This week, I talk to Travis Steffen, who has built and sold eight companies. He’s raised over $100M and driven more than $200M in exits. In this episode, we delve into what actually drives startup growth and what quietly undermines it. We also get into how one bad exit almost wrecked him, and what he learned from losing years and seven figures because of one avoidable mistake. If you're a founder, operator, or even just thinking about building, this episode will give you a clearer view of what’s worth your attention. —------------------------------------------------------------------- Raising capital? Get a list of vetted VCs for FREE here: https://web.thunder.vc/list-of-investors-vcs-for-founders?utm_source=Youtube&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=Episode87&utm_id=FundraisingDemystifiedPodcast Get the latest fundraising insights, news, and tips: https://blog.thunder.vc/funding-101?utm_source=Youtube&utm_medium=Video&utm_campaign=Episode87&utm_id=FundraisingDemystifiedPodcast We get into: 00:00 The Real Startup Journey: No Filters, No Hype 03:07 Why "Never Quit" Is Holding You Back 05:47 Churn: The Growth Killer Founders Ignore 09:12 What You Learn When a Startup Fails 12:05 Retention Isn’t a Metric. It’s a Strategy. 14:52 Why Investors Walk, Even If Your Numbers Look Good 17:48 The Retention-Valuation Link You Can’t Ignore 21:06 From Flatlined to $70M: A Turnaround Breakdown 34:37 How We Built the Most Trusted Brand in a Broken Industry 36:19 Revatto: Built to Solve Churn Without Adding Work 40:07 No Results, No Cost: A Different Kind of Retention Model 42:29 How To Save Customers, Without a Product Tutorial 45:10 You Probably Don’t Understand Your Churn. Here’s Why. 47:24 How to Test Revatto, with $1,000 in Free Recoveries 51:21 One Retention Habit That Changes the Game 54:24 The Exit That Went Sideways, and What It Cost ABOUT TRAVIS STEFFEN Travis Steffen is a founder, operator, and builder with a track record most founders never reach. He’s exited eight companies, raised more than $100M, and led over $200M in M&A. His work spans SaaS, cannabis tech, fintech, and AI. Today, he’s the co-founder of Revatto, a company that helps subscription-based businesses retain more customers and only charges when it works. Check out Revatto: https://www.revatto.com/ ABOUT JASON Jason Kirby is the co-founder of Thunder VC. He is a serial entrepreneur with 4 multi-million exits and decades of experience in fundraising and business building. He has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs in his career on fundraising, investing, capital strategy, and business development. You can reach out to Jason through: Email: jason@thunder.vc LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/ ABOUT FUNDRAISING DEMYSTIFIED Our goal is simple: to equip you with the knowledge, inspiration, and guidance to navigate the labyrinthine world of fundraising. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur seeking seed funding or an established founder looking to scale your business, this podcast will provide you with the tools you need to conquer the fundraising landscape. Thank you for being a loyal subscriber to Fundraising Demystified. We appreciate your support and are excited to continue bringing you more inspiring stories from successful founders.
