Money Moves with Neil Devani

In this episode of Money Moves, Neil is joined by Jenny Fielding, co-founder of Everywhere Ventures, a trailblazing fund that’s redefining the venture capital playbook with its community-driven, high-cadence investment approach. Jenny shares the journey of raising and scaling her funds, starting with her first $5M in 2018 to her latest $25M fund closed in 2022, all while navigating complex markets and building a founder-centric legacy.Jenny delves into what makes a great pitch, emphasizing the importance of conciseness, human connection, and storytelling to stand out. She discusses the critical skills founders need for successful fundraising and offers actionable advice on building top-of-funnel strategies, targeting the right investors, and running fundraising like a sales process.The conversation highlights her insights into venture capital trends, lessons learned from great and missed investments, and the significance of building strong LP relationships. Topics Discussed in the Episode:Jenny’s journey from founder to venture capitalist, raising her first funds.What makes a standout pitch and why conciseness and storytelling matter.Tactical advice for first-time founders raising pre-seed funding.Lessons learned from successful and missed investments.Building scalable systems for founder communities and venture investments.

This week’s episode of Money Moves is not to be missed. Host Neil Devani gets to know Shahram Seyedin-Noor, founder of Civilization Ventures. Shahram shares his evolution from a Harvard-trained lawyer to a biotech entrepreneur and successful venture capitalist. He reflects on the unique challenges and opportunities in the life sciences sector, recounts the lessons learned while raising multiple funds, and offers valuable and encouraging advice to investors and founders. From raising his first $1 million fund to managing over $150 million today, Shahram’s story is a testament to resilience, strategic thinking, and embracing mentorship. The discussion highlights game-changing biotech innovations, integral lessons in fundraising, and the importance of maintaining humility and gratitude in high-stakes industries.Topics Discussed in the Episode:Shahram's journey from law and banking to biotech entrepreneurship and venture capital.The story behind his first fund and how it evolved into Civilization Ventures.Key lessons in fundraising, including the importance of iteration and storytelling.Transformative innovations in biotech and the convergence of AI and biology.Advice for founders on building investor relationships and crafting compelling pitches.Connect with Shahram Seyedin-Noor:Shahram Seyedin-Noor - Civilization Ventures | LinkedIn

In this episode of Money Moves, we dive deep into the world of venture capital with Dan from Deciens Capital. We explore the journey from entrepreneur to venture capitalist, discussing the lessons learned, challenges faced, and philosophies developed along the way. Dan shares the story of building and eventually selling Standard Treasury, the intricacies of raising multiple venture funds, and the importance of trust and integrity in building long-term relationships with both founders and investors.We also tackle themes of alignment versus integrity, the role of venture capital in empowering founders, and what it means to take a thoughtful, research-driven approach to investing. Dan's unique perspective on fundraising offers valuable insights for entrepreneurs and aspiring VCs alike, emphasizing the importance of alignment, fairness, and the weight of responsibility in making impactful investments.Topics Discussed in the Episode:The journey from founding Standard Treasury to selling it to Silicon Valley Bank.Lessons from raising three venture capital funds and managing LP relationships.The philosophy of concentrated venture investing and its advantages.Integrity, alignment, and fairness in VC-founder relationships.The role of venture capital in supporting entrepreneurs beyond capital.Connect with Dan Kimerling and Deciens:Daniel Kimerling - Deciens Capital | LinkedIn

In this episode of Money Moves, we dive into the journey of startup success, effective fundraising, and entrepreneurial insights with Marty Ringlein, a seasoned founder, and investor. Marty shares his experiences raising capital, building and scaling companies, and eventually selling them to prominent organizations like Eventbrite and Twitter. With a unique philosophy on capital efficiency and an impressive investing track record, Marty offers actionable advice for founders, whether they’re just starting out or ready to take their ventures to the next level. He stresses the importance of embracing failure as a path to improvement, building strong relationships in the VC world, and mastering the art of storytelling to effectively pitch ideas.Marty also shares about his latest venture, Agree.com, where he aims to disrupt traditional e-signature and payment processes by creating a unified platform focused on automating revenue recognition and contract management. Marty explains why this all-in-one approach could be revolutionary for B2B SaaS companies, providing a more holistic view of contract and payment processes and setting the stage for future growth areas like escrow and invoice factoring.Topics Discussed in This Episode:The importance of pitching practice and how to learn from failed pitchesUnderstanding and controlling how your startup fits into investor thesesThe vision behind Agree.com and why e-signatures alone are outdatedBuilding long-term relationships in the investment world and leveraging them for future growthLessons from past entrepreneurial ventures, including early acquisition opportunities and capital efficiencyConnect with Marty Ringlein, Marty.com and Agree.com:Marty Ringlein - Agree.com | LinkedInMarty.com Agree.com

In this episode of Money Moves, we dive into the intricacies of venture capital, honest investing, and the importance of transparency in fundraising. Join Neil Devani, founder of Necessary Ventures, as he engages with Tara Roth and Minnie Ingersoll, experienced investors with decades of expertise across VC, startups, and angel investing. Together, they explore the impact of integrity and authenticity in business, how to align investments with values, and why truly understanding a company's fundamentals matters.Tara and Minnie share insights on having strong partnerships, how they assess potential investments, and what they look for in founders while discussing the importance of lifting underrepresented voices and supporting women-led ventures. They address the misconceptions women often face in venture capital and leadership roles, offering invaluable advice to those entering these spaces. From debunking myths about startup culture to emphasizing the long-term benefits of transparent communication, Minnie and Tara reveal how women are reshaping the VC landscape with their distinct approaches to investment, teamwork, and leadership and offer invaluable advice to founders and aspiring investors alike. Whether you're in the early stages of building a company or interested in how VCs make decisions, this episode is packed with lessons on growth, risk, and the true value of trust in business.Topics Discussed in the Episode:The role of transparency and direct communication in successful investing.Addressing double standards and breaking stereotypes in venture capital.The importance of values alignment in venture capital and partnerships.How early experiences and mistakes shape professional growth.Navigating difficult business moments, including hiring, firing, and scaling.Balancing passion and pragmatism in high-stakes investment decisions.Connect with Tara Roth:Tara Roth - Goldhirsh Foundation | LinkedInConnect with Minnie Ingersoll:Minnie Ingersoll - TenOneTen Ventures | LinkedIn

In this episode of Money Moves, we sit down with Tara Viswanathan, co-founder of Rupa Health, to explore her journey from startup founder to health tech innovator. Tara brings a unique perspective on building a memorable company culture, sharing how costumes, humor, and spontaneity have helped shape Rupa’s identity and connected with audiences in unexpected ways. She explains how these personal touches became central to the Rupa Health brand, even influencing how they stood out at industry conferences.We also dive into Tara’s unconventional approach to fundraising, discussing her path from the early pre-seed days through Rupa’s successful Series A. Tara shares insights into managing and connecting with remote teams, the process of achieving product-market fit just before the onset of COVID-19, and how personal brand-building has been a powerful asset for recruiting top talent. In the final part of the episode, Tara reflects on the decision to sell Rupa Health, sharing the strategic considerations that went into making this choice for her team and the company’s future. Tara’s story is packed with actionable advice, making this episode a masterclass in navigating the highs and lows of the startup world.Topics Discussed in the Episode:Building company culture through costumes, humor, and spontaneityKey fundraising strategies: from the early pre-seed days to a successful Series ATara’s approach to finding product-market fit in a challenging health tech marketThe importance of personal brand-building and direct sales in recruiting top talentDecision-making around acquisitions and planning for the next chapterConnect with Tara Viswanathan:Tara Viswanathan - San Francisco, California, United States | Professional Profile | LinkedIn

In this episode of Money Moves, we sit down with Jay Desai, an experienced entrepreneur and investor, to delve into his journey of building PatientPing, a healthcare coordination platform, and navigating the challenges of fundraising. Jay shares the pivotal moments that defined his role as CEO, including the creation of a "user guide" for working with him, which helped him align expectations and set a clear vision for his team. He reflects on the process of raising venture capital, securing early customers, and scaling his company, ultimately leading to a successful exit. Jay also provides insights on the healthcare tech industry, his lessons learned from working with investors like Bill Gurley, and his transition into angel investing post-exit. This conversation offers invaluable advice for entrepreneurs at any stage, from building a product to achieving market dominance and facing the realities of startup exits. Whether you're a founder, investor, or curious about healthcare innovation, Jay’s experiences provide actionable takeaways and inspiration.Topics Discussed in the Episode:The creation of a "user guide" to working with Jay as a CEOBuilding and scaling PatientPing, a healthcare coordination platformKey lessons from raising venture capital and pitching investorsNavigating competition and market leadership in health techTransitioning to angel investing and the future of health techConnect with Jay Desai:https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdesai01/Connect with Kesar Varma:Kesar Varma - Upfront Ventures | LinkedIn

Whether you're a founder, aspiring entrepreneur, or simply interested in venture capital, this episode offers deep insights into what it really takes to secure funding and scale a business.In this episode of Money Moves, Neil is joined by Micah Green, a founder who dropped out of college at 19 to launch his startup, raising his first $220,000 in funding. Micah shares his journey from pitching angel investors with nothing more than a prototype to now having raised over $30 million. We explore the challenges and triumphs of startup life, including navigating investor rejections, the importance of perseverance, and how one strategic partnership saved his company during the early stages of COVID-19. Micah's candid story highlights the value of building relationships with investors, the importance of refining your pitch, and the tactical ways to prepare for every stage of raising capital. From balancing team growth to overcoming skepticism from potential backers, you'll hear about the realities of entrepreneurship and how determination and vision can lead to success—even when the odds are stacked against you. Learn how Micah's early lessons, like leveraging family exposure to entrepreneurship, shaped his approach, and how a clear focus on product-market fit propelled his business forward.Topics Discussed in the Episode:Micah’s first fundraising experience at 19 and the challenges of building a founding team.Securing $220,000 in seed funding by building relationships with angel investors.The focal shift from hardware to software in robotics and its role in scaling the business.Lessons learned from early investor rejections and how persistence pays off.Raising $30 million through various rounds and surviving COVID-19 with strategic investments.Connect with Micah Green: https://www.linkedin.com/in/micahgreen7/Connect with host Neil Devani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neildevani/For more information on Necessary Ventures, visit the website at: https://www.necessary.vc/Want to support this podcast? Leave us a review on iTunes and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Looking into ways to raise capital for your startup? Get insights from Charles on the dos and don'ts of fundraising, including the importance of external milestones and building relationships with investors.In this episode of Money Moves, host Neil Devani interviews Charles Fisher, founder of Unlearn, an AI-driven company revolutionizing clinical trials. Charles discusses his recent transition from CEO to Chief Scientific Officer to focus on his passion for scientific research. He delves into the origins of Unlearn, the challenges of raising venture capital for deep tech startups, and emphasizes the need for ambitious, world-changing ideas over incremental innovations. Charles also shares candid insights on hiring practices, team building, and his critical views on traditional management structures. The episode concludes with a lightning round where Charles answers personal questions about his preferences and career highlights.Topics Discussed:- Transition from CEO to Chief Scientific Officer: Charles's decision to focus on his passion for science and the timing of this move.- Origins and Evolution of Unlearn: The company's shift from general AI research to specializing in clinical trials using generative models.- Challenges in Raising Venture Capital: Difficulties faced during seed funding and the importance of building relationships with investors.- Emphasis on Ambitious Innovation: Critique of incremental technologies and a call for solutions that fundamentally change the world.- Hiring Practices and Team Building: Lessons learned in hiring, the importance of attitude over credentials, and views on minimizing management layers.- Personal Insights in Lightning Round: Charles discusses his favorite food (Soylent), his decision to stay out of politics this election cycle, the best moment of his career (publishing his first scientific paper), and acknowledges his academic advisors as the most influential people in his career.Connect with Charles: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charleskfisher/Connect with host Neil Devani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neildevani/For more information on Necessary Ventures, visit the website at: https://www.necessary.vc/Want to support this podcast? Leave us a review on iTunes and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.

Curious about what it takes to turn a side project into a multimillion dollar acquisition?In this episode of Money Moves, the host is joined by Mitch Lee, Co-Founder and CEO of Arc Boats, along with Rob Ryan, to discuss their experiences with startups, product development, and the challenges of raising capital. Mitch reflects on his journey from Clinkle to Penny and now Arc Boats, sharing valuable insights on executing business ideas, navigating venture capital, and the importance of solid execution over hype.Highlighted Topics:- Early Fundraising and the Clinkle Experience: Mitch and Rob share their first experiences raising capital during their time at Clinkle, emphasizing the importance of social proof and storytelling in convincing investors like Peter Thiel to invest. - Penny: A Product-First Approach and Learning Curve: Mitch discusses his time at Penny, a personal finance app, where they focused on creating a product-driven company. He acknowledges the difficulties of monetizing and scaling Penny, which ultimately led to an acquisition by Credit Karma. - Execution-Driven Fundraising at Arc Boats: At Arc Boats, Mitch and his Co-Founder Ryan shifted their approach, focusing on aggressive execution and speed. Their background in hardware engineering, particularly from SpaceX, allowed them to build electric boats quickly, which impressed investors. - Challenges of Raising Capital in Different Market Environments: Mitch reflects on how the venture capital environment has changed from 2015 to 2021, especially as the market peaked and then hit a downturn. - Staying Focused Amid Hype Cycles: Mitch emphasizes the importance of focusing on execution rather than getting distracted by hype cycles like crypto and NFTs. Connect with Mitch Lee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchjlee/Connect with Rob Ryan: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robtheryan/Connect with host Neil Devani: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neildevani/For more information on Necessary Ventures, visit the website at: https://www.necessary.vc/Want to support this podcast? Leave us a review on iTunes and be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel.