Since the Silicon Valley Bank collapse of 2023, the startup and small business lending landscape has been undergoing rapid changes. David Silverstein, Co-Founder of Ned and our guest this week on the Coeus Collective Podcast, knows that personalization is key to this transformation. Ned, which just announced a $4.2 million seed fundraise, is leading a customized approach to lending, offering a white-label platform that handles every stage of the lending process, from application to servicing, and empowers lenders to provide fixed and revenue-based loans seamlessly.

In this episode, David explores the current challenges in small business financing and how Ned is building solutions that enhance cash flow insights and lending efficiency. David also discusses how his role as a Founder is informed by his diverse career background, which includes time in the public sector as Press Secretary for former US Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid and in the media industry as Chief of Staff at MediaLink.

From broad discourse on the current state of the small business funding ecosystem to advice on leading a technical company as a non-technical founder, this episode has it all. Cash flow is essential to the vitality of any business, so don’t miss this opportunity to learn an expert outlook on the current state of play in lending and financing. https://www.nedhelps.com/

Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 00:51 Background as Senate Majority Leader Press Secretary 05:21 Why Get an MBA? 09:43 What is a Chief of Staff? 16:58 What is Ned? 25:43 Why the Name Ned? 29:35 Building a Bespoke Software Business 34:26 Being A Non-Technical Tech Founder 38:28 Fundraising as a First-time Founder 44:31 Why Do Businesses Not Apply for Loans? 49:27 General Advice & Goals 53:15 One Thing You Would Change? 55:05 Plugs

Subscribe to the Coeus Collective on YouTube: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/@CoeusCollective⁠

Stay up to date on the pulse of business news and startup culture with our newsletter: https://coeuscollective.beehiiv.com/

Get more insights and interviews on all socials ⁠@CoeusCollective⁠

Music from this Episode by ⁠Houis⁠

Hosted by Antonio DiMeglio and Leon Li

Special thanks to:

ARWA SHARIF

KAI OTOMO

NICK ARENA

WTF MEDIA

COLLECTIVE DESIGN AGENCY