From Founder to CEO: Vijay Rajendran on The Founding Framework, Fundraising Psychology, and Building a High-Trust Team

In this episode of Uncomplicated, I sit down with Vijay Rajendran Berkeley, trained executive coach, startup advisor, and former investor to break down what it really takes to evolve from “chief everything officer” into a true CEO.

With two decades supporting founders worldwide (including leading global startup support at 500 Global and advising through GAI Ventures), Vijay has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs through the moments that make or break a company: building teams, navigating co-founder conflict, and fundraising with clarity. His new book, The Founding Framework, turns the messy reality of raising capital into a practical, repeatable process so fundraising doesn’t become a never-ending distraction from building.

This conversation is a masterclass for founders who want to raise smarter, lead better, and communicate in a way that creates momentum internally and with investors.

We cover:

• The real shift founders must make to become a CEO (it’s an identity, not a title)
• Why your first hires should create time, not consume it
• The hidden distrust behind micromanagement and how to build trust without losing standards
• Co-founder conflict: why most startup problems aren’t technical, they’re human
• The 4-part Founding Framework (and what’s actually below the fundraising “iceberg”)
• Storytelling that makes investors remember you (hint: your customer is the hero)
• Investor psychology, social proof, and how momentum drives decisions
• Term sheets + cap tables explained simply for first-time founders
• Why “product-market fit” is becoming product-market evolution in an AI-driven world

Key Takeaways:

• Great leadership is leverage: your job shifts from doing everything to enabling everyone.
• Fundraising is a process, not luck, not networking, not “spray and pray.”
• The most memorable pitches are customer-led stories with emotional clarity.
• Healthy conflict is possible when communication stays high-trust and blame-free.
• In the AI era, speed matters but only when it buys back focus and execution.

This is a grounded, tactical episode for founders, operators, and builders who want to raise capital with confidence and lead teams that actually perform.

🔗 Connect with Vijay:

• Website: https://www.mystartupsystem.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vijayarajendran/

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