Most founders think VCs want a pitch deck full of market numbers, a roadmap, and a feel-good story about the future.
Hoxton Ventures Partner Payton Dobbs isn’t looking for any of that.
He wants to know if you actually understand the game you’re trying to play.
In this conversation, Payton breaks down the tactical stuff founders almost always get wrong:
- why TAM slides don’t matter
- how to define your real market
- what early signals prove you have a painkiller and not a vitamin
- and why most technical founders fail their first go-to-market quiz before the conversation even begins.
He also talks about category creation, how to hire in the U.S. if you’re coming from Europe, why pricing is a strategic weapon, and the number-one question he asks every founder — the one that quietly decides whether you’re playing at venture scale or not.
If you’re an early-stage builder, this episode will help you level up before you start meeting with VCs.
RUNTIME 1:00:46EPISODE BREAKDOWN
02:12: Payton Dobbs’ background and the value of building presence in key markets
03:25: Not all good ideas are venture scale: how to assess billion-dollar potential
04:01: Why new category creation is crucial for venture scale startups
06:35: What VCs look for in a pitch deck: TAM, SAM, and logic behind the numbers
08:06: Case study: Deliveroo and building new markets from small segments
09:07: Identifying pain points and leveraging founder expertise
10:57: Advice for technical founders: the value of complementary co-founders and commercial skills
12:23: Building frameworks: due diligence on markets, competitors, and learning from others’ mistakes
13:54: Adapting go-to-market strategies for different business models (B2B SaaS, consumer, etc.)
15:00: The importance of having a perspective and being able to debate your point of view
15:50: Solo founders vs. teams: most are teams, but solo founders can succeed too
13:28: The state of the AI ecosystem in Europe and why it’s accelerating
17:18: Navigating US immigration and talent: why keeping dev teams in Europe can be strategic
20:34: Common mistakes when entering the US: “If you build it, they will not come”
21:21: Do you need to reboot customer discovery in new markets? Sometimes, but not always
22:24: The importance of understanding the competitive landscape and customer needs in each market
24:54: Hiring in the US: cultural differences and what to look for in team members
27:33: Payton’s parting advice for founders expanding to the US: grind, network, and be relentless
28:36: Building sales ops from scratch: tools, systems, and process before people
32:05: Understanding and accruing value in the business value chain
34:45: Signals that a team can move from tech to traction: agility, speed, and adaptability
36:37: Pricing as an art and a science; lessons from Nest and Apple
40:00: Metrics: NPS, customer surveys, and forward-looking indicators
44:42: What Payton hopes to unlock for founders by being based in the US
LINKS- Payton Dobbs
- Hoxton Ventures
- White paper: Europe’s Sputnik Moment
- NVIDIA partnership: Accelerating the UK’s AI Startup Ecosystem
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Thanks for listening!
– Walter.
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