Learn how executive coaches can boost a startup’s chances for success and provide founders with a tangible return on investment.

In this deep dive around executive coaching, Co Ventures’ Maxine Minter discusses the transformative power of executive coaching for startup founders. She highlights the distinction between coaching and advising before covering a range of topics, including the personal growth work that helps founders understand their own mental models and behaviors, the impact of executive coaching on a CEO's ability to transition from product development to company scaling, delegation techniques and avoiding the pitfalls of over-delegation or abdication, and the tailored approach needed for leadership development and organizational growth.

Plus: the nuanced needs of executive coaching as a company matures, the transition from one coach to another as the startup scales, and the challenges of measuring the return on investment in executive coaching. She also discusses the economic evaluation of coaching engagements, the increased motivation and optimism in executives working with coaches, and the significance of addressing imposter syndrome in leadership roles.

Maxine Minter is the Founder and General Partner of Co Ventures, and leads Australia's first pre-seed fund and its premier solo female GP-led fund. She has a rich background in angel investing, company building, and executive coaching, and focuses on elevating Australian startups to the global stage from inception. Maxine also founded Co Lab, a platform matching startup founders and CEOs with top executive coaches, and co-hosts First Cheque, a podcast featuring conversations with seasoned investors. Her work bridges the gap between Australian startups and international investors. Maxine operates between San Francisco and Sydney.. You can connect with Maxine on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxine-minter-06011951/

Listen to Maxine’s podcast, First Cheque, at https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/first-cheque/id1710054580

Learn more about Co Ventures at https://www.coventures.vc/

Learn more about Co Lab at https://www.the-colab.co/

Check out “Trillion Dollar Coach: The Leadership Playbook of Silicon Valley's Bill Campbell” at https://amzn.to/3xZAUuO

In this episode, you’ll learn about: startup coaching, executive coaching, startup success, leadership coaching, business scaling, Series B funding, seed funding, startup growth, startup founders, CEO coaching, strategic leadership, company scaling, management principles, startup ecosystem, startup advice, executive coach value, founder to CEO transition, startup investment, startup strategies, venture capital, startup advisors, startup efficiency, startup systems, executive team building, C-suite management, startup expansion, value creation, coaching investment, startup outcomes, tailored coaching techniques, leadership positions, global startup community, Australian startups, and executive coach matching.

—

The Funding Blueprint was created by award-winning podcaster Cody Gough. This is Cody’s final episode as producer and host of the show, but you can connect with Cody on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/codygough/ or follow him on X (formerly Twitter) at https://twitter.com/ProducerCody.

Music track: "Cinematic Funk"

Source: https://www.lokhmatovmusic.com/

Free Background Music by Yevhen Lokhmatov

If you're impressed by the incredible editing in this episode, then get in touch with our tremendous editor Sean Petell for your sound design or audio/video production needs. Special thanks to Sean for making this episode look and sound so good! You can reach Sean at https://seanpetell.com/

Learn about 3 key intangibles that could make you and your startup stand out to venture capitalists when seeking funding.

Playfair’s Andrew Sheffield discusses the intricacies of pre-seed funding for startups, including essential intangibles for securing funding, the importance of pace in business development, and the necessity for a strong founder-VC relationship. He discusses the allure of investing in technology-focused companies, the patience required in venture capital, and post-investment strategies for scaling up startups, with specific listener takeaways such as the importance of technological defensibility, the typical 10-year investment horizon for VCs, and the need for startups to craft compelling narratives for future fundraising. Plus: parallels between poker playing and venture capitalism, strategic hiring decisions for scaling startups, and tactical advice for founders on validating their business assumptions.

Andrew Sheffield is a VC at Playfair, which is a generalist VC fund with a contrarian approach to pre-seed technology investing. Playfair invests across the UK and Europe with an intentionally high conviction, low volume approach: making 6-8 investments a year and preserving time, capital and resources to help companies post-investment. At Playfair, Andrew meets with founders, researches their markets, and helps Playfair’s portfolio build out the beginnings of independent sales teams. Prior to Wayfair, Andrew spent a year as a full-time professional poker player. Andrew and Playfair are based in London. You can connect with Andrew on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-sheffield-264360134/

Learn more about Playfair at https://playfair.vc/

Learn about Recycleye at https://recycleye.com/

In this episode, you’ll learn about: pre-seed funding, startup scaling, venture capital, early-stage investment, securing capital, startup success, business growth, technology startups, investment strategies, startup advice, founder-VC relationship, professional poker playing, entrepreneurial insights, startup journey, scaling ventures, market leaders, tech startups, business development, investment game, founder tips, startup investment, sales strategy, venture capital success, risk management, job titles in startups, UK market investment, business assumptions, sales teams, startup growth, startup validation, poker and investing, strategic decision-making, pre-seed startups, startup acceleration, technology defensibility, hardware startups, software startups, VC investment horizon, and sustainable technology.

—

Follow The Funding Blueprint, hosted by award-winning podcaster Cody Gough, on YouTube or your favorite podcast app, to be notified about new episodes for free every week. And get involved in the conversation by joining StartHub's community of engaged startup founders, VC investors, and other entrepreneurs on Discord: https://discord.gg/4MjDJS8wsR

Music track: "Cinematic Funk"

Source: https://www.lokhmatovmusic.com/

Free Background Music by Yevhen Lokhmatov

If you're impressed by the incredible editing in this episode, then get in touch with our tremendous editor Sean Petell for your sound design or audio/video production needs. Special thanks to Sean for making this episode look and sound so good! You can reach Sean at https://seanpetell.com/

Learn about how to effectively manage cash flow and strategic steps you can take at different stages of your cash runway.

Investor Laura McCoolidge Nguyen discusses the intricate balance of cash management for startups, particularly in the EdTech sector. She delves into the strategies founders should adopt when faced with dwindling cash reserves, outlines a step-by-step game plan for startups at various stages of their cash runway, and touches on the need for considering acqui-hiring plans and minimizing founder salaries. She also discusses the broader challenges and opportunities in the EdTech industry in 2024, skepticism around the effectiveness of technology in education, the potential of AI and personalized learning, and strategies for EdTech startups to navigate these issues.

Laura McCoolidge Nguyen is Vice President of Strategic Investments at Strada Education Foundation. Strada, as a foundation, aims to create clearer and more purposeful pathways from education to careers for adult learners, and utilizes tools such as policy, advocacy, grant making and strategic investments to further this mission. Laura specifically focuses on funding seed to Series B stage companies whose products are strategically aligned to Strada’s impact mission. And she is based in Miami. You can connect with Laura on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-mccoolidge/

Learn more about Strata Education Foundation at https://stradaeducation.org/

Learn about Rise Education at https://riseeducation.com/

Learn about Interplay Learning at https://www.interplaylearning.com/

In this episode, you’ll learn about: EdTech startups, startup cash management, education technology companies, startup survival, strategic financial planning, cash flow challenges, investor relations, cost reduction strategies, innovative solutions in education, higher education issues, startup fundraising, educational innovation, sustaining startups, EdTech market trends, cash reserves in startups, startup finance, education industry transformation, skilled trades training, co-founder relationships, startup longevity, education sector challenges, startup investment opportunities, EdTech entrepreneurs, education startup survival, managing startup finances, educational institution budgets, personalized learning in education, strategic investments in education, technology adoption in schools, startup sales cycles, education workforce development, alternative education pathways, seed to Series B funding, startup cost cutting, startup growth strategies, EdTech company valuation, startup investor updates, education sales strategies, and founder passion in startups.

—

Follow The Funding Blueprint, hosted by award-winning podcaster Cody Gough, on YouTube or your favorite podcast app, to be notified about new episodes for free every week. And get involved in the conversation by joining StartHub's community of engaged startup founders, VC investors, and other entrepreneurs on Discord: https://discord.gg/4MjDJS8wsR

Music track: "Cinematic Funk"

Source: https://www.lokhmatovmusic.com/

Free Background Music by Yevhen Lokhmatov

If you're impressed by the incredible editing in this episode, then get in touch with our tremendous editor Sean Petell for your sound design or audio/video production needs. Special thanks to Sean for making this episode look and sound so good! You can reach Sean at https://seanpetell.com/