Shows
The Feedback LoopThe Future of Architecture? Startup Founder Pitches!One founder gets 60 seconds to pitch two venture capitalists – and you watch them pick the idea apart, live.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 & startupKhalil 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...2025-06-0314 minThe Feedback Loop"Do you have a real edge?" | 60 Seconds to PitchOne brave founder has just 60 seconds to pitch two venture investors – and you get to see what happens next.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...2025-05-2612 minThe Feedback LoopWorld's First Smart Caffeine App? VCs React!He’s got 60 seconds to pitch 2 venture investors – and he wants to track the amount of coffee you drink every day to help you sleep!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 th...2025-05-2212 minThe Feedback LoopShe's Got 60 Seconds to Pitch | AI Copilot for First-time HomebuyersShe has 60 seconds to pitch 2 venture capitalists!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 f...2025-05-2014 minThe Feedback LoopAn AI-First Mortgage Startup?One startup founder has 60 seconds to pitch to two venture investors!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‑appr...2025-05-1610 min
The Sherveen ShowBetter Accounting = $$ = Growth (Daniel of Bags)Secure those bags! Let's dive deep into the wild world of financial management and small-business growth! It isn't just about traditional accounting and capital, but the reasons why...- Every small business owner hates their accountant- Black, Latino, and immigrant-owned businesses outperform in profitability- The changing landscape of venture-backed versus bootstrapped businessesIt's time for Episode 025 of The Sherveen Show!Featuring Daniel Taylor, co-founder and CEO of BAGS, a financial growth platform helping businesses manage their finance and fund their growth with good debt.2025-04-1440 minThe Sherveen ShowAI Agents Learn to Talk and Shopify CEO Issues AI Ultimatum to StaffWhat's the big deal with Google's Agent2Agent announcement? Why are so many new founders choosing not to raise $$ and avoiding co-founders? What's the deal with RESURRECTING DIRE WOLVES!?Welcome to Episode 024 of The Sherveen Show. :)In this episode...Google’s AI Announcements:Gemini suite updates, TPU breakthroughs, their Veo 2 video model... but everyone else is covering these updates, so let's focus on their new Agent2Agent (A2A) protocol and how it's going to supercharge cross-platform AI agent workflows. Plus, why their seemingly trivial Au...2025-04-1014 minThe Feedback Loop2 founders building for themselves firstWhat happens when you build a startup targeted at... yourself? On today's episode of The Feedback Loop, two founders built their business to fix issues in their own industry.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 pi...2025-04-0833 minThe Feedback LoopAI-Enabled Meditation & B2B Data ManagementHow do startup investors really evaluate founders and their pitches? What's truly required to raise a seed round or a Series A?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...2025-04-0427 minThe Feedback LoopAn Engineer Turned Investor REACTS to 2 Startups2 startup founders pitch, 2 venture investors give them unfiltered feedback on their concept and storytelling – live, candid, and unfiltered!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 f...2025-04-0231 minThe Feedback LoopHe's Been Investing for 25 Years - VC reacts to 2 startup founders!One founder wants you to have better parties and another wants you to use AI to find your best prospects. And both of them get unfiltered, critical feedback on their concept and their storytelling.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....2025-03-2524 minThe Sherveen ShowFirst Accounting Firm on Mars? (Cyrus of Haven)Get ready for a deep dive into one of the most overlooked (yet crucial) parts of startup life: back-office finances. In this founder to founder fireside chat, Sherveen speaks with Cyrus Shirazi, CEO & Co-founder of Haven, a tech-enabled bookkeeping, tax prep, and tax credit platform for startups and entrepreneurs.Most CPA firms feel stuck in the past. Attempts to automate miss the human element in the moments that matter.Cyrus is taking a different approach: he and his team are building a tech-enabled solution to "put your finances on autopilot" while still prioritizing...2025-03-2432 minThe Feedback LoopJohn Frankel (ffVC) returns to judge startups!2 startup founders pitch, 2 venture investors give them unfiltered feedback on their concept and storytelling – live, candid, and unfiltered! In Episode 060, two big-picture founders tackle a personal carbon offset platform (aimed at everyday gas fill-ups) and a social network for gamers looking to disrupt mainstream channels.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 abou...2025-03-2124 minThe Sherveen ShowBuilding a Beverage Brand (Lily of Figlia)Get ready for a candid chat about building a premium non-alcoholic beverage brand – without selling your soul to “growth at all costs.” In this startup founder fireside, Sherveen sits down with Lily Geiger, founder & CEO of Figlia, a mission-driven aperitivo company providing sophisticated alternatives to alcohol.From her personal journey and motivation to start the company, to cold-calling restaurants and personally handling distribution, Lily shares her journey toward creating Figlia’s flagship flavor and brand. And for those wondering after listening to this conversation: Figlia is now available in Whole Foods!Hear how she navi...2025-03-1344 minThe Feedback LoopEarbuds That Track Your Focus? | 2 Founders Pitch!Welcome back to The Feedback Loop, where founders pitch early-stage startups to real investors, getting unfiltered feedback and practical advice on how to sharpen their story. In this episode, we’re hosted by Sherveen Mashayekhi (Founder & CEO of Free Agency) and guest investor Mirit Lugassi from Laconia Capital – digging into two radically different early stage pitches.Guest InvestorMirit 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 star...2025-03-0426 minThe Feedback LoopHyper-local community news and unlimited beauty servicesWelcome back to The Feedback Loop, where founders share bold ideas with real investors – receiving unfiltered, in-the-room feedback to help them refine their pitch, product, and story.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 SherveenX (formerly Twitter): https://www.x.com/sherveen...2025-02-2536 minThe Sherveen ShowSolving Transit Deserts (Su of Dollaride)Why do some communities get left behind by public transit - and how can startups fix it? Get ready for a deep dive into public-private partnerships, govtech, and how a mobility startup is tackling “transit deserts” across underserved communities.In this episode, Sherveen sits down with Su Sanni, co-founder and CEO of Dollaride, a mobility company building digital and physical infrastructure for community transit. It's a financial services, SaaS, and IoT platform for small private transit companies in NYC with the ultimate goal to bring clean transportation to underserved communities. They offer solutions like...2025-02-2444 minThe Sherveen ShowThe Truth About Grok 3, Humane’s Ai Pin Failure, and Venture Capital’s Political BetrayalEpisode 020 of The Sherveen Show takes on the latest in tech, startups, AI, and society –nothing is off-limits.This week, we’re digging into Elon Musk’s newly released Grok 3 model from xAI, dissecting the fate of Humane’s Ai Pin, and exposing how crypto power plays and political maneuvers shape our world. Get ready for unfiltered takes and some strong opinions!Stay ConnectedFollow Sherveen on X: https://www.x.com/sherveenConnect on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sherveenmSome of the things we discu...2025-02-2215 minThe Sherveen ShowReinventing Omnichannel CX (Kait Stephens of Brij)Get ready for a deep dive into the future of retail, e-commerce, and how brands can finally bridge that elusive gap between offline and online. In this conversation, Sherveen sits down with Kait Stephens, co-founder & CEO of Brij, a fast-growing platform that helps brands collect critical customer data and craft immersive experiences across every sales channel – whether that’s Amazon, big-box retail, or direct-to-consumer.This is Episode 019 of The Sherveen Show!From leveraging QR codes and sweepstakes, to powering product registrations and real-world brand activations, Kait explains how her team is disrupting legacy “point...2025-02-2139 minThe Feedback LoopAI for Fashion and "Duolingo for Sales"Welcome back to The Feedback Loop, where founders take the stage, pitch their startups, and receive raw, no-nonsense feedback from real venture investors. In Episode 055, we hear from two ambitious founders pushing the boundaries of AI-driven style recommendations and AI-driven conversational sales training.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...2025-02-2130 minThe Feedback Loop3 Founders, 1 Minute Each, VC Feedback LIVEWelcome back to The Feedback Loop, where ambitious founders step on stage, pitch their startups, and receive honest, constructive insights from real venture investors. In Episode 054, we hear from three founders tackling media & entertainment AI, a concierge furniture e-commerce play, and a Web3 freelancer marketplace.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...2025-02-1850 minThe Feedback LoopHinge-Meets-Yelp and AI Benchmarks | Ep. 053Welcome back to The Feedback Loop, where we feature bold founders pitching their startup ideas to real venture investors – live, candid, and unfiltered.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.co...2025-02-1438 minThe Sherveen ShowAutomating Adulthood with AI: RealWorld’s Genevieve BellaireGet ready for a fresh take on adulthood: the messy, ever-evolving set of tasks and life admin most of us wish someone else would just handle. In this episode, Sherveen sits down with Genevieve Bellaire, founder & CEO of RealWorld, an AI-powered platform that helps you organize everything from your health insurance and taxes to your TSA PreCheck and friends’ birthdays—all in one place. Think of it as your digital co-pilot for “adulting,” whether you’re figuring out health benefits at a new job or finally tackling that 401k rollover you’ve been putting off.From defining wha...2025-02-1233 minThe Feedback Loop2 Startup Founders Pitch + Get Unfiltered VC FeedbackAI for RFP Automation? Local language models for SaaS? Corporate sustainability and B Corp certification? We’ve got all that — and more...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 f...2025-02-1133 minThe Feedback Loop2 Startup Founders Have 1 Minute to Pitch (Live Feedback!)Welcome back to the ultimate startup stage — where ambitious founders pitch their bold visions and receive unfiltered, transformative feedback from real venture investors. In Episode 051 of The Feedback Loop, we dive into two radically technical yet incredibly compelling pitches that push the boundaries of what’s possible in AI-driven engineering and SaaS innovation.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 dept...2025-02-0532 minThe Feedback LoopHow does Flybridge judge your startup!?Welcome back to the ultimate startup stage, where early-stage founders score direct, constructive feedback from real venture investors. In this episode, we've got AI-driven short-form video creation and a platform to catch early signs of dementia, all in the spotlight.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 ea...2025-01-3124 minThe Feedback Loop2 Startup Founders Pitch Their Vision, 1 VC Investor REACTS2 founders step into the spotlight to pitch solutions for wildly different industries – then get raw feedback from an expert investor. Welcome to Episode 049 of The Feedback Loop!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 read...2025-01-2829 minThe Sherveen ShowOzempic Won't Fix Healthcare: A Startup Founder's Mission to Solve ObesityGet ready for a raw, urgent conversation about fixing America’s broken healthcare system — starting with obesity care. In this episode, Sherveen sits down with Elina Onitskansky, founder & CEO of Ilant Health, a value-based care startup tackling the $1.7 trillion obesity crisis by combining AI-driven analytics, human-centered care teams, and a mission to slash systemic costs while saving lives.From battling stigma and bias in medicine to calling out “pill mill” startups hijacking GLP-1 drugs for quick profits, Ilana pulls no punches. She shares why most digital health models fail patients, how TikTok “diagnoses” are worsening healthcare inequity, an...2025-01-2754 minThe Sherveen ShowOpenAI's agent, grifters on X, Substack strikes backToday, we've got... OpenAI's browser agent, controversies surrounding Stargate, bad tweets by people who know better, and attention being all you need, both in AI and outside of it!It's time for Episode 016 of The Sherveen Show! If it's your first time, we wrestle with the intersection of startups, tech, business, and society. Let's connect the dots together.We cover:- OpenAI’s Operator: Why this early research release is one you should pay attention to, including a live preview.- Tech Meets Politics: Stargate, Trump, Sam Altman, and El...2025-01-2423 minThe Feedback Loop2 AI Startups, 1 Skeptical Investor2 startup founders have 1 minute to pitch! Then, they get feedback – from an expert investor who is a venture-backed founder himself. Welcome to Episode 048 of The Feedback Loop!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:...2025-01-2327 minThe Feedback LoopHow Investors REALLY Judge Your Startup (Live Pitch Feedback!)3 startup founders have 1 minute to pitch! Then, they get feedback – from an expert investor who is a venture-backed founder himself. Welcome to Episode 047 of The Feedback Loop!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 oppo...2025-01-1641 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 46: He's sold 3 startups, how does he invest?Welcome to the ultimate startup stage, where early stage founders get discrete and constructive feedback from real venture investors. And today, we'll hear ideas across AI, developer tools, and neurodiversity edtech.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 - ce...2025-01-0751 minThe Sherveen ShowDEI Is Good, Actually (Wissam of Tough Leaf)Get ready for a spicy conversation about disrupting outdated construction practices, navigating diversity compliance requirements in government contracts, and building an innovative B2B marketplace. In this candid interview, Sherveen speaks with Wissam Akra, founder & CEO of Tough Leaf, about how his platform is transforming the way general contractors find and hire small, diverse, and minority-owned businesses for major public and private infrastructure projects.From tackling compliance headaches and navigating shifting political + DEI landscapes, to the nitty-gritty of building a SaaS marketplace that scrapes data from countless government databases, Wissam shares how Tough Leaf is removing...2025-01-0638 minThe Sherveen ShowYC-backed and Tackling Dementia (Nikhil of Craniometrix)How do you combine machine learning, tech enabled services, and a scalable SaaS platform to improve outcomes in Alzheimer's and dementia care? In this episode, Sherveen Mashayekhi sits down with Nikhil Patel, the founder of Craniometrics, a cutting-edge healthtech startup backed by Y Combinator, Quiet Capital, Defy.vc, and others.From his early days at Y Combinator (YC) to building an AI-driven platform aligned with the Biden administration’s Medicare policies, Nikhil shares a journey of innovation, resilience, and a deeply personal connection to this mission.This conversation dives deep into what it re...2024-12-1939 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 45: Spacetech, proptech, selfie techWelcome to the ultimate startup stage, where early founders step into the hot seat and present their big ideas – from revolutionary space manufacturing infrastructure to next-gen property management SaaS. And after they've had their minute to pitch, they get feedback from two check-writing investors – 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 045 of The Feedback Loop.In this episode:- how to craft a crisp, memorable startup pitch that resonates with venture capitalists, even when...2024-12-1842 minThe Sherveen ShowAn Affair in a Storage Unit!? (Katharine of Stuf)Sometimes, startups are about a magic moment where the right founder is staring at the right thing – in this case, empty, unused commercial real estate – realizes there's a different way to leverage that thing, that an arbitrage exists, that if you do just a few things differently, there's opportunity for everybody.And that's definitely the story with Stuf and Katharine Lau. Stuf is a next-generation self storage startup, and Katharine is its founder. Unlike the self storage solutions of yesterday, Stuf is reimagining how we think about space. It's tech-enabled and modern, but the best part is t...2024-12-1244 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 44: 3 Founders Get Brutal ReactionsWatch three ambitious AI startup founders pitch their visions for the future to two venture capitalists in the latest episode of The Feedback Loop! From AI-powered academic research analysis to an artificial intelligence real estate agent with a human name, these founders are pushing the boundaries of what's possible with applied AI.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...2024-12-1051 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 43: Investors react to 3 startup pitches!What makes a great startup pitch? It's complicated! It depends on your stage, your market, and the main obstacle in your way – sometimes, you need to answer "why does this matter at all," and other times, that's obvious, & so the question becomes "but how will you win?"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...2024-12-0550 minThe Sherveen ShowSustainability + Renewables but Make It Startup (Matthew of Relevate Power)How can startup founders, tech builders, and private equity & venture investors build at the intersection of capitalism and community? What does it look like to align all the incentives in the right way, to take a profit driven approach to restoring waterpower dams while still benefitting and getting buy-in from local communities? If you want to hear about: the arbitrage opportunity with decaying energy infrastructure, how technology and automation can massively impact operational costs at satellite facilities, the nuances of financing & regulation that have left huge opportunities up for grabs in regional + local energy innovation, an...2024-12-021h 07The Feedback LoopEp. 042: Fact-check Apartments, AI SDR, Loneliness-Solving AppStartups at their earliest stage are still figuring things out -- their pitch, their go-to-market, their monetization, their landing page copy... Underrated as part of that journey is getting as much feedback and data as possible, which is why it's exciting to have 3 very early stage founders pitching today here on Episode 042 of The Feedback Loop.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...2024-11-2658 minThe Sherveen ShowHealthtech Pivot from B2C to B2B w/ Joseph of CircleWhen you start a startup, there's pretty much one thing that's guaranteed: the roadmap you start with won't be the roadmap you scale with. When you're in that problem-solution-discovery phase as a founder, you know your mission as a founder, but you have to stay nimble to your method.And that was definitely the case for co-founder/CEO Joseph Schneier and the team at Circle, a healthtech company building a platform "designed to bridge the gap between benefit providers, health companies, and the communities they serve."But they got their start as Trusty...2024-11-2555 min
Three Course FoundersAI + Genomics = Lifespan (Founder of Nucleus)If we're all going to live forever, this tech startup might be one of the reasons. Nucleus, fka as Nucleus Genomics, offers an all-in-one DNA health test. Unlike its competitors, it sequences far more of your DNA to offer you a more complete view of "the foundation of your health."But that's just the beginning. Today, we get into the possibilities of Nucleus as a broader consumer health platform. This is my conversation with Kian Sadeghi, the founder and CEO of Nucleus. He dropped out of college to go on this mission, and as you'll soon...2024-11-211h 17The Feedback LoopEp. 041: AI Coach, Immigration Copilot, All-in-One CRMJoining the tank this week: Rachel ten Brink is a venture investor and GP at Red Bike Capital. She was previously co-founder and CMO/CRO at Scentbird, a YC-backed startup where she led growth during the company's scale to $150M+ in revenue. So, how does a founder turned startup investor think about evaluating early stage founders and pitches?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...2024-11-1951 minThe Sherveen ShowShe's Building Gen Z's Favorite Money App (Katrin of Frich)This startup founder understands Gen Z better than most and is tapping deep into their psychology to help them build better financial futures. It isn't just another fintech app that helps you budget or track your spending. Gen Z hates budgeting.Instead, Katrin Kaurov is building off of her own experience – she had to grow up fast, becoming financially independent early in her life as a model. And she had questions, but few places to turn to for answers. It's that moment that seems deeply centered at the root of her startup and consumer app, Frich, wh...2024-11-1848 minThree Course FoundersBuilding a Dreamy Startup (Founder of Prophetic)Starting a startup is, by default, a super hard journey. But it gets even harder - and maybe more interesting - when you're building in deeptech, building a hardware startup, and at the cutting edge of scientific possibility.Today, we get into all of that hard stuff with Eric Wollberg, Co-founder and CEO of Prophetic. It's a team of technologists, engineers, and scientists building a device to help people induce and control lucid dreams. They're building the Halo, a wearable headband to measure brain activity and use targeted ultrasound (in combination with a multimodal AI model...2024-11-141h 18The Feedback LoopEp. 40: VCs Bicker Over Startup FeedbackStartups age in dog years. Startups at the idea stage look and feel very different just 3 or 6 months later. And so too do the dynamics of how VCs think about those startups. Are they investing in a founder, a vision, traction, early evidence, or an engine of experiments?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...2024-11-1252 minThe Sherveen ShowSustainable, DTC Period Care w/ Katie of VivShe's a first time founder on a mission to better the lives of women and people with periods. The challenges, though, are endless: venture capitalists that don't empathize with the problem, embedded consumer habits and routines, massive legacy players taking shelf space, and so much more.But Katie Diasti might be the perfect person to take that all on. She's the Founder and CEO of Viv, an earth-friendly direct-to-consumer period brand, delivering period care to your door.And to build this business, she's had to do things like mess with her own biology...2024-11-1150 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 39: How VCs REALLY Judge Your StartupHow do venture capitalists REALLY think through a startup pitch? Well, today is Episode 039 of you getting to find out, as we get to hear pitches from 3 startup founders and see 2 investors react in real-time.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...2024-11-0446 minThree Course Founders2x Founder Hesitates on Venture (Founder, General Assembly + Common)He built two mainstream startups, General Assembly and Common, but now he's building a media company and taking a break from venture capital.Tune in to my conversation with Brad Hargreaves as we talk about proptech, building brick and mortar businesses, the challenge of remote work in 2024 and beyond, being a founder, managing forever-scaling startup teams, and so much more. We'll also talk about the form and function behind his latest venture, Thesis Driven, a media company that offers a deep dive into real estate trends and urban innovation.We also cover: Brad's...2024-10-3144 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 38: Feedback given, but not received.3 ambitious startup founders take the stage to pitch their concepts to two venture capitalists! On Episode 038, these investors are ready to evaluate, ask questions, and offer unfiltered feedback – the sort of feedback that can help any entrepreneur tell a compelling story and win multi-million dollar investments.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 no...2024-10-2950 minThe Sherveen ShowSold Startup #1 for $250M, Now #2 w/ Ankur (Teachable, Carry)Tune in to my conversation with Ankur Nagpal – he was the founder of Teachable, a creator-driven coaching and teaching platform which he sold for a reported $250M. Now, he's on to his second startup journey with Carry.Carry has raised a $10M Series A, led by Accomplice VC. Carry is an all-in-one tool designed to help business owners, financial advisors, tax professionals, and individuals manage their tax-saving accounts, investments, and financial plans in one place – centered around a novel solo 401k product.And today, we chat about Ankur's founder journey, including the hard moment...2024-10-2847 minThree Course FoundersStartup Founders Get Honest About Layoffs (Founder of Marpipe)Today, the sort of honest founder-to-founder conversation you won't find anywhere else – it's me and my friend Dan Pantelo, the founder and CEO of Marpipe. He's raised $10M to build an adtech company, and we'll get to that, but this conversation is more important and more interesting than either of our startups.Because we get to some of the hard stuff of being a startup founder. Dan opens up about company layoffs that still haunt him to this day, and how they're holding him back from being his best self. As he put it, he needed th...2024-10-241h 21The Feedback LoopEp. 37: SEO for LLMs, AI Compliance, & Support for At-RiskOn Episode 037 of The Feedback Loop, we hear from founders building in: support platform for people in crisis, SEO for LLMs, and an AI-driven workflow for product compliance.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 complianceAs 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 al...2024-10-2254 minThe Sherveen ShowBootstrapped, Boozeless Beverage Business w/ Elizabeth GascoigneTune in to my conversation with Elizabeth Gascoigne, Founder and CEO of Absence of Proof. It's a non-alcoholic event curation company, online bottle boutique, and beverage distributor, pushing the world's capability to have and enjoy boozeless experiences.Gen Z drinks an estimated 20% less per capita than their millennial counterparts (1). Since the 1970s, and especially from 2010 to 2020, we've seen massive declines in underage alcohol use (2) (3).There are more non-alcoholic bars, events, and pop-ups than ever. Companies like Kin Euphorics and Liquid Death are popularizing an "out loud" version of abstaining. And Absence of Proof...2024-10-2148 minThree Course FoundersAI Will Disrupt Ketchup, with Marty Ringlein (Founder of Agree)Today, I'm sharing three courses of conversation and food with my friend Marty Ringlein. He's an entrepreneur and investor – as a many-time founder, he's built and served as CEO of three startups acquired by Twitter, WPP, and Eventbrite, respectively. 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.Now, he's on his latest upstart journey as Co-founder & CEO of Agree, an all-in-one agreements platform at the intersection of fintech, legaltech, and SaaS. It be...2024-10-171h 09The Feedback LoopEp. 36: 3 Startups Pitch, 2 Investors BickerOn Episode 036 of The Feedback Loop, we hear from founders building in: industrial automation, AI for meditation, and end-to-end encrypted AI!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 fo...2024-10-1547 minThe Sherveen ShowHealthtech & Autoimmune Disease w/ Mette of MymeeTune in to my conversation with Mette Dyhrberg, Founder and CEO of Mymee. Mymee is a digital care platform designed to help individuals manage autoimmune diseases like arthritis, ankylosing spondylitis, lupus, and long COVID. They combine a mobile app, data analytics, and certified health coaches for their clinically-validated solution. They've raised a little over $15M from New York ventures, Half Court Ventures, and others.And today, we chat about Mette's founder journey, the challenges of and opportunities in dealing with autoimmune disease, how she views being insurer- and practitioner-friendly, her unique business model in healthtech, the...2024-10-1450 minThree Course FoundersIt's Not the ATS, with Daniel Chait (Founder of Greenhouse)Today, I'm sharing three courses of conversation and food with my friend Daniel Chait. He is the co-founder and CEO of Greenhouse, an end-to-end hiring platform with an applicant tracking system (ATS) at its center. If you've applied to jobs over the past decade, you've probably applied through Greenhouse.It's the ATS used by emerging companies, the fastest growing talent acquisition product amongst the enterprise, and has helped thousands of companies, founders, and employees meet + get (professionally) married.Alongside his co-founder, Jon Stross, he's also the author of Talent Makers: How the Best...2024-10-111h 08The Feedback LoopEp. 35: Male fertility, AI for marketing, and enterprise data AIReady for Episode 035 of The Feedback Loop!?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 intros02:42 - 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 th...2024-10-0850 minThe Sherveen ShowOpportunities & Challenges in AI with Ravin T. of Credal (YC, Spark, Drive) | Ep. 002Tune in to my conversation with Ravin Thambapillai, the co-founder and CEO of Credal.ai. They've raised about $5M (from YC, Spark Capital, Drive Capital) to build an AI application platform targeted at the enterprise. He's an Oxford graduate and Xoogler, and he and his co-founder (Jack Fischer) cut their teeth in the world of enterprise data security & AI at Palantir before starting Credal.And today, we chat about Ravin's founder journey, going through YC, his discovery of the Credal thesis, how he thinks about the frontier AI models and their integration into his product, building...2024-10-0750 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 34: Startup Pitch Gone WILDIt's time for Episode 034 of The Feedback Loop! And this one gets intense.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 intros01:55 - Rewards and local loyalty (Huzza World)15:50 - Predictive AI for medical billing31:23 - Invest in Justin before he became Bieber (Creator...2024-10-0451 minThe Sherveen ShowAutomation backlash & content in the age of AI | Ep. 001Episode 001 of The Sherveen Show! What the heck is The Sherveen Show? It's a new podcast where we'll be discussing the intersection of tech, startups, business, and society.I'm always interested in connecting two disparate stories, tying together unobvious trends, and paying attention to different communities. I'm not here to give you a scoop on the news, but instead to share a take, mine or someone else's. Because when we understand how things work, we can move with far more intention.And by the way, I'm Sherveen, the founder and CEO of venture-backed...2024-10-0312 minThree Course FoundersScurry like a Swan, with Neha Govindraj (Founder of Bonside)Today, I'm sharing three courses of conversation and food with my friend Neha Govindraj. She is the founder of Bonside, a financing platform for brick-and-mortar businesses. The way it works: if you're a physical retail business looking to expand, you get access to growth capital from Bonside that you pay back based on your business's income and performance. In other words, you share a percentage of your monthly revenue rather than paying a guaranteed interest rate.It's flexible payback, an upgrade over the traditional solutions of fixed payment loans. And for investors who want access to...2024-10-0355 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 033: AI for PMs, Construction, Wealth Mgmt...It's time for Episode 033 of The Feedback Loop! We hear from founders building: an AI copilot for product managers, an AI platform for wealth management firms, Duolingo for entrepreneurs, and an AI-enabled construction project management platform.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 fr...2024-10-011h 03The Feedback LoopEp. 32: 4 Founders Get Pitch FeedbackOn Episode 032 of The Feedback Loop! We hear from founders building: a marketplace for market research, a new way for you to get your veggies every day, a platform for Internet radio and micro-communities, and a zero-waste, non-toxic cleaning products brand.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 th...2024-09-271h 06Three Course FoundersHealthtech Fever Dream, with Will Manidis (Founder of ScienceIO)Today, I'm sharing three courses of conversation and food with my friend Will Manidis. Will was the founder and CEO of ScienceIO, a venture-backed startup building foundational AI models targeted at the healthcare industry. Earlier this year, ScienceIO was acquired for $140M by Veradigm, the publicly traded company focused on healthcare data and technology.We'll talk through his unique market insights (opportunities for startups in healthtech, AI and healthcare), mutual founder therapy (how founders lose their individual deep expertise during their startup journey), and his strengths and weaknesses (fueled by conversations I had with his founder...2024-09-2637 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 31: Founders & Investors Get HeatedOn Episode 031 of The Feedback Loop! We hear from founders building: a social workout app, a medical supply chain SaaS company, a private credit marketplace, and an Augmented Reality art + furniture marketplace.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 pi...2024-09-251h 07The Feedback LoopEp. 30: Wearables, college, AI for BIOn Episode 030 of The Feedback Loop! We hear from founders building: AI-driven enterprise marketing for impact, a wearable for tracking your stress and emotions, an AI-driven platform for business intelligence insights, and a marketplace for college admissions mentorship and guidance.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 ca...2024-09-211h 21Three Course FoundersPsycho-founders, with Matt Harris (Founder of Bloom Credit)Today, I'm sharing three courses with my friend Matt Harris, founder of the fintech startup, Bloom Credit. We'll talk through his unique market insights (underwriting, credit scores, what VCs get wrong about fintech), mutual founder therapy (what changes in a founder's brain when they're on VC funding), and his strengths and weaknesses (fueled by conversations I had with his founder friends).Matt founded Bloom Credit in 2016, raising some $20M from Resolute Ventures, Commerce Ventures, and Slow Ventures to build an API platform for credit products. But Matt's also one of those CEOs who made the choice...2024-09-1948 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 29: AI copilots, APIs, and package delivery protectionOn Episode 029 of The Feedback Loop! We hear from founders building: an AI-driven API platform, an AI copilot for product marketing managers, and a package delivery protection product.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 pi...2024-09-1850 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 28: You're too old for my product!On Episode 028 of The Feedback Loop! A startup founder tells a potential investor that they're too old, another founder is trying to bring sizzle to the stage, and a third won the audience's heart but might not be venture backable.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...2024-09-151h 00The Feedback LoopEP027: 4 Founders Have 1 Minute to PitchOn Episode 027 of The Feedback Loop! Cloud infrastructure, AI for recruiting, employee engagement + corporate sustainability, and restaurant tech.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...2024-09-111h 11The Feedback LoopEP026: 2 Investors Roast 4 Founder DreamsThe 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.On Episode 026 of The Feedback Loop! Live shopping, "real" co-working, AR/VR collaboration, and a group dinner matchmaking.As always...2024-09-0645 minThe Feedback LoopEP025: 3 Startups Pitch Their Dreams, ft. Charley Ma3 startup founders give their best 1 minute pitch, covering a live music data platform, a machine learning platform for AI collaboration + monetization, and a climate data + IoT platform. PLUS, learn about what it means for startup founders to take "money off the table" in the form of secondaries.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...2024-09-0353 minThe Feedback LoopEP024: 3 founders, plus a surprise pitch!THIS WEEK! Uber for limos and party busses, an AI-powered personalized learning platform, and a personalized fashion discovery + commerce marketplace. PLUS, a special prize at the end... founder-investor Marty Ringlein SWAPS SEATS and pitches his latest venture.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...2024-09-0145 minThe Feedback LoopEP023: AI relationship coach, plants for hotels, micropayments, and brand loyaltyTHIS WEEK! Plant-to-hotel matching, AI relationship coach, payments for the smallest online transactions, and a new loyalty platform for brands. They have 1 minute to tell their story, then they get UNFILTERED feedback from two check-writing venture capitalists.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...2024-08-2955 minThe Feedback LoopEP022: AI Infra, Skincare, Enterprise Data, Sports Social NetworkTHIS WEEK! AI infrastructure and LLM ops, butter/better skincare, enterprise data + blockchain, and a sports social network! 4 startup founders give their elevator pitch, then get unfiltered feedback about both their concept and their storytelling!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...2024-08-2343 minThe Feedback LoopEP021: 1 Minute to Pitch, ft. Mike MacCombie of Generous Ventures3 startup founders have a minute each to pitch their business and their vision of the future. Then, they receive unfiltered feedback on both their concept and their storytelling.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...2024-08-2031 minThe Feedback LoopEP020: 4 Startup Founders Have 1 Minute to Pitch! ft. John Frankel, ffVC4 startup founders pitch their vision of the future, and 2 check-writing venture capitalists give them feedback on both their concept and their storytelling.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...2024-08-1634 minThe Feedback LoopEP019: 3 Startup Founders Have 1 Minute to Pitch! ft. John Frankel, ffVCOn the latest episode, 3 startup founders pitch their vision of the future. Then, they get the sort of feedback money can't buy about their storytelling and their concepts.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...2024-08-1339 minThe Feedback LoopEP018: Investors REACT to Startup PitchesOn the latest episode, 3 startup founders pitch their hopes and dreams, then get feedback on their storytelling + concept.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...2024-08-0944 minThe Feedback LoopEP017: 3 Startups, 1 Minute to Pitch, Unfiltered VC FeedbackOn the latest episode, 3 startups pitch their vision of the future.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....2024-08-0638 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 016 | How to pitch your startup | 4 startups get feedbackOn the latest episode, 4 startups pitch their vision of the future. This is the second half of a particular session of The Feedback Loop.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...2024-08-0253 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 015 | Founders pitch, get UNFILTERED feedback | ft. Mat Kaliski, FirstGen & AcronymOn the latest episode, we've got an AI-enabled approach to sales enablement, a new infrastructure for B2B invoicing and payments, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) and autonomous solutions for civilian and military airspace.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...2024-07-3135 minThe Feedback LoopEP014: 3 startups pitch 2 investors, get UNFILTERED feedbackOn the latest episode, we've got an evolution on air traffic control, AI for recruiters, and a new spin on the AI search startup, Perplexity. Three rad startups pitch two experienced investors, then get unfiltered feedback to help them improve their pitch, their storytelling, and their objection-handling.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.2024-07-2641 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 013 | 4 startups pitch 2 investors, ft. Virginie RaphaelOn the latest episode, hear from four startups across stress reduction, movement healthcare, enterprise AI copilots, and an interpreter marketplace. Four rad startups pitch two experienced investors, then get unfiltered feedback to help them improve their pitch, their storytelling, and their objection-handling.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...2024-07-2548 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 012 | What VCs REALLY Think About Your Startup PitchOn the latest episode, hear from three startups across a peer-to-peer expert marketplace, gamified career coaching for Gen Z, and a new AI wellness application. Four rad startups pitch two skeptical investors, then get unfiltered feedback to help them improve their pitch, their storytelling, and their objection-handling.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.2024-07-2246 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 011 | 4 startups! Business networking, cybersecurity, clinical AI, & a parenting app.THIS WEEK! Four rad startups pitch two skeptical investors, then get unfiltered feedback to help them improve their pitch, their storytelling, and their objection-handling.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...2024-07-1943 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 010 | 4 startup founders pitch 2 venture investors, get UNFILTERED feedbackThree (+ one surprise) founders tell their story and pitch their vision of the future. Then, they receive feedback on their pitch and their concept from two check-writing venture capitalists. This is the second half of pitches from a particular night of The Feedback Loop – to catch the first set of pitches, check out Ep. 009.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...2024-07-1439 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 009 | Social profiles for homes, AI for production, edtech AI, + more!Four founders tell their story and pitch their vision of the future. Then, they receive feedback on their pitch and their concept from two check-writing venture capitalists. Today, hear from startups across proptech, edtech, behavioral health, and generative AI!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...2024-07-1248 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 008 | A 16-year-old founder, plus AI tutoring, AI therapy, and AI job searchFour founders tell their story and pitch their vision of the future. Then, they receive feedback on their pitch and their concept from two check-writing venture capitalists.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...2024-07-0732 minThe Feedback LoopEp. 007 | Startups pitch, investors react! ft. Jenny Fielding, Everywhere VenturesThe first episode of the week! Featuring the first several pitches from a night of startup founders telling their story and getting feedback, including company concepts around AI community management, personalized work coaching, AI video production, and a new type of indie music marketplace.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...2024-07-0337 minThe Feedback LoopMike Ma of Sidecut Ventures helps 10 startups with their storytelling | Ep. 006THIS WEEK! Overplay won a deal with Mark Cuban on Shark Tank, and now they're on The Feedback Loop for more. Also: an AI lifestyle companion, trip automation software, an 18 year old wants to build materials for space, an entrepreneur wants to help you nap better -- and more.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, back...2024-06-141h 35The Feedback LoopffVC's John Frankel joins to judge 10 startups in NYC! EP005THIS WEEK! Legal tech, AI code generation, custom bras, and so much more -- 10 founders get up on stage to pitch their vision of the future and get feedback on their concept & pitch.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 pr...2024-06-071h 21The Feedback LoopPart 2! EP004: "Not a company.. more like a feature."This is PART 2 of Episode 004 of The Feedback Loop, featuring the remaining 5 pitches from an awesome night of startup founders and their stories, + feedback from special guest cohosts, Polina and Anthony Pompliano!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...2024-05-3158 minThe Feedback LoopEP004 P1: Polina & Anthony Pompliano v 5 Startup Founders5 startup founders give their 1 minute pitch, then hear feedback from host Sherveen Mashayekhi and guest cohosts Polina and Anthony Pompliano, two of tech's most prominent media entrepreneurs and venture investors. More on them below.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...2024-05-3153 minThe Feedback LoopEP003: Startup Founders Pitch & Get Investor Feedback, LIVE10 startup founders pitch their dream for the future. This week, that included companies working across healthtech, music rights, identity verification, sleep science, and 3D printing.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...2024-05-2455 minThe Feedback LoopEP002: 10 Startup Pitches: AI for Prescriptions, Self-Care, and Founders10 startup founders pitch their dream for the future. This week, that included an AI bot targeting college entrepreneurs, a new AI chatbot for Medicare Part D management, a data analytics tool for DTC brands, a fresh take on truly social social media, and more.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...2024-05-171h 00The Feedback LoopEP001: 10 Startup Pitches: AI Guidance Counselors, Tattoo Marketplace, Hardware Analytics10 startup founders pitch everything from AI guidance counselors for high school students to analytics for hardware. Then, they receive unfiltered and honest feedback on their storytelling and concept from two experts -- today, host Sherveen Mashayekhi is joined by 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...2024-05-171h 00The Feedback LoopWhat is The Feedback Loop?The Feedback Loop is a brand new show and event -- hosted live in New York City, every week, 10 startup founders get up on stage in front of a small audience and give the 1 minute version of their company pitch. Then, they get 5 minutes of unfiltered and honest feedback from two venture capitalists -- investors who hear and judge startup pitches every single day.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...2024-05-1602 min