Episodes

  • Startup Funding Espresso – Revenue Solves All Problems
    Dec 26 2025

    Revenue Solves All Problems

    Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

    In a startup, revenue solves all problems.

    Funding can help, but only for so long.

    As long as you have cash, you can run the startup.

    When you run out of money, then it's over.

    Revenue can fix any problem.

    If you need more sales support, you can hire them.

    If you need to fix a product, you can bring in a developer to do the job.

    If you need more leads, you can hire a marketer.

    Funding can solve many problems, but it's limited.

    There's only so much funding a founder can raise.

    Funding only goes so far before it runs out.

    Funding jump-starts the business, but revenue carries it the distance.

    Develop your long-term plans around revenue generation.

    Use funding to fill the gaps.

    Whatever you do, make sure you don't run out of cash.

    Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

    Let's go startup something today.

    _______________________________________________________

    For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

    Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
    For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
    For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
    For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
    For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

    Please follow, share, and leave a review.

    Music courtesy of Bensound.

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    2 mins
  • Startup Funding Espresso – Signs of a Good Founder
    Dec 25 2025

    Signs of a Good Founder

    Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

    Anyone can be a founder of a startup.

    Here are signs of a good one:

    They have an innovative mindset.

    They look for how to innovate on the product, the business model, and more.

    They are self-aware.

    They know their strengths and weaknesses.

    They have a vision for their business.

    They know where they want to go with it.

    They have passion.

    They exhibit this in their work, communication, and time spent.

    They are resilient.

    They can endure setbacks and carry on.

    They can plan and forecast.

    They know how to set plans for the company and forecast the numbers.

    They have good communication skills.

    They can communicate well both verbally and in writing.

    They can make decisions.

    They know how to decide and carry through.

    Look for these attributes in a founder.

    Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

    Let's go startup something today.

    _______________________________________________________

    For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

    Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
    For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
    For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
    For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
    For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

    Please follow, share, and leave a review.

    Music courtesy of Bensound.

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    2 mins
  • Startup Funding Espresso – How To Find a Cofounder
    Dec 24 2025

    How To Find a Cofounder

    Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

    A founding team includes someone who is building it and someone who is selling it.

    It's important that the startup has two founders.

    Here are some steps to find a cofounder for your startup.

    Figure out which role the founder is taking and look for a cofounder to fill the other.

    The key to finding and recruiting the co-founder is to show how the business will be successful.

    This typically starts with a customer or market ready to pay for the product to be produced.

    Show the key insight you have into the market and how you can use it to create a successful business.

    Validate with customers who are ready to buy the product and place them on a waitlist.

    Sign up customers who are ready to pay and provide the service manually till you have an automated solution.

    Gain agreement on the goals of the company for the coming three years.

    Negotiate compensation based on what each founder is bringing to the table.

    Use the negotiation process to test out the other's skills.

    Go on joint sales calls to see how each performs.

    Work on the product development to see what progress can be made.

    Consider these steps in finding a cofounder.

    Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

    Let's go startup something today.

    _______________________________________________________

    For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

    Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
    For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
    For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
    For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
    For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

    Please follow, share, and leave a review.

    Music courtesy of Bensound.

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    2 mins
  • Startup Funding Espresso – Key Attributes of a Good Angel Investor
    Dec 23 2025

    Key Attributes of a Good Angel Investor

    Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

    Anyone with an accredited investor status can become an angel investor.

    Here's a list of key attributes of a good one:

    They know their industry well and how to invest in it.

    They know people and can size up a founder to determine if they are a fit for a successful startup.

    They have actually run a startup before and know what it takes to launch and build a successful one.

    They take an active role in the startup and help the founders along the way.

    They add value to the startup.

    They also add value to other angel investors through coaching and mentoring.

    They look for startups to fund and not to provide consulting.

    They know how to screen through a volume of deals to find the viable ones quickly.

    They provide quality feedback to the founder, raising funding.

    They know how to perform diligence and where to focus the time spent on it.

    They reserve funds for a follow-on round.

    Look for these qualities in an angel investor.

    Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

    Let's go startup something today.

    _______________________________________________________

    For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

    Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
    For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
    For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
    For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
    For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

    Please follow, share, and leave a review.

    Music courtesy of Bensound.

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    2 mins
  • Startup Funding Espresso – How To Calculate Warrant Coverage
    Dec 22 2025

    How To Calculate Warrant Coverage

    Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

    A warrant is the right to buy a company's stock at a specific price or range over a certain time period.

    The warrant acts like an option, but it issues stock, which dilutes the cap table.

    Founders raising funding offer warrants to incentivize investors to fund the company.

    Warrant coverage is the number of warrants an investor receives based on the size of their investment.

    It's typically stated as a percentage such as 5% or 10%.

    Here's how to calculate warrant coverage:

    Take the number of shares at a specific price per share as the initial investment.

    Take the number of shares to be provided as warrants.

    Divide the number of warrants by the number of shares of the initial investment to reach a warrant coverage amount.

    Here's an example.

    The founder offers 50,000 additional shares to those who invest in 500,000 shares at $3 per share.

    The warrant coverage is 50,000 divided by 500,000 at $3 per share, generating a 10% warrant coverage.

    Consider these calculations in offering warrants in your fundraiser.

    Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

    Let's go startup something today.

    _______________________________________________________

    For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

    Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
    For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
    For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
    For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
    For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

    Please follow, share, and leave a review.

    Music courtesy of Bensound.

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    2 mins
  • Startup Funding Espresso – The Downside of VC Funding
    Dec 19 2025

    The Downside of VC Funding

    Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

    Venture capital can enable a startup to reach the next level through funding.

    There are downsides to VC funding.

    Here's a list:

    The founders' ownership goes down by 20-25% on each fundraising round.

    The VC model promotes growth over all other strategies.

    Taking VC money means taking the VC's business model, which is to give the Limited Partner a return in 3 to 7 years.

    VCs will want the founders to take a minimal salary so as to apply as much capital as possible to growing the business.

    The VC is concerned primarily with paying back the Limited Partners in their fund.

    This means the VC is less likely to support initiatives that are impact-related or others that are important to the founder.

    Some VCs provide funding but little else, such as coaching or a network.

    The VC will bring their view of how to grow the business, which may not align with the founder's vision.

    VCs take board seats, which come with a certain level of control.

    For some startups, angel money may be a better option.

    Consider these points before taking VC funding.

    Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

    Let's go startup something today.

    _________________________________________________________

    For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

    Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
    For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
    For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
    For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
    For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

    Please follow, share, and leave a review.

    Music courtesy of Bensound.

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    2 mins
  • Investor Connect 858: Navigating Regulated Software and AI Integration with Darcy Bachert
    Dec 19 2025

    In this episode of Investor Connect, host Hall Martin welcomes Darcy Bachert, Founder and CEO of Prolucid Technologies. Darcy shares the journey of Prolucid Technologies, a software engineering firm that specializes in designing and developing mission-critical systems for highly regulated industries such as med tech, nuclear, and industrial applications.

    Darcy explains how the company pivoted from industrial automation to focusing on more stable industries during the Great Recession and highlights the importance of quality, cybersecurity, and compliance in their operations. He also discusses the challenge investors face in understanding the longer timelines and higher costs associated with bringing regulated software products to market and explains the pros and cons of investing in such technologies. Hall and Darcy delve into the increasing role of AI in med tech, particularly in enhancing diagnostic processes and speeding up clinical decision-making, with Darcy mentioning Prolucid' role in transforming prototypes into production-ready systems.

    They also touch on the importance of advanced data analytics and ongoing monitoring in reshaping product value and post-market support. The conversation further explores the strengths and weaknesses of startups versus large strategics in the innovation landscape of regulated software products, and how choosing the right engineering partner is essential for success. Darcy offers practical advice on identifying credible partners and warning signs to watch out for, emphasizing the need for engagement and quality management systems.

    Visit Prolucid Technologies at www.prolucid.ca/

    Reach out to at www.linkedin.com/in/darcybachert/, darcy.bachert@prolucid.ca

    _______________________________________________________

    For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

    Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
    For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
    For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
    For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/
    For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

    Please follow, share, and leave a review.

    Music courtesy of Bensound.

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    23 mins
  • Startup Funding Espresso – The Failure Rate for Startups
    Dec 18 2025

    The Failure Rate for Startups

    Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

    The failure rate for startups is high at almost 90%.

    Here's a list of reasons why startups fail:

    The founders underestimate how long it will take to gain traction in the market.

    The startup runs out of cash.

    The product fails to find product-market fit.

    The competition wins the market.

    There are regulatory challenges that cannot be overcome.

    The team was not up to the challenge.

    The timing of the startup was off.

    The founders failed to focus on productive tasks.

    Some startups take on too much debt too soon.

    The startup is building a product for an undefined market.

    Half of all startups fail in the first five years.

    Twenty percent of startups fail in the first year.

    Less than 10% of founders build a successful startup.

    Startups are challenging for many reasons.

    The failure rate is high.

    Consider these risks in launching your startup.

    Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

    Let's go startup something today.

    _________________________________________________________

    For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

    Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
    For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
    For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
    For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
    For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

    Please follow, share, and leave a review.

    Music courtesy of Bensound.

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    2 mins