Robin Singhvi, founder of SmartCue joins me to talk about his experience with founding and fundraising. He reveals he secured 15 investor conversations, and shared his tips on how to create a personalised product demos that are relevant to buyers and prospects.
He advises founders to find 20 people who fit their persona and send them a cold email to validate their venture before seeking funding. He also suggested that they should start with smaller investors and work their way up, avoiding bad or dumb money. Robin recommended reading "The Mom's Test" to get meaningful responses in interview and emphasised the importance of understanding the emotional and social needs of product marketers to refine interview questions.
We cover several important topics related to entrepreneurship, including the challenges of fundraising, the importance of really understanding your customer, and how to create a successful business without raising a lot of money.
The interview also covered the challenges that solo founders face, and the importance of understanding the problem before attempting to solve it, while avoiding attachment to the outcome. Regarding fundraising, Robin discussed the dangers of accepting any money, and advised founders to think about the "right money," which includes not only the funding but also what else the VC can offer in terms of introductions, avoiding mistakes, and help with hiring, compliance, and legal. He discusses why to start with smaller investors and work your way up, rather than going straight to big funds.
Other topics discussed in the podcast included the importance of referrals, reducing CAC to LTV ratios, and how VCs can dictate salary and other terms when investing in a company. Robin and Marcus also discussed the importance of validating a venture before seeking funding, and how to tell the difference between good, bad, and dumb money. Overall, the interview provided valuable insights into the world of entrepreneurship and fundraising, and offered practical advice for those seeking to create successful businesses.
Contact Robin via linkedin.com/in/robinsinghvi
Websites
Email: robinsinghvi@gmail.com
Twitter: robinsinghvi
--
Book time with me to discuss what's not working in your career and your life> Let's see if some unconventional coaching might be what the doctor ordered for you - no risk, no charge, just an honest conversation and no bullshit - https://calendly.com/marcuscauchi/
Are You Helping Or Are You Part Of The Problem?
Playing Nicely With Others Doesn’t Mean You’re Soft or Lack Ambition
Why Promote Your Top Salespeople Into Management And Give Them No Support?
When Did Intelligent, Hard Work Go Out Of Fashion In Sales?
12 Strategy Sprints To Accelerate Growth For An Agile Business
Why Must You Go Looking For Bad News?
Eric Steeves: Are You Intentionally Winning By Design or Losing By Default?
If You Want To Change The World Start By Taking Care Of Yourself
No Mother Ever Had An Ugly Child ... Until You
Humanising S&M: Knowing How To Scale Is Often About Knowing What NOT To Do
Coach For Results: Metrics Are Not A Motivator
GTM Ecosystems: Learn Why They’re A Force Multiplier For Sales Growth
Do You Really Know HOW Your Customer Buys?
Why You’re Failing At Enterprise Sales And How To Fix It
Manage To Make Yourself Redundant And Celebrate When Your People Leave
Are You Prepared To Lead In Times Of Stress And Crisis?
Buyer Enablement
Consider A Truly Novel Approach To Enterprise Selling
Is This Quarter REALLY More Important Than Every Subsequent Quarter?
How Do You Thrive In A Hybrid Selling World?
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The Commercial Edge: Unleash the Power of People
The emPOWERed Half Hour
Aligned Money Show
Gorse Culture PODcast : The H.R. Detective Agency!
HCI Leadership Revolution
The Ramsey Show
Planet Money