When *Not* To Go for VC Funding with Alex Axentiev, Co-Founder of HedgeFlows

[00:01:00] Jared's Journey from sales to building a thriving community of 45,000 revenue professionals and how community saved his life.[00:10:00] What makes for a successful B2B community and when companies should think of creating one[00:14:00] The Collab: Jared’s New Initiative - a newsletter and community for collaborative growth. How Collab connects creatives, founders and fractionals with founders.[00:22:00] Challenges and Misconceptions in Community Building[00:32:00] Audience building as the new go-to-marketLinksBook recommendation: Presence process By Michael BrownJoin the RevGenius community to connect with like-minded professionals.Subscribe to the Collab newsletter for insights on collaborative growth.Follow Jared Robin on LinkedIn for more updates and advice on community building.

[2:15] From Classical Music to Tech StartupAnnu discusses her transition from a classical musician to founding a technology company, highlighting the unexpected path from arts to entrepreneurship.[12:25] Understanding the Upright Project's Impact ModelA deeper dive into how the Upright Project measures the net impact of companies, using tangible examples to illustrate their methodology.[23:05] Brand Building in the Sustainability SpaceAnnu shares her thoughts on the intricacies of brand building within the sustainability industry and how it differs from other sectors.[29:52] The Decision to Operate as a For-Profit InitiativeAnnu explains the rationale behind choosing a for-profit model for the Upright Project, emphasizing the need for practical impact over academic pursuits..[35:49] Personal Insights: Books, Cities, and Productivity TipsRapid-fire round with Annu, uncovering personal preferences and sources of inspiration.LinksThe Upright ProjectBook recommendation: The Non-violent communication 

2:16 - Path from operator to angel investor to Atomico scout19:09 - Advice on early stage marketingMarketing focus by stage of growthHow do you balance performance marketing and brand/organic marketing?How do you balance the marketing for end-users vs decision makers?Common mistakes 80% of founders make - working as siloed teamsResource for angel investingVentures TogetherAlma AngelsSeae VenturesBook recommendation: On Identity by Amin Maalouf

Guerson Meyer, Co-Founder & Technology Officer of Sophiq Properties, a PropTech company talks about how he uses no-code solutions at Sophiq Properties to locate, evaluate and validate properties in real-time, adapting to the needs of each investment.  In 2023 alone,  they will complete 16 operations totalling 30 million euros. Hear in detail what no-code tools he used to build his core business.

Why all SaaS companies should implement usage-based pricing andHow to run a successful design partner program with your customers to build your early MVP

[1:49] - Why not having domain expertise can sometimes help entrepreneurs[5:45] - Defining your ICP[8:31] - Determining your MVP[13:06] - Funding your seed and lessons learnt from raising too early.[22:48] - GTM[30:11] - Building a team and culture; it starts first with language.[40:20] - Culture first hiring tipsLinksCompany: Digitail.ioGuest: Sebastian GaborBook link: Never Split the difference, Chris Voss

[2:16] - 20 years and starting a company in Estonia[5:08] - Angel investing and what to look for?[10:01] - First CIO of Estonia[16:59] - Koos - what is it and why is it important[29:04] - Advice for other entrepreneurs[31:35] - ChatGPT and the future[33:09] - HK Unicorn squad and LinksKoosSponsors:ChargebeeE-residency

[2:00] - How the SVB crisis unfolded at Payhawk[6:23] - The 3 most important ingredients for building a successful unicorn[16:19] - Validating your company idea[18:19] - 60 rejections. How Payhawk overcame the biggest objection from VCs[28:35] - Leading through crisis[31:54] - Competition - Use data not marketing to assess competition[36:18] - Trends in Fintech: the payment gapCompany link:PayhawkBook recommendation:Proving Ground: The Inside Story of the 1998 Sydney to Hobart Boat Race

[2:24] - Journey to starting Seedstars[5:31] - Investing and not being local[10:27] - Seedstars programs[13:28] - Investor returns from emerging markets[19:06] - Challenges[25:12] - Advice for entrepreneurs [27:16] - Advice for investorsLinksSeedstarsBook: Where the crawdads sing

[3:16] - Hedgeflows: Managing risk and automating payment runs for SMEs [9:51] - Advice for finding early product market fit[16:39] - How to attract talent in early stages without brand or VC backing[19:07] - Knowing your investor’s incentivesLinks:HedgeFlowsBooks:Disciplined Entrepreneurship: 24 steps to successful startup by Bill Aulet