Roundtable Recap: June 22 – Make Sure Your Business Model Has Legs

During this week’s roundtable,  we discussed three startups and their viability.

IdeaGens.com

First up, we had Avi Dear from Chicago, Illinois, pitch IdeaGens.com and Unitended.org, concepts for solving complex problems using a digital framework. The idea needs to be validated.

Davinci Codes Africa

Next, we had Emotu from Lagos, Nigeria, pitch Davinci Codes Africa, an educational venture for African youth. I made some suggestions on how to reframe the business, away from content.

She Raises Capital

Finally, Vidhi Data from Dallas, Texas, pitched She Raises Capital, a concept for connecting female entrepreneurs to investors. I didn’t think this would work as a venture funded business, which is what she stated as her goal.

You can listen to the recording of this roundtable here:

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Sramana Mitra: Let’s start at the very beginning of your journey. Where were you born, raised, and in what kind of background?

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Serial Entrepreneur Bootstrapping Three PropTech Ventures: LuxuryProperty Founder Jason Hayes (Part 4)

Sramana Mitra: One of the keys to building scalable businesses is to operate within guardrails. What you’re pointing out in deciding not to go for any kind of permit is a huge decision. It’s a smart decision. That allows you to move quickly. In the business that you did first versus this business, it’s a different model. Debt financing is the same, but you’re not building as much in the balance sheet.

Jason Hayes: That’s right.

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Sramana Mitra: Let’s go to the very beginning of your story. Where are you from? Where were you born, raised, and in what kind of background?

Faisal Husain: My roots are from India, but I was actually born in West Africa in Nigeria. My parents had moved from India to Nigeria in search of jobs and they were in the education field. My father was a principal and my mother was a math teacher. While they were doing their jobs and building their careers in Nigeria, I was born there. I lived in Nigeria for 13 years. At that point, my parents decided to move back home to India. I was then home schooled for about three or four years, and then came to the United States.

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