Vaibhav Saxena

Startup decks vs Business plans. It's accepted that a startup needs a deck. Dax Dasilva of Lightspeed Commerce made an important point on 20VC. Writing a business plan - including financial projections - is an important step. It requires discipline. It provides a rigorous framework for thinking deeply about the problem you're trying to solve. Harry Stebbings countered that he doesn't even want to see a deck since it's all dreams. We spent a lot of time and energy on our business plan with the expectation that we would show it to no one ever. The business plan was part of our roadmap for the company. We researched customers - including having 50+ conversations. We wanted to understand them: their background, their interests, their presence on social media. We also wanted to understand how they were evaluated by leadership and how integrated they were with the business of the company they were protecting. We researched pricing both with potential customers and other products in our industry to find out if OpEx or CapEx was a better fit. How did they buy today? How would they like to buy? We did market research to understand the verticals and map the right entry point - we were wrong but that doesn't reduce the value of the research. We looked at competitors in depth to understand what they were seeing that we weren't. Dax is right. This is an invaluable document that should be updated every year - the company is changing, the market is changing, there's more feedback about price and ICP. It's not for sharing with the outside world. It's a map for driving forward. Decks won't get you investment - VCs invest in people. We make decks but we know they don't tell our story. The deck is a calling card. Dax and Harry are both right. https://lnkd.in/e25M82xY

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Building Factorwise, Modular SCF stack for enterprises. Supply chain financing reimagined and superpowered When a founder of growth stage startup(ARR~ 100Crs) compliments Factorwise and its utility. This opens new possibilities ground where Factorwise can be true partner in growth by making growth stage startups supply chain intelligent and capital efficient. Interestingly lenders(#Banks and #NBFCs) also want to be part of growth stage startups by providing more structured and ring fenced SCF programs. We welcome all growth stage startups (MRR~ min 5Cr ) to become capital efficient. Let’s connect with us at [email protected] #Supplychainfinance #SCFstack #supplychain #Factorwise #Capitalefficiency #workingcapital

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Groq Partners with Aramco to Propel Saudi AI Ambitions In a groundbreaking move, Groq, the innovative chip startup renowned for its cutting-edge technology, has inked a significant deal with aramco, the world’s leading oil company. This strategic partnership is set to be a game-changer for Saudi Arabia's burgeoning AI landscape. What This Means: Groq’s advanced chip technology will play a crucial role in supporting Saudi Arabia's ambitious plans to position itself as a global leader in artificial intelligence. The collaboration is expected to significantly enhance the computational power available for AI applications, paving the way for breakthroughs in various sectors including energy, healthcare, and smart cities. Key Highlights: Boosting AI Capabilities: Groq’s state-of-the-art chips are designed to handle complex AI tasks with unprecedented speed and efficiency, aligning perfectly with Saudi Arabia's AI objectives. Strategic Alignment: This partnership reflects a broader trend of technological alliances aimed at fostering innovation and economic diversification in the region. Future Impact: By leveraging Groq’s technology, aramco and Saudi Arabia are positioning themselves at the forefront of the AI revolution, potentially setting new standards in the industry. As the tech world watches closely, this deal underscores the growing intersection of AI and semiconductor technology, and how strategic collaborations are shaping the future of these industries. For more information: Bloomberg https://lnkd.in/dr89qeCV #AI #ChipTechnology #Innovation #TechPartnerships #Groq #Aramco #SaudiArabia #FutureOfAI #TechNews

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Being comfortable with ambiguity is one of the traits one should look for while hiring early members.

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Will MENAP be the next hub for startups?  When it comes to startups, we automatically think of Silicon Valley.  While SV remains a powerhouse, the MENAP region is rapidly emerging. Here are a few insights into MENAP's startup ecosystem that suggest it has the potential to be a major player: → 𝟱𝘅 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 𝗶𝗻 𝗩𝗖 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 🚀 Annual VC funding In 2022 was 5x of what it was in 2017 reaching $3.45 billion in 2022.  While VC investments in MENAP are still at 0.1 percent of GDP versus 0.8 percent globally, this trend shows this share will grow.  Experts estimate that there's potential for another four to eight times growth in the coming years. → 𝗜𝘁'𝘀 𝗔 𝗠𝗶𝘅𝗲𝗱 𝗕𝗮𝗴: MENAP is a diverse region with some countries leading the way while the rest follow UAE and KSA got the most funding in 2018 at 34% and 29% respectively.  UAE is the heavy hitter with average deals at $7.7 million in 2021. This means that innovation in the region isn’t restricted to any one particular geography.  → 𝟰 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗔𝗰𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝟴𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴: Food and beverage, fintech, transport and logistics, and e-commerce account for 80% of funding since 2018.  Again, funding in these sectors is not restricted to any one geography. ❌❌ Food and beverage, for instance, is a clear leader in the UAE, given its high-income, expat-dominated population.  At the same time, fintech, which requires scale, does best in Egypt and KSA, given their larger populations. MENAP is on the fast track to become one of the epicenter of VC funding in the world. (Albeit with its own challenges) Do you think MENAP will be able to keep up this momentum in the coming years? 💭 I'd love to hear your take in the comments!

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🙅‍♀️ Startup Myths: Top 3 Misconceptions Pre-Seed to Series A Investors See Every Day The world of tech startups is pulsating with innovation and opportunities. However, navigating this exciting yet challenging landscape can be tricky for both ambitious founders and early-stage investors. Often, success hinges on debunking persistent myths that can lead to missteps. Lets tackle three of the most prevalent misconceptions in pre-seed to Series A investing: 📣 Myth #1: Shiny Tech is the Holy Grail: While groundbreaking Tech is undeniably alluring, pre-seed and seed-stage investors prioritize problem-solution fit. Does your startup identify a clear pain point for a well-defined target market? Does your solution offer a compelling and differentiated approach that truly addresses this pain point? Remember, the next Airbnb or Uber might not be built on revolutionary tech, but rather on an innovative way to solve an existing problem. 📱Only 22% of seed-funded startups are classified as "deep tech" ventures, highlighting the investor focus on addressing market needs over cutting-edge technology alone. 📣 Myth #2: Funding is Everything: Funding is crucial for growth. However, for pre-seed and seed investors, a strong and demonstrably sustainable business model takes center stage. Can you showcase early traction through initial sales or user base growth? Do you have a clear path to profitability with a defined revenue model, such as subscriptions or recurring revenue streams? Can you demonstrate a well-defined customer acquisition strategy that leverages targeted marketing or strategic partnerships? Bootstrapping and lean operations can be powerful tools in the early stages, proving the resourcefulness and adaptability of your team. 📱A Kauffman Fellows Report reveals a sobering truth: 50% of startups fail within five years, often due to a combination of funding limitations and a lack of a viable and profitable business model. 📣 Myth #3: Its all about Hustle: The "hustle culture" can be intoxicating, but venture capitalists are looking for founders who can strike a balance between relentless hustle and strategic thinking. Building a sustainable business requires a well-defined plan – think product roadmap and market analysis. You need the ability to execute on that plan with an efficient team structure and strong project management. However, agility is also crucial. Be prepared to adapt as market conditions or customer needs evolve. This means being data-driven and open to pivoting your strategy when necessary. Remember, it's a marathon, not a sprint. 📱42% of startups fail (CBInsights) due to a lack of market need, highlighting the importance of problem-solution fit, a surprising 21% fail due to team issues. This could include a lack of strategic thinking or an inability to adapt to changing circumstances. Love to hear about your myths! #venturecapital #startupmyths #seedfunding #SeriesA #innovation #entrepreneurship

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This is so valuable. Unfortunately the YC network is large and really messes with the algorithm for #startups #founders 1. Do understand a convertible note. YC calls it a Safe. 2. Do understand revenue as it is the most potent traction you can have. 3. Move to SF. This is the most underrated advice I can provide.

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3 takeaways for startups about monetization from Daniel Chalef, CEO/Founder of Zep AI (YC W24) 1️⃣ Know that your pricing & packaging will change. Plan for flexibility from day 1 so that you don't lose agility. 2️⃣ It’s necessary to separate entitlements from billing systems to enable monetization flexibility. Without a flexible entitlement service, startups get stuck, unable to innovate, and ultimately frustrate their customers and sales teams.  3️⃣ Don't build monetization infrastructure. It's not core to your product, and the result is almost always something hard-coded. Our conversation was packed with insights about building startups, LLMs, & SaaS monetization (full episode in the comments). Some of the topics we covered: 1️⃣ Daniel's vision for Zep and the drive that comes from being highly curious & easily bored :-) 2️⃣ The power of small language models 3️⃣ How B2B SaaS companies should implement monetization to deliver flexible pricing & packaging from day 1 At Schematic, we've learned tons from Daniel over the last year. He's founded several companies and served in executive leadership roles across nearly every function at growth stage companies like SparkPost, a MessageBird company & Domino Data Lab. At Y Combinator-backed Zep, he's building against an huge vision to be the state layer LLM applications. If you're an enterprise building on LLMs, you have very specific needs around data retention (think integration into data lakes, integration to line of business applications, etc), and Zep allows you to instantly recall, understand, & extract data from chat histories, so that you can power personalized AI experiences.

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Abdullah Al-Rezwan is a Bangladeshi-born US-based business analyst and entrepreneur. He is the founder and author of MBI Deep Dives, a subscription-based newsletter/website that provides in-depth research on publicly listed companies, primarily those listed in the US. MBI Deep Dives runs on a simple model — one deep dive per month on a company of MBI’s choosing, which contains the full spectrum of both quantitative and qualitative research, including financial modeling to help readers better understand the sensitivity of variables and expectations embedded in the stock price. Rezwan, who goes by the alias "Mostly Borrowed Ideas (MBI)" on Twitter, has gained a broad following among the investment and business community in the US and beyond for his "superb insight". Before starting MBI Deep Dives, Rezwan worked as a generalist at Madison Investments on their US large-cap team, where he covered a wide range of companies, from UnitedHealth to Amazon and Boeing. Prior to that, he worked for three and a half years in Bangladesh after he graduated from Dhaka University, covering the financial sector in sell-side Equity Research before pursuing his MBA at Cornell in the US. I recently had an opportunity to speak with Rezwan. We discuss a wide-range of topics including (but not limited to) his personal journey to what he is doing, how his upbringing and early life experiences have shaped him, the creation of MBI Deep Dives, what it means to be internally driven, the critical importance of high pain tolerance for entrepreneurs and creatives, we delve into the power of the internet, the rise of the pseudonymous economy, the impact of the social media platforms, the state of internet culture in Bangladesh, and what it takes to build a vibrant entrepreneurship and innovation ecosystem, we go deep into his approach to writing and running MBI Deep Dives, the state of the newsletter, and his ambition for its future, the upsides and challenges of working solo, his approach to work and productivity, and the future of the media business and we reflect on the nature of conviction and belongingness, the importance of finding and following your interests, his favorite podcasts, and the importance of finding joy in your work and much more.

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Breakdown of startup funding across sectors in 2024: 1. #Fintech: - 18.3% of seed stage funding - 17.1% of growth stage funding - 23.8% of late stage funding - Total funding: $2.5 Bn (17% decline from 2023) 2. #EnterpriseTech: - Raised $1.8 Bn - 167 deals 3. #ConsumerServices: - Raised $1.8 Bn - 48 deals - Boosted by Zepto's $1.3 Bn funding 4. #Ecommerce: - Raised $1.5 Bn (42.3% decline from 2023) - 203 deals (highest number of deals) 5. #Cleantech: - $829 Mn - 75 deals 6. #Healthtech: - $716 Mn - 78 deals 7. #Deeptech: - $460 Mn - 78 deals #Source: [1] After rough ride in 2024, Indian startups look for a promising new year https://lnkd.in/dVjxwUGC [2] Over 1 lakh 40 thousand recognized Start Ups in the country, over ... - PIB https://lnkd.in/dU9UQCN9 [3] After rough ride in 2024, Indian startups look for a promising new year https://lnkd.in/dkmzBN4q [4] Startup Funding Recap: November 2024 - PrivateCircle Blog https://lnkd.in/dP4MUx3Y [5] Unveiling the Indian Startup Funding Landscape in 2024 - LinkedIn https://lnkd.in/dcUTBRYB

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#X to #DeepenGrok #AI Integration, Unveils New Features. #ElonMusk’s #X is exploring deeper integration of #xAI’s Grok into its social networking app. Independent #appresearcher #NimaOwji recently discovered that new features under development include the ability to ask Grok about X accounts, use Grok by highlighting text within the app, and access Grok’s chatbot via a pop-up on the screen while continuing to use other parts of X. These features resemble how #Google and #Microsoft integrate chatbots into their productivity apps, making the #AIchatbot more accessible for users as they browse and post on X. Although these features were found on X's website, they have not yet been rolled out to the public. #Owji also found that Grok could be used for researching #X user profiles and searching terms within posts. One feature allows users to click a button to learn more about an account on #X, while another lets users highlight a word in an #X post and click on an "Ask Grok" button to initiate a search with the chatbot. These developments aim to make it easier for users to engage with and learn more about content on #X. Despite these innovations, #X's in-app purchase revenue has been declining, with factors such as competition from other apps and the premium subscription price potentially contributing to the decrease. #ElonMusk #Provelopers #XApp #xAI #GrokIntegration #SocialMedia #TechInnovation #AppDevelopment #AIChatbots

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Check out our extensive directory of 850 #B2B #Enterprise VC firms. Connect with leading venture capitalists in the B2B space. Get the list here. https://lnkd.in/dvg5rJKe #startup #startups #vc #venturecapital #investmentbanking #privateequity #managementconsulting #b2b #founders #entrepreneurs

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Check out our extensive directory of 850 #B2B #Enterprise VC firms. Connect with leading venture capitalists in the B2B space. Get the list here. https://lnkd.in/dvg5rJKe #startup #startups #vc #venturecapital #investmentbanking #privateequity #managementconsulting #b2b #founders #entrepreneurs

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Why rely on one #foundationalmodel for your #GenerativeAI strategy when you can federate + #innovate across them. Tabnine adds GPTx + Mistral + Anthropic and gets named "Luminary" status by Everest Group. Trusted by millions of developers and thousands of company's - AI you control. I love #investing in #extraordinary #founders!

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Y Combinator — printing money machine Time has flown by since the W24 batch, and now we’re just a couple of weeks away from the S24 batch. However, an interesting thought to share is that the most successful project by Y Combinator (YC) isn’t the startups they’ve invested in, but YC itself. YC is a printing money machine. Their last fund yielded over 14x returns. Earlier this year, they announced raising $2 billion for a new fund, and within a month, they had $5 billion in requests and closed fundraising! If you were to evaluate YC as a business, it would be worth billions. And that's even more than the equity YC currently holds in billion-dollar companies. Another interesting tidbit - YC decided to run three batches this year. Traditionally, they’ve only had two batches (Winter and Summer), but now, there’s Fall 2024. It makes sense - if you’re printing money, the more batches, the more money. Yet every year, the same thing happens. VCs say that YC isn’t what it used to be - valuations are high, companies are weak, and there’s no traction. And still, everyone watches Demo Day, calls the companies, and ends up investing in the most interesting ones. YC can’t be ignored; it’s a benchmark for the industry. That said, my calendar is now filled with calls with interesting companies from the upcoming batch, and we’re working closely with them. Text on comment + if you'd like to read about the results of S24 after Demo Day!

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Why do 99% of YC founders fail post-demo day? Ever notice how startups in Y Combinator operate? They work backward over 3 months, go full throttle, and by the end, many land major funding.  But what happens after the big launch? This initial momentum tends to wear off, and most companies get trapped in a slump, almost like quicksand - slowly and steadily but not realizing you're unable to get out. At Oliv, we fell into the same trap—a massive build-up, then a dip in energy, followed by another scramble to get things going again. It wasn’t sustainable. That’s when we decided to convert YC training into a process. We decided to do a launch every 8 weeks. Why 8 weeks? And why not the standard 3 to 6 months? For a start-up at our stage, we need to ideate fast and execute even faster. This sweet spot gives us just the right amount of time to plan, ideate, and execute—all with a laser focus on our next big goal. No more long lulls or lost momentum. Here’s our approach: - OKRs: After each launch, the team sets clear OKRs for the next launch. It’s all about aligning with the big picture while keeping it actionable. - Tailored sprints: Marketing thrives on weekly sprints for agility, while engineering goes bi-weekly to dive deep into complex tasks. And this is why it works,  - Complete visibility: We see everything in motion at a glance—team objectives, progress, and any bottlenecks. Decisions get made faster, and issues get resolved quicker. - Velocity, not speed: While we want to execute faster, launches help us tweak and realign in the direction the market needs us. - Accountability becomes habit: With structured sprints, everyone stays aligned, transparent, and accountable. No one’s coasting—ownership is built into the process. Switching to 8-week sprints wasn’t easy, but it’s been a game-changer for us at Oliv.  We’re no longer just launching products—we’re consistently delivering results, staying energized, and reaching the potential we knew was there.

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In the dynamic world of startups, the mantra "Always Be Launching" is more relevant than ever. Andrew Chen's insightful article emphasizes the importance of continuous product launches to drive growth and maintain momentum. By consistently introducing new features and improvements, companies can keep users engaged and stay ahead of the competition. How does your organization approach product launches to sustain growth? Share your strategies in the comments below.

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If you are a VC, STOP and check out this primer on AI in early-stage VC! AI is the hottest industry in town with people building products across the fundamental, orchestration and application layer for every industry. One industry left out in this pursuit is Venture Capital itself. It is impossible for startups to create an AI-native produce for VCs because a) the market isn’t large enough and b) a unified product will lead to VCs loosing their edge in an already competitive market with little differentiation. Thus, it is up to the firm to act like a tech company and develop these solutions in-house. Major global VC firms have already started integrating their operations with AI and it is a matter of time inefficient firms will be penalised with lower return making deal flows. Check out this primer to get a broad level understanding of the landscape and what might be good use cases to start building for. This is a highly opinionated piece so let me know your comments below or reach out to me to discuss this in greater detail. Article in comments below.

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Thrilled to share that I have been shortlisted for the The VC Fellowship! This opportunity aligns perfectly with my passion for innovation and supporting visionary entrepreneurs. Excited to contribute to the startup ecosystem and learn from the best in venture capital. #VCFellowship #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #PassionForGrowth 🚀

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