Raise & Exit

🎙️ Episode 7 is live! This time we sit down with Kurt Buseck of Rex Capital to unpack what really drives success — and exits — in deep tech.

If you’re building or backing a deep tech venture, this episode is packed with hard-won insights on what makes companies fundable and exit-ready.

What do we cover?

1. Execution and IP drive valuation. Innovation isn’t enough. Investors look for working products, a clear path to commercialization, and strong patent or trade secret protection that creates negotiation leverage.

2. Exit planning starts on day one. The best founders identify potential acquirers early. A clear line of sight to liquidity shapes decisions on team, product, and IP strategy.

🎧 Tune in for a candid look at how to position deep tech companies for both growth and successful exits.

🎙️ Episode 6 is live! This time we sit down with Sebastian Harris — multi-time entrepreneur, impact-focused fund manager, and former nonprofit leader whose journey has taken him from peacebuilding in the Middle East to leading a company from inception to IPO.

If you’re fundraising or preparing for an exit, this episode is packed with practical, founder-tested advice.

What do we cover?

1. Make your narrative investor-first. Most founders over-index on their own effort or product quality. Investors care about returns, risk, and the path to liquidity. Your story matters — but only if it answers the investor’s questions.

2. Speed is a filter. Investors use time as a screening tool. If your materials don’t create urgency and clarity in the first pass, you’re unlikely to get a second look. Short, sharp deliverables give you a competitive edge.

3. Execution beats theory. Great teams can salvage bad ideas; bad teams can ruin great ones. Leadership clarity and adaptability inspire far more investor confidence than market size alone.

🎧 Tune in for insights that will help you cut through the noise and approach investors with clarity, urgency, and confidence.

🎙️ Episode 5 is live! This time we sit down with Vik Ghai — founder, repeat operator, and now early-stage AI investor at G2C Venture Partners.

If you’re building in a highly technical space or navigating early fundraising, this one’s for you.

What do we cover?

1. Most founders fail by treating symptoms, not root causes. If customers keep saying no, don't just move on — dig deeper. Real pattern recognition is what separates Series A winners from the rest.

2. The founder story matters more than your credentials. Investors back clarity, conviction, and purpose. If you can’t clearly explain why you are the one to solve this problem, they’ll move on.

3. Pivots are not a sign of failure. They’re part of the process. The best founders adjust quickly and treat feedback as fuel. Success is about how fast you learn, not how closely you stick to your first plan.

We also talk about:
- How AWS and Databricks marketplaces are becoming the new app stores
- What it really means when a VC says they’re “founder friendly”
- Why enterprise AI won’t scale until people trust it—and what founders can do to build that trust

🎧 Give it a listen and let us know what stood out.

Episode 4 is live! Our guest this time: investor, fund manager, and operating CEO Tim Enneking—a rare triple-threat who’s been on the buy side, sell side, and operator side of the table. If you're fundraising or preparing to sell your company, this one’s for you.
 
What do we cover?
 
1. “Getting to No” Faster – Ask disqualifying questions early to avoid wasting time on bad-fit investors.
 
2. VC = HR – Great teams beat great ideas. A strong team can pivot; a weak one can’t execute.
 
3. Audience-First Pitching – Don’t just talk; tailor your message to what investors care about—returns, risk, and exit.
 
4. Due Diligence ≠ Just Docs – For early-stage deals, management quality is the #1 diligence factor.
 
About Tim Enneking:
CEO of Presearch and Managing Partner at Stallion PSA, a crypto-focused VC fund. With experience across buy-side, sell-side, and advisory roles, Tim brings a unique lens to startup investing.
 
Top Advice:
"It’s not what you want to say—it’s what your audience wants to hear.”
Founders often overshare effort; investors want outcomes. Focus on value, not just story. 🎧 Tune in, and let us know what you think of our latest episode and production upgrades!

Itamar Novick, multi-unicorn investor and founder of Recursive Ventures talks with host Edgar Baum about early stage investing and things to consider when looking to raise.  Quite interesting is unpacking of how a well articulated TAM (Total Addressable Market) is necessary signal at this stage of investing.

You can find Itamar at:

 linkedin / itamarnovick 

OR

https://x.com/Itamar_Novick

Rob Gibbons joins host Edgar Baum and provides decades of wisdom on what it takes mentally and procedurally to grow a company through its valleys and challenges.

Ari Goldberg and host Edgar Baum discuss what the most important metric is for any company and how to maintain focus on a genuine objective both as a founder and a business.

Ari is a serial entrepreneur with multiple exits including extensive experience in sports marketing.  He is presently the founder of RNMKR. https://www.rnmkr.co/ serving growth stage companies with priming growth through marketing.

You can find Ari at https://www.linkedin.com/in/arisgoldberg/ or https://www.instagram.com/arisgoldberg/

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