Investor Connect 856: Bridging the Gap: AI Startup Strategies with Sanjay Kalluvilayil of Stonehaas Advisors
Release Date: 12/05/2025
Startup Funding Espresso – Learning From Mistakes
Investor Connect Podcast
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...
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Investor Connect 859: Investor Education January - Part 01
Investor Connect Podcast
In this episode of Investor Connect, we welcome Kat DeLillo 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...
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Startup Funding Espresso – Stages of Technology Adoption
Investor Connect Podcast
Stages of Technology Adoption Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Technology adoption goes through several stages over the life of that technology. Here are the steps of adoption: Unknown -- no one knows the technology. Awareness -- some hear about it but don’t know what it is. Understanding -- those who know it understand how it works but don’t know what to do with it. Belittlement -- those who know it consider it an underperforming technology and discard it as a toy. Usefulness -- some users find use cases...
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Startup Funding Espresso – Acid Test for Startup Valuation
Investor Connect Podcast
Acid Test for Startup Valuation Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Valuation is a key negotiating factor in startup investing. There are many valuation models available. The most common is the use of comps or comparables to see if the valuation is at market rate. Consider using the acid test for startup valuation. The acid test for startup valuation compares the money invested so far to the proposed pre-money valuation. Some call this the Money-in method. To calculate this value, take the pre-money valuation and...
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Startup Funding Espresso – Innovation Looks Trivial in the Early Days
Investor Connect Podcast
Innovation Looks Trivial in the Early Days Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In the early days of a startup, innovation can look trivial. Innovation is often applied to the lower end of the market. New technologies often start as simple devices or applications. These devices have minimal functionality and lack robust features. In vetting startups, look past the minimal functionality to the rate of change of the technology. While today it may seem trivial, a fast growth rate can move it into a more competitive...
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Startup Funding Espresso – Hiring a Professional CEO
Investor Connect Podcast
Hiring a Professional CEO Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startup founders take the CEO position because they bring the vision and passion to launch the company. They know the domain and are building the core product and go-to-market strategy. They are the ultimate authority at the company. As the company grows and then scales, there comes a time for a professional CEO. Here’s a list of key characteristics to look for in a professional CEO: One who has experience managing a large company....
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Startup Funding Espresso – How Startups Can Make Better Forecasts
Investor Connect Podcast
How Startups Can Make Better Forecasts Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Forecasting is a key skill founders need for raising funding. Investors want to know the founders' expectations for the business with the funds raised. Here are some key steps to make better forecasts: Start with a baseline. If the startup has revenue, then use that as the starting point. If the startup is pre-revenue, then look to similar startups to set a baseline. Determine the drivers behind the revenue. This could be leads generated,...
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Startup Funding Espresso – How To Build an Elevator Pitch
Investor Connect Podcast
How To Build an Elevator Pitch Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The elevator pitch is the short form of your startup pitch. It introduces the deal to an investor and gives the key highlights. The goal is not to tell them everything but rather to intrigue them to learn more about it. Here’s how to build an elevator pitch: State in five words or fewer what the startup does. Show two examples of the impact of the startup using numbers. This could be exploding revenue, such as “We’re seeing 50% month over...
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Startup Funding Espresso – The Nuances of Pitching
Investor Connect Podcast
The Nuances of Pitching Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In pitching investors, there are key nuances that can make or break the pitch. Here is a list of nuances to consider when pitching: Use the pitch to build a collaboration. Funding is a part of it, but not the only thing. Start your pitch with your core value proposition. State in plain language what your company does. If you have revenue numbers, build the pitch around them. Showcase the growth story with a graph showing a curve going up and to the right...
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Startup Funding Espresso – Key Skills for a Startup Founder To Have
Investor Connect Podcast
Key Skills for a Startup Founder To Have Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Successful startup founders share several key skills. Here are the key skills for a startup founder to have: They have access to the networks that are vital to their startup success. This includes investor networks for funding and customer networks for buying the product. They are flexible. They can pivot the business when the market changes or they discover a better one. They are persistent. They stick with it during the down times as...
info_outlineIn this edition of Investor Connect, Hall Martin sits down with Sanjay Kalluvilayil, founder and CEO of Stonehaas Advisors and host of The AI Space Podcast. Sanjay discusses his extensive consulting experience and how he now uses it to support AI startups. By offering both advisory services and fractional CXO support, Sanjay helps AI founders define their target markets, secure their first clients, and eventually scale their operations.
The conversation emphasizes the importance of developing a go-to-market strategy, building for valuation, and optimizing business processes for both large corporations and nimble startups alike. Sanjay elaborates on the challenges AI startups face, sharing anecdotes from his work with founders who have successfully navigated the startup landscape. He highlights crucial aspects such as identifying ideal customer profiles (ICP), refining messaging and offer structures, and employing both outbound and inbound lead generation techniques. Additionally, Sanjay touches on using AI and automation tools to streamline operations and compress sales cycles, stressing the importance of not only efficiency but also meaningful human oversight in AI implementations.
The episode wraps up with discussions on the relevance of community service in leadership, the evolving hiring profiles for AI companies, and the metrics and investor expectations unique to AI startups. Sanjay also offers advice on figuring out revenue generation and retaining flagship customers before seeking external funding. For more insights into navigating the AI space and building a sustainable AI business, tune in to this informative episode.
Visit Stonehaas Advisors at stonehaasadvisors.com
Reach out to at www.linkedin.com/in/sanjaykalluvilayil/, and on connect@stonehaasadvisors.com
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