In this episode, Amir Bormand speaks withSandeep Bhadra, General Partner at Vertex, about the journey and challenges of early-stage founders. Sandeep dives deep into the psychology of being a founder, the importance of support systems, and how investors can serve as mentors. They also discuss essential skills founders often lack, navigating pivots, and the role of distribution in building a business. If you're a current or aspiring founder—or just curious about the world of startups—this episode is packed with valuable insights!

Key Takeaways:

1. The Lonely Road of Founders: Founders often feel isolated as they navigate personal growth and business challenges. A co-founder or coach can make the highs less high and the lows less low.
2. Skills Gaps in Founders: First-time founders often underestimate the importance of distribution and managing teams with diverse skill sets.
3. Pivoting with Purpose: Instead of building endlessly, test new ideas by pre-selling or validating hypotheses before committing resources.
4. The Role of Coaching: Coaching isn't just for founders—investors need to hone their ability to guide without dictating and foster trust with their portfolio companies.
5. Customer-Centric Thinking: Successful founders prioritize understanding customer pain points over the technical capabilities of their product.

Timestamped Highlights:

• [00:01:00] - Introduction to Vertex and Sandeep's role in backing technical founders.
• [00:02:00] - The psychology of founders: loneliness, personal growth, and the need for mentors.
• [00:05:00] - Building non-consensus ideas: What makes a startup truly innovative.
• [00:08:00] - Gaining trust as an investor to help founders open up about challenges.
• [00:13:00] - Founders’ common blind spots: Distribution and managing cross-functional teams.
• [00:16:00] - The art of pivoting: How to avoid endless building and validate ideas effectively.
• [00:19:00] - Amazon’s strategy: Writing the press release first to refine the product vision.
• [00:21:00] - How to connect with Sandeep: Twitter (X), LinkedIn, and Vertex’s website.

Memorable Quote:

"The best athletes in the world have coaches, the best musicians have coaches, and founders are no different. Having someone in your corner who can provide perspective makes all the difference." – Sandeep Bhadra

Connect with Sandeep:

• Twitter (X):@BhadraSandeep
• LinkedIn:Sandeep Bhadra
• Vertex Ventures Website:vvus.com

Call to Action:

If you enjoyed this episode,share it with a friend who’s a founder or considering starting their journey. Don’t forget tolike, subscribe, and comment with your thoughts on the episode or topics you'd like to hear more about!