Shubhankar Bhattacharya’s Post

We decided to go really off-script and do a documentary series on everything that has gone into building Foundamental . Only the fabulous folks at Bricks & Bytes Martin Piekarz Owen Drury could have done justice to our story and we are thrilled to bits that we get to share it with the world ! The world of AEC Tech has levelled up significantly since we started, and we are proud that many of our portfolio companies across the globe have played a seminal role in this inflection. It has been a brilliant ride thus far, but we are still only just getting on our journey !

A Prime Number is a concept that is simple to explain and yet becomes deceptively difficult (or rather, impossible ?!) to list as a progression. But what might Prime Numbers have in common with Startups and Founders that succeed at scale ? It turns out that there are surprising parallels between Prime Numbers and Execution Moats (Yes, there is such a thing as an Execution Moat. In fact, it might be the deepest/widest of moats out there). Watch/Listen to our latest episode on the Practical Nerds podcast as Patric and I take a more philosophical route to discuss why Execution Moats are such a superpower.

Every founder knows which metrics hold the keys to their success, and also the best way to measure, report and present them. - Said no VC ever ! In our latest episode on the Practical Nerds podcast, Patric and I go through which metrics we use to judge different kinds of Construction-tech businesses, and why they matter. And to all my dear marketplace founders, I do hope you watch till the very end ! 😉

Thank you Martin Piekarz Owen Drury Bricks & Bytes for hosting Altaf Ganihar and me on the very first episode of Groundbreakers. Altaf Ganihar was one of the very first founders I spoke with when we started Foundamental and it has been awe-inspiring to witness Snaptrude's rise ever since. We are proud to be early investors in Snaptrude and are very grateful for the opportunity to recount our journey.

TAM (Total Addressable Market) is one of the first things you (should) learn to respect as a VC or Founder as it defines the ceiling of how large a company can get. Or does it ? What if I told you that there are a number of mature, publicly-listed companies whose valuation / market cap far exceeds their TAM ? No, I am not talking of the Magnificent 7, but of a set of building material brands with uniquely valuable characteristics. This week on the Practical Nerds podcast, Patric and I discuss the TAM-defying opportunity that new ventures in Building Material brands represent.

Even after all these years, and having evaluating thousands of deals, I am constantly surprised by the power of reference checks (in all of their many wonderful forms) to provide real-world validation to a hypothesis, and (in a few rare cases) pre-emptively reveal shocking surprises that I was glad to have uncovered in time. It is one of the essentials in the toolkit of a VC diligence done right, and yet is discussed surprisingly little. In our latest episode on the Practical Nerds podcast,Patric and I attempt to uncover what reference checks are all about, and the nuances of reference checks when it comes to Construction-tech companies. I am sure you will enjoy this one. Do give it a watch/listen and share your comments.

How should Construction-tech founders "prepare" for a crisis or an unexpected adverse event ? Thats the question Patric and I answer in our latest episode on the Practical Nerds podcast. Check it out and share your comments below !

In our latest episode on the Practical Nerds podcast, Patric and I discuss an aspect of starting up that affects every start-up (and should affect every conversation with a VC) but remains scarily opaque and under-appreciated. We go through why the extent and nature of a company's burn is reflective of how good/bad the company is at Capital allocation and delivering a Return on Investment, and why this becomes even more existential for AECS companies. Check out the episode and follow our podcast !

In our latest episode on the Practical Nerds podcast, Patric and I talk about our earned learnings on how founders (and other VCs) should choose the right (Co)Investors for their startup (Construction-tech or otherwise). Which of these do you agree with ? What did we miss ?

In our latest episode on the Practical Nerds podcast, Patric and I go through our community letter at Foundamental as we continue on our mission of building a legendary vertical investment firm. This episode is best enjoyed as a Video experience, especially if you are a founder building the next Vertical Singularity.