How do venture capital companies decide who to fund? What mistakes do brands make when trying to raise venture capital? In today’s episode, you’ll hear from Michael Lee of Lee Commerce Ventures as well as Yelitsa Jean-Charles, the founder of Healthy Roots Dolls. Listen in to learn about venture capital companies evaluate deals, why it’s important to get a “no”, and how Yelitsa generated funds through Kickstarter and got her doll company started.

Topics Discussed in Today’s Episode:

How Michael got into the investing scene

An investment that generated internal controversy

How to evaluate a deal once proposed

Why it’s important to get a “no”

How Michael’s firm got involved with Thursday Boot Co

The four things Michael looks at in today’s consumer brands

The most common mistakes by brands raising venture capital

Yelitsa’s story

The customer for Yelitsa’s dolls

Whether Yelitsa is seeing repeat order behavior

Whether Yelitsa has begun to explore different commerce infrastructure tools

How Yelitsa’s Kickstarter generated funds

Yelitsa’s shipping horror story

How Yeltisa approached manufacturing

Capitalizing on going viral

Maintaining a luxury price point

Advice for today’s entrepreneurs

Resources:

Michael Lee

Yelitsa Jean-Charles

Healthy Roots Dolls