Impart’s Post

On Monday I had a very informative chat with Peter Walker, the head of insights at Carta. Not only Peter is a knowledgeable person, he was very generous with his time and it was a blast to engage in a conversation with him, both for me and for the audience. For this conversations I have asked Peter to look in their vast sea of knowledge and see if they can extract information that proves or disproves my theories: The said theories: ✔ Is there any evidence supporting the "3 Founder Unicorn" era, where a handful of super talented founders build $BB companies with lightning speed (18 - 24 month), through automation of operation using Gen-AI Automation Agents? ✔ Future of investment: Now that Software expansion is predicted to be limited by Hardware capacity and performance limits, are investors funneling more investment back to hardware? ✔ Exit strategies: Will founders opt to exit quickly, when they can reach profitability fast and financially lean, or would they prefer to stay at $x100MM valuation at a healthy margin of profit due to lean operation? What can VCs do to fulfill their fiduciary responsibilities to their Limited Partners? ✔ Startup trends: Can Carta's data already reveal shifts in hiring and cap table simplicity expected of "3 Founder Unicorns"? All I am gonna share here than none of the data he presented was against my predictions that I have been talking about since Sep of last year. Love to hear your comments.

💡 What they don't tell you about communicating to investors by The Fourth Effect 1. We all want to set highly ambitious goals, present our product as a compelling investment opportunity, and be optimistic, but investors are really looking for sustainable growth (which decreases risk and demonstrates business acumen). This means: get realistic on the timeline to achieve PMF (often 18-24 months), have clear unit economics, and graph traction metrics over time to drive investor interest. 2. The deck is much more than a deck. It's your ticket in. And you need more than one. 🎟️ The first deck should be a ~10 slide pitch to grab attention, unfold your narrative, establish trust, and demonstrate traction -- the goal is to *secure the first meeting.* The second deck is lengthier, should include an appendix, and be comprised mostly of graphs/visuals that augment your delivered pitch. 3. Decks should be sent as Dropbox DocSend links so investors always have access to the most updated version. 4. Be mindful of your IP -- VCs rarely sign NDAs, so do your research in advance and make sure the investor you're speaking to isn't already invested in a competing company (one that could benefit from your trade secrets and processes!). And get your provisional patents in order! 5. Stay top of mind. ⌛ Even if an investor says "no" or "not yet," send regular company updates every month (when actively raising) or every quarter (when in-between rounds) -- your product is valuable; don't let yourself be forgotten! Thank you so much to Katrin de Haën and Breen Sullivan, Co-Founders of The Fourth Effect and hosts of yesterday's inspiring conversation on how founders can optimize their investor funnel and outreach strategies to increase their chances of getting funded. Massive shoutout to the incredible Charlotte Ketelaar, Co-Founder and CEO of Capwave AI, for the insights. Capwave AI is an AI-native and CRM tool that provides nuanced pitch feedback and hyper-personalized investor approach strategies -- maximizing both quantity and quality. :) Love this community so much and looking forward to future events! #Entrepreneurship #VC #Founders #InvestorRelations #TheFourthEffect #AI #StartUp

🚀 Did you know 90% of startups fail because of poor decision-making and lack of actionable insights? Your business doesn’t have to be part of that statistic. At Mind Webs Ventures, we’re empowering small businesses with real-time, AI-powered tools to make smarter decisions, optimize operations, and scale with confidence. 👉 Imagine having: - Predictive insights at your fingertips. - Data-driven strategies tailored for your growth. - The confidence to make decisions that drive results. 💡 It’s time to stop guessing and start growing. 📩 DM us or click below to see how MWV can help your business thrive in today’s competitive landscape. Have a quick chat with one of our founders via - https://tally.so/r/w2kZEg Let’s rewrite your success story together! #SmallBusinessGrowth #AIforBusiness #StartupSuccess #Business #Intelligence

Engaging investors effectively between funding rounds can be a game-changer for your startup. Building a strategic communication plan not only strengthens relationships but also keeps investors actively interested in your journey. Explore practical strategies in our latest blog post, covering structured updates, personalized communication, and data analytics. Learn how to nurture lasting investor partnerships for your next successful funding round: https://lnkd.in/d3rjDDDx #InvestorEngagement #StartupGrowth #Foundercrate

I love data. Those of you who have spent lots of time with me know how true that is. Carta released their state of startups in 2024 recently (I got the email / deck link an hour ago). There are 100 slides in the deck (get it here https://lnkd.in/gbCXxsWM) The image below was one of the first to catch my eye. Data supporting what we all know. Its getting harder to raise at all, and the terms are definitely getting worse. But there is so much more in here. Slide 15 for example. I posted one of the first few videos on this concept. VC flywheel and founder dilution. Depressingly realistic view on how little a founder can retain at IPO/exit. Slides 17, 18 and 19 were interesting as they drive home that most companies don't have an even founder equity split. This makes sense to me as often one person is the "driver/visionary" of the company, but still too often I see early founders failing to negotiate this and giving equal shares to all -- when even at the outside it was clear that there wasn't going to be equal effort. Slide 20 also illustrates the axe I've been grinding about longer founder vesting also... Anyways, take a read ... great data here --- and it's well visualized to boot!

Approaching Investors Like a Pro: My Journey and Tips!" I've been diving into various startups across different industries like hospitality, aviation, AdTech, Fintech, and more utilizing various technologies AI, ML, etc. While founders are usually top-notch on the product side, sometimes they miss out on investor opportunities because of a lack of financial insight and understanding of how to scale up. One thing that often gets overlooked is the business and financial model. That's where this session comes in handy! I'll share all the tools you need to be investor-ready, including how to craft a solid business and financial model. Join me as we dive into how to analyze product financials and make sure you're ready to impress those investors! See you there! https://lnkd.in/dKgBtQ72

"working at _____ was a case-study in messing up your culture", said Anish Dhar, CEO of Cortex, when we interviewed him. Anish is building one of SF's fastest growing SaaS businesses, focused on internal developer portals - a category that literally didn't exist a few years ago. He's also backed by Sequoia Capital, Y Combinator, IVP and even Scale Venture Partners (not us) tomorrow, we're covering how Anish Dhar and his co-founders think about making your first few hires, and how to specifically test the characteristics that built a multi-centi-million $ business if you want to find out how he did it (and who ____ is) subcribe now and get it straight to your inbox: https://lnkd.in/gbvQsAC7 #innovation #management #technology #future #futurism #entrepreneurship #entrepreneur #venture #venturecapital

Nail Your Series A Pitch with This Step-by-Step Guide (Day 8/100) 🎯 Let’s face it—pitching for a Series A can feel like standing on stage with all eyes on you. 🎤 But here’s the good news: a killer pitch isn’t about razzle-dazzle—it’s about telling a story that screams “this is a sure thing!” On Day 8 of our 100-Day Challenge, we’re digging into Y Combinator’s guide on building a great Series A pitch and deck. From what to include (and what to leave out) to how to keep investors hooked from slide one, this is the ultimate cheat sheet for founders aiming to scale. If you’re serious about turning your vision into reality, this is where you start. Ready to pitch like a pro? 👉 https://lnkd.in/d2JsyDa

🚀 𝗨𝗻𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗽 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀: What investors really look for in this high-stakes game. As the funding landscape evolves, understanding startup valuations has become more crucial than ever for both founders and investors. 𝗜𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲, 𝘄𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗲: 1️⃣ Key drivers that shape a startup’s valuation in today’s market 📊 2️⃣ Why comparable company analysis and discounted cash flow aren’t the full story 🌱 3️⃣ The impact of industry trends and macroeconomic shifts on investment decisions 💡 ✨ 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀: Understanding these factors equips you to negotiate better terms and spot opportunities that others might miss. Ready to gain a new perspective on valuations? Read the full article here: 👇 https://lnkd.in/eeckfXvK

Discover the 9 critical cash flow challenges every startup encounters and learn effective strategies to overcome them. Whether it's managing unexpected expenses, understanding revenue cycles, or optimizing operational efficiency, these insights are crucial for maintaining financial health and ensuring business sustainability. Explore practical solutions, backed by statistics and real-world examples, to navigate these hurdles and secure your startup's future. For more in-depth information, visit the full article here: https://buff.ly/49ZW5vH . #StartupFinance #CashFlowManagement