Interview with Mike Schulte, Principal at Great North Ventures (Part 2)
Execution is King
This is the second of a two-part deep dive where we cover the most common concerns startup founders run into, with Great North Ventures’s in-house legal expert. Mike Schulte is Principal at Great North Ventures, and holds a JD/MBA from St. Thomas University. In this episode, we talk about fundraising, liquidation preferences, SAFE notes, and board structure. Who does Mike see executing? , Attorney and Shareholder at Moss & Barnett, P.A.; and , Shareholder at Koley Jessen P.C., L.L.O.; and , General Partner at Unbridled Ventures.
info_outline
Interview with Mike Schulte, Principal at Great North Ventures (Part 1)
Execution is King
This is the first of a two-part deep dive where we cover the most common concerns startup founders run into, with Great North Ventures’s in-house legal expert. Mike Schulte is Principal at Great North Ventures, and holds a JD/MBA from St. Thomas University. In this episode, we talk about picking a name, choosing between an LLC and a C-corp for incorporating your company, and the benefits of 1202 Qualified Small Business Stock. Listen to the next episode where we dive into fundraising!
info_outline
Interview with Orazio Buzza, Founder and CEO of Fooda
Execution is King
In this episode, we talk about management styles and goal setting, and uncover some gems about granting equity and hiring from our guest, Orazio Buzza, Founder and CEO of Fooda. Orazio has taken the startup ride from early on through exit twice already, before founding Fooda. Fooda is a food technology platform that connects restaurants to people while at work, has received $45M in funding, and currently has 250 employees in 20 cities. He has a great take on goal setting that keeps people accountable, brings transparency to the entire organization, and keeps the team moving in the same...
info_outline
Interview with Eric Martell, Founder of Pear Commerce
Execution is King
In this episode, we talk about early-stage scaling. What it looks like, how to think about it, and what it takes to generate growth. We are joined by , Founder of Pear Commerce. Eric is a former founder of EatStreet, and a former Managing Director and Venture Partner at gener8tor. With a background as a founder and as an investor and startup mentor, Eric has a lot of perspective on early-stage growth. He talks about what it takes to succeed: being obsessed with solving a problem (not with the solution), getting traction by creative means, and good old-fashioned hustle. He also shares how...
info_outline
Interview with Tipatat Chennavasin, General Manager and Co-Founder of The Venture Reality Fund
Execution is King
In this episode, Josef and Rob talk about the Metaverse, and how important it is for founders and investors to learn about it. They are joined by , General Manager and Co-Founder of The Venture Reality Fund. Tipatat is a former founder, creative innovator, and VR/AR developer. His background in Metaverse runs deep, including the gaming industry, the first VR/AR-focused incubator, and his six-year old venture fund. He talks about the developing Metaverse, the idea of "the third place", and the economic opportunity presented. Tipatat paints a picture of what the future will bring, and...
info_outline
Interview with Atif Siddiqi, Founder/CEO of Branch
Execution is King
In this episode, Rob and Josef talk about the newly launched venture studio project that's a social app for trading card collectors. They are joined by Atif Siddiqi, Founder and CEO of . Atif is a former EIR of Idealab, a venture studio that has generated multiple unicorns. Branch came out of Atif's time at Idealab, and has grown substantially after relocating to Minneapolis. Branch helps businesses modernize their payment methods to empower working Americans. Atif shares the insight that led to Branch's successful pivot, and gives operating and fundraising advice. Who does Atif see...
info_outline
Interview with Michael Martocci, CEO and Founder of SwagUp
Execution is King
In this episode, Rob and Josef talk about bootstrapping. Rob shares his experience bootstrapping to $70M in revenue by age 32 with his startup, NativeX. They are joined by Michael Martocci, who is the Founder and CEO of . SwagUp is a company that sells curated swag packages to startups. Michael has bootstrapped his company to $50M in revenue by age 27. He gives advice on bootstrapping and when to hire devs. He also outlines how to build an e-commerce site with free software, which he did himself, reaching $3M in sales after 18 months of operating without a developer. Who does...
info_outline
Una Fox
Execution is King
In this episode, Rob and Josef talk about a new book out about network effects, "The Cold Start Problem" by Andrew Chen. They speak with Una Fox, who works as a Chief Global Data & Analytics Officer. Una was previously a VP at Disney and a Director at Yahoo, and is a truly data-driven leader. Una has known Rob for over a decade, and talks about personal network effects and startup communities, and gives advice to founders for getting value from their organization's data. Who does Una see executing? .
info_outline
Joe Sriver, 4giving
Execution is King
In this episode, Rob and Josef talk about the impending paradigm shift represented by the metaverse, and relate it to past shifts.
info_outline
Best Advice from the Great North Annual Event
Execution is King
In this compilation episode, Josef features the best advice for founders that we picked up at our 2021 Annual Event.
info_outline