The Funding Blueprint: Unlocking Startup Success

In this special two-part conversation with a dynamic duo who are not only co-founders but also life partners, Johnathan and Lidija Newman delve into the essence of building businesses that reflect their personal values while living life on their own terms. Johnathan shares his journey from a structured military and corporate background to founding Good Theory with his wife, Lidija, after experiencing a pivotal layoff. His story hig...

Pranam Lipinski discusses capital and client acquisition, diving into messaging strategies that reach C-suites and investors by sharing his expertise on mastering cold email outreach. He emphasizes the importance of making a cold email stand out by asking for advice, a strategy that has helped him secure meetings with Fortune 500 CEOs and even billionaires. Pranam introduces his five-step pitch process (purpose, problem, solution, ...

Jim DiPiazza discusses the importance of brand story and positioning for startups. When you're building a startup, especially in those early days, it's easy to focus all your energy on the product — the features, the tech, the roadmap. But what often gets overlooked is how you frame all of that to the outside world. Investors, customers, even potential hires — they don't just buy into what you're building, they buy ...

Welcome to Season 3 of The Funding Blueprint, presented by StartHub! I’m Cece Nihamin, your new host — and this season, we’re diving straight into the tactical strategies that actually built startups. No fluff. Just real insights from founders, VCs, accelerators, and marketing growth experts.If you’re building, scaling, or dreaming of your first big idea, this podcast is for you. Let’s build smarter. Let’s build with more clarity.F...

In this episode of “The Funding Blueprint”,  Adam Pisk, co-founder of Bruntwork, discusses the complexities of recruiting and hiring top talent from across the globe. Adam explains how technology has dissolved traditional boundaries, enabling companies to access a vast pool of skilled professionals worldwide. However, he emphasizes that tapping into this global talent pool requires careful navigation of the intricacies involved. He...

Adam Derry discusses key considerations for structuring your startup for success, focusing on the legal structures that best align with your entrepreneurial vision. He explains the pros and cons of sole proprietorships, LLCs, and C-corporations, highlighting why C-corporations are often preferred by venture capitalists due to limited liability and double taxation benefits. Additionally, Derry explores the strategic decision of inco...

In this enlightening episode of “The Funding Blueprint”, Becky Mancero discusses how founders can maintain a clean and transparent cap table to avoid raising red flags and ensure a smooth due diligence process for priced rounds. She emphasizes the importance of ensuring all stock is duly authorized, fully paid, and properly issued, adhering to securities laws, and using cap table management platforms like Carta or Cake Equity. Manc...

In this episode of “The Funding Blueprint”, Mike Pestana discusses how the term sheet clearly defines both pre-money and post-money valuations, emphasizing their role as the "DNA of the deal" in determining ownership percentages for founders and investors. He highlights the importance of pro forma cap table modeling, especially with SAFEs and convertible notes, to assess their impact on dilution and deal structure. Mike advises vig...

In this enlightening episode of “The Funding Blueprint”, Howard J. Finkelstein delves into the complexities of startup legalities, focusing on the flexibility needed in investor documentation and strategic fundraising approaches. He highlights the importance of adaptability when dealing with term sheets, advising startups to be open to individual variations while being mindful of industry standards, especially when planning for fut...

In this enlightening episode of “The Funding Blueprint”, Kelly Fryer discusses empowering aspiring entrepreneurs by helping them transform their innovative fintech ideas into viable business plans. She emphasizes the importance of understanding market demands, engaging with potential customers, and assembling a well-rounded team. Kelly highlights various startup support programs, such as accelerators, incubators, and co-working spa...

In this episode of “The Funding Blueprint”, Alex Lee, the CEO and co-founder of Truwind, delves into the intricate dynamics of enterprise sales strategies, focusing on the advantages and disadvantages of top-down versus bottom-up sales motions. Alex emphasizes the importance of aligning your sales approach with your product's nature and your team's expertise. He highlights how certain products, like security software, often require...

In this episode of “The Funding Blueprint” Paul Spitz discusses the world of C Corporations versus LLCs for startups, providing insights into the key advantages and disadvantages of each structure. For tech startups aiming for venture capital and potential IPOs, C-Corps are often the preferred choice due to their well-defined management structures and attractiveness to investors. In contrast, LLCs offer greater flexibility, making ...

In this insightful episode of “The Funding Blueprint," Adam Siegel delves into the fundamental differences between cash flow and profit, providing a clear understanding for startup founders. He explains that while profit is the revenue remaining after expenses over a period, cash flow pertains to the timing of when money enters and exits a business. This distinction is crucial for startups, as appearing profitable on paper does not...

In this insightful episode of The Funding Blueprint, Kyle Benusa, co-founder and CEO of Ballast Consulting, delves into essential strategies for building strong financial foundations in startups. He emphasizes the importance of distinguishing between finance, accounting, FP&A (Financial Planning and Analysis), and tax roles to prevent costly mistakes and ensure sustainable growth. By picturing a startup's financial system as a ...

In this episode of The Funding Blueprint, Joel Trammell explores the significant differences between the mindset required for a startup CEO and the leadership approach needed for a scaled-up enterprise. He emphasizes that as a company grows from a small team to a large organization, the CEO's role transitions from wearing multiple hats to building a strong executive team. Joel highlights that managing a 20-person company is vastly ...

In this episode of the Funding Blueprint, Ashley Everett from RevTech Labs Foundation delves into the unique landscape for female entrepreneurs in fintech. She highlights the tailored accelerator programs offered by RevTech, which are specifically designed to cater to the unique needs of woman-led startups. These programs go beyond typical accelerator benefits by offering customized mentorship and advisory boards. Ashley also share...

In this episode of The Funding Blueprint, Eric Ferraro discusses the key distinctions between SAFEs (Simple Agreements for Future Equity) and convertible notes, emphasizing when each instrument is more suitable for early-stage startups. He explains that while both instruments allow investors to convert their investment into equity at a future date, SAFEs are simpler and typically do not carry an interest rate or maturity date like ...

In this enlightening episode of The Funding Blueprint, Dave Olsen discusses some of the most frequent financial blunders founders make in the early stages, and more importantly, how they can be avoided through proactive planning and financial literacy. In this episode, Dave emphasizes the necessity of setting up separate business bank accounts and credit cards to keep finances organized, understanding sales tax implications, and be...

In this enlightening episode of The Funding Blueprint, Deepak Menon, Chief Program Officer at Village Capital, delves into the pivotal role of Entrepreneur Support Organizations (ESOs) in nurturing early-stage startups, particularly in emerging markets. Deepak discusses the significant hurdles ESOs face in securing sustainable funding for their operations, emphasizing that restricted programmatic funding limits their ability to inv...