Seed to Harvest

Send us a textIn today’s podcast, we're diving deep into the world of venture capital and pitch deck mastery. Over the last three years, I've assessed thousands of pitch decks and made 39 investments at the pre-seed and seed stage. Today’s episode features a candid discussion with a close friend about the nuances of raising venture capital as an early-stage founder. We'll take a close look at what happens when you tear down a pitch deck, dispelling misconceptions about raising venture financing. Additionally, we will focus on the power of narrative and the art of crafting a captivating pitch deck.Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Connect with Paige 🌱💜Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/Twitter | https://twitter.com/paigefinnn00:00 Welcome to Seed To Harvest: Paige Doherty02:19 how was it to do a pitch deck teardown?03:23 how do you shape the narrative of your company?04:24 how to frame the problem solution set when pitching06:15 what helps make the case for why a founder is important?08:17 which parts of the deck you should index on?10:28 what is the correct sequence of the order of information in a deck?13:13 how do you show that you're solving a problem?16:58 what types of questions should be asked in user interviews?19:10 what do you accentuate on in a pitch deck?21:07 what deck types resonate with VCs the most?23:38 leveraging a user journey to describe the problem you’re solving24:59 how to share your company story?27:45 how to fundraise with no existing network28:42 when to set up pitches as a VC29:28 when do you bring up your deck?Show notes:Lotus Labs | https://www.lotuslabs.org/Andy Wessman | https://twitter.com/aweissmanUSV | https://www.usv.com/DocSend | https://www.docsend.com/Support the show

Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Deepak Sekar, Co-Founder and CEO of Prof Jim, bringing content to life with Generative AI. Prof Jim transforms books, websites, and other text into interactive videos — at scale. Deepak has been granted 200+ patents, making him one of the more prolific inventors in the world today. Previously, Deepak was the Founder and CEO of Chowbotics, which built the world's first fresh food-making robot named “Sally.” Under Sekar’s leadership, Chowbotics was named among the food trends of 2019 by The New York Times and listed as one of the world’s most innovative companies by Fast Company. Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Connect with Paige 🌱💜Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/Twitter | https://twitter.com/paigefinnn00:00 Welcome to Seed To Harvest: Deepak Sekar02:48 what sparked the idea for Prof Jim05:39 Deepak’s thoughts on the generative AI space07:18 working with BGV09:14 Deepak’s investor monthly updates11:12 overcoming technical obstacles at Prof Jim13:48 Deepak fixing mistakes in his previous company 18:48 advice for early stage founders27:59 more advice for foundersShow notes:Deepak Sekar | https://www.linkedin.com/in/deepaksekar/Prof Jim | https://www.profjim.com/Meagan Loyst 80/20 model article | https://www.linkedin.com/posts/meaganloyst_superfans-community-apple-activity-7109531573607129091-zXv5/?trk=public_profile_like_viewiJustine | https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCey_c7U86mJGz1VJWH5CYPAPacky McCormick newsletter | https://www.packym.com/newsletterTurner Novak newsletter | https://www.thespl.it/Support the show

Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Dhaval Patel, Founder and CEO of Lotus, a Techstars portfolio company, that makes a wearable ring to control objects at home by pointing. Unlike traditional smart home tech - no rewiring, no app, no internet. Lotus' mission is to build tech that is usable by everyone, by optimizing for disability. Previously, Patel was the VP of Hardware at PillDrill and an engineering manager at Apple for 8+ years. Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Connect with Paige 🌱💜Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/Twitter | https://twitter.com/paigefinnn00:00 Welcome to Seed To Harvest: Dhaval Patel01:25 what problem is Lotus solving?04:38 Dhaval improving at storytelling06:54 Dhaval’s investor updates12:25 early days of building Lotus16:01 principles at Lotus 19:30 raising venture financing24:26 working with BGV29:20 why did BGV invest in Lotus?Show notes:Dhaval Patel | https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhaval-c-patel/Lotus | https://www.lotuslabs.org/The Pitch | https://www.thepitch.show/guests/dhaval-patel-lotus/Open | https://www.amazon.com/Open-Autobiography-Andre-Agassi/dp/0307388409Mei Lin Ng | https://www.linkedin.com/in/meilinng/Shail Mehta | https://www.linkedin.com/in/shail-mehta-7b500712/Andy Hoang | https://www.linkedin.com/in/andy-hoang-93067226/?originalSubdomain=caThe Pitch Show: Lotus Episode | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BPoYkU6r5bwSupport the show

Send us a textIn today’s podcast, I talk about AI’s power to automate, optimize, and revolutionize, making AI a goldmine for opportunities. However, because of the rapidly accelerating pace of AI innovation, what seems like a cutting-edge investment today could be outdated in a few short years or even months or weeks. The excitement about the potential of AI, although warranted, needs to be supplemented with a healthy dose of discipline, caution, and diligence. In this podcast, we’ll dig deeper into the value of investing early in AI, the risks, and our unique approach to the space.Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Connect with Paige 🌱💜Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/Twitter | https://twitter.com/paigefinnn00:00 Welcome to Seed To Harvest: Paige Doherty02:03 intro03:34 Value Driver #104:16 Value Driver #204:52 Macro Driver06:52 Technical Feasibility07:30 Consumer Trust08:09 Incumbency risk09:03 Rapidly shifting legislative landscape09:26 Data privacy considerations09:59 Our AI Investment ApproachShow notes:BGV AI Blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/post/ai-investingThe Psychology of Money | https://www.amazon.com/Psychology-Money-Timeless-lessons-happiness/dp/0857197681duolingo | https://www.duolingo.com/Mike Arpaia | https://twitter.com/mikearpaiaArkady Kulik | https://www.linkedin.com/in/arkady-kulik/Support the show

Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Kristen Wiley, Founder of Statusphere, a influencer marketing platform that helps brands earn authentic micro-influencer posts at scale in a fraction of the time. With Statusphere, brands save 98% of the time they’d typically spend on influencer marketing while securing dozens, hundreds or thousands of guaranteed posts. With Statusphere’s streamlined matchmaking algorithm, fulfillment technology and in-depth reporting, they help brands drive maximum results with minimal setup. Previously, Kristen worked as a Chief Marketing Officer at Greenhouse Agency and BlurtBox.Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Connect with Paige 🌱💜Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/Twitter | https://twitter.com/paigefinnn00:00 Welcome to Seed To Harvest: Kristen Wiley01:02 what is Statusphere?02:53 what problem is Statusphere solving?04:18  Statusphere’s matching algorithm06:25 long-term vision for Statusphere07:34 how did Kristen get deep customer empathy?08:27 working with BGV10:15 presenting at the annual summit13:42 Statusphere’s core values16:19 challenges Kristen has overcome 18:40 journey as a non-technical founder20:18 Kristen’s fundraising journey21:51 Kristen’s favorite investors23:26  best books for foundersShow notes:Kristen Wiley | https://twitter.com/TheKristenWileyStatusphere | https://joinstatus.com/We're Calling Shenanigans | https://www.werecallingshenanigans.com/1984 vc | https://1984.vc/Hearst | https://www.hearst.com/Project Hail Mary | https://www.amazon.com/Project-Hail-Mary-Andy-Weir/dp/0593135202Founding Sales | https://www.amazon.com/Founding-Sales-Go-Market-Handbook-ebook/dp/B08PMK17Z1The Lean Startup | https://www.amazon.com/Lean-Startup-Entrepreneurs-Continuous-Innovation/dp/0307887898The Art of Gathering | https://www.amazon.com/Art-Gathering-How-Meet-Matters/dp/1594634920Support the show

Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Anthony Privitelli, Founder of Creator Testing, on-demand creator-focused feedback and insights. Essentially, Creator Testing was built for teams and individuals who want to get creator feedback, whether it's podcasters, short-form video creators, long-form video creators, live streamers, bloggers, writers, etc. Previously, Anthony worked as a Product Manager at TikTok and a Product Manager at Patreon. Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Connect with Paige 🌱💜Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/Twitter | https://twitter.com/paigefinnn00:00 Welcome to Seed To Harvest: Anthony Privitelli04:50 what problem is Creator Testing solving?06:42 what was the breaking point for Anthony?10:12  how do creators get paid by Creator Testing?12:09 how do creators apply for Creator Testing?13:30 5 year vision of success for Creator Testing15:42  what calls have been most valuable to creators?17:24 what are challenges Anthony faces?22:28 challenging aspects of being a founder24:42 working with BGV 27:09 common traits among foundersShow notes:Anthony Privitelli | https://twitter.com/APrivitelliCreator Testing | https://www.linkedin.com/company/creator-testing/Arash Ferdowsi | https://twitter.com/arashf?lang=enDropbox | https://www.dropbox.com/Kyle Parrish | https://twitter.com/KyleHParrishFigma | https://www.figma.com/Patreon | https://www.patreon.com/Support the show

Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Max Echeverria, Founder & CEO of Eskuad, a field data platform built specifically for operations and compliance. Eskuad transforms the way you work in the field — whether you operate by yourself or with a team. Easily organize your work, collect data, and generate reports. In the office, gain instant real-time visibility into your field operations and communicate easily with field teams. Previously, Max worked as an Entrepreneur at Start-Up Chile and an Entrepreneur at Techstars. Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Connect with Paige 🌱💜Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/Twitter | https://twitter.com/paigefinnn00:00 Welcome to Seed To Harvest: Max Echeverria5:12 getting the idea for Eskuad9:30 tackling a generational paint point12:25 what is the vision for Eskuad?16:03 day-to-day challenges20:15 how does Max filter customer feedback?24:04 working with BGVShow notes:Max Echeverria | https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxeche/Eskuad | https://home.eskuad.com/Chris Cunningham | https://twitter.com/c2cunningham?lang=enMatt Olivo | https://twitter.com/earlystagehand?lang=enSAP | https://www.sap.com/index.htmlSupport the show

Send us a textToday, I'm joined by Mar Hershenson, Managing Partner at Pear VC, where seed specialists partner with founders at the earliest stages to turn great ideas into category-defining companies. Pear VC founded 10+ companies and invested early in startups now worth over $50B. In just 9 years, Pear VC has seeded 7 companies currently valued at over $1B and 3 public companies. Previously, Mar worked as co-founder/VP for Product Development at Revel Touch and an Entrepreneur in Residence for Foundation Capital. Seed to Harvest is a podcast focused on stories & tactics from a diverse array of investors, founders, and creators, hosted by Paige Finn Doherty, a founding partner at Behind Genius Ventures and author of Seed to Harvest, an illustrated children's book for adults.Connect with Paige 🌱💜Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/Twitter | https://twitter.com/paigefinnn00:00 Welcome to Seed To Harvest: Mar Hershenson01:28 what did Mar learn from attending her father’s lectures?03:25 how has the philosophy of simplicity contributed to Mar’s journey as an entrepreneur?06:08 raising Pear VC’s first fund10:56 explaining Pear VC’s ethos14:07 what is an example of a program that has gone really well?17:12 what is an example of a program that did not go as planned?21:43 what is the main mission of Pear VC?Show notes:Mar Hershenson | https://twitter.com/MarHershensonPear VC | https://pear.vc/Pejman Nozad | https://twitter.com/pejmannozadTony Xu | https://twitter.com/t_xu?lang=enPear Garage | https://pear.vc/garage/#:~:text=Pear%20Garage%20is%20a%20community,build%20products%20to%20solve%20them.Female Founder Circles | https://pear.vc/female-founder-circles/Vivien Ho | https://twitter.com/VivHoSupport the show

Send us a textIn today’s podcast, I talk about my focus on the Gen Z market, which is values-focused and seeks to connect with brands that align with their ideals. I provide three key strategies for SaaS founders to reach the Gen Z market: standing for something and promoting company values, leveraging storytelling and authenticity in customer communications, and creating a memorable product experience through customer empathy and feedback. I emphasize the importance of Gen Z's role in shaping the future of tech and offer advice to founders on how to connect with this influential demographic.Connect with Paige 🌱💜Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/Twitter | https://twitter.com/paigefinnn00:00 Welcome to Seed To Harvest: Paige Doherty00:19 building an identity03:02 my 3 most important recommendations for businesses03:43 vital criteria that I look for when evaluating startups05:17 who has a strong nose for product?Show notes:Ben & Jerry's | https://www.benjerry.com/duolingo | https://www.duolingo.com/Morning Brew | https://www.morningbrew.com/dailyOpenView Blog Article | https://openviewpartners.com/blog/how-saas-founders-can-reach-the-gen-z-market/Support the show

Send us a textJoin me in today's podcast as I dive into 22 of my favorite off-script podcast questions and reminisce about previous inspiring guests.Highlighting Ashley Flucas, Halle Kaplan-Allen, Nik Sharma, Beezer Clarkson, Meagan Loyst, Judith Dada, Charles Hudson, Jamie Rhode, Emily Herrera, Elana Dickman, Jaclyn Hester, Gale Wilkinson, Julia Lipton, Monique Woodard, Kelli Fontaine, Erin Harkless Moore, Rachel Braun, Arkady Kulik, Ariana Thacker, Courtney Leimkuhler. Connect with Paige 🌱💜Behind Genius Ventures blog | https://www.behindgeniusventures.com/Personal Blog | https://paigefinndoherty.com/Twitter | https://twitter.com/paigefinnnSupport the show