How To Learn To Pitch

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Pitching is a key skill in startup fundraising.

Here are some key steps to learn how to pitch:

Consider taking classes and tutorials.

There are many tools now available online.

Consider signing up for a Toastmasters class.

This gives you the opportunity to speak to a group and then gain feedback.

The best way to learn how to pitch is to practice often.

Practice both by yourself and with others to gain their assessment.

Also, it helps to listen to other pitches.

One can learn a great deal about pitching just by listening to good and bad ones.

After each pitch, make a list of what was good and how it could be improved.

Finally, the best way to master a subject is to teach it.

In medical school, they have a motto: see one, do one, teach one.

The repetition and having to explain it to others drive the development of the skill.

Consider these steps in learning how to pitch.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let's go startup something today.

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Stick With It

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Launching a startup is hard work.

The hours are long, and there are many obstacles to overcome.

The key to a successful startup is not funding from investors, but rather founders who stick with it.

Losing faith in the business is the first step toward shutting down.

To avoid this, consider the following:

Find a source of revenue to keep the lights on.

Even if this means moving into consulting, training, or other ancillary services.

Have a backup plan if the proposed product doesn't work.

Keep costs low and manageable in the early stages of the business until the product gains traction.

Have a scaled-back version of the startup ready in case the unexpected happens.

Don't be afraid to pivot the business to something else in case the technology or market proves to be unviable.

During difficult times, narrow the focus of the solution to meet just a few customers.

It's better to have a small number using your product than a large number ignoring it.

The business can live to see another day as long as the founding team stays with the business.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let's go startup something today.

_________________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
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Core Skills for Startup Founders

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Startup founders are successful because they execute.

Many founders have ideas, but the execution separates the winners from the losers.

Here are the core skills of a startup founder:

They pick an idea and drive it all the way through to successful completion.

They launch the startup and then proceed to stand up the business.

They raise the funding to grow it.

They build a team and galvanize them into action.

They create products to sell.

They close customers to buy.

They make the hard decisions and tradeoffs that come with a new business venture.

They actively run the business to achieve a successful outcome.

They deal with the customers, vendors, partners, and other players.

They drive the business forward to an outcome.

In short, they execute at each step.

In funding a startup founder, look at their ability to execute rather than ideate.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let's go startup something today.

_________________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

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What Makes for a Great Angel Investor

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

What makes for a great angel investor is a great fit for the startup.

An angel is a great fit for the startup if they meet the following criteria:

They have knowledge of your industry and can explain the insights into how it works.

They have run or invested in startups similar to yours, so they know the pitfalls and the challenges already.

They know people in the industry they can ask to be team and board members.

They know the investors in the industry and can reach out to them with their connections.

They know the customers in the industry and how to approach them.

They know the product landscape and can define a path to a successful product design.

They know the developers in the industry and can help attract them to the startup.

They know the regulators in the industry and how to work with them.

They know the potential partners in the industry and can open a dialogue with them.

In short, a great angel investor is one who knows your startup's industry very well and connects you with it.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let's go startup something today.

_________________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

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What Are FormDs?

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In the startup funding world, there's an SEC registration called a FormD.

A FormD is an SEC filing for those who raised funding under Regulation D rules.

It's a public notice indicating an investment has been made.

For companies receiving the funding, it lists the names or entities that made the investment.

It must be filed within 15 days of the funding.

For most startups, this is the date of final closing.

FormDs are a good resource to track funding events.

While there is some basic information about the company in a RegD, investors can find more information about it on online sites.

This came out of the Securities Act of 1934, which sought to provide more information to investors about a private company

Investments using Reg D require the investor to be accredited.

This limits the investment to those who have sufficient funds to cover potential losses.

Consider FormDs in your startup research.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let's go startup something today.

_________________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
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In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall Martin welcomes Devin Baker, a writer, investor, and the founder of Comma Partners. Devin shares his journey into the world of crypto starting from 2020, his fascination with blockchain technology, and why he believes it's a transformative force similar to the internet.

He discusses the foundation and vision of Comma Partners, a fund investing in crypto, and how he perceives the intersection of community, technology, capital, and culture within the crypto realm. Devin elaborates on the evolving role of crypto as both a financial and cultural asset class, providing insights into prediction markets and the broader impacts of blockchain technology on coordination and efficiency in various sectors.

He also touches on the significant regulatory changes occurring in the space, the growth of stablecoins, and the potential for a fully crypto economy facilitated by demographic shifts and a massive upcoming wealth transfer from boomers to millennials. The episode wraps up with reflections on the necessary improvements in the crypto space to ensure its safe and productive growth.

Reach out to at devin@comma.org, and on x.com/devbakes

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For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
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For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/
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How To Fund an Angel Network

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Running an angel network requires a source of revenue just like a startup.

Here are some ways to fund an angel network:

Charge membership dues.

This is the most common form of revenue for an angel group.

Charging the members generates more participation.

This helps generate more funding for the startups.

Charge sponsors.

This can be a good way to supplement the income of the group.

Sponsors can provide additional services, such as legal and financial.

Too many sponsors can distract from the process.

Grants.

City and state grants are good for launching an angel network.

Grants are one-time payments, so it's difficult to sustain a group on it.

Entrepreneur application fees.

Charging the startups to pay to apply can generate substantial revenue.

This reduces weak deals and those that are too early for the group.

Angel groups don't need a great deal of income to sustain operations.

Most are set up as not-for-profit entities.

Consider these sources of revenue for your angel group.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let's go startup something today.

_________________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

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How To Get a Meeting With an Investor

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In raising funding, startup founders must identify and contact many investors.

Here are some key steps to getting a meeting with an investor.

Research the target investor to identify what they are interested in.

This could be a specific industry or sector.

For general investors, focus on the top three sectors in favor at the time.

Find a connection between the investor's target sector and your startup.

Pull together research from your startup to show the current state of the industry.

Perform additional research to show trends, including what is coming up and what is going away.

Identify those companies that are doing well and those that are declining.

Show the why behind the change.

Investors look for research to inform their decisions.

Approach them to share your research results with information they can use in their investment decisions.

Offer to share your research with no ask.

This starts the relationship and lets you build on it.

Once established, you can pitch your deal as the investor knows and has the context of the sector.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let's go startup something today.

_________________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

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