The tech media loves a splashy funding announcement - millions of dollars injected into a hot startup primed to become a unicorn. But what about the work behind those headlines? Host Jason Yeh, a former VC and venture-backed startup founder, talks with entrepreneurs about how they raised the capital to launch world-changing startups. Their conversations uncover incredible stories including cautionary tales, inspirational memories, and even some insightful tips. Keep up with us on social @fun ...
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Jason Yeh Podcasts
Amber Atherton, Brian Cho and Jason Yeh are joined by founders, friends and industry veterans to discuss the state of play in tech, gaming & culture.
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Chat With Traders is your key to the minds of trading's elite performers. Start listening to learn how a diverse mix of traders went from zero to hero, how they successfully trade markets today, and get their best tips 'n pointers for profitable performance, plus much more. Note: You are responsible for your own trading decisions—this is not financial advice.
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310 · Dr. Efrat Levy - Fingerprinting the Big Players: Inside the Hidden Order Flow
1:36:12
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1:36:12Dr. Efrat t Levy is a cybersecurity expert with a PhD in Computer Science and AI from Ben-Gurion University—one of Israel’s top tech institutions. After years studying how to detect hackers through side-channel signals, she applied the same logic to trading. In this conversation, Dr. Levy explains how she uses machine learning to map non-repainting…
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309 · Diego Ivan Cortes Lopez - Winning Through Losing: When 30% Is Enough
1:03:10
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1:03:10How a trader from Dallas built consistency—and a simple lifestyle of freedom in Southeast Asia—with a 30% win rate. Diego Ivan Cortes Lopez grew up chasing perfection on the tennis court, where winning came naturally, but it was trading that taught him how to win by losing. After years of trial, error, and a six-figure setback, studying the methods…
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In this episode of The Back Channel, Jason Yeh unpacks the hidden friction points that often derail fundraising. He explores why investors hesitate and what founders can do to navigate those moments. Tune in to learn how to turn obstacles into momentum.
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In this episode of The Back Channel, Jason Yeh reveals key time-saving strategies to ensure your fundraising efforts stay on track. He emphasizes the importance of preparing ahead, alongside 2 other keys to stay in control. By adopting these approaches, you'll streamline your fundraising journey and maintain momentum for a successful raise.…
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Minna Song (EliseAI) — From Crazy Early in Conversational AI to $250M from A16Z | Ep 57
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45:07Raising money for AI might seem easy today, but back in 2017, it was anything but. In this episode of Funded, Jason Yeh sits down with Minna Song, co-founder and CEO of EliseAI, who shares her journey from bootstrapping a conversational AI startup before ChatGPT was even on the horizon to closing a $250M Series E led by Andreessen Horowitz. Minna o…
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308 · Jack Schwager and Emanuel Balarie - Market Wizards, Measured: Inside the Criteria, Craft, and Grit
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57:41We’re joined by Jack Schwager—author of the legendary Market Wizards series and co-founder of FundSeeder—along with his partner and fellow co-founder & CEO, Emanuel Balarie. Jack shares what it really takes to be considered for a Market Wizards book: not one formula, but a mix of standout performance, disciplined risk, and an almost obsessive commi…
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TBC 135: Ask for Help: Fundraising Storytelling
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5:13In this episode of The Back Channel, Jason Yeh dives into the power of asking for help, especially when it comes to fundraising and storytelling. Drawing from an insightful conversation with Minna Song, co-founder of Elise AI, Jason explores how technical founders can benefit from expert storytelling assistance to elevate their fundraising efforts.…
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In this episode of The Back Channel, Jason Yeh explores the power of building a network rooted in small, genuine acts of helpfulness. Jason breaks down why simply being a helpful person is both fulfilling in the short term and a powerful foundation for future fundraising success.
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307 · Mario Dimitroff - The Gamer’s Edge: High-Win Scalping in Pre-Market Madness
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1:13:40A former competitive gamer, Mario Dimitroff from Bulgaria got his start on a local trading floor before discovering that the U.S. premarket session best fit his skills. Now trading for a living and doing nothing else, his news-driven, event-based scalping focuses on low-liquidity movers. Leveraging gaming-honed speed and pattern recognition, he qui…
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306 · Michael Katz - Prop Goes the Trader
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55:07Online funding prop firms have captured the attention of traders in recent years. In this episode, the CEO of Trade The Pool, Michael Katz, joins the podcast to answer key questions and offer perspective from inside one of the leading firms. The conversation explores how these firms operate, what they mean for traders, and the common debates surrou…
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305 · Julian Komar - When Story, Fundamentals, and Technicals Align
1:30:42
1:30:42
 
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1:30:42Growing up in Germany without a financial background, Julian Komar became fascinated by stocks as a teenager. He moved past complex German trading products to concentrate on U.S. equities. Specializing in momentum and growth stocks on the daily timeframe, he blends fundamentals, technicals, and story analysis to uncover opportunities that put him i…
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304 ·  Kyle Ng aka JadeCap - $4.5M with Process, Patience, and Prop Firms
1:18:13
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1:18:13From academic struggles at SUNY Albany to holding the world record for the largest prop firm payouts—roughly $4.5 million in total, Kyle Ng a.k.a. JadeCap’s journey started out like many aspiring traders. Sparked by a childhood friend's success in forex about 14 years ago, he found his way into the financial markets. Like many traders, he went thro…
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303 · Chris Vermeulen - From Tick to Trend, Day Trading to Wave Riding
1:08:39
1:08:39
 
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1:08:39What happens when a teenager growing up without TV in rural Canada stumbles across CNBC in a college dorm and sees people making $100,000 in a day? For Chris Vermeulen, that moment changed everything—and kicked off a 25-year journey of trading triumphs, painful losses, and profound strategy shifts. In this episode, you'll meet a trader who’s lived …
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In this episode of The Back Channel, Jason Yeh breaks down what it really takes to close an angel round. From the mindset shift founders need to the tactics that can unlock momentum, he shares key lessons to help you move from scattered conversations to signed checks.
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Not all investors are created equal. In this episode of The Back Channel, Jason Yeh explains why some businesses struggle to raise capital—not because they're bad, but because they're pitching to the wrong type of investor. Learn how to identify the asset class your startup fits into, and how to align with the investors who actually “get it.”…
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TBC131: The Human Side of Investor Relationships
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8:45What is the true meaning of “relationship” in fundraising and business? Jason breaks it down in this episode and challenges the common misconception that relationships are just shortcuts or favors. He instead highlights how genuine trust and shared experiences build the foundation for meaningful connections. Jason also introduces his new project, C…
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302 · Dylan Maltman - Go Where Orders Flow
1:11:51
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1:11:51Dylan Maltman, an intraday futures and forex trader and founder of Apex Capital, must have had exceptional clarity starting at a young age. Introduced to the markets in a high school presentation by a prop firm, Dylan caught the passion for the potential of the markets and persuaded his way into a position at the firm. Learning about back testing, …
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TBC130: The First Lesson of AI in Fundraising
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9:22In this episode of The Back Channel, Jason Yeh dives into the role of AI in our daily workflows, offering encouragement, a cautionary take, and his first practical lesson on using AI in fundraising—especially when building pitch decks. Learn how to think critically about AI's strengths and weaknesses and how to start integrating it into your creati…
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301 · Erik Smolinski - Trading Earnings Volatility with Options
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1:21:55Erik Smolinski returns to Chat With Traders after his first appearance on episode 272, joining Tessa for a trader-to-trader conversation about the intricacies of options trading, a topic Erik is deeply passionate about. In this episode Erik digs into one of Tessa’s own options strategies, offering thoughtful feedback and sharing his expertise and e…
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In this episode of The Backchannel, Jason breaks down what it really means to fundraise in an AI-dominated world. If you’re not building core AI infrastructure, how should you position your startup? He explains why every founder needs an AI story—one rooted in how the tech impacts your product, operations, and long-term defensibility.…
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300 · Patrick Petersson - We Should Not Die as Traders
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1:25:33In this episode we catch up with Patrick Petersson, who returns two years after his first interview on Chat With Traders on episode 260, where he shared his incredible story of overcoming hardship to attaining success in trading as a professional trader. Patrick has become best known for his intuitive, price-action, news-based, scalping trading sty…
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In this episode of The Backchannel, Jason reflects on a recent conversation with a robotics founder that reminded him how powerful it is to focus on what actually matters. From skipping the company name to delaying fundraising, the founder made unconventional decisions that signal discipline, clarity, and real momentum. Jason breaks down why avoidi…
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TBC127: Why Talking Too Much Is Killing Your Pitch
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6:35In this episode, we share a powerful lesson from a recent pitch practice session with a founder whose natural charisma backfired. While being articulate and engaging can be a superpower, it can also lead to rambling when clarity matters most. We talk about why “less is more” applies just as much to live pitches as it does to pitch decks—and how emb…
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299 · Michael Martin - Intersection of Emotional Intelligence and Tactics
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1:33:54Michael Martin, raised in a hardworking blue-collar community, embraced the same ethic. An entrepreneur at heart, he hustled from cutting grass when he was 12 to working all types of jobs including golf caddying and waiting at restaurants to starting businesses. Determined to transition into the white-collar working world and being at the right pla…
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In this episode we share the fundraising version of product market fit—what it feels like when a VC starts dreaming alongside you. We break down what that moment looks like, why it matters, and how to set up your pitch to create that kind of pull.
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TBC125: What I Learned Coaching HBS Founders on Fundraising
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7:24In this episode of The Back Channel, I reflect on a recent visit to Harvard Business School where I coached founders in Jeff Bussgang’s Launching Tech Ventures class. I break down one of the biggest fundraising mistakes I saw, how founders frame their problem space, and share advice on how to fix it.…
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298 · Christian Mayer - The Power in Fixed-Sized, Non-Compounding Plays
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1:05:33Christian Mayer, with an institutional trading background, transitioned from equities to forex, focusing on fixed sized mean-reversion strategies with fundamental correlations where structural edge is statistically likely. His initial losses led him to a research and systematic-driven approach, and back testing. He trades with fixed position sizes,…
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TBC124: The Power of Helping When You Can (HBS Story)
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8:49In this episode, we explore how one small act of generosity can shape long-term relationships in venture capital. Jason shares a story from a recent trip back to Harvard Business School, where a simple coffee chat from a decade ago turned into a meaningful connection with a now-prominent VC. He reflects on what true network-building looks like—why …
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Alex Salazar on Taking Arcade from Zero to a $12M Round (Alex Salazar / Arcade - Ep 56)
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1:07:17Alex Salazar didn’t need to prove he could build a company. He’d already done that and sold it, then spent time as a VC, and had the kind of background that usually makes raising money the easy part. But when he started Arcade, he decided to do things differently. In this episode, we talk about what it means to go back to zero even when you don’t h…
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In this episode of The Back Channel, we talk about the pressure founders feel to pitch a massive vision — and what actually makes that land with investors. VCs need to believe in billion-dollar outcomes, but that doesn’t mean you should throw out the biggest idea you can think of. Credibility, traction, and storytelling all shape how your vision is…
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297 · Cody Yeh - Slow, Medium, and Fast Money Strategies
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1:11:35A former engineer turned successful options trader, real estate investor and entrepreneur, Cody Yeh shares his incredible journey from the 9-to-5 grind to achieving financial freedom through smart investing and calculated risk-taking. We unpack his options trading strategies, mindset hacks for building wealth, and how he helps others escape the rat…
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TBC122: Early Signals That Matter to Investors
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5:54In this episode, we'll talk about green flags—the little things founders say or do that quietly leave a strong impression on investors. I share a story about a first-time founder at one of our events who said two things that really stood out. They weren’t flashy, but they revealed a surprising level of maturity... and they’re the kind of signals th…
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TBC121: The Fundraising Equation [T(G) - T(TI)]
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10:57In this episode of The Backchannel, we break down a simple but powerful equation to help founders understand why some investor meetings turn into momentum—and others fall flat. We share a personal story that sparked the idea, then introduce the concept of Time Given (TG) minus Time to Interest (TTI) as a way to diagnose and improve your fundraising…
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In this episode of The Backchannel, we start with a tweet from Peter Walker at Carta and dig into what it means when a big chunk of LPs in smaller funds are just regular individuals. If you’re raising a sub-$100M fund—or thinking about it—there’s some stuff here that might make you pause, maybe even rethink how you’re approaching your next raise. F…
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TBC119: The State of the Fundraising Market in 2025
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8:36Is pre-seed fundraising harder than ever? In this episode of The Backchannel, we break down how expectations for early-stage startups have shifted. Investors now demand more proof—traction, paying customers, and even product builds—before writing checks. Why? A mix of AI-driven productivity, global talent access, and the lingering effects of the po…
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296 · Dr. Brett Steenbarger - Playing to Your Strengths
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1:06:43Few people understand the minds of traders like Dr. Brett Steenbarger. As a psychologist who trades actively himself, he brings a rare combination of clinical expertise and practical experience to the world of financial markets. You might know him from his dynamic presentations at SMB Capital, where he breaks down the psychology of trading with rem…
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How Brian Sheng Closed a $112M Round for Aquaria (Brian Sheng / Aquaria - Ep 55)
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57:26Raising money isn’t just about convincing investors—it’s about surviving long enough to do it. Brian Sheng, founder of Aquaria, bootstrapped millions of his own dollars, ran relentless product-market fit experiments, and faced rejection after rejection before securing a $112M round to scale his breakthrough water technology. We dive into the toughe…
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TBC118: How to Create Urgency and Set Deadlines in Fundraising
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8:03Setting deadlines in fundraising can be a powerful tool—or a costly mistake. In this episode of The BackChannel, we break down how founders should think about creating urgency without scaring off investors. Learn why setting deadlines too early can backfire, how to structure a process that keeps investors engaged, and why a well-placed deadline can…
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TBC117: What Are the Toughest Questions Asked When Pitching?
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6:46Investors love to test founders with tough questions—but what if you don’t know the answer? In this episode, we break down a real pitch meeting where a simple misunderstanding derailed the conversation. Learn how to handle tricky investor questions, when to ask for clarification, and why truly knowing your business makes all the difference.…
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TBC116: Finding the Perfect Blend of Data and Narrative
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2:36In this episode of the Back Channel, we explore the art of storytelling and the balance between hard facts and narrative. A founder’s question sparks a conversation about when to lean on data and when to let the story take center stage. Tune in for thought-provoking insights on crafting compelling narratives without getting bogged down in numbers.…
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TBC115: Are You on the Right Fundraising Path?
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6:26Most founders assume venture capital is the only way to fund their startup, but is it really the right path for you? In this episode of The Backchannel, we challenge the default fundraising mindset, breaking down why so many founders skip critical early steps. We'll shares insights on evaluating your real needs, exploring alternative funding option…
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295 · Steve Ruffley - Animal Speed, Size, and Being Right at the Right Time
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1:11:24Steve Ruffley transitioned from a highly competitive trading floor environment to trading professionally as a retail trader. His entrance into trading was unplanned - a mix of ambition, timing, and the right connections. After leaving university early, he took a finance job and then moved to Gibraltar, where he met traders running a new trading flo…
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TBC114: Holding Myself Accountable: 2025 Goals Check-In
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6:39In this episode of The Backchannel, I’m sharing some thoughts on goals for the year—what I’m focusing on, what’s working so far, and what still needs improvement. From business to personal challenges, I’m experimenting with new approaches and seeing where they lead. If you’ve set goals for yourself, I’d love to hear them. Let’s keep each other acco…
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TBC113: Convincing Investors During Slow Growth Phases
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5:35How do you convince investors to back you when your company’s growth has been stagnant? In this episode, we explore a question from a founder about breaking through that barrier. We’ll dive into what investors are really looking for, the importance of showing a shift or inflection point in your business, and how to craft a compelling story about th…
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TBC112: Fundraising Advantages... Are They Real?
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5:23In this episode of The Backchannel, Jason reflects on his own fundraising experience and breaks down the layers of what it really takes to secure investor commitments. Using his 2017 fundraise as a backdrop, he shares insights on the role of connections, the limits of those advantages, and why getting your foot in the door is just the beginning. Wh…
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294 · Ross Haber - Stock Leaders and Timeless Strategies Still Effective Today
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1:16:36Ross Haber’s trading philosophy is built on growth-focused strategies, heavily influenced by William O'Neil. Combining both technical and fundamental analysis, Ross emphasizes the importance of identifying leaders in strong market sectors and adapting to market cycles. Optimizing the use of relative strength, moving averages, and volume analysis, a…
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How Andrés Ornelas Vargas Closed a $2.2M Round for Verve Market (Andrés Ornelas Vargas / Verve Market - Ep 54)
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53:23In this episode, we sit down with Andrés Ornelas Vargas, founder of Verve, to discuss his journey from 150 investor conversations to closing a $2.2M round. Andrés dives into the challenges of breaking through preconceptions, the lessons learned from crafting the perfect pitch, and the personal story behind Verve's mission to revolutionize dietary m…
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TBC111: The NEW Bar for Raising Pre-Seed Rounds
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5:55This episode of The Backchannel breaks down how the expectations for early-stage founders have shifted in the AI era. Inspired by a conversation with Jeff Bussgang—Harvard Business School professor and author of The Experimentation Machine—we explore what venture capitalists are looking for before investing. From validating your idea to leveraging …
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In this New Year’s episode of The Back Channel, we talk about the power of simple outreach and why reconnecting with your network can be the best business development move for the year ahead. Drawing from personal stories and founder advice, we explore the impact of small, thoughtful gestures—like a quick “Happy New Year” note—and how they open doo…
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TBC109: Should You REALLY Be Raising From VCs?
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6:56In this episode of The Backchannel, we ask a critical question for founders: Should you actually be raising venture capital? We break down why most founders chasing VC money are doing it for the wrong reasons—whether it's validation, peer pressure, or simply not knowing other options. We also explore two common categories of founders who mistakenly…
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