The Startup Solution

Threshold Ventures
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The Startup Solution

The Startup Solution tackles the make-or-break situations that entrepreneurs face, offering clear advice on how to survive and thrive in an early-stage company. Who’s it for? Founders, startup execs, and investors who want to learn from real-world situations, unpacked by Heidi Roizen, a “recovering" entrepreneur and current VC who has seen it all through 40 years and 40 boards. Heidi uses a case method to unpack a new situation in each episode, breaking down why it’s a big deal and talking about how it was solved or could have been solved. The situations are from her direct experience, though all names and details have been changed to uphold our commitment to the Entrepreneur Protection Program. Heidi has spent 40 years in the tech startup world, the first dozen years as an entrepreneur herself, and since then, 25 years as a venture capitalist. She’s served on over 40 boards, from seed stage to public companies. She also co-leads the Threshold Venture Fellows program at Stanford University and is a partner at Threshold Ventures.

  1. The Art of the Cold Email

    MAR 20

    The Art of the Cold Email

    Mastering cold emails is a superpower—one that can unlock dream investors, top-tier hires, and world-class mentors. The most successful founders craft messages that break through the noise and create opportunities. In this episode, Heidi shares the proven strategies she teaches at the Stanford Graduate School of Business to help you master the art of impactful outreach.  More information: https://www.threshold.vc/podcast/the-art-of-the-cold-email

    20 min
  2. The Case of the Elusive Earnout

    FEB 21

    The Case of the Elusive Earnout

    If you’re considering an earnout, you should know exactly what is involved to set expectations – and to give yourself the highest chance of it amounting to something. Heidi presents recent market data along with her firsthand experience to help you understand why earnouts are so challenging. More information: https://www.threshold.vc/podcast/the-case-of-the-elusive-earnout

    20 min
  3. How to be a Great Mentee

    JAN 23

    How to be a Great Mentee

    Successful entrepreneurs seek out mentors to positively impact their careers. But how do they find a mentor, initiate contact, and build a relationship? As an experienced mentor and mentee, Heidi believes all these questions can be answered by following her tips on becoming a great mentee.   More Information: https://www.threshold.vc/podcast/how-to-be-a-great-mentee   Further Reading:  I mentioned a bunch of organizations and resources in this episode, so here are the links to them: Fortune Brainstorm and other conferences: https://fortune.com/conferences TechCrunch Disrupt and other events: https://techcrunch.com/events Meetup Entrepreneurship groups: https://www.meetup.com/topics/entrepreneurship Startup Grind: https://about.startupgrind.com Founder Institute: https://fi.co Indie Hackers: https://www.indiehackers.com LinkedIn groups for entrepreneurs: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/16-linkedin-groups-entrepreneurs-gs-kumar-job-search-trainer Techstars: https://www.techstars.com/communities Founders Network: https://foundersnetwork.com Reddit entrepreneurs subgroups: https://startupsavant.com/startup-center/best-subreddits-for-entrepreneurs and https://startupsavant.com/startup-center/best-subreddits-for-entrepreneurs And finally, here are first-person narratives on learning how to be interested, not interesting. There are similarities – but there’s something to learn in each one of them: https://www.jodymichael.com/blog/be-interested-not-interesting https://tybennett.com/be-interested-not-interesting https://www.jackysherman.com/networking-the-art-of-being-interested-not-interesting https://sunwords.com/2024/01/28/dont-be-interesting-be-interested

    18 min
  4. The Case of the Venture Debt Dilemma

    JAN 9

    The Case of the Venture Debt Dilemma

    All entrepreneurs should understand what venture debt is so they can make an informed decision to take it or not. Heidi poses a series of questions and scenarios to help founders know whether it’s a good option for their company. And if it is, how to set it up and use it.  More Information: https://www.threshold.vc/podcast/the-case-of-the-venture-debt-dilemma Further Reading: As I mentioned in the episode, General Catalyst has an interesting offering around a financing model for growth equity that is a hybrid of debt and equity: https://www.generalcatalyst.com/stories/the-unbundling-of-growth-equity Also, as mentioned, the next version of the SAFE has arrived in the form of a SAFERloan agreement, which allows for some repayment instead of conversion: https://www.liquiditygroup.com/resource-funding/what-is-the-safer-agreement Here’s a solid primer on debt covenants:https://www.lightercapital.com/blog/what-are-debt-covenants-on-a-loan#:~:text=A%20debt%20covenant%20lays%20out,more%20specific%20and%20complex%20requirements Finally, one thing I didn’t cover in the episode but is relevant to the decision-making about debt is that the lender may ask you to move all your banking business to their bank. And that can prove disastrous in situations like what happened to SVB. Here’s a great piece on that danger: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/wake-svbs-collapse-some-tech-founders-turn-against-venture-tanya-dua

    20 min
  5. The Best Entrepreneurs are Great at Business

    12/05/2024

    The Best Entrepreneurs are Great at Business

    Many entrepreneurs start companies to solve a big problem or apply innovative technology, or both.  But when they fail, it’s typically the result of a business issue. Heidi has observed that founders usually run out of money because they didn’t pay close enough attention to running the company. Here, she shares practical advice to help entrepreneurs become great at business.  More information: https://www.threshold.vc/podcast/the-best-entrepreneurs-are-great-at-business

    19 min
  6. Six Word Operating Manual for Entrepreneurs

    11/22/2024

    Six Word Operating Manual for Entrepreneurs

    When the world is uncertain, it is especially challenging for an entrepreneur to steer their company forward. Heidi’s six-word operating manual helps founders face the unknown and lead. Caution: Heidi’s operating manual may sound simple, but executing it takes grit and leadership. More information: https://www.threshold.vc/podcast/six-word-operating-manual-for-entrepreneurs Further reading: No additional reading for this episode, but as promised, here’s the link to the Etsy shop that sells the bracelets. You do have to specify to the shop owner what you want the bracelets to say! https://www.etsy.com/listing/575211134/personalised-stamped-bar-bracelet-on?click_key=1ae487b1f6385e2ed98e175cf738ae2369e5fbbe%3A575211134&click_sum=eefd3991&ref=nla_rv-1&frs=1&sts=1

    11 min
  7. The Case of the Shareholder Shenanigans

    11/07/2024

    The Case of the Shareholder Shenanigans

    Shareholder voting rights are an essential element of the many crucial decisions made in a company. For example, they may come into play during a fundraise or M&A. In this episode, Heidi explains what shareholder voting rights are so you can be well-informed and avoid messy situations in the future. For more information: https://threshold.vc/podcast/the-case-of-the-shareholder-shenanigans/ Further reading: For those of you who think shareholder shenanigans only happen in small companies, Joy’s case is similar to the HP case of many years ago, fascinating reading for those who like Succession and boardroom drama: https://www.zdnet.com/article/hp-directors-slam-walter-hewlett/ Every entrepreneur should understand the impact stacked preferences may have on governance, board votes, and shareholder votes. This article does a great job of laying those out: https://thevcfactory.com/liquidation-preference-conflicts-venture-capital/ The Council of Institutional Investors has an interesting piece on dual-class stock: https://www.cii.org/dualclass_stock And for more details on why I think good governance is good for entrepreneurs and their companies, see https://www.threshold.vc/podcast/the-case-of-the-infallible-founder/

    17 min
  8. The Case for a Relationship-Driven Life

    08/30/2024

    The Case for a Relationship-Driven Life

    Over 20 years ago, Heidi Roizen became the subject of a Harvard Business School case that is still one of the most popular cases taught at business schools around the world today. This episode is a culmination of Heidi’s best answers and actionable advice from two decades of being asked about the best ways to build one’s network — or, as Heidi likes to put it, how to build a relationship-driven life, as opposed to one that’s transaction-driven. More Information: https://threshold.vc/podcast/the-case-for-a-relationship-driven-life Further Reading: Here’s another take on my favorite sentence in a negotiation: What problem are you trying to solve? https://www.tumblr.com/heidiroizen/92662870040/the-magic-question-that-turns-transactions-into?source=share Funny enough, First Round Capital covered me and my advice about relationship-driven living and more here: https://review.firstround.com/8-rare-gems-from-heidi-roizen-on-building-a-fulfilling-life-and-career/ And, if you want to actually read the Harvard Business School case, you can find it here: https://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Pages/item.aspx?num=26880

    19 min
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5
out of 5
39 Ratings

About

The Startup Solution tackles the make-or-break situations that entrepreneurs face, offering clear advice on how to survive and thrive in an early-stage company. Who’s it for? Founders, startup execs, and investors who want to learn from real-world situations, unpacked by Heidi Roizen, a “recovering" entrepreneur and current VC who has seen it all through 40 years and 40 boards. Heidi uses a case method to unpack a new situation in each episode, breaking down why it’s a big deal and talking about how it was solved or could have been solved. The situations are from her direct experience, though all names and details have been changed to uphold our commitment to the Entrepreneur Protection Program. Heidi has spent 40 years in the tech startup world, the first dozen years as an entrepreneur herself, and since then, 25 years as a venture capitalist. She’s served on over 40 boards, from seed stage to public companies. She also co-leads the Threshold Venture Fellows program at Stanford University and is a partner at Threshold Ventures.

Information

  • Creator
    Threshold Ventures
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2025
  • Episodes
    38
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2023
  • Show Website
    The Startup Solution

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