Mistakes in Synthesizing Answers

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

In providing synthesized answers to the investor, here’s a list of key mistakes to avoid.

The most common mistake is summarizing instead of synthesizing.

Summarizing is not synthesis.

In this case, one recounts what was said but doesn’t create any new information.

The second most common mistake is citing facts, telling stories, and recounting general information without any particular point.

Synthesis creates a new concept from the facts and contextual stories that was not known before.

The third most common mistake is reciting the history of the startup rather than giving a synthesized answer.

The founder mistakenly believes that telling the backstory provides enough information to let the listener draw what conclusions they want.

Stories take a great deal of time and don’t answer the questions directly.

In a fundraise the main point is to show the company solves a significant problem with a meaningful solution and the founder has built a fundable company to deliver it.

Instead of summarizing, focus on the main point and show the support for it.

Instead of citing facts, combine them into a coherent case that supports the main point.

Investors look for short and to the point answers to their questions.

Finally, avoid using the story form for most answers.

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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On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes the CEO of Vimers. Located in San Jose, California, Vimers is a Y Combinator-backed startup focused on transforming static images into engaging animated videos. The company aims to help brands, creators, and designers connect better with their target audiences by providing an innovative solution that enhances storytelling through visually dynamic content. Vimers allows users to animate their photos effortlessly, thus improving engagement across social media platforms and reaching potential customers in a more compelling way.

Basil is an ambitious entrepreneur with a strong background in technology and digital content creation. He has been pivotal in leading Vimers since its inception, focusing on product development and market fit while ensuring the company meets the growing demand for more interactive digital media. His leadership has helped Vimers achieve significant milestones, such as generating over 100,000 videos monthly and securing partnerships with major platforms like Canva, Adobe Express, and Shopify. These integrations position Vimers to be a leader in the animated content space for both B2C and B2B markets.

In this episode, Basil discusses Vimers' innovative approach to animation and its competitive advantages over rivals in the industry. With an attractive pricing model and unique features like batch processing capabilities and API integration, Vimers differentiates itself by offering customized motion controls that cater specifically to the needs of B2B clients. Basil also shares insights into the current funding round, aiming to raise $3 million to support the company’s growth and marketing efforts, and discusses the valuation criteria that potential investors should consider.

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/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Synthesizing the Components for a Fundraising Pitch

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

In formulating a pitch for a fundraise, you must synthesize several sources of information.

Here are the steps to synthesizing the components for a fundraise pitch:

Start with the topic stating you have a fundable startup.

State the problem you are solving.

The problem must be big and compelling. Small problems don’t justify funding.

State the solution.

The solution is what the company will use to solve the problem. This is often the basic technology or approach to solving the problem.

Show the product you will bring to market.

The product shows the solution in action.

Show the team you have assembled and why each of the top level people are the right ones for the task at hand.

Outline the business model showing how the business makes money.

Show the current traction with customers.

It helps to state a customer ROI with the product.

List the nearest competitors and how the startup's solution is superior.

Show the financial projections at a high level, showing revenue, cost, and profits.

Show the fundraise amount with the deal terms.

Finally, show the proposed path to an exit.

Use synthesis to combine the information from several sources to show the startup is fundable.

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/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.