FounderTech Decoded

Jonathan Hollis | Managing Partner at Mountside Ventures | Understanding And Leveraging Network Effects

In this episode of the FounderTech Decoded podcast we get the chance to talk to Jonathan Hollis, who is Managing Partner at Mountside Ventures and whose mission is to optimise the fundraising process for European startups and investors.
 
We discuss how asymmetry around network effects continues to influence and inform most of the capital allocation in the early stage space. One perspective as to why is that in the course of their lifetime, even an experienced founder will probably be at most across 2-3 companies, whereas an experienced VC will review 100s of deal flow opportunities - possibly and probably per quarter. 
 
This creates an imbalance in market perspectives and network effects that spill into and inflect ongoing deal dynamics.
 
We explore the lack of diversity, regionally and impact currently in venture and ask whether this due to inefficiencies in capital deployment identifying and backing talent early or as a result of the reliance on primary and secondary networks to source and fund deal flow. With warm intros still making a successful investment 13 x more likely!
 
Finally, we talk about the 3 categories of capital allocation that Jonathan thinks might be help drive innovation in the deployment of venture: 
 
i) data driven capital ii) alternative / revenue based finance and iii) SPV vehicles. 
 
All of which are currently generating a much need optionality and choice for both founders and investors engaging with and evaluating deal flow.
 
Connect further with Jonathan:
 
> https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhjhollis/
> jonathan@mountsideventures.com
> https://www.mountsideventures.com/startup-and-vc-events
> https://airtable.com/shrqhI5iowDahtunb

Marion Marincat | Founder and CEO @ Mumbli | Where Investor Noise Meets Startup Trajectories

In this episode of the FounderTech Decoded podcast we talk to Marion Marincat. The dynamic founder of hearing wellness platform Mumbli, that is currently reshaping the way cities are designed and social spaces are navigated for sound. For the first time designing, delivering and scaling Sound As A Service. 
 
Mumbli is a startup Marion felt compelled to launch, after himself going through an unanticipated but dramatic period of personal hearing loss, which caused him to become aware of how many of the environments we have to daily navigate have not properly considered, let alone factored in sound and hearing wellness into their architecture, design and utility.
 
In this way it's a chance to hear a founder with exceptional aligned founder market fit, pioneering a valuable 'Scalable Niche', with a developed team, that is underscored by demonstrable IP, consistent founder thought leadership and market case studies, still have to consistently experience the erratic frustrations of navigating the early stage startup ecosystem. 
 
Without naming names, hear Marion walk through investment case studies that range from all too desperately familiar to any fundraising founder to the tragic-comedy of feeling compelled to respond after an investor provided arms-length feedback, after just 17 seconds of pitch deck review. Just to try introduce some equanimity and rebalance the inbalanced asymmetry that seems to creep into the experience of way too many early stage founder investor conversations and interactions.
 
Connect here:
> www.mumbli.com
> marion@mumbli.com
> https://www.linkedin.com/in/marionmarincat

Ollie Austen | Co-Founder of Startup 2 Standup | The Importance of Nurturing Founders as the Wealth Creators of the Future

In this episode of the FounderTech Decoded podcast we talk to Ollie Austen the Co-Founder of Startup 2 Standup. A diverse, growing and engaged community of experienced founders who want to help and support each other as they navigate their journey through the startup ecosystem.
The conversation is a window into the current status of the founder conversation, drawing on Ollie's experience of personally talking to up to 100 founders a month, to listen to and understand their current needs, frustrations and the frequent isolation between their current erratic experience contrasted with investors often demanding expectations.
We talk about how if founders are the wealth creators of the future, why the expectation is always on them to have all the answers to prove themselves up front and whether the new emerging alternative modes of funding are a way to break that asymmetric deadlock, by creating more options and early stage paths to startup capital and funding.
We explore how what Olli calls 'resistance points' play a role in this. Those typical barriers and milestones that a founder must cross in order to be on the road to being 'successful' and why engaged communities like Startup 2 Standup are so vital in making founders feel like they're fundamentally not alone in that often lonely journey.
Explore and connect more here:
> https://www.linkedin.com/in/ollie-austen
> https://www.startup2standup.com/

Daniel Sawko | CEO and Co-Founder of Ship Shape | The Free Investor Search Engine | From Legacy To Liberating The Longtail of Ecosystem Potential

In this episode it was a pleasure to talk to Daniel Sawko of ShipShape.vc
 
We start the conversation looking at why the venture ecosystem is still so informed and driven by legacy frameworks, systems and thinking.
 
We examine whether the roots of this stem from the fact that in just over a decade that ecosystem has been radically transformed from being essentially a cottage industry of private networks and insider driven deal flow, to rapidly mutating into a potentially diverse and disparate startup marketplace. 
 
Where for example the accompanying status of being and publicly identifying as a founder in the 2000's was still an outlier career choice. Compare this to now with the legitimation of not just role but also of the supporting cast of accelerators, incubators, educators and media outlets that ratify and amplify going down that startup path and journey.
 
The discussion explores and posits whether it is these market shifts that the venture system hasn't adapted to and that FounderTech as an emerging ethos and growing community is fundamentally and openly targeting and addressing. 
 
With the hope that if you close the gap between the legacy ecosystem and the new long tail of founders wishing to access the market, find capital and launch their journeys into Scalable Niches, lies a huge amount of untapped potential.
 
Potential that Ship Shape is now trying to unlock and enable as the first ever free investor search engine that empowers founders and investors to align around demonstrable and repeatable market expertise and proven niche domain insight. Allowing calibrated capital to now better flow in theory to where it is most needed and can generate the most value and return for both sides.
 
Explore further:
> www.shipshape.vc
> https://uk.linkedin.com/in/danielsawko 

Oli Harris | UK MD of Funderbeam | Integrating Capital Models Into The Emerging FounderTech Ecosystem

It was great to kick off Series 5 of the FounderTech Decoded podcast talking to Oli Harris, the UK Managing Director of Funderbeam.
 
We explore and discuss how to stimulate and bring about the envisioned changes and evolution in the venture ecosystem - so that it is more transparent, open and agile for all.
 
We explore how to achieve this, the emergence of pioneering FounderTech platforms and solutions needs to now align and integrate with new capital models.
 
We talk about how Funderbeam in its ability to create regulated and agile private markets around Scalable Niches, is integrated to this alignment and integration now happening.
 
Linked to this is the effect this integration has on capital distribution and allocation. So venture capital starts off and becomes regionally and demographically unbiased.
Enabled to travel and flow in the direction exceptional founder talent with deep expertise, to further empower investors looking for genuine market innovation and opportunity.
Connect with Oli:
> https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliharris
> https://www.funderbeam.com/ 
 
Pilot Round is the first FounderTech platform to enable pre-product market fit founders to powerfully align with early stage investors. In order to secure the capital they need to initially have a chance to get their startup off the ground over their next 3-6 months of launch.
Please visit www.PilotRound.com to now learn more, sign up to use the Beta and Launch The Extraordinary!

Christian Arno | Exited Founder Currently Launching And Raising For Sustainability Startup Pawprint | Member of Ventures Together and Active Scottish Angel Investor

In this episode of the FounderTech Decoded podcast we talk to Christian Arno who has a multifaceted founder’s story that starts with building his own tech-enabled language translation startup to the point where it was engaging with mid-large companies such as Patagonia, Eventbrite and Virgin Pulse and from which he successfully exited from in 2021.
Challenged by his father to then take an active positioning and role in the climate conversation, Christian has recently launched Pawprint to transform any organisation by empowering every employee to contribute towards your sustainability goals. In a nod to his language background, translating micro actions and dialogue into impactful macro narratives. 
Currently in the middle of a round for Pawprint, Christian reflects on the value of networks and a key team in raising capital, even though he is an active angel investor himself in the Scottish ecosystem and a member of investment community Ventures Together. 
The latter a dynamic syndicate of 130 exited founders who review and act on deals weekly using transparency and engagement dynamics, which themselves can be seen to act as a form of FounderTech in the way they tightly frame and agilely funnel the deal flow conversation.
Connect with Christian at:
> www.pawprint.eco
> https://www.linkedin.com/in/christianarno/?originalSubdomain=uk
 
Are you a forward thinking investor, platform or founder that wants to be kept in the loop with all things FounderTech as the conversation continues to develop, iterate and evolve in 2023? Then simply subscribe to The FounderTech Bulletin and remain up to date with all key developments, including following Propelia’s launch of Pilot Round - as its own powerful Founder Market Fit driven platform - into the early stage venture ecosystem. 
Subscribe now to The FounderTech Bulletin here: https://foundertech.substack.com/
#FounderTechBulletin #PilotRound #FounderTechDecoded

Chris Booth | Founder and CEO at FIndrs | Why It Be Time For Early Stage Startups To Engage A Chief FounderTech Officer (CFTO)

In this episode we talk to Chris Booth CEO of pioneering startup recruiter Findrs. Propelia is excited to be doing a webinar with Chris on 2/3/23 where we’ll explore how FounderTech could start to creep into and apply to start up hiring policies and best practices. In this episode we touch on and open up some of the themes we’ll be discussing and exploring in the Webinar
Why FounderTech is part of a movement towards rewiring the early stage venture ecosystem to that is it is more agile, open and transparent for all. How FounderTech has evolved out of the increasing awareness and implementation of no code / low code methodologies by founders in their startup journeys, in order to develop that first critical market momentum and traction.
Building on this, why top talent that is likely to only be identified and engaged on a freelance basis in the pre-product phase, is likely to see the proper deployment of FounderTech as a sign of operational sophistication and fluidity? That automates unnecessary low level functions and enables them to do their best work and why such top talent should also be expected to bring their own FounderTech to the table. 
Finally we ask, why you might be acting as or recruiting a CFTO (Chief FounderTech Officer!) sooner than you think?!
Book your complimentary place at the Why Leveraging FounderTech is now critical for your team Webinar on 2nd March 2023 at 12.30 here: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/why-leveraging-foundertech-is-now-critical-to-building-your-core-team-tickets-542819416487 
Connect with Chris:
www.findrs.co.uk
https://www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-booth-0ba01852/ 
Are you a forward thinking investor, platform or founder that wants to be kept in the loop with all things FounderTech as the conversation continues to develop, iterate and evolve in 2023? 
Then simply subscribe to The FounderTech Bulletin and remain up to date with all key developments, including following Propelia’s launch of Pilot Round - as its own powerful Founder Market Fit driven platform - into the early stage venture ecosystem. 
Subscribe now to The FounderTech Bulletin here: https://foundertech.substack.com/
Sign up for the Beta of Pilot Round at www.pilotround.com 
#FounderTechBulletin #PilotRound #FounderTechDecoded

Xavier Parkhouse-Parker | COO & Co-Founder Cambridge Future Tech | Launching The Venture Builder Model At Scale

In this episode we have a deep dive into the world of deep tech with Xavier Parkhouse-Parker COO and Co-Founder of Cambridge Future Tech. It’s also a chance to listen and gain insight into the framework of a Venture Builder model.
A model which elevates and fundamentally supports founders - often with a perspective, track record and insight of deep academic expertise - who are exploring Scaleable Niches into complex market problems that require deep IP and innovation.
In this model, support means everything. From multi-faceted advisory boards, mentoring, deep understanding and planning around market research and launch integration, as well as capital raising to create a defensible beachhead to scale and leverage going forward.
As we will with all guests on the Series 4, we then walk through, explore, challenge, counteract and gain further insight into The Switch Deck together - www.propelia.com/switchdeck 
 
Follow Xavier on:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/xavierparkhouseparker 
https://camfuturetech.com 
hello@camfuturetech.com 
https://a16z.com/book/the-hard-thing-about-hard-things/ 
Are you a forward thinking investor, platform or founder that wants to be kept in the loop with all things FounderTech as the conversation continues to develop, iterate and evolve in 2023? Then simply subscribe to The FounderTech Bulletin and remain up to date with all key developments, including following Propelia’s launch of Pilot Round - as its own powerful Founder Market Fit driven platform - into the early stage venture ecosystem. 
Subscribe now to The FounderTech Bulletin here: https://foundertech.substack.com/
Sign up to the Pilot Round Beta at www.pilotround.com

Jim Shirley | With Two Exits, Now Currently Launching FundingHero As An Educational Platform, Accelerator Model And A Book | The Potential For FounderTech To Gradually Transform The Venture Ecosystem

In this episode we have one of the most interesting and exploratory conversations of this Series talking with Jim Shirley. Where we navigate different facets and dynamics of the current venture ecosystem and how FounderTech might vividly reimagine it within a projectable short-term horizon.
First we explore Jim's own journey scaling and exiting from the highly disruptive new sector of micro breweries - which were very much the 'garage startups' of their day! - helping to build a culture where you were ‘proud to wear the t-shirt of the brand, to taking market share and eventually being acquired by a $3billion dollar mutinational. 
We then move onto the evolution of venture driven by this low code / no code approach and how it changes the game in terms of the entry points, agility and fluidity with which a founder can quickly launch, test and iterate their startup in a very compressed timeline. A shift which also enables them to get off the funding flywheel that too many founders unfortunately get locked into and trapped in.
This leads us to explore Jim’s latest venture FundingHero which helps and educates founders through the 6 Pillars of fundraising. From exploring fundraising strategy to understanding funding types to framing due diligence, which also enables them to evaluate that they can demonstrate founder market fit and position them to solve their market problem better than anyone else.
As we will with all guests on the Series 4, we then walk through, explore, challenge, counteract and gain further insight into The Switch Deck together.
Follow Jim on:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-shirley-finance-director/
https://www.fundinghero.co.uk/
Are you a forward thinking investor, platform or founder that wants to be kept in the loop with all things FounderTech as the conversation continues to develop, iterate and evolve in 2023? Then simply subscribe to The FounderTech Bulletin and remain up to date with all key developments, including following Propelia’s launch of Pilot Round - as its own powerful Founder Market Fit driven platform - into the early stage venture ecosystem. 
Subscribe now to The FounderTech Bulletin here: https://foundertech.substack.com/
#FounderTechBulletin #PilotRound #FounderTechDecoded

Puja Balachander | Recently Exited Seed Stage Founder From Devie | Head of Venture Launchpad at ClimateTech Fund Carbon13 | Iterating Towards A Scaeleable MVP With Minimum Tech As Possible

In this episode of the FounderTech Decoded podcast we get to listen in to Puja Balachander’s founder story, that saw her go from meeting her co-founder to in the first week of her MBA to then iterating and launching their MVP as a WhatsApp based product that helped them inform and determine product market fit. We hear how she used the Chrome extension Contact Out and Mail Merge as a critical piece of FounderTech to identify and be backed by the right team of early stage investors and aligned forward thinking early stage pre-seed backers like Bethnal Green Ventures and Catch22. 
Puja’s story is a brilliant example of the hustle and work it out as you go no code / low code approach. An approach that is much celebrated as an ideal founder path but very rarely well and successfully executed on. Perhaps in her case it was because she had the combination of the Founder Market Fit of working in the government and public services first combined with her other expertise in product development and design.
Puja’s story also illustrates that not all startup stories have to move towards their scale phase before exiting and how sometimes there is an inflection point where a sell to a partner is sometimes the best calculated and strategic right choice and how useful it is to have good investors and advisors around and on the journey with you if you hit this important inflection point.
Finally we use The Switch Deck to explore Puja’s new role working for ClimateTech fund Carbon13 and how her own founder’s journey helps inform her approach when evaluating and talking to early stage founders who often have solutions in search of problems, in startups who are at a similar stage to when she started her founder’s journey.
Connect with Puja:
> https://www.linkedin.com/in/pujabalachander/
> https://carbonthirteen.com/