The Funding Blueprint: Unlocking Startup Success

Kristina Subbotina discusses her multifaceted journey in the startup ecosystem, transitioning from an ex-Cooley lawyer to the founder and CEO of Lexi, a legal tech company. She shares that moving from advising startups to founding her own business revealed surprising empathy towards founders, as she now understands firsthand the challenges and pressures they face. Her legal background equipped her with a strong foundation in antici...

In this episode of The Funding Blueprint: Jonathan Narvey, the founder and CEO of MindMeld PR, delves into the nuanced world of tech public relations in this episode. Drawing from his dual experience as a journalist and a PR founder, Jonathan shares the smartest strategies for early-stage startups to approach media coverage. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the audience and crafting unique narratives that highlight a s...

In this episode of The Funding Blueprint, Miriam Altman-Reyes discusses her journey from leading Kinvolved through to its successful exit and now managing a portfolio at Brass Ring Ventures, focusing on the essential communication skills that define great founders. She emphasizes the importance of both internal and external communication, noting that motivating teams and engaging stakeholders are crucial for any startup's growt...

In this episode of The Funding Blueprint, Colin McIntosh delves into the strategic nuances of crowdfunding, sharing the key elements that propelled his brand, Sheets & Giggles, to success. He emphasizes the importance of meticulous preparation and setting clear financial targets to effectively reverse-engineer a successful campaign. Colin highlights the necessity of building a strong email list that converts well, as demonstrat...

In this episode of The Funding Blueprint, Jason Jacobson discusses the most underrated relationship-building habits that successful entrepreneurs consistently practice to grow their companies, not just their networks. From his perspective, thought leadership and active community participation are vital. Entrepreneurs should focus on hosting events, participating in panels, and becoming mentors to establish themselves as knowledgeab...

In this episode of The Funding Blueprint, Miriam Altman-Reyes discusses her journey from leading Kinvolved through to its successful exit and now managing a portfolio at Brass Ring Ventures, focusing on the essential communication skills that define great founders. She emphasizes the importance of both internal and external communication, noting that motivating teams and engaging stakeholders are crucial for any startup's growt...

In this episode of The Funding Blueprint, Bill Flynn discusses the misconceptions leaders often have about growing a company, emphasizing that many are trapped in the "hero mentality," where they rely on individual brilliance rather than fostering systematic excellence. He explains that traditional beliefs in sales and leadership, such as the importance of rapport and product knowledge, are often misguided. Instead, under...

In this episode of "The Funding Blueprint,” veteran investor John Frankel provides a comprehensive overview of the rapidly changing landscape of AI technology and its implications for business. Frankel highlights the significance of the evolving AI tech stack, noting that founders and investors should consider the infrastructure, models, and vertical applications as areas of long-term opportunity. He emphasizes the need for co...

In this episode of the Funding Blueprint, Jacob Conger, a principal at Headline and an expert in early-stage infrastructure software investing, delves into the nuances of founder-market fit. Conger emphasizes that true founder-market fit is not about charisma or the so-called "airport test" but about a founder's obsessive insight and unique right to solve a problem. He underscores the importance of evaluating investor...

In this episode of “The Funding Blueprint”, Rajas Neve of Powerhouse Ventures delves into the critical preparatory steps that startups should undertake before embarking on pre-seed or seed fundraising. He emphasizes the importance of clarity and momentum, advising founders to have a clear problem statement, a well-defined target customer profile, and a cohesive team ready for execution. Rajas highlights that successful early-stage ...

Molly Dill discusses the rapidly evolving role of AI in the SaaS industry, noting that AI integration has become a standard, which makes differentiation challenging in an increasingly crowded software landscape. She highlights universities as emerging hubs of original innovation, particularly in fields like healthcare and accessibility, where groundbreaking research is being translated into commercial applications. Molly observes a...

In this episode of The Funding Blueprint, Jason Katz discusses the core components of a real growth engine, emphasizing that systems like CRM and attribution are just as essential as creative elements. He highlights the importance of having a solid infrastructure that includes product, customer community, and a well-functioning team supported by CRM systems. By leveraging data-driven insights and effectively implementing CRM system...

In this episode of the Funding Blueprint, Rita Ferrandino delves into the intricacies of guiding education companies through the challenges of economic uncertainty. When working with these organizations, she emphasizes the importance of identifying their biggest risk factors in the current macroeconomic landscape, which include AI disruption, declining enrollments, and funding challenges. Common blind spots often arise from a lack ...

In this episode of The Funding Blueprint, Antonia Berry discusses the nuanced differences between business development and strategic development, emphasizing that while business development involves broad activities aimed at growing a business, strategic development requires a focused approach with specific goals and action plans. She highlights that being strategic involves understanding current positioning, identifying clear obje...

Amy Winner discusses her extensive experience guiding companies through economic downturns, leadership shakeups, and category pivots. She shares that when the path forward isn't clear, identifying a company's core strengths, or "superpowers," is crucial for helping teams orient themselves and continue moving toward growth. In uncertain times, it's essential for teams to align with high-level business goals and...

In this episode of The Funding Blueprint, Brennan Tobin, founder of Oddduck Marketing Group, shares invaluable insights into acquiring the first 100 customers for a startup. Drawing from his experience in building multiple brands, he emphasizes the importance of validating demand before product development, advocating for the use of basic product mock-ups and targeted advertising to gauge market interest. Tobin stresses that early ...

In this episode of The Funding Blueprint, Janet Carlson delves into the transformative role of AI in healthcare marketing, offering insights from her extensive experience. She explains how AI is revolutionizing day-to-day operations for marketers and strategists by enhancing content creation and maintaining brand consistency, allowing small teams to achieve the impact of much larger ones. One unexpected benefit of using AI, as high...

In this episode of The Funding Blueprint, Ashley Kent, founder and CEO of ClearStart, delves into the challenges faced by startups in their first year of marketing. She highlights that the chaos often stems not from marketing deficiencies but from prioritization issues. Many founders make the mistake of hiring either junior marketers too early or senior marketers who are not adaptable to the dynamic startup environment. Ashley advi...

In this insightful podcast episode, Britt Avery, founder of Bloom and Boost, delves into the nuances of strategic planning and its critical role in startup success. He highlights the memorable phrase, “proper planning prevents piss-poor performance,” emphasizing its significance in the context of launching or sustaining a business. Avery explains that proper planning involves having a clear vision, assembling a supportive team, ens...