In this episode of Nothing Ventured, I’m joined by Francois Mazoudier, serial entrepreneur and seasoned investor, to tackle one of the biggest myths in fundraising: that charisma alone wins capital. As we enter 2025, the truth is clearer than ever — process beats charisma.
François shares candid insights on:
Why founders must master process-driven fundraising (and how to build one)
The common mistakes startups still make when pitching to VCs
How investors are thinking differently in 2025
The future of fundraising in a world that’s more competitive than ever
Whether you’re raising your first round or scaling globally, this episode is packed with practical wisdom to help you secure the capital you need — without relying on charm alone.
Timestamps:
00:00 – Intro & guest: Francois Mazoudier, Fundraising Bootcamp
00:45 – Preview: why 94% of pitches fail & myths around decks
02:02 – About the host Ari Shah & Nothing Ventured
03:27 – The hard truths about fundraising today
04:09 – Stop following bad online advice (6% of pitches work)
07:11 – The Sequoia pitch deck trap (250k founders copy-pasting)
08:33 – Finding “perfect match” investors & cold email success
10:42 – Fundraising as a repeatable process, not a performance
13:18 – 3 signs founders get funded vs. 3 signs they won’t
15:38 – Traction vs. revenue: what really matters early stage
18:44 – Numbers or story — which wins a pitch?
23:36 – VC money vs. corporate VC money (pros & cons)
27:10 – Why even Series A/B founders need a clear process
31:21 – European founder mistakes: humility, tone & pace
37:00 – Contrarian view: bigger isn’t always better for founders
41:18 – What moves François: piano & seeing mindset shifts
44:48 – Closing: where to find François online
Find Francois Mazoudier online at:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/francoismazoudier/
Twitter: https://x.com/franco1s
Fundraising Bootcamp: https://fundraising-bootcamp.com/
This episode is sponsored by EmergeOne, fractional CFOs for venture backed tech startups from Seed to Series B.
Get in touch at https://emergeone.co.uk/contact-us/ or join the CFO team at https://emergeone.co.uk/join-the-cfo-team/
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