In this episode of Tales from the PROS, I chat with David Gardner, who is a very well known tech startup investor, successful serial entrepreneur, and the Founder and Managing Partner of Cofounders Capital.
David and I talk about David's inspiration behind investing in tech startups that have lots of promise, how to succeed as a startup, what his firm looks for in a pitch, the investment game nationally and locally in North Carolina, and much more.
Some questions asked:
- David, tell us how you got into the investment game, specifically just in B2B technology and what lead you to start Cofounders Capital?
- When you were younger, did you always see yourself starting various companies and selling them or did it happen very randomly?
- From your experience investing in numerous promising startups such as FilterEasy, can you explain the process of what it takes for a startup to receive a round of funding? Do you think it's all about timing and proof of concept?
- What are the things investors such as yourself look for when hearing a pitch?
- Do you think it's smart to always have some sort of exit strategy when building a company or is it smart to grow it into a long-term brand?
- What tips would you give to current and future entrepreneurs in preparing them to receive funding and what they need to avoid?
- You obviously understand the tech is booming, what technology trends do you see emerging and which ones do you see dying?
- Any future plans Cofounders Capital?
High Level Questions (Broad):
- IF you can explain, what struggles did you face while building your companies, and how did you overcome them?
- What are the biggest challenges you have had to deal with growth the companies you've started?
- What advice or tips would you give future entrepreneurs on how to succeed?
- What character traits would you consider the most important in being a successful business leader and entrepreneur? (Passion, drive, work ethic, perseverance, etc.)
- Do you feel that entrepreneurship is getting harder in our economy?
Follow David Gardner:
Website: http://cofounderscapital.com/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/cofounders-capital/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/startuphats
Follow Michael Georgiou:
Podcast Website - https://www.talesfromthepros.com Company Website - https://www.imaginovation.net Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/TalesfromthePROS/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/MGeorgiou22 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/the_mgeorgiou/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJv9pbImovknEluSLzAPTpg/featured
Information
- Show
- FrequencyUpdated Weekly
- PublishedMay 9, 2018 at 8:01 PM UTC
- Length53 min
- Season1
- Episode7
- RatingClean