raised to date. 🇭🇰 Brinc: Global venture accelerator program for tech-focused startups, offering support, mentorship, and investments. 🇧🇷 Wow Aceleradora: Brazil’s largest startup accelerator with over 153 startups, 380 investors, R$53M invested, and 13 exits. 🇳🇱 Rockstart: Early-stage accelerator-VC for agrifood, energy, and emerging tech startups, providing access to capital, market, and expertise through mentors, partners, corporates, and the wider Rockstart network with over 350 startups and €1.3bn value. 🇺🇸 Start Engine: US leading equity crowdfunding platform, hosting over 1.1k successful funding rounds with a community of 1M strong. 🇺🇸 Atlanta Technology Angels: Non-profit angel investor association investing in early-stage tech startups in Georgia and the Southeast. 🔍 Discover the perfect funding match: 🔹 Filter sources by type and location. 🔹Transparent fees and pricing on crowdfunding platforms. 🔹 Gain insights on offerings, including funding, mentorship, legal support, office space, and demo day opportunities. And even direct contact information! Interested? Comment 'FUNDING,' and I'll send you the full list (more countries covered!) Credit: Dan Martell Want to reach out to these investors with a clear, solid pitch? Let's talk! Book a call here. #Startups #Investing #Fundraising #Entrepreneur #Business

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Bybit is diving headfirst into meme listings, and we’re here for it! The recent wave of new listings—LUCE/USDT, PEAQ/USDT, BAN/USDT, and more—with up to 12.5x leverage in the Innovation Zone shows the platform’s focus on embracing volatility and tapping into high-risk, high-reward markets. This kind of market activity aligns perfectly with our trading strategy, which thrives on the explosive volatility that these meme tokens consistently deliver. We’re pushing hard into this space, capitalising on the unique opportunities it creates. While some may see these moves as risky or unsustainable, for us, it’s fertile ground for growth and performance. The soundtrack to this post? Here you go. Turn it up and let’s ride the meme wave together! #CryptoTrading #MemeCoins #Bybit #InnovationZone #Volatility #DeFi #CryptoStrategy #TradingLife #RiskAndReward #Altcoins #CryptoMarket #LeveragedTrading https://lnkd.in/ekHiQV7B

This is for my APAC founders, angels, venture studios and VC´s! Check the event below if you like to join or speak! #founders #venturestudio #vc #event #apac #angelinvestors

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It was an honor to speak for PTGR AG at the BTC Halving Info session. The digital finance ecosystem has proven to be an exceptional asset class for alternative investments, outperforming traditional finance for the last 14 years. As we approach the 4th BTC halving in April 2024, 19th April midnight, the mining reward and supply will be reduced by 50%. What makes it different this time is that traditional money comes in via the ETF spots (since this week also approved in HK) which will boost it additionally. But we had never a halving in such a geopolitical setup and interest rate environment. It's also important to note that the expected bull-run may not come right away and the crypto market is known for its volatility. The cryptomarket is a priori (before and after the BTC halving) more volatile which provides good entry levels. Exiting months ahead… #ptgr #btchalving #investment

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Bali + Startups + Branding. Let's do this. Super excited to be heading to Bali for the XFounders Bootcamp next week! I'll be speaking with some top #web3 founders about personal branding. It's all about helping them elevate their brand stories and attract the right opportunities. Looking forward to sharing insights and sparking real conversations. Lets goooo. #XFounders #PersonalBranding #StartupLife

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#VC funding #slowdown is impacting #earlystage #startups too. Deal close volume is down 44% (seed) and 49% (series A) since 2022. What can we do? If we just got a #seed, let's adjust our plans aiming at a 24-month #runway. Focus on getting cash from customers and build the traction metrics to get ready for the next funding round (it takes time to get the KPIs point up steadily, aim to have solid metrics in 12 months). Here are some #execution bits that are working for teams I support. #PRODUCT 1. We intensify #customer #discovery to find out their pains/desires/needs and what they see as alternatives (yeah, I'm a product guy). 2. We update the product-market #roadmap: write down clear attributes of the market segment that is ready to understand our value proposition and ready to decide on adopting our solution. 3. We write down the #value #themes matching important outcomes for our target market and share them with the product #team. Empower them! 4. We write only the #code to create value for users, track product #usage, #automate our release process. #SALES 5. We write down a list of criteria for #lead #qualification and then use them: if a lead doesn't qualify, we don't spend time on it. Next! 6. We design a great #onboarding and minimize the time-to-first-value: let's make sure new customers feel they made a good decision in adopting our solution (let's add some essential product analytics, nothing fancy, just measure the behaviors that generate value for users) 7. We rewrite our #positioning and our sales #narrative from a demand-side perspective. Forget about features: let's focus on the customer's job, pros and cons of the available #alternatives and our #differentiated #value. 8. We organize all our prospects in a #sales #pipeline and review it every week: demos and Zoom calls don't count much. #Coffee is for #closers! What did I miss? What can be left out? Add what's working for you. Ad maiora! 📈 🚀 Thanks Warren Packard, Diana Hu, Chon Tang, Irene Mingozzi, Insiya Lokhandwala, Massimo Sgrelli, Luigi Bajetti, Ed Dua, Gregg Bauer, Gerod Carfantan, Giovanni (John) Soleti, John Hodge, Francesco Mosconi, Jennifer Vancini, Angelo Del Priore, Maria Pienaar, Alessandro Levi, Dave Schatz, Irena Goldenberg, Andy Liu, Franco Gonella, Lorenzo Franchini, Marco Marinucci, Oliver Richner, Simone Cremonini, Roberto Bonanzinga, Jeff Fluhr, Michael Tam

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Inside a $10M and a $500M global expansion with Aun M. Azmi, ex Market Expansion Lead at GoTo Group’s GoJek, a super app IPO for more than $30B on The Unicorn Trajectory podcast this week: https://lnkd.in/dqNXR_-M --- Visit https://lnkd.in/d88Cz68k for your Unicorn Roadmap Sustainable and hyper-growth: Startup, you can HAVE IT ALL

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Some More on Startups vs. SMEs... - Founder: "I’d like my startup to be a unicorn one day." - Me: "How much annual revenue are you planning 3 years from now?" - Founder (excited): "ONE MILLION DOLLARS!" - Me: "Oh boy! Where do I start?" One of the most common challenges I’ve seen in the entrepreneurial world is startups managing their business like SMEs. While it might seem harmless, confusing startup dynamics with SME practices can hold back growth, innovation, and scalability. Startups are designed to scale quickly, take risks, and adapt rapidly. SMEs, by contrast, focus on stability, steady revenue, and long-term sustainability. When a startup adopts SME management practices, it risks losing its edge and stalling its growth. Some signs your startup might be falling into the SME trap: 1. You’re not strategizing for hundreds of millions in revenue: If your revenue goals stop at a few million dollars, you're likely thinking like an SME. Startups are built to scale exponentially, aiming for revenues that redefine industries. Your valuation is likely to be a multiple of your revenues—setting your sights too low limits your ability to attract the right investors, build scalable systems, and capture large market shares. 2. Prioritizing profitability too early: Startups thrive on reinvestment for growth, not necessarily breaking even. Yes, hard times may call for bootstrapping, but if you’re doing your proper fundraising homework, you should avoid being stuck in survival mode. 3. Risk aversion: Playing it safe limits your ability to innovate and disrupt. Startups are about calculated risks, not just incremental steps forward. 4. Focusing only on local markets: Startups are built for scale—thinking global should be in your DNA. You start by nailing it in your hometown, but always with an eye on the four corners of the globe. 5. Rigid organizational structures: Startups thrive on flexibility, not hierarchy that slows decision-making and innovation. Why does this happen? This confusion often stems from a lack of clarity about what it really means to run a startup versus an SME. And sometimes, advisors and mentors with little startup experience unknowingly steer founders down the wrong path, reinforcing an SME mindset in environments that demand agility and boldness. Founders with SME mindsets may unintentionally box their startups into limited growth trajectories, often missing the opportunity to disrupt their industries or scale exponentially. So, if you’re running a startup, ask yourself: Are we scaling for the future or simply operating for today? If it’s the latter, you’re likely managing an SME, not a startup. Don’t let SME practices creep into your startup and limit its potential. Your startup was built to innovate, disrupt, and grow exponentially—make sure your management practices reflect that vision. #StartupVsSME #Entrepreneurship #StartupMindset #ScaleBigOrGoHome

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Pitching to investors? Here’s what your deck should cover : Introduction- Bold statement/your personal story The Problem Your solution Your product The Market The Team Your Ask Key is to keep every slide simple, with key information. No information overload. Glad I attended the workshop on how to build your pitchdeck by Peter Thomsen The guy’s a legend. Did I miss anything?

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On a panel with Jason Brink aka BitBender, former President of Blockchain at Gala Games, and Nelson Lumbres, Co-founder of Isla Camp and ICP Hub Philippines. The panel was about ethics as a web3 founder. In a nutshell, there are many quick ways to get rich in web3 (often illegal). The more you understand the space, the more opportunities you'll find. For example, you can launch a new DEX using someone else's code base, attract high liquidity by releasing on a new chain, offer high initial APY, and then rug pull millions of dollars, all as an anonymous developer. If it's less than a few million, you will possibly get away with it. This is one from the last cycle. There are many! Anon developers are doing the same thing with meme coins this time. Millions of new meme coins have gone to market - most developers will profit and most consumers will lose. All in the name of fun! It's important to note that while these seem like a quick way for a business to boost cashflows, these are all traps. The conclusion of the panel was that the only way to make it as a founder, web2 or web3, is by playing the long game. Several people in crypto have gone to prison. At first, it made sense that the scammers were going to prison. Then SBF of FTX, who most institutions did due diligence on, went to prison. Then CZ of Binance, still considered a hero today, went to prison. Finally, CLS and Gotbit, who several reputable companies have partnered with, were caught wash trading, and may go to prison. Who's next? The reality is that it's still the wild west. Innovation is way ahead of regulation. While it seems like there's a path to mass retail adoption, there's still a lot of figuring out happening in the back. Founders have to go with their instincts and "do the right thing" - ask yourself - can I justify this action to my community? to my team? to other stakeholders? to the regulatory bodies? If yes, go for it. If unsure, ask other founders and bring advisors onboard to fill your gaps. Doing the right thing often takes time. Be patient. Be good. #Ethics

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The Banker and The Bettor walk into a bar... Check out this insightful interview between Joel Simkins ("The Banker") and Sim Harmon ("The Bettor") to learn more about the future of P2P Social Betting and how Kutt - The Social Betting Platform is trailblazing to the benefit of consumers. Quality stuff.

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Unlocking the Value of Stock Options 💼💰: Why Startups are Embracing Secondaries 🚀The story of Mikus Krams and Janis Vavere from Lokalise isn't your typical startup narrative. Instead of waiting for an IPO or acquisition, they seized an opportunity during Lokalise's Series B round to cash out some shares, kickstarting their venture, Trace.Space. 💡As Europe's IPO market has slowed down over the past years, secondaries offer employees and early-stage investors a tangible path to liquidity and empowerment. By allowing stakeholders to sell shares, companies like Lokalise, Printify, Wise, and Revolut have shown to reward dedication and foster a culture of ownership and entrepreneurship. 🌱In Europe, where exits can sometimes take longer than in the USA, secondaries provide a glimpse into the potential rewards of startup life. Employees gain financial security and the freedom to explore new ventures, ultimately driving innovation and growth. 🔄 For early-stage VC funds, secondaries offer a chance to realize gains and reinvest in promising startups. It's a win-win scenario that fuels the entire ecosystem. 💬✨If you're interested in understanding more about secondaries or exploring opportunities in the secondaries space, feel free to reach out - Giano Capital is here to help. Source: Sifted's Zosia Wanat, "The taste of stock options’: Why startups are letting their staffers sell their shares. #PrivateEquity #VentureCapital #Secondaries #StartupEmployees #Exit #IPO #Exit

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