Pitch Deck is hosted by Nick Telson, founder of DesignMyNight, that he sold for over $30m in 2020. He is now co-founder at Horseplay Ventures; a startup playground. A startup founder has 5 minutes to pitch their business to Nick and guest Angel Investors/Mentors. They then all discuss the pitch and the business itself, asking questions an Investor would ask in a real pitch. The guest Angel and Nick then discuss what they make of the business and investment opportunity. š Top 5 Global Business Podcast š Top 3 UK Business Podcast š§ Top 3 UK Entrepreneurial Podcast @pitcdeckpod
In this conversation, Shane Neman, a seasoned entrepreneur and venture capitalist, shares his insights on unique investment opportunities across various asset classes, including real estate and technology. He discusses the importance of understanding market dynamics, the significance of social signaling in venture capital, and the key traits he looks for in early-stage founders. Shane emphasizes the value of hard work and ingenuity in building successful businesses, while also providing practical advice for founders on networking and validating their ideas before seeking investment.
Keywords
investment, venture capital, entrepreneurship, real estate, tech startups, founder advice, unique opportunities, portfolio management, early-stage investment, networking
Takeaways
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Shane Neman
08:00 Investment Strategies and Portfolio Allocation
15:15 Key Signals in Early-Stage Founders
22:10 Understanding Traction and Validation
29:06 Bootstrapping and Going from Zero to One
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this conversation, Hector Mason, a partner at Episode 1 Ventures, shares valuable insights into early-stage fundraising, misconceptions founders have, and what excites investors about startups. He discusses the importance of understanding customer problems, the significance of hiring standards, and the evolving landscape of venture capital. Hector emphasizes the need for founders to stay close to their customers and the impact of execution pace on investment decisions. The discussion also touches on behavioral roadblocks, red flags in pitches, and the dynamics of remote versus in-office work for startups.
Keywords
venture capital, early stage funding, startup advice, founder insights, investor relations, fundraising misconceptions, startup validation, hiring strategies, scaling startups, competitive landscape
Takeaways
Titles
Sound Bites
"A great product demo is really compelling."
"Gamification is often ineffective."
"Hiring standards are crucial for success."
"You should go speak to those companies."
"Staying close to customers is so important."
"The pace of execution impresses me so much."
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Hector Mason and Episode One Ventures
02:00 Misconceptions in Early Stage Fundraising
04:30 What Excites Investors About Founders
06:55 Standout Points for Pre-Seed Startups
09:13 Understanding Behavioral Roadblocks
11:37 Red Flags in Decks and First Calls
14:13 Navigating the Competitive Landscape
14:56 Validation for Pre-Revenue Startups
17:57 Changes in the Early Stage Funding Landscape
19:41 Key Lessons for Scaling Startups
21:50 Hiring Strategies for Early Stage Founders
24:19 Common Advice for Early Stage Founders
26:04 Reasons Startups Fail Before Series A
27:12 Office vs. Remote Work for Startups
28:51 Engaging Founders in Two-Way Conversations
30:21 The Importance of Pace of Execution
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this episode, Sriram Gollapalli, a seasoned entrepreneur and angel investor, shares insights into the world of angel investing. He emphasizes the importance of the founder's qualities over the business model itself, discusses the challenges and opportunities in B2B and B2C investments, and provides valuable advice for underrepresented founders. Sriram also highlights the significance of storytelling in pitches, the traits that make a successful founder, and the essentials of a compelling pitch deck.
Keywords
angel investing, startup funding, founder qualities, B2B, B2C, pitch deck, underrepresented founders, investment strategies, entrepreneurship, startup advice
Takeaways
Titles
Sound Bites
"I really bet on the founder."
"B2C is certainly riskier."
"Energy is key for founders."
"Never pay to pitch."
"Be authentic and transparent."
"You are here to get advice."
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Angel Investing and Sriram's Background
02:56 The Importance of Founders in Investment Decisions
05:58 Evaluating B2B vs B2C Investments
09:00 Understanding the Angel Investment Perspective
11:54 The Balance of Storytelling and Realism in Pitches
14:57 Key Traits Founders Should Exhibit
18:07 Advice for Underrepresented Founders
21:05 Cold Outreach Strategies for Founders
24:07 What Makes a Compelling Pitch Deck
32:54 Conclusion and Key Takeaways
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this conversation, Nick Telson-Sillett interviews Marcus Lang, a partner at Speedinvest, who shares insights from his unique journey as an operator-turned-investor in the SaaS space. Marcus discusses the importance of understanding the founder's journey, the role of gut feel in assessing potential investments, and the ideal composition of founder teams. He emphasizes the opportunities presented by AI in traditional industries and the evolving importance of go-to-market strategies. Finally, Marcus provides valuable advice on what makes an effective pitch deck for early-stage investors.
Keywords
SaaS, venture capital, startup, founder journey, AI, go-to-market strategy, pitch deck, investment, early-stage funding, team dynamics
Takeaways
Titles
Sound Bites
"You only understand the roller coaster if you lived it."
"It's about grit and energy, not just numbers."
"Gut feel is created through experience."
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Marcus Lang and His Journey
04:34 Assessing Founders: The Role of Gut Feel
09:01 The Ideal Founder Team Composition
10:25 AI's Impact on SaaS: Opportunities and Challenges
15:07 Go-to-Market Strategies as a New Moat
24:11 The Importance of the Pitch Deck
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
In this conversation, Jason Kirby, co-founder and CEO of Thunder VC, shares his insights on the venture capital landscape, the importance of understanding what it means to be a venture-backable business, and the various funding options available to startups. He emphasizes the need for founders to assess their goals, the market potential, and the implications of pursuing venture capital. Jason also discusses the significance of profitability and offers practical advice on crafting an effective pitch deck for angel investors.
Keywords
venture capital, startup funding, angel investing, business growth, capital efficiency, pitch deck, entrepreneurship, startup ecosystem, Thunder VC, Jason Kirby
Takeaways
Titles
Sound Bites
"Not every startup needs to get VC."
"Chasing venture can lead to failure."
"What's your real North Star as a founder?"
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Jason Kirby and Thunder VC
02:55 Understanding Venture Capital and Its Implications
06:04 Assessing Venture-Backable Businesses
08:50 The Reality of Capital Efficiency in Venture
11:46 Navigating the VC Landscape: Finding the Right Fit
15:01 Exploring Alternative Funding Options
20:57 The Path to Profitability and Its Importance
26:53 Crafting a Killer Pitch Deck for Angels
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Tom Bradley, a partner at Salica Investments, discusses the importance of nurturing startups and specializing in specific sectors. He emphasizes the need for venture capitalists to provide assistance and expertise to help companies develop and scale. Tom also highlights the significance of building durable businesses with defensibility and solving big problems. He shares insights on team evolution, hiring, and the importance of being flexible and open to feedback. Tom also discusses internationalization and the attributes of a great pitch deck.
Keywords
startups, venture capital, nurturing, specialization, scaling, defensibility, team evolution, hiring, flexibility, feedback, internationalization, pitch deck
Takeaways
Titles
Sound Bites
"We believe that those companies can benefit from assistance along the way."
"Our level of specialism is able to better influence the outcome for the companies that we invest in."
"We like there to be a combination of commercial and technical leadership in the business."
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
06:33 Building Durable Businesses with Defensibility
08:53 Team Evolution and Hiring Strategies
13:22 Flexibility, Feedback, and What's Next
17:16 Strategic Internationalization
19:49 Attributes of a Great Pitch Deck
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Paul Lehair, Partner, at Albion VC, discusses the key factors they look for when investing in startups, including product-market fit, revenue potential, and differentiation from competitors. He emphasizes the importance of clear storytelling, traction, and customer satisfaction. Lehair also shares insights on investing in AI companies, the challenges of competitive markets, and the value of scenario planning to avoid failure. He concludes by highlighting the significance of personalization and uniqueness in pitch decks to grab investors' attention.
Keywords
startup investment, product-market fit, revenue potential, differentiation, AI companies, competitive markets, scenario planning, failure, pitch decks
Takeaways
Titles
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Paul Lahair and Albion VC
03:00 Finding Product-Market Fit and Revenue Potential
08:21 Investing in AI Companies: Differentiation and Long-Term Value
12:49 Navigating Competitive Markets: Disruption and Positioning
25:41 Avoiding Failure: Scenario Planning and Optionality
28:57 The Role of Founders: Passion, Vision, and Execution
34:28 Crafting Compelling Pitch Decks: Clear Storytelling and Personalization
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mike Soutar, a media entrepreneur and angel investor, discusses his approach to angel investing and what he looks for in founders and startups. He emphasizes the importance of learning new things and being attracted to ideas that make sense. Soutar is comfortable investing in sectors he may not know well, as long as he can understand the problem the startup is solving and the market opportunity. He values founder market fit and looks for founders who have an unconventional viewpoint and can think insurgently. Soutar prefers to invest in the pre-seed stage and enjoys being involved right from the start, working closely with founders to help them raise money and grow their businesses. He believes that investors back people first and ideas second. Soutar looks for founders who can clearly articulate why their solution is different and better, and who can demonstrate customer demand and willingness to pay. He also values clarity, consistency, and discipline in founders, and believes that founders should have a clear understanding of their competitors and be able to recognize and respect them. Soutar advises founders to be cautious about expanding operations abroad and to consider testing new ideas or adjacencies in their existing market before going international. He also shares insights on failures and the importance of raising enough capital and building in contingency. Soutar discusses the changing landscape of media businesses and the challenges and opportunities presented by social media and user-generated content. He believes that while there may still be a space for curated content, consumers now prefer to control their own journey and decide what they want to consume. Soutar sees opportunities in using high-quality original content to engage audiences, but believes that monetization models need to evolve beyond traditional advertising or paid content.
Keywords
angel investing, startup, founder market fit, pre-seed, customer demand, willingness to pay, competitors, expansion, media business, social media, user-generated content, go-to-market strategy
Takeaways
Chapters
00:00 Introduction and Background
00:40 Investment Approach and Agnosticism
01:52 Comfort with Unknown Sectors and Technologies
03:45 Founder Market Fit and Insider Perspective
04:46 Investing in the Pre-Seed Stage
06:20 Finding and Assessing Founders
08:52 Understanding Competitors and Being Respectful
09:49 Investing in Early Stage and Willingness to Pay
11:53 Traits of Successful Founders
15:10 Being Cautious about Expansion
16:40 Lessons from Failures and Importance of Capital
17:09 Expanding Operations Abroad
19:24 Common Threads in Failures
21:00 Traction Takes Longer and Importance of Raising Enough Capital
23:12 The Changing Landscape of Media Businesses
26:29 Opportunities in the Era of Social Media
29:11 Key Elements of a Perfect Deck
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Dan, co-founder and partner at SuperSeed, shares insights on early-stage investments and what founders can do to differentiate their businesses. He emphasizes the importance of having a clear vision and position in the market, rather than relying on technical moats. Dan also discusses the role of competition and the need for founders to have a long-term strategy. He advises founders to focus on their ideal customer profile (ICP) and consider expanding into new territories or customer segments. Dan also shares his thoughts on expanding to the US market and the challenges of transitioning from founder to CEO.
Keywords
early-stage investments, differentiation, vision, market position, competition, ideal customer profile, expanding to the US, founder to CEO
Takeaways
Titles
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Dan and SuperSeed
01:23 Differentiating Your Business: Vision and Position in the Market
03:24 Navigating Competition and Expanding into New Territories
05:57 Expanding to the US Market: Timing and Considerations
08:58 Transitioning from Founder to CEO: Challenges and Strategies
11:12 Crafting an Effective Pitch Deck: Thoughtfulness, Relevance, and Conciseness
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Sarah Drinkwater, an influential pre-seed angel investor and founder of Common Magic, discusses the importance of community in technology companies. She defines community as a combination of utility and belonging, and emphasizes the role of community in connecting audiences to products and enabling long-term resilience. Sarah believes that community-building is not suitable for every company and depends on the specific audience and problem being solved. She also highlights the traits she looks for in founders, including resilience, persuasiveness, self-knowledge, and comfort with chaos. In terms of pitch decks, Sarah values clarity, a clear reason for the timing of the product, and a compelling reason why the founders are the right fit for the problem.
Keywords
community, technology companies, utility, belonging, audience, product, resilience, founders, pitch deck
Takeaways
Titles
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 Introduction
01:20 The Role of Community in Technology Companies
02:09 The New Moat: Go-to-Market
03:36 Traits of Successful Founders
09:14 Key Elements of an Effective Pitch Deck
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Andrea Pacini, a renowned presentation coach and Head of Ideas on Stage UK, shares tips on how to improve your pitching skills. He discusses the differences between in-person and online presentations, emphasizing the importance of technology setup, audience interaction, and delivery. Pacini highlights the significance of familiarity and preparation in building confidence, as well as the structured process of developing a compelling message. He introduces the POST-IT framework for pitching to investors, which includes problem, opportunity, solution, timeline, investment, and team. Pacini also provides guidance on ending a presentation effectively by focusing on the key message, explaining its relevance to the audience, and discussing next steps.
Keywords
presentation skills, pitching, online presentations, technology setup, audience interaction, delivery, confidence, message development, POST-IT framework, problem, opportunity, solution, timeline, investment, team, ending a presentation
Takeaways
Titles
Sound Bites
Chapters
00:00 Introduction of Andrea Pacini
04:56 Tips for Technology Setup and Audience Interaction
11:36 Building Confidence in Presenting
22:08 Presentation Frameworks and Structures
26:17 The POST-IT Framework for Pitching to Investors
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Your feedback is valuable to us. Should you encounter any bugs, glitches, lack of functionality or other problems, please email us on [email protected] or join Moon.FM Telegram Group where you can talk directly to the dev team who are happy to answer any queries.