There’s a tried and true playbook in tech: get a ton of users, then figure out how to monetize them. Today’s founder, Ofo Ezeugwu, has plenty of users on his site, but the investors press Ofo about his plans to monetize. And then, complications arise when coronavirus enters the scene.  Today’s investors are Sarah Downey, Michael Hyatt, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel and Charles Hudson. Also, don’t miss our exclusive episode, “Jillian Manus on the Coronavirus and Startups” available only on Spotify. Jillian has lots of timely advice for founders weathering rocky times.

The Pitch

Will Coronavirus Kill This Deal? (#85, WYL)

Tiffany Walling McGarity called in to the show and you, our listeners, voted her on to pitch the investors. But from the moment she stepped in the room, it was clear that this pitch would play out differently from the rest. On this episode, what a pitch sounds like when all you have are a few scratches on the back of the metaphorical napkin. Today's investors are Maia Bittner, Elizabeth Yin, Sheel Mohnot, Charles Hudson and David Goldberg.

The Napkin Pitch (#84, Metapyxl)

In VC, investors want to win big — that’s why they love highly scalable tech companies so much. But today’s founder, Jaclyn Fu, is selling actual things. Her startup, Pepper, makes real bras in a very real factory. There’s no tech except that you can buy her company’s stuff on the internet. So how do you convince investors that the opportunity is massive, when there’s nothing scalable about your startup? Today's investors are Maia Bittner, Elizabeth Yin, Sheel Mohnot and Charles Hudson. Here is Elizabeth's Twitter thread about debt vs VC financing for startups.

Can Small Bras Be a Big Market? (#83, Pepper)

This is how much of a go-getter Bobbie Racette is: when she got laid off, she started a business to help thousands of other people who were out of work. Now, she has so many customers, she can’t keep up. And Michael Hyatt, our most ruthless investor, was like putty in her hands. Today’s investors are Sarah Downey, Michael Hyatt, Phil Nadel and Charles Hudson.

A Deal Too Perfect to Pass Up (#82, Virtual Gurus)

During our last call-in show, Thor Wood wowed us with his 30-second elevator pitch for SnapShyft, a company that matches workers with open shifts at restaurants. Now Thor will have to convince a much tougher crowd, the investors. Today’s investors are Jillian Manus, Michael Hyatt, Sarah Downey, Phil Nadel and Charles Hudson.

Jillian to the Rescue (#81, SnapShyft)

Ben Trenda thinks he can stop the trolls on Twitter and other social spaces. He’s building Goodtalk, where famous people can have public one-on-one conversations without interruption. But if you strip away the bad, will you also lose the things that people really like about social? And if you don’t have enough people, your social network is worth nothing. Today's investors are Soraya Dorabi, Phil Nadel, Sarah Downey, Charles Hudson, and Michael Hyatt.

Can This App Silence The Trolls? (#80, Goodtalk)

“Move fast and break things” is a mantra for a lot of startup founders — but what if the federal government is slowing you down? That’s the situation that Josh Israel is in with his startup, Hava Health. Josh needs to wait for FDA approval before he can even think about making money on his new smoking cessation vape, a process that could take three years or more. But Josh has a plan to extinguish investor’s fears. Today's investors are Nimi Katragadda, Al Doan, Sheel Mohnot and Charles Hudson.

The Anti-JUUL (#79, Hava)

Tiffany Dufu has spent her career uplifting women and girls. Now, she’s turning a lifetime’s worth of expertise into a venture-backed business. Her startup, The Cru, is dedicated to helping women achieve their goals by connecting them to a network of other women. And while there’s no question that Tiffany has the right experience to pursue this mission, the question is whether the business can generate the returns investors are looking for. Today's investors are Jenny Fielding, Elizabeth Yin, David Goldberg, Sheel Mohnot and Charles Hudson.

Got Goals? Grab a Cru (#78, The Cru)

Kate Flynn has a plan to make her healthy snack bites stand out: skip the grocery stores, and find potential customers when and where they need a snack. It’s a strategy that’s outside of the investors’ wheelhouse, but if she can get them to try something new, they might be in for a treat. Today's investors are Nimi Katragadda, Al Doan, Sheel Mohnot and Charles Hudson.

Sell Online or Go Door to Door (#77, Sun & Swell Foods)

Back in September, we invited listeners to call in and give us their best elevator pitch for their startup. And the response was off the hook! In this episode we play our favorite calls — and choose one lucky winner to come pitch our investors. But there’s more ... we need your help to pick one more founder for the pitch room.

Pitchline Bonanza (#76)

The 2.4 trillion dollar fashion industry is due for a makeover, according to Andrea Madho. She says her company, Lab141, will be the biggest change to the way clothes are made in over a century. But it’s a moonshot and she knows it, now the investors know it too and will have to decide whether or not they think Andrea can get it done.  Today's investors are Soraya Darabi, Phil Nadel, Sarah Downey, Charles Hudson, and Michael Hyatt.

“I Want Bro Money Too” (#75, Lab141)

Ryan Lee says he has a better way to buy plants, on his website, Rooted. To conquer the market, Ryan has a big, audacious plan, and this is his very first time pitching it to VCs. Find out if he can convince the investors that money really does grow on trees.  Today's investors are Nimi Katragadda, Al Doan, Sheel Mohnot and Charles Hudson.

Stop Killing Your Plants (#74, Rooted)

For businesses, the process of buying software is brutal. Founder Andrew Hoagland launched his company to make it a breeze. In fact, he says that his startup Vetd has made it so easy that he can’t keep up with the demand he’s created … without the $2m he’s here to raise. Luckily for him, the investors get the problem. But he’ll have to convince them that his solution is the right one.  Today’s investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Sarah Downey, Michael Hyatt and Charles Hudson.

Enough Sales Calls Already! (#73, Vetd)

Orion Brown is very early in her journey as an entrepreneur. In fact, this is her first pitch to venture capitalists! At this early stage, the investors are listening for something a bit different. They just want to know, is this a good idea in a large, untapped market? Find out if Orion can convince the investors that she’s got her finger on the next big thing.  Today's investors are Jenny Fielding, Elizabeth Yin, David Goldberg, Sheel Mohnot and Charles Hudson.

How Niche Is Too Niche? (#72, The Black Travel Box)

When founder Jen Saxton landed a partnership with a big name retailer in the baby industry, she thought her startup, Tot Squad, was on the way to startup stardom. But five years into the deal, things just weren’t working out. In fact, they were a disaster. But that’s a good thing if you ask her. Jen says a stronger company has risen out of the ashes of that fiasco and she’s here to convince the investors that her new plan is worth the price of admission.  Today’s investors are Sarah Downey, Charles Hudson, Jillian Manus, Michael Hyatt and Phil Nadel.

Raising Kids Is Hard. So Is Raising a Startup. (#71, Tot Squad)

Named 'the best business podcast on startup life' by Fortune. Listen as entrepreneurs pitch to real investors—for real money. In each episode, we take you behind closed doors to the critical moment when aspiring entrepreneurs put it all on the line. While it offers a glimpse into the high-stakes world of venture capital, it’s really a show about human relationships: how people sell their ideas, what makes investors tick, and how these initial conversations can bloom into business deals—or die on the vine. Hosted by Josh Muccio from Gimlet Media.

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The Pitch

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