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Latest Episodes:

Coach Mike: The Four Rules of Raising a Friends & Family Round Aug 27, 2019

Show notes

In this special episode - the second in our ‘Coach Mike’ series - producer Drew Zias is joined by Mike Suprovici (Founder Institute EIR). Together, they discuss the mechanics of raising a Friends and Family round. It's sometimes the first round of funding, and a round where much can go wrong. Mike lays out four critical rules to follow, to avoid those issues and secure early inside investors:

Do your research into what typical friends & family agreements look like.
Manage the investor's expectations. Let them know that this will likely fail.
Be transparent with updates & the progress of your company.
Don't allow the investors to add strange terms in your agreement.

For more insights from FI, subscribe to our newsletter at https://fi.co/subscribe/

If you have a pre-seed startup and you're looking to join an accelerator, apply at https://fi.co/join/podcast

Mindstorm Ep. 2: How to Identify and Solve Humanity's Largest Problems Aug 22, 2019

Show notes

There's no shortage of problems in the world, and we believe that entrepreneurs have the potential to solve many of them. From health crises to political instability to climate change, major human challenges can often seem daunting and hopeless, but that couldn't be further from the truth.

In our new Mindstorm podcast series, featuring Adeo Ressi (Founder Institute CEO) and Josh Whiton (Founder of MakeSoil), share their journeys in mindfulness and their thoughts on how entrepreneurs can solve some of the massive problems ahead of us as a species.

f you have a pre-seed startup and you're looking to join an accelerator, see if FI is accepting applications in a city near you at https://fi.co/join/podcast

Unfiltered Ep. 4: Reviewing Growth-tech ideas, Ambulance drones, and more Aug 20, 2019

Show notes

We're back with another episode of Unfiltered! From growth marketing management tools to life-saving ambulance drones, Rachel Sheppard (Founder Institute Global Marketing Manager), Mike Suprovici (EIR), and Jon Greechan (Cofounder of the Founder Institute) review startup ideas and pull no punches. Together, they have decades of startup experience and have advised hundreds of rising Silicon Valley companies. In our Unfiltered series, they use that experience to provide feedback for startups of any stage of development.

Are you launching your own startup? Submit your startup idea to be featured on our next Unfiltered episode: https://fi.co/ideas

If you have a pre-seed startup and you're looking to join an accelerator, apply at https://fi.co/join/podcast

Mindstorm Ep. 1: Mindful Entrepreneurship and Impacting the World Aug 15, 2019

Show notes

Every day, entrepreneurs face a sea of distractions. From screens to bad habits to self-doubt, these obstacles can seem insurmountable, but they aren't. By finding and harnessing your purpose, you can overcome them.

In our new Mindstorm podcast series, featuring Adeo Ressi (Founder Institute CEO) and Josh Whiton (Founder of MakeSoil), share their journeys in mindfulness and share their thoughts on how humanity can solve some of the massive problems ahead of us as a species.

If you have a pre-seed startup and you're looking to join an accelerator, see if FI is accepting applications in a city near you at https://fi.co/join/podcast

Startup Finance and Accounting: An Interview with Frank Mastronuzzi Aug 14, 2019

Show notes

Every startup founder is focused on generating revenue and securing investors, but countless startups fail because they fail to manage their existing cash.

In this episode, startup finance and accounting expert Frank Mastronuzzi (CFO, Punch Financial) outlines some of the best strategies to manage your company's money. He identifies some of the most common mistakes that startups make, fields questions from seed-stage founders, and guides us through the ever-changing world of startup finance.

Are you launching your own startup? Submit your startup idea to be featured on our next Brutal Honesty episode: https://fi.co/ideas

If you have a pre-seed startup and you're looking to join an accelerator, apply at https://fi.co/join/podcast

Unfiltered Ep. 3: Reviewing Transportation Ideas, Med-Tech Startups & More Aug 12, 2019

Show notes

We're back with another episode of Unfiltered! From school transport to grocery startups, Rachel Sheppard (Founder Institute Global Marketing Manager), Mike Suprovici (EIR), and Ryan Micheletti (Head of Global Operations) review startup ideas and pull no punches. Together, they have decades of startup experience and have advised hundreds of rising Silicon Valley companies. In our Unfiltered series, they use that experience to provide feedback for startups of any stage of development.

Are you launching your own startup? Submit your startup idea to be featured on our next Brutal Honesty episode: https://fi.co/ideas

If you have a pre-seed startup and you're looking to join an accelerator, apply at https://fi.co/join/podcast

Coach Mike: Startup Hiring Tips with Mike Suprovici Aug 06, 2019

Show notes

In this special episode - the first in our ‘Coach Mike’ series - producer Drew Zias is joined by Mike Suprovici (Founder Institute EIR). Together, they discuss the number one reason why startups fail: conflict between founders. The topic of the day is Startup Hiring, and Mike outlines how to build a strong team and avoid some of the most dangerous mistakes for an early-stage company, along with:

How to onboard co-founders, and early employees
How to deal with equity splits
How to define your values as a company

For more insights from FI, subscribe to our newsletter at https://fi.co/subscribe/

If you have a pre-seed startup and you're looking to join an accelerator, apply at https://fi.co/join/podcast

Venture Funding for Female Founders: An AMA with Cat Lee Aug 01, 2019

Show notes

According to several reports, less than 3% of all venture capital funding goes to female founders.

In this webinar, Cat gives advice on how female founders can overcome the odds and close a funding round, through an interactive online AMA ("Ask me Anything"). Cat is the newest partner at Maveron, an early-stage consumer-tech venture firm. Previously, Cat worked for six years at Pinterest (Head of Culture, Global Partner Marketing, Growth, Product) and at Facebook as part of their developer platform team. Join the discussion as Rachel Sheppard (Co-Founder of the Female Founder Initiative, and Global Marketing Manager at the Founder Institute) and Cat field all the questions you have about startup funding.

For more female founder resources, visit https://www.femalefounderinitiative.com/

If you have a pre-seed startup and you're looking to join an accelerator, apply at https://fi.co/join/podcast

Unfiltered Ep. 2: Reviewing Hotel App Ideas, Crowdfunding Startups & More Jul 30, 2019

Show notes

We're back with another episode of Unfiltered! From agribusiness to digital fingerprinting, Rachel Sheppard (Founder Institute Global Marketing Manager), Mike Suprovici (EIR), and Ryan Micheletti (Head of Global Operations) review startup ideas and pull no punches. Together, they have decades of startup experience and have advised hundreds of rising Silicon Valley companies.

In our Unfiltered series, they'll provide feedback for startups of any stage of development.

Are you launching your own startup? Submit your startup idea to be featured on our next Brutal Honesty episode: https://fi.co/ideas

If you have a pre-seed startup and you're looking to join an accelerator, apply at https://fi.co/join/podcast

How to Work with Investors, Featuring Pekka Viilto of Rundit Jul 25, 2019

Show notes

In this episode, Pekka Viilto shares his experiences as a founder of a VC-backed startup, and fields questions from pre-Series A entrepreneurs. Pekka is an investor relations expert and the founder of Rundit. It's a founder-friendly investor reporting tool for startups, which helps founders communicate with their investors. He and Mike Suprovici (Founder Institute EIR) discuss the challenges with investor relations and how to overcome those as a founder.

If you have a pre-seed startup and you're looking to join an accelerator, apply at https://fi.co/join/podcast

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