The Syndicate

Andrew Ackerman is a successful serial entrepreneur, startup mentor, and occasional angel investor that runs Dreamit’s UrbanTech Accelerator. He work closely with Dreamit’s partners to develop and execute on their strategies for sourcing external innovation and encouraging internal innovation and helped build one of the top 10 accelerators worldwide. Listen and Learn: * The challenges with emerging market investing * What smart investors understand about timing * How accelerators compete, differentiate and win * Why B2B is generally a better business model * How angels and VCs need to think differently to drive returns * Why Dreamit focuses on health and urbantech * The problem with preventing startup problems * What seed vs series A accelerators do different * How family offices work and what to expect Andrew’s Projects: Andrew’s Angellist profile Dreamit Andrew’s blog Andrew’s Twitter: @andrewackerman Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. Andrew Ackerman is a successful serial entrepreneur, startup mentor, and occasional angel investor that runs Dreamit’s UrbanTech Accelerator. He work closely with Dreamit’s partners to develop and execute on their strategies for sourcing external innovation and encouraging internal innovation and helped build one of the top 10 accelerators worldwide. Listen and Learn: * The challenges with emerging market investing * What smart investors understand about timing * How accelerators compete, differentiate and win * Why B2B is generally a better business model * How angels and VCs need to think differently to drive returns * Why Dreamit focuses on health and urbantech * The problem with preventing startup problems * What seed vs series A accelerators do different * How family offices work and what to expect Andrew’s Projects: Andrew’s Angellist profile Dreamit Andrew’s blog Andrew’s Twitter: @andrewackerman Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Brad is a co-founder and General Partner at Primary Venture Partners (formerly High Peaks Venture Partners). He has been a venture investor since the bubble days of the late 1990s, starting his investing career with The Berkshires Capital Investors and Village Ventures. Prior to his VC career, he was a strategy consultant with Monitor Group, leading projects out of the firm’s Cambridge, South Africa, and Brazil offices. Listen and Learn: * The challenges with emerging market investing * What investors and VCs need to know about bubble and collapsese * How to balance investor expectations with founder goals * Is today a tech bubble? * How fund size affects outcomes on investment bets * Why the financial crisis was great for NYC * The one question Brad always asks founders * What founders NEED to know about VC commitment to portfolio companies Brad’s Projects: Brad’s Angellist profile Primary.vc bradsvrluga.com Brad’s Twitter: @bradsvrluga Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Brad is a co-founder and General Partner at Primary Venture Partners (formerly High Peaks Venture Partners). He has been a venture investor since the bubble days of the late 1990s, starting his investing career with The Berkshires Capital Investors and Village Ventures. Prior to his VC career, he was a strategy consultant with Monitor Group, leading projects out of the firm’s Cambridge, South Africa, and Brazil offices. Listen and Learn: * The challenges with emerging market investing * What investors and VCs need to know about bubble and collapsese * How to balance investor expectations with founder goals * Is today a tech bubble? * How fund size affects outcomes on investment bets * Why the financial crisis was great for NYC * The one question Brad always asks founders * What founders NEED to know about VC commitment to portfolio companies Brad’s Projects: Brad’s Angellist profile Primary.vc bradsvrluga.com Brad’s Twitter: @bradsvrluga Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Benjamin Joffe is a Partner at HAX, the #1 global investor in early stage hardware startups with over 200 investments. Prior to HAX he worked mostly across Asia for the past 18 years (China, Japan, Korea) in various high-tech industries: aerospace, telecom, Internet, mobile, gaming. and ran his own cross-border research & advisory firm. He is also a much sought after speaker and accomplished writer on several major publications. Listen and Learn: * How the Chinese and Asian startup ecosystems differ from the West * What the future of consumer tech and hardware looks like worldwide * Why China is the best place to build a hardware company * How to evaluate hardware startups * Thoughts on IoT business models * An unconventional approach to venture portfolio investing * Why different ecosystems and markets evolve differently * When China will pass the USA in terms of innovation * About China’s innovative “anti-advertising” business models Ben’s Projects: Ben’s Angellist profile benjaminjoffe.com HAX Accelerator – Hax.co Ben’s Twitter: @benjaminjoffe Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Benjamin Joffe is a Partner at HAX, the #1 global investor in early stage hardware startups with over 200 investments. Prior to HAX he worked mostly across Asia for the past 18 years (China, Japan, Korea) in various high-tech industries: aerospace, telecom, Internet, mobile, gaming. and ran his own cross-border research & advisory firm. He is also a much sought after speaker and accomplished writer on several major publications. Listen and Learn: * How the Chinese and Asian startup ecosystems differ from the West * What the future of consumer tech and hardware looks like worldwide * Why China is the best place to build a hardware company * How to evaluate hardware startups * Thoughts on IoT business models * An unconventional approach to venture portfolio investing * Why different ecosystems and markets evolve differently * When China will pass the USA in terms of innovation * About China’s innovative “anti-advertising” business models Ben’s Projects: Ben’s Angellist profile benjaminjoffe.com HAX Accelerator – Hax.co Ben’s Twitter: @benjaminjoffe Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Pete is a software engineer, serial founder and advisor/investor of data-backed startups with a passion building valuable resources and community for the tech community. He beliefs data sets along with advances in machine learning and neural networks are paving the way for the most significant disruption we’ve seen since the advent of the PC. Data is driving advances in AI, computer vision, autonomous vehicles, virtual assistants and the ultimate automation of work. Listen and Learn: * Why data is dead for B2C businesses * How Pete evaluates data focused startup investments * The broke angel strategy of advising startups * How to pivot a failed startup to a successful conference company * Why Pete is leveraging Angellist’s syndicate model to improve angel investing economics * How angels can build proprietary deal flow * Ways B2B businesses can build data moats Pete’s Projects: Pete’s Angellist profile Pete’s syndicate HakkaLabs.co Pete’s Twitter: @petesoder Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Pete is a software engineer, serial founder and advisor/investor of data-backed startups with a passion building valuable resources and community for the tech community. He beliefs data sets along with advances in machine learning and neural networks are paving the way for the most significant disruption we’ve seen since the advent of the PC. Data is driving advances in AI, computer vision, autonomous vehicles, virtual assistants and the ultimate automation of work. Listen and Learn: * Why data is dead for B2C businesses * How Pete evaluates data focused startup investments * The broke angel strategy of advising startups * How to pivot a failed startup to a successful conference company * Why Pete is leveraging Angellist’s syndicate model to improve angel investing economics * How angels can build proprietary deal flow * Ways B2B businesses can build data moats Pete’s Projects: Pete’s Angellist profile Pete’s syndicate HakkaLabs.co Pete’s Twitter: @petesoder Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Originally posted on mattward.io “Moving first is a tactic, not a goal….It’s much better to be a last mover.” — Peter Thiel On the surface this seems contrarian. When is being last better than being first? Steve Jobs understood this. Apple didn’t make the 1st MP3 player or the 1st smartphone. Yet in consumer tech, Apple is synonymous with both. Uber being one of the most known startups has called for plenty of media coverage over it’s success and faults but while that’s been going on a big problem has arisen. Drivers and riders have NO LOYALTY. The reason I use Uber or Lyft or any one of a dozen services is a result of price, availability, and marketing. A better offer from ANY competitor and I’m gone. Initially of course this was not an issue when they had 100% market share of the ride sharing platform, obviously that’s changed as the markets gotten saturated hence why they are in for trouble. Closing thoughts What do you think? Is Uber screwed? Would you rather run Uber or Airbnb? Can Dara save Uber from itself and its business model? These questions are not considered enough by the tech community. Uber is arguably the greatest hit in history of VC (at least of pre-IPOs). The bigger they are, the harder they fall… and the bigger their appetite. I’m bearish on Uber and incredibly bullish on Airbnb. Thoughts?… Learned something? Click the share buttons on the side to say “thanks!” and help others find this article. Originally posted on mattward.ioOriginally posted on mattward.io “Moving first is a tactic, not a goal….It’s much better to be a last mover.” — Peter Thiel On the surface this seems contrarian. When is being last better than being first? Steve Jobs understood this. Apple didn’t make the 1st MP3 player or the 1st smartphone. Yet in consumer tech, Apple is synonymous with both. Uber being one of the most known startups has called for plenty of media coverage over it’s success and faults but while that’s been going on a big problem has arisen. Drivers and riders have NO LOYALTY. The reason I use Uber or Lyft or any one of a dozen services is a result of price, availability, and marketing. A better offer from ANY competitor and I’m gone. Initially of course this was not an issue when they had 100% market share of the ride sharing platform, obviously that’s changed as the markets gotten saturated hence why they are in for trouble. Closing thoughts What do you think? Is Uber screwed? Would you rather run Uber or Airbnb? Can Dara save Uber from itself and its business model? These questions are not considered enough by the tech community. Uber is arguably the greatest hit in history of VC (at least of pre-IPOs). The bigger they are, the harder they fall… and the bigger their appetite. I’m bearish on Uber and incredibly bullish on Airbnb. Thoughts?… Learned something? Click the share buttons on the side to say “thanks!” and help others find this article. Originally posted on mattward.io

Sean Schantzen is the cofounder and CEO of the Health Rosetta Group and Institute, as well as a managing partner in their seed fund, the Quad Aim Fund. They are building an ecosystem to transform the health care system by enabling employers to change how they buy to pay less and get more. This three tiered approach allows true impact in the broken but incredibly large and profitable healthcare market. Listen and Learn: * Why Employer healthcare is the problem and the solution * What investors and startups NEED to know about healthcare * What makes a good investment in healthcare * Why most angels avoid healthcare investing * How the US could collapse on healthcare costs * Why startups succeed with horizontal expansion * How to understand true TAM healthcare * What health and humanity looks like in 10-15 years Sean’s Projects: Sean’s Angellist profile Sean’s Linkedin HealthRosetta.org Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Sean Schantzen is the cofounder and CEO of the Health Rosetta Group and Institute, as well as a managing partner in their seed fund, the Quad Aim Fund. They are building an ecosystem to transform the health care system by enabling employers to change how they buy to pay less and get more. This three tiered approach allows true impact in the broken but incredibly large and profitable healthcare market. Listen and Learn: * Why Employer healthcare is the problem and the solution * What investors and startups NEED to know about healthcare * What makes a good investment in healthcare * Why most angels avoid healthcare investing * How the US could collapse on healthcare costs * Why startups succeed with horizontal expansion * How to understand true TAM healthcare * What health and humanity looks like in 10-15 years Sean’s Projects: Sean’s Angellist profile Sean’s Linkedin HealthRosetta.org Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Leo Polovets is a software engineer turned VC and a cofounder/managing partner at a Susa Ventures, a $50m seed stage fund. He mostly focus on b2b companies that are building up strong long-term competitive advantages (network effects, proprietary datasets, economics of scale, etc.) Prior to Susa Ventures, IHewas one of the first 10 software engineers at LinkedIn and Factual, and one of the first 10,000 engineers at Google. Listen and Learn: * How to start a VC firm from scratch * The real reason every startup needs a moat * How to create pricing power and network effects * Why developers don’t invest in developer focused startups * How to build up deal flow * The impact of cryptocurrencies on network effects and traditional business models * Why being a generalist VC has its benefits * How to avoid FOMO and party rounds * Why Susa Ventures doesn’t do much technical diligence Leo’s Projects: Leo Angellist profile Leo’s Blog: codingvc.com Susa Ventures Leo’s Twitter: @lpolovets Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Leo Polovets is a software engineer turned VC and a cofounder/managing partner at a Susa Ventures, a $50m seed stage fund. He mostly focus on b2b companies that are building up strong long-term competitive advantages (network effects, proprietary datasets, economics of scale, etc.) Prior to Susa Ventures, IHewas one of the first 10 software engineers at LinkedIn and Factual, and one of the first 10,000 engineers at Google. Listen and Learn: * How to start a VC firm from scratch * The real reason every startup needs a moat * How to create pricing power and network effects * Why developers don’t invest in developer focused startups * How to build up deal flow * The impact of cryptocurrencies on network effects and traditional business models * Why being a generalist VC has its benefits * How to avoid FOMO and party rounds * Why Susa Ventures doesn’t do much technical diligence Leo’s Projects: Leo Angellist profile Leo’s Blog: codingvc.com Susa Ventures Leo’s Twitter: @lpolovets Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Ted Serbinski is an entrepreneur and early stage investor operating at the intersection of Detroit’s automotive dominance and its entrepreneurial resurgence. He is the Managing Director of Techstars Mobility, the first US startup accelerator program focused on next-generation mobility technologies. Previously, he was a Partner and founding team member of Detroit Venture Partners, a $55M seed-stage fund that has invested in 25 companies. Before moving to Detroit from San Francisco, Ted was a co-founder and CTO of ParentsClick. With the 4th largest social network and the largest blog network for moms, Lifetime Television acquired ParentsClick in 2008. Listen and Learn: * How autonomy affects the future of mobility * Why mobility is about more than just autonomous vehicles * What is wrong wtih tranditional angel investors * Why Detroit is actually a growing tech hub * What blockchain means more the transportation industry * What traveling can teach VCs about investing * How founders can avoid getting screwed on exits * Why index investing is the best bet for startups * The future of Ford, GM and more… Ted’s Projects: Ted’s Angellist profile TedSerbinski.com TechStars Ted’s Twitter: @tedserbinski Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Ted Serbinski is an entrepreneur and early stage investor operating at the intersection of Detroit’s automotive dominance and its entrepreneurial resurgence. He is the Managing Director of Techstars Mobility, the first US startup accelerator program focused on next-generation mobility technologies. Previously, he was a Partner and founding team member of Detroit Venture Partners, a $55M seed-stage fund that has invested in 25 companies. Before moving to Detroit from San Francisco, Ted was a co-founder and CTO of ParentsClick. With the 4th largest social network and the largest blog network for moms, Lifetime Television acquired ParentsClick in 2008. Listen and Learn: * How autonomy affects the future of mobility * Why mobility is about more than just autonomous vehicles * What is wrong wtih tranditional angel investors * Why Detroit is actually a growing tech hub * What blockchain means more the transportation industry * What traveling can teach VCs about investing * How founders can avoid getting screwed on exits * Why index investing is the best bet for startups * The future of Ford, GM and more… Ted’s Projects: Ted’s Angellist profile TedSerbinski.com TechStars Ted’s Twitter: @tedserbinski Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Jenny Fielding is a prolific angel investor and the Managing Director of Techstars NY, where she focuses on helping founders create the future, specifically focusing on Fintech and IoT. Prior to TechStars Jenny was in charge of  BBC’s Ventures, the BBC’s innovation and venture arm. She’s also a quite accomplished founder, building Switch-Mobile up to a pretty sizable amount before exiting in 2010. Listen and Learn: * Why every corporate should have a venture investing arm * The loneliness issue for angel investors and how to tackle it * How to be successful as a generalist investor * Why Fintech and IoT are two of the top verticals to look at * How TechStars has expanded to over 35 accelerator programs worldwide * The impact of cryptocurrencies, ICOs and equity crowdfunding platforms like Angellist have on early stage investing * Why Jenny has missed her best angel investing opportunities – funding friends * How to evaluate founders for investment * What to know about CEOs with industry experience Jenny’s Projects: Jenny’s Angellist profile TechStars Jenny’s Twitter: @jefielding Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Jenny Fielding is a prolific angel investor and the Managing Director of Techstars NY, where she focuses on helping founders create the future, specifically focusing on Fintech and IoT. Prior to TechStars Jenny was in charge of  BBC’s Ventures, the BBC’s innovation and venture arm. She’s also a quite accomplished founder, building Switch-Mobile up to a pretty sizable amount before exiting in 2010. Listen and Learn: * Why every corporate should have a venture investing arm * The loneliness issue for angel investors and how to tackle it * How to be successful as a generalist investor * Why Fintech and IoT are two of the top verticals to look at * How TechStars has expanded to over 35 accelerator programs worldwide * The impact of cryptocurrencies, ICOs and equity crowdfunding platforms like Angellist have on early stage investing * Why Jenny has missed her best angel investing opportunities – funding friends * How to evaluate founders for investment * What to know about CEOs with industry experience Jenny’s Projects: Jenny’s Angellist profile TechStars Jenny’s Twitter: @jefielding Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Oliver Mitchell has been an operator and manager of emerging technologies for over 20 years, building and selling numerous ventures, including: Holmes Protection and Americash while also launching RobotGalaxy, a national EdTech brand. He has been investing in the robotics industry for close to 10 years, with four successful exits in the past two years (including 2 IPOs). He is a member of New York Angels and co-chairs the Frontier Tech Committee. Oliver also holds 14 patents, has appeared on numerous television shows, and is a sought after speaker/syndicated writer of robotics. Listen and Learn: * Why predicting technology adoption is almost impossible * The challenge with US regulations on innovation * How autonomy and robotics will impact the future of work and jobs * Why constant education is the key to success * How investors can increase capital efficiencies * The unexpected impacts of robotics on society * Why robotics failed to take off in the past * How to build a proper venture portfolio Oliver’s Projects: Oliver’s Angellist profile Autonomy Ventures Oliver’s Twitter: @theRobotRabbi Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. Oliver Mitchell has been an operator and manager of emerging technologies for over 20 years, building and selling numerous ventures, including: Holmes Protection and Americash while also launching RobotGalaxy, a national EdTech brand. He has been investing in the robotics industry for close to 10 years, with four successful exits in the past two years (including 2 IPOs). He is a member of New York Angels and co-chairs the Frontier Tech Committee. Oliver also holds 14 patents, has appeared on numerous television shows, and is a sought after speaker/syndicated writer of robotics. Listen and Learn: * Why predicting technology adoption is almost impossible * The challenge with US regulations on innovation * How autonomy and robotics will impact the future of work and jobs * Why constant education is the key to success * How investors can increase capital efficiencies * The unexpected impacts of robotics on society * Why robotics failed to take off in the past * How to build a proper venture portfolio Oliver’s Projects: Oliver’s Angellist profile Autonomy Ventures Oliver’s Twitter: @theRobotRabbi Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Rob Go is a founding partner of NextView Ventures, a seed fund focused on consumer and the everyday economy. Based out of Boston and NYC, NextView has been leading the way on East Coast consumer innovation and built a great brand through their podcast and constant content. Prior to this, Rob worked at Spark Capital Listen and Learn: * How to go about getting a job in venture * What is the everyday economy and how is it impacting consumers * Where to look to get outsized returns * Why the venture landscape is changing with stages and rounds of funding * How to think about niche business models * What will ICOs do to VC * How to build an ecosystem around a venture firm * Why ecommerce is still an incredible opportunity * The truth about VR Rob’s Projects: Rob’s Angellist Profile NextView Ventures RobGo.or Rob’s Linkedin Twitter: @robgo Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Rob Go is a founding partner of NextView Ventures, a seed fund focused on consumer and the everyday economy. Based out of Boston and NYC, NextView has been leading the way on East Coast consumer innovation and built a great brand through their podcast and constant content. Prior to this, Rob worked at Spark Capital Listen and Learn: * How to go about getting a job in venture * What is the everyday economy and how is it impacting consumers * Where to look to get outsized returns * Why the venture landscape is changing with stages and rounds of funding * How to think about niche business models * What will ICOs do to VC * How to build an ecosystem around a venture firm * Why ecommerce is still an incredible opportunity * The truth about VR Rob’s Projects: Rob’s Angellist Profile NextView Ventures RobGo.or Rob’s Linkedin Twitter: @robgo Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Originally posted on mattward.io Those words terrify entrepreneurs. You get one chance to make a first impression. And fear of failure often ruins that. Overconfidence is equally harmful though. And one way or another, most startups screw this up. It isn’t easy. It isn’t hard either though. Short, sweet and to the point. That is what you should be aiming for. “I help startups grow, scale and find funding.” … that is okay. It gets the point across. But it isn’t quite specific enough. You need to do better. Who is your target customer? Identify them. There are NO mass market products or problems. Trying to please everyone pleases no one. You NEED an initial base of target customers or you won’t succeed. For me, I advise and invest in early stage tech startups… But every company is kind of a startup. Heck, Gmail was in beta mode for years. So when does a startup stop being a startup and start being a company? Is Airbnb a startup? Google? Uber… You need to be specific. You need to be something for someone or you are just nothing for everyone. Find your niche and fill it. Become a badass in that space, then and only then can your company think of expanding to serve a larger market. How you help is important too Con artists overpromise. Entrepreneurs do the same. In essence we are all salesmen. But to sell, you can’t smell like bullshit. Bold claims better be backed up by something cause these days investors won’t fall for anything. An idea and fancy pitch deck won’t get you funded. This isn’t the 90s. A catchy idea needs a clear business model and strong team to back it up. How do I help startups? How do you help your customers? That is the question every startup MUST answer in their pitch. The devil is really in the details. You could take 10 minutes to explain your company, or you could take 10 seconds. Attention spans being what they are, you need to hammer home fast. You have 10 seconds to grab my attention, 30 seconds to wow me… What is your plan? Source: MindfulMooves Elevator Pitch Examples: Slack — We help businesses and organizations communicate with a simple chat interface. Uber — We help individuals get from A to Z with a simple ride sharing app. Amazon — We help people buy and sell things online. Facebook — We help individuals stay connected and share experiences online. It can be that simple. We help X achieve Y. That is the formula to start any pitch. It grabs your attention and instantly explains your business. It isn’t overly detailed but it covers the basics, who and how. Your pitch should change depending on your audience. What about Why? Why you are building this business is often key. Why determines whether investors and employees get on board. And fyi, to make a lot of money isn’t a good reason. It does not drive emotions, only dollars. And WHY is what drives you. Passionate entrepreneurs solving personal or large scale problems are more driven and motivated to win. They deal with the highs and lows of entrepreneurship and keep fighting. Folks looking for the quick cash don’t. As an investor/advisor, I avoid the latter. The money matters. It matters a lot. But without a bigger driver your business will almost surely stall. And burnout can be a big problem. [LIKE THIS ARTICLE SO FAR? THEN YOU’LL REALLY WANT TO SIGN UP FOR MY NEWSLETTER OVER HERE — AND GET SOME FREE BONUSES!] Your company should be a mission. What is your vision of the world? What are you working to create? This captivates people.

SC Moatti is a technology visionary, entrepreneur and investor (. She is the founding partner of Mighty Capital, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm, and Products That Count, a global community of product managers, leaders and founders. Previously, she built products that billions of people use at Facebook, Nokia and Electronic Arts. Listen and Learn: * How startups should design funnels * The strategies pros use for user acquisition and growth hacking * What is wrong with most network effects * Why investing is exponentially more impactful * How to to think about marketplace businesses * What VCs can do to add tangible value to teams * How investors should think about portfolio management * Why AI is overhyped and a ways off * The right way to think about unit economics SC’s Projects: Mighty.Capital scmoatti.com Products that Count Twitter: @scmoatti Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. SC Moatti is a technology visionary, entrepreneur and investor (. She is the founding partner of Mighty Capital, a Silicon Valley venture capital firm, and Products That Count, a global community of product managers, leaders and founders. Previously, she built products that billions of people use at Facebook, Nokia and Electronic Arts. Listen and Learn: * How startups should design funnels * The strategies pros use for user acquisition and growth hacking * What is wrong with most network effects * Why investing is exponentially more impactful * How to to think about marketplace businesses * What VCs can do to add tangible value to teams * How investors should think about portfolio management * Why AI is overhyped and a ways off * The right way to think about unit economics SC’s Projects: Mighty.Capital scmoatti.com Products that Count Twitter: @scmoatti Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.

Source: FanArt Originally posted on mattward.io Get rich or die trying — that’s a common mantra among entrepreneurs, gangsters and drug dealers. I know that was my mindset. How can I hustle my way to a million bucks? That was the question I asked myself every day, and night. Looking back, this was the wrong question to ask. But as Kanye says: “Money ain’t everything, not having it is” — Kanye West When you’re broke and need a quick buck fast, nothing else matters. Food, shelter, survival… these are all dependent on wealth. And the poor rarely plan in advance — it is all hand to fist. Short term cash vs. long term success After graduating college I moved to Southeast Asia to save money. In “digital nomad” hubs like Chiang Mai, Thailand and Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, I easily get by on $1000/mo. That drastically increased my runway to figure out what I was doing. Living among hustlers, I quickly learned the world of internet marketing. I saw the fads, the trends, the ups and downs and the “success” of many lifestyle businesses. After building the #1 crowdfunding podcast (only to realize that people looking to raise money couldn’t pay), I subsequently sold the business to an agency. They monetized better, dealing with professional creators looking to raise $100k+. As for me, I’m not an agency guy (not a great manager and hate dealing with clients). The Amazon “pivot” It wasn’t exactly a pivot, but I followed the money. I saw folks preaching Amazon FBA (fulfilled by amazon) as the business of the future. Just source and manufacture products, sell on Amazon and you’re set — and here is XYZ course on how to make millions. Like many struggling for dough, I was intrigued. While in China designing a convertible laptop case/standing desk hybrid, I decided to give FBA a go. With weeks between finished prototypes, living on the couch with 3 Chinese roommates I’d met online (that didn’t speak any English), I had some free time. I researched the market, found a niche and got started on Amazon. Things went fast. Prior to launch I’d listened to every podcast and read every guide about selling on Amazon (this was spring of 2015). After launching my 1st product and pushing the limit on rules and algorithms, my sales started to take off. I was quickly overwhelmed and needed to scale up. What started as an $8k investment in product quickly became a thriving business, fueled by Amazon. I started the FBA ALLSTARS podcast, an avenue to share my story and strategies and get consulting clients. That quickly grew that to a top 3 show. And I needed a tagline, so I said “Step One to 7 Figures.” I set a crazy goal of a 7 figure exit after only a year…. And I somehow pulled it off. There was just one problem…. The shortsighted gold rush I thought I had it all figured out. I’d built a successful, profitable business. I’d built a top podcast that more than covered my expenses (allowing me to re-invest 100% into the business). But I was so dumb… The big money isn’t in the business, it is in the tools. As a seller and a podcaster, I used tools to run my business and manage a large operation with a small staff. And I profited as an affiliate, recommending the tools I loved — the money was good. But the better business was the software (or scammy make money online courses which I’d never touch). Many of my “friends” in the business built very successful SaaS companies, practically overnight. I helped sellers with SaaS products go from beta to 1000s of monthly paying customers, shortsightedly missing the opportunity. And the Amazon opportunity was and is enormous. But I missed the jackpot, because I couldn’t see the big picture…. $100, $200, $500k MRR — I know and helped at least a dozen startups hit these and higher milestones....

Michael Weiksner is the founder of Rostrum Capital, a VC fund focused next generation of platform companies that is also building out a crypto division to focus on disruptive blockchain opportunities. Previously he raised over $2.5mm for EndlessTV, an innovative mobile video app that was the first mobile app to provide swipeable shopping. Prior to that, Michael founded e-thePeople, a non for profit to help citizens participate in politics through technology which helped over 10mm voters. Listen and Learn: * Why technology didn’t solve politics problems * Why most ICOs are junk and blockchain will disrupt everything * What to think about before investing in cryptocurrencies * The problem conventional startups have with raising follow on funding * How ICOs are impacting startups and venture capital * Why the US political system could cause catastrophic failure * How hedge funds should view crypto * The big picture on cryptocurrencies and blockchain Michael’s Projects: Michael’s Angellist profile Rostrum Capital Michael’s blog Michael’s Twitter: @weiks Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow. Michael Weiksner is the founder of Rostrum Capital, a VC fund focused next generation of platform companies that is also building out a crypto division to focus on disruptive blockchain opportunities. Previously he raised over $2.5mm for EndlessTV, an innovative mobile video app that was the first mobile app to provide swipeable shopping. Prior to that, Michael founded e-thePeople, a non for profit to help citizens participate in politics through technology which helped over 10mm voters. Listen and Learn: * Why technology didn’t solve politics problems * Why most ICOs are junk and blockchain will disrupt everything * What to think about before investing in cryptocurrencies * The problem conventional startups have with raising follow on funding * How ICOs are impacting startups and venture capital * Why the US political system could cause catastrophic failure * How hedge funds should view crypto * The big picture on cryptocurrencies and blockchain Michael’s Projects: Michael’s Angellist profile Rostrum Capital Michael’s blog Michael’s Twitter: @weiks Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.