Mike Weir

Great time on the Embracing Erosion podcast w/Devon O'Rourke! We talked about: 🚀 How to scale a company from concept to 9-figure exit 🔄 How to break away from the traditional consulting model and apply product approaches ⏩ Why it’s important to iterate quickly and often with messaging 💸📈What signals are important to pay attention to when investing in startups and much more!

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That's why it's often very difficult to recognize new leaders – their ideas go beyond the conventional frameworks we're accustomed to. Keep your mind open. Don't let yesterday's templates define your future. #Leadership, #Innovation, #OpenMind, #FutureThinking, #venturethinking,   https://lnkd.in/eASPGsuu

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Interested in seeing how publicly traded SaaS companies are performing, including how much equity dilution they may be contending with? 👀 Thanks to Blossom Street Ventures, we have put together the "SaaS Benchmarks Report" to give you insight on everything from YoY Growth, to Founder Ownership, and VC Ownership (video below) 📊 Unlock the report here: https://lnkd.in/geXKHpqK 🔓

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Drop In Venture Funding To Black-Founded Startups Greatly Outpaces Market Decline Chris MetinkoGené Teare February 27, 2024 Venture funding to Black-founded U.S. startups last year totaled only $705 million — marking the first time since 2016 that the figure failed to even reach $1 billion, Crunchbase data shows. The decline in capital to Black-founded companies greatly outpaces the overall decline in startup funding. While total venture dollars in the U.S. fell 37% last year, funding to Black-founded startups dropped a staggering 71%, according to Crunchbase data. Last year’s total investment in Black-founded startups in the U.S. marks the lowest amount since such startups raised only $582 million in 2016. The drop in total dollars also meant Black-founded startups received their lowest share in the venture market since at least 2016, per Crunchbase. Black-founded startups received less than 0.5% of the $140.4 billion in venture funding all U.S.-based startups received last year. In 2021, Black-founded startups received 1.4% of all U.S. venture funding. In 2022, it was 1.1%.

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Catch another episode of This Week in Startups where Upfront Managing Partner Mark Suster interviews Max Altman and Ben Braverman, two of the three co-founders of Saga Ventures. With Saga’s new $125 million fund, the trio talk about: ➡ Fundraising challenges the co-founders faced as a first-time fund and the playbook of how referrals can be the best leads for increasing the chances of success ➡ Nuances of determining a fund size to maintain competitive advantages in deal strategies ➡ Ben’s learnings from working with Ryan Peterson at Flexport as well as Max’s experience and unique advantages working with his brothers Jack and Sam Here's a short clip below about the attributes of successful founders that they look for, including those willing to take unconventional risks 👇

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How can you pivot when your initial idea for a startup doesn’t work out? In his interview with Amit Matani, Matt Spettel, the CEO and Co-Founder of trainwell, shares his inspiring story about how their idea evolved into this distinctive remote personal training tool.💡 “A lot of companies were trying to make fancier workouts, more optimized workouts, more tech enabled workouts, but very few companies were able to tackle this problem of how do you actually just get someone to do it regardless of what it is.” 📖 Read the full interview and 📺 watch the video to hear more insights from Matt: https://lnkd.in/gE8WUHYk

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In this episode of our "Demystifying Investing" series, Hardik Desai, Managing Partner at JumpStart Ventures, dives into the critical debate: Should a startup be led by its passionate founder or a seasoned CEO? To Sum It Up: Whether led by a founder's passion or a CEO's strategy, aligning leadership style with the company’s growth objectives is key to navigating the complexities of venture capital and startup development. Watch the full episode here: https://ow.ly/g9Sx50S8xmt #DemystifyingInvesting #StartupFounder #CEO #Investing

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“Win/Loss Interview Programs are one of the most cost-effective ways to help growth-stage companies refine product-market fit, gather market intelligence, and scale faster,” says Ben Johnson, LLR’s Head of Product. Yet most companies lack a consistent process to understand why they win or lose customers and apply that insight across growth levers. Read how standing up a Win/Loss Interview Program can help to reveal your most responsive markets, maximize R&D spend, and evolve into a market-driven organization. https://lnkd.in/e36An-7j #GrowthBits #product #winlossinterview

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🎙️ Learn more about Wellfound from Amit Matani on #thePOZcast episode with Adam Posner🎙️ In this episode, Amit dives into what makes Wellfound the go-to job marketplace for startups. 🚀 ICYMI: Wellfound connects candidates who are specifically looking for startup roles with companies eager to hire. Startups can find top-tier talent who are genuinely passionate about working in the startup ecosystem—getting a better response from candidates than on broader platforms. 📈 Tune in to the full podcast to hear more about how Wellfound is changing the hiring game for startups 🎧 Watch the full episode now ⬇️: https://lnkd.in/gqhbKifV #startuphiring #jobmarketplace #techrecruiting #hiringtips #Wellfound

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Are you a start-up founder looking for your first VC money and a ton of guidance from GTM experts to get your revenue engine going? See below to apply to Stage2's Catalyst program - applications are open now. The insights you'll get from GTM experts will be transformative.

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What happens when the start-up honeymoon is over and the realities of scaling in a maturing market hit home? 🤔🌱 Marian Krueger, Co-Founder of remove, is here to help you make sense of it all. In his Session Deep Dive, he breaks down survival math that every CDR start-up needs to stay competitive in the face of our ever-growing market. Marian’s insights will help you make smarter decisions that lead to measurable impact 📈 Tune in to explore how to scale without losing your momentum—or your mission. Listen now 🎙️ https://lnkd.in/epNkK2K8 #MarketMaturity #ScalingChallenges #CDRLeadership #ClimateAction #CarbonUnbound #CarbonRemoval #Climate

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🚀 Don't miss this important talk! 🚀 Join us this Thursday, October 24th, for a special session with Shawn Flynn, host of the Silicon Valley podcast, as we dive into VC's and its Impact on Dev Agencies. Whether you're looking to understand the VC landscape or grow your agency by partnering with startups, this talk is for you! 🌐 🗓 Date: Thursday, October 24th 🕛 Time: 12 PM PT | 4 PM ARG/URU | 2 PM COL/PER 🎙 Speaker: Shawn Flynn 🔍 Topic: Understanding VC Landscape for Growth 💡 Register now and gain insights into how VC investments (or the lack thereof) shape the future for dev agencies working with startups. 👉 Save your spot: https://lnkd.in/gjCbTuA9 #VCTalks #DevAgencies #GrowthStrategies #BluoIndustryTalks #VCImpact #SoftwareDevelopment

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Ibotta CEO's Advice for Startups: Forget IPO Timing! 📈 Time is a factor, but don't get obsessed with the IPO market's ups and downs. Focus on building a strong business, and the rest will follow, says Ibotta's Bryan Leach. Embrace adaptability and resilience. And remember, the goal is long-term success, not short-term gains. ⚖️🔥 #StartupWisdom #IPO #Entrepreneurship https://lnkd.in/gktFsCMA

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As a startup founder, scaling your business is hard enough without the added pressure of a high-interest rate environment. While the challenges are significant, there is an upside. 🔺 Burkland Fractional CFO Daniel Rosenbaum outlines the strategies founders can use to turn high interest rates into an advantage, earning returns that extend your runway and support sustainable growth. https://lnkd.in/g5WmcaNw #TreasuryManagement #startups #CashRunway #StartupFinance

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"One of the craziest things in M&A is seeing companies stuck with inflated valuations," says Jerome Combes-Knoke, Senior VP of Corporate Development & Strategy at Dotmatics. Imagine raising $20 million at a $100+ million valuation, only to plateau at $5 million in ARR. Now you're trapped, unable to sell without disappointing investors. Jerome calls this the “zombie capital structure”—and it’s all too common after the 2021 valuation boom. Want to hear more? Check out his full interview here: https://hubs.ly/Q02MldJJ0 #MAScience #MergersAndAcquisitions #ValuationChallenges #ZombieCapital #BusinessGrowth

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Want to Know the Secrets of Early-Stage Startup Success? Ever wondered what it takes to invest in the next big tech thing? Avery E. Schwartz from Greenfield Partners shares insights on early growth investments in our latest blog post! Learn how they're scaling startups, navigating market dynamics, and shaping the future of VC in Israel. Read it now! https://lnkd.in/dstyiqby

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Avery E. Schwartz's interview with IsraelTech is now available in article form! Conducted by Yoel Israel, their discussion together covers Greenfield’s investment focus, the early-growth sweet spot, our optimistic outlook on the Israeli tech market in 2024, and more!

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🎙️ Dive into the latest episode of #OverboostTalks with host Mike Sullivan, crafted for entrepreneurs and investors who thrive on making strategic decisions! 🚀 📖 In this episode, we unpack Brad Feld, Matt Blumberg, and Mahendra R.'s compelling book #StartupBoards. We delve deep into the essential roles and responsibilities that shape effective startup boards. 👏 👏 From governance and conflict resolution to fundraising and CEO succession, each discussion segment provides actionable insights and real-world applications. Whether you're an entrepreneur or an investor, gaining a deep understanding of the dynamics of a well-structured board can significantly propel a company towards success. This episode, recommended by Andres Perez Romo Leroux, co-founder at AltScore, is a must-listen for those seeking to make strategic decisions. 🔍 Key topics include: 👉 Navigating board governance with finesse 👉 Mastering conflict within high-stakes environments 👉 Strategic fundraising approaches 👉 Planning for leadership transitions Take advantage of these critical insights that could redefine how you view and interact with startup boards. Grab your copy of "Startup Boards" and join us in this crucial conversation. Check the comments for a link to purchase the book! #StartupBoards #Entrepreneurship #Investment #Governance #StartupSuccess #TechStartups #OverboostTalks #BusinessStrategy #Leadership #BoardDynamics

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