Startup Success: A Podcast for Founders & Investors

What if your inspiration for starting a company came from solving a problem you experienced first-hand as an engineer at a tech giant like Uber?  In this episode, we welcome Anish Dhar, Co-Founder and CEO of Cortex, to share his incredible journey from an engineer at Uber to founding Cortex, the internal developer portal that addresses a massive gap in engineering processes and recently raised a $60M Series C round.

Anish reflects on how he and his co-founders identified a critical pain point that they knew countless engineers experienced but no one had tried to solve yet. Being “close to the pain” motivated them and was a huge factor in their startup’s fundraising success.

Our expansive discussion touches on:

• What VCs are looking for at Seed, Series A and beyond
• Anish’s experience applying (and getting rejected the first time) at Y Combinator and how persistence paid off
• Why being close to the pain point your product is trying to solve gives founders an advantage
• The engineering challenges that inspired Cortex

In Anish’s words, starting a company is “truly one of the most gratifying and impactful experiences that you can have. It's painful, but it's worth it!”

Don’t miss Anish's story of innovation, resilience, and building a product that’s transforming the way engineers manage complex systems.

----Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn! 

For startups, even software startups, figuring out what is worth patenting is one of the most important moves a founder needs to make.

That’s where our guest today comes in. Jeff Schox, Founding Partner and Patent Attorney at Schox Patent Group, is a patent expert who’s helped hundreds of very successful startups navigate this rocky terrain.

Jeff joins us to give startup founders a basic primer on everything they need to know about patents – an often misunderstood and overlooked area. Right off the bat, Jeff dispels the three biggest myths about startup patents (1. Software isn't patentable / 2. If we can't enforce the patent, it doesn't have value / 3. The biggest costs of a patent portfolio are the legal fees). And he explains how startups can take a strategic approach to patent filing that safeguards future innovation and fuels future growth.

We also discuss:

• All the key components around patents a founder must know
• The value of filing a provisional patent, especially for startups
• Why determining the valuation of patents is so tricky
• How a good patent attorney’s key role is strategic partner
• The strict deadline after which you can never pursue a patent

This episode is truly a must-listen as it gives founders valuable knowledge on patents and patent strategies for ensuring long-term success.

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Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn! 

We explore some weighty questions on this episode of Startup Success, including:

• What would the world look like if half the venture capital dollars were in women-led funds? 
• Is VC funding the golden ticket or just another hurdle for startups? 
• How do we overcome the biggest limiting factor to success – ourselves?
• Why is the bulk of venture capital still not in the hands of women?

Sutian Dong, Partner at Multitudes and a pivotal figure in venture capital, joins us to tackle these topics and to share profound insights on the dynamics that guide VC’s decision making process, how that impacts startups, and why she started her own fund.

Known for her work supporting female founders and investors, Sutian is the founder of Global Women in VC, the world’s largest global community for women in venture capital. Her firm, Multitudes, is built on the thesis that the next generation of innovation will be different than the last, and they invest in and incubate projects that explore the edge of human consciousness.

Join us for this enlightening discussion on the future of investing, the value of diverse perspectives, and the strategic decisions every founder should consider.


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Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn! 

To celebrate the 100th episode of Startup Success, we have two exceptional guests: Peter Reinhardt, CEO and co-founder of Charm Industrial (and the former co-founder/CEO of Segment), and Jeff Burkland, CEO and founder of Burkland.

Peter and Jeff take us behind the scenes of Segment, the hugely successful startup that was acquired by Twilio for $3.2 billion in 2020. They recount their time working together at Segment, where Jeff came on board early as the fractional CFO.

Jeff and Peter candidly discuss:

• How Peter overcame the early stage challenges that almost ended Segment
• The struggle to find product-market fit
• Jeff’s take on what makes a great fundraising pitch (and why Peter is a natural)
• The pricing model that was a game-changer for Segment

Finally, Peter touches on his latest venture Charm Industrial, a carbon removal technology startup that raised  $100 million last year and has a long list of renowned US companies as customers. 

Tune in for practical advice, insightful stories, and real-world lessons learned from their startup experiences. Whether you're in the early stages of your startup or looking to scale, this episode is packed with valuable takeaways!


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Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn! 

In the rapidly evolving world of AI, standing out requires more than just innovation; it demands leadership and a clear vision. Enter Lin Qiao, the driving force behind Fireworks AI, who is redefining the limitations of speed, value and scale in generative AI.

With a $52M Series B secured earlier this summer, Fireworks AI has quickly become a major player after launching their public platform just one year ago. Lin, their CEO and Co-Founder, joins us to share the invaluable lessons she’s learned along her journey from leading Meta’s AI platform development team to founding an industry-disrupting startup.

We explore:

• Fireworks AI’s customer obsessed culture and deep belief that “if our customers are successful, we will be successful”  
• How their product iterations flowed organically from their customers’ evolving needs
• Why moving fast and prioritizing for speed is key to their success
• Where AI is headed as it becomes more sophisticated and the industry matures

Lin offers advice for founders on everything from how to avoid the “paralysis of analysis” in decision-making to strategies for driving down the cost of AI. Don't miss this insightful conversation with one of the leading voices in AI innovation.

For more information about Fireworks AI, visit fireworks.ai.

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Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn! 

Amid high interest rates and election uncertainty, navigating the startup landscape has never been more challenging. Fortunately, our special guest, Steve Lord, is here to offer a broader perspective that may help ease your mind.

As a member of Burkland’s Leadership Team, Steve serves as Managing Director of Service Delivery and Chief Knowledge Officer. Steve has been in the trenches for a while and his knowledge of the startup and venture capital ecosystem runs deep.

He joins us today to discuss the current state of the startup and venture capital ecosystems and what to expect as we progress through 2024.

Steve expands on:

• The macro factors that are making the startup landscape and fundraising more difficult right now
• The pros and cons of using Venture Debt to extend your cash runway
• Why a rigorous due diligence process that addresses all the “Gotchas” is a good thing for your startup
• Finding investors who are allies and who can make your company better
• The value of delegating to subject matter experts so you can stay focused on your product
• The cyclical nature of VC funding and the strategic responses startups can take 

Tune in for practical tips on how to survive and even thrive in today’s startup environment. 

----Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn! 

In this episode of Startup Success, we welcome Jaclyn Chen, Co-Founder and CEO at Benepass, a platform that solves real-world pain points for both employees and employers in the benefits space.

Jacyln dives into her experience working with Y Combinator early on and how she approached fundraising during very different economic climates. And she shares some truly great advice for fellow startup founders!

Highlights from our discussion include: 

• Strategies that increase your odds of securing funding
• The parallels between enterprise sales and raising venture capital
• The evolution of the founder role from selling the vision to building a team and scaling the company
• Ideas on how founders can make the due diligence process more seamless for VCs

This episode is packed with valuable insights for early-stage startup founders looking for a competitive edge. 

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Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn! 

Dr. Misti Ushio, Managing Partner at Digitalis Ventures, joins us in the studio today. Misti’s entrepreneurial journey took flight with the formation of TARA Biosystems, a groundbreaking startup that developed “heart-on-a-chip” technology. 

From raising $20 million in venture financing to navigating the complexities of scaling a biotech startup, Misti shares the highs and lows of her journey and discusses how her talent for commercializing cutting-edge research is a perfect fit for her most recent role as a VC.

Misti offers valuable advice for startup founders on a variety of topics, including:

• How to put together a board of directors that will best serve your startup now and in the future
• The often-overlooked impact of branding and business development on a startup's success
• Methods for reining in the conflicting demands of running a fast-growing startup

Tune in for a conversation filled with wisdom, insights, and inspiration!

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Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn! 

Our guest today is Stasia Obremskey, Co-Founder and Managing Director at RH Capital, an impact-first venture capital fund that invests in the future of women's health.

Stasia provides an in-depth look at the types of innovations RH Capital is passionate about and shares examples of how their portfolio companies are dramatically improving health outcomes, affordability and health equity. Listeners will learn about the potential for outsized returns in this is a large, underserved, rapidly growing market.

We also discuss:

• The critical importance of managing every penny of your available cash, especially in this market
• Stasia’s advice for founders on securing funding
• The pivotal role of a CFO at a startup

Join us for this fascinating conversation and discover how RH Capital is a driving a paradigm shift in women’s healthcare.

Visit RH Capital at rhcapital.vc to learn more about their mission and investment criteria. Startups pioneering change in women’s health are encouraged to submit a pitch via the Pitch Us form on their website. 

----Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn!