Gianluca Mauro

VCs are betting on Climate & Impact startups to change the world 🌍 The share of total venture capital raised by impact start-ups grew from 18% in 2019 to 37% in 2023. 61% of €7.9 billion in Nordic start-ups, went to those tackling the UN goals (Science Business ‘24). Venture Capital Journal (’24) states Climate Funds have surpassed 2023 totals ($5.2bn) with $6.9bn already raised with 4 months remaining of 2024. Here are 14 VC funds for early stage and/or climate focused startups to take note of: 🌱 Openseed €10M fund. Investing in the future of commerce, health & work. Specifically, operator-led startups in EU & Africa https://lnkd.in/eTvP49Ws 🌱 Prequel (€10M fund) writing €50-€100K cheques, specialising in tech that maps supply chains across EU https://www.prequelvc.com/ 🌱 Impact shakers €20M fund for EU early-stage startups in the climate tech, impact infrastructure & inclusion tech sectors. Initial cheques of €150k, up to €1.5m follow-ons per company. https://lnkd.in/e4p2M6gi 🌱 Kost Capital (€25M fund) for next gen food startups (Pre-Seed and Seed). Cheques of €750k-€1M. Founding partner Mark Emil Hermansen, cofounder of drink flavouring startup Empirical. https://lnkd.in/e5t7SFs8 🌱 Tilia Impact Ventures launches €32M second fund to drive climate, education & healthcare solutions. Investing in Czech & CEE region founders to make systemic environmental & social change. https://tilia.vc/en/ 🌱 Transition Venture Capital (£40M fund) primarily into climate solutions & energy for seed & series A https://lnkd.in/e67g7Emr 🌱 Italian Founders Fund (€50m fund) investing €500k to €1.5m tickets in Italian founders at pre-seed & seed https://lnkd.in/e6NsXB5q 🌱 Identity.vc (€50M targeted fund) backing startups with LGBTQ+ representation in leadership team. Cheques of €250k-€1.5m into approx 25 companies. https://identity.vc/ 🌱 Varsity VC (€75M fund) backing up to 30 companies. 70% saved for follow-ons. Seed stage Fintech, healthtech, climate tech and enterprise software https://www.varsity.vc/ 🌱 Wind raises €90m for European deeptech startups in the climate sector https://lnkd.in/eVi4ZWmu 🌱 Polish Inovo VC closes €105M fund to support early-stage founders with up to €4M investments. 💡 Great website with loads of resources for founders https://inovo.vc/ 🌱 Budapest EIT InnoEnergy (€140M fund) to support clean tech & energy innovation sectors https://lnkd.in/ekzxxnvh 🌱 NordicNinja ($200M fund) supporting early stage companies through Seed in Sustainability, Digital Society & Deeptech (€2-8M ticket size) https://nordicninja.com/ 🌱 Just Climate ($1.5bn fund) backed by Al Gore. A focus on industrial & natural climate solutions. Approx half allocated already. https://lnkd.in/ezbUqDag #startups #founders #venturecapital #fundraising #climatechange

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The highest valuation in a financing round might be attractive but often it is not the option you should chose. Because it will hurt you later. 1.) With an established valuation you also create an expectation for the exit price. E.g. if you raise at 50m you need to build a 500m company - ask yourself how feasible that is in your industry with your model 2.) The highest bidder might not be the best fit for you in terms of know-how and/or on a personal level. Given you will be "married" to your investor for a longer period of time a 100% match is important. 3.) Often raising at a more aggressive valuation takes longer, so you will put the money to work later than with a less competitive but faster round. It is worth asking yourself if some or maybe all of the additional dilution of a lower priced round will be offset by putting the money to work earlier and spending less time on fundraising. 4.) The high price might come with additional asks that can hurt you later 2x liq pref, additional guarantees.... So don't raise the price at all cost

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Stress test your ideas! Founders- just because you have a problem, doesn’t mean it’s a problem that needs solving or that there is a market for it. The solution…. Test it! Survey your audience. Right size your offering. Get feedback. Then stress test again with a critical mass… and test/feedback again! This helps so much with product validation and product market fit. Otherwise… you may end up on a call with a VC (yes like me in a call today) where the investor is just looking back at you like you just had a great big helping of idiot.

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Here's how to learn from top founders & executives. For free. 👇 Start reading their annual shareholder letters. They give a sneak peak into the company. And are packed with knowledge. It’s a pure form of: - industry trends - annual learnings - C-level insights All of these directly from the trenches. Here are 8 epic letters to shareholders to start with: → 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗼𝗻'𝘀 "𝗗𝗮𝘆 𝗢𝗻𝗲" 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼 𝗶𝗻 𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟳 (𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀) Link: https://lnkd.in/dWivnerM → 𝗠𝗶𝗰𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗼𝗳𝘁’𝘀 𝟭𝟵𝟵𝟴 𝗟𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀  Link: https://lnkd.in/d-pgJtC5 → 𝗔𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘀' 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵 𝗟𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 Link: https://lnkd.in/dE2swSvr → 𝗟𝘆𝗳𝘁’𝘀 "𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗟𝗶𝗳𝗲'𝘀 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸" 𝗟𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 Link: https://lnkd.in/dTXHBWCw → 𝗨𝗯𝗲𝗿'𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟵 𝗟𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 Link: https://lnkd.in/dv4EKdRg → 𝗔𝗺𝗮𝘇𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟴 𝗟𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 Link: https://lnkd.in/dnXAYpzS → 𝗕𝗲𝗿𝗸𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆'𝘀 𝟭𝟵𝟳𝟵 𝗟𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 Link: https://lnkd.in/d96QHd6m → 𝗡𝗶𝗸𝗲’𝘀 𝟭𝟵𝟴𝟭 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝘀 𝗮 𝗣𝘂𝗯𝗹𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 Link: https://lnkd.in/dVjtc9VA Study these shareholder letters. Chances are you’ll learn more than in an MBA. P.S. Do you have other epic knowledge resources? Drop them in a comment below. ⬇️

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Another good tip for first-time founders: Always set clear KPIs for your tech team. Vague goals lead to vague results. Set specific, measurable targets so everyone knows what success looks like and how to get there. Clear KPIs keep your team aligned and help you track where improvements are needed to reach your goals. Google’s OKRs (Objectives and Key Results) are a good example of how measurable targets can drive a team toward fast, focused growth. “If you aim at nothing, you’ll hit it every time.” — Zig Ziglar

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How much is a vision worth to you? Let's disrupt startup valuations for real impact. Thomas Visti's post on valuation sparked something in me. It got even deeper after my chat with Kim Østergaard today. It made me think deeply about how we value our startup. Inspired by them, I'm being transparent about how I value Your Longevity. Your Longevity is seeking 100,000 EUR for a 15% share, valuing us at 670K EUR (5 million DKK).💵 This valuation reflects our clear growth plans, strong KPIs, and a unique market position in personalized health, especially with the growing demand for longevity among people 40+. 4 WHYs for Your Longevity's Valuation 1️⃣ Why 3x ROI by 2028? We expect 3x return by 2028 thanks to our scalable SaaS model, growing health tech market, and a projected €1 million revenue by 2027. The health tech market in Europe is also expected to grow 8% per year, reaching €75 billion by 2030. 2️⃣ Why invest in health tech? To control health: invest in preventive measures, 8% market growth! Preventive health is crucial, especially for people 40+. In Europe, 35-50% of this age group suffers from lifestyle diseases. We aim to help people take control of their health in a market growing 8% annually, currently valued at €75 billion. 3️⃣ Why our customer acquisition strategy works Our CAC starts at €500 due to launch costs but will lower by 20-30% by year two. With a target market of 10 million people in Europe, we believe in strong growth potential and scalability. 4️⃣ Why the market is ready 1 in 3 people worldwide suffer from lifestyle diseases, and in Europe 35-50%. Our population is aging but also becoming more ill. Statistics show that people in their 40s and 50s are becoming sicker, often stuck in pain and illness compared to previous generations. In many ways, our healthcare system keeps us alive, but falls short in terms of prevention. Growth milestones ↳100 clients by Q1 2025, growing to 500 clients by end of 2026. ↳Scalable onboarding using tech and automation to grow without big costs. Investment Breakdown ↳ 30% product development: AI, new features, real-time updates. ↳25% marketing & sales: Get customers, build partnerships, boost brand. ↳Remaining funds: Infrastructure, operations, salary, and growth in Europe. I'm sharing this plan to show our investment logic, tied to clear KPIs and milestones. I'd love to hear your thoughts on our valuation, vision, or growth plan. Let's create a healthier future together! ✌️ Join our journey. What are your thoughts on our valuation strategy? Let's learn from each other 👇 Share your insights in the comments! #Investment #Startups #Valuation #YourLongevity #KPI #InvestorCall

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What is the hardest part of entrepreneurship? Fundraising! Tech entrepreneurs are building very complex, disruptive technologies that often take many years to monetize and become self-sufficient. The problem is, how do you pay salaries during the development process? You need to raise investment. This means talking to many people you don't know and convincing them that what you're building is the next Google and deserves investment. With so many startups being created every year, fundraising has never been harder, especially for Europeans. Follow me to learn about startups every day! 📣 I am the founder of an EdTech AI startup, building an AI-powered higher education and career- building tool. #Entrepreneurship #StartupFundraising #TechStartups #RaiseInvestment #StartupChallenges #FundraisingTips #InvestorPitch #TechEntrepreneur #StartupLife #EuropeanStartups

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Giving away your SaaS product for free might be the smartest move you make. I once consulted for a startup that was struggling to gain traction. Their product was solid, but user acquisition was slow and costly. We decided to experiment with a freemium model. Within months, user signups skyrocketed. The free tier acted as a powerful lead magnet, drawing in thousands of new users. While only a small percentage converted to paid plans, the increased volume more than made up for it. This experience taught me the potential of freemium pricing. When done right, it can be a game changer for digital products: 👉 It lowers the barrier to entry, attracting a larger user base 👉 Free users provide valuable feedback to improve the product 👉 It creates natural upselling opportunities as users become more engaged 👉 Brand loyalty increases, even among those who never convert to paid But freemium isn't without challenges. You must carefully balance which features to offer for free versus paid. Giving away too much can hurt monetization, while offering too little fails to showcase your product's value. The freemium model isn't right for every business. But for many digital products, it can be a powerful way to fuel growth and build a loyal customer base. Consider if a freemium tier could help you reach more users and showcase your product's true value.

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💡 Want to know how to build instant credibility with investors in just TWO minutes? Investors receive dozens of pitch decks daily, giving each deck only a brief scan—often no more than 2 minutes. In this fast-paced environment, it’s not enough to have a good idea; your pitch deck needs to inspire instant trust. So, how can you do it? Here are 8 ways to create a pitch deck that makes investors say, "Wow, this founder is prepared!" ✅ Understand the Power of Credibility Investors back founders they believe in. A credible pitch deck doesn’t just share your vision; it makes investors confident in your ability to execute it. Think of your pitch deck as your first handshake—it needs to be strong, clear, and full of purpose. ✅ Include Only the Essentials Time is limited, so every slide needs to work hard. Focus on these key slides: Problem, Solution, Market Size, Traction, Financials, and Team. Each one should convey that you’re prepared, that there’s a market need, and that you’ve got a solid plan to address it. ✅ Craft a Standout 'Why Us' Slide This slide should answer one question: “Why are YOU the team to solve this problem?” Highlight your strengths, whether it’s unique tech, deep market insight, or critical partnerships. Make it clear that your approach stands out. ✅ Back Claims with Real Data Investors are data-driven. Use reliable market data, traction metrics, and clear financial projections to back up your claims. When investors see concrete numbers, they see a well-researched, realistic vision—not just hope. ✅ Tell a Compelling and Honest Story Storytelling makes your deck memorable. Walk investors through the journey: problem, solution, why it matters, and where you’re going. Be transparent—don’t sugarcoat challenges. Investors trust founders who are honest about obstacles and prepared to face them. ✅ Use Clean, Consistent Design Your visuals should be as polished as your pitch. A clean, consistent design with high-quality images and clear charts sends a message: you’re professional, you value quality, and you’ve come prepared. ✅ Answer Questions Before They’re Asked Anticipate investor concerns and address them directly. Briefly cover risks, market fit, competitive landscape, and growth strategy. When you’re proactive, you make it easy for investors to say “yes.” ✅ End with a Strong Ask The closing slide should be specific: “We’re raising $X for Y goals.” Include a brief timeline and milestone targets. This clarity leaves a strong final impression and reinforces that you’re ready to use funding wisely. Ready to create a pitch deck wins investors? -- #startuplessons #founders #pitchdeck #investorpresentation #vc #fundraising -- 🔔 Follow me for more insights on pitch decks, startups, and fundraising strategies.

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NDAs are dead. If you are a founder sending an NDA before you share what you are working on, not only is an NDA dead, put your pitch is DOA as well. VCs look at hundreds of deals and by in large don’t sign NDAs. Why? Plain and simple it’s because it puts restrictions on ability to make some investments, seek out and evaluate others, or advising companies already in their portfolio. Why would a VC ever do that if thier job is to evaluate the best and place capital for thier LPs. The answer is never. So… if you feel you need an NDA… you prob don’t need to be pitching VCs in the first place. If you want something in place, try a friendly confidentiality agreement. That basically just says “this info is sensitive, just for us looking at this transaction and if it doesn’t work out you never talked to us, keep the name and info under wraps, cool?”. Easy.

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The easiest way to impress investors. Want to impress investors? Start with a scalable tech stack Investors look for companies ready to grow without constant tech “fixes.” To prepare, ask yourself: - Can our systems handle 10x traffic? - Are workflows efficient and repeatable? - Is data reporting clean and fast? A scalable tech stack = a scalable business. Show investors you’re ready.

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐓𝐰𝐨 𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐁𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐬 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐩𝐬 𝐒𝐨𝐥𝐯𝐞: 𝐄𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐯𝐬. 𝐈𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 There are two types of business problems that you can solve through your startup idea. 𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞 1: Doing old things more efficiently - faster, cheaper, more convenient. 𝐓𝐲𝐩𝐞 2: Doing new things that were not possible earlier. Most founders focus on Type 1 problems because they are easy to observe. And because they are easy to observe, they attract more competition. Type 2 problems, when solved, create a far greater impact in the world through the pathbreaking use of new technology for an unimagined use case. This comes with studying new technologies in-depth with an understanding of how they could solve existing problems. For example, using blockchain technology not just for decentralized payments, but thinking about how that can fix logistics issues for say, Tier 2 India; or how can it build a system to consolidate communication modes such as email, WhatsApp, voice notes, all in one. Can it? Interestingly, Marc Andreesen of a16z stated in 2022 that there would three areas of study that will bring the next revolution in business ideas. He called it the ABC of Tech. 𝐀 > 𝐀𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞: GPT-4, DALL-E, OpenAI 𝐁 > 𝐁𝐢𝐨𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡: Genomics, mRNA, combining biology with engineering 𝐂 > 𝐂𝐫𝐲𝐩𝐭𝐨: Distributed Consensus, Distributed Trust Networks The first one has certainly materialized. #startupideas #innovation #entrepreneurship #businessstrategy #techtrends #blockchain #biotech #problemsolving #nextgentech #startupjourney #expandedge #franchiseiq

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Why Founders and Leaders of Scaling Companies Should make sure they have an Operating System (OS) 🔅 Let’s be honest: scaling a company can feel chaotic.  It’s thrilling, sure, but one wrong move and… well, you get the picture. In this high-stakes game, having a reliable operating system (OS) for your business is like having a GPS, it is not just a nice-to-have; it’s your safety harness, your map, and your accelerator all rolled into one. An organizational system is a structured approach to managing various aspects of work to enhance efficiency and productivity. It includes ways for handling information, actions, time, resources, communication, workflows, decision-making, and goal setting. These systems can range from simple tools like to-do lists to complex software solutions, all aimed at creating order, reducing confusion, and streamlining operations. The goal is to enable individuals or organizations to function more effectively by providing clear processes for managing information and activities. 1. Get Alignment- As your company grows, alignment can feel like herding cats, each with its own agenda. An OS unifies your team, ensuring everyone’s working towards the same goals, like handing out a script where everyone knows their lines. 2. Tame the Chaos- Scaling is messy. What worked for a team of five won’t for fifty—or five hundred. An OS organizes your processes, so you can manage growth without losing your mind (or margins). 3. Stay Nimble as You Scale-"Move fast and break things" might work early on, but at scale, you can’t afford to smash plates. An OS keeps you agile, letting you pivot without the collateral damage—like a high-performance engine that keeps you in control. 4. Focus on What Matters- Running a company without an OS is like searching for your keys in a messy house—lots of looking, not much finding. An OS helps you track what’s important, with clear metrics and dashboards that light your way. 5. No More Silos- As you scale, silos can spring up like mushrooms after rain. An OS breaks them down, fostering collaboration and communication, so your teams aren’t stuck in their own little kingdoms. Founders and leaders, if you want to scale without the stress, it’s time to implement a robust OS. It’s not just about surviving the growth spurt; it’s about thriving through it. With the right OS, you’ll turn the rollercoaster ride of scaling into a well-oiled machine—exciting, yes, but also smooth, predictable, and incredibly rewarding. Plus, you’ll sleep a little better at night, and who doesn’t want that? #leadership #OS #organizationsystem #coaching #consulting #HR ------------------------------------------------ I am an Executive Coach, an Organizational Development Consultant, and an HR Executive who helps leaders scale their impact and ensure high performance. Need help to take the leap? Get in touch! Follow me: for more. My Free newsletter: https://lnkd.in/gn95hfyV ------------------------------------------------

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Running a startup is hard, here is why and what to do about it. Your TODO list never stops growing - and you will NEVER get it down to zero. No matter how many hours you push, or how hard you try. There are always one more thing to do. Another email you could write, another feature to build, or another customer to get. Thus, knowing how to deal with the pressure is key. Here are 7 ways I wind down - and deal with the rollercoaster of running a startup: ✅ Always get 8 hours of sleep and aim for > 80 sleep score (I use Garmin for sleep tracking) ✅ Learn to not feel guilty when you don’t work - take a night off, have dinner with friends, etc. ✅ Do activities that detach from work completely - triathlon and reading books are my go-to's. ✅ Work out x3 times a week and aim for VO2Max > 55 - healthy body → healthy mind - there are few problems that won't feel easier after a run. ✅ Build value outside of work - joining some occasional competitions in triathlon helps me build value outside of my startup. ✅ Regular sauna + daily cold plunge - the lazy version of working out. ✅ Spend time outside - hike in the forest, get out on the water, run to work. What are your top tips to wind down? PS. me on a SUP ride yesterday around Kungsholmen - Stockholm is imo one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

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There is definitely a big difference between venture building / business building (and of course scaling) in founder mode versus manager mode. The problem with most big corporates is that they do everything in manager mode, including things that should be done entirely differently. "The way managers are taught to run companies seems to be like modular design in the sense that you treat subtrees of the org chart as black boxes. You tell your direct reports what to do, and it's up to them to figure out how. But you don't get involved in the details of what they do. That would be micromanaging them, which is bad." The way most companies try to build new business is by putting someone in charge of it, who puts more people in charge of smaller tasks, who put more people in charge of smaller tasks and so forth. But no one owns the entire effort across the pyramid, sweats the small stuff and fights for the customers. As a result 4000 slides get produced with great analyses, and nothing meaningful is implemented or delivered. "Whatever founder mode consists of, it's pretty clear that it's going to break the principle that the CEO should engage with the company only via his or her direct reports. "Skip-level" meetings will become the norm instead of a practice so unusual that there's a name for it. And once you abandon that constraint there are a huge number of permutations to choose from." Founder-mode business building is sweating the small stuff, getting involved across all levels and owning the outcome. Wanna build new businesses and ventures in Founder-Mode instead of Manager-Mode? Talk to me. https://lnkd.in/exeYk32Q

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✋ Hey founders: stop building everything yourself! 😮‍💨🏃 Smart partnerships can accelerate your startup's growth, and here is how: ✔️ Get credibility by association ✔️ Tap into large customer bases ✔️ Enjoy lower customer acquisition costs ✔️ Build faster network effects ✔️ Learn from quick market feedback Looking to start your partnership journey? Well, your next step is definitely to read this article 👇 https://lnkd.in/dptErVCG Thank me later... 😉 #StartupStrategy #StrategicPartnerships #EarlyStageGrowth #B2Bpartnerships #StartupScaling #FounderLessons #StartupLife

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If you're in business school and considering launching a search fund as a career path, here are the reasons why it might not work out for you: 𝟭. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗸𝘆. The typical search fund comes with no guarantees. And, with the exception of elite students with strong financial backing, almost all of them are financial failures. 𝟮. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝘁𝗼𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘃𝗲. By leveraging an opportunity from business school, you're potentially giving up two years of work somewhere else, at a healthy salary. And once you've successfully purchased a business, it might not return a profit for seven or ten more years. 𝟯. 𝗬𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝘂𝗻𝗾𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗶𝗲𝗱. Being a CEO is specialized work. You've almost certainly never been one before, and unlike the other jobs you might have had, there isn't a well-traveled playbook for what to do. This is sometimes a plus point, but often it's a frustrating limbo. 𝟰. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵. Fundraising and then deal-making are sales jobs. That means they take time, emotional labor and some natural talent. It's possible you don't have any of these. 𝟱. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵. Any human who is going to find a transaction, buy a business and run it successfully is going to need a patient, talented partner who is willing to move across the country if the right business is found. During the search phase, even the people who support you best in the world can be worn down by the seemingly endless grind, and everyone needs to be on the same page to get to 'yes'. 𝟲. 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗳𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮𝗿. The odds are that your summer job during business school was as a consultant or an investment banker. There's a well-traveled path to being offered a job and then having your decisions made for you, week after week. These paths can be successful and rewarding, and you might encounter one of the few people who knows how to make and keep a promise. It's not for everyone. And not everyone who considers it should stick with it.

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As founders and CEOs, we often talk about what to do, but knowing what not to do can be just as important. In this Sunday Times, I share lessons from my own journey – the “what not to do” moments that every founder and CEO should consider. From launching too many projects at once to expanding internationally too soon, these are the missteps that shaped my approach to sustainable growth. It’s about knowing when to step back so you can move forward:https://lnkd.in/eUumWF4t #leadershipdevlopment #entrepreneurship

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Invitation for AI Start Up Founders and Entrepreneurs! 💡 Most people won’t give you the honest feedback you need (or they don't know what they're talking about). This is your chance to get insights that could save you thousands of dollars and wasted effort. If you have been looking for some serious and constructive feedback on your AI venture, you will want to join our community and attend our event series in NYC. The next upcoming events for January 2025: -Wednesday, 1/22 6pm 🎯 What you’ll get: ✅ $10K+ worth of expert feedback from a tech advisor and investor with $2B in venture success ✅ Brutal but constructive advice to sharpen your idea ✅ A fun, high-energy experience with valuable networking in an elevated space. 🎁 Fun prizes for the boldest (and worst) idea! 📩 Message me on here for more details. Looking forward to connecting with you! #PitchEvent #Startup #AI #Networking #NYC

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