Las Olas Venture Capital’s Post

[SCALING UP] It was an honor to talk with Jason Cohen in his office in Austin, TX, who shared invaluable insights on scaling businesses to over $100 million in revenue. Jason has achieved this remarkable feat twice by founding two unicorns - SmartBear and WP Engine. Our conversation covered: - The differences between bootstrapping and venture capital - Key questions founders should ask at various growth stages - Why the most obvious answers are often the hardest to accept We also touched on Jason's interesting 17-year journey of blogging about his business experiences and lessons. Watch the clip about that part below and find the full interview in the comments! 😊 Ivan Brezak Brkan (IBB) 📝 Marko Mudrinić

Early-stage fundraising is about relationships, not just metrics. Building relationships with investors before you need capital is crucial in early-stage startups. While metrics and traction matter, the reality is that at the earliest stages, investors are betting on founders more than anything else. The transactional approach of cold outreach and pitch decks only tells part of the story. Even without the traditional Silicon Valley pedigree or Ivy League background, authentic relationships can bridge the gap that pattern matching creates. It was great to have Paul Dudley, CEO of Streamkap and veteran Silicon Valley operator, share his candid insights on this crucial topic. You can catch the full episode on your preferred streaming platform here: bento.me/thebbpod

Lessons from a Venture Capitalist. Demystified. VCs are people too. And they pitch just like you do. Think about that next time you’re preparing to get in front of one. “It’s a gamble within a gamble, right?” In this next, revealing episode of #BeyondLipService, VC Maxim Matias, partner in Quartz Capital, provides essential advice for founders on how to build successful relationships with investors. And he opens up on what it’s like for him. You meet an investor. He’s super sharp. He knows the spiel. How will you burn yourself into his memory so he remembers you and not all the others he’s seen that day? It’s a numbers game, but you can increase your odds by following these top tips: - Build relationships early. Don’t wait until you need money to start networking. - Know your story. VCs invest in people and vision, so build your narrative about why you’re doing what you’re doing. - Leverage your unique edge. Identify what sets you apart. - Be prepared for tough questions. And be transparent about weaknesses as that builds trust. But most of all, be human. The VC/founder relationship is a long road. You’re signing up to what could be a 10-12 year relationship, much longer than some marriages, with high potential for it to turn sour. So start by getting to know each other. They want to see the real you. For these, and more insights from Maxim Matias, jump into this episode with Sudha Kheterpal to build your pitching chops. https://lnkd.in/eietgKND #FounderAdvice #PitchingToVCs #BeyondLipService

Think fundraising begins when you've secured that one meeting? Wrong. The real game is played before you even walk into the room—and I’m going to show you how. After raising over $145 million and securing four successful exits, I’ve learned that most founders get fundraising wrong. It’s not about a flashy pitch deck—it’s about starting early, building trust, and keeping investors engaged over time. And trust me, I’ve been on both sides of the table. From founding companies to supporting them Thunder.vc, I know what separates successful founders from those who struggle to raise capital. In this episode, I’m revealing the strategy I’ve used to help #founders consistently raise capital. We’re talking about building long-term relationships, managing investor expectations, and sustaining consistent growth to keep their attention. You’ll learn: 1. The secret to starting early and building rapport before you need money 2. How to nail investor meetings with the right mindset 3. The ideal number of investor meetings that can turn into multiple term sheets Like I've said, the goal isn’t to close the deal on the first call—it’s to earn the right to keep the conversation going. This is about more than just money; it’s about creating long-lasting relationships that lead to a successful raise. Ready to flip the script on your fundraising strategy? Tune in to Episode 59 of Fundraising Demystified and learn the playbook I’ve used to help startups raise millions. I've popped the links in the comments, happy watching/listening!

Episode 032 of The Feedback Loop is out! And the startups and products in this one were wide-ranging: we got Cassiano Albuquerque talking about a marketplace for market research, Veronica Panzardi telling us we're not eating enough veggies (correct!), Hadjer Amira Elkabadj proposing a platform for internet radio and micro-communities, and Anastacia Yefimenko building a new line of zero-waste, non-toxic cleaning products. And Nika Duan of Inflect Capital joining me as our guest venture investor for the evening to give these founders unfiltered, constructive feedback to move them forward in their early stage journey. A big shout-out to Nika for her perspective and insights, and to the brave founders who got up on stage to give their minute pitch. It ain't easy! Watch or listen at the links I'll leave below. And, as always: go founders, go!

In this just-released clip, I explain why treating pre-seed and seed stage startups like the Series A companies they will become has all sorts of benefits Ubiquity Ventures

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

The CEO of the $2B Fund, Breakthrough Victoria gives us an inside peak on the fund, how they operate and what founders should know about them. "The market is trying to cast us as purely VC. We are so not just purely VC. My mandate is way beyond that. We're ecosystem builders. We've created pre-seed funds with University, incubators. VC's can't always do that." "So that advice where we work with the founders to steer them.... we've got a whole bunch of people at Breakthrough, we've got various different backgrounds where we can work with the founders. So yeah, so we're there for the journey...." Listen to our full episode with Grant Dooley in episode #163 here: https://lnkd.in/g-2_u3Tj

What makes angel investors tick? 🤔 We caught up with angel investor, Michael Nissim, who shares exactly what he wants to see from startups that guarantee investment💸 If you're about to begin your fundraising journey, looking for an angel investor or simply want to learn a bit more about the process, tune in to the full episode on our YouTube channel this Friday!👇 https://lnkd.in/dDfmxkdy

Too many aspiring founders float from shiny object to shiny object, never sticking with anything long enough to build true mastery. But the wise ones understand - it's only through steadfastly seeing your vision through the fires of adversity that you emerge stronger on the other side. In this episode, Peter Goldstein - the IPO sage who has shepherded countless startups through successful Nasdaq and NYSE listings, breaks down the harsh realities of life as a public company, sharing battle-tested strategies on: - How to raise money for growth without getting taken advantage of - Building a strong business that can handle the intense scrutiny of being public; and - Making the most of your IPO (initial public offering) and maximizing returns Listen to the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/g83x464r