How To Monitor Your Sales Forecast

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

Forecasting revenue is an important skill because investors want visibility into it.

To forecast better, use the Trailing Four Months model.

In this model, calculate the growth rate by taking the average of the growth rate over the last four months.

Use this growth rate to forecast the remainder of the year.

Do the same for burn rate.

Set up a spreadsheet that calculates this automatically at the end of each month.

This will give you an ongoing estimate for the year.

It compares sales and burn.

This takes the guesswork out of forecasting and gives the investors a data-driven forecast.

Knowing where the company stands is important in making decisions.

Share this model with investors so they can track your progress.

Monitor your sales forecast with the trailing four-month model to understand where the company stands.

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.

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In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall T. Martin welcomes Mike Sloan, the founder and CEO of Simple Labs. Mike introduces the audience to Cogni, a ground-breaking device designed to address some of the major challenges in the wine and spirits industry, such as product loss due to evaporation and spoilage. With real-time monitoring, Cogni provides distilleries and wineries valuable insights, allowing them to better manage their product quality and significantly increase their return on investment.

Mike emphasizes the importance of continuous barrel monitoring and how Cogni's integration of ML and AI technologies offers unprecedented data visibility and efficiency. Already conducting beta tests and receiving positive industry feedback, Simple Labs aims to launch in the bourbon and wine markets, with expansion plans to service a global market.

With strong financials, a dedicated team, and a pipeline of potential clients, Simple Labs is poised to disrupt and innovate within this traditional sector. Tune in to learn more about Mike's journey, the technology behind Cogni, and the promising future of Simple Labs in optimizing the wine and spirits production process.

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

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Mistakes in Scaling the Startup

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

The seed stage grows the business from 0 to $1M.

The growth stage grows from $1M to $10M.

The scaling stage grows from $10M to $100M.

Here are the most common mistakes founders make at the scaling stage:

They stop working on sales to focus on other areas of the business.

The founder can never stop working on sales.

They fail to control the burn.

The burn rate must be managed throughout the life of the business.

They fail to keep up with the competition.

The competition will continually challenge the startup, and it must be managed.

They look to hire "rock star" players.

These rarely work out in the long run, as they often don't fit the culture.

Failing to keep up with the product.

As the company grows, the product continues to grow so it's important for the founder to keep up with it.

Overestimating sales capacity.

Founders often overestimate how much the team can manage.

Reaching for the upmarket.

Startups often try to move upmarket to gain a higher dollar sale per customer.

Doing this at the expense of the core business is detrimental.

Consider these mistakes in scaling the 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

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Investors Look for Execution, Not Ideas

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

Startup founders often believe their idea will carry the day with the investor.

They propose their idea to spark interest.

While that may be a good way to get attention, it will certainly not maintain it for long.

Investors look for execution, not ideas.

In raising funding, investors look for momentum and traction in the deal.

They will look for evidence of execution in sales, team, product, and fundraising.

These are the four core areas in which execution lives in a startup.

Consider your efforts in those areas in crafting an update to the prospective investor.

Showcase that story over a period of time, as execution occurs over time and not in a single moment.

Having an idea is interesting.

Understanding the customer problem and knowing the domain is helpful.

Having a key insight is useful.

Showing execution in a consistent manner is the winning ticket for gaining investor attention and interest.

Consider these points in pursuing funding from investors.

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/
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Lessons From Napoleon for the Startup

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

Napoleon never ran a startup, but his life provides many lessons for the startup founder.

Here are some lessons to take away from his life:

Underestimating risk -- Napoleon underestimated the harshness of the Russian winter and suffered great losses.

The startup should consider carefully the market to pursue before investing substantial resources.

Overconfidence -- Napoleon grew overconfident from his past successes.

The startup should consider each opportunity as a new way to succeed or fail.

Failure to adapt -- Napoleon refused to modify his traditional plan and suffered losses for it.

The startup should adapt to the market conditions and make changes to optimize the team for each stage.

Failing to take timing into account -- Napoleon refused to retreat from the Russian campaign and suffered for it.

The startup should ask if now is the right time to pursue a market.

Overextending -- Napoleon overextended himself in attacking Russia.

The startup founder should consider focusing resources on a few key priorities and not spread out over too many.

Consider the fate of Napoleon and his attack on Russia as a series of lessons for 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/
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Product Strategy for AI

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

Artificial intelligence is a disruptive technology that promises tremendous benefits to the tech industry.

Current products will be upgraded to use AI.

New products will be introduced using AI from the get-go.

Here's a list of product strategies for AI:

AI-based applications that use large language models called LLMs.

This could be a chatbot that replaces a traditional user interface.

AI-based networks that leverage AI for performance.

This could be a solution that gives a more complete picture of the system.

AI-based platforms that enable multiple applications using an AI engine.

AI-based marketplaces that enable new features for discovery.

Marketplaces are ideal for creating and capturing data, such as the most popular product in a category.

Marketplaces also make matches between a buyer and seller.

AI can perform more comprehensive matches and provide the buyer with help in finding the right product.

AI will find its initial success in creating assistants.

An assistant can guide one through a complex process, enhancing the user experience.

Consider these product strategies for 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/
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Learning From Mistakes

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

A CEO once said, I don't mind people making mistakes.

I mind people not learning from them.

It's important to learn from mistakes.

There are several ways to do this.

Learn from your own mistakes.

Writing down the mistakes and what you learned helps reinforce your knowledge.

Learn from the mistakes of others.

This is easier to do in comparison to learning from your own mistakes.

There are so many other people making mistakes; there's no shortage of lessons.

Consider mistakes as learning opportunities.

To learn from your mistakes, recognize what the mistake was and how it happened.

What can one take from the mistake to improve in the future?

Consider how to avoid the mistake.

What caused it, and how can I avoid the same mistake again?

Delve into the root cause of the mistake to find a deeper understanding.

To do this, ask "why" five times to drill down.

Once you identify the root cause, there's a place to start work.

Consider these steps in learning from mistakes.

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/
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In this episode of Investor Connect, we welcome Kat Delgadillo and Hall Martin from Ten Capital to discuss their innovative platform connecting startups and investors. Kat and Hall introduce Ten Capital's mission to streamline the investment process, spotlighting their robust event lineup that includes the Family Office Roundtable, Virtual Quick Pitch, and Life Science Syndicate. Ten Capital aids growth companies in securing funding by connecting them with angel groups, VC funds, high-net-worth individuals, and family offices, emphasizing the importance of building relationships between startups and investors.

The discussion takes an exciting turn with the introduction of Ava, Ten Capital's new AI venture assistant designed to simplify the startup ecosystem. This advanced chatbot leverages over 500 blogs, podcasts, and tools to assist both investors and founders with personalized investment strategies and fundraising tips. Ava is accessible 24/7 on the Startup Funding Espresso platform, exemplifying the integration of cutting-edge AI technology to facilitate venture capital endeavors.

The episode also features a detailed pitch by Nathan Monty of Enamel Pure, a company revolutionizing preventive dentistry with laser and AI technology. Nathan explains how their innovative device improves dental hygiene processes and integrates AI diagnostics, ensuring better patient outcomes. Enamel Pure's strategic partnerships with major distributors and planned monetization strategies highlight the company's significant growth potential. With insights from panelists and further discussions on market positioning and exit strategies, this episode offers a comprehensive look into the intersection of technology, dentistry, and investment.

_______________________________________________________

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/
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For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/
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