Welcome to Episode 078 of The Feedback Loop – the show where startup founders road-test their pitch in front of real investors, and the rest of us learn what actually moves the needle in a funding conversation.

Today’s founder & startup

Khalil Shanti is the co-founder of Atria, an AI research and compliance copilot for architects and real-estate developers.

Instead of juggling dozens of zoning PDFs, fire-safety manuals, and ADA checklists, Atria wants you to drop in an address and a building program, then return the exact mix of city-specific setbacks, egress rules, and code references you need to stay legal – before you break ground.

See a real pitch and real investor feedback, where investors press Khalil on market size, data moats, and GTM strategy -- including why your back-story matters, the edge investors can bet on, and what it means to get venture-scale.

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Today's guest investor was Mike MacCombie, General Partner at Generous Ventures. Mike has spent the past 8 years in venture capital – as an investor, operating + platform partner, community builder, and superconnector, supporting founders at the earliest stage. Find him on X at @MikeMacCombie.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

We dive into…

• Two datasets, one product – Why combining zoning GIS + building code could make Atria a category winner, or a never-ending data crawl.

• Project-based pricing – Why architects hated SaaS seats and how passing a tech fee to the client might unlock faster adoption.

• Domain founders vs. “AI wrappers” – Khalil’s co-founder teaches architecture, his family runs construction projects – is that the moat investors want?

• Market size reality check – How to frame a believable TAM without hand-waving at “$50B in lost billable hours.”

Khalil Shanti, co-founder of Atria: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khalil-shanti

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Episode 077 of The Feedback Loop: a show designed to help startup founders refine their pitch, product, and go‑to‑market strategy by receiving on‑the‑spot critiques from real VCs. If you’re a founder or an investor yourself, this is your backstage pass to how actual funding conversations unfold.

This week: Daniil tells us about Mark AI – an “AI agent” for coaches and consultants that automates the entire marketing stack (funnels, emails, analytics, CRM) through a chatbot‑style interface. With countless GPT‑powered rivals cropping up, can Daniel’s vision for truly “no‑code marketing” stand apart – and do smaller businesses provide a big enough path to venture‑scale growth?

Daniil’s backstory? Two prior martech startups: one failed, one exited at 15x revenue. Now, he’s laser‑focused on coaches and consultants who can’t afford expensive freelancers or super‑complex platforms. Mark AI promises a single chatbot‑style interface that spins up websites, writes email copy, and deploys marketing automations – no coding or big budgets required. But our investors question whether Mark AI’s “all‑in‑one” approach can fend off the GPT‑powered competition and keep adding value as new models improve.

Why Watch?

Real Pitch, Real Feedback – See how investors interrogate Daniel’s market size, competition, and product differentiation in a hotly contested AI landscape.

Lessons for Founders – Learn how to distill your story into a razor‑sharp pitch, leverage personal backstory to build credibility, and define a clear go‑to‑market edge.

Insight for VCs – Discover how experienced investors weigh the pros and cons of an “all‑in‑one” AI platform, and what they look for in crowded verticals like martech.

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Today's guest investor was Mike MacCombie, General Partner at Generous Ventures. Mike has spent the past 8 years in venture capital – as an investor, operating + platform partner, community builder, and superconnector, supporting founders at the earliest stage. Find him on X at @MikeMacCombie.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

Highlights We Explore Today

From Failure to 15x Exit – Daniel’s martech background shapes his perspective on what small businesses actually need in a marketing platform.

AI for “No‑Code” Marketing – Building websites, funnels, email sequences – can a chat interface truly replace multiple specialists?

Hyper‑Competitive Landscape – Do smaller coaches and consultants offer a big enough market, and how do you stand out when bigger companies copy or acquire new AI tech?

The Power of a Personal Narrative – Investors push Daniel to share his “why,” so they can see a clear bet, not just another GPT wrapper.

Daniil Musatov, co-founder of Mark AI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dmusato

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s Episode 076 of The Feedback Loop, featuring founder Maxwell (Max) Luz building Stym AI. It's an AI-powered, camera-first “smart caffeine” app that wants to show you how each espresso or energy drink might impact your vibe now and your sleep later.

Caffeine is the world’s most popular stimulant, yet few know their ideal daily intake – or how that 4 p.m. latte could mean a restless night. Is tackling that problem with an easy-to-use app that leverages vision and object recognition an interesting path?

Or do our investors think there's a broader health tracking category and issues with other startups in the space (and the quantified self movement) that might hold things back?

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Today's guest investor was Mike MacCombie, General Partner at Generous Ventures. Mike has spent the past 8 years in venture capital – as an investor, operating + platform partner, community builder, and superconnector, supporting founders at the earliest stage. Find him on X at @MikeMacCombie.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

Today, we dive into...

From Caffeine to Sleep – Does a “smart caffeine” app naturally expand into deeper wellness or stay hyper‑focused on one routine?

Retention & Value – Once users learn their caffeine cutoff, do they churn? Investors push Max to propose a bigger vision for Stym AI.

Vision Models & Accuracy – Stym AI uses image recognition to scan drinks and estimate caffeine content, but how much precision do customers really need?

Toward Venture Scale – Can an app for coffee lovers become a massive business, or does it need to evolve into broader health tracking?

Maxwell Luz, founder of Stym AI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxwell-luz

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Then, she gets their UNFILTERED feedback on her startup and her concept.

It's time for Episode 075 of The Feedback Loop, and we've got founder Neha Panwar building BuyerSidee. It's an AI-driven copilot for first-time homebuyers, determined to protect you from "money-pit" pitfalls and giving you personalized insights you can't find on other homebuying platforms.

Buying a home is the largest purchase most of us make – so why rely on seller‑centric listings and guesswork? BuyerSidee aims to pinpoint red flags (like basement flooding or faulty wiring), parse seller disclosures with AI, and help you set the right offer strategy.

The ultimate goal? Crowdsource real‑world buyer data to create a more transparent marketplace – one built around your interests, not the brokers’. Will it be enough to stand out from entrenched platforms like Zillow or Redfin?

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Today's guest investor was Mike MacCombie, General Partner at Generous Ventures. Mike has spent the past 8 years in venture capital – as an investor, operating + platform partner, community builder, and superconnector, supporting founders at the earliest stage. Find him on X at @MikeMacCombie.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

Today, we dive into...

Buyer‑First vs. Seller‑Driven – Why focusing on the buyer changes everything, from property checklists to post‑purchase regrets. Do the startup investors bite?

AI for the Biggest Investment – Parsing legal docs, highlighting risk factors, and predicting a home’s “true value” beyond the seller’s spin. Enough of a compelling value prop?

Unlocking the Data Moat – BuyerSidee’s future vision involves aggregating real buyer feedback for a brand‑new source of truth in home buying. Is it investable?

Early Monetization – From mortgage lenders to inspection services, how do you build a business if you’re not charging the buyer directly? Is it venture backable?

Neha Panwar, co-founder of BuyerSidee: https://www.linkedin.com/in/neha-panwar-7ab86a28

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And today, we’ve got a founder aiming to modernize a $2.3 trillion industry – mortgage lending.

It's Episode 074 of The Feedback Loop, featuring Suketu Gaglani building Mira Labs!

It's an AI co-pilot that wants to transform the agonizing, paperwork-heavy process of getting a home loan – for everyone involved.

The big idea? Smaller brokers can’t afford the slick tech stacks of giants like Rocket or Better. Mira changes the game by automating everything from document reviews to pre‑approvals, slashing a 12‑day manual workflow down to as fast as 48 hours – all without hiring extra processors or underwriters. But will legacy players and entrenched software vendors give Mira enough room to scale?

Today's guest investor was Mike MacCombie, General Partner at Generous Ventures. Mike has spent the past 8 years in venture capital – as an investor, operating + platform partner, community builder, and superconnector, supporting founders at the earliest stage. Find him on X at @MikeMacCombie.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

We dive into...

A Market Ripe for Disruption – With mortgage processes still stuck in 2005, how can AI co‑pilots turbocharge approvals?

Competing with Direct Lenders – Building standalone tech for brokers, loan officers, and borrowers that rivals the “in‑house” advantage of industry giants.

Time & Cost Savings – 7‑day pre‑approvals reduced to 2? A single processor handling 2x the loans? Investors ask if these benefits truly scale.

Crafting a Clear Pitch – Learn how to highlight your unique impact and stand out from other mortgage or “AI for finance” startups.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Suketu Gaglani, founder of Mira Labs: https://www.linkedin.com/in/suketugaglani

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s Episode 073 of The Feedback Loop, and it's Ifeanyi Osuji pitching the future of AI driven buying.

Ifeanyi's vision is an AI negotiation platform that can benchmark real‑time market prices, prompt you to ask critical questions (“How many carats is that diamond, anyway?”), and – eventually – negotiate on your behalf.

But to be able to negotiate, Haggler AI needs “vertical‑by‑vertical” data – is that go-to-market approach realistic in a world where GPT‑powered solutions crop up every 7.9 seconds (don’t fact‑check that)? Our investors dig into the potential (and pitfalls) of building a B2C app for occasional high‑stakes purchases – plus the possibility of expanding into enterprise procurement, subscription cancellations, or even AI‑versus‑AI negotiations.

Want to Pitch Your Startup Live?

Apply now at afterfeedback.com and join our growing community of founders and investors.

Follow Sherveen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

X (Twitter): https://www.x.com/sherveen

More on our guest investor for the episode:

​Ihar Mahaniok is Managing Partner at Geek Ventures, which he founded in 2021 to support immigrant entrepreneurs building at the pre-seed and seed stage. He’s made more than 200+ investments over the past decade, and has invested early in companies like Instacart, People.ai, Chainalysis, PandaDoc, and Airbyte, to name a few.

Follow Ihar

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahaniok

X (Twitter): https://x.com/mahaniok

We dive into…

Haggling 101 – From gold prices to diamond clarity, how accurate can AI get without firsthand quality data – and how much will it matter to curious buyers?

B2C vs. Enterprise – Should Haggler AI stay laser‑focused on jewelry shoppers, or pivot to bigger markets like procurement and “dynamic discounting”?

User Adoption – People only buy jewelry every so often. Can a specialized negotiation app thrive, or does Haggler AI need to go broader (like a ‘DoNotPay’ 2.0)?

The Road to Venture Scale – VCs love a big vision, but can AI negotiations become a billion‑dollar category before the market “efficient‑izes” itself?

Ifeanyi Osuji, founder of Haggler AI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ifeanyi-osuji-82231139

Drop a comment – feedback is the building block for builders everywhere!

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And today, we’ve got a founder tackling a critical – yet often overlooked – health challenge: fertility care.

It’s Episode 072 of The Feedback Loop, and it’s Josh pitching his vision for an all‑in‑one operating system that could reshape how fertility clinics and OB‑GYNs work together.

Josh’s idea? Reduce the friction and stress of fertility treatments by offering a centralized clinic OS and patient app – empowering specialists to focus on advanced IVF procedures while everyday OB‑GYNs handle routine steps. In a country with just 500 fertility clinics serving a massive population of 350M+(almost 20% of the population experience infertility issues), Josh believes this can help more hopeful parents access care closer to home.

But is this strategy too complicated to scale? While the goal of democratizing fertility is compelling, investors wonder: do you double down on software for existing clinics, or pivot toward a consumer‑facing approach for patients directly?

More on our guest investor for the episode:

​Ihar Mahaniok is Managing Partner at Geek Ventures, which he founded in 2021 to support immigrant entrepreneurs building at the pre-seed and seed stage. He’s made more than 200+ investments over the past decade, and has invested early in companies like Instacart, People.ai, Chainalysis, PandaDoc, and Airbyte, to name a few.

Follow Ihar

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahaniok

X (Twitter): https://x.com/mahaniok

Follow our host, Sherveen:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

X (Twitter): https://www.x.com/sherveen

We dive into:

Clinic OS vs. Patient App – Which aspect of Josh’s platform is most crucial for growth? Is it the back‑end or the consumer experience?

Bridging the Fertility Desert – The majority of America lacks access to IVF. Can Josh’s platform turn local OB‑GYN offices into mini‑fertility centers?

Market Size & Go‑to‑Market – Only 1,250 fertility experts serve a massive patient base. Is Josh’s plan to integrate with OB‑GYNs realistic—or too complex?

10-Year Vision vs. Immediate Traction – Investors push for a clear roadmap: focus on servicing 500 clinics first, or begin weaving in telemedicine and at‑home tech now?

Josh Gottesman, founder of Embie Clinic: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-gottesman1

Drop a comment – feedback is the building block for builders everywhere!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And today, we've got a startup founder who has been in real estate for most of his career tackling an age-old problem in for brokers in his industry: wasted leads.

It's Episode 071 of The Feedback Loop, and it's Gregory Maro pitching QalifAI!

Gregory is building an AI agent trained on years of high-performing sales calls, capable of texting, calling, following up, and updating CRM notes just like a top-notch ISA (inbound sales agent).

But is it enough to stand out when LLM-powered solutions are flooding the market? Venture capitalists hear a new AI startup pitch every 7.9 seconds (it's a fact, don't look it up though). Can Gregory tell a story about a data advantage that can hold up versus the rest of the market?

But what does it take to make an AI company truly venture‑scale?

As our panelists note, many founders are pitching GPT‑powered solutions – and investors are tired of “just another chatbot.” Gregory’s challenge is to prove a lasting competitive edge: is it the domain expertise and data, the deeper workflow integrations, or a broader vision that extends well beyond real estate?

More on our guest investor for the episode:

​Ihar Mahaniok is Managing Partner at Geek Ventures, which he founded in 2021 to support immigrant entrepreneurs building at the pre-seed and seed stage. He’s made more than 200+ investments over the past decade, and has invested early in companies like Instacart, People.ai, Chainalysis, PandaDoc, and Airbyte, to name a few.

Follow Ihar

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahaniok

X (Twitter): https://x.com/mahaniok

Follow our host, Sherveen:

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

X (Twitter): https://www.x.com/sherveen

We dive into...

Training Data & Proprietary Advantage: Gregory emphasizes his mountain of real estate sales calls and messages. But will GPT’s rapid evolution make specialized datasets obsolete? Investors weigh how to build a moat in a sector evolving at breakneck speed.

AI Wrappers vs. Full Workflows: Embedding an AI agent into the full sales lifecycle might create more stickiness than a point‑solution. Is Gregory’s bigger opportunity a platform that integrates deeply with CRMs, analytics, and post‑sale follow‑up?

Venture Capital Realities: When is raising VC essential, and when might it be an overreach? Our panel tackles how founders should differentiate a potential “cash flow” business from a truly venture‑scale opportunity – especially in a market buzzing with AI hype.

Real Estate’s Scaling Potential: Gregory sees a roadmap through rentals, commercial real estate, and ancillary services like mortgage and insurance. Is that enough to entice investors searching for billion‑dollar outcomes, or should he focus on conquering one niche first?

Gregory Maro, co-founder of QalifAI: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-maro

Drop a comment – feedback is the building block for builders everywhere!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Episode 070 of The Feedback Loop, that's what we get into!

Otto von Zastrow is building midpage. Instead of spending weeks sifting through Westlaw or LexisNexis, he wants lawyers to search, read, and organize thousands of cases in a connected workflow – featuring LLM-fueled tags, question--asking, parallel prompting, and more.

Can his 'Notion or Figma-style' approach offer a big enough leap over incumbents to make this interesting to our investor panel?

We get into:

• Legal Research, Reinvented – Why building a better search bar isn’t enough to win over law firms and how a collaborative, AI‑driven approach may tip the scales.
• Owning the Workflow – From daily case‑tagging to drafting briefs, Otto envisions a single tool that captures the entire journey – is that a clear pitch that venture capitalists can understand?
• The Case for Data Supremacy – Scraping 500+ websites and linking case law with AI is no trivial feat, but is it the true moat that disrupts the duopoly?
• Startup Pitch Essentials – Investors push Otto to share a compelling vision beyond “search.” How can midpage become the Figma of legal research and drafting?

Want to Pitch Your Startup Live?

Apply now at afterfeedback.com and join our growing community of founders and investors.

Follow Sherveen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

X (Twitter): https://www.x.com/sherveen

More on our guest investor for the episode:

​Ihar Mahaniok is Managing Partner at Geek Ventures, which he founded in 2021 to support immigrant entrepreneurs building at the pre-seed and seed stage. He’s made more than 200+ investments over the past decade, and has invested early in companies like Instacart, People.ai, Chainalysis, PandaDoc, and Airbyte, to name a few.

Follow Ihar

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahaniok

X (Twitter): https://x.com/mahaniok

Otto von Zastrow, founder of midpage: https://www.linkedin.com/in/otto-von-zastrow-631b74113

Drop a comment – feedback is the building block for builders everywhere!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First Pitch: Lifestack – AI‑Powered Productivity

Founder Nao Yukawa wants to revolutionize daily calendars by syncing them with your Oura Ring, Apple Watch, Whoop, and more. Imagine factoring in your heart rate, sleep quality, and circadian rhythm so you tackle deep work at your peak and schedule “recovery breaks” before burnout strikes. But with so many calendar startups in Silicon Valley’s “tarpit,” can Lifestack stand out – or will it sink like so many scheduling tools before it?

Second Pitch: Munch Insights – Restaurant Finance Reboot

Founder Daohao (“Dao”) Li faced the harsh reality of running a million‑dollar restaurant that still lost $40k. Now, he’s on a mission to give busy operators an intuitive dashboard for tracking cash flow, inventory, and revenue ops. Will restaurant owners – already drowning in apps – embrace one more platform? And is Dao’s bigger vision compelling enough for VCs and tech investors to see a path to venture‑scale success?

We Explore:

• Health‑Informed Productivity: Can real‑time biometrics truly upgrade your schedule, or are we in an era of diminishing returns on wearables data?
• Scheduling’s “Tarpit” Problem: Why do so many calendar startups struggle to stand out, and how can Nao convince investors there’s real opportunity here?
• Restaurant Margins & Missed Metrics: Learn how Dao’s experience of “hidden losses” opened his eyes to the chaos many operators face – and the uphill battle of convincing them to adopt new tools.
• Paths to Scale: From enterprise partnerships to potential financing add‑ons, the investors weigh how each founder can pitch a bigger vision that’s still grounded in real‑world needs.

Want to Pitch Your Startup Live?

Apply now at afterfeedback.com and join our growing community of founders and investors.

Follow Sherveen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

X (Twitter): https://www.x.com/sherveen

More on our guest investor for the episode:

​Ihar Mahaniok is Managing Partner at Geek Ventures, which he founded in 2021 to support immigrant entrepreneurs building at the pre-seed and seed stage. He’s made more than 200+ investments over the past decade, and has invested early in companies like Instacart, People.ai, Chainalysis, PandaDoc, and Airbyte, to name a few.

Follow Ihar

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahaniok

X (Twitter): https://x.com/mahaniok

Daohao Li, founder of Munch Insights: https://www.linkedin.com/in/daohao-li-969bbb181

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First, we meet Joseph Frantz from TimeSentry, whose AI-driven platform automatically logs your billable hours by syncing with Gmail, Outlook, Slack, and more. For the millions who dread rebuilding their workday from memory, TimeSentry offers a frictionless alternative – but can it handle compliance, integrate with entrenched tools, and compete with the time-tracking giants?

Next, we hear from Nao Yukawa, co-founder of Lifestack. His AI‑powered calendar app syncs with wearables like Oura Ring and Apple Watch, dynamically adjusting your schedule around sleep metrics, stress levels, and circadian rhythms. But is the “quantified self” movement finally ready for prime time – or are busy professionals too cautious to let AI shuffle their workdays?

We explore:

• The Hidden Cost of Time Tracking: How AI might rescue lawyers and freelancers from the inefficiencies of six‑minute increments.

• Data as the Next Productivity Frontier: Whether heart rate and sleep metrics truly improve performance – and how accurate wearables really are.

• Adoption and Monetization Hurdles: From privacy and compliance in legal contexts to user skepticism about letting AI dictate their day.

• Bridging New Markets: Could TimeSentry’s convergence of “time buying” and “time selling” spark the next big enterprise solution? And is Lifestack onto a universal scheduling tool?

• And will venture investors see the nuances in these startup's operating models, demographic nuances, and integration dependencies – and how does Sherveen suggest they evolve their story for the early stage environment?

Want to Pitch Your Startup Live?

Apply now at afterfeedback.com and join our growing community of founders and investors.

Follow Sherveen:

LinkedIn | X (Twitter)

A big thank‑you to Joseph and Nao for stepping into the spotlight. Subscribe for more behind‑the‑scenes founder pitches and unfiltered investor feedback – sometimes the biggest opportunities are hiding in the daily grind.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decision.

Connect with the Founders:

• Joseph Frantz, TimeSentry

• Nao Yukawa, Lifestack

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First, we hear from Fernando Dellepiane, co-founder of Vermut, who’s building a community-based app designed to keep seniors socially active (community as medicine). Loneliness can be as devastating to health as smoking a pack of cigarettes a day, and Fernando believes his solution can curb dementia risk while unlocking valuable data for insurers, banks, and public agencies. With over 100,000 users in Spain and several million dollars raised, he now sets his sights on the U.S. – but can Vermut’s European success translate across the Atlantic?

Next, we meet Zoya Lehrer, co-founder and CEO of Orgo, whose scheduling platform aims to tame the “accordion of time” for active families, starting with youth sports. The pain is obvious for parents juggling endless carpools and game schedules, but even Zoya acknowledges the challenges of changing user behavior, integrating with current calendaring tools, and building a startup in a space known for messy logistics. Will her approach to “logistics as a service” and partnerships open the door to bigger enterprise opportunities?

We explore:

• Social Isolation’s Real Health Impact: How Vermut hopes to prevent dementia by driving authentic, in-person social engagement – and the hurdles to winning over older Americans.

• The Ultimate Family Juggle: Orgo’s plan to coordinate countless tasks, from who's driving to when to leave and what to bring – all synced to the digital world parents already use.

• Monetization and Scaling: Both founders share how they plan to generate revenue while meeting real-world adoption hurdles – from shy seniors to time-strapped moms and dads.

• Hard Questions, Real Feedback: Tackling investor skepticism and cultural differences – can seniors in the Bronx embrace an app built in Barcelona, and will suburban families pay for scheduling peace of mind?

• The Reality of Behavior Change: Both founders face the hard truth that great ideas aren't enough. Winning adoption among older adults and overwhelmed parents demands frictionless design, emotional resonance, and relentless user trust.

Whether you're raising venture capital, are an investor yourself, or are an operator within a company in the tech industry, the cutting edge is the best place to learn. We highlight the stories of founders building startups on the edge.

Want to Pitch Your Startup Live?

Apply now at afterfeedback.com and join our growing community of founders and investors.

Follow Sherveen:

LinkedIn | X (Twitter)

A big thank you to Fernando Dellepiane and Zoya Lehrer for stepping into the spotlight. The Feedback Loop is here to sharpen your pitch, refine your go-to-market strategy, and deliver real-world investor insights. Subscribe for more candid, actionable feedback for startups.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before investing.

Connect with the Founders:

• Fernando Dellepiane (Vermut)

• Zoya Lehrer (Orgo)

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First, Stuart Allan from Cedar introduces an innovative solution: splitting home ownership into house and land, aiming to cut prices in half. But can this leasehold concept, popular abroad, really work in the U.S., and is it robust enough to survive economic turbulence?

Then we dive into the crowded world of AI-driven marketing startups with Brooke Yoakam, founder of AvidAI. Her vision? Replace traditional agencies with AI agents to boost lean teams’ growth. But with so many similar pitches, how does Brooke prove her company is unique – and can she realistically deliver on fully automated marketing?

We explore:

• Real Estate’s Big Unbundle: How Cedar's separation of land and home could make housing radically cheaper – and why investors may still be skeptical.
• AI Marketing Saturation: AvidAI wants to eliminate the need for costly agencies and extensive marketing hires. But is a hybrid model (AI plus humans) the secret to success, or just a temporary workaround?
• Navigating Pitch Challenges: Both founders face tough investor feedback – learn how they tackle legal, operational, and competitive skepticism head-on.

Want to Pitch Your Startup Live?

Apply now at afterfeedback.com and join our growing community of founders and investors.

Follow Sherveen:

LinkedIn | X (Twitter)

Thank you to Stuart Allan and Brooke Yoakam for stepping into the spotlight. The Feedback Loop is here to sharpen your pitch, refine your go-to-market strategy, and deliver real-world investor insights. Subscribe for more candid, actionable feedback for startups.

Disclaimer: This content is educational only and does not constitute investment advice. Always conduct your own research before investing.

Connect with the Founders:

Stuart Allan (Cedar)

Brooke Yoakam (AvidAI)

Drop a comment – feedback is the building block for builders everywhere!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

First, a longtime NYC nanny reimagines the family-caregiver dynamic – building a platform that prioritizes both sides for better, more personal childcare matches. Then, a sports-tech entrepreneur unveils a mobile-first booking and socials & replay system for sports clubs, drawing on his team's experience building a ping pong platform (yes, really) and building apps like Equinox and Nike+ Running.

Each founder has just a minute to pitch, followed by candid feedback from our resident investors. If you’re wrestling with marketplace strategy or bridging digital and physical experiences, you’ll see how to translate insider insights into a pitch that hooks investors, solves real pain, and drives adoption.

Time for Episode 065 of The Feedback Loop!

The investor feedback comes from our host, Sherveen Mashayekhi, founder and CEO of venture-backed Free Agency. He's also an angel investor and an LP in multiple venture funds. Each week, he's joined by a rotating seat featuring a guest venture investor, and this week, that's...

Guest Investor: Lauren Reeves

​Lauren Reeves is an Investor at MGV, an early stage SaaS fund based in SF and NYC. She also leads the team's east coast startup ecosystem initiatives. She brings a unique technical background to the judges' table — having previously been a software engineer building in AI, ML, and at notable companies like BlackRock, Postmates, and Alto Pharmacy.

Follow Lauren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-a-reeves

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Follow Sherveen on X (Twitter): https://www.x.com/sherveen

What we learn on this episode...

Childcare Hiring: Traditional job boards and agencies haven’t caught up to modern families—or the caregivers who do the real work. Hear how a founder spent 12 years as a nanny in NYC, building a new, more personal approach to matching.

Sports Venue Modernization: Bookings, replays, in-venue experiences: replacing labor costs with software can transform margins and user delight. But how do you convince legacy clubs and fitness centers to “modernize”?

Real Pitch Advice for Marketplaces: Whether targeting busy parents, club owners, or any unsexy vertical, see how clarity about who pays, why they pay, and how you’re different can make or break a venture.

Want to Pitch Your Startup Live?

Apply now at afterfeedback.com and join our growing community of founders and investors.

In a Job Search?

Explore our newest channel for 2025’s ultra-competitive talent landscape:

https://youtu.be/dlbfZJmY8t8

Thank you to these intrepid founders for stepping into the spotlight. The Feedback Loop is here to help refine your pitch, sharpen your go-to-market, and share battle-tested investor perspectives. Make sure to subscribe for more real-time, no-nonsense feedback on how to pitch your startup.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decision.

Amina Sako, founder of Karama: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amina-sako-a12782141

Ben Borton, co-founder of PodPlay Technologies: https://www.linkedin.com/in/borton

Drop a comment – feedback is the lifeblood of builders everywhere!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this episode of The Feedback Loop, we hear from 2 startup founders building the future and from 2 venture investors offering them feedback on their concept and storytelling – live, candid, and unfiltered!

One founder is building a secure data platform for businesses to store, share, and collect repetitive information, and another is building an AI-powered meditation companion.

It’s time for Episode 064 of The Feedback Loop!

Each founder has 1 minute to pitch. Then, they get feedback from two check-writing venture capitalists – feedback to push them forward in their early stage storytelling journey. Because even the best of founders can be held back from their ability to pitch their business, to tell a story that is compelling but not complete.

That feedback comes from our host, Sherveen Mashayekhi, founder and CEO of venture-backed Free Agency. He's also an angel investor and an LP in multiple venture funds. Each week, he's joined by a rotating seat featuring a guest venture investor, and this week, that's...

Guest Investor: Lauren Reeves

​Lauren Reeves is an Investor at MGV, an early stage SaaS fund based in SF and NYC. She also leads the team's east coast startup ecosystem initiatives. She brings a unique technical background to the judges' table — having previously been a software engineer building in AI, ML, and at notable companies like BlackRock, Postmates, and Alto Pharmacy.

Follow Lauren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-a-reeves

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Follow Sherveen on X (Twitter): https://www.x.com/sherveen

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Making “Unsexy” B2B Tech Compelling

A data-sharing solution for financial institutions can feel dry. You must reveal how it saves time, reduces errors, or eliminates friction for thousands of businesses.

Differentiating in a Crowded Meditation Market

Apps like Calm & Headspace have huge brand power. Show precisely why your approach (calendar sync, AI buddy, social groups) solves the “drop-off” problem in a new, sticky way.

Highlighting Real User Journeys

In regulated or consumer-wellness spaces, point to specific workflows to bring the product to life – from compliance crises at banks to how and why users commit to a meditation routine.

Why This Team?

If you’re an ex-banker connecting Zelle & Venmo, or an ex-engineer building mindful apps, clarify how your domain expertise cements credibility, and how your daily vantage point revealed the solution.

Addressing Investor Skepticism

Founders must disarm the “Is it too trivial?” or “Aren’t there 100 others?” questions. Show market tailwinds, user data, or urgent pain that turns your product from a nice-to-have into a must-have.

Want to Pitch Your Startup Live?

Apply now at afterfeedback.com and join our growing community of founders and investors.

Thank you to these intrepid founders for stepping into the spotlight. The Feedback Loop is here to help refine your pitch, sharpen your go-to-market, and share battle-tested investor perspectives. Make sure to subscribe for more real-time, no-nonsense feedback on how to pitch your startup.

Kathryn Outlaw is the co-founder of Spheros: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kathrynoutlaw

Jeremy Yencer is the co-founder of Mindful Buddy: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeremyyencer

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decision.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, we hear from one founder aiming to revolutionize chronic care management with an AI-powered health companion, and another founder tackling the FDA compliance maze for pharmaceutical companies.

It’s time for Episode 063 of The Feedback Loop!

Each founder has 1 minute to pitch. Then, they get feedback from two check-writing venture capitalists – feedback to push them forward in their early stage storytelling journey. Because even the best of founders can be held back from their ability to pitch their business, to tell a story that is compelling but not complete.

That feedback comes from our host, Sherveen Mashayekhi, founder and CEO of venture-backed Free Agency. He's also an angel investor and an LP in multiple venture funds. Each week, he's joined by a rotating seat featuring a guest venture investor, and this week, that's...

Guest Investor: Lauren Reeves

​Lauren Reeves is an Investor at MGV, an early stage SaaS fund based in SF and NYC. She also leads the team's east coast startup ecosystem initiatives. She brings a unique technical background to the judges' table — having previously been a software engineer building in AI, ML, and at notable companies like BlackRock, Postmates, and Alto Pharmacy.

Follow Lauren on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lauren-a-reeves

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Follow Sherveen on X (Twitter): https://www.x.com/sherveen

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

• Tailoring AI to a Real Need – The difference between “having AI” and actually delivering continuous care or compliance alerts that save time, money, and lives.
• From Subject Matter Expertise to Tech – Whether it’s a physician developing a post-stroke companion or a compliance pro diving into FDA citations, domain knowledge can trump generic solutions every time.
• Focus vs. Generalist Solutions – Chronic care is broad, but focusing on diabetes or stroke patients first can yield concrete traction before expanding. Similarly, an FDA aggregator might start with post-market compliance, then branch out.
• How to Pitch Complex Problems – For healthcare or regulatory workflows, you must clarify who uses it, why they benefit, and how you’ll keep evolving in a heavily regulated, historically manual sector.
• Pitching Early-Stage “Must-Haves” – Show the pain your user experiences if your product doesn’t exist, plus your long-term plan: does it remain niche or scale to a universal solution?

Want to Pitch Your Startup Live?

Apply now at afterfeedback.com and join our growing community of founders and investors.

Thank you to these intrepid founders for stepping into the spotlight. The Feedback Loop is here to help refine your pitch, sharpen your go-to-market, and share battle-tested investor perspectives. Make sure to subscribe for more real-time, no-nonsense feedback on how to pitch your startup.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decision.

If you’re into digital health, AI for chronic care, enterprise compliance, or want to sharpen your own startup's pitch, you’ll find tons of actionable insight here. Like, comment, and share — because feedback is a gift!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

2 startup founders pitch, 2 venture investors give them unfiltered feedback on their concept and storytelling – live, candid, and unfiltered! In Episode 061, we spotlight two radically different startups: AR and 3D visualization for real estate & retail and another pursuing ternary microprocessors (going from binary base-2 bits to base-3 trits).

It’s time for Episode 062 of The Feedback Loop!

One founder wants you to be able to stage an empty office or apartment using augmented reality, helping everyone make smarter and more visual decisions about real estate and design.

Another founder wants you to move from microprocessors that think in 0s and 1s to microprocessors that think in 0s, 1s, and 2s for improved performance in computing.

BTW – in a job search?

It’s more competitive than ever. Explore our newest channel for 2025’s ultra-competitive talent landscape: https://youtu.be/dlbfZJmY8t8

More on our guest venture investor for the episode, John Frankel:

​Prior to founding ff Venture Capital in 2008, John worked at Goldman Sachs for 21 years working on financial management, technology development, and reengineering, among other things. Specializing in seed and pre-seed investments, John has heard thousands of pitches and ideas from founders just like the ones you'll see present in this group. He brings that context, along with the wisdom of investing in early-stage tech businesses since 1998, to the stage.

Follow John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnfrankel

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Follow Sherveen on X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

What we get into in this episode:

Are You Actually the Co-Founder? – If you got a free internship at a 10-year-old company and now you're called a co-founder... will that make sense to investors listening to your startup's story?

Navigating Multi-Solution Pitches – If your tech spans multiple industries (ex. real estate + retail AR), be sure to clarify a single coherent user journey and show how each piece fits together.

Pitching Foundational Hardware – Going “beyond binary” with new microprocessor designs is bold — but you must articulate why rewriting the hardware/software stack is both feasible and commercially worth it.

Why Now? – From AI to new hardware form factors, explaining your timing rationale (ex. “Moore’s Law isn’t enough anymore” or “user demand for immersive listings has exploded”) is crucial in big, risky bets.

Highlight Go-to-Market & Distribution – Whether it’s realtors, brokerages, retail catalogs, or HPC labs, your pitch must show who adopts your solution, how you’ll onboard them, and the payoff for switching.

Want to Pitch Your Startup Live?

Apply now at afterfeedback.com and join our growing community of founders and investors.

Thank you to these intrepid founders for stepping into the spotlight. The Feedback Loop is here to help refine your pitch, sharpen your go-to-market, and share battle-tested investor perspectives. Make sure to subscribe for more real-time, no-nonsense feedback on how to pitch your startup.

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decision.

If you’re into 3D/AR solutions, hardware disruptions, or want to polish your VC pitch, you’ll find tons of insight here. Like, comment, and share – because feedback is a gift!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because giving early stage startup founders feedback on their pitch is what The Feedback Loop is all about. Welcome to Episode 061!

Two startup founders have a minute each to pitch their business.

Then, they'll get questions and feedback from two startup investors – check-writing venture capitalists who live and breathe startup pitches every single day.

And who is it exactly, on the other side of the metaphorical table? John Frankel, the second-most tenured guest judge at The Feedback Loop and Founder & Partner at ff Venture Capital, plus our host Sherveen Mashayekhi (Founder & CEO of Free Agency). Buckle up and buckle in for direct questions, pointed critiques, and honest assessments about product vision, user adoption, and whether these bold concepts can scale to venture outcomes.

More on our guest venture investor for the episode, John Frankel:

​Prior to founding ff Venture Capital in 2008, John worked at Goldman Sachs for 21 years working on financial management, technology development, and reengineering, among other things. Specializing in seed and pre-seed investments, John has heard thousands of pitches and ideas from founders just like the ones you'll see present in this group. He brings that context, along with the wisdom of investing in early-stage tech businesses since 1998, to the stage.

Follow John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnfrankel

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Follow Sherveen on X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

What we get into in this episode:

Tackling an Overlooked Market – “Party of 10+” is often ignored by existing reservation systems; “narrative-based prospecting” is left behind by rigid filters. Hear how each founder can anchor their story around an unlock to an underserved niche.

AI is Not All the Same – A vertical AI product or workflow that focuses on specific data structures can produce results general LLMs or broad filters can’t match. Show how your domain knowledge + specialized embeddings = a defensible approach.

Don’t Let Distribution Kill You – Bars rarely advertise big group availability; existing sales tools rarely do “story-based” lead-gen. Both founders must prove they can onboard supply (venues/data) and drive demand (users) more efficiently than established players.

Zeroing in on the Core Problem – From bridging a supply-demand mismatch at bars to ditching the “hunt-labellist-outreach” routine in B2B sales, these pitches underscore the power of sharply-defined workflows that incumbents overlook.

Want to Pitch Your Startup Live?

Apply now at afterfeedback.com and join our growing community of founders and investors.

Thank you to these intrepid founders for stepping into the spotlight. The Feedback Loop is here to help refine your pitch, sharpen your go-to-market, and share battle-tested investor perspectives. Make sure to subscribe for more real-time, no-nonsense feedback on how to pitch your startup.

In a Job Search?

It’s more competitive than ever. Explore our newest channel for 2025’s ultra-competitive talent landscape: https://youtu.be/dlbfZJmY8t8

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decision.

If you’re exploring social innovation, AI-driven lead prospecting, or want to polish your venture pitch, you’ll find tons of insight here. Like, comment, and share — because feedback is a gift!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

And who’s on the other side of the table? John Frankel, the second-most tenured guest judge at The Feedback Loop and Founder & Partner at ff Venture Capital, plus our host Sherveen Mashayekhi (Founder & CEO of Free Agency). Buckle up and buckle in for direct questions, pointed critiques, and honest assessments about product vision, user adoption, and whether these bold concepts can scale to venture outcomes.

It’s time for Episode 060 of The Feedback Loop!

More on our guest venture investor for the episode, John Frankel:

​Prior to founding ff Venture Capital in 2008, John worked at Goldman Sachs for 21 years working on financial management, technology development, and reengineering, among other things. Specializing in seed and pre-seed investments, John has heard thousands of pitches and ideas from founders just like the ones you'll see present in this group. He brings that context, along with the wisdom of investing in early-stage tech businesses since 1998, to the stage.

Follow John on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/johnfrankel

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Follow Sherveen on X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

What we get into in this episode:

Don’t Bury the Hook – If you’re building a social platform or a behavior change solution, lead with the why. Overloading your pitch with monetization or future expansions can muddle your core idea.

Focus vs. Broad Vision – Early-stage investors want to see a sharp hypothesis they can rally around. A half-dozen possibilities (marketplace, loyalty programs, on-chain assets) can create confusion.

Market Size vs. Adoption Reality – Selling carbon offsets or launching a gamer social network might attract niche audiences. Show how you’ll expand beyond the “true believers” into mainstream usage, or prove that a small base can still become a big business.

Social/Advertising Models Are Tough – Ad-driven platforms often require massive scale before revenue. If you’re pre-traction, highlight your unique user experience or distribution approach—not a guess at long-term CPMs.

Channel Partnerships & GTM – If you’re relying on loyalty programs or enterprise deals to scale, clarify your channel strategy: Who’s championing you internally, what’s their incentive, and how does that align with your user acquisition costs?

Want to Pitch Your Startup Live?

Apply now at afterfeedback.com and join our growing community of founders and investors.

Thank you to these intrepid founders for stepping into the spotlight. The Feedback Loop is here to help refine your pitch, sharpen your go-to-market, and share battle-tested investor perspectives. Make sure to subscribe for more real-time, no-nonsense feedback on how to pitch your startup.

In a Job Search?

It’s more competitive than ever. Explore our newest channel for 2025’s ultra-competitive talent landscape: https://youtu.be/dlbfZJmY8t8

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decision.

If you’re exploring carbon offsets, community-driven social apps, or want to polish your VC pitch, you’ll find tons of insight here. Like, comment, and share — because feedback is a gift!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It’s time for Episode 059 of The Feedback Loop!

Guest Investor

Mirit Lugassi is an investor at Laconia Capital, where she leads pre-seed and seed investments in B2B software companies. She cut her teeth in finance and fintech operations, including scaling a venture-backed AI/ML fintech startup (DueDil) and serving as VP of Customer Operations at an edtech company (Batelle). She then led investment strategy at SeedImpact, orchestrating deals between mission-driven angels and founders, and helped build 51 Unicorns, an investment club focused on female retail investors.

Follow Mirit on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miritlugassi

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Follow Sherveen on X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

What you'll learn in this episode:

Explain the Problem First, Fast

Early-stage investors have limited time—anchor them in your problem (e.g., wasted DevOps hours, solopreneurs needing better income flow) so they can ask smart follow-ups.

Credibility is Non-Negotiable

Don’t bury your background if you’ve done DevOps at Apple or orchestrated $4M in marketplace bookings. Investors want to know why you can tackle this domain—and quickly.

Two-Sided Marketplace Pitfalls

Local marketplaces + SaaS is a tough combo. Clarify how your product keeps providers around (via scheduling, payments, new clients) and captures enough value to scale.

Deep Tech or Jargon? Keep It Tangible

If your solution is for Kubernetes or “autonomous DevOps,” walk investors through one typical scenario (root-cause analysis, config changes) so they grasp the real user journey.

Demonstrate Actual Revenue & Growth

Point to post-pilot evidence or real transaction volume from your platform to calm any skepticism. If your approach is new (e.g., devops autopilot), show partial proof that someone is willing to pay already.

Want to Pitch Your Startup Live?

Apply now at afterfeedback.com and join our growing community of founders and investors.

Thank you to these intrepid founders for stepping into the spotlight. The Feedback Loop is here to help refine your pitch, sharpen your go-to-market, and share battle-tested investor perspectives. Make sure to subscribe for more real-time, no-nonsense feedback on how to pitch your startup.

In a Job Search?

It’s more competitive than ever. Explore our newest channel for 2025’s ultra-competitive talent landscape: https://youtu.be/dlbfZJmY8t8

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decision.

If you’re exploring AI for DevOps, beauty & local marketplaces, or want to polish your VC pitch, this episode is rich with insights. Like, comment, and share with a friend — because feedback is a gift!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's time for Episode 058 of The Feedback Loop!

Guest Investor

Mirit Lugassi is an investor at Laconia Capital, where she leads pre-seed and seed investments in B2B software companies. She cut her teeth in finance and fintech operations, including scaling a venture-backed AI/ML fintech startup (DueDil) and serving as VP of Customer Operations at an edtech company (Batelle). She then led investment strategy at SeedImpact, orchestrating deals between mission-driven angels and founders, and helped build 51 Unicorns, an investment club focused on female retail investors.

Follow Mirit on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miritlugassi

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Follow Sherveen on X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

What you'll learn in this episode:

Skepticism around subjective topics like supplements or AI “hallucination” is normal – address it head-on. Preemptive clarity about data reliability, clinical rigor, or how your tech differs from the “AI slop” out there builds investor trust and proves you can handle big-stage scrutiny.

If you’re a biotech scientist or an AI data guru, show how your domain mastery and personal motivation uniquely qualify you to tackle this problem. Founders often hide their best credentials — if you have them, don’t hide them! It’s the first hook investors latch onto before caring about your product mechanics.

Complex Problems = Quick Education – If your solution is advanced or domain-specific (e.g., microbiome-based supplements, digital twins), lay out the basics early so investors grasp the scale and urgency of your mission. Give them enough early context to be dangerous.

In a short window, you need to educate investors on the essentials of your domain – then tease the bigger opportunity. Show enough surprising data or traction so they want to do more diligence. Clarity on the “what” and “why” ensures they’ll invite a second, deeper conversation.

AI or biotech “moats” aren’t just about patents or LLM stack. Your go-to-market approach – channels, partnerships, early adopters – often decides who wins. Build a compelling plan to reach customers and feed back proprietary insights (e.g., user data, clinically verifiable outcomes) that strengthen your position.

Want to Pitch Your Startup Live?

Apply now at afterfeedback.com and join our growing community of founders and investors.

Thank you to these intrepid founders for stepping into the spotlight. The Feedback Loop is here to help refine your pitch, sharpen your go-to-market, and share battle-tested investor perspectives. Make sure to subscribe for more real-time, no-nonsense feedback on how to pitch your startup.

In a Job Search?

It’s more competitive than ever. Explore our newest channel for 2025’s ultra-competitive talent landscape: https://youtu.be/dlbfZJmY8t8

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decision.

If you’re exploring market research disruptions, AI data platforms, women’s health, or gut microbiome breakthroughs, you’ll find tons of insight here. Like, comment, and share with a friend in the trenches – because feedback is a gift!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Guest Investor

Mirit Lugassi is an investor at Laconia Capital, where she leads pre-seed and seed investments in B2B software companies. She cut her teeth in finance and fintech operations, including scaling a venture-backed AI/ML fintech startup (DueDil) and serving as VP of Customer Operations at an edtech company (Batelle). She then led investment strategy at SeedImpact, orchestrating deals between mission-driven angels and founders, and helped build 51 Unicorns, an investment club focused on female retail investors.

Follow Mirit on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/miritlugassi

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Follow Sherveen on X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

What You’ll Learn in This Episode

Nailing Your 2nd Pitch – How to reframe your story if you’ve raised a small pre-seed and now you’re aiming for seed capital.

AI for Data Aggregation – Why focusing on specific use cases (like market basket analysis) can wow investors more than a generic AI solution.

Wearables Beyond Fitness – How EEG-based earbuds offer new frontiers in productivity, stress management, and potential health applications.

Investor Skepticism – Tactics for addressing reliability concerns in hardware & data signals, especially for frontier tech solutions.

Want to Pitch Your Startup Live?

Apply now at afterfeedback.com and join our growing community of founders and investors.

Thank you to these intrepid founders for stepping into the spotlight. The Feedback Loop is here to help refine your pitch, sharpen your go-to-market, and share battle-tested investor perspectives. Make sure to subscribe for more real-time, no-nonsense feedback on how to pitch your startup.

In a Job Search?

It’s more competitive than ever. Explore our newest channel for 2025’s ultra-competitive talent landscape: https://youtu.be/dlbfZJmY8t8

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decision.

If you’re into venture capital, AI data platforms, wearables, or frontier hardware, this episode is packed with insights. Like, comment, and share with a friend who’s building the next big thing—and remember, feedback is a gift for every founder and investor.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Episode 056, two founders tackle hyper-local community news and a subscription platform for unlimited beauty services. Each founder gets one minute to pitch, followed by a candid deep-dive with host Sherveen Mashayekhi (Founder & CEO of Free Agency). Discover how they navigate potential investor pushback, handle sticky economic realities, and differentiate themselves from well-funded incumbents.

Follow Sherveen

X (formerly Twitter): https://www.x.com/sherveen

Threads: https://www.threads.net/@sherveenm

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi

A multi-time founder, angel investor, and LP in several venture capital funds, Sherveen is on a mission to help people reach the height of their ambition – be it landing dream offers or launching the next big startup. The Feedback Loop is his platform to deliver brutally honest yet encouraging feedback, letting founders sharpen their pitch before venture-scale conversations.

Want to pitch your startup live or attend The Feedback Loop in person?

Head to afterfeedback.com for more information.

Thank you to these visionary founders for stepping into the spotlight and sharing their big ideas. The Feedback Loop is here to refine your pitch and sharpen your narrative – so subscribe for more real-time, unfiltered feedback on how to actually pitch your startup.

In a job search? Check out our newest channel for 2025’s competitive talent landscape:

https://youtu.be/dlbfZJmY8t8

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decisions.

Make sure to like, subscribe, and share this episode with a friend – together, we can power the next generation of ambitious founders!

Key themes from the episode: hyper-local platforms, media tech, events startups, being "bored in the burbs," all-in-one startups, counter-positioning your startup, venture potential in local media, subscription-based services, beauty startups, the unlimited subscription business model, avoiding pitch traps, back-office SaaS, double-sided marketplaces, subs versus pay-per-use, integrated operating systems, and more!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Each founder has one minute to pitch, followed by candid insights from host Sherveen Mashayekhi (Founder & CEO of Free Agency, angel investor, and multi-time founder). It’s an inside look at how to refine your story, tackle tough investor questions, and position your startup for venture-scale success.

Follow Sherveen

X (formerly Twitter): https://www.x.com/sherveen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Want to pitch your startup live or attend The Feedback Loop in person?

Head to afterfeedback.com to join our community of founders and investors.

Thank you to these visionary founders for stepping into the spotlight and sharing their big ideas. The Feedback Loop is here to refine your pitch and sharpen your narrative – so subscribe for more real-time, unfiltered feedback on how to actually pitch your startup.

If you’re into venture capital, AI styling, sales training, or early-stage startup growth, you’ll find a ton of insights here. Drop a comment on your favorite pitch, and don’t forget – feedback is a gift to every founder, investor, and community member on the startup journey.

In a job search? Check out our newest channel for 2025’s competitive talent landscape:

https://youtu.be/dlbfZJmY8t8

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decisions.

Make sure to like, subscribe, and share this episode with a friend – together, we can power the next generation of ambitious founders!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Each pitch is followed by candid feedback from host Sherveen Mashayekhi (Founder & CEO of Free Agency) and guest investor Leeor Mushin from Formation VC. They explore how to:

- Find (and explain) your industry inflection that makes now the right time for your startup

- Tell a hero story that resonates with investors, showcasing why you’re the one to solve the problem

- Avoid pitch pitfalls like referencing small ARR too soon or using confusing analogies

- Position Web3 to mainstream investors without triggering skepticism

Be sure to leave a comment on your favorite pitch and share your own feedback—because feedback is a gift, after all.

About Our Hosts

Sherveen Mashayekhi is the Founder & CEO of Free Agency. He’s a multi-time founder, angel investor, and LP in several venture capital funds. He’s seen thousands of startup pitches — good, bad, and in between — and provides nuanced feedback grounded in real-world fundraising experience.

Leeor Mushin is Founder & GP at Formation, an early-stage fund that invests at the “formation” moment, often backing founders before they even have a formal deck. He previously spent time at Floodgate and co-founded a platform for unaccredited investors to participate in private markets.

Sherveen on X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Leeor on X: https://x.com/lmushin

Leeor on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeormushin

Want to Pitch Live on The Feedback Loop?

Apply at afterfeedback.com to get your idea in front of experienced investors. It’s a chance to hone your pitch and discover blind spots you never knew existed.

Thank you to these visionary founders for stepping onto the stage and sharing their bold ideas. The Feedback Loop exists to help startup teams refine their stories and take their next leap. Your pitch is only the first step on the journey to success — so be sure to subscribe for more no-nonsense feedback on how to pitch your startup.

In a job search? Check out our newest channel focused on 2025’s ultra-competitive hiring:

https://youtu.be/dlbfZJmY8t8

Note: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decisions.

Key Takeaways

Mapping Industry Inflections – Show how shifts in media, e-commerce, or global talent unlock new opportunities for your product

Balancing Proof Points – Drop small numbers carefully, emphasizing customer love or quality of relationships over early ARR

Verticalized AI – Why it pays to articulate niche back-office tasks, like film tax incentives or specialized RFP workflows

Web3 for Freelancers – Avoid “hot-button” buzzwords unless you can illustrate a clear user benefit and global shift driving adoption

If you’re into venture capital, AI workflows, consumer e-commerce, furniture, film & TV production, or Web3 marketplaces, this episode is for you. Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and share with a friend who’s building the next big thing!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In Episode 053, we’re joined by guest investor Leeor Mushin of Formation, a pre-seed and seed stage venture fund laser-focused on helping founders from the earliest phases of company building.

Each founder has one minute to pitch. Then, they receive raw, transformative feedback to help tighten their story, pre-address investor concerns, and chart a path to building a venture-scale business.

Follow Sherveen:

X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Follow Leeor:

X: https://x.com/lmushin

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/leeormushin

This episode's venture investor:

Leeor Mushin is the Founder & GP at Formation VC, a pre-seed and seed fund that invests at the “formation stage.” He partners with founders at the earliest stage, sometimes before there's even a deck. Leeor was previously a Principal at Floodgate (1st checks into Twitter, Lyft, Okta, Twitch, etc). He also created the 20|20 Fund, a venture club focused on investing in entrepreneurs from the Stanford GSB Class of 2020.

As always, The Feedback Loop is hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, a repeat founder, angel investor, and LP in multiple venture capital funds. He’s on a mission to help people reach the height of their ambition. In this case, that means helping sharpen startup pitches so founders can raise money, hire world-class teams, and sell their product with confidence.

Want to pitch your startup live or attend The Feedback Loop in person?

Head to afterfeedback.com to join our community of founders and investors.

Thank you to these visionary founders for stepping onto the stage. The Feedback Loop exists to help founders refine their story and take their next leap. Your pitch is the first step on the journey to success — be sure to subscribe for more no-nonsense feedback on how to pitch your startup.

Key Takeaways:

- When to use “famous company” analogies in your pitch – and when they might backfire

- Why user incentives matter – especially in dating and consumer social

- The complexity of AI reliability – are customers willing to pay for AI model benchmarking?

- Fine-tuning your storytelling – it’s not just about hooking interest, but resolving key questions so investors walk away confident in your vision

If you’re into venture capital, dating apps, AI benchmarks, or early-stage startup strategy, you’ll find tons of insights in this episode. Drop a comment on your favorite pitch, and don’t forget: feedback is a gift—to founders, to investors, and to everyone on this startup journey.

In a job search? Check out our newest channel for 2025’s ultra-competitive talent landscape:

https://youtu.be/dlbfZJmY8t8

Disclaimer: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decisions.

Help us power the next generation of founders – like, share, subscribe, and see you in the comments!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome to Episode 052 of The Feedback Loop — where early-stage founders get direct, no-nonsense feedback from real venture investors! In this episode, two founders step into the hot seat to pitch their big ideas: one is building local language models to automate RFPs for SaaS companies, and the other is helping businesses streamline their corporate sustainability journey (including B Corp certification). Complex businesses in unsexy markets – so how do you tell that story!?

Each founder has just one minute to pitch, followed by candid Q&A with host Sherveen Mashayekhi (Founder & CEO of Free Agency & angel investor) and guest investor Jesse Middleton (General Partner at Flybridge, investing in the early stage). Watch as they dissect everything from market sizing to go-to-market strategy, revealing the power of great storytelling in a pitch.

Along the way, you’ll hear:

- Why domain focus and on-prem/local models can be vital when confidentiality and compliance matter.

- The art of pitching sustainability: how to avoid alienating investors and instead emphasize bottom-line benefits, brand advantages, and ecosystem impact.

- How a killer story is often more memorable than a direct answer to every single investor question.

- Why politics or controversial statements can derail a pitch—and how to frame compelling narratives that persuade both believers and skeptics.

As always, The Feedback Loop is hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, a repeat founder, angel investor, and LP in multiple venture capital funds. He’s on a mission to help people reach the height of their ambition. In this case, that means helping sharpen startup pitches so founders can raise money, hire world-class teams, and sell their product with confidence.

Our guest investor for this episode is Jesse Middleton, General Partner at Flybridge (an early-stage VC firm with investments in MongoDB, Firebase, Codecademy, Bowery, and many more). He is also an Investment Partner at Next Wave NYC and The Community Fund, was a founding team member at WeWork, and led the technology group at LivePerson. He’s also served as a key advisor to companies like fitmob, inDinero, and Squire.

Follow Sherveen on X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Follow Jesse on X: https://x.com/srcasm

In a job search? Check out our newest channel for next-level advice in 2025’s ultra-competitive talent marketplace:

https://youtu.be/dlbfZJmY8t8

Interested in pitching live or attending The Feedback Loop in person? Visit afterfeedback.com to learn more.

Thank you to these visionary founders for stepping onto the stage. The Feedback Loop exists to help founders refine their story and take their next leap. Your pitch is the first step on the journey to success — be sure to subscribe for more no-nonsense feedback on how to pitch your startup.

Note: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making any investment decisions.

Share Your Favorite Pitch

Which founder made you lean in? Who changed your mind the most? Let us know in the comments, and offer your own feedback—after all, feedback is a gift!

If you’re in venture capital, AI/ML, SaaS, sustainability tech, or building the next wave of B2B products, stick around: we’re all about the early stages of raising pre-seed, seed, or Series A. Subscribe, and share this with a friend who’s on their own startup journey!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Each founder has just one minute to capture our attention before facing a barrage of insightful questions from host Sherveen Mashayekhi and guest investor Jesse Middleton. Their rapid-fire feedback not only refines these pitches but also unearths the subtle art of balancing technical depth with clear, compelling storytelling.

Be sure to comment on which pitch resonated with you the most and share your own feedback — after all, feedback is the catalyst for growth!

Follow Sherveen Mashayekhi:

• X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Follow Guest Investor Jesse Middleton:

• X: https://x.com/srcasm

In this episode, we cover how to:

Master technical storytelling: Learn how to simplify complex engineering narratives without sacrificing depth.

Bridge the gap between legacy and innovation: See how AI can enhance traditional systems engineering and drastically cut down development timelines.

Transform SaaS deployments: Discover the benefits of compiling infrastructure-as-code into versatile, on-prem solutions that keep sensitive data secure.

Balance detail with clarity: Witness how founders navigate investor questions to keep their pitch focused and compelling.

Understand market timing: From regulatory mandates to evolving enterprise needs, see how identifying the right entry point can make or break a pitch.

Ready to pitch live or attend The Feedback Loop? Visit afterfeedback.com to join our community of startup builders and investors.

Thank you to these brave founders for stepping into the spotlight. Remember: your pitch is the first step on the journey to success. Tune in, take notes, and transform your startup story!

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

Startup founders – get inside the mind of top investors as they break down the next wave of AI tools, reimagine eldercare solutions, and push early-stage pitching to new heights. You’ve got one minute to grab their attention and a few more to prove you belong on the cap table. Subscribe for more essential, no-nonsense feedback on your startup journey.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Each founder gets one minute to pitch. Then, they hear how they can refine their story to fuel fundraising, hiring, and product growth. Listen in on how strategic storytelling can sharpen your pitch and land you that investor check.

You’ll see how storytelling, focus, and market know-how can make or break an early pitch — and how a few simple tweaks can change an investor’s mind in minutes.

This is Episode 050 of The Feedback Loop.

In this episode, we cover how to:

- master the art of storytelling – it’s not always about closing a round on the spot

- differentiate from general-purpose AI by going niche and laser-focused on specialized workflows

- pitch into healthcare with caution (and big ambition) – make sure you nail who’s paying and why

- leverage your minute wisely – a targeted vision plus a clear user journey can seal the deal

- demystify your buyer – whether it's SaaS founders or eldercare managers, name your champion and initial GTM early and often

Be sure to comment on your favorite pitch below! And leave your own feedback for these founders and judges, because feedback is a gift, after all.

In a job search? Check out our newest channel for next-level advice in 2025's ultra-competitive talent landscape: https://youtu.be/dlbfZJmY8t8

As always, The Feedback Loop is hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, founder & CEO of Free Agency. He’s a repeat founder, angel investor, and LP in multiple VC funds, bringing no-nonsense insights to early-stage pitches.

Today's guest investor: Jesse Middleton is a General Partner at Flybridge, which has invested in companies like BetterCloud, Bowery, Chief, Codecademy, Firebase, MongoDB, and Splice. He is also an Investment Partner at Next Wave NYC and The Community Fund, was a founding team member at WeWork, and led the technology group at LivePerson. He’s also served as a key advisor to companies like fitmob, inDinero, and Squire.

Follow Sherveen on X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Follow Jesse on X: https://x.com/srcasm

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

Startup founders – get inside the mind of top investors as they break down the next wave of AI tools, reimagine eldercare solutions, and push early-stage pitching to new heights. You’ve got one minute to grab their attention and a few more to prove you belong on the cap table. Subscribe for more essential, no-nonsense feedback on your startup journey.

Want to attend The Feedback Loop live or pitch as a founder? Visit afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to these brave founders for stepping into the spotlight. The Feedback Loop aims to power startup builders with blunt, transformative feedback to shape tomorrow’s pitch-perfect companies. We’re on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every week, early-stage founders step into the hot seat to present their big ideas – from AI-powered order management for restaurant suppliers to cutting-edge blockchain security solutions. After their minute to pitch, they get candid feedback from host Sherveen Mashayekhi, helping them refine their stories for investors, potential hires, and early customers.

In this episode:

- how small family-run food suppliers and restaurants are finally ready to ditch phone calls, faxes, and emails

- why 1 to 3% net profit margins across a legacy industry can actually drive spending and urgent tech adoption

- the challenge of “punitive” vs. traditional SaaS pricing models

- whether we’re on the verge of a renewed wave in Web3 (and how AI security tools might be the missing piece), plus the "picks and shovels" that make Web3 appealing to Web2 purists

- building a specialized “multi-agent architecture” to detect code vulnerabilities before hackers strike

2 concepts:

- Clipp – an AI-powered order management platform for food distributors, streamlining the entire supply chain and slashing labor costs (think: an alternative to phone-based workflows).

- Almanax – an “AI security engineer” for Web3 applications, finding vulnerabilities in blockchain-based code before bad actors can exploit them.

Be sure to leave a comment sharing which founder’s pitch you found most compelling! Or offer your own feedback to help them build even better businesses.

As always, The Feedback Loop is hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. He’s a multi-time startup founder, angel investor, and LP in several venture capital funds.

Follow Sherveen on X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

To attend The Feedback Loop in person or apply to pitch as a founder, visit https://afterfeedback.com/.

Thank you to all the brave founders who shared their visions in this episode. The Feedback Loop exists to support startup builders trying to change how the world spins. We’re rooting for you.

Note: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making investment decisions.

If you’re in venture capital, AI/ML, consumer tech, B2B SaaS, enterprise software, dev tools, or building your own startup accelerator, this show is for you. We’re all about the early stages of raising pre-seed, seed, or Series A – and we’re big fans of the founders who dare to dream.

Do subscribe, but more importantly, share it with a friend on their own startup journey!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every week, early stage founders step into the hot seat to present their big ideas – from AI-powered tools, consumer social apps, new approaches to community, all the way to space tech and hardtech. After their minute to pitch, they get candid feedback from Sherveen Mashayekhi, helping them push forward with better stories as they raise money, hire teammates, and sell their products.

In this episode:

- the importance of "unhinged" product differentiation in a crowded market

- when to embrace (and when to hide) your unique product angles

- how to stand out in crowded AI markets (differentiate charting from data tooling)

- the dynamics of bottom-up vs. top-down sales motions

- enterprise data platforms and how LLMs transform financial analysis

2 concepts:

- financial data analysis platform tackling $500B+ market data industry

- an AI copilot for sales reps that's unfiltered and driven by individual needs

Be sure to leave a comment talking about your favorite pitch down below! And leave your own feedback for these founders and judges, because feedback is a gift, after all.

In a job search? Check out our latest channel for next-level advice in 2025's competitive talent marketplace: https://youtu.be/dlbfZJmY8t8

As always, The Feedback Loop is hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. He's a many-time startup founder, angel investor, and LP in multiple venture capital funds.

Follow Sherveen on X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Note: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making investment decisions.

If you're in... venture capital, AI/ML, consumer tech, B2B SaaS, enterprise software, developer tools... building a startup accelerator, your own company, hobbyist mobile applications... the early stages of raising a pre-seed, seed, or Series A... or a startup and tech nerd like us, this content is for you.

Do subscribe, but more importantly, share it with a friend on their own startup learning journey!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Every week, early stage founders step into the hot seat to present their big ideas – from AI-powered accessibility tools to revolutionary laundry marketplaces. After their minute to pitch, they get candid feedback from Sherveen Mashayekhi, helping them push forward with better stories as they raise money, hire teammates, and sell their products.

In this episode:

- how to turn personal pain points into venture-scale opportunities

- when to reveal (and when to hide) potential weaknesses in your concept

- how to separate science from consumer preferences in healthtech

- the dynamics of concierge and verticalized marketplaces

- AI-driven developer tools and how LLMs will force them to adapt over time

3 concepts:

- biomarker-driven nutrition platform tackling $4.2T wellness industry

- residential laundry marketplace revolutionizing how 65M families clean clothes

- an AI accessibility tool making sites ADA compliant for 1.3B people w/ disabilities

Be sure to leave a comment talking about your favorite pitch down below! And leave your own feedback for these founders and judges, because feedback is a gift, after all.

In a job search? Check out our latest channel for next-level advice in 2025's competitive talent marketplace: https://youtu.be/dlbfZJmY8t8

As always, The Feedback Loop is hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. He's a many-time startup founder, angel investor, and LP in multiple venture capital funds.

Follow Sherveen on X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Note: This content is for educational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice. Always do your own research before making investment decisions.

If you're in... venture capital, AI/ML, consumer tech, B2B SaaS, enterprise software, developer tools... building a startup accelerator, your own company, hobbyist mobile applications... the early stages of raising a pre-seed, seed, or Series A... or a startup and tech nerd like us, this content is for you.

Do subscribe, but more importantly, share it with a friend on their own startup learning journey!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Each founder gets one to pitch. Then, they get feedback from two venture capitalists – feedback to help them push forward, telling a better story as they continue to raise money, hire teammates, and sell their product.

This is Episode 046 of The Feedback Loop.

In this episode:

- understand your true customer and illustrate that to investors - cereal sells through the kid to the mom, not to the kid directly

- avoid overloading your pitch with too much context and too many value propositions - especially if you accidentally say something disagreeable

- build trust in the 'how' - you might build a narrative around the pain and the features you're building, but more important is how your product brings us a new reality

Be sure to leave a comment talking about your favorite pitch down below! And leave your own feedback for these founders and judges, because feedback is a gift, after all.

In a job search? Check out our latest channel for next-level advice in 2025's competitive talent marketplace: https://youtu.be/dlbfZJmY8t8

As always, The Feedback Loop is hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. He's a many-time startup founder, angel investor, and LP in multiple venture capital funds.

​Today's guest investor is Marty Ringlein. On the venture capital side, he's a GP at Adventure Fund, which has invested in early to growth stage companies like Figma, Chime, Plaid, SpaceX, Beehiiv, and SwagUp, to name a few. As a founder, Marty has started and served as CEO at three startups acquired by Twitter, WPP, and Eventbrite, respectively.

Now, he's on his latest upstart journey as Co-founder & CEO of Agree.com, an e-signature and payments platform. In other words, the man knows both how to recognize and craft an excellent startup pitch. There are few resumes in tech as dense as this one.

Follow Sherveen on X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Follow Marty on X: https://www.x.com/martymadrid

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Startup founders – get inside the mind of top investors as they pinpoint weak spots, highlight opportunities for narrative, and shape early-stage ramblings into venture-ready narratives. You need a one-liner that resonates, you need to shape your TAM, and you need to pivot on the fly. Subscribe to the channel to get more essential feedback to feed your early stage journey.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This is Episode 045 of The Feedback Loop.

In this episode:

- how to craft a crisp, memorable startup pitch that resonates with venture capitalists, even when you're still in the problem maze

- telling a tellable story: how to pitch in a way that enables an investor to tell their friends about your tech company

- the distraction of too many good ideas versus the value of a niche ICP when you're building a tarpit startup

Be sure to leave a comment talking about your favorite pitch down below! And leave your own feedback for these founders and judges, because feedback is a gift, after all.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. He's a many-time startup founder, angel investor, and LP in multiple venture capital funds.

​Today's guest investor is Marty Ringlein. On the venture capital side, he's a GP at Adventure Fund, which has invested in early to growth stage companies like Figma, Chime, Plaid, SpaceX, Beehiiv, and SwagUp, to name a few. As a founder, Marty has started and served as CEO at three startups acquired by Twitter, WPP, and Eventbrite, respectively.

Now, he's on his latest upstart journey as Co-founder & CEO of Agree.com, an e-signature and payments platform. In other words, the man knows both how to recognize and craft an excellent startup pitch. There are few resumes in tech as dense as this one.

Follow Sherveen on X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Follow Marty on X: https://www.x.com/martymadrid

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Startup founders – get inside the mind of top investors as they pinpoint weak spots, highlight opportunities for narrative, and shape early-stage ramblings into venture-ready narratives. You need a one-liner that resonates, you need to shape your TAM, and you need to pivot on the fly. Subscribe to the channel to get more essential feedback to feed your early stage journey.

Spacetech, hardtech, reusable space vehicles, Varda Space, smart CRM, selfies, networking apps, property management SaaS, proptech, investor feedback, venture capital philosophy, early stage founder journeys, startup stories, and so much more.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Episode 044 of The Feedback Loop, you'll hear..

- investors challenge a founder's vision of replacing real estate agents, and it gets... heated

- about an AI research tool that faces tough questions about differentiation from foundational LLMs

- a restaurant owner's inspiration to change how he and his peers support their customers' diets

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. ​Today's guest investor, Anna Garcia, Founder and Managing Partner at Altari Ventures.

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

UNRELATED/RELATED

In a job search in tech? You've seen Sherveen on stage giving startup founders feedback on The Feedback Loop, having deep dive tech and foundership conversations on Three Course Founders, and talking about the latest in business and society on The Sherveen Show.

But he's also the founder/CEO of Free Agency and, since 2019, has helped hundreds of candidates in tech win over $400M in offers – he knows job search, and now you can learn it from him, too. For those in an active search (or who will be in the next 6 months), Breakthrough Job Search is a cohort-based course for tech industry professionals looking for an edge in this historically challenging job market. Enroll: https://www.freeagency.com/breakthrough

More on our guest investor for the episode:

Anna Garcia is a long-time financial services director turned venture capitalist. She is the Founder and Managing Partner at Altari Ventures, which invests in enterprise fintech. She was previously GP at Runway Venture Partners, focused on Series A investments. She has been an angel investor and advisor in the NYC tech ecosystem since 2013, advising accelerators like ERA and Barclays/Techstars along the way. Prior to her time in the tech startup space, she served in senior positions at JP Morgan, Jefferies, and Merrill Lynch.

Follow Sherveen on X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Follow Anna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annagarciavc

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

This is purpose-built for startup nerds, tech industry fanatics, future founders, and everyone in between. Venture capitalist? You should get in the comments below and let us know whether you'd take a meeting with the founders on stage.

Disclaimer: The Feedback Loop is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Nothing within is investment advice.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

So much of it is context and pattern matching – which is why it's exciting to have 3 early stage founders pitching today on Episode 043 of The Feedback Loop!

Each founder gets ONE MINUTE to pitch their tech startup and vision of the future. Then, they'll get questions and feedback from two venture capitalists – investors who know founders, startups, pitches, and patterns like the back of their hands.

Be sure to leave a comment talking about your favorite pitch down below! And leave your own feedback for these founders and judges, because feedback is a gift, after all.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. ​Today's guest investor, Anna Garcia, Founder and Managing Partner at Altari Ventures.

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

More on our guest investor for the episode:

Anna Garcia is a long-time financial services director turned venture capitalist. She is the Founder and Managing Partner at Altari Ventures, which invests in enterprise fintech. She was previously GP at Runway Venture Partners, focused on Series A investments. She has been an angel investor and advisor in the NYC tech ecosystem since 2013, advising accelerators like ERA and Barclays/Techstars along the way. Prior to her time in the tech startup space, she served in senior positions at JP Morgan, Jefferies, and Merrill Lynch.

Follow Sherveen on X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Follow Anna: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annagarciavc

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

This is purpose-built for startup nerds, tech industry fanatics, future founders, and everyone in between. Venture capitalist? You should get in the comments below and let us know whether you'd take a meeting with the founders on stage.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They'll each have 1 minute to tell us about their concept, and then they'll get questions and feedback from two venture capitalists -- two investors who understand startups at a more fundamental level. And it all happens with the goal of helping move these founders forward in their storytelling journey -- or, in this case, even to jam on what their product could be!

Be sure to leave a comment talking about your favorite pitch down below! And leave your own feedback for these founders and judges, because feedback is a gift, after all.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. ​Today's guest investor, Rachel ten Brink, co-founder and General Partner at Red Bike Capital.

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

More on our guest investor for the episode:

​Rachel ten Brink is the co-founder and General Partner of Red Bike Capital, an early-stage venture fund based in NYC focused on fintech, SaaS, and digital health. She was previously co-founder and CMO/CRO at Scentbird, a YC-backed startup offering consumer subscriptions for fragrances – they’ve raised $29M, and during Rachel’s tenure, she led the growth and partnership teams responsible for scaling the company to $100M+ in revenue and over 84 enterprise clients.

​Prior to being a founder, she spent 15 years building billion dollar brands at Procter & Gamble, L’Oreal, Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, and Bacardi. She holds an MBA from Columbia. In other words, she’s bringing an exciting mix of entrepreneurship, go to market and growth, plus big-brand marketing experience to the table.

Follow Sherveen on X: https://www.x.com/sherveen

Follow Sherveen on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenm

Follow Rachel: https://x.com/rtenbrink1

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

This is purpose-built for startup nerds, tech industry fanatics, future founders, and everyone in between. Venture capitalist? You should get in the comments below and let us know whether you'd take a meeting with the founders on stage.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Find out on Episode 041 of The Feedback Loop! 3 startup founders pitch 2 experienced investors.

If you're interested in startups and founders building the future, and the venture capitalists funding them, this is a must watch. And today, we hear from founders across concepts in immigration assistance, AI-driven employee coaching, and a modular CRM.

Be sure to leave a comment talking about your favorite pitch down below! And leave your own feedback for these founders and judges, because feedback is a gift, after all.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. ​Today's guest investor, Rachel ten Brink, co-founder and General Partner at Red Bike Capital.

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

More on our guest investor for the episode:

​Rachel ten Brink is the co-founder and General Partner of Red Bike Capital, an early-stage venture fund based in NYC focused on fintech, SaaS, and digital health. She was previously co-founder and CMO/CRO at Scentbird, a YC-backed startup offering consumer subscriptions for fragrances – they’ve raised $29M, and during Rachel’s tenure, she led the growth and partnership teams responsible for scaling the company to $100M+ in revenue and over 84 enterprise clients.

Follow Sherveen: https://x.com/Sherveen

Follow Rachel: https://x.com/rtenbrink1

​Prior to being a founder, she spent 15 years building billion dollar brands at Procter & Gamble, L’Oreal, Estee Lauder, Elizabeth Arden, and Bacardi. She holds an MBA from Columbia. In other words, she’s bringing an exciting mix of entrepreneurship, go to market and growth, plus big-brand marketing experience to the table.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

This is purpose-built for startup nerds, tech industry fanatics, future founders, and everyone in between. Venture capitalist? You should get in the comments below and let us know whether you'd take a meeting with the founders on stage.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On Episode 040 of The Feedback Loop, you'll see 2 investors wrestle with this dynamic - and with each other - as 3 ambitious startup founders take the stage to pitch their business.

If you're interested in startups and founders building the future, and the venture capitalists funding them, this is a must watch. And today, we hear from founders across healthtech (can AI and LLMs solve insurance coverage issues?), fashion and commerce (an omnichannel AI personal stylist?), and Jarvis for account executives (is AI for sales already oversaturated?).

It's Episode 040 of The Feedback Loop, and it's a fun one!

Be sure to leave a comment talking about your favorite pitch down below! And leave your own feedback for these founders and judges, because feedback is a gift, after all.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. ​Today's guest investor, returning to the show for the FIFTH time, was Mike Ma of Sidecut Ventures.

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

More on our guest investor for the episode:

​​Mike is a tech CMO turned venture investor — he runs Sidecut Ventures, backing mission-driven pre-seed founders, and is an Operating Partner at Sway Ventures. He was previously MD at Nex Cubed, a pre-seed accelerator for underrepresented founders. In other words, he knows startup storytelling!

Follow Sherveen: https://x.com/Sherveen

Follow Mike: https://www.instagram.com/michaelwma

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Curious as to this episode's takeaways? You'll hear about a lot, including about how in the weeds to get re: your user experience, whether to cater your pitch to specific investors, how to talk about a long-term vision without confusing the short-term product roadmap, competing in a heavily crowded space, and so much more.

This is purpose-built for startup nerds, tech industry fanatics, future founders, and everyone in between. Venture capitalist? You should get in the comments below and let us know whether you'd take a meeting with the founders on stage.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're interested in startups and founders building the future, and the venture capitalists funding them, this is a must watch. And today, we hear from founders across personalized skincare (can we finally get over all the conflicting advice on TikTok?), AI-driven nutritional tracking (our investor wants this for his gym bro son), and experiential employee benefits (can this fix our loneliness epidemic, or at least make a dent?).

It's Episode 039 of The Feedback Loop, and it's a fun one!

Pitch 1 (VAIN)

Pitch 2 (Acurixx)

Pitch 3 (ANI)

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. ​Today's guest investor, returning to the show for the FIFTH time, was Mike Ma of Sidecut Ventures.

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

More on our guest investor for the episode:

​​Mike is a tech CMO turned venture investor — he runs Sidecut Ventures, backing mission-driven pre-seed founders, and is an Operating Partner at Sway Ventures. He was previously MD at Nex Cubed, a pre-seed accelerator for underrepresented founders. In other words, he knows startup storytelling!

Follow Sherveen: https://x.com/Sherveen

Follow Mike: https://www.instagram.com/michaelwma

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Curious as to this episode's takeaways? You'll hear about a lot, including how to think about AI features and staying competitive in the AI-driven app space, how men are stealing their girlfriends' skincare, how to sequence a startup pitch, why a question in a pitch meeting is an invitation, how to bring up your credibility as a founder, the challenges of pitching an innovative idea in a legacy industry, and so much more.

This is purpose-built for startup nerds, tech industry fanatics, future founders, and everyone in between.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

If you're interested in startups and founders building the future, and the venture capitalists funding them, this is a must watch. And today, we hear from founders across an AI CRM (watch out, Salesforce), an observability platform for developers and SMBs, and an AI-powered benefits broker.

And not all of these pitches go as planned.

Timestamps:

00:00 Hello!

00:40 Pitch 1 (Dossy)

16:36 Pitch 2 (Aeroview)

33.48 Pitch 3 (Juniper)

46:53 Takeaways, Favorites!

Be sure to leave a comment talking about your favorite pitch down below!

Hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. ​Today's guest investor: Ihar Mahaniok, Managing Partner at Geek Ventures.

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

More on our guest investor for the episode:

​Ihar Mahaniok is Managing Partner at Geek Ventures, which he founded in 2021 to support immigrant entrepreneurs building at the pre-seed and seed stage. He’s made more than 200+ investments over the past decade, and has invested early in companies like Instacart, People.ai, Chainalysis, PandaDoc, and Airbyte, to name a few.

Before becoming a full time investor, Ihar was a software engineer at Google for 8 years, where he worked on AI solutions for Maps, Ads, Offers, Search, and the Play Store. He went on to become an engineering leader at Facebook, WeWork, and Grid AI. In other words, he brings a technical leader’s POV to the world of early stage investing.

Follow Sherveen: https://x.com/Sherveen

Follow Ihar: https://x.com/mahaniok

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Why to watch this episode: learn how to pitch your startup while avoiding the tarpit, talk like a technical founder even to non-technical investors, understand what catches an investor's eye and what raises red flags, bring up your past experience in ways that generate FOMO, and hear firsthand from investors who are funding the future. Share with your favorite startup and entrepreneur friends!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Timestamps:

00:00 Hello!

06:59 Support platform for people in crisis (Samaritan)

12:16 AI-generated meditation (Exhale AI)

21:49 SEO for Large Language Models (Pearls of Wisdom)

39:18 AI-driven workflow platform for product compliance

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. ​Today's guest investor, Ihar Mahaniok, Managing Partner at Geek Ventures.

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

More on our guest investor for the episode:

​Ihar Mahaniok is Managing Partner at Geek Ventures, which he founded in 2021 to support immigrant entrepreneurs building at the pre-seed and seed stage. He’s made more than 200+ investments over the past decade, and has invested early in companies like Instacart, People.ai, Chainalysis, PandaDoc, and Airbyte, to name a few.

Before becoming a full time investor, Ihar was a software engineer at Google for 8 years, where he worked on AI solutions for Maps, Ads, Offers, Search, and the Play Store. He went on to become an engineering leader at Facebook, WeWork, and Grid AI. In other words, he brings a technical leader’s POV to the world of early stage investing.

Follow Sherveen: https://x.com/Sherveen

Follow Ihar: https://x.com/mahaniok

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. ​Today's guest investor, returning to the show for the fourth time, was Mike Ma of Sidecut Ventures.

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

More on our guest investor for the episode:

​​Mike is a tech CMO turned venture investor — he runs Sidecut Ventures, backing mission-driven pre-seed founders, and is an Operating Partner at Sway Ventures. He was previously MD at Nex Cubed, a pre-seed accelerator for underrepresented founders. In other words, he knows startup storytelling!

Follow Sherveen: https://x.com/Sherveen

Follow Mike: https://www.instagram.com/michaelwma

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Three startup founders get up on stage to talk about: an AI toolkit for marketing operations, a clinician-enabled at-home fertility testing kit for men, and an AI-enabled knowledge management system for the enterprise.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome and intros

02:42 - AI for marketing ops (Waxwing AI)

18:54 - Male fertility (Hera Fertility)

34:32 - AI for knowledge management (LEAD)

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. ​Today's guest investor, returning to the show for the fourth time, was Mike Ma of Sidecut Ventures.

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

More on our guest investor for the episode:

​​Mike is a tech CMO turned venture investor — he runs Sidecut Ventures, backing mission-driven pre-seed founders, and is an Operating Partner at Sway Ventures. He was previously MD at Nex Cubed, a pre-seed accelerator for underrepresented founders. In other words, he knows startup storytelling!

Follow Sherveen: https://x.com/Sherveen

Follow Mike: https://www.instagram.com/michaelwma

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We go from talking about a fintech platform focused on retail loyalty programs to predictive AI for medical billing to the concept of investing in high-value influencers... all the way to a debate about whether our phones listen to us or 2020 had puppeteers behind it.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome and intros

01:55 - Rewards and local loyalty (Huzza World)

15:50 - Predictive AI for medical billing

31:23 - Invest in Justin before he became Bieber (Creator Stock X)

39:02 - Uh oh! (Creator Stock X, continued)

47:48 - Takeaways, favorites, and bye!

You just have to watch it to believe it.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. ​Today's guest investor is Lainy Painter Singh, Partner at Craft Ventures.

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

More on our guest investor for the episode:

Lainy Painter Singh is a Partner at Craft Ventures, an early stage venture fund with a focus on B2B SaaS startups — where she's invested in companies like ClickUp, Instawork, and Trusted Health. She was previously an investor at Battery Ventures, spent time in biz ops at Gainsight, and started her career at Goldman Sachs (on their tech investment team). She is also an active member of All Raise, the nonprofit on a mission to make tech more accessible, equitable, and diverse.

Follow Sherveen: https://x.com/Sherveen

Follow Lainy: https://x.com/lainypainter

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. ​Today's guest investor is Lainy Painter Singh, Partner at Craft Ventures.

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome and intros

01:55 - AI for product managers (Iteraite)

17:58 - AI for wealth management firms (LEA)

31:52 - Duolingo for entrepreneurs (Adjacent)

47:43 - AI-enabled construction management (Construct AI)

1:03:55 - Bye!

More on our guest investor for the episode:

Lainy Painter Singh is a Partner at Craft Ventures, an early stage venture fund with a focus on B2B SaaS startups — where she's invested in companies like ClickUp, Instawork, and Trusted Health. She was previously an investor at Battery Ventures, spent time in biz ops at Gainsight, and started her career at Goldman Sachs (on their tech investment team). She is also an active member of All Raise, the nonprofit on a mission to make tech more accessible, equitable, and diverse.

Follow Sherveen: https://x.com/Sherveen

Follow Lainy: https://x.com/lainypainter

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. ​Today's guest investor is Nika Duan, Partner at Inflect Capital.

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

More on our guest investor for the episode:

​​​Nika Duan is a Partner at Inflect Capital, which invests in and incubates early stage startups in health and wellness. She cut her teeth as a consultant at Bain & Company before becoming an impact investor at Emerson Collective, where she focused on healthcare, edtech, and future of work. She then backed student founders as an Investment Partner at Dorm Room Fund and served as an advisor to Google Ventures before joining the team at Inflect, which has invested in companies like Seven Starling, AnsibleHealth, and ShiftRx.

Follow Sherveen: https://x.com/Sherveen

Follow Nika: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikaduan

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. ​Today's guest investor is Nika Duan, Partner at Inflect Capital.

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

More on our guest investor for the episode:

​​​Nika Duan is a Partner at Inflect Capital, which invests in and incubates early stage startups in health and wellness. She cut her teeth as a consultant at Bain & Company before becoming an impact investor at Emerson Collective, where she focused on healthcare, edtech, and future of work. She then backed student founders as an Investment Partner at Dorm Room Fund and served as an advisor to Google Ventures before joining the team at Inflect, which has invested in companies like Seven Starling, AnsibleHealth, and ShiftRx.

Follow Sherveen: https://x.com/Sherveen

Follow Nika: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nikaduan

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. ​Today's guest investor is Jesse Middleton, General Partner at Flybridge. More on Jesse below.

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

More on our guest investor for the episode, Jesse:

Jesse Middleton is a General Partner at Flybridge, which has invested in companies like BetterCloud, Bowery, Chief, Codecademy, Firebase, MongoDB, and Splice. He is also an Investment Partner at Next Wave NYC and The Community Fund, was a founding team member at WeWork, and led the technology group at LivePerson. He’s also served as a key advisor to companies like fitmob, inDinero, and Squire.

Follow Sherveen: https://x.com/Sherveen

Follow Jesse: https://x.com/srcasm

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. ​Today's guest investor is Jesse Middleton, General Partner at Flybridge. More on Jesse below.

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

Timestamps:

00:00 - Welcome and intros

07:46 - An AI-driven API platform

20:31 - Founders, take on improv!

22:30 - An AI Copilot for PMMs

34:45 - WeWork... somewhere else?

42:53 - Package delivery protection

51:28 - Takeaways & bye!

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

More on our guest investor for the episode, Jesse:

Jesse Middleton is a General Partner at Flybridge, which has invested in companies like BetterCloud, Bowery, Chief, Codecademy, Firebase, MongoDB, and Splice. He is also an Investment Partner at Next Wave NYC and The Community Fund, was a founding team member at WeWork, and led the technology group at LivePerson. He’s also served as a key advisor to companies like fitmob, inDinero, and Squire.

Follow Sherveen: https://x.com/Sherveen

Follow Jesse: https://x.com/srcasm

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. ​Today's guest investor is Brian Hollins.

Brian is Founder and Managing Partner of Collide Capital, an early stage fund focused on software companies tackling major problems across fintech, supply chains, and future of work markets. Prior, he spent six years at Goldman Sachs, where he helped build a VC coverage arm and invested in growth stage software businesses as a member of the GS growth equity team.

​He's also the founder of The Takeoff Institute, a job readiness fellowship for Black undergraduate students across the US. He is co-founder of Phoenix Fund, an early stage fund focused on supporting startups from the Harvard community. Brian is a founding board member of BLCK VC, the largest Black investor community in the US. He's also a Kauffman Fellow and a member of the Milken Institute.

Follow Sherveen: https://x.com/Sherveen

Follow Brian: https://x.com/bholls1

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Feedback Loop is all about getting ambitious founders on stage to pitch and get unfiltered feedback from experienced, honest investors.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

For those founders on stage and in the audience, it's an answer to the essential query: how to pitch your startup.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. ​Today's guest investor is Brian Hollins.

Brian is Founder and Managing Partner of Collide Capital, an early stage fund focused on software companies tackling major problems across fintech, supply chains, and future of work markets. Prior, he spent six years at Goldman Sachs, where he helped build a VC coverage arm and invested in growth stage software businesses as a member of the GS growth equity team.

​He's also the founder of The Takeoff Institute, a job readiness fellowship for Black undergraduate students across the US. He is co-founder of Phoenix Fund, an early stage fund focused on supporting startups from the Harvard community. Brian is a founding board member of BLCK VC, the largest Black investor community in the US. He's also a Kauffman Fellow and a member of the Milken Institute.

Follow Sherveen: https://x.com/Sherveen

Follow Brian: https://x.com/bholls1

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

On Episode 026 of The Feedback Loop! Live shopping, "real" co-working, AR/VR collaboration, and a group dinner matchmaking.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen.

​Today's guest investor is Charley Ma, an operator-turned-investor. Since 2021, he's been the Co-founder and Managing Partner of Exponent Founders Capital, a $125M early stage fund that has invested in companies like Apollo, Chronosphere, Unit, and many more.

Prior, he led growth at canonical fintech companies like Plaid, Alloy, and Ramp. He's helped build several unicorns, and now he's on the hunt for the next few to fund! Follow him on X at @charleyma.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's all about these ambitious founders getting unfiltered feedback on the elevator pitch and learning about the nuances of venture capital along the way.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen.

​Today's guest investor is Charley Ma, an operator-turned-investor. Since 2021, he's been the Co-founder and Managing Partner of Exponent Founders Capital, a $125M early stage fund that has invested in companies like Apollo, Chronosphere, Unit, and many more.

Prior, he led growth at canonical fintech companies like Plaid, Alloy, and Ramp. He's helped build several unicorns, and now he's on the hunt for the next few to fund! Follow him on X at @charleyma.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

It's all about these ambitious founders getting unfiltered feedback on the elevator pitch.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen.

​Today's guest investor is Marty Ringlein. On the venture capital side, he's a GP at Adventure Fund, which has invested in early to growth stage companies like Figma, Chime, Plaid, SpaceX, Beehiiv, and SwagUp, to name a few. As a founder, Marty has started and served as CEO at three startups acquired by Twitter, WPP, and Eventbrite, respectively.

Now, he's on his latest upstart journey as Co-founder & CEO of Agree.com, an e-signature and payments platform. In other words, the man knows both how to recognize and craft an excellent startup pitch. There are few resumes in tech as dense as this one. Follow him on X at @martymadrid.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen.

​Today's guest investor is Marty Ringlein. On the venture capital side, he's a GP at Adventure Fund, which has invested in early to growth stage companies like Figma, Chime, Plaid, SpaceX, Beehiiv, and SwagUp, to name a few. As a founder, Marty has started and served as CEO at three startups acquired by Twitter, WPP, and Eventbrite, respectively.

Now, he's on his latest upstart journey as Co-founder & CEO of Agree.com, an e-signature and payments platform. In other words, the man knows both how to recognize and craft an excellent startup pitch. There are few resumes in tech as dense as this one. Follow him on X at @martymadrid.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen.

Today's guest investor was Mike MacCombie, General Partner at Generous Ventures. Mike has spent the past 8 years in venture capital – as an investor, operating + platform partner, community builder, and superconnector, supporting founders at the earliest stage. Find him on X at @MikeMacCombie.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen.

Today's guest investor was Mike MacCombie, General Partner at Generous Ventures. Mike has spent the past 8 years in venture capital – as an investor, operating + platform partner, community builder, and superconnector, supporting founders at the earliest stage. Find him on X at @MikeMacCombie.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen. Follow our guest host, John Frankel, at @john_frankel.

More on John:

​Prior to founding ff Venture Capital in 2008, John worked at Goldman Sachs for 21 years working on financial management, technology development, and reengineering, among other things. Specializing in seed and pre-seed investments, John has heard thousands of pitches and ideas from founders just like the ones you'll see present in this group. He brings that context, along with the wisdom of investing in early-stage tech businesses since 1998, to the stage.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen. Follow our guest host, John Frankel, at @john_frankel.

More on John:

​Prior to founding ff Venture Capital in 2008, John worked at Goldman Sachs for 21 years working on financial management, technology development, and reengineering, among other things. Specializing in seed and pre-seed investments, John has heard thousands of pitches and ideas from founders just like the ones you'll see present in this group. He brings that context, along with the wisdom of investing in early-stage tech businesses since 1998, to the stage.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen. Find our guest host, Mike Ma of Sidecut Ventures, on Instagram at @michaelwma.

More on Mike:

​​Mike is a tech CMO turned venture investor — he runs Sidecut Ventures, backing mission-driven pre-seed founders, and is an Operating Partner at Sway Ventures. He was previously MD at Nex Cubed, a pre-seed accelerator for underrepresented founders. In other words, he knows startup storytelling!

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen. Find our guest host, Mike Ma of Sidecut Ventures, on Instagram at @michaelwma.

More on Mike:

​​Mike is a tech CMO turned venture investor — he runs Sidecut Ventures, backing mission-driven pre-seed founders, and is an Operating Partner at Sway Ventures. He was previously MD at Nex Cubed, a pre-seed accelerator for underrepresented founders. In other words, he knows startup storytelling!

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen. Find our guest host, Mat Kaliski of FirstGen & Acronym Venture Capital, on Twitter at @matkaliski.

More on Virginie:

​​​Mat Kaliski is a Principal at Acronym Venture Capital, an early stage fund focused on late seed and early Series A rounds across B2B SaaS and omni-channel consumer companies. He’s also the founder of FirstGen, an organization dedicated to supporting immigrant and first generation founders by helping them raise their first $1M in funding and get to $1M in revenue through the 4Cs: Capabilities, Capital, Customers, and Community. Mat was also the co-founder of Founders Friday.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen. Find our guest host, Mat Kaliski of FirstGen & Acronym Venture Capital, on Twitter at @matkaliski.

More on Virginie:

​​​Mat Kaliski is a Principal at Acronym Venture Capital, an early stage fund focused on late seed and early Series A rounds across B2B SaaS and omni-channel consumer companies. He’s also the founder of FirstGen, an organization dedicated to supporting immigrant and first generation founders by helping them raise their first $1M in funding and get to $1M in revenue through the 4Cs: Capabilities, Capital, Customers, and Community. Mat was also the co-founder of Founders Friday.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen. Find our guest host, Virginie Raphael of FullCircle, on Twitter at @VirginieRaphael.

More on Virginie:

​​Virginie Raphael is Founder & Managing Partner at FullCircle, where she invests in pre-seed startups across future of work, healthtech + caregiving, and SMB SaaS. She is on the Board of La French Tech New York, which supports French startups both in the US and abroad. She was previously an MD at Tusk Ventures for over 8 years, where she invested in early-stage companies in highly regulated spaces. She also founded Kronos Archives, a digital archiving project for leaders in finance, politics, and philanthropy.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen. Find our guest host, Virginie Raphael of FullCircle, on Twitter at @VirginieRaphael.

More on Mike:

​​Virginie Raphael is Founder & Managing Partner at FullCircle, where she invests in pre-seed startups across future of work, healthtech + caregiving, and SMB SaaS. She is on the Board of La French Tech New York, which supports French startups both in the US and abroad. She was previously an MD at Tusk Ventures for over 8 years, where she invested in early-stage companies in highly regulated spaces. She also founded Kronos Archives, a digital archiving project for leaders in finance, politics, and philanthropy.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founader is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen. Find our guest host, Mike Ma of Sidecut Ventures, on Instagram at @michaelwma.

More on Mike:

​​Mike is a tech CMO turned venture investor — he runs Sidecut Ventures, backing mission-driven pre-seed founders, and is an Operating Partner at Sway Ventures. He was previously MD at Nex Cubed, a pre-seed accelerator for underrepresented founders. In other words, he knows startup storytelling!

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen. Find our guest host, Mike Ma of Sidecut Ventures, on Instagram at @michaelwma.

More on Mike:

​​Mike is a tech CMO turned venture investor — he runs Sidecut Ventures, backing mission-driven pre-seed founders, and is an Operating Partner at Sway Ventures. He was previously MD at Nex Cubed, a pre-seed accelerator for underrepresented founders. In other words, he knows startup storytelling!

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Today, hear from startups across gamified physical therapy, matchmaking for women, a customer support bot + knowledge base, and an AI-driven LMS.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen.

Today's guest investor was Mike MacCombie, General Partner at Generous Ventures. Mike has spent the past 8 years in venture capital – as an investor, operating + platform partner, community builder, and superconnector, supporting founders at the earliest stage. Find him on X at @MikeMacCombie.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen.

Today's guest investor was Mike MacCombie, General Partner at Generous Ventures. Mike has spent the past 8 years in venture capital – as an investor, operating + platform partner, community builder, and superconnector, supporting founders at the earliest stage. Find him on X at @MikeMacCombie.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because the thing that can hold even the best founders back from reaching their ambition? Their pitch. Whether a startup founder is raising money, recruiting a team, or selling their product, it's the pitch at the start of any given conversation that starts them on a journey to success.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen. Today's guest investor was Jenny Fielding, Managing Partner at Everywhere Ventures and former Managing Director at Techstars NYC. Follow her on X at @jefielding.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen. Today's guest investor was Jenny Fielding, Managing Partner at Everywhere Ventures and former Managing Director at Techstars NYC. Follow her on X at @jefielding.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen. Find our guest host, Michael Ma, on Instagram at @michaelwma.

More on Mike:

​Mike is a tech CMO turned venture investor — he runs Sidecut Ventures, backing mission-driven pre-seed founders, and is an Operating Partner at Sway Ventures. He was prev. MD at Nex Cubed, a pre-seed accelerator for underrepresented founders. In other words, he knows startup storytelling!

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen. Follow our guest host, John Frankel, at @john_frankel.

More on John:

​Prior to founding ff Venture Capital in 2008, John worked at Goldman Sachs for 21 years working on financial management, technology development, and reengineering, among other things. Specializing in seed and pre-seed investments, John has heard thousands of pitches and ideas from founders just like the ones you'll see present in this group. He brings that context, along with the wisdom of investing in early-stage tech businesses since 1998, to the stage.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

As always, hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi, Founder & CEO of Free Agency. Follow him on X at @Sherveen. Follow our guest hosts, Polina and Anthony, at @polina_marinova and @APompliano, respectively.

To attend The Feedback Loop in-person or apply to pitch as a founder, head to afterfeedback.com.

Thank you to all of the brave founders who participated in this episode. The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side.

More on this week's guest hosts:

Today, after a storied career covering tech & VC in traditional media, Polina writes The Profile, a newsletter featuring in-depth profiles and interviews with the most successful and interesting people in business. She recently wrote Hidden Genius, a book exploring what separates those who are merely great at what they do from those who are truly exceptional.

​Known online as Pomp, over 250k people read Anthony's The Pomp Letter and over 555k people subscribe to his YouTube channel featuring interviews and analysis in the world of business + technology. Anthony has been investing in startups for more than 8 years, pushing boundaries at the intersection of technology and finance.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Feedback Loop is recorded live in NYC. We do what we do to support founders. Because the thing that can hold founders back, whether they have an awesome idea, great skills, the right team -- the thing that can still hold them back from changing the world? Their storytelling. Because narrative matters, whether you're trying to raise money, hire teammates, or sell your product.

​More on this week's guest cohosts:

Today, after a storied career covering tech & VC in traditional media, Polina writes The Profile, a newsletter featuring in-depth profiles and interviews with the most successful and interesting people in business. She recently wrote Hidden Genius, a book exploring what separates those who are merely great at what they do from those who are truly exceptional. Follow her on X at @polina_marinova.

​Known online as Pomp, over 250k people read Anthony's The Pomp Letter and over 555k people subscribe to his YouTube channel featuring interviews and analysis in the world of business + technology. Anthony has been investing in startups for more than 8 years, pushing boundaries at the intersection of technology and finance. Follow him on X at @APompliano.

The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side. Hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi and Free Agency. Follow @thefeedbackloop0 and @sherveen on X. Watch video episodes on YouTube, search for The Feedback Loop.

If you'd like to attend the next event or apply to pitch on The Feedback Loop, head to https://www.afterfeedback.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Each founder received in-depth, targeted, and unfiltered feedback from host Sherveen Mashayekhi, founder and CEO of Free Agency, and guest venture investor Jenny Fielding, Managing Partner at Everywhere Ventures and former MD of Techstars NYC.

The Feedback Loop is recorded live in NYC. We do what we do to support founders. Because the thing that can hold founders back, whether they have an awesome idea, great skills, the right team -- the thing that can still hold them back from changing the world? Their storytelling. Because narrative matters, whether you're trying to raise money, hire teammates, or sell your product.

The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side. Hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi and Free Agency. Follow @thefeedbackloop0 and @sherveen on X. Today's guest investor is @jefielding on X. Watch video episodes on YouTube, search for The Feedback Loop.

If you'd like to attend the next event or apply to pitch on The Feedback Loop, head to https://www.afterfeedback.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Each founder received in-depth, targeted, and unfiltered feedback from host Sherveen Mashayekhi, founder and CEO of Free Agency, and guest venture investor Jenny Fielding, Managing Partner at Everywhere Ventures and former MD of Techstars NYC.

The Feedback Loop is recorded live in NYC. We do what we do to support founders. Because the thing that can hold founders back, whether they have an awesome idea, great skills, the right team -- the thing that can still hold them back from changing the world? Their storytelling. Because narrative matters, whether you're trying to raise money, hire teammates, or sell your product.

The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side. Hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi and Free Agency. Follow @thefeedbackloop0 and @sherveen on X. Today's guest investor is @jefielding on X. Watch video episodes on YouTube, search for The Feedback Loop.

If you'd like to attend the next event or apply to pitch on The Feedback Loop, head to https://www.afterfeedback.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Feedback Loop is recorded live in NYC. We do what we do to support founders. Because the thing that can hold founders back, whether they have an awesome idea, great skills, the right team -- the thing that can still hold them back from changing the world? Their storytelling. Because narrative matters, whether you're trying to raise money, hire teammates, or sell your product.

The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side. Hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi and Free Agency. Follow @thefeedbackloop0 and @sherveen on X. Today's guest investor is @jefielding on X. Watch video episodes on YouTube, search for The Feedback Loop.

If you'd like to attend the next event or apply to pitch on The Feedback Loop, head to https://www.afterfeedback.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Because the thing that can hold founders back, whether they have an awesome idea, great skills, the right team -- the thing that can still hold them back from changing the world? Their storytelling. Because narrative matters, whether you're trying to raise money, hire teammates, or sell your product.

The Feedback Loop is dedicated to creating an engine of support for startup founders attempting to change the way the earth spins. We're on your side. Hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi and Free Agency. Follow @thefeebdackloop0 and @sherveen on X. Watch video episodes on YouTube, search for The Feedback Loop.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.