M13’s Post

No body, i repeat, nobody owes you anything. If you have a bad business or less fortunate business, go ahead and learn from the bests on Youtube, Watch Y Combinator Sequoia Capital Founder Institute videos, Launch companies. Fail fast. Learn from your mistakes. Come back, above all, be back, stronger, bolder, more confident, to kick ass... Eventually you'll make it, one way or the other. - You'll know what your users want after countless AB Testings - You'll be able to identify good GTMs, at least you can learn based on examples - You'll understand key metrics to track, play with, and adjust to market conditions - You'll know what to spend your time on, how to delegate, oursource and focus on big picture - Ideally, you won't need VCs/Angels, you can do it on your own with minimum expenses. I am super happy to announce that we are teaming up with West Coast Ventures to help them not only with their financial modeling but also, with the help of Jack Bronson and Brendan Stock 🔜 Gamescom, we are empowering, supporting, and integrating our partner companies into the tribe network to make a social impact. Victoria Pecherska Maria Lapina Machtild Brenholc

It’s a common adage that Hardware founders are playing the game on “hard mode” but is that really true? Legendary Silicon Valley investor Peter Relan joined me on CLIMB last month as we interrogated the commonly held beliefs about hardware investing and why it scares a lot of VCs away from hardware and hard tech. Personally, I think if you have a hardware founder, building with eyes wide open about the challenges ahead of them, and they choose to do it *anyway* you’re backing an individual with a level of conviction that just can’t be taught. It's why we at VSC Ventures don’t shy away from hardware — whether in PaintJet, Presso®, Glacier, GaeaStar, or Sesame Solar. In fact just the opposite. We’re confident that the next decade of unicorns will come from founders building vertical solutions in legacy industries that have remained under-digitized and under-invested. You can hear Peter and I chat about what it actually means to be ‘eyes wide open’ as a hardware founder in 2024 on our latest episode:

How much can you realistically raise? 🤔 Antler came up with a clean table with two dimensions, founder pedigree and traction, which is helpful. 💡 Having a semi-validated product regarding desirability, viability, and feasibility always wins more attention. The less traction you have, the more founder pedigree is needed, but traction always beats founder pedigree if your product can solve a problem ten times better, cheaper, faster even better! 🚀 Happy New Year! 🎉 #innovation #raisingcapital #startupfunding

Here’s to new ventures in 2024

For founders and investors who want to know how we're cultivating a venture community: 1. Start with a "friends first, business second" culture. 2. Maintain intentional criteria on who can join. 3. Curate events and matchmaking to help people connect authentically. 4. Layer in edu curriculum and resources to support companies. 5. Establish partnerships with investor networks to co-host events, co-create content, and share investment opportunities. Read specifics in our new deck: https://lnkd.in/gcqebd7J Leave a comment: What do you think is a necessary ingredient for a venture community? 👇

We wired our 300th SPV this week via Riverside Ventures 💰💸📈 This does not include deals I have co-syndicated, as most know this is a model I am bullish on and expands the exposure for LPs. I’m not going to do a “10 key learnings from 300 SPV’s” post, ya know… all that stuff you’re supposed to do or whatever here. I cover it weekly via Last Money In Media 🙂 The best curated syndicated deals for accredited investors can now be found via Deal Sheet (our new, paid product). Feeling very motivated from the 300 deals we’ve done! Excited for the next 300 SPV’s and awesome founders/companies to back ahead! We don’t lead rounds or set terms but we are definitely open for business. Onwards & upwards for Riverside Ventures, Last Money In Media, and Deal Sheet...

Facing bigger problems means you’re growing, and with Cardone Ventures, you’re not alone. When you come and work with my team and I, we will give you the confidence and the tools that you need in order to see that 20-30% growth in your business over 9 months Every business experiences challenges, but having the right team by your side makes all the difference 🚀🔟❌

Will you be our next tech investment? Take the first few steps: 🔍 Read below 🔍 Check out the investment focus of the ACTIVE Fund: https://lnkd.in/gRMBXzP8 #BreakingBarriers #BuildingBridges #KickstartVentures

Forum Ventures' The Midnight Text shares our POV on the early stage journey, for founders by people that get it. The most recent newsletter hones in on a topic I live and breathe every day - the importance of the founding team. Here's a highlight: "A lot of founders over-index on presenting the business, but you are just as important to the story." Don't miss out. 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/gfgnZDUU

The essence of ICEO's venture building model can be captured by these key principles 💡 • Pragmatism: We make decisions grounded in reality, building technology companies that address genuine market needs with proven business models. • Professionalism: Our approach is rooted in professionalism. We maintain a healthy emotional attachment to our ideas, enabling us to pivot or discard them swiftly if they do not align with our goals. • Passion: Passion drives us to select businesses we truly care about. We commit fully to their success, ensuring our dedication translates into tangible results. Interested in joining us on the journey of building successful ventures? Learn more about our approach here 🔗 iceo.co/for-investors