Ep 73 - Winning Grants, Landing VCs and Building in Deep Tech, with Elise Strobach

In this episode of Invisible Ink, Eileen Tanghal, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Black Opal Ventures, joins Shubha Chakravarthy for a deep dive into how founders can better understand venture capital beyond just fundraising and what truly drives VC decision-making.Eileen reveals what founders often miss: that VCs are entrepreneurs too, managing their own businesses with investor expectations and partnership dynamics. She outlines how founders should think more like CEOs—understanding venture returns, fund dynamics, and how their startup fits into the investor’s portfolio strategy. Tune in for Eileen's insights on: How VC fundable opportunities are bornHow to get on the same page with a VC instantlyThe three layers of VC decision making most founders don't knowWhat drives the decision: inescapable VC math it pays for you to knowHow VCs really evaluate your financial modelInside tips on what makes your roadmaps credible to a VCHow TAM, SAM SOM play into a VC's funding decisionWhat VC's look for when assessing your milestonesThe real test of whether you have a great team, as a VC sees itHow to demonstrate credibility even if you've never built a startup or raised funding beforeThree top takeaways you can implement tomorrowand much more!

In this episode, Hanna Wu, co-founder and CEO of Amplify, joins Shubha Chakravarthy to share her journey building a customer-centric, digital life insurance platform focused on wealth accumulation.Tune in to listen to the inspiring journey that took Hanna from running her own financial planning firm to founding the company that has been dubbed a future unicorn by TRAC. Check out Hanna's insights on:What it takes to disrupt a legacy industryHow to take the simple but powerful steps to validate your market and demandHow to craft a killer value proposition in a competitive fieldHow to find the right customer segments to break into a tough businessHow to adapt product offers with changing demandThe secret formula to tackle market changes in any industry, and the one capability that you can't do withoutHow to prepare for unexpected changes in the fundraising market, and the surprising impacts you must be prepared to faceWhat it really means to hire an A-team, and how to ensure you're getting the best people on board for the long haulThe one type of investor you really can't do without, and why they matterRoad-tested tips to prepare yourself for the long-haul, especially if you want to have a life outside your startup.and much more!

In this episode, Ingrid Bonde Åkerlind joins Shubha Chakravarthy to unravel the complexities of pricing for early-stage startups, especially in the world of SaaS and “XaaS” business models.Tune in to hear Ingrid's reflections on her unexpected journey into pricing, starting from scratch in a C2C marketplace to making investment decisions with a venture capital firm. Ingrid shares powerful insights about price inertia, customer psychology, and how anchoring and framing play critical roles in both B2B and B2C contexts. Don't miss her practical and actionable insights on:Why pricing is often the orphan function in early-stage startups—and why it shouldn't be.The psychological biases that impact pricing—across both B2C and B2B markets.Why SaaS and XaaS pricing models are harder than they look.Key differences in pricing strategy for early-stage versus mature startups.How to use customer interviews for pricing research—even without hard data.Why pricing isn't just about the number, but about picking the right value metric.Best practices for testing different pricing models with early customers.Practical tips for reviewing and iterating on your pricing regularly.and much more!

In this episode, Elise Strobach, co-founder and CEO of AeroShield, joins Shubha Chakravarthy to share her journey from lab discovery to clean tech startup founder. Drawing on her experience as a mechanical engineering PhD at MIT, Elise discusses how a breakthrough in transparent silica aerogels evolved into a venture-backed company tackling one of the world’s biggest energy inefficiencies—heat loss through windows.Tune in to listen to Elise's thoughtful and actionable takes on:How the path to commercialization happens in the real worldThe big, unsuspected factor that can make your breakthrough marketableKey pivot points that drive commercialization impact in the research phase, and how to capitalize on themHow to do customer interviews the right wayThe surprising secret to making your innovation attractive in the commercial marketWhat big adverse events can teach you, and how to turn them to your advantageA killer strategy to optimize your grant outcomesHow to use grant applications to also build customer traction How to build your execution roadmap when dealing with uncertain funding outcomesA secret to overcome imposter syndromeand much more!

In this episode, Maja Voje, go-to-market strategist, author, and growth expert, joins Shubha Chakravarthy to unpack the real essence of go-to-market (GTM) strategy—far beyond the buzzword.Drawing from her extensive experience advising startups and corporates alike, Maja reveals her tested GTM framework, rooted in experimentation, structured thinking, and real market insights. She breaks down the six mission-critical elements of GTM: understanding the market and competition, defining your early customer profile (ECP), building value-aligned products, crafting sharp positioning and messaging, pricing based on perceived value and evidence, and finally, setting up scalable growth and sales channels. Check out her information-packed, tested and foolproof views on:How to define and validate your go-to-market strategy early onWhy “launch” is not the same as go-to-market, and why that mattersHow to pick your beachhead market and early customer profile (ECP)How to think about your product in a way that  improves the odds of product market fitWhat product-market fit actually looks like in the real worldWhy pricing isn’t just about numbers and what to focus on in setting priceHow to position your product to stand out (without overthinking it)How to choose and sequence your growth channelsThe top 3 actions for founders rethinking their GTM strategyand much more!

What if the way we think about building a business is fundamentally flawed? In this epsiode, Heidi Neck, a leading voice in entrepreneurship education, shares actionable insights from her extensive research and experience, emphasizing that "organizations are not entrepreneurial, people are".Whether you're navigating a high-growth startup or seeking to instill innovation within an established company, you'll gain practical tools. Learn to apply the Entrepreneurial Thought & Action (ET&A) methodology, master the art of "affordable loss," and understand why a "quilting" approach can be more effective than following a rigid "puzzle". This conversation is a masterclass in cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset, led by an educator who is shaping the future of the field.   Tune in to listen to Heidi's views on:Why business plans don't work, and how to do betterThe real inner game of entrepreneurship, and how to cultivate it.The make-or-break differences most founders overlook.The powerful ET&A method Finding your sweet spot in the face of uncertainty.How to launch and grow, even without funding.The "affordable loss" concept: A risk-reducing mindset shift for smarter decisions.Why negative feedback is your secret weapon.The counterintuitive habit that fuels rapid progress.Embracing the "direction over plan" philosophy for greater agility.Using puzzles and quilts to build your entrepreneurial superpowersThe 3 investor questions you MUST answer to unlock capital.and much more!

In this captivating episode, we sit down with Maria L. Maccecchini, a force of nature in the world of biotech, to explore her inspiring journey from a Ph.D. scientist to a successful entrepreneur.  Maria shares her passion for developing innovative treatments for neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and the realities of navigating the complex terrain of funding, clinical trials, and FDA approvals.Check out her fascinating journey across two continents founding a successful startup, her journey to wealth, and her subsequent decision to plunge back into the world of entrepreneurship. Check out her fascinating insights on:How innovation works in pharma and why it matters to life sciences entrepreneursHow success and wealth play out in life sciences and what it means to foundersThe unexpected lessons from repeat entrepreneurship in life sciencesWhy VC funding is challenging to raise in life sciences startupsHow unexpected shocks from bad actors in the system can derail your startup, and how to tackle themThe nuts of bolts of getting FDA approval, and the factors that make it challengingWhy life sciences entrepreneurs decide to IPOThe challenges of being a public life sciences company CEO, and tips on handling the jobPersonal lessons from a lifetime of curiosity and play that anyone can follow. and much more!

In this episode of Invisible Ink, we talk with deep tech expert Dr. Tanya Ramond, an expert in taking deep tech startups to market. check out Tanya's insightful and actionable insights on:Why commercializing deep tech is challengingThe one mindset shift technical founders  must make to succeedHow to leverage the biggest element of your technical education to drive your startup's successA simple approach to mastering new skillsHow to overcome the lone wolf mentality and activate progressThe secret to finding the best market for your innovationHow to bridge the gap from lab to marketInsider tips to successfully cross the "Valley of Death"How to design successful pilots for funding and tractionThe trick to engaging with the right industry acceleratorsHow to build the right team for your deep tech startupHow to demonstrate traction to investors with your deep tech startupand much more!

In this episode, Patricia Liu, an MIT-educated computer scientist turned angel investor and Stanford lecturer, shares her diverse career journey—from consulting at Accenture to working in Michelin-starred kitchens and now teaching pitch decks to startup founders.Patricia shared her  takes on the common threads across her careers, the core elements that stay constat regatdless of what endeavor you're engaged in. Check out her thoughtful and unique views on:How to set up your pitch so investors pay attention from the first slideThe one thing that makes your pitch unforgettable to investorsWhat the best pitches have in common, even when they describe complex technologies The one underrated activity that can make or break your funding chancesHow to build trust and keep investors hooked with this simple hackHow to really demonstrate a big and credible competitive edgeThe one thing that can kill your pitch—and how to avoid itSimple tools that can  turn complex ideas into instant investor buy-inThe simple activity anyone can do to expose the weak spots you never noticedHow to make your deck stand out in a sea of forgettable pitchesand much more!

In this episode of Invisible Ink, Eva Doss, president and CEO of The LaunchPlace, discusses her work in venture development, managing a portfolio of 27 startups, and supporting early-stage companies through every part of their startup journey.Listen to Eva's experiences as she shares her journey in building The LaunchPlace, including her insights on:Why your cap table is the linchpin in your fundraising storyHow to stay on top of your cap table as an early stage founderHow to use cap tables strategically to manage financing, ownership, and regulatory compliance.How startup valuation approaches differ by type of investorHow to support your valuation estimate when you don't yet have a track recordWhy a high valuation isn't always a good thingThe lowdown on SAFEs - what are they, really?Cap table implications of SAFEs and convertible notesThe practical tradeoffs of raising ona a SAFEThe soft factors that impact your fundraising vehiclePractical insights on how to build positive investor relationshipsand much more!