Invest in the Capable

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

The team is often the key indicator of a successful startup.

In startup investing, look for competency and experience in the team.

Competency and experience can be a relative thing.

There's an old saying in the angel world,

Invest in the A team working on a B project.

The team's skills are more than enough to accomplish the task at hand.

For the startup under consideration, understand well the skills required for it to be a success.

Look for the skills needed in the business, the technical, and the domain area.

Missing key skills is often the cause of startup failure.

Most everyone's resume shows extensive experience and knowledge.

Test out the team's skills by asking questions and giving them a task.

Test to see how they solve problems and how they think.

Look for how well they know the space and what is going on in it.

The ideal team is one that needs no additional help from the investor.

Invest in the capable where possible.

For all other startups, be prepared to fill in the gaps.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let's go startup something today.

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For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

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In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall Marchant welcomes Andrew Byrnes, founder and principal of Byrnes Impact, who shares how investors can separate real technical substance from narrative-driven hype in early-stage AI companies. Andrew explains why investors should validate claimed technical improvements with real-world proof beyond demos, assess the technical depth of teams and advisors, and demand clear, plain-English explanations of what the company actually does and why customers would pay for it.

Andrew also discusses regulation and policy as dynamic forces that shape which AI companies can operate, scale, and build durable margins, and he argues founders can turn policy engagement into a competitive moat by educating policymakers and stakeholders early. He highlights signals of high-potential startups, including customer empathy, go-to-market execution, and a well-thought-out data strategy that creates an AI-native flywheel and defensible advantage.

The conversation closes with practical guidance on traction in AI—moving from pilots to deep deployments tied to core business data, creating internal champions, and maintaining a credible path to profitability given compute costs—as well as how storytelling can help fundraising when it anticipates objections without hiding behind buzzwords.

Visit Byrnes Impact at www.byrnesimpact.com/

Reach out to at www.linkedin.com/in/andrewbyrnes/, and on andrew@byrnesimpact.com

________________________________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Solve Large Problems

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Startups raising funding should have a grand vision.

That vision must inspire investors to join the cause.

It takes years for the vision to come to full fruition.

To take on a large problem, consider the following:

Start small.

In the early days, the startup will be small and sometimes insignificant.

Solve problems very well.

Look to new technologies and business models to deliver the product.

Tie into market forces that provide a tailwind to your solution.

Focus on the customer, and their challenges and needs.

Avoid direct competition and define the market in a unique way that helps your startup stand out from the crowd.

Launch an initial product as soon as you can.

Take the initial solution and then build on it.

Make it better every day.

Add new features and capabilities continuously.

Over time, the product will grow and will provide more value.

Eventually, the product will solve a big problem.

Every day not spent on building the core product is a wasted day.

It just takes time.

You can accomplish any large problem with time and consistent follow-up.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let's go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.