Episodes

  • Ep 65 - Unlocking Funding With Financial Acumen, With Vicki Knott

    Ep 65 - Unlocking Funding With Financial Acumen, With Vicki Knott
    Jan 19 2025
    In this conversation, Vicki Knott, CEO of Crux OCM, shares her entrepreneurial journey from oil and gas to starting her own company. Vicki describes her background and how she met her co-founder, Roger Shirt, and how they developed the idea for Crux OCM.

    Tune in to listen to her facscinating journey as she shares her thoughts on:
    1. The power of cross-pollinating ideas - origin story of an innovative startup
    2. The difference between working and selling in the same industry - powerful founder lessons
    3. First steps - why accelerators matter in your startup journey
    4. How to select the right accelerator program for your deep-tech startup
    5. Why location matters - and how to make a smart location decision
    6. The surprising power of financial acumen - from fundraising to selling
    7. How to build financial acumen one day, one step at a time
    8. How to navigate the challenges of selling complex software solutions to large, traditional industries.
    9. Valuable do's and don'ts in the journey to financial fluency
    10. How to build confidence and overcome imposter syndrome as a female founder in a male-dominated field.
    and much more!
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    44 mins
  • Ep 64 - Charging Ahead! Unexpected Paths to Market Success, With Kameale C. Terry

    Ep 64 - Charging Ahead! Unexpected Paths to Market Success, With Kameale C. Terry
    Jan 5 2025
    Join us for a fascinating conversation with Kameale C. Terry, Co-founder and CEO of ChargerHelp! In this conversation, Kameale shares her entrepreneurial journey in the electric vehicle (EV) charging sector, detailing her transition from supporting EV drivers to founding her own company focused on enhancing charging reliability. Tune in to find out:
    1. How to transform life circumstances into entrepreneurial opportunity
    2. The single biggest secret to sustainable startup success
    3. How to leverage problem mastery to gain investor credibility
    4. How to play the fundraising game like a chess pro
    5. The oath to financial fluency, why it matters, and how to get it
    6. The ins and outs of raising a priced round
    7. How to find great legal counsel before you have funding
    8. What Henry Ford can teach you about go-to-market success
    9. How to make smart bets when the stakes are high
    10. The last word: how to stay in the game for the long haul
    and much more!
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    1 hr
  • Ep 63 - Made for Medtech: The Essential Fundraising Guide, With Tasneem Dohadwala

    Ep 63 - Made for Medtech: The Essential Fundraising Guide, With Tasneem Dohadwala
    Dec 8 2024
    In this episode, Tasneem Dohadwala, a venture capitalist in early-stage medical device investment, shares her insights on navigating the venture capital landscape and the unique challenges within the medical devices space.

    Check out this information-packed conversation to learn more about:
    1. The categories of med-tech ventures, and how they differ
    2. Why large markets have outsize importance in med-tech relative to other verticals
    3. What factors drive fundability in med-tech, and why it's so challenging to build successful ventures in med-tech
    4. Not all med-tech is made equal - categories within med-tech
    5. How AI will change the game in therapeutics
    6. How to tell if your med-tech startup has what it takes to be funded
    7. How the regulatory and reimbursement pathways make or break your startup's success
    8. How to be a CEO investors want to bet on
    9. What to watch for as a woman founder in med-tech
    and much more!
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    44 mins
  • Ep 62 - Fundraising Is a Marketing Game, and Other Non-obvious Insights, with Brianna McDonald

    Ep 62 - Fundraising Is a Marketing Game, and Other Non-obvious Insights, with Brianna McDonald
    Nov 24 2024
    In this episode, Brianna McDonald, an experienced early-stage investor, shares key insights from her two-decade journey in the startup world, emphasizing the significance of a well-crafted capitalization strategy for founders. Brianna discusses the importance of not falling in love with the product alone, instead focusing on the executive team's execution and the market potential.

    She highlights the misconceptions around fundraising, urging founders to view it as selling pieces of their companies, and stresses the necessity of understanding cap table management from day one.

    She also covers the current challenges in the investing landscape, the impact of economic shifts on startup funding, and the critical need for thorough market research and relationship building with potential investors.

    Key takeaways from the episode include:
    • Why capitalization strategy matters for founders more than ever in the post Silicon Valley Bank era
    • How to use market research to create credible go-to-market strategies and believable financial projections
    • How to cultivate genuine relationships with investors for successful fundraising and support
    • Why managing and understanding the cap table from day one is key to minimizing dilution and maintaining control
    • What to watch out for before raising on "cheap" vehicles like SAFE notes
    • How to target the right investors based on your company’s growth trajectory.
    • Why the math matters - on your cap table, your valuation and your deal, and how it can make or break your company
    • How to build a solid plan for your startup so your company, your investors and you come out ahead
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    1 hr and 1 min
  • Winning With Markets & Investors - The Founder's Playbook, With Colette Courtion

    Winning With Markets & Investors - The Founder's Playbook, With Colette Courtion
    Nov 10 2024
    Named one of Inc. Magazines Top 100 Female Founders of 2020, Colette Courtion is a distinguished and award-winning consumer marketer, inventor (24 issued patents), and business leader steeped in brand building, marketing, strategic planning, and finance with leading consumer product, retail, and medical device companies.

    She is the founder of Joylux, the leading menopausal intimate health company with Halle Berry, the acclaimed actress and menopause advocate, as an investor, brand ambassador and co-developer of products.Prior to founding Joylux, she founded and lead two other VC-backed aesthetic companies. She was also a marketing executive with Starbucks responsible for launching and growing the Starbucks Card and Customer loyalty program into a multi-billion-dollar business.

    In this episode, Colette shares the good, the bad and the shocking on her founder journey. Tune in to hear more about:
    1. The origin story of a pathbreaking startup
    2. How to validate the market opportunity when it's never existed before
    3. How to break old barriers and blaze new trails - the founder's way
    4. The quick primer on FDA approvals, and the role of luck and ingenuity
    5. When life hands you a pandemic, turn it into profits
    6. How to think strategically about your IP strategy
    7. How to sell your startup to investors when they don't want to hear about the problem, and still win!
    8. How to keep investors happy without losing your mind
    9. How to hitch your wagon to a star

    and much more!
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    1 hr and 3 mins
  • Best of Invisible Ink Season 6! Highlights & Best Moments

    Best of Invisible Ink Season 6! Highlights & Best Moments
    Oct 27 2024
    Welcome to the Best of Season 6! In this special episode, we've put together the very best clips from all of our incredible guests for your listening pleasure. Check out the time stamps below to find your favorite clips or do yourself a favor and listen to the whole roll!

    00:00:00 - Welcome & Introduction
    00:00:09 - Gender Bias in Negotiation Techniques | Angela Lee
    00:00:32 - Handling Perceptions of Aggressiveness | Angela Lee
    00:01:52 - Balancing Strength and Warmth | Angela Lee
    00:02:42 - Building Economic Case for Women Founders | Angela Lee
    00:03:04 - Valuation Tips for Women Founders
    00:05:13 - Importance of Conviction in Investor Pitches | Marcia Dawood
    00:07:05 - Value of Customer Discovery | Marcia Dawood
    00:08:05 - Navigating Co-Founder Challenges | Marcia Dawood
    00:12:21 - From Technical Expert to Business Lead | Jen Baird
    00:16:17 - Strengthening the Financial Model | Jen Baird
    00:17:44 - Advice for First-Time Fundraisers | Jen Baird
    00:19:14 - Differences Between Angels & VCs | Elaine Bolle
    00:23:08 - Strategies for Valuation & Fundraising | Elaine Bolle
    00:27:00 - Common Business Model Pitfalls | Gwen Edwards
    00:29:30 - Scaling & Growth Essentials | Gwen Edwards
    00:32:38 - Managing Cap Tables Effectively | Gwen Edwards
    00:41:40 - Financial Education for Founders | Kerry Rupp
    00:42:45 - Understanding Investor Timelines | Kerry Rupp
    00:43:24 - Building Toward Acquisition Goals | Kerry Rupp
    00:45:11 - Importance of Legal Structures in Startups | Madhu Singh
    00:47:22 - Equity Vesting & Founder Commitment | Madhu Singh
    00:48:39 - Setting up an Option Pool & Incentives | Madhu Singh
    01:00:47 - Raising Capital Efficiently | Charu Ramanathan
    01:02:43 - Overcoming Gender Bias and Seeking Help | Charu Ramanathan
    01:04:12 - Mentorship & Resilience for Female Founders | Charu Ramanathan
    01:04:25 - Lessons from the Entrepreneurial Journey | Vinita Gupta
    01:04:51 - Embracing the Owner’s Mindset | Vinita Gupta
    01:05:42 - Balancing Risks and Rewards | Vinita Gupta
    01:12:35 - Navigating Career Choices with Intuition | Lynda Weinman
    01:13:43 - Evolution of an Internet-Based Business | Lynda Weinman
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    1 hr and 21 mins
  • Ep 60 - Building With Exit in Mind- The Legal Essentials, With Madhu Singh

    Ep 60 - Building With Exit in Mind- The Legal Essentials, With Madhu Singh
    Oct 13 2024
    In this episode, Madhu Singh, a seasoned legal expert, shares her insights on the importance of preparing for an exit when building a startup. Tune in to find out why founders need to prioritize legal structure, the ins and outs of devising a smart equity compensation structure, how to ace due diligence to avoid common pitfalls, and much more.

    Highlights include:
    • Why entity structure matters, and what to do if you didn't form a Delaware C Corp
    • How corporate structure can impact hiring your team and fundraising
    • How to grant equity to your team the smart way
    • Why dead equity can come back to haunt you, and how to fix it
    • How to prepare for due diligence
    • Simple tips to stay on top of your entity and legal obligations
    and much more!
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    1 hr and 12 mins
  • Ep 59 - Bootstrapping to a Billion Dollar Exit, With Lynda Weinman

    Ep 59 - Bootstrapping to a Billion Dollar Exit, With Lynda Weinman
    Sep 29 2024
    Our guest for today is Lynda Weinman. Lynda is a pioneering entrepreneur, educator, and co-founder of lynda.com, a trailblazing online learning platform. Lynda launched her namesake platform in 1995 with her husband, Bruce.
    Her leadership and vision led lynda.com to tremendous growth for years before raising its first venture capital funding in 2013. In 2015, she sold the platform to LinkedIn for $1.5 billion for cash and stock, marking one of the most successful exits of a woman-founded startup.
    In this fascinating conversation, Lynda provides an insider’s view of what it’s like to bootstrap a company from scratch, all the way through the challenges of high growth and selling the company.
    Tune in to hear her rich and thoughtful take on:
    • What led her to start her company, and what guided her growth decisions through her journey
    • The real decision you make when you decide to take on outside investors
    • What it feels like to lose control even when you're the "majority" shareholder
    • The bittersweet experience of going through a life-changing exit
    and much more!
    A can't miss conversation every first-time founder MUST listen to!
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    56 mins