Start With Customers Not Investors

For our Seed Capital series of podcasts, I’ve interviewed hundreds of investors, especially micro-VCs and angels who play an important role in the early-stage game. The toughest round of funding an entrepreneur will seek to raise is Pre-seed. How do you increase your odds?

Pre-seed has the lowest probability of success. Over 99% of the entrepreneurs who seek financing are rejected. 

So, my humble advice to all entrepreneurs: please learn to assess your own probability of getting funded.

>>>

1Mby1M Virtual Accelerator AI Investor Forum: Felix Hartmann, Hartmann Capital (Part 6)

Sramana Mitra: So, I’m going to give the audience a pointer. Actually, quite a number of years ago, before the pandemic, I wrote a series called “Man and Superman: Human History Bifurcates,” which addresses exactly this. It’s all available on my blog for you to read. My thesis was that people who do not choose to augment are going to be at a disadvantage, and now we are seeing more real manifestations of that.

1Mby1M Virtual Accelerator AI Investor Forum: Felix Hartmann, Hartmann Capital (Part 5)

Sramana Mitra: You know, I read something interesting as you’re talking about this idea of glasses and the augmentation of your experience.

1Mby1M Virtual Accelerator AI Investor Forum: Felix Hartmann, Hartmann Capital (Part 4)

Sramana Mitra: So tell me more about what you’re seeing in terms of AI in your world. Even if it’s earlier-stage investments, what kind of things have you invested in, and what trends are you noticing?

1Mby1M Virtual Accelerator AI Investor Forum: Felix Hartmann, Hartmann Capital (Part 3)

Sramana Mitra: I have a different question, but we’ll go on to your next case study in just a moment because what you’re describing is so interesting. I did one of the first online fashion companies—real fashion, regular fashion—back in 1999.

The question that’s swirling in my mind is: you have so many users and so much activity. It must be segmented though, right? Is it the fashionistas who are on there, or is it more the geeks who like t-shirts and fashion?

1Mby1M Virtual Accelerator AI Investor Forum: Felix Hartmann, Hartmann Capital (Part 2)

Sramana Mitra: So, you’ve already laid out your investment thesis. Just a couple of quick things. How big is Fund Two right now?

Felix Hartman: It’s a $50 million fund. We’ve already closed the first $10 million and have seven companies in the cohort. The goal is to back 40 companies at the pre-seed to seed stage.

1Mby1M Virtual Accelerator AI Investor Forum: Felix Hartmann, Hartmann Capital (Part 1)

Felix Hartmann, Managing Partner at Hartmann Capital, discusses his firm’s investment thesis. This segment triggered an excellent discussion on Human Augmentation.

1Mby1M Virtual Accelerator AI Investor Forum: Warren Packard, AI Fund (Part 6)

Warren Packard: Since you’re pointing out that by Series C and Series D, there’s a declining ownership. Of course, there is always a declining ownership in the company, but maybe, perhaps too little remaining for a founder.

One of the great things I see about AI is the ability for a founding team to build and get to get further faster with less.