In this episode of Startups Unedited, I sit down with Brian Wong, General Partner at ASCII Ventures, to break down how AI is fundamentally reshaping venture capital, startup defensibility, and what investors actually look for in founders today.Brian has lived both sides of the table - scaling and exiting venture-backed startups, then raising a fund focused on what he calls “boring tech”: overlooked, behind-the-scenes businesses with real staying power. In a world where products can be vibe-coded and technical moats are disappearing, Brian explains why judgment, coachability, and go-to-market execution are now the true competitive advantages.We cover:Why AI is destroying traditional technical moatsWhat is and isn’t “vibe-codable” in 2026How venture valuations are being completely re-writtenWhy GTM and domain expertise matter more than codeThe biggest red flags Brian sees when founders pitchCoachability as the #1 predictor of founder successHow investors really think about accountabilityWhy first-time founders should avoid VCs in their first roundHow to raise your first $250K the right wayWhat founders get wrong about “bad VCs”This episode is a must-watch for:First-time foundersOperators navigating AI disruptionBuilders raising capital in 2026GTM-focused leaders and non-technical founders📌 Learn more about Brian & ASCII Ventures:Website: https://ascii.vcConnect with Brian on LinkedInIf this episode resonated, like, subscribe, and share it with another founder who’s building in today’s AI-driven market.

In this episode of #StartupsUnedited, I sit down with Anthony Kennada, Co-Founder & CEO of Goldenhour, for a wide-ranging, deeply human conversation about AI, identity, work, and what actually matters next.This isn’t another surface-level AI or go-to-market playbook.It’s a real discussion about what happens when:80–90% of knowledge work gets automatedMarketing ops, testing, and optimization are handled by machinesSoftware creation is radically democratizedAnd founders, CMOs, and operators are forced to ask: “Who am I without my job?”Anthony breaks down why brand, storytelling, creativity, and community are becoming the last true moats in B2B — and why the future of marketing looks far more human, emotional, and purpose-driven than most people expect.In this episode, we cover:Why AI will automate most marketing - and why that’s actually good newsThe coming identity crisis for knowledge workersHow brand becomes the primary differentiator in a world of AI parityWhy the old B2B playbooks no longer workWhat CMOs should actually prioritize in the next 12–24 monthsWhy events, storytelling, and community are resurgingHow founders should think about meaning, wellness, and work in a post-AI worldIf you’re a founder, CMO, marketer, or operator trying to navigate AI without losing your soul - this conversation will challenge how you think about work, brand, and what it really means to build something that lasts.🎧 Listen now - and join the conversation in the comments.

Too many founders don’t fail because the product is “bad.”

They fail because they mistake polite interest for real demand.

In this episode of #StartupsUnedited, I sit down with Ellen Rubin, Operating Partner at Glasswing Ventures - multi-time founder (CloudSwitch → Verizon, ClearSky Data → AWS) and former marketing Netezza leader - to break down the hardest transition in startups:➡️ “Nice-to-have” → “Must-have”…and how to prove it before you waste years building.

What you’ll learn (no fluff):

How to tell if strangers, not just your network, actually want what you’re building

Why “That makes sense” is the most dangerous feedback a founder can hear

The real question founders avoid: are customers actually in pain right now?

The uncomfortable test: can anyone besides the founder sell it?

Time-to-value in enterprise - why you must show real value in the first 5 minutes

Pricing traps: why cheap revenue creates false positives and poisons roadmaps

What VCs actually look for now: velocity to revenue + workflow stickiness (not “cool AI”)

Why vertical AI and end-to-end workflow ownership is where the next giants are built

If you’re building B2B, enterprise, AI-native, vertical AI, or infrastructure, this is a masterclass in signal vs. noise.

👇 Drop a comment:What’s the clearest must-have signal you’ve seen - or missed - as a founder?Subscribe for more real founder/operator conversations: #StartupsUnedited#StartupAdvice #B2B #VentureCapital #CustomerDiscovery #Founders #AIStartups #EnterpriseSales #ProductMarketFit #GoToMarket #GlasswingVentures

In this episode of Startups Unedited, I sit down with my longtime friend Max Altschuler - serial entrepreneur turned General Partner at GTMfund - to break down one of the biggest questions founders are facing right now:If AI has commoditized product… what actually matters anymore?We cover:The real transition from operator → VC (spoiler: it’s not easier)Why GTM is one of the last true defensible moats in softwareHow AI and LLMs are reshaping valuations, fundraising, and competitionWhy dashboards are dead - and actionable products winWhat pre-seed and seed founders must show to raise capital in 2026How brand, distribution, and community now rival product as advantagesThe GTMfund flywheel: fund + community + media as a venture platformWhy modern SEO is now GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)Max also shares how GTM Now and the GTMfund LP network are changing what it means to be a “hands-on” investor - and why founders should expect real support, not just a check.If you’re a B2B SaaS founder, GTM leader, or investor navigating AI-driven markets, this episode is required listening.👇 Follow Max on LinkedIn👇 Check out GTMfund & GTM Now👇 Subscribe for more unfiltered conversations with the people actually building the future of go-to-market#StartupsUnedited #GTM #AIinSaaS #Fundraising #VentureCapital #GEO #B2BGrowth #FounderAdvice #GoToMarketFollow me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/startupjorge/Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/startupjorge

Fundraising in January 2026 feels upside down - and Doug Landis (sales productivity + GTM legend, former Emergence Capital investor) breaks down why founders are feeling whiplash right now.In this episode of #StartupsUnedited, we get into:Why the “AI revolution” narrative is overhyped - and what’s actually newThe stat that surprised me: “85% of the tech stack is still SaaS”Why investors aren’t “making money” right now (and how that changes fundraising behavior)The new traction expectations: what it takes to raise seed vs. Series A in 2026Why “LLM wrappers” don’t hold up (and what happened to Jasper as the cautionary tale)What becomes the real moat: brand, trust, and a provocative POVCommunity-led growth reality check: dinners over Slack groupsThe underrated growth lever: partner-led distribution (including individuals with clout)Why “outbound is advertising” now - and what to send when you’re not begging for meetingsDoug also shares tactical advice for founders and GTM teams building in 2026: define your anchors, speak your buyer’s language, and show up more prepared than your prospects expect - because they’re researching you harder than ever.Follow Doug + check out StoryPath: StoryPathChapters (rough):0:00 Fundraising + the AI reality check3:00 “85% of the stack is still SaaS”4:40 The new seed / Series A bar10:00 Moats: brand, trust, distribution13:30 Community that actually drives pipeline19:30 Partners as a GTM engine (individuals + rev share)27:20 Modern B2B marketing mix in 202630:40 Outbound as advertising + the new buyer behavior#StartupsUnedited #B2B #Fundraising #GTM #Sales #Marketing #AI #Startups #Founder #RevenueFollow me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/startupjorge/Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/startupjorge

In this episode of #StartupsUnedited, I sit down with Rahul Jain (CEO & Co-founder at Noble) to break down the real pivot story:✅ sales slowing down✅ privacy + legal friction piling up✅ “death by a million cuts”✅ a few months of runway left…and then making the call to move into AI Search—helping brands show up in LLMs by automating brand mentions in the sources AI cites.We get into:When you know it’s time to pivot (and the signals people ignore)How Rahul tested the new direction quietly on the side before moving the teamThe hard part: customers, contracts, and investor psychologyWhy boards don’t fund “a pivot to nowhere”Founder mental health: uncertainty, emotional burden, and making the journey sustainableGTM: selling to demand gen marketers, SEO agencies, and partners in the AI search ecosystemIf you’re building in 2026, this is the playbook: pivot fast, validate faster, and don’t pretend the emotional load isn’t real.👇 Question for founders: What’s the clearest sign you’ve seen that it’s time to pivot?#StartupsUnedited #Startups #Founder #Pivot #AISearch #LLM #GTM #Marketing #SEOFollow me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/startupjorge/Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/startupjorge

AI made it way easier to build a product… and somehow made startups way harder to win.In this episode of #StartupsUnedited, I sit down with Ravi Belani (Founder & CEO of Alchemist Accelerator, Stanford entrepreneurship instructor, former DFJ) to break down what AI is doing to:Startup valuations (and why some “identical” companies get funded while others get $0)The new bar for traction: why $3–$6M ARR in ~12 months is becoming the expectationWhy the best startups are hitting insane velocity (0 → $100M ARR stories)The real moat in an AI world: community, network effects, platform lock-in, and vertical depthHow “mega-funds” shape the market (and why they’re often valuation-insensitive)The uncomfortable truth: your technical moat is thinner than ever — so GTM matters more than people admitIf you’re building in 2026 (or thinking about it), this is the episode that’ll recalibrate how you think about product, competition, and fundraising.👇 Drop a comment with what you’re building + where you think the moat is.👍 Like, subscribe, and share this with one founder who needs to hear it.Follow Ravi:X: @rbelaniLinkedIn: Ravi Belani https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravibelani/Stanford eCorner: ecorner.stanford.eduAlchemist Accelerator: (search “Alchemist Accelerator”)#AI #Startups #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #SaaS #ProductMarketFit #GTM #Fundraising #AlchemistAccelerator #StartupsUneditedFollow me on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/startupjorge/Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/startupjorge

In this episode of #StartupsUnedited, Jorge Soto sits down with Aaron Melamed (Founder & CEO of Itero) - a former “carry-a-bag” sales leader turned founder who’s building a new kind of AI-native company.Aaron breaks down the exact moment he realized ChatGPT + autonomous agents could replace traditional sales training and repetitive business ops, and how he’s using agents to scale everything from roleplay enablement to proposal generation (and even automating back-office work most founders hate).If you’re a founder, GTM leader, SDR/AE, or operator trying to understand what “agentic” actually means in the real world - this one’s a blueprint.What you’ll learn:How a non-technical founder navigated product building (and the fear that comes with it)Why AI roleplay + enablement is harder than it sounds - and how Itero approaches itThe 2 “North Star” questions Aaron uses to decide what to build nextBootstrapping discipline vs. VC-backed “throw money at it” product decisionsWhy founders must go horizontal (GTM + product + AI skills) in 2026 and beyondHow to operationalize agents - not just “build one in a corner”Chapters00:00 Intro00:40 Aaron’s background (Greenhouse, enablement, sales leadership)02:20 The moment he decided to become a founder04:50 Building Itero full-time (since Aug 2024)06:40 Learning product without a technical background09:00 Why Perplexity helped him learn faster10:30 “Agents doing real work” - what he automated16:00 The hardest part of building AI roleplay software18:55 Unlearning salesperson instincts as a CEO26:30 The 2 questions that guide what features ship37:10 Advice for future founders: uncertainty + going horizontal📌 Connect with Aaron on LinkedIn (best way to reach him): https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronmelamed/📌 Follow Jorge Soto for more founder + GTM conversations: https://www.linkedin.com/in/startupjorge/👍 If this helped, hit like, subscribe, and drop a comment:What’s the first business process you’d automate with an agent?#AI #Startups #B2BSaaS #SalesEnablement #Founders #GTM #AIagents #AgenticAI #StartupPodcast #ColdCalling #SalesTraining

Most teams don’t fail at ABM because they lack tools - they fail because they skip the strategy.In this episode of #StartupsUnedited, Jorge Soto sits down with Kristina Jaramillo, President of Personal ABM, for a deep, practical conversation on what real account-based go-to-market looks like when it’s built around revenue, focus, and account experience — not just intent data and campaigns.We unpack why so many companies jump into ABM platforms before they’re actually ABM-ready, and how that leads to lots of activity, plenty of pipeline… and stalled deal momentum.This conversation goes beyond marketing tactics and gets into how marketing, sales, and customer success need to operate as one revenue system.In this episode, we cover:How ABM evolved from “better targeting” into a true account-based revenue strategyWhy putting ABM tech before strategy often amplifies mediocre GTM executionThe real difference between TAM, TRM (Total Relevant Market), and ICPHow to define an ICP that’s actually predictive of revenue, not just intent signalsWhy intent platforms are a starting point, not the strategy itselfHow to layer account insights and intent so sales gets context they can act onWhat a unified account-based GTM motion looks like across marketing, sales, and CSHow to create 1:1 ABM content and messaging that tells the account’s storyContent that answers “What happens if I buy?” and paints a clear 6–24 month visionWhy alignment is often a human leadership issue (CRO + CMO), not a tooling problemA real example of driving 25%+ margin growth by shifting from vendor to strategic partner in an enterprise accountIf you’re a B2B marketer, founder, or revenue leader trying to move beyond surface-level ABM and into something that actually drives deal progression and growth, this episode will give you a sharper framework to work from.Connect with Kristina Jaramillo🔗 Website: https://personalabm.com🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinajaramillo/Connect with Jorge Soto🔗 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/startupjorge/If this episode resonated, like, subscribe, and leave a comment with how you’re approaching ABM today — what’s working, what’s not, and where deals tend to stall.Let’s keep the conversation unedited.Follow me on Linkedin:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/startupjorge/Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/startupjorge

On this episode of #StartupsUnedited, I sit down with Jonathan Kazarian, CEO & Founder of Accelevents, for one of the most tactical deep dives I’ve ever recorded on B2B brand-building, event marketing, and founder-led growth.

Jonathan shares the real origin story behind Accelevents — from hedge fund analyst in Boston to building event tech out of necessity for a family fundraiser… and then scaling it into a platform powering 10,000+ attendee conferences.

We break down:

• Why he left finance for tech (unexpectedly)

• How a cancer fundraiser at the Boston Aquarium sparked the idea

• The early pivots from fundraising → ticketing → corporate events

• How talking to customers 24/7 became Accelevents’ superpower

• Why building a product is easy compared to building a brand

• How founder-led content drives massive word of mouth

• Why trust, reputation, and showing up consistently matter

• His daily LinkedIn writing habit and why it 3×’d referrals

• Why registration forms kill conversion—and how to fix them

• How to design event websites for first-time attendees, not repeat ones

• Why attendee experience > admin experience

• What reps do wrong in booths (and how to fix sales–marketing alignment)

• The real way to measure event success: pipeline over 365+ days, not 30

Jonathan shares actionable frameworks for:

• Optimizing registration flows

• Coaching reps for on-site consistency

• Preparing killer follow-up campaigns

• Choosing which reps you should actually bring to events

• Turning attendee experience into a growth engine

If you’re a founder, marketer, event leader, or B2B operator, this episode is packed with tactical gems you can implement tomorrow.

🎧 Subscribe to the channel for more unfiltered founder conversations and GTM breakdowns.

#StartupsUnedited #Accelevents #B2BMarketing #EventMarketing #FounderLedGrowth #BrandBuilding #GTM #JonathanKazarian #JorgeSoto

🚀 Jonathan’s Startup Origin Story🎯 Brand & B2B Marketing Lessons for Founders📅 Event Marketing Best Practices (Goldmine for B2B Marketers)🔥 For Event Marketers & B2B Growth Leaders