Margin For Error: The Story of Entrepreneurs, Investors and Platform Builders

HelloAdvisr
  • 5.0 (1)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The playbook for building a business doesn't exist. Margin for Error is where entrepreneurs, investors, and operators share what they've figured out along the way. Hosted by HelloAdvisr CEO, Ed Lee, each episode is a deep conversation with the people behind real companies, covering fundraising, growth strategy, product development, AI, pricing, PR, and the hard decisions that don't come with a manual. Whether you're raising your first round or scaling past product-market fit, this podcast gives you the insight and honesty you won't find in a pitch deck. Stay in the loop: www.helloadvisr.com

  1. FEB 13

    EP 17 | He Reviews 1,000+ Startups a Year. Here's What Founders Get Wrong | Lucas Pols, 1752VC

    Lucas Pols, managing partner at 1757VC (formerly Pegasus Angel Accelerator), has spent the last decade investing in and building alongside early-stage founders. He's not the type of investor who writes a check and walks away. With a 0.3% acceptance rate and hands-on involvement that includes helping hire, fire, and rethink go-to-market strategy from the ground up, 1757VC is redefining what an accelerator can do for startups at their inflection point. From his early days knocking on doors in sales to leading one of the nation's largest angel networks, Lucas brings operator-level empathy to the investor seat. In this episode, he breaks down how 1757VC drives outsized MRR growth, why AI is reshaping fundraising expectations overnight, and what separates the founders who break through from those who stall out. Here's what's covered: What it really means to invest at a startup's inflection pointThe growth hacking strategies behind 1,000%+ MRR portfolio resultsHow AI is completely rewriting the rules on startup growth timelinesWhy most pitch decks lose investors before slide sevenThe one exercise every founder should try this weekIf you've ever wondered what separates the startups that break through from those that plateau, this conversation lays out the playbook.

    44 min

  2. 11/18/2025

    EP 16 | Investors Aren’t Buying It: The Red Flag You Miss | Kayon Moshiri

    Many founders obsess over product, pitch decks, and projections—yet overlook one of the biggest red flags investors catch immediately: your growth isn’t actually scalable.In this episode of Margin for Error, Plug and Play Ventures investor Kayon Moshiri breaks down the signals founders miss when trying to raise capital. Kayon shares why early traction built on personal networks doesn’t impress investors, what real customer acquisition looks like, and how to prove you can grow beyond the “first five customers.”Drawing from his experience evaluating hundreds of startups across retail, commerce, and AI, Kayon reveals what actually moves an investment forward—and what quietly kills a deal. From solo-founder risks to unrealistic projections, he lays out the patterns investors pay attention to long before founders do.Here’s what’s covered:• The red flag that instantly weakens your pitch• Why first customers don’t equal repeatable traction• What scalable growth looks like (and what it doesn’t)• The founder traits that build investor confidence• When “working harder” becomes a liability• How to avoid fundraising too late• Why ownership, team composition, and accountability matter• What today’s macro environment means for early-stage foundersIf you’ve ever wondered why investors aren’t buying in—even when you think you’re ready—this conversation shows you the blind spots that matter most.

    32 min

  3. 11/04/2025

    EP 15 | Capital with Character: David Tswamuno on Purpose-Driven Venture, Founder Empathy, and Investing for Impact

    David Tswamuno's path to venture capital wasn’t traditional, it was deeply personal. Shaped by early lessons from his father about business and service, David built Fairbridge VC around a simple but powerful idea: capital with character. As General Partner, he backs founders tackling the biggest socio-economic challenges across health, wealth, and the planet—where opportunity meets responsibility. In this episode, David shares how his life experiences, from banking to impact investing, inspired Fairbridge’s mission to fund startups solving real-world problems. He opens up about the challenges of launching a first-time fund, why empathy is a founder’s superpower, and what makes the best investor-founder relationships thrive. From investing in labor innovation to rethinking access, fairness, and technology’s role in social progress, David brings clarity to the intersection of purpose and performance. Here’s what’s covered:• The story behind capital with character and why it matters• Building a fund that bridges health, wealth, and the planet• Four core criteria Fairbridge uses to evaluate startups• What founders misunderstand about fundraising• The “wide discrepancy” test for meaningful innovation• How empathy drives better products—and better investors• The difference between momentum and lasting product-market fit• Rethinking AI as a tool, not a strategy• The future of impact investing and emerging managers• Why building a startup is both a privilege and a responsibility

    40 min

  4. 10/21/2025

    E14 | From Chaos to Clarity: Lawrence Kao on Startups, Storytelling, and Scaling

    Lawrence Kao didn’t follow the straight path into entrepreneurship. A self-described “lost computer science student,” he blended technology, media, and community into a career building startups at the intersection of fandom, digital platforms, and e-commerce. From co-founding VC-backed ventures to leading creative studios, Lawrence has spent decades turning chaos into clarity—and passion into business models. Now, as co-founder of The Companion, Lawrence is reimagining fandom not just as entertainment, but as connection, community, and even mental health support. His journey spans the early YouTube era, partnerships with studios like MGM, and a pandemic-era rebuild that placed purpose and people at the center. In this episode, Lawrence shares lessons from scaling startups, why distribution always beats production, the “tattoo test” for brand loyalty, and how fandom can inspire both belonging and business. This is a conversation about resilience, reinvention, and the power of community-driven strategy. Here’s what’s covered: The “Tattoo Test”: what it reveals about true brand devotion Why distribution > production in digital media How to build healthier communities (and avoid “poo in the pool”) Lessons from YouTube’s early growth days and Copa90 40 pitches in 40 nights: saving a company under pressure The MGM/Stargate project and the risks of relying on one client Rebuilding The Companion during the pandemic Using fandom to combat loneliness and support mental health How founders can validate ideas with revenue, not just hype Staying close to customers, making hard calls, and finding the right mentors Learn more about The Companion and Lawrence’s work to turn fandom into community (link here).

    1 hr

  5. 10/09/2025

    E13 | From Zero to One: Olivia O’Sullivan on Killing Ideas Fast and Building What Customers Will Pay For

    Olivia O’Sullivan didn’t take the classic VC path. A former marketer and product builder, she zig-zagged from McDonald’s to Dow Jones to venture—carrying a zero-to-one obsession the whole way. Now Partner & COO at Forum Ventures, Olivia helps founders validate fast, sell sooner, and raise smarter—often before there’s even a working prototype. In this episode, we get into how Forum’s studio, accelerator, and seed fund back B2B founders from day zero—and why brutal idea-killing, customer pull, and willingness to pay are the real green lights. Here’s what’s covered: Forum’s 3-track model: concept-led studio, rolling pre-seed accelerator, and pre-seed/seed fund The “kill ideas fast” playbook—finding real problems and real WTP before code Why Forum won’t launch a studio company without signed customer contracts What platform actually means in VC—and how it drives sourcing, GTM, and fundraising Coaching technical founders on sales: discovery calls, enterprise motion, and common pitfalls Founder-market fit, execution signals, and how to avoid “false positives” in validation A studio case: partnering into IBM and hiring the founding engineer to unlock scale The Forum Foundry: a 4-week validation sprint with capital for the winners Learn more about Forum Ventures and Olivia’s work helping founders go from concept to customers (link here).

    48 min

  6. 09/23/2025

    E12 | From Physics to Funding: Min-Yi Shih on Curiosity, Angel Investing, and Global Startup Collaboration

    Min-Yi Shih didn’t follow a straight path into investing. He started in physics and engineering, moved through executive leadership roles, and only later pivoted into the startup ecosystem as an angel investor and advisor. That nonlinear journey—spanning hard tech, business operations, and global networks—now informs how he evaluates founders and helps startups grow. Today, as Chair of Due Diligence at Tech Coast Angels and Director at the Taiwan Global Eastbound Association, Min-Yi bridges worlds: technology and business, Asia and the U.S., investors and founders. His story is about staying curious, building resilient teams, and finding joy in the process of innovation. In this episode, we talk about what investors really look for at the earliest stages, why pitch decks often miss the point, and how international collaboration creates opportunities far beyond capital. Min-Yi also shares his philosophy on curiosity as a lifelong strategy, the realities of global expansion, and what it means to balance optimism with practicality. This is a conversation about mindset, markets, and the bridges that make startup ecosystems stronger. Here’s what’s covered:• Why founders—not just business models—determine startup outcomes• The most overlooked element of a pitch deck (and why business plans still matter)• Product-market fit vs. hype: what actually attracts investment• How curiosity and joy fuel resilience in the startup world• Lessons from reviewing dozens of startups each month at TCA• Why cross-border collaboration between Asia and the U.S. is a growth multiplier• Advice for international founders entering the U.S. market• How to stay adaptable in a world of constant change Learn more about Tech Coast Angels and Min-Yi’s work supporting global founders (⁠link here⁠).

    37 min

  7. 09/09/2025

    E11 | From Product to Portfolio: Monika Rodiqi of Express Ventures on Startup Agility, VC Strategy, and Building with Belief

    Monika Rodiqi didn’t take the traditional VC route. She didn’t start in finance or come from a long line of investors. Instead, she built her way into the venture world by doing the work—building products, managing teams, and scaling early-stage startups from the inside. Now, as an Investment Analyst at Berlin-based Express Ventures, Monika brings that builder’s lens to every investment decision. Express Ventures focuses on logistics and industrial startups, but Monika’s story is about more than sectors—it’s about signal. In this episode, we talk about what makes a founder stand out, why story matters more than polish in a pitch deck, and how venture can be both strategic and socially conscious. Monika also shares her thoughts on Europe’s startup evolution, the realities of being a woman in tech, and what she’s watching in robotics, AI, and the future of fueling. This is a conversation about strategy, bias, and the decisions that shape tomorrow’s market leaders. Here’s what’s covered: Why agility is a startup’s biggest advantage What VCs really look for at the pre-seed stage The one thing every founder should do in a pitch meeting (but rarely does) What makes Berlin a unique tech ecosystem—and why you shouldn’t write it off How CVCs can offer more than capital The power of founder-investor alignment Why VC is an asset class, not a moral compass—but still shapes the world The troubling truth behind VC’s gender funding gap—and what might actually change it Learn more about ⁠Express Ventures⁠ and Monika’s work to bring more builder-mindsets into venture (⁠link here⁠).

    37 min

  8. 08/26/2025

    E10 | Access Over Assumptions: Alex Waters of The Program Labs on Building Inclusive Startup Ecosystems

    Alex Waters isn’t your typical startup insider. He didn’t raise a mega round or exit a unicorn. But over the last 15 years, he’s built something arguably more transformative: pathways. As Executive Director of The Program Labs and a veteran of San Diego’s entrepreneurial community, Alex helps nonprofits and ecosystems design startup programs that work—especially for overlooked and underestimated founders. In this episode, we talk about how Alex moved from edtech founder to ecosystem architect, why access (not ambition) is the biggest startup divide, and what it really takes to build programs that empower communities instead of checking boxes. This is a conversation about the systems behind startups, and the humans who make them work. Here’s what’s covered: Why Alex left startup building to become a startup builder The difference between inviting founders to the table and setting a seat for them What makes a program truly inclusive (hint: it’s not just good intentions) Challenges underrepresented founders face that others often don’t see What the U.S. startup narrative gets wrong about failure Lessons from building San Diego’s first business accelerator for diverse founders Learn more about The Program Labs and their work to make innovation infrastructure more equitable (link here).

    39 min
See All (17)

About

The playbook for building a business doesn't exist. Margin for Error is where entrepreneurs, investors, and operators share what they've figured out along the way. Hosted by HelloAdvisr CEO, Ed Lee, each episode is a deep conversation with the people behind real companies, covering fundraising, growth strategy, product development, AI, pricing, PR, and the hard decisions that don't come with a manual. Whether you're raising your first round or scaling past product-market fit, this podcast gives you the insight and honesty you won't find in a pitch deck. Stay in the loop: www.helloadvisr.com

Information