What matters to founders

Founders, what matters when you are deciding who to raise from?

Check size? Reputation? Brand? Speed and clarity of process?

Tell me in the comments, please. It will help me be a better potential investor for you.

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

Evening update - 20 Mar 23

#TodayI

Shared my first day of spring mental health advice - you can't build if you break.
Ran to pilates.
Had pilates with Maria Jose Freeman (Fernandez) of Pilates Core Club.
Had coffee and a late breakfast with Simon Livesey.
Was pitched by a founder who wishes to remain anonymous.
Was pitched by another founder who wishes to remain anonymous.
Was pitched by a third founder who wishes to remain anonymous.

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

You can’t build if you break

Founders, it's the first day of Spring and sometimes you need to spring clean your mind.

It's been a tough time recently for some and if you need a break you should take one.

While I want my founders to work hard I both care about their mental health and would be stupid not to. You can't build if you break. Please look after yourself however you need to and know you have my full support in doing that.

Inspired by Gale Wilkinson's tweet.

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

Evening update - 17 Mar 23

#TodayI

Shared Part II of the unbundled vc Founder Support Scheme - Samuel Cohen on scaling operations.
Had a call with a founder who wishes to remain anonymous.
Had coffee with Marc Winn.
Blocked out time to get a lot done and didn't get as much done as I'd hoped.
Had a great chat with marketing expert Nicky Dibben who was at Cambridge at the same time as me.
Did a site visit for our new house.
Had another call.

#NowI

Am going for Chinese food with some friends.

Have a great weekend everyone!

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

Scaling operations - founder support scheme

Founders, as your startup grows the processes you used when you were small do not scale. You are often so incredibly busy growing your business that you have no time to manage this and it is too early and expensive to hire a COO.

It's a hard problem among many hard problems

To help you solve this, I am excited to announce Part II of unbundled vc's Founder Support Scheme.

Samuel Cohen is a founder & COO turned independent Operations Consultant who has over 10 years experience scaling startups across multiple industries.

Together, we are offering you a free one-hour consultation with actionable feedback for any founders I invest in. Today I can extend that offer to three more founders, handpicked by Sam and myself. If you're interested, either contact me directly or comment on this post.

Don't worry, the feedback you receive is for your eyes only - I will never see it. It's there to help you, it's not DD.

There is more to come. Watch this space.

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

Evening update -16 Mar 23

#TodayI

Shared some ChatGPT-4 experiments. Use the link in the comments and I will ask it anything for you.
Had my Important not Urgent day.
Built my investment framework doc and am using it to frame my investment decisions and founder feedback.
Saw my son and his class perform Roald Dahl's The Porcupine.
Cleared a chunk of my backlog.
Improvised my joy back with Sarah Hansmann Rouxel. Guernsey people, get your tickets for our improv showcase next Thursday here - https://lnkd.in/e7HbEVB9

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

ChatGPT-4 exploration day

🎉 ChatGPT-4 Exploration Day! 🎉

I'm excited to announce that I have a subscription to the incredible ChatGPT-4 by OpenAI! To make this an interactive experience, I invite you all to suggest questions you'd like me to ask the AI in the comments below. I'll share the most interesting responses! 🧠

If you're not feeling inspired, no worries! I'll share some questions of my own. Let's do it! 💡

P.S. Check out the comments for a quirky poem generated by ChatGPT-4 about an unfortunate squirrel. It's really impressive! 😄

(Post rewritten by ChatGPT-4)

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

Evening update - 15 Mar 23

#TodayI

Shared the first beneficiaries of the unbundled vc founder support scheme.
Had pilates with Maria Jose Freeman (Fernandez) of Pilates Core Club and very nearly touched my toes for the first time in a long time.
Listened to Eileen Burbidge on Riding Unicorns podcast.
Listened to Jon Coker on EUVC | The European VC podcast.
Was pitched by Emre Cubukcu and Nilsu Derici of Wiser Media.
Chatted with Hena Husain of The Content Architects about how to use her product.
Spoke with Iain Jordan about how he uses improv to support anxiety.
Was pitched by Sally Page and Sophie Bailey of WorkTripp.
Spoke with a founder who is closing his round.
Collected one son from football club.
Took another son to football training.

#NowI

Have to hit my backlog.

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

Founder support scheme - the first three

🌟 Navigating the Shift from Founder-Led Sales: A Common Startup Challenge 🌟

As a part of unbundled vc, I understand the critical challenge many startups face when transitioning from founder-led sales. To tackle this issue, I'm proud to announce the launch of our Founder Support Program, in collaboration with the talented Matthew Codd.

I'm thrilled to introduce the first three founders who will benefit from this initiative:

🌟 Catherine Ann Reid (She/Her) of Doqit
🌟 Fred Warren of Wonder 14
🌟 And a founder who prefers to remain anonymous

These individuals will have the opportunity to work closely with Matthew, receiving valuable insights and actionable feedback. It's important to note that this support comes with no strings attached - I won't receive anything in return. My goal is to create an open, candid environment for founders to maximize their learning experience.

Keep an eye out for an exciting announcement regarding the second stage of our Founder Support Program, coming your way tomorrow or Friday! 🚀

(This is the rewrite by ChatGPT-4. Original in the comments.)

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

ChatGPT-4 experiment

ChatGPT-4 experiment - write me a five verse haiku about a one legged squirrel who keeps dropping her nuts

Lone squirrel hobbles,
One-legged dance through the trees,
Nuts tumble like tears.

Perseverance shines,
Despite her struggles, she leaps,
Grace in imbalance.

Chestnut gifts descend,
Scattered dreams upon the ground,
Autumn leaves surround.

Nature's harmony,
Embracing imperfections,
In the squirrel's quest.

Gathered strength within,
One leg, a heart that persists,
Life's sweet nut prevails.

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

Evening update - 14 Mar 23

#TodayI

Shared The Wall Street Journal's outrageous article about Silicon Valley Bank - " I’m not saying 12 white men would have avoided this mess, but..."
Had a site meeting for our new house with Infinity Construction and DLM Architects Ltd.
Tried to figure out why the jeans I ordered have import duty to pay.
Updated my investment process page and standard email to founders after a founder fed back that it was misleading (they were right).
Was pitched by Clinton Ajayi of Sportas.
Was pitched by Vasily Alekseenko of Foogin.
Was pitched by a founder who wishes to remain anonymous.
Was pitched by Tracey Carr of eco-shaper.

#LaterI

Am going to watch the GPT-4 Developer Demo Livestream - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=outcGtbnMuQ

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

Not OK, WSJ

For some reason, The Wall Street Journal thinks it is OK to suggest diversity was one of the reasons Silicon Valley Bank failed.

This is not OK.

Via David Fogel and Jessica E. Lessin.

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

Evening update - 13 Mar 23

#TodayI

Shared that Wangie.app had prepped its therapists about Silicon Valley Bank.
Had pilates with Maria Jose Freeman (Fernandez) of Pilates Core Club.
Was relieved to hear the Silicon Valley Bank situation had been resolved.
Had a quick call with Jamie Beaumont of Playter.
Was pitched by Hassan Daher, CFA of Qardus.
Met my neighbour to be for a late breakfast.
Was pitched by a founder who wishes to remain anonymous.
Spoke with Matthew Codd of Cosmic Partners about the unbundled vc founder support program.
Had A Deeper Chat with 🌈 Dan Bowyer of SuperSeed.
Had an investment update call that was full of red flags.
Joined The Stage. Thank you Hector Mason for including me.
Collected my son from table tennis training.
Was gaslit by him.
Was told my head looked like a tic tac.

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

Wangie founder support

Fingers crossed this morning that the UK follows the US with action to guarantee depositors at Silicon Valley Bank.

In the meantime, Wangie.app has therapists online on-demand who can support you with as little as a 15-minute private chat as you are no doubt busy. There is also a free anonymous group chat in the Wangie.app Lounge.

They have been briefed on the situation. They can't solve it, they can help you to structure your thoughts.

Please share with anyone you feel might find this helpful.

Thank you Monika Holod for organising this.

https://www.wangie.app/

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

Evening update - 10 Mar 23

#TodayI

Shared my advice around Silicon Valley Bank.
Has an unhealthy breakfast with Barrie Baxter of Brixx Software.
Chatted with Yasir Hassan about our investment in Monika Holod of Wangie.app.
Had coffee with John O'Neill.
Met Charlie Hart and Oliver Daniel of GiveWheel.
Had coffee with Tracey Gilliland of Semper.

Have a great weekend everyone!

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

Silicon Valley Bank PSA

PSA for the few founders that haven't heard about Silicon Valley Bank.

Get your money out ASAP.

You don't want to be the cause of a bank run but it's much worse to be the last person standing.

Likely outcome - the Fed steps in and 'encourages' someone to buy them. Don't rely on this.

Future mitigation - multiple banks accounts and have them with listed businesses and watch their share prices like a hawk.

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

Evening update - 9 Mar 23

#TodayI

Flew back to Guernsey.
Shared how what I am looking for has changed given the state of the venture market.
Had my Important not Urgent day.
Had a meeting at a bank.
Had a meeting at the site of our house build.

#NowI

Have a call with Stuart Lewis of Rest Less UK.
Need to review some investment docs.

#LaterI

Am improvising my joy back with Sarah Hansmann Rouxel and you can now buy tickets for our showcase on the 23rd!
https://lnkd.in/e7HbEVB9

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

Have my metrics changed

Venture capital funding is much slower than it was 18 months ago. I was asked this week if the metrics I am looking for have changed.

Mine haven't but the market's has so I am looking for founders to have adapted.

They should assume raises will take longer, be smaller and at lower valuations. (This won't be true for all.)
They should have a plan B if they don't hit their targets.
They should aim for profitability sooner.

It doesn't matter what I want. It does matter what the market wants and that they are aware of that.

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

Evening update - 8 Mar 23

#TodayI

Was pitched by Keano Chang of iknowa.
Met a founder for coffee.
Had a high-quality coffee with Hector Mason of Episode 1 Ventures and discussed all things investing.
Met James Campbell 甘吉 and Jonny Plein of Kuai Commerce for salt beef sandwiches and chopped liver.
Shared the women in my network's International Womens Day posts.
Met another founder for coffee.
Travelled to Gatwick ahead of my early flight tomorrow.

#founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic

International Womens Day 2023

On International Women's Day 2023, it's not about me.

Rachael Crook celebrates the 80% of people working in social care who are women - https://lnkd.in/e3tFTutX
Sonia Dorais talks about the obstacle of unconscious bias - https://lnkd.in/eBMZ7Stc
Deepali Nangia thanks the modern day reformers and allies in her life - https://lnkd.in/eNNiAidV
Mae Yip gives a shout out to five incredible women who have supported and inspired her throughout her career - https://lnkd.in/eYYGJ299
Irina Agafonova celebrates all the fabulous women in her life - https://lnkd.in/eDfezvXJ
Sophie Bailey gives a shout out to her amazing co-founder Sally Page - https://lnkd.in/eryBumwu
Ella Goldner (Levy) thanks the women who've been supporting her - https://lnkd.in/egWZUkes
Yang Liu is shining a light on female founders that have created brands that we all know and love, to inspire young girls to become the entrepreneurs of tomorrow - https://lnkd.in/efnTHDDE
Jas Schembri and Jo Goodall's luna is featured in the App Store - https://lnkd.in/e_uzHMb6
Sarah Abrahams shares some of the things they do at KPMG | Acceleris to foster an equitable, inclusive culture for our own people and ensure we are set up to support founders from all backgrounds - https://lnkd.in/eHuYkdGW
Claire Stewart FRSB celebrates her co-founder Joly Fengyang Zou - https://lnkd.in/eq3ECdH5
Karolina Löfqvist is extra grateful for her team of kick-ass women - https://lnkd.in/eZ539Ne5
Chantal Epp FRSA won a Women in Innovation grant from Innovate UK - https://lnkd.in/ef8Rfzct
Hannah Sutcliffe is on a panel to discuss the interplay between innovation and diversity and inclusion - https://lnkd.in/etpGrBfa
Triin Linamagi celebrates the incredible women in her community - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/triinlinamagi_internationalwomensday-iwd-activity-7039190573685055488-g5li
Katryn Wales of UK Business Angels Association continually strives to drive change and back important initiatives that enable many more women to angel invest - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/katryn-w-382245ba_spotlighting-leading-women-angels-and-initiatives-activity-7039186687247142912-zYU4
Anne-Marie Perry celebrates being in a business that employs a majority of females who are driven to deliver quality care - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/anne-marie-perry-a2a93419_internationalwomensday-wecare-activity-7039188330483208192-3tk6
Farah Kabir talks about being proudly female founded and led and the sexism and bias they've encountered at every touchpoint of their journey - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-7039184926637740032-rQPe
Andrea Sommer wants to enable women to launch and grow their startups with proper funding and huge community support - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/andrealsommer_internationalwomensactionday-takeaction-iwd-activity-7039224626354278400-MS_u