A*’s Post

🚀 Attention Founders: Your Unfair Advantage Revealed! David Cummings of Atlanta Ventures drops some Monday truth: Culture = Your controllable competitive edge 🤔 VCs: What cultural elements do you look for in potential investments? 💼 Founders: How are you consciously crafting your company culture? Let's discuss! 💬 #VentureCapital #StartupLife #CorporateCulture #FounderTips #MondayMotivation

Many first time founders are afraid that if they shut down the company or at least don't return the invested capital, VCs will never invest in them again. There is a real fear that VCs will think badly of them. Inversely, they think that if they grind it out and somehow return the capital, VCs will 100% invest in their new company. This narrative results in founders making suboptimal decisions for the company's outcome. I think VCs should give confidence to the founders and correct this false narrative.

Y Combinator managing directors talk about risks of VC mindset for startup founders Navigating the startup world often comes with a set of preconceived notions, especially when it comes to how founders should think about their businesses. In his video, Dalton and Michael of Y Combinator talk about the pitfalls of adopting a venture capitalist (VC) mindset too early in the entrepreneurial journey, and the importance of embracing a more authentic approach to startup success. FIND OUT MORE: https://buff.ly/3JHqe6N #trendspotting #unicornstartups #disruptivetech #earlystageinvesting Ayla Kremb

I was invited to attend the Sequoia Female Founders event in #NYC, and these are my top takeaways: 1. How to choose the right #investors? Ask investors: “What’s your thesis on XYZ?” If it aligns with your vision, there might be a fit. 2. What to do when investors say no? Don't stop there. Leverage their network and ask: “Who do you know that might be interested in XYZ?” Relationships can open unexpected doors. 3. Your main role as a #CEO? Storytelling. Whether you’re speaking to your team, customers, investors, or partners—your ability to communicate the vision drives success. 4. Stick to your values. In the long run, integrity wins. A clear vision, backed by strong values, builds trust and credibility. 5. Get investors involved early. Build relationships long before you need funding. Remember: Investors don’t just invest in ideas—they invest in people. 6. Allocate resources wisely. Every dollar counts, especially in the early stages. Thoughtful financial decisions can be the difference between thriving and struggling. 7. The future of #healthcare is data-driven. It’s all about data-centric, contextualized, personalized care. The “build fast” mentality doesn’t apply here—lives are at stake. In healthcare, it’s about building *intelligently and safely*. Thank you Wendy Tsu, Adrianne Nickerson, and Melanie Goldey for sharing these valuable take-aways from your journeys. #Entrepreneurship #Fundraising #FemaleFounders #nyc #Innovation

We've looked at hundreds of African start-up pitch decks, and some rise to the top based on things like: how thoughtfully the problem is articulated, how the TAM is defined (bigger is definitely not always better), and how the solution is differentiated. https://lnkd.in/gPP6c72D

Early stage? You DO NOT need an #exitstrategy. Don’t be misled here. It’s rubbish. Founders get told such rubbish sometimes! You DO NOT have to know in any detail how you’ll exit. You DO need to know two things: 1️⃣ What ‘exit’ actually means i.e. you’ll find a way to give those investors that want it a return on their investment. It doesn’t always mean you have to have sold the whole business or give it up – you just have to sort the investors out. Founder exits or workouts are the usual, though. 2️⃣ Investors want you to hear a commitment from you that you will exit – that you have positive #exitintent. You are not building a lifestyle business, you are building to scale and deliver a great return. Later, maybe after a pivot or when you’ve got to Series A level you can start thinking about the type of buyer you want or start developing actual relationships with potential buyers. What you need to DO NOW – build a business that customers love, that’s the best solution to their problem, and keep being the best. Don’t get complacent. That’s your best preparation for exit. (if you’ve bootstrapped and taken no investment you can do whatever on earth you like.) #AngelThink #exit #angelinvesting #angelinvestors

🚀 𝗔𝗻 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗔𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱! I'm delighted to be taking part in a value creation workshop with some of the most talented founders around. As an investor in IT Capital Partners, a fund that focuses exclusively on IT service companies, I am passionate about supporting the growth and development of forward-thinking companies. 🎯 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆: Work together to develop a vision for 2028. This vision not only serves as the basis for a convincing equity story but also enables us to identify the first value drivers that are crucial for a sustainable increase in company value. This involves not only organic growth drivers such as sales growth but also strategic acquisitions that play an important role in the company's development. 💡 Working with visionary founders and shaping the future of IT service companies is an incredibly rewarding experience. It's about forging shared visions and finding strategic ways to turn those visions into reality. I look forward to the creative ideas and innovative solutions we will develop together today. Let's 𝘀𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗴𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿! #valuecreation #privateequity #itservices

What do VCs look at when investing in founders? In my interview with Jeremy Tan, he breaks down three things he looks for in founders. 1. Founders with loosely-held convictions. Can they change their mind when presented with countervailing evidence to their initial thesis? 2. Founders with a Growth Mindset. Can they grow as leaders as their businesses scale? 3. Intellectually Curious Founders. Do they actively seek out new information to enhance their business' offering?

A great start-up pitch deck tells a great story, is thoughtful about both the problem and the solution, and provides solid clues that traction is here (or almost here).

These are tumultuous times for #VC investors and the businesses they fund. According to Ben Dewar, a partner with NU Advisory Partners, that makes linking businesses in the industry with next-generation #leaders fascinating, important, and genuinely transformational. With that in mind, Ben sat down with Hunt Scanlon Ventures managing director, Drew Seaman, to discuss the trends he’s been observing in recent work for VC firms and their portfolio companies >> https://lnkd.in/eqsibC4j