<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:itunes="http://www.itunes.com/dtds/podcast-1.0.dtd" xmlns:googleplay="http://www.google.com/schemas/play-podcasts/1.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund: Founder Fridays]]></title><description><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund is rolling out a newsletter series called “Founder Fridays” that will highlight the incredible companies in our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them! ]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/s/founder-fridays</link><image><url>https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!8s6h!,w_256,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd40305f9-a91c-4b23-8028-5c3d8052679e_485x485.png</url><title>SuperAngel.Fund: Founder Fridays</title><link>https://www.superangel.blog/s/founder-fridays</link></image><generator>Substack</generator><lastBuildDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 08:36:45 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.superangel.blog/feed" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><copyright><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund]]></copyright><language><![CDATA[en]]></language><webMaster><![CDATA[superangel@substack.com]]></webMaster><itunes:owner><itunes:email><![CDATA[superangel@substack.com]]></itunes:email><itunes:name><![CDATA[Ben Zises]]></itunes:name></itunes:owner><itunes:author><![CDATA[Ben Zises]]></itunes:author><googleplay:owner><![CDATA[superangel@substack.com]]></googleplay:owner><googleplay:email><![CDATA[superangel@substack.com]]></googleplay:email><googleplay:author><![CDATA[Ben Zises]]></googleplay:author><itunes:block><![CDATA[Yes]]></itunes:block><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Russ Wallace & Mike Constantiner, Co-Founders of Freestyle 👶]]></title><description><![CDATA[In our 54th edition, we are featuring Russ Wallace and Mike Constantiner, co-founders of Freestyle, a high-performance babycare brand redefining diapers and wipes for modern families &#128118;.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-russ-wallace-and-mike</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-russ-wallace-and-mike</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 12:45:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SiNo!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3531d48d-3fbb-40e2-94c8-a3b8053ac846_633x622.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><strong><a href="https://www.superangel.blog/s/founder-fridays">Founder Friday</a> is a content series from <a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a> that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</strong></p><div><hr></div><p>One of my favorite parts of this job is meeting incredible founders early, often before the rest of the world catches on.</p><p>Years ago I started <em><strong><a href="https://www.superangel.blog/s/founder-fridays">Founder Friday</a></strong></em> where I showcase these entrepreneurs with my network.</p><p>I&#8217;m excited to bring the series back.</p><div><hr></div><p><strong>In our 54th edition, we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/russwallace/">Russ Wallace</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeconstantiner/">Mike Constantiner</a>, co-founders of <a href="https://www.freestyle.world/">Freestyle</a>, a high-performance babycare brand redefining diapers and wipes for modern families &#128118;.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SiNo!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3531d48d-3fbb-40e2-94c8-a3b8053ac846_633x622.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SiNo!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3531d48d-3fbb-40e2-94c8-a3b8053ac846_633x622.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SiNo!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3531d48d-3fbb-40e2-94c8-a3b8053ac846_633x622.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SiNo!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3531d48d-3fbb-40e2-94c8-a3b8053ac846_633x622.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SiNo!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3531d48d-3fbb-40e2-94c8-a3b8053ac846_633x622.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SiNo!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3531d48d-3fbb-40e2-94c8-a3b8053ac846_633x622.png" width="517" height="508.0157977883096" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/3531d48d-3fbb-40e2-94c8-a3b8053ac846_633x622.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:622,&quot;width&quot;:633,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:517,&quot;bytes&quot;:1017966,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:&quot;https://www.superangel.blog/i/190638087?img=https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3531d48d-3fbb-40e2-94c8-a3b8053ac846_633x622.png&quot;,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SiNo!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3531d48d-3fbb-40e2-94c8-a3b8053ac846_633x622.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SiNo!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3531d48d-3fbb-40e2-94c8-a3b8053ac846_633x622.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SiNo!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3531d48d-3fbb-40e2-94c8-a3b8053ac846_633x622.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!SiNo!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3531d48d-3fbb-40e2-94c8-a3b8053ac846_633x622.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Russ Wallace, Mike Constantiner | Co-Founders of Freestyle</figcaption></figure></div><p>Russ and Mike bring deep experience across consumer brands and startups. Mike previously co-founded <strong>Cameo</strong>, the viral video platform that reached the App Store Top 10 before later being acquired by Vimeo, while Russ helped scale <strong>Hello Bello</strong> past a $100M run rate as Head of Business Development.</p><p>While legacy brands like Pampers and Huggies dominate the market, many parents have begun seeking cleaner ingredients, better materials, and higher-performance products for their babies.</p><p><strong>So they built <a href="https://freestyle.world/">Freestyle</a>.</strong></p><p>Freestyle&#8217;s flagship diapers feature <strong>patent-pending 7-layer absorbency technology</strong>, are <strong>Total Chlorine Free</strong>, and <strong>EWG Verified&#174;</strong>.</p><p>Since launching online in 2022, Freestyle has grown rapidly and expanded into major retailers including <strong>Target, Walmart, and Whole Foods</strong>, and is also available on <strong>Amazon and <a href="https://freestyle.world/">Freestyle.world</a></strong>.</p><p>The brand has also built an impressive marketing engine powered by <strong>1,000+ creators and influencers</strong>, powering it to become one of the fastest players in the category, with <strong>~400% year-over-year growth</strong>.</p><p>SuperAngel was proud to first back Freestyle in <strong>2021</strong> and continue throughout their scale up stages, including in their most recent <strong><a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/freestyle-closes-10m-series-a-funding-led-by-silas-capital-302711004.html">Series A round</a>.</strong></p><p>If you or someone you know is currently in the diaper buying phase, feel free to use or share promo code <strong>SuperAngel20</strong>.</p><p><strong>And see what Russ and Mike have to say in this week&#8217;s Founder Friday Q&amp;A &#128071;</strong></p><div><hr></div><h4><strong>Founder Q&amp;A</strong></h4><p><strong>Describe your company in 5 words or less.</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Russ:</strong> High performance diapers and wipes.</p><p><strong>Mike:</strong> Premium family essentials.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Russ:</strong> Hello Bello had been an eye-opening experience into the world of diapers and wipes, and it felt like even though the business was doing really well (at the time), they were leaving a lot on the table in terms of content around modern parenting. What I saw in the world as a parent was young people genuinely trying to rethink the entire act of building a family -- what it meant for them and their kids, how to fix perceived misses in their own upbringing, even where to live when raising a family. So when Mike and I found that we could talk about these generational differences for hours at a time, it felt like we uniquely had the kind of passion, insights, and experience that could support building a new brand for the category.</p><p><strong>Mike:</strong> When I became a dad, I was genuinely disappointed by the options in the category. Most were dated, underperforming, or overpriced &#8212; usually some mix of the three. Freestyle started as our answer to that.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What new product/feature are you most excited about and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Russ: </strong>For sure our <a href="https://freestyle.world/products/skinshield-diapers">SkinShield diaper</a>, which is low key the best diaper that has ever been made (unbiased opinion). Lab results confirm it, customers shout it out on socials, and the look on people&#8217;s faces when they actually test in person is shocking and deeply satisfying. And the fact that you don&#8217;t need a trust fund to have access to an exceptional diaper makes me very proud of the hard work we put into engineering it.</p><p><strong>Mike: </strong>Our new diaper, <a href="https://freestyle.world/products/skinshield-diapers">SkinShield</a>, is really innovative. We designed a completely novel way it absorbs and makes it the top performing diaper we&#8217;ve ever tested.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Russ:</strong> I&#8217;ve tried many times to build a venture-backed startup, and this is the first one that found the path to escape velocity. The difference that stands out the most to me is that (i) I got lucky in finding a great partner who balanced out the gaps in my capabilities and many of my bad instincts, and (ii) I finally learned to ignore the vanity metrics -- investment rounds, users, visits, reviews, social media metrics -- and get laser focused on revenue and the path to profit. At the end of the day, a business is just a cash-generating machine; you can convince yourself that it&#8217;s about something else, that yours is different, but it won&#8217;t survive unless it becomes that machine. So my advice is try to separate out the things that the company does for you -- the vanity stuff -- and learn to care deeply about the things the company does that generate (or that can generate in the near future) profits. It&#8217;s harder than it sounds, and for me, it was the unlock to building something that has a chance to succeed.</p><p><strong>Mike:</strong> Lack of focus is the number one thing that kill startups. Have a clear goal of where you want to get to, and be very mindful of the daily steps it will take to get there. Nothing happens overnight.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Russ: </strong>Exploring anything -- an academic field or a place in the world -- with my family. I thrive on constant movement and new things.</p><p><strong>Mike:</strong> Spend time with my family and Brazilian Jiu Jitsu.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Russ:</strong> By far, it&#8217;s China. I had so many preconceived notions about our first visit to China to see our suppliers, and the experience blew me away. It&#8217;s a genuinely unique and authentic culture and place, and as a visitor and a business partner my experiences there have far exceeded my expectations.</p><p>Mike: China. It&#8217;s like jumping forward 10-20 years into the future in certain ways. Super cool to see what&#8217;s going on there first hand. Also, easily the best food in the world. </p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Russ:</strong> Using OpenClaw to help me organize my schedule and tasks has been surprisingly effective. It&#8217;s not everything the hype promises it will be, but I&#8217;m more productive with it than without it.</p><p><strong>Mike:</strong> Work: As lame as it sounds, Slack. We&#8217;re a fully remote team, so it&#8217;s the hub of communication internally. Personal: Skylight. Keeps our family&#8217;s schedules easily accessible for both us parents and the kids.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you want to be when you grow up (besides a successful founder)? &#128522;</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Russ: </strong>Jimmy Buffett 2.0. That guy cracked the code.</p><p><strong>Mike: </strong>Healthy and my kids to still want to hang out with me lol.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Russ:</strong> Persistence and a lack of shame. </p><p><strong>Mike:</strong> Resilience.</p></blockquote><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://freestyle.world/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!yboF!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa7e88519-884a-47af-a685-cefcf27fd5ac_783x696.png 424w, 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!A0dg!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd82c66b2-e996-4528-8f1d-fa79089a3f43_2472x562.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!A0dg!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd82c66b2-e996-4528-8f1d-fa79089a3f43_2472x562.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!A0dg!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd82c66b2-e996-4528-8f1d-fa79089a3f43_2472x562.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!A0dg!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd82c66b2-e996-4528-8f1d-fa79089a3f43_2472x562.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><div><hr></div><p><strong>Know a founder building something exceptional?</strong><br>Reply to this email &#8212; I&#8217;m always looking to meet great entrepreneurs.</p><div><hr></div><p><a href="https://www.superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a> is an early-stage venture capital fund led by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bzises/">Ben Zises</a> that invests in Consumer, PropTech, &amp; Future of Work &#128519;.</p><p>Fund II is backed by the <a href="https://superangel.docsend.com/view/5cfzptg3v2b8yw6v">AngelList Systematic Fund-of-Funds</a> (anchored by Sequoia Capital and Squarepoint, a $100B asset manager). Based on their data, <strong>SuperAngel ranks in the top 1% on markups over baseline.</strong></p><p>&#128073; <a href="https://portal.angellist.com/l/dr/0jaPw-u">Learn more about Fund II</a></p><div><hr></div><h4><strong>Why am I receiving this email?</strong></h4><p>You&#8217;re receiving this because you&#8217;re part of the <strong>SuperAngel Network</strong> &#8212; a friend, founder, co-investor, or connection who has expressed interest in receiving updates.</p><p>If this isn&#8217;t relevant, you can unsubscribe below.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M13c!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff6db6133-7ff4-4e49-bcfa-a39b936ddae2_515x485.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M13c!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff6db6133-7ff4-4e49-bcfa-a39b936ddae2_515x485.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M13c!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff6db6133-7ff4-4e49-bcfa-a39b936ddae2_515x485.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M13c!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff6db6133-7ff4-4e49-bcfa-a39b936ddae2_515x485.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M13c!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff6db6133-7ff4-4e49-bcfa-a39b936ddae2_515x485.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M13c!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff6db6133-7ff4-4e49-bcfa-a39b936ddae2_515x485.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M13c!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff6db6133-7ff4-4e49-bcfa-a39b936ddae2_515x485.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M13c!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff6db6133-7ff4-4e49-bcfa-a39b936ddae2_515x485.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!M13c!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff6db6133-7ff4-4e49-bcfa-a39b936ddae2_515x485.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Andrei Negrau & Lisa Popovici, Co-Founders of Siena✨]]></title><description><![CDATA[Issue #53 In our 53rd edition we are featuring Andrei Negrau and Lisa Popovici, co-founders of Siena, an empathetic and autonomous customer service platform designed for commerce.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-andrei-negrau-and</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-andrei-negrau-and</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 06 Dec 2024 13:45:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fabff026e-587c-49ca-8717-7d04a80f0fde_1859x1033.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong><a href="https://www.superangel.blog/s/founder-fridays">Founder Friday</a></strong> is a content series from <a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a> that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</em></p><p><em><a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a>&nbsp;is an early-stage fund led by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bzises/">Ben Zises</a> that invests in Consumer, PropTech &amp; Future of Work. So far, we have invested <a href="https://linktr.ee/superangelfund">over $20m into 100+ companies</a>. Apply to invest with us by <a href="https://forms.gle/Jo3vGiyKGhjdFTjC7">clicking here</a>.</em></p><p><strong>In our 53rd edition we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/negrau/">Andrei Negrau</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisapopovici/">Lisa Popovici</a>, co-founders of <a href="https://www.siena.cx/">Siena</a>, an empathetic and autonomous customer service platform designed for commerce</strong>&#10024;<strong>. </strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lFoO!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fabff026e-587c-49ca-8717-7d04a80f0fde_1859x1033.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" 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src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!lFoO!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fabff026e-587c-49ca-8717-7d04a80f0fde_1859x1033.jpeg" width="1859" height="1033" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/abff026e-587c-49ca-8717-7d04a80f0fde_1859x1033.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1033,&quot;width&quot;:1859,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:423362,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" 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class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Left to right: Andrei Negrau (Siena), Ben Zises (me), Lisa Popovici (Siena)</figcaption></figure></div><p>Andrei and Lisa are serial entrepreneurs with a passion for eCommerce and AI. While these Romanian-born founders have spent nearly all of their professional lives building startups in this space, it wasn&#8217;t until they surveyed hundreds of brand owners in 2022 that they discovered a massively growing pain point destined to be solved: <strong>As AI became more ubiquitous, merchants were eager to implement it into their customer service workflows. However, nearly all were extremely hesitant of doing so at the risk of jeopardizing their authentic voice and turning off customers.</strong> </p><p>Given their backgrounds, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/negrau/">Andrei as a technical engineer</a> at the forefront of the eCommerce &amp; AI revolution, and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/lisapopovici/">Lisa as a growth marketer and sales leader</a>, the two realized they were uniquely qualified to create the solution. One that would provide both an <em>excellent customer experience</em> and <em>maintain a brand&#8217;s distinct identity</em>. </p><p>Enter <a href="https://www.siena.cx/">Siena</a>, the world&#8217;s first autonomous AI Agent that can fully resolve customer service interactions with no human in the loop. Unlike chatbots and other similar options before it, <a href="https://www.siena.cx/">Siena</a> allows brands to automate up to 90% of conversations across all channels such as email, SMS, live chat, social media DMs and comments with zero backlogs and 24/7 coverage. Plus it can do it in 100+ languages and entirely in each individual brand&#8217;s voice. By combining the best of human empathy and intelligent automation, <a href="https://www.siena.cx/">Siena</a> transforms how brands engage with customers, turning lengthy interactions into low-cost opportunities to acquire, up-sell and retain.</p><p>And just as you would expect, Siena <a href="https://www.siena.cx/partner-with-siena">integrates seamlessly with dozens of partners like Shopify, Gorgias, Zendesk, Kustomer and more</a>, removing countless hours of administrative tasks. As a result of its automation, Siena empowers brands to upskill their talent to focus on more strategic growth and innovation initiatives.  </p><div class="pullquote"><p><strong><a href="https://www.siena.cx/">Siena</a> is an empathetic and autonomous customer service platform designed for commerce &#10024; </strong></p></div><p>Given how transformative <a href="https://www.siena.cx/">Siena</a> is, it is no surprise that they have seen explosive growth in the past two years, capturing the attention of leading brands such as: Simple Modern, Coterie, Bandit, Madhappy, Brooklinen, Eight Sleep, and MUD\WTR to name a few of their customers.</p><p>As AI adoption continues, my bet is that <a href="https://www.siena.cx/">Siena</a> will remain at the forefront. </p><p><a href="https://www.siena.cx/book-a-demo">You can book a demo</a> to learn more about their offering and see what Andrei and Lisa have to say in this week&#8217;s Q&amp;A &#128071;.</p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Describe your company in 5 words or less?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Andrei: </strong>Siena is the First Autonomous CX Agent.</p><p><strong>Lisa: </strong>The Empathic AI Agent for CX.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Andrei: </strong>I saw how broken customer service was becoming. Companies were choosing between two bad options: cheap bots that frustrated everyone, or throwing more humans at the problem. Neither worked. The interesting thing wasn't that AI could handle customer service - it was that AI could actually make it better than human-only service. Not just faster or cheaper, but genuinely better. More consistent. More empathetic. Available instantly at 2am on a Friday. But it had to be done right. Not another chatbot pretending to be human. Something that could actually understand what customers need and solve their problems in a way that builds a relationship over time, doesn't just deflect a ticket. That's what got me excited - building an AI that makes both customers and service teams think 'finally&#8217;, someone got this right.</p><p><strong>Lisa: </strong>I wanted to create something that truly makes a difference in people's lives. The best part is we impact both worlds: the business and the end shopper. When we started Siena, it was about solving a real pain point we experienced firsthand&#8212;scaling customer experience without losing the human touch. I&#8217;m passionate about building things, and after years of trial and error in eCommerce, I realized that helping brands connect with their customers in a more meaningful way and be able to do it at scale is what drives me. I&#8217;ve always been drawn to challenges that combine empathy with innovation, and Siena was born from that motivation.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What new product/feature are you most excited about and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Andrei: </strong>I'm excited about our <a href="https://www.siena.cx/blog/introducing-siena-ai-reasoning-with-benefits-for-enterprise">AI Reasoning architecture</a>. Here's what's wrong with most AI customer service AI agents: It's a black box of hope and prayer. You input a customer problem, cross your fingers, and pray the AI doesn't hallucinate. That's insane for enterprise CX. At Siena, we've built something radically different. Siena shows its work - every decision, every calculation, every policy interpretation is visible and traceable. If your AI agent can't explain exactly why it offered a specific refund or how it interpreted your return policy, you don't really have an enterprise solution - you have an expensive guess machine. We built reasoning into our core architecture because that's the only way AI should operate in business-critical environments. Everything else is just playing pretend with customer trust.</p><p><strong>Lisa: </strong>I&#8217;m most excited about the reasoning feature we recently launched. It&#8217;s a breakthrough in making AI explainable and trustworthy for enterprise operations. Traditionally, AI has been a black box&#8212;you&#8217;d get an answer but have no idea how or why it arrived at that decision. With Siena reasoning, every step of the AI's process is visible and documented. it&#8217;s designed to show its work, explaining which policies it applied, what trade-offs were made, and even why certain decisions might need human input. This transparency transforms how businesses use AI, giving them confidence to scale it across their most critical customer interactions. It&#8217;s a feature that not only enhances performance but builds trust.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Andrei: </strong>Counterintuitive truth about starting a business today: Your biggest advantage is staying small and focused longer than anyone else is willing to. Pick a vertical so specific it almost feels like a mistake. Not 'SMB software' specific. Think 'AI scheduling software for independent tattoo artists' specific. When you focus on solving one precise problem for a small group, you start seeing things nobody else can see. Your product doesn't just work - it feels inevitable for that segment. Your early customers become evangelists because you understand their world better than they do. The magic happens when you resist the urge to expand too quickly. You'll want to serve different customers, add more features, tackle adjacent markets - this is where most founders slip. They mistake early success in one vertical as a signal to expand horizontally. Don't. Instead, go deeper. When adjacent markets start pulling you in - not when you push your way in - that's when you expand. This isn't just patience. It's strategic advantage.</p><p><strong>Lisa: </strong>Just start, you'll figure it out along the way.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Andrei: </strong>I like to get into a flow state - whether that's running, riding my motorcycle, or going Othership Manhattan (love that place). Some of my best ideas for Siena surface when I'm moving. Not when I'm staring at a screen trying to force them. I'm always tinkering with something. Since starting Siena it's mostly AI models - can't help myself. After enough interactions with them, you start noticing patterns and behaviors that tell you exactly how they think. I find that fascinating.</p><p><strong>Lisa: </strong>Workout, run, spend time with my Cavalier King Charles - Jazz, meet friends, visit museums, go on walks!</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Andrei: </strong>Argentina. I spent a few weeks in Buenos Aires. The city's story is fascinating - 40,000 people in 1800 grew to 1.3 million by 1910, largely from Italian immigration. You can still feel that influence today. Walking through Buenos Aires, you realize pretty quickly why it's called the Paris of South America. And then there's the buses - you have to see them to understand what I mean. It's one of those city quirks that's impossible to explain.</p><p><strong>Lisa: </strong>Paris is my favorite city after New York City. It's my second home. When I'm in Paris I feel like I'm living in the book I'm writing at the same time, helps me slow down, have different perspectives on life, and immerse myself in the art, history and beauty of the city. It's always been interesting to see how people live life there and what they value most: friendships, having a good time and enjoying the small things.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Andrei: </strong>Apple Notes. I know it sounds boring - there are a thousand note apps with fancier features. But it's fast, syncs everywhere, and search is instant. I dump everything in there - work ideas, personal stuff, random thoughts.</p><p><strong>Lisa: </strong>Perplexity - my new search engine great for digging into my curiosities and being able to rely on the answers and sources I'm getting as results.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you want to be when you grow up (besides a successful founder)? &#128522;</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Andrei: </strong>I want to look back and know I gave it everything.</p><p><strong>Lisa: </strong>A lot of things! dancer, actress, wedding planner! movies always inspired me, I'm a big cinephile.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Andrei: </strong>Being na&#239;ve enough to believe you can do it, yet curious enough to close your gaps before doubts catch up. Also Grit + perseverance.</p><p><strong>Lisa: </strong>Hard to pick one. I believe one of the most important skills for a successful founder is adaptability. Things rarely go as planned, and being able to pivot, learn quickly, and make decisions in the face of uncertainty is critical. It&#8217;s not just about resilience&#8212;it&#8217;s about staying curious, open to feedback, and willing to challenge your own assumptions. Adaptability allows you to navigate setbacks, seize opportunities, and keep growing alongside your business.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.siena.cx/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!n8Ga!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b743ff9-a047-4a29-adb5-ea391f2e585d_1029x576.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!n8Ga!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0b743ff9-a047-4a29-adb5-ea391f2e585d_1029x576.png 848w, 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If you received this email in error please accept my apologies and feel free to unsubscribe at the link below.</p><p><em><strong><a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a></strong>&nbsp;is an early-stage fund led by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bzises/">Ben Zises</a> that invests in Consumer, PropTech &amp; Future of Work. </em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://superangel.vc/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Brian Keller, Charlie Carlisle & Jordi Hays, Co-Founders of Rorra 💧]]></title><description><![CDATA[Issue #52 In our 52nd edition we are featuring Brian Keller, Charlie Carlisle & Jordi Hays, co-founders of Rorra, a water filtration company dedicated to solving the tap water crisis in America &#128167;.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-brian-keller-charlie</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-brian-keller-charlie</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 22 Nov 2024 13:45:05 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ddd187a-1d8c-4063-8fa1-cae6f176ceb3_679x562.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong><a href="https://www.superangel.blog/s/founder-fridays">Founder Friday</a></strong> is a content series from <a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a> that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</em></p><p><em><a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a>&nbsp;is an early-stage fund led by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bzises/">Ben Zises</a> that invests in Consumer, PropTech &amp; Future of Work. So far, we have invested <a href="https://linktr.ee/superangelfund">over $20m into 100+ companies</a>. Apply to invest with us by <a href="https://forms.gle/Jo3vGiyKGhjdFTjC7">clicking here</a>.</em></p><p><strong>In our 52nd edition we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandavid7/">Brian Keller</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-carlisle/">Charlie Carlisle</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordi-hays-559199113">Jordi Hays</a>, co-founders of <a href="https://rorra.com/">Rorra</a>, a water filtration company dedicated to solving the tap water crisis in America &#128167;.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!46pv!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ddd187a-1d8c-4063-8fa1-cae6f176ceb3_679x562.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!46pv!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ddd187a-1d8c-4063-8fa1-cae6f176ceb3_679x562.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!46pv!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ddd187a-1d8c-4063-8fa1-cae6f176ceb3_679x562.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!46pv!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ddd187a-1d8c-4063-8fa1-cae6f176ceb3_679x562.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!46pv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ddd187a-1d8c-4063-8fa1-cae6f176ceb3_679x562.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!46pv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ddd187a-1d8c-4063-8fa1-cae6f176ceb3_679x562.jpeg" width="728" height="602.5567010309278" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/8ddd187a-1d8c-4063-8fa1-cae6f176ceb3_679x562.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:562,&quot;width&quot;:679,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:728,&quot;bytes&quot;:55948,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!46pv!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ddd187a-1d8c-4063-8fa1-cae6f176ceb3_679x562.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!46pv!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ddd187a-1d8c-4063-8fa1-cae6f176ceb3_679x562.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!46pv!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ddd187a-1d8c-4063-8fa1-cae6f176ceb3_679x562.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!46pv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F8ddd187a-1d8c-4063-8fa1-cae6f176ceb3_679x562.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Left to right: Charlie Carlisle (Rorra), Ben Zises (me), Brian Keller (Rorra)</figcaption></figure></div><p>A few years ago, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/briandavid7/">Brian</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlie-carlisle/">Charlie</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jordi-hays-559199113">Jordi</a> all became fascinated with water quality for different reasons. For Brian and Jordi, they had become new dads and found their children, Ro and Rora, separately suffering from eczema. As it turns out, it was a direct result of the harmful substances in their water. Being the serial entrepreneurs that they are, they set out to build better solutions to address the problem of poor water quality.</p><p><strong>After several years of research and development, product testing and dozens of painstaking design iterations, <a href="https://rorra.com/">Rorra</a> finally launched yesterday &#127881;&#128640;! </strong></p><p><a href="https://rorra.com/">Rorra</a> is developing a suite of beautiful water filtration products that use best-in-class technology to protect families wherever they use or consume water.</p><p>Unfortunately, <a href="https://www.nrdc.org/stories/americas-failing-drinking-water-system#agriculture-contamination">tap water contamination is one of the biggest issues facing Americans today</a>. This is a direct result of deteriorating infrastructure, poor regulation and inadequate treatment at water plants. The water piped into our homes can be a filthy cocktail of heavy metals like lead, <a href="https://www.ewg.org/interactive-maps/pfas_contamination/map/">PFAS (AKA &#8220;forever chemicals&#8221;)</a>, <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microplastics">microplastics</a>, SSRIs, bacteria, chlorine, and hundreds of carcinogens known to cause lasting health problems. The water we shower in, bathe our children in, wash our dishes in, and use in our everyday lives is more harmful to long-term health than it ever has been.</p><p>For these reasons, <a href="https://rorra.com/">Rorra&#8217;s</a> mission is as important as any company that I have ever invested in. They are committed to reducing exposure to these harmful contaminants to give consumers peace of mind and to live healthier lives. </p><div class="pullquote"><p><strong><a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/01/08/health/bottled-water-nanoplastics-study-wellness/index.html">A new study led by researchers from Columbia and Rutgers universities</a> showed that bottled water can contain 10 to 100 times more bits of plastic than previously estimated, averaging 240,000 micro and nanoplastic fragments per liter of bottled water. This material can migrate through our bodies and lead to incredibly harmful results, <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/science/scientists-find-about-a-quarter-million-invisible-microplastic-particles-in-a-liter-of-bottled-water">much of which is still unknown</a>.</strong></p></div><p>And while the company plans to launch plenty of product expansions over time, they are starting with a <a href="https://rorra.com/">2.5 Gallon Countertop System</a> that utilizes a <a href="https://rorra.com/pages/rigorously-tested">proprietary Enfinity&#8482; Filter to significantly reduce harmful contaminants</a>. It is made from Stainless Steel instead of cheaper and more harmful plastic materials designed for high performance, durability and ease-of-use. The Countertop System also delivers clean drinking water without the need for a plug-in power source and can be used anywhere in the world. And better yet, it is available at an affordable price with a filter subscription to guarantee customers continuously clean water.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bt-4!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb86e9d80-80e8-4c65-b588-bd7269710a56_1083x913.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bt-4!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb86e9d80-80e8-4c65-b588-bd7269710a56_1083x913.jpeg 424w, 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https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bt-4!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb86e9d80-80e8-4c65-b588-bd7269710a56_1083x913.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bt-4!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb86e9d80-80e8-4c65-b588-bd7269710a56_1083x913.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!bt-4!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb86e9d80-80e8-4c65-b588-bd7269710a56_1083x913.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Prior to <a href="https://rorra.com/">Rorra</a>, Brian and Charlie worked together for nearly a decade at another mission-driven consumer product company called <a href="https://loveyourmelon.com/">Love Your Melon</a>, which Brian co-founded in 2012 in an entrepreneurship class as a student at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. Over 10+ years, Love Your Melon reached extraordinary success before getting acquired in 2021. More importantly, the brand had a similarly inspiring mission: <a href="https://loveyourmelon.com/pages/giving">to improve the lives of children and their families battling pediatric cancer</a>. By the time they exited the business, Love Your Melon had donated nearly $10m and 250,000 products to the fight against pediatric cancer!</p><div class="pullquote"><p><strong><a href="https://rorra.com/">Rorra</a> is a water filtration company dedicated to solving one of humanity&#8217;s greatest health problems: access to clean and safe water &#128167;</strong></p></div><p>In deciding on their next adventure, all three partners sought an opportunity where they could create an equally large and everlasting lasting societal impact. Enter <a href="https://rorra.com/">Rorra</a>.</p><p>With the largest companies in the space created decades ago and using technology and designs that are also decades old, <a href="https://rorra.com/">Rorra</a> believes there is an opportunity for a new brand to modernize the industry. The company is focused on transparency, <a href="https://rorra.com/pages/rigorously-tested">working with the best labs and certification bodies in the world, such as the NSF</a>, to test their products and provide data to consumers that many other water filtration brands obfuscate or omit entirely. </p><p>To advance their mission, the company plans to sell its products omnichannel to optimize for mass distribution, wide scale accessibility and at a reasonable and more compelling price point for all.</p><p>Together, Brian, Charlie and Jordi collectively bring a vast set of skills across product, operations, and financial expertise rarely found all together. These hard skills are only matched by their soft skills: resiliency, grit and resourcefulness, that I believe are needed to become a true outlier success.</p><p><a href="https://rorra.com/">Click this link to order your Rorra system</a> and get your drink on!</p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Describe your company in 5 words or less?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Brian:</strong> The water you can trust.</p><p><strong>Charlie: </strong>Cleaner water for healthier lives. </p><p><strong>Jordi:</strong> Beautiful water filters.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Brian: </strong>I had a daughter, Aurora, about two years ago. She suffered from eczema with an unknown cause shortly following her birth. My son, about two years older, had it as well and I realized it wasn't a one off issue. The doctors told us to bathe her every day and gave us steroid cream to apply to the hot spots. The more I bathed her, the worse it got. I wanted to understand the source instead of applying a Band-Aid fix. I got a filtered showerhead and after bathing her in filtered water for about 2 days, her eczema completely subsided. This lead me to dig further into what was in our water and how it affects our overall health. We looked into the solutions in the market and realized there weren&#8217;t great options. We realized that water quality was one of the largest issues facing Americans today and we set out to create a solution - Rorra.</p><p><strong>Charlie:</strong> I live in Denver, we've got a widely publicized lead problem in our area (The city literally takes out billboards about not using tap water for baby formula, etc). I've been in and out of about six different filtration solutions over the last decade. Implementing a lot of those learnings and my own experience as a user was extremely useful in developing our requirements set for our first product and those to come to make sure they work reliably, are highly effective at reducing harmful contaminants, and ultimately create a user experience that will lead to brand loyalty and preventing product use attrition.</p><p><strong>Jordi:</strong> Wanting clean water for our families.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What new product/feature are you most excited about and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Brian:</strong> The Countertop System. It's a huge step forward in reducing our exposure to the harmful contaminants we are drinking every day and it truly delivers water that is not only better for us, but is done without cutting corners. We invested a significant amount of time, money, and engineering into building a product that can deliver better performance and a user experience that is simple to use and fits seamlessly into any kitchen.</p><p><strong>Charlie: </strong>Honestly for the Countertop System our filter tech and weight-based accurate usage sensor are distinctly unique to our space. Separately having spent so much time in our system components factory overseas has given me a profound appreciation for how difficult it is to actually make beautiful products from stainless steel, which also sets us apart from a lot of our competitors who either make ugly objects or otherwise use plastic materials instead for their systems.</p><p><strong>Jordi: </strong>Our countertop system. It's two years in the making and by far the most beautiful product I've been involved with making.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Brian:</strong> Find the intersection between what you're passionate about, what you're good at, and where there is market fit. In that intersection is where you will find a business worth pursuing.</p><p><strong>Charlie:</strong> Grit/grind, go together to go far (get at least one badass business partner), and the squeaky wheel always gets the grease. In order to succeed as an entrepreneur you need to have an uncommon amount of grit and persistence to weather storms, believe in yourself and team even when things are rough, and have the confidence, charisma and persistence. Get important stakeholders (investors, manufacturers, influencers, etc) bought into your vision to help you bring it to life.</p><p><strong>Jordi:</strong> Play the long game. I believe that when we launch we'll look like an overnight success to the world, but we've been building Rorra for two years in silence.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Brian:</strong> Spend time with my amazing children and wife.</p><p><strong>Charlie:</strong> Backcountry snowboarding, hiking, camping, working out, spending time with my dog and loved ones.</p><p><strong>Jordi:</strong> Hang with my family, invest in other startups, and drive fast cars.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Brian:</strong> Last December, when we were working on Rorra, I traveled with my family to Florida. Neither of my kids had any skin issues since we began filtering our water but it only took a few days of them bathing in the water there until both of them had flare ups all over their bodies. It reinforced the need for what we're building.</p><p><strong>Charlie:</strong> Mainland China is an extremely interesting place that I've now been able to visit quite a bit in the last year through Rorra. As much as the media makes you believe (and in some cases realities) are vastly different from the US, the people I meet are really similar to us. Everyone just wants a better life for themselves and loved ones.</p><p><strong>Jordi:</strong> Hereticon - Founders Fund's annual conference in Miami. It was a pretty remarkable group of people and everyone had an opinion on water.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Brian:</strong> Supermetrics is a very powerful tool if you know how to use it. I use it for multiple purposes to track data across platforms to be able to make more informed projections and daily optimizations.</p><p><strong>Charlie:</strong> Google Sheets. If you are highly competent with it's different features and plugins you can go very far.</p><p><strong>Jordi:</strong> X - best way to learn and connect with peers.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you want to be when you grow up (besides a successful founder)? &#128522;</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Brian:</strong> Build companies that solve the largest issues we face.</p><p><strong>Charlie: </strong>Self-reliant, Renaissance Man who supports his family and protects the outdoors and environment at large.</p><p><strong>Jordi: </strong>Since I was a kid I always wanted to be an "international business man" so hopefully we can sell a lot of Rorra units overseas quickly.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p><strong>Brian:</strong> Leadership &amp; determination.</p><p><strong>Charlie: </strong>Unwavering belief in yourself, team and vision.</p><p><strong>Jordi: </strong>Vision + relevant execution.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://rorra.com/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ue95!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cdfa665-96d2-462e-8cab-95282a78ec38_960x960.webp 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ue95!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cdfa665-96d2-462e-8cab-95282a78ec38_960x960.webp 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!ue95!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1cdfa665-96d2-462e-8cab-95282a78ec38_960x960.webp 1272w, 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If you received this email in error please accept my apologies and feel free to unsubscribe at the link below.</p><p><em><strong><a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a></strong>&nbsp;is an early-stage fund led by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bzises/">Ben Zises</a> that invests in Consumer, PropTech &amp; Future of Work. </em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://superangel.vc/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" width="40" height="40" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:40,&quot;width&quot;:40,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://superangel.vc/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Tayler & Rett Carraway, Co-Founders of Happy Medium 🎨]]></title><description><![CDATA[Issue #51 In our 51st edition we are featuring Tayler Carraway & Rett Carraway, co-founders of Happy Medium, a modern arts club that offers one-of-a-kind experiences, art supply products and other creative activities for adults & kids &#127912;.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-tayler-and-rett-carraway</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-tayler-and-rett-carraway</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 25 Oct 2024 12:45:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1864babe-2946-4566-a981-718ca63ad7e2_1160x1205.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong><a href="https://www.superangel.blog/s/founder-fridays">Founder Friday</a></strong> is a content series from <a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a> &amp; <a href="http://superangelsyndicate.com/">SuperAngelSyndicate.com</a> that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</em></p><p><em><a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel</a>&nbsp;is led by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bzises/">Ben Zises</a> and invests in early-stage Consumer, PropTech &amp; Future of Work companies. So far, we have invested <a href="https://linktr.ee/superangelfund">over $20m into 100+ companies</a> alongside more than 500 LPs. <a href="https://forms.gle/CCoUXZzktgh6kBN49">Click here to join the syndicate and access free deal flow.</a> </em></p><p><strong>In our 51st edition we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayler-carraway-211b10195/">Tayler Carraway</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rett-carraway-29230531/">Rett Carraway</a>, co-founders of <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gethappymedium/">Happy Medium</a>, a modern arts club that offers one-of-a-kind experiences, art supply products and other creative activities for adults &amp; kids &#127912;.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uNcR!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1864babe-2946-4566-a981-718ca63ad7e2_1160x1205.jpeg" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uNcR!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1864babe-2946-4566-a981-718ca63ad7e2_1160x1205.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uNcR!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1864babe-2946-4566-a981-718ca63ad7e2_1160x1205.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uNcR!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1864babe-2946-4566-a981-718ca63ad7e2_1160x1205.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uNcR!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1864babe-2946-4566-a981-718ca63ad7e2_1160x1205.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uNcR!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1864babe-2946-4566-a981-718ca63ad7e2_1160x1205.jpeg" width="727" height="755.2025862068965" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1864babe-2946-4566-a981-718ca63ad7e2_1160x1205.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1205,&quot;width&quot;:1160,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:727,&quot;bytes&quot;:254466,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uNcR!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1864babe-2946-4566-a981-718ca63ad7e2_1160x1205.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uNcR!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1864babe-2946-4566-a981-718ca63ad7e2_1160x1205.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uNcR!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1864babe-2946-4566-a981-718ca63ad7e2_1160x1205.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uNcR!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1864babe-2946-4566-a981-718ca63ad7e2_1160x1205.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption">Left to right: Ben Zises, Rett Carraway &amp; Talyer Carraway, June 18, 2021. A few days before Happy Medium opened its first location at <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/85vnsZ6cUT11LgnT7">49 Market Street, NYC</a> &#128248;)</figcaption></figure></div><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayler-carraway-211b10195/">Tayler </a>&amp; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rett-carraway-29230531/">Rett </a>have been working together for over a decade after meeting at UNC Chapel Hill where they had back to back Art and Advanced Macroeconomics classes. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tayler-carraway-211b10195/">Tayler</a> built a career in eCommerce, spending four years at J. Crew and training under the legendary <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mickey_Drexler">Mickey Drexler</a>, before moving onto Ralph Lauren, Victoria&#8217;s Secret and most recently as VP of Revenue at Hill House Home. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rett-carraway-29230531/">Rett</a> began his career in investment banking and finance before becoming a self-taught product and technology aficionado.</p><p>Along the way, the pair became increasingly burnt out staring at screens all day and turned to arts and crafts to slow down, disconnect, and destress. To their surprise, they were shocked at the state of the creative goods industry. Outdated websites, low quality products, and a complete lack of concern for customer success defined the likes of Michaels, Blick, and Hobby Lobby.</p><p>In the summer of 2019, they turned their living room into an art studio and started hosting art parties as an excuse to make art with as many people as possible. When they started getting invite requests from strangers, they knew they were on to something and Happy Medium was born.</p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/gethappymedium">Happy Medium</a> officially opened its doors in July 2021, and has served more than 150,000 customers since, doubling the size of the business each year. In March 2024 the company <a href="https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/new-york/happy-medium-opens-brooklyn-location">opened its second location in Greenpoint, Brooklyn</a> to satisfy the insatiable demand.</p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/gethappymedium/">Happy Medium</a> offers a number of different products &amp; services, events and experiential offerings. They have  <a href="https://happy-medium.co/events">art classes &amp; figure drawing</a>, <a href="https://happy-medium.co/events/build-a-chair">woodworking</a>, <a href="https://happy-medium.co/events/large-canvas">canvas painting</a>, <a href="https://happy-medium.co/pottery">pottery</a> and <a href="https://happy-medium.co/art-cafe">pioneered a now viral &#8220;Art Cafe&#8221; concept</a> whereby just like a restaurant, customers make a reservation and order art experiences tableside instead of food.</p><div class="pullquote"><p><strong>Their vision: </strong> Create a modern art brand that is as magical and exciting as FAO Schwarz is for toys or the fictional Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory is for sweets. <strong>Their mission</strong>: unlock the world&#8217;s creative potential to support a happier and healthier lifestyle. </p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/gethappymedium">Click here to see photos on Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@gethappymedium">Click here to see photos on TikTok</a></p></div><p>What started as a simple idea has turned into a massive vision, with enormous commercial and financial upside. <strong>After seeing success in these first two locations, Happy Medium is looking to expand into other major cities over the coming years, including Chicago, Austin, LA &amp; Miami, among others.&nbsp;</strong></p><p>Beyond physical store experiences, Happy Medium plans to launch a robust consumer product line of art supplies which they plan to sell eCommerce via their own website and in strategic wholesale channels. <strong>And,</strong> <strong>just as they&#8217;ve done from the start, the company plans to run a profitable business in perpetuity, adding to top line revenue growth only when it comes with bottom line results. </strong></p><p>Through a collection of ongoing PR hits, including features in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/23/arts/design/nyc-art-cafe.html">The New York Times</a>, <a href="https://www.timeout.com/newyork/things-to-do/happy-medium">Time Out</a>, <a href="https://www.thrillist.com/lifestyle/new-york/happy-medium-opens-brooklyn-location">Thrillist</a>, <a href="https://secretnyc.co/happy-medium-nyc/">Secret NYC</a>, <a href="https://www.architecturaldigest.com/gallery/best-things-to-do-in-new-york-city-for-design-lovers">Architectural Digest</a> (Listed among the 19 Best Things to Do in NYC), and their ever growing social media following across <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@gethappymedium">TikTok</a>, <a href="https://www.instagram.com/gethappymedium">Instagram</a> and <a href="https://maps.app.goo.gl/8n25h7H6H2c1DiYV7">reviews on Google</a>, word of mouth has spread like wildfire. All of this organic marketing has led to a surge in customer demand with classes often selling out within minutes and a waitlist that quickly fills up. <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/DAWZpcMR8lh/?img_index=2">Click here to see their October 2024 event calendar</a>!</p><p>With the Global Arts &amp; Crafts market <a href="https://www.verifiedmarketresearch.com/product/arts-and-crafts-market/">exceeding $40B+ and projected to reach ~$80B by 2030</a>, coupled with the historically strong financial attributes like high margins and repeat purchase rates, they saw a way to reinvent the way adults (<a href="https://www.instagram.com/happymediumsmalls/">and kids!</a>) engage their creativity, transforming making art from a childhood pastime to a modern form of active meditation.</p><p><strong><a href="https://linktr.ee/gethappymedium?">Click here to learn more about the Happy Medium experiences and make a reservation to experience it for yourself!</a></strong></p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Describe your company in 5 words or less?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Tayler: Arts Club for Casual Artists.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Tayler: My own desire to get back into my creativity as an adult.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What new product/feature are you most excited about and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Tayler: Expanding outside of our 4 walls and into CPG!</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Tayler: Test your idea on as many people, as cheaply as possible before committing to any major expenses.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Tayler: Hike with my pup :)</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Tayler: Behind the scenes of the Whitney Museum - we interviewed a curator for an upcoming podcast and it was so interesting to see where and how they work!</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Tayler: My iPhone! I shoot most of our marketing content on my phone and would be totally lost without it. </p></blockquote><p>What do you want to be when you grow up (besides a successful founder, of course)? &#128522;</p><blockquote><p>Tayler: An author.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Tayler: Resourcefulness.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.instagram.com/gethappymedium/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!WBfR!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F924a8664-73d9-4115-bb36-0e6b6f1f4b5f_1242x1063.jpeg 424w, 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https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xeSF!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4931edf9-6521-41b9-aa1c-d3a15321de57_780x186.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xeSF!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4931edf9-6521-41b9-aa1c-d3a15321de57_780x186.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xeSF!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F4931edf9-6521-41b9-aa1c-d3a15321de57_780x186.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><div><hr></div><p>Want to invest with SuperAngel?</p><ol><li><p><a href="https://forms.gle/CCoUXZzktgh6kBN49">Join SuperAngelSyndicate.com</a>. Once accepted, syndicate members are invited to review deal memos whenever I have a new investment to share and can choose to invest or pass at their discretion. Minimums generally start at $2,500 and priority allocations are given to Fund LPs on a first-come, first-served basis.&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/CCoUXZzktgh6kBN49">Click here to request an invitation to the syndicate</a>.</p></li><li><p><a href="https://forms.gle/H9iVnQermYJMLpD89">Join SuperAngel.Fund</a>. Unlike the syndicate, the Fund is my primary investment vehicle and provides diversified exposure to every company SuperAngel invests in, one of the most important attributes of a successful early stage portfolio. 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If you received this email in error please accept my apologies and feel free to unsubscribe at the link below.</p><p><em><strong><a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a></strong>&nbsp;is an early stage fund led by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bzises/">Ben Zises</a> that invests in Consumer, PropTech &amp; Future of Work. </em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://superangel.vc/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" width="40" height="40" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:40,&quot;width&quot;:40,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://superangel.vc/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Shehryar Hussain, Co-Founder & CEO of AccelPay 💳🍷]]></title><description><![CDATA[Issue #50 In our 50th edition we are featuring Shehryar Hussain, Co-Founder & CEO of AccelPay, an eCommerce software platform that is building the "Shopify for alcohol,&#8221; by enabling brands to sell online direct-to-consumer (DTC) in compliance with federal and state laws.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-shehryar-hussain-co</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-shehryar-hussain-co</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 14 Jun 2024 12:46:09 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd664b32f-760f-4a94-a73b-e56bdf511d8b_1697x1114.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong><a href="https://www.superangel.blog/s/founder-fridays">Founder Friday</a></strong> is a content series from <a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a> &amp; <a href="http://superangelsyndicate.com/">SuperAngelSyndicate.com</a> that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them. </em></p><p><em><a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel</a>&nbsp;is led by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bzises/">Ben Zises</a> and invests in early stage Consumer, PropTech &amp; Future of Work companies. So far, we have invested $20m into 100+ companies alongside more than 500+ LPs. <a href="https://forms.gle/CCoUXZzktgh6kBN49">Click here to join the syndicate and access some of our deal flow</a>. </em></p><p><strong>In our 50th edition we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shehryarhussain/">Shehryar Hussain</a>, Co-Founder &amp; CEO of <a href="https://www.accelpay.io/">AccelPay</a>, an eCommerce software platform that is building the "Shopify for alcohol,&#8221; by enabling brands to sell online direct-to-consumer (DTC) in compliance with federal and state laws.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shehryarhussain/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" 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stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a><figcaption class="image-caption"><em>Left to Right: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bzises/">Ben Zises</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/superjwaller/">Josh Waller</a> (AccelPay), <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevinweatherman/">Kevin Weatherman</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/samhuleatt/">Sam Huleatt</a> (Angel Investors in AccelPay), <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shehryarhussain/">Shehyrar Hussain</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesley-yee-522309176/">Wesley Yee</a> (AccelPay)</em></figcaption></figure></div><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shehryarhussain/">Shehryar</a> is far from a beginner when it comes to building or working with startups. While attending the University of Connecticut where he earned a degree in Economics, Shehryar started a marketplace specifically for college students to buy and sell products directly from each other at their university. After graduation, he taught himself how to code and landed a coveted role as an iPhone app developer at a VC-backed tech company before spending six years as a Senior Software Engineer. Suffice to say, Shehyrar put in his time working for &#8220;the man&#8221;!</p><p>In mid 2021, Shehryar decided it was time to build for himself again and joined the <a href="https://www.beondeck.com/">OnDeck Founder Fellowship program</a>. And after tinkering with a handful of ideas, one of Shehryar&#8217;s friends told him about the struggles he was facing while launching a new Tequila brand. Unlike most CPG companies that expanded into the eCommerce channel over the past 20 years, selling alcohol on the internet has been a far more complicated task with slower market adoption. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prohibition_in_the_United_States">Since Prohibition ended in 1933</a>, alcohol brands have been forced to adhere to the "<a href="https://www.nabca.org/three-tier-system">three-tier system</a>&#8221; whereby&nbsp;<em><strong>producers (brands)</strong></em> can only sell to <em><strong>wholesale</strong> <strong>distributors</strong>,</em>&nbsp;who can only sell to <em><strong>retailers</strong></em>, who are then allowed to sell to consumers. </p><p>This structure has resulted in rigid compliance requirements, all but eliminating most alcohol brands from selling online (except via third party marketplaces) given the impact on&nbsp;payments, shipping, marketing, data privacy and putting significant downward pressure on margins. Even worse, it limits a brand from&nbsp;owning their own first-party data and maintaining a direct relationship with their customers - crucial for any marketer.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.accelpay.io/">AccelPay</a>&nbsp;set out to solve these problems - not just for Shehryar&#8217;s friend - but for the industry as a whole. Along with his co-founders, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/superjwaller/">Josh Waller</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-s-b0950245/">Jim Saunders</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/wesley-yee-522309176/">Wesley Yee</a>, three of whom have engineering backgrounds, the team built a platform that provides the underlying technology allowing brands to sell to consumers on their own websites (DTC), while staying compliant with the &#8220;<a href="https://www.nabca.org/three-tier-system">three-tier system</a>&#8221; and other regulations. </p><p>With the <em>online</em> alcohol sales market expected to grow dramatically over the coming years, <a href="https://www.statista.com/statistics/1414605/alcohol-e-commerce-revenue-worldwide/">forecasted to increase from $35B in 2023 to $50B+ by 2029</a>, the timing could not be better. <a href="https://www.accelpay.io/">Through their suite of eCommerce and payment solutions</a>, AccelPay not only boosts an alcohol brand's operational efficiency but also give them ownership of all their customer data while enabling an entirely new sales channel.&nbsp;</p><div class="pullquote"><p><strong>How It Works:</strong> As a customer reaches checkout, AccelPay identifies where the customer is located, sends a simple API request, and intelligently matches the customer to an entity legally entitled to fulfill the customer&#8217;s order. The team built its own proprietary network of licensed retailers enabled with real-time inventory and passes all the data back to the producer - all while making it as seamless as any other eCommerce experience. <a href="https://losdostequila.com/">Click here to give it a try</a>!</p></div><p>Given the innovation, it&#8217;s no wonder customers are taking notice. Last year, AccelPay processed more than $10,000,000 of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gross_merchandise_volume">Gross Merchandise Value (GMV)</a> and earns a portion of that in the form of transaction and recurring revenue platform fees. The business is on a tear, with sales up over 80% YoY and tracking towards $25,000,000+ of GMV in 2024.</p><p>The company has grown from 100 customers in June 2023 to more than 300+ paying customers today, including some of the world's largest brands owned by <a href="https://www.ab-inbev.com/">ABInBev</a>, <a href="https://www.pernod-ricard.com/en">Pernod Ricard</a>, <a href="https://www1.mhusa.com/">Moet Hennessy</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://proximospirits.com/">Promixo</a>, <a href="https://ir.tilray.com/">Tilray</a> and <a href="https://stoli.com/">Stoli</a>.</p><p>AccelPay&#8217;s mission: To modernize the alcohol industry by making it simple to sell, market and distribute alcohol products, and potentially other regulated items in the future (think Cannabis or Tobacco).</p><p>Explore <a href="https://www.accelpay.io/">the AccelPay website here</a> and check out our Q&amp;A with Shehryar below! &#128071;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://www.accelpay.io/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cA7S!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb922f641-0687-4c57-bbb6-abec389936d2_768x191.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cA7S!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb922f641-0687-4c57-bbb6-abec389936d2_768x191.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cA7S!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb922f641-0687-4c57-bbb6-abec389936d2_768x191.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cA7S!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb922f641-0687-4c57-bbb6-abec389936d2_768x191.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cA7S!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb922f641-0687-4c57-bbb6-abec389936d2_768x191.png" width="768" height="191" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/b922f641-0687-4c57-bbb6-abec389936d2_768x191.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:191,&quot;width&quot;:768,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:45341,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.accelpay.io/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cA7S!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb922f641-0687-4c57-bbb6-abec389936d2_768x191.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cA7S!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb922f641-0687-4c57-bbb6-abec389936d2_768x191.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cA7S!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb922f641-0687-4c57-bbb6-abec389936d2_768x191.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cA7S!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fb922f641-0687-4c57-bbb6-abec389936d2_768x191.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><div><hr></div><p><strong>Describe your company in 5 words or less?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Shehryar: E-Commerce infrastructure for Alcohol brands</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Shehryar: The alcohol industry has lagged behind dramatically when it comes to E-Commerce, brands in this category haven't had a good way to engage their current customers and find new ones online. Finding ways for software to help enable these businesses to own their digital channels is an exciting and complex problem to solve.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Shehryar: Find a real problem, let that guide you to the right solution, don't fall into the trap of having a solution and then finding a problem for it to solve. If you solve a real pain point then you have the beginnings of something.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Shehryar: Walking the dog, eating around the neighborhood, and if I can actually - writing some code!</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Shehryar: Singapore! They take their food very seriously.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Shehryar: It used to be Alfred for just the clipboard history/launcher but now that I'm constantly in my inbox it's become Superhuman. I was skeptical about Superhuman at first but the small time savings with all the shortcuts has really been amazing, and I haven't even really dug into using snippets yet.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Shehryar: Resilience.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.accelpay.io/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!uUO8!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0009318e-6041-41c5-a79c-ca2783c95637_1046x510.jpeg 424w, 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y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://www.accelpay.io/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iOUp!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25572362-9f6d-410d-bd45-a0727ea801aa_1180x279.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iOUp!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25572362-9f6d-410d-bd45-a0727ea801aa_1180x279.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iOUp!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25572362-9f6d-410d-bd45-a0727ea801aa_1180x279.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iOUp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25572362-9f6d-410d-bd45-a0727ea801aa_1180x279.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iOUp!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25572362-9f6d-410d-bd45-a0727ea801aa_1180x279.png" width="1180" height="279" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/25572362-9f6d-410d-bd45-a0727ea801aa_1180x279.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:279,&quot;width&quot;:1180,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:22663,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.accelpay.io/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!iOUp!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F25572362-9f6d-410d-bd45-a0727ea801aa_1180x279.png 424w, 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If you received this email in error please accept my apologies and feel free to unsubscribe at the link below.</p><p><em><strong><a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a></strong>&nbsp;is an early stage fund led by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bzises/">Ben Zises</a> that invests in Consumer (CPG, eCommerce SaaS), PropTech &amp; Future of Work. </em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://superangel.vc/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Julia Tolmachyov & Michelle Liao, Co-Founders of DayZero 📊]]></title><description><![CDATA[In our 49th edition we are featuring Julia Tolmachyov and Michelle Liao, co-founders of DayZero, an AI-powered financial operating system for eCommerce, CPG & omnichannel merchants.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-julia-tolmachyov-and</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-julia-tolmachyov-and</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 12 Apr 2024 12:45:34 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F76328929-356b-4842-9517-92c61eed622d_912x441.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong><a href="https://www.superangel.blog/s/founder-fridays">Founder Friday</a></strong> is a content series from <a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a> that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</em></p><p><strong>In our 49th edition we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-tolmachyov-32b689b7/">Julia Tolmachyov</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-liao-b1008b59/">Michelle Liao</a>, co-founders of <a href="https://www.ondayzero.com">DayZero</a>, an AI-powered financial operating system for eCommerce, CPG &amp; omnichannel merchants.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.ondayzero.com/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!POhi!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F76328929-356b-4842-9517-92c61eed622d_912x441.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!POhi!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F76328929-356b-4842-9517-92c61eed622d_912x441.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!POhi!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F76328929-356b-4842-9517-92c61eed622d_912x441.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!POhi!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F76328929-356b-4842-9517-92c61eed622d_912x441.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!POhi!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F76328929-356b-4842-9517-92c61eed622d_912x441.png" width="912" height="441" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/76328929-356b-4842-9517-92c61eed622d_912x441.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:441,&quot;width&quot;:912,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:560349,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.ondayzero.com/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!POhi!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F76328929-356b-4842-9517-92c61eed622d_912x441.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!POhi!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F76328929-356b-4842-9517-92c61eed622d_912x441.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!POhi!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F76328929-356b-4842-9517-92c61eed622d_912x441.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!POhi!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F76328929-356b-4842-9517-92c61eed622d_912x441.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Julia and Michelle know a thing or two about finance. The pair first met at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where both earned degrees in Economics, Finance &amp; Accounting. <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-tolmachyov-32b689b7/">Julia</a> spent the next five years as a public credit and equity investor covering software and retail, while <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-liao-b1008b59/">Michelle</a> worked in investment banking and private equity before joining an eCommerce aggregator as Head of Finance. After performing due diligence on hundreds of eCommerce brands and operating over a dozen more, Michelle identified a major hole in the market when it came to managing finances.&nbsp;</p><p>In September 2023 the two founded <a href="https://www.ondayzero.com">DayZero</a>, a vertical software platform purpose-built for eCommerce and omnichannel sellers. The company launched its first product a few months ago, <a href="https://www.ondayzero.com/features/accounting">an automated accounting general ledger</a> to tackle all the most critical bookkeeping and accounting functions on behalf of its customers. Unlike a costly CPA or other legacy solutions on the market, DayZero pulls in real time data 24/7 and uses proprietary AI for mapping and categorizing transactions. This provides more accurate financial statements which get updated and reconciled 5x / day vs. once a month in Quickbooks. By leveraging its platform, business owners and their finance teams can spend more time on more strategic analysis, not manual data entry, offering a smarter, modern Quickbooks replacement. </p><div class="pullquote"><p>As many already know, Quickbooks lacks the features specifically necessary for eCommerce sellers, such as well-built Shopify and Amazon integrations, and methods for cost accounting SKUs. As such, sellers generally have to use 3+ tools to manage their financial functions leading to data loss, human errors and delays in getting insights. This last bit is especially important for merchants who face high transaction volumes and require real time insights for accurate inventory replenishment and ad buying. Quickbooks is simply not tailored to handle the high transaction volumes or to give the daily visibility that sellers need.</p></div><p>The market for <a href="https://www.ondayzero.com/">DayZero&#8217;s</a> solution is massive and growing, with over 1,000,000 Shopify sellers in North America, and millions more across Amazon, WooCommerce, Squarespace and other platforms. The number of Shopify merchants tripled during COVID and continues to grow, however, with approximately 95% of these businesses generating &lt; $1mm in revenue, most lack a dedicated finance team which is causing them to be itching for an all-in-one solution.&nbsp;</p><p>Thankfully, that solution is finally here. Brand owners or accounting firms can <a href="https://www.ondayzero.com/">click here to learn more</a>. For talented engineers looking for a career change within a high growth company, please reach out to <a href="mailto:julia@ondayzero.com">julia@ondayzero.com</a>. And, of course, check out our Q&amp;A with the <a href="https://www.ondayzero.com/">DayZero</a> founders below &#128071;</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://www.ondayzero.com/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-W5D!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9325cd3-7535-491b-b99c-c7e80bf45119_1400x350.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-W5D!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9325cd3-7535-491b-b99c-c7e80bf45119_1400x350.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-W5D!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9325cd3-7535-491b-b99c-c7e80bf45119_1400x350.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-W5D!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9325cd3-7535-491b-b99c-c7e80bf45119_1400x350.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-W5D!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9325cd3-7535-491b-b99c-c7e80bf45119_1400x350.jpeg" width="1400" height="350" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/e9325cd3-7535-491b-b99c-c7e80bf45119_1400x350.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:350,&quot;width&quot;:1400,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:12654,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.ondayzero.com/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-W5D!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9325cd3-7535-491b-b99c-c7e80bf45119_1400x350.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-W5D!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9325cd3-7535-491b-b99c-c7e80bf45119_1400x350.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-W5D!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9325cd3-7535-491b-b99c-c7e80bf45119_1400x350.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-W5D!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe9325cd3-7535-491b-b99c-c7e80bf45119_1400x350.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><div><hr></div><p><strong>Describe your company in 5 words or less?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Julia: Automated accounting for e-commerce sellers.</p><p>Michelle: Quickbooks killer.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Julia: I believe the way small businesses receive their financial information today is super antiquated. The traditional accounting process, where financial statements are prepared and reviewed monthly, was designed to give deference to the hours of manual work needed to gather and reconcile financial information from a business&#8217;s receipts and papers. But in 2024, we have the ability to track, gather and analyze data immediately. It&#8217;s crazy to me that most founders and business owners still only receive their financial information once a month.</p><p>Michelle: Numerous personal frustrations with Quickbooks; it was unusable for me, clunky, slow and the integrations with e-commerce platforms were subpar. At the e-commerce aggregator I worked at previously, I closed the books for all of our brands monthly and it was always a huge headache. And when I was looking at brands to acquire, I&#8217;d have to go in and redo all of their financials by hand, because everyone was calculating things like net sales and COGS differently. Plus many times, brand financials would be stale and not updated for months. Standardizing reporting across brands seemed beneficial not only for the brands themselves to have access to real time data, but for buyers, underwriters and investors into the brands.&nbsp;</p></blockquote><p><strong>What new product/feature are you most excited about and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Julia: We&#8217;re launching our working capital financing solution shortly, which I&#8217;m super excited about. eCommerce is notoriously capital intensive, as brands have a ton of cash outlay for inventory and marketing before making any revenue. They also require a lot of capital to scale effectively. A lot of brands we speak to are in a cash crunch, and we&#8217;re excited to be able to offer financing options for them. Given the real time financial data in our platform, we make for a great underwriting partner.&nbsp;</p><p>Michelle: I love our collaboration feature that we just launched. It makes it super easy for accountants to tag business owners and vice versa in transactions to ask questions and make edits. No more going back and forth in email.&nbsp;</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Julia: Don&#8217;t try to do everything yourself, even though you are going to want to. Ask for help, and outsource certain tasks that others can do better and faster. Your time is incredibly valuable.&nbsp;</p><p>Michelle: Make sure you have intimate knowledge of the pain point and the problem you&#8217;re trying to solve. And take all customer feedback seriously, even if it doesn&#8217;t validate your original thesis. Try not to have biases!&nbsp;</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Julia: Michelle and I both try to be active as a way to destress from DayZero. I love a good Barry&#8217;s class, Michelle loves anything outdoors like biking or skiing.&nbsp;</p><p>Michelle: Training for a triathlon!&nbsp;</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Julia: Hiking in Patagonia. It was breathtaking.&nbsp;</p><p>Michelle: I went to Brazil over New Year&#8217;s and absolutely loved it. The food, the culture and the weather was unbeatable - can&#8217;t wait to go back.&nbsp;</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Julia: Dripify (work). Peloton App (personal).</p><p>Michelle: Superhuman (work) and Strava (personal)&nbsp;.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Julia: Being able to distinguish between high value and low value tasks and being able to make fast decisions with imperfect information.</p><p>Michelle: Resilience and thick skin. You&#8217;re going to hear &#8220;no&#8221; a lot - from investors, customers and potential employees. 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If you received this email in error please accept my apologies and feel free to unsubscribe at the link below.</p><p><em><strong><a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a></strong>&nbsp;is an early stage fund led by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bzises/">Ben Zises</a> that invests in Consumer (CPG, eCommerce SaaS), PropTech &amp; Future of Work. </em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://superangel.vc/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Will Gahagan, Co-Founder & CEO of biom ♻️🌎]]></title><description><![CDATA[Issue #48 In our 48th edition we are featuring Will Gahagan, Co-Founder & CEO of biom, the world&#8217;s first refillable, plant-based & non-toxic wipes company.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-will-gahagan-co-founder</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-will-gahagan-co-founder</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 05 Jan 2024 13:45:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff587990-7020-42c3-ad0d-53d8910edcef_300x300.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong><a href="https://superangel.substack.com/s/founder-fridays">Founder Friday</a></strong> is a content series from <a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a> that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</em></p><p><strong>In our 48th edition we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-gahagan-a055341b/">Will Gahagan</a>, Co-Founder &amp; CEO of <a href="https://getbiom.co/">biom</a>, the world&#8217;s first refillable, plant-based &amp; non-toxic wipes company.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-gahagan-a055341b/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!124u!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff587990-7020-42c3-ad0d-53d8910edcef_300x300.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!124u!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff587990-7020-42c3-ad0d-53d8910edcef_300x300.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!124u!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff587990-7020-42c3-ad0d-53d8910edcef_300x300.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!124u!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff587990-7020-42c3-ad0d-53d8910edcef_300x300.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!124u!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff587990-7020-42c3-ad0d-53d8910edcef_300x300.jpeg" width="314" height="314" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ff587990-7020-42c3-ad0d-53d8910edcef_300x300.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:300,&quot;width&quot;:300,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:314,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Profile photo of Will Gahagan&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-gahagan-a055341b/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="Profile photo of Will Gahagan" title="Profile photo of Will Gahagan" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!124u!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff587990-7020-42c3-ad0d-53d8910edcef_300x300.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!124u!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff587990-7020-42c3-ad0d-53d8910edcef_300x300.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!124u!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff587990-7020-42c3-ad0d-53d8910edcef_300x300.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!124u!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fff587990-7020-42c3-ad0d-53d8910edcef_300x300.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-gahagan-a055341b/">Will has 12 years experience</a> leading go-to-market strategies and exceeding revenue targets at early stage startups. Prior to starting <a href="https://getbiom.co/">biom</a>, he was the Head of Sales at a Sequoia-backed company responsible for all revenue functions, and is a graduate of the University of Richmond&#8217;s Robins School of Business with a concentration in Finance. </p><p>While Will&#8217;s prior roles may not be what you would expect to see from a CPG brand founder, this &#8220;outsiders&#8221; mentality is <em>exactly</em> what is needed to bring about a change to an otherwise dated industry. </p><p>You may not realize it but the wipes industry is in DIRE need of a makeover - just look at their competition (image below)! As many investors know, it often takes someone with a totally fresh and unencumbered view of a category to transform it, and that is exactly what Will is doing here.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ovdh!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4a4273-8257-458c-8f97-29af40fbe1ab_1108x520.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ovdh!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4a4273-8257-458c-8f97-29af40fbe1ab_1108x520.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ovdh!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4a4273-8257-458c-8f97-29af40fbe1ab_1108x520.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ovdh!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4a4273-8257-458c-8f97-29af40fbe1ab_1108x520.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ovdh!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4a4273-8257-458c-8f97-29af40fbe1ab_1108x520.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ovdh!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4a4273-8257-458c-8f97-29af40fbe1ab_1108x520.png" width="1108" height="520" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/0a4a4273-8257-458c-8f97-29af40fbe1ab_1108x520.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:520,&quot;width&quot;:1108,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1361198,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ovdh!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4a4273-8257-458c-8f97-29af40fbe1ab_1108x520.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ovdh!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4a4273-8257-458c-8f97-29af40fbe1ab_1108x520.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ovdh!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4a4273-8257-458c-8f97-29af40fbe1ab_1108x520.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Ovdh!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0a4a4273-8257-458c-8f97-29af40fbe1ab_1108x520.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>While the Pandemic drove a <a href="https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/wet-wipes-market-report">180% increase in the use of disinfectant wipes</a>, most consumers are unaware of the harm these products cause. Not only do they contain toxins that have some serious known and unknown impacts to our health, but approximately <a href="https://getbiom.co/pages/why-biom-new">90% of all wet wipes contain pesticides and microplastic fibers that never break down</a>. Of the 260 trillion wipes produced each year (yes, you heard that number right), most are also sold in plastic packaging which makes them difficult to recycle and contributes to billions of pounds of waste, much of which ends up in the ocean - enough to fill 50 Empire State Buildings &#128561;. </p><p>As a resident of the port city Charleston, South Carolina, and having spent his most formative years on boats and swimming in the water, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-gahagan-a055341b/">Will</a> had seen enough of this pollution and was determined to clean up the wipes industry.</p><p>Along with co-founder <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hank-schellenger-13770a42/">Hank Schellenger</a>, a product-obsessed industrial designer, the pair knew that they needed to deliver a customer experience that was 10x better to effect more meaningful &amp; long-lasting change. They spent months researching and a year prototyping to create the perfect dispensers and wipes formula. </p><p>Biom is the result of their extraordinary efforts and delivers a product that is not only beautiful but <a href="https://getbiom.co/pages/why-biom-new">100% plant-based, non-toxic, biodegradable, and made with zero plastics and all natural ingredients</a>. Its wipes are safe for skin, kids, pets and the planet. </p><div class="pullquote"><p><a href="https://getbiom.co/">biom</a> is the world&#8217;s first refillable, plant-based &amp; non-toxic wipes brand with a suite of products&nbsp;across cleaning,&nbsp;personal care, beauty, and baby, all of which are safer for humans &amp; better for the planet &#127758;</p></div><p>The company launched last year and has seen remarkable consumer, retailer and wholesale demand in this $28B category. Beyond selling through their website, <a href="https://getbiom.co/">biom</a> has expanded to meet demand from commercial accounts such as Auberge Hotels, Citadel and Stanford University. They are the top selling wipe product in The Container Store and will soon be available at your local Target &#127919;. Outside their core product, they&#8217;ve already <a href="https://getbiom.co/">expanded into new categories selling All-Purpose, Flushable, &amp; Sanitizing wipes</a>, with more on the way to support facial, baby, pet, disinfectant &amp; intimate. </p><p><a href="https://www.instagram.com/getbiom/">Follow biom on Instagram</a> to keep updated and enjoy this Q&amp;A with Will below &#128071;</p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Describe your company in 5 words or less?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Will: Design-driven lifestyle brand.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Will: My dad was a professional sailor so I spent a ton of time on the ocean growing up &#8211; it&#8217;s my happy place. Just being near the ocean gives me a sense of comfort (why I spent 8 years in SF and now live in Charleston). I would do anything to help preserve it so my kids and grandkids can enjoy it the way I have. I kind of stumbled into wipes at the start of the pandemic as I was helping a friend source PPE for a large convenience store -- this was when I learned how horrendous wipes are, not just for the environment but also for human health. The more I dug in the uglier the reality became. My motivation in starting biom was to build a brand that contributed to a solution, rather than compounding a problem. I will also add that I am oddly drawn to unsexy, large markets &#8211; this checked both boxes and I found it to be uniquely stale.&nbsp;</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Will: Sounds clich&#233; but if you genuinely believe in something, then fully commit to it and refuse to give up. If it was easy, everyone would do it.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Will: Run, anything on the ocean, and ski (less often now that I&#8217;m in SC).</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Will: Hokkaido. I am obsessed with Japanese culture. It also snowed 12 feet over 8 days&#8230;Heaven.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Will: Work: Figma/Slack (tie), Personal: Strava</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Will: Resilience.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://getbiom.co/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NKJ7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F6939f48b-be37-454f-8bfa-df41e4c66e1f_2048x1151.webp 424w, 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Once accepted, syndicate members are invited to review deal memos whenever I have a new investment to share and can choose to invest or pass at their discretion. Minimums generally start at $2,500 and priority allocations are given to SuperAngel.Fund LPs on a first-come, first-served basis.&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/CCoUXZzktgh6kBN49">Click here to request an invitation to the syndicate</a>.</p></li><li><p><a href="https://forms.gle/H9iVnQermYJMLpD89">Join SuperAngel.Fund</a>. Unlike the syndicate, the fund is my primary investment vehicle and provides diversified exposure to every company SuperAngel invests in, one of the most important attributes of a successful early stage portfolio. LPs also receive priority access to co-investments. <a href="https://forms.gle/H9iVnQermYJMLpD89">Click here to request more information on the fund</a>.</p></li></ol><div><hr></div><p><em><strong>SuperAngel.Fund</strong>&nbsp;is an early stage fund led by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bzises/">Ben Zises</a> that invests in Consumer (CPG, eCommerce SaaS), PropTech &amp; Future of Work. You can learn more at <a href="http://superangel.fund/">SuperAngel.Fund</a>.</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" width="40" height="40" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:40,&quot;width&quot;:40,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4><strong>Why am I receiving this?</strong></h4><p>You are receiving this email because you are either a friend, co-investor, associate, or connection of Ben Zises or SuperAngel who at one point expressed interest in receiving updates and other correspondence from me. If you received this email in error please accept my apologies and feel free to unsubscribe at the link below.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Dipti Desai, Founder & CEO of Crstl 🌐🛒]]></title><description><![CDATA[In our 47th edition we are featuring Dipti Desai, Founder & CEO of Crstl, a modern B2B commerce platform that enables brands to scale beyond direct-to-consumer into other sales and distribution channels such as retail, online marketplaces, and wholesale accounts.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-dipti-desai-founder</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-dipti-desai-founder</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 15 Dec 2023 13:45:15 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d41a9b5-4838-439b-8061-acc8e719557b_500x471.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong><a href="https://superangel.substack.com/s/founder-fridays">Founder Friday</a></strong> is a content series from <a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a> that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</em></p><p><strong>In our 47th edition we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/diptidesai/">Dipti Desai</a>, Founder &amp; CEO of <a href="https://www.crstl.so/">Crstl</a>, a B2B commerce platform that enables brands to scale beyond direct-to-consumer into other sales and distribution channels such as retail, online marketplaces, and wholesale accounts.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/diptidesai/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Sc1!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d41a9b5-4838-439b-8061-acc8e719557b_500x471.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Sc1!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d41a9b5-4838-439b-8061-acc8e719557b_500x471.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Sc1!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d41a9b5-4838-439b-8061-acc8e719557b_500x471.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Sc1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d41a9b5-4838-439b-8061-acc8e719557b_500x471.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Sc1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d41a9b5-4838-439b-8061-acc8e719557b_500x471.jpeg" width="382" height="359.844" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2d41a9b5-4838-439b-8061-acc8e719557b_500x471.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:471,&quot;width&quot;:500,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:382,&quot;bytes&quot;:38904,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/in/diptidesai/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Sc1!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d41a9b5-4838-439b-8061-acc8e719557b_500x471.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Sc1!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d41a9b5-4838-439b-8061-acc8e719557b_500x471.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Sc1!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d41a9b5-4838-439b-8061-acc8e719557b_500x471.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!1Sc1!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2d41a9b5-4838-439b-8061-acc8e719557b_500x471.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/diptidesai/">Dipti</a> is a Silicon Valley veteran who has held&nbsp;multiple&nbsp;leadership roles in product and engineering at growth-stage startups across adtech, logistics, and SaaS. Prior to <a href="https://www.crstl.so/">Crstl</a>, Dipti was a Product Management and Strategy Lead at Uber. There, she oversaw a suite of more than eight data products, managed a team of 40 engineers and helped launch a crucial data platform to support the rides marketplace. Dipti has an Electrical Engineering Degree from Virginia Tech and Master&#8217;s in Public Policy with a focus in Technology from UC Berkeley. </p><p>Unlike some founders who experience a lightbulb moment, the idea for Crstl did not come about quite as simply. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Dipti offered her expertise to help a <a href="https://www.operationmasks.org/">nonprofit sell masks and other PPE online</a>. Her job was to develop a digital storefront so that consumers could purchase supplies without leaving their home. However, what she discovered as an eCommerce seller was a total lack of data transparency, no consistency in information availability and limited visibility into supplier logistics. Along with other brands she spoke with, it was very difficult for them to understand what was going on in their business. And, as they reached a saturation point selling via their own websites (AKA DTC), they started to think about what comes next. </p><p>Looking deeper into this problem Dipti saw the challenges that emerging brands and small businesses faced when trying to expand into other channels such as &#8220;big box retail&#8221;, online marketplaces, and wholesale. Namely, they were ill-equipped technologically to handle all the data, logistics, connectivity, compliance, testing &amp; certification required by leading trading partners, such as Walmart, Target, Whole Foods, and CVS to name a few. </p><p>What Dipti learned was that all the major retailers and their key suppliers use a data standard called <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_data_interchange">EDI, which stands for electronic data interchange</a>, to transact with each other. EDI allows for the streamlined exchange of information between parties while enabling compliance across each&#8217;s unique specifications. By using EDI, organizations including brands, retailers, suppliers, distributors, and manufacturers, could quickly and securely send and receive purchase orders, ship notices, invoices and share dozens of other required document types with each other. </p><p>However, it turns out, there were very few EDI solutions and the ones that did exist were extremely dated, cost-prohibitive and geared for developers as opposed to business owners, operators and non-technical teams. Enter <a href="https://www.crstl.so/">Crstl</a> &#127881;.</p><div class="pullquote"><p><a href="https://www.crstl.so/">Crstl</a>&nbsp;is a modern B2B commerce network for modern brands, fulfillment providers, and retailers. Their cutting-edge EDI platform seamlessly connects merchants to an extensive network of retailers, distributors, ERPs, WMSs, and more, &#8211; enabling them to grow their business with ease, reliability, and automation. <a href="https://docsend.com/view/h8msrqyewp3usjug">Click here to learn more</a>.</p></div><p>Dipti started to realize the enormous market opportunity to modernize this category that would also leverage her experience building data products at scale, and recruited <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/suparnagharpure/">Suparna Gharpure</a> as Head of Engineering, along with other extremely talented team members to assist in her efforts. Today, Crstl has more than 50 customers who account for millions of dollars in transactions between brands, retailers and wholesale distributors including UNFI and KeHE, with tons more more in the pipeline!</p><p>Given their early success Crstl was featured in&nbsp;<a href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/02/28/crstl-commerce-direct-to-consumer-retail-seed/">TechCrunch</a> earlier this year, and has become a constant mention in industry reports, such as those by&nbsp;<a href="https://baincapitalventures.com/insight/rapidly-changing-procurement-technology-provides-a-wealth-of-opportunities/">Bain Capital Ventures</a>,&nbsp;<a href="https://sapphireventures.com/blog/procurements-tech-renaissance-and-evolution/">Sapphire Ventures</a>, and&nbsp;<a href="https://www.fulfill.com/blog-posts/the-top-3pl-technology-partners-to-use-in-2023">Fulfill.com</a>.&nbsp;</p><p>Know someone that might be interested? <a href="https://www.crstl.so/demo">Click here to sign up for a free demo</a>.</p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Can you describe your company in 5 words or less?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Dipti: The modern B2B commerce network.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Dipti: Democratizing data access.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Dipti: Don&#8217;t do it if you thrive on external validation; make sure you are rooted in internal validation while focusing on solving a problem that genuinely motivates you.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Dipti: Travel and be outdoors.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Dipti: With Covid, travel has been limited. Got a chance to explore the Santa Cruz mountains and surrounding redwoods after all these years in the Bay Area, which was a reminder to be grateful for many things.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Dipti: Work life is Google Docs. Boring answer, but it&#8217;s just so easy to use individually and across a team. Personal life is WhatsApp, which is one I use a lot more now as my friends and family are more distributed than ever. </p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Dipti: I&#8217;ll let you know when I&#8217;m a successful founder : ) But I do know that grit is essential &#8211; it is a lot of grinding away in obscurity while facing numerous obstacles every day, without any obvious acknowledgements or rewards coming your way for a long time, if ever.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://crstl.so/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" 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src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Lhkr!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ffcd3082f-26a2-4269-aef2-0be013802ed2_1600x1241.png" width="727" height="563.7245879120879" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/fcd3082f-26a2-4269-aef2-0be013802ed2_1600x1241.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1129,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:727,&quot;bytes&quot;:890573,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://crstl.so/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!V72n!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F13c67766-1550-4b7c-9403-ee7fbdf62483_832x455.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!V72n!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F13c67766-1550-4b7c-9403-ee7fbdf62483_832x455.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!V72n!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F13c67766-1550-4b7c-9403-ee7fbdf62483_832x455.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!V72n!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F13c67766-1550-4b7c-9403-ee7fbdf62483_832x455.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img 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Once accepted, syndicate members are invited to review deal memos whenever I have a new investment to share and can choose to invest or pass at their discretion. Minimums generally start at $2,500 and priority allocations are given to SuperAngel.Fund LPs on a first-come, first-served basis.&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/CCoUXZzktgh6kBN49">Click here to request an invitation to the syndicate</a>.</p></li><li><p><a href="https://forms.gle/H9iVnQermYJMLpD89">Join SuperAngel.Fund</a>. Unlike the syndicate, the fund is my primary investment vehicle and provides diversified exposure to every company SuperAngel invests in, one of the most important attributes of a successful early stage portfolio. LPs also receive priority access to co-investments. <a href="https://forms.gle/H9iVnQermYJMLpD89">Click here to request more information on the fund</a>.</p></li></ol><div><hr></div><p><em><strong>SuperAngel.Fund</strong>&nbsp;is an early stage fund led by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bzises/">Ben Zises</a> that invests in Consumer (CPG, eCommerce SaaS), PropTech &amp; Future of Work. You can learn more at <a href="http://superangel.fund/">SuperAngel.Fund</a>.</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" width="40" height="40" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:40,&quot;width&quot;:40,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4><strong>Why am I receiving this?</strong></h4><p>You are receiving this email because you are either a friend, co-investor, associate, or connection of Ben Zises or SuperAngel who at one point expressed interest in receiving updates and other correspondence from me. If you received this email in error please accept my apologies and feel free to unsubscribe at the link below.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Ben Wunderman, Co-Founder & CEO of Packsmith 📦 🚚 ]]></title><description><![CDATA[In our 46th edition we are featuring Ben Wunderman, Co-Founder & CEO of Packsmith, a modern logistics, fulfillment and distribution platform for brands.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-ben-wunderman-co-founder</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-ben-wunderman-co-founder</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 08 Dec 2023 13:45:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd0818cf-d662-43c6-aff8-172b6774e92b_1996x2048.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong><a href="https://superangel.substack.com/s/founder-fridays">Founder Friday</a></strong> is a content series from <a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a> that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</em></p><p><strong>In our 46th edition we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/benwunderman/">Ben Wunderman</a>, Co-Founder &amp; CEO of <a href="https://www.packsmith.io/">Packsmith</a>, a modern logistics, fulfillment and distribution platform for brands.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/benwunderman/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2ra7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd0818cf-d662-43c6-aff8-172b6774e92b_1996x2048.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2ra7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd0818cf-d662-43c6-aff8-172b6774e92b_1996x2048.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2ra7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd0818cf-d662-43c6-aff8-172b6774e92b_1996x2048.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2ra7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd0818cf-d662-43c6-aff8-172b6774e92b_1996x2048.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2ra7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd0818cf-d662-43c6-aff8-172b6774e92b_1996x2048.jpeg" width="388" height="398.1263736263736" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/bd0818cf-d662-43c6-aff8-172b6774e92b_1996x2048.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1494,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:388,&quot;bytes&quot;:708082,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/in/benwunderman/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2ra7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd0818cf-d662-43c6-aff8-172b6774e92b_1996x2048.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2ra7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd0818cf-d662-43c6-aff8-172b6774e92b_1996x2048.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2ra7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd0818cf-d662-43c6-aff8-172b6774e92b_1996x2048.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!2ra7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbd0818cf-d662-43c6-aff8-172b6774e92b_1996x2048.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Co-founder <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/benwunderman">Ben Wunderman</a> (above right), started <a href="https://www.packsmith.io/">Packsmith</a> in 2021 with CTO <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-robb-6341935b/">Simon Robb</a>. The pair draw on their deep engineering and operational experiences working at some of the fastest-growing transportation and logistics startups in the world, including, Uber, Lyft, Postmates and Cruise. Ben launched new markets for Lyft, ultimately carving out a leadership role in Competitor Intelligence, responsible for analyzing every component of his firm&#8217;s own business and that of leading competitors. Some might call him a Spy but we won&#8217;t go that far &#128064;&#128269;</p><p>The idea for <a href="https://packsmith.io/">Packsmith</a> was born out of Ben&#8217;s understanding of the distributed marketplace model, the efficiencies it provides to all stakeholders, and ideating other industries that might benefit from its advantages - enter the legacy world of eCommerce logistics.</p><p><a href="https://packsmith.io/">Packsmith</a> is a new fulfillment and last mile delivery platform for the <a href="https://www.insiderintelligence.com/content/global-ecommerce-forecast-2022">$7 trillion global eCommerce industry</a>. Traditionally, merchants and brands work with <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Third-party_logistics">3PLs (Third-party logistics companies)</a> who store their goods in warehouses, &#8220;pick and pack&#8221; them into delivery boxes, transport them from distribution center to distribution center, ultimately landing on customer doorsteps. However, these 3PLs often lack transparency into how items are stored, picked and packaged. They are rigid in enabling order customizations, have dated technology, and force brands to work in spreadsheets and email. They are also quite costly. For these reasons, their services are inadequate for many emerging and growing brands, preventing them from competing with larger ones. Meanwhile, consumers are demanding faster and lower cost shipping which most brands can&#8217;t afford to operationalize. </p><div class="pullquote"><p><strong><a href="https://packsmith.io/">Packsmith</a></strong> is a SaaS-enabled managed marketplace that enables intelligent, distributed fulfilment and logistics for growing eCommerce brands &#128230; &#128666; .</p></div><p>Packsmith&#8217;s solution allows ordinary people (AKA <a href="https://packsmith.io/become-packsmith/">Packsmith&#8217;s</a>) to fulfill orders on behalf of merchants within their own homes instead of warehouses. This localization between fulfiller and consumer leads to lower costs and quicker last-mile delivery. Each &#8220;Packsmith&#8221; sets their own schedule, follows packing instructions via a user-friendly app and hands it off to one of the company&#8217;s delivery partners. <a href="https://packsmith.io/product/">For brands, they get more control of their fulfilment operations</a> and can customize orders with ease. They also get access to real time reporting, trend analysis and forecasting. All for a lower cost.</p><p>Since orders are no longer transported long distances from warehouses to distribution centers, and instead are fulfilled closer to their final delivery location, the last-mile delivery costs and associated carbon footprint of every order is reduced, while speedy delivery times are increased. Everybody wins. </p><p>Given the value prop to each stakeholder, it&#8217;s no surprise the company has exploded out of the gate, going from $0 to $3.5m ARR within its first six months. <a href="https://packsmith.io/">Learn more here</a> and check out our interview with Ben below &#128071;</p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Describe your company in 5 words or less?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ben: Intelligent, distributed fulfillment for growing e-commerce brands</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ben: To fix one of the hardest problems in e-commerce last mile delivery.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ben: Start with a big vision, a clear understanding of the market, and a defined growth strategy.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ben: Hiking and adventure travel with the smallest backpack possible.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ben: Pacific Grove, CA -- truly amazing to see thousands of Monarch butterflies in the air as they migrate to Mexico and back.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ben: Airtable -- it has changed the way we manage and structure data on a fundamental level.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ben: Resourcefulness.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://packsmith.io/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!J0J5!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9fe4705c-17e5-4a79-b2fb-d404f6af4465_949x747.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!J0J5!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9fe4705c-17e5-4a79-b2fb-d404f6af4465_949x747.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!J0J5!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9fe4705c-17e5-4a79-b2fb-d404f6af4465_949x747.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!J0J5!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9fe4705c-17e5-4a79-b2fb-d404f6af4465_949x747.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!J0J5!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9fe4705c-17e5-4a79-b2fb-d404f6af4465_949x747.png" width="949" height="747" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9fe4705c-17e5-4a79-b2fb-d404f6af4465_949x747.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:747,&quot;width&quot;:949,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:156093,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://packsmith.io/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" title="" 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y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://packsmith.io/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wXkw!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc7dee130-87b3-48f4-b2ea-eecdc593864c_2000x592.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wXkw!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc7dee130-87b3-48f4-b2ea-eecdc593864c_2000x592.png 848w, 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stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line 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Once accepted, syndicate members are invited to review deal memos whenever I have a new investment to share and can choose to invest or pass at their discretion. Minimums generally start at $2,500 and priority allocations are given to SuperAngel.Fund LPs on a first-come, first-served basis.&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/CCoUXZzktgh6kBN49">Click here to request an invitation to the syndicate</a>.</p></li><li><p><a href="https://forms.gle/H9iVnQermYJMLpD89">Join SuperAngel.Fund</a>. Unlike the syndicate, the fund is my primary investment vehicle and provides diversified exposure to every company SuperAngel invests in, one of the most important attributes of a successful early stage portfolio. 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If you received this email in error please accept my apologies and feel free to unsubscribe at the link below.</p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" width="40" height="40" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:40,&quot;width&quot;:40,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" title="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Zaid Rahman, Founder & CEO of Flex 💳]]></title><description><![CDATA[In our 45th edition we are featuring Zaid Rahman, Founder & CEO of Flex, a finance super app for small businesses that combines the entire finance stack into a single platform offering credit, banking, payments, and insurance products.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-zaid-rahman-founder</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-zaid-rahman-founder</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 01 Dec 2023 13:45:16 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe7d27f5-e339-4612-866f-18fea7681d9e_400x400.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong><a href="https://superangel.substack.com/s/founder-fridays">Founder Friday</a></strong> is a content series from <a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a> that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</em></p><p><strong>In our 45th edition we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/zaidrahman/">Zaid Rahman</a>, Founder &amp; CEO of <a href="https://www.flex.one/">Flex</a>, a finance super app for small businesses that combines the entire finance stack into a single platform offering credit, banking, payments, and insurance products.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/zaidrahman/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aHFk!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe7d27f5-e339-4612-866f-18fea7681d9e_400x400.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aHFk!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe7d27f5-e339-4612-866f-18fea7681d9e_400x400.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aHFk!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe7d27f5-e339-4612-866f-18fea7681d9e_400x400.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aHFk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe7d27f5-e339-4612-866f-18fea7681d9e_400x400.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aHFk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe7d27f5-e339-4612-866f-18fea7681d9e_400x400.jpeg" width="358" height="358" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/be7d27f5-e339-4612-866f-18fea7681d9e_400x400.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:400,&quot;width&quot;:400,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:358,&quot;bytes&quot;:24766,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/in/zaidrahman/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aHFk!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe7d27f5-e339-4612-866f-18fea7681d9e_400x400.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aHFk!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe7d27f5-e339-4612-866f-18fea7681d9e_400x400.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aHFk!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe7d27f5-e339-4612-866f-18fea7681d9e_400x400.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!aHFk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fbe7d27f5-e339-4612-866f-18fea7681d9e_400x400.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/zaidrahman/">Zaid Rahman</a> is a serial entrepreneur and <a href="https://thielfellowship.org/">Thiel Fellow</a>, a program designed for talented youth that skip or drop out of college to receive grants and support from the a network of founders, investors, and scientists. Zaid&#8217;s prior company, Volley, was <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2016/03/10/volley/">backed by JPMorgan and Mark Zuckerberg</a> whose goal was to teach computers how to understand knowledge with AI - similar to ChatGPT - just a bit early! </p><p>Growing up Zaid&#8217;s father ran a construction company in Dubai where he saw first hand the pain points that small and medium-sized business owners (SMBs) felt when trying to manage cash flow. His father suffered a heart attack when a customer refused to pay a multimillion-dollar invoice. Together with co-founder <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hadi-solh-5941a5/">Hadi Solh</a>, the pair set out to solve this problem so that other SMBs would have easier access to capital and reduce cash flow problems.</p><p><a href="https://www.foley.com/en/insights/publications/2023/09/current-state-fintech#">While Fintechs startups receive enormous sums of venture capital</a>, and with more companies formed in this sector than most in the past decade, it turns out that finance is still a mess for most SMBs, as the focus has been to serve larger corporations. That is especially true in certain underserved, non-digital industries such as construction, logistics, farming, and professional services, which, include upwards of 20 million business owners. As many of us experienced in the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collapse_of_Silicon_Valley_Bank">recent banking crisis</a>, traditional banks typically deprioritize small business owners to focus on clients with significantly larger assets or transaction volume. Yet, the number of SMBs has accelerated as evidenced by the <a href="https://www.commerceinstitute.com/new-businesses-started-every-year/">rise of new business applications</a>.</p><p>Enter <a href="https://www.flex.one/">Flex</a>, which consolidates the entire finance stack into a single platform. Their core products are a <a href="https://www.flex.one/credit">business credit card</a> which provides 0% interest for 60 days on every purchase, and an FDIC insured <a href="https://www.flex.one/banking">banking suite</a> with high-yield checking, savings and treasury management. Customers pay no account maintenance or late fees.</p><div class="pullquote"><p><strong><a href="https://www.flex.one/">Flex</a></strong> is the first finance super app enabling business owners to manage their entire financial lives from one platform &#128179;.</p></div><p>Since launching in 2022, Flex has grown to serve more than 500 customers. Based on this success they recently secured a <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/flex-raises-120-million-in-equity-and-debt-launching-finance-super-app-for-business-owners-301931368.html">$120 million Series A financing</a>(!) including debt and equity, led by Florida Funders with participation from other strategic investors including Home Depot Ventures. Of course, SuperAngel.Fund is proud of have backed Zaid and his team twice over recent years. <a href="https://www.flex.one/">You can apply for a Flex card here</a> and let me know how it works out for you!</p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Describe your company in 5 words or less?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Zaid: Finance Super App for Businesses.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Zaid: Helping entrepreneurs achieve the American dream.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Zaid: Work hard, think big, never give up.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Zaid: Play padel :)</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Zaid: Colombia -- amazing dev talent there + also great nature.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Zaid: VAs for research, emails, etc. Game changer.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Zaid: Persistence</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://www.flex.one/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Vg-t!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7efb9df4-fc52-4276-9210-0c7bada3d9eb_1400x349.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Vg-t!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7efb9df4-fc52-4276-9210-0c7bada3d9eb_1400x349.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Vg-t!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7efb9df4-fc52-4276-9210-0c7bada3d9eb_1400x349.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Vg-t!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7efb9df4-fc52-4276-9210-0c7bada3d9eb_1400x349.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Vg-t!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7efb9df4-fc52-4276-9210-0c7bada3d9eb_1400x349.jpeg" width="1400" height="349" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/7efb9df4-fc52-4276-9210-0c7bada3d9eb_1400x349.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:349,&quot;width&quot;:1400,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:51018,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.flex.one/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Vg-t!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F7efb9df4-fc52-4276-9210-0c7bada3d9eb_1400x349.jpeg 424w, 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wCMv!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc7a147cf-81fd-4d18-98bd-d7af82c2466f_1004x478.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wCMv!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc7a147cf-81fd-4d18-98bd-d7af82c2466f_1004x478.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wCMv!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc7a147cf-81fd-4d18-98bd-d7af82c2466f_1004x478.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wCMv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc7a147cf-81fd-4d18-98bd-d7af82c2466f_1004x478.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!wCMv!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fc7a147cf-81fd-4d18-98bd-d7af82c2466f_1004x478.png" width="1004" height="478" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/c7a147cf-81fd-4d18-98bd-d7af82c2466f_1004x478.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:478,&quot;width&quot;:1004,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:99447,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.flex.one/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" 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https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UeBW!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae4fda06-d55f-4d65-a85e-0a739ff2ef24_315x117.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UeBW!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae4fda06-d55f-4d65-a85e-0a739ff2ef24_315x117.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UeBW!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae4fda06-d55f-4d65-a85e-0a739ff2ef24_315x117.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UeBW!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae4fda06-d55f-4d65-a85e-0a739ff2ef24_315x117.png" width="315" height="117" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/ae4fda06-d55f-4d65-a85e-0a739ff2ef24_315x117.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:117,&quot;width&quot;:315,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:4971,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.flex.one/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UeBW!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae4fda06-d55f-4d65-a85e-0a739ff2ef24_315x117.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UeBW!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae4fda06-d55f-4d65-a85e-0a739ff2ef24_315x117.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UeBW!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae4fda06-d55f-4d65-a85e-0a739ff2ef24_315x117.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!UeBW!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fae4fda06-d55f-4d65-a85e-0a739ff2ef24_315x117.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><div><hr></div><p>Want to invest with SuperAngel?</p><ol><li><p><a href="https://forms.gle/CCoUXZzktgh6kBN49">Join SuperAngelSyndicate.com</a>. Once accepted, syndicate members are invited to review deal memos whenever I have a new investment to share and can choose to invest or pass at their discretion. Minimums generally start at $2,500 and priority allocations are given to SuperAngel.Fund LPs on a first-come, first-served basis.&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/CCoUXZzktgh6kBN49">Click here to request an invitation to the syndicate</a>.</p></li><li><p><a href="https://forms.gle/H9iVnQermYJMLpD89">Join SuperAngel.Fund</a>. Unlike the syndicate, the fund is my primary investment vehicle and provides diversified exposure to every company SuperAngel invests in, one of the most important attributes of a successful early stage portfolio. LPs also receive priority access to co-investments. <a href="https://forms.gle/H9iVnQermYJMLpD89">Click here to request more information on the fund</a>.</p></li></ol><div><hr></div><p><em><strong>SuperAngel.Fund</strong>&nbsp;is an early stage fund led by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bzises/">Ben Zises</a> that invests in Consumer (CPG, eCommerce SaaS), PropTech &amp; Future of Work. You can learn more at <a href="http://superangel.fund/">SuperAngel.Fund</a>.</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" width="40" height="40" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:40,&quot;width&quot;:40,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" title="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4><strong>Why am I receiving this?</strong></h4><p>You are receiving this email because you are either a friend, co-investor, associate, or connection of Ben Zises or SuperAngel who at one point expressed interest in receiving updates and other correspondence from me. If you received this email in error please accept my apologies and feel free to unsubscribe at the link below.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Alek Koenig, Founder & CEO of Settle 💳]]></title><description><![CDATA[In our 44th edition we are featuring Alek Koenig, Founder & CEO of Settle, a cash flow management platform built to help eCommerce brands scale.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-alek-koenig-founder</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-alek-koenig-founder</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 04 Aug 2023 12:45:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9479ff82-6135-4bdc-a934-5b4ed102e6bd_959x640.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong><a href="https://superangel.substack.com/s/founder-fridays">Founder Friday</a></strong> is a content series from <a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a> that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</em></p><p><strong>In our 44th edition we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alek-koenig/">Alek Koenig</a>, Founder &amp; CEO of <a href="https://www.settle.com/">Settle</a>, a cash flow management platform built to help eCommerce brands scale.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alek-koenig/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!En79!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9479ff82-6135-4bdc-a934-5b4ed102e6bd_959x640.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!En79!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9479ff82-6135-4bdc-a934-5b4ed102e6bd_959x640.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!En79!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9479ff82-6135-4bdc-a934-5b4ed102e6bd_959x640.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!En79!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9479ff82-6135-4bdc-a934-5b4ed102e6bd_959x640.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!En79!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9479ff82-6135-4bdc-a934-5b4ed102e6bd_959x640.jpeg" width="380" height="253.59749739311783" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/9479ff82-6135-4bdc-a934-5b4ed102e6bd_959x640.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:640,&quot;width&quot;:959,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:380,&quot;bytes&quot;:70747,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/jpeg&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/in/alek-koenig/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!En79!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9479ff82-6135-4bdc-a934-5b4ed102e6bd_959x640.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!En79!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9479ff82-6135-4bdc-a934-5b4ed102e6bd_959x640.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!En79!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9479ff82-6135-4bdc-a934-5b4ed102e6bd_959x640.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!En79!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F9479ff82-6135-4bdc-a934-5b4ed102e6bd_959x640.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alek-koenig/">Alek Koenig</a> knows a thing or two about finance. After graduating from The Johns Hopkins University with a degree in Mechanical Engineering &amp; Mathematics, Alek spent six years at Capital One in the risk management and consumer lending departments. He then worked Affirm as Head of Credit and Director of Strategic Partnerships. With a front row seat to businesses looking for better solutions to bill pay, credit and related services, Alek identified a major hole in the market that needed to be filled.</p><p>In November 2019 he founded <a href="https://www.settle.com/">Settle</a>, an all-in-one payments solution tailored to the needs of growing consumer brands, helping them pay bills, manage purchase orders, track invoices, and access flexible working capital solutions. His mission? To make it easier for founders to build the incredible brands we love. Soon after coming up with the idea he recruited a prior co-worker, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/shanemoriah/">Shane Moriah</a>, to join as CTO.</p><div class="pullquote"><p><em>A quick primer: As many of you know brands generally operate under unique capital constraints as compared to software companies. They sell physical products that often require large upfront outlays of cash, for months at a time, to purchase raw materials and inventory prior to selling finished goods to an end customer - whether it be a consumer directly (e.g. DTC), or retailer - and getting paid back their capital investment along with profits. This dynamic creates both an opportunity and challenge. Rather than use more expensive investor equity to finance inventory purchases, brands seek <a href="https://m13.co/article/7-financing-options-for-dtc-brands">alternative forms of debt financing</a> to cover these recurring cash conversion cycles. The problem: Traditional lenders do not understand the nuances of consumer product businesses making it extremely difficult for them to underwrite a brand&#8217;s risk profile. As such, a new class of lenders has emerged with exactly this skillset and Settle is among the leaders of this pack.</em></p></div><p>Since launching in June 2020, <a href="https://www.settle.com/">Settle</a> has grown rapidly via word of mouth with founders describing it as &#8220;lifesaving&#8221; for their business. Today, they work with hundreds of brands including <a href="https://www.dagnedover.com/">Dagne Dover</a>, <a href="https://meetlalo.com/">Lalo</a>, <a href="https://starface.world/">Starface</a>, and <a href="https://www.branchfurniture.com/">Branch</a>.</p><div class="pullquote"><p><strong><a href="https://www.settle.com/">Settle</a></strong> is a cashflow management platform built for growing eCommerce businesses. Its platform provides a centralized place to manage invoices and purchase orders, pay bills, track payment statuses, and apply for flexible working capital to help smooth out the months-long gaps between inventory purchases and product sales. Settle minimizes the burden of monitoring when and where company dollars are spent&#8212;giving founders and small business owners more time to focus on their products and customers.</p></div><p>If you are a brand or accounting firm that works with brands, <a href="https://www.settle.com/for-brands">click here to learn more</a>. If you are a super talented engineer, product manager, product designer, or generally looking for a new career change within a high growth company, <a href="https://boards.greenhouse.io/settle">click here to learn more</a>.</p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Describe your company in 5 words or less?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Alek: Cashflow management for e-commerce brands.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Alek: Personal frustrations with bill.com; it was unusable for me, clunky and slow. Once I conducted 30+ user interviews, I was convinced that Settle could be a thing. Secondly, it would be predatory lending in the space. Businesses get less protection than consumers, so there are more bad actors out there.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What new product/feature are you most excited about and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>We actually just launched a whole suite of features to simplify the purchasing workflow for eCommerce brands. Now they can use Settle to create and email Purchase Orders in minutes and easily 3-way match POs, receipts, and bills all in the same platform they use to pay their vendors. Purchasing is yet another way we&#8217;re bringing enterprise-level tools to small consumer brands without the enterprise-level pricing. To get started <a href="https://www.settle.com/bill-pay?utm_source=superangelfund&amp;utm_medium=newsletter&amp;utm_campaign=purchasing">check us out here</a>!&nbsp;</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Alek: Ensure the solution you&#8217;re offering is a pain-killer, and not a vitamin. Make sure you&#8217;re solving a real problem.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Alek: What&#8217;s free time? Settle pretty much consumes me. But in the time I do have, I definitely dedicate it to my wife and daughter.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Alek: I haven&#8217;t been to too many places recently but when I went back to Poland, where I&#8217;m from, I made a trip out to Lviv, Ukraine. We have 15 of our engineers based there and it was my second time since starting the company. Lovely, small town in western Ukraine. It was great to spend time with them in person and I am hopeful peace is made soon. I would love to go back!</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Alek: I&#8217;d say gated.com. It's an email plug-in to help reduce noise in my inbox while also benefiting charity. I get so much spam all day and every day, and it really keeps my inbox clean so I don&#8217;t get context switching I don&#8217;t want. If you live in your email and want to keep some flow you have to get it.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Alek: Grit. You&#8217;re going to run into so many walls, you need to persevere and fight through it.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.settle.com/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7ByJ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3119b96-8d81-4735-bc64-26abe2123b08_1270x1456.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!7ByJ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fe3119b96-8d81-4735-bc64-26abe2123b08_1270x1456.png 848w, 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data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/5f37dc88-a69f-4905-9002-f85a32c49425_190x55.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:55,&quot;width&quot;:190,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:292,&quot;bytes&quot;:2570,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.settle.com/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xjXF!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f37dc88-a69f-4905-9002-f85a32c49425_190x55.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xjXF!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f37dc88-a69f-4905-9002-f85a32c49425_190x55.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xjXF!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f37dc88-a69f-4905-9002-f85a32c49425_190x55.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xjXF!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F5f37dc88-a69f-4905-9002-f85a32c49425_190x55.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><div><hr></div><p>Want to invest with SuperAngel?</p><ol><li><p><a href="https://forms.gle/CCoUXZzktgh6kBN49">Join SuperAngelSyndicate.com</a>. Once accepted, syndicate members are invited to review deal memos whenever I have a new investment to share, and can choose to invest or pass based on their own discretion. Minimums generally start at $2,500 and priority allocations are given to SuperAngel.Fund LPs on a first-come, first-served basis.&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/CCoUXZzktgh6kBN49">Click here to request an invitation to the syndicate</a>.</p></li><li><p><a href="https://forms.gle/H9iVnQermYJMLpD89">Join SuperAngel.Fund</a>. Unlike the syndicate, the fund is my primary investment vehicle and provides diversified exposure to every company SuperAngel invests in, one of the most important attributes of a successful early stage portfolio. LPs also receive priority access to co-investments. <a href="https://forms.gle/H9iVnQermYJMLpD89">Click here to request more information on the fund</a>.</p></li></ol><div><hr></div><p><em><strong>SuperAngel.Fund</strong>&nbsp;is an early stage fund led by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bzises/">Ben Zises</a> that invests in Consumer (CPG, eCommerce SaaS), PropTech &amp; Future of Work. You can learn more at <a href="http://superangel.fund/">SuperAngel.Fund</a>.</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" width="40" height="40" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:40,&quot;width&quot;:40,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" title="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4><strong>Why am I receiving this?</strong></h4><p>You are receiving this email because you are either a friend, co-investor, associate, or connection of Ben Zises or SuperAngel who at one point expressed interest in receiving updates and other correspondence from me. If you received this email in error, please accept my apologies and feel free to unsubscribe at the link below.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Andy Cloyd & Anders Bill, Co-Founders of Superfiliate 🗣️]]></title><description><![CDATA[Issue #43 In our 43rd edition we are featuring Andy Cloyd & Anders Bill, co-founders of Superfiliate, a modern referral program that enables merchants to empower their most influential customers, influencers, ambassadors and affiliates, to promote the brands they love in exchange for rewards.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-andy-cloyd-and-anders</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-andy-cloyd-and-anders</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 16 Jun 2023 12:45:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff735ea09-9a0b-44ca-9331-721fc3ea4c41_755x456.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><a href="https://superangel.substack.com/s/founder-fridays">Founder Friday</a> is a content series from <a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a> that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</em></p><p><strong>In our 43rd edition we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andycloyd/">Andy Cloyd</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/anders-bill/">Anders Bill</a>, co-founders of <a href="https://www.superfiliate.com">Superfiliate</a>, a modern referral program that enables merchants to empower their most influential customers, influencers, ambassadors and affiliates, to promote the brands they love in exchange for rewards. </strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.superfiliate.com/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NBAz!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff735ea09-9a0b-44ca-9331-721fc3ea4c41_755x456.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NBAz!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff735ea09-9a0b-44ca-9331-721fc3ea4c41_755x456.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NBAz!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff735ea09-9a0b-44ca-9331-721fc3ea4c41_755x456.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NBAz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff735ea09-9a0b-44ca-9331-721fc3ea4c41_755x456.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NBAz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff735ea09-9a0b-44ca-9331-721fc3ea4c41_755x456.png" width="755" height="456" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/f735ea09-9a0b-44ca-9331-721fc3ea4c41_755x456.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:456,&quot;width&quot;:755,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:552521,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.superfiliate.com/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NBAz!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff735ea09-9a0b-44ca-9331-721fc3ea4c41_755x456.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NBAz!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff735ea09-9a0b-44ca-9331-721fc3ea4c41_755x456.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NBAz!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff735ea09-9a0b-44ca-9331-721fc3ea4c41_755x456.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!NBAz!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff735ea09-9a0b-44ca-9331-721fc3ea4c41_755x456.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Prior to starting <a href="https://www.superfiliate.com">Superfiliate</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/andycloyd/">Andy Cloyd</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/anders-bill/">Anders Bill</a> were already active in the early stage and eCommerce space. Andy worked at <a href="https://cultivationcapital.com/">Cultivation Capital</a> and <a href="https://revolution.com/">Revolution</a> focused on software investing, following two years as a <a href="https://ventureforamerica.org/">Venture for America Fellow</a>. He graduated from the University of Alabama with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering and Finance. Anders previous startup, <a href="https://darkroom.com/">Darkroom</a>, powers thousands of artist and creator storefronts enabling them to sell their works online seamlessly. He has an Economics degree from Boston College (Magna Cum Laude, in case you&#8217;re keeping tabs). </p><p>The pair met serendipitously after a roommate fell through on a lease at the last minute and Andy was invited to step into their shoes by a mutual friend. Less than a week after their first meeting the two found themselves living together. What was supposed to be a short term arrangement turned into an extended stay, full of late night brainstorming sessions, ultimately discovering their shared views on the eCommerce world and vision for what Superfiliate could become.</p><p>While each of us likely spends a couple of hours per day scrolling through our social media feeds, some of us do not realize just how much of that time we are actually being sold to. Enter &#8220;<a href="https://www.shopify.com/blog/affiliate-marketing">Affiliate Marketing</a>,&#8221; which is one of the leading revenue drivers for brands - <a href="https://www.demandsage.com/affiliate-marketing-statistics/">some of which capture as much as 30% of their sales from this tactic</a>. </p><div class="pullquote"><p><em>Affiliate marketing is when an &#8220;affiliate&#8221; promotes a brand&#8217;s products and that promotion leads to a sale, resulting in the brand paying the affiliate a commission. Affiliates come in all shapes and sizes, from a hobbyist blogger to full time content creators and influencers including musicians, athletes, actors and actresses.</em></p></div><p>Given the headwinds that brands continue to face around finding profitable channels to acquire new customers (<a href="https://medium.com/alpaca-vc/alpaca-vcs-first-ever-brand-discovery-report-8e0894a6e5d">See Alpaca VC&#8217;s &#8216;Brand Discovery Report</a>&#8217;), the need to diversify into new advertising strategies has become table stakes, with marketers increasingly opting for affiliate as their primary choice. Perhaps this is no surprise as influencers are very good at convincing people to buy products and already have a large, trusted following of consumers. [A recent report found that <a href="https://kinsta.com/affiliate-academy/affiliate-marketing-statistics/">20% of brand marketers rank affiliate as their most successful channel, with 54% ranking it among their top three</a>.]  </p><p>Enter Superfiliate, which removes all the friction from creating and managing affiliate programs. It provides <a href="https://www.superfiliate.com/">fully customizable shopping experiences for affiliates to send their audiences to, and has proven to drive increased sales and conversion</a>. Creators can tell the brand&#8217;s story in a way that is authentic to them, curate their favorite products, and get paid for the sales they generate. <a href="https://holdonbags.superfiliate.com/JANEDOE?_gl=1*3cb7oa*_ga*MTA4NTIyNjI4LjE2ODMzMTg1Mzk.*_ga_4ZWZGYW6CY*MTY4NTQ1ODkyOC42LjEuMTY4NTQ1OTA0NC4wLjAuMA..">Click here to view a storefront demo powered by Superfiliate</a>.</p><div class="pullquote"><p><a href="https://www.superfiliate.com">Superfiliate</a> is an eCommerce SaaS company that allows brands to easily create a modern referral program and drive more sales. The service enables anyone, including influencers, customers, ambassadors and other affiliates, to promote brands they love through an incredibly easy-to-use, beautiful user experience, and earn rewards.</p></div><p>Since launching last year the company has moved quickly to add brands onto the platform, including Florence by Mills, Dr. Squatch, Olipop, Hiya Health, Beam, Mudwtr &amp; others, and is on track to serve over 100 more by end of year. <a href="https://www.superfiliate.com/#">You can book a demo here</a>, tell them I sent you, and let me know how it works out!</p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Describe your company in 5 words or less?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Andy: Personalized Storefronts for Creators + Customers.</p><p>Anders: Cobranded Creator/Customer Landing Pages.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Andy: To build a product and a team that we're proud of and learn a lot along the way. Also to see if I have what it takes - naively, I had given a lot of advice as an investor with limited operating experience. It was time to see if any of that was actually worth anything!</p><p>Anders: After investing in a handful of CPG companies, we saw that the best brands were executing a frontend strategy in the form of cobranded landing pages for their best affiliates, influencers and customers but this strategy never scaled. Word of mouth has never been a more important channel for brands yet there has been so little innovation. We want to build a platform that allows a brand to unify their word of mouth strategy across referral/loyalty, affiliate and influencer while allowing them to deliver a best in class frontend experience for their customers and creators.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Andy: Get started - taking the leap isn't about having all the answers but rather having the confidence and drive to figure out where the opportunity is and solve the problems that come up along the way. Once you go all in, you quickly become one of people thinking most about a problem and if you talk to enough people, they'll probably bring you a problem worth solving.</p><p>Anders: Create a narrative driven thesis on the product you want to build, pitch it to as many thought leaders in the space that you can and then deeply reevaluate the assumptions that underlay that thesis. Ideally you can build an MVP during this process and continue to run retrospectives on those same product assumptions.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Andy: I walk, listen to books and podcasts, talk to friends, play music, and go see my favorite band Goose. All powered by a borderline dangerous amount of caffeine.</p><p>Anders: I love to surf and be in the ocean as much as I can!!</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Andy: Florianopolis, Brazil! It&#8217;s where so much of our team is, and it has such a rich history and culture. We're also lucky to have some pretty good guides when we're there. Our team there is family, and we feel that way every time we visit.</p><p>Anders: Southern Brazil -- Much of our team lives down there and it is one of the most welcoming + diverse environments.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Andy: Spotify - it gives me information and music, my two favorite things.</p><p>Anders: Loom - recording a video vs typing a long email brings me so much more joy and creates so much more alignment with those I'm talking with.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Andy: Perseverance - there are 1,000 times where you could and, in some instances, maybe even should give up but you have to keep going. </p><p>Anders: Striking the balance between conviction and doubt.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.superfiliate.com/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QB0_!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd46dc610-18a4-4abd-a5c4-f59131cabe79_2518x1172.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QB0_!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd46dc610-18a4-4abd-a5c4-f59131cabe79_2518x1172.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QB0_!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd46dc610-18a4-4abd-a5c4-f59131cabe79_2518x1172.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QB0_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd46dc610-18a4-4abd-a5c4-f59131cabe79_2518x1172.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QB0_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fd46dc610-18a4-4abd-a5c4-f59131cabe79_2518x1172.png" width="1456" height="678" 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Once accepted, syndicate members are invited to review deal memos whenever I have a new investment to share, and can choose to invest or pass based on their own discretion. Minimums generally start at $2,500 and priority allocations are given to SuperAngel.Fund LPs on a first-come, first-served basis.&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/CCoUXZzktgh6kBN49">Click here to request an invitation to the syndicate</a>.</p></li><li><p><a href="https://forms.gle/H9iVnQermYJMLpD89">Join SuperAngel.Fund</a>. Unlike the syndicate, the fund is my primary investment vehicle and provides diversified exposure to every company SuperAngel invests in, one of the most important attributes of a successful early stage portfolio. LPs also receive priority access to co-investments. <a href="https://forms.gle/H9iVnQermYJMLpD89">Click here to request more information on the fund</a>.</p></li></ol><div><hr></div><p><em><a href="http://superangel.fund/">SuperAngel.Fund</a>&nbsp;is an early stage fund led by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bzises/">Ben Zises</a> that invests in Consumer (CPG, eCommerce SaaS), PropTech &amp; Future of Work. </em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" width="40" height="40" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:40,&quot;width&quot;:40,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" title="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><h4><strong>Why am I receiving this?</strong></h4><p>You are receiving this email because you are either a friend, co-investor, associate, or connection of Ben Zises or SuperAngel, who at one point expressed interest in receiving updates and other correspondence from me. If you received this email in error, please accept my apologies and feel free to unsubscribe at the link below.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Kyle Connors & Chris Connors, Co-Founders of candidate.fyi 💼]]></title><description><![CDATA[Issue #42 In our 42nd edition we are featuring Kyle Connors & Chris Connors, Co-Founders of candidate.fyi, the missing candidate experience layer that helps companies attract, win and retain talent.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-kyle-connors-and-chris</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-kyle-connors-and-chris</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 19 May 2023 12:45:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jqqT!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47f7ec6d-471c-4e85-9fe5-b7138d049152_653x324.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong><a href="https://superangel.substack.com/s/founder-fridays">Founder Friday</a></strong> is a content series from <a href="https://superangel.vc/">SuperAngel.Fund</a> that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</em></p><p><strong>In our 42nd edition we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/elykme/">Kyle Connors</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cconnors45/">Chris Connors</a>, Co-Founders of <a href="https://candidate.fyi">candidate.fyi</a>, the missing candidate experience layer that helps companies attract, win and retain talent.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://candidate.fyi" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jqqT!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47f7ec6d-471c-4e85-9fe5-b7138d049152_653x324.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jqqT!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47f7ec6d-471c-4e85-9fe5-b7138d049152_653x324.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jqqT!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47f7ec6d-471c-4e85-9fe5-b7138d049152_653x324.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jqqT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47f7ec6d-471c-4e85-9fe5-b7138d049152_653x324.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jqqT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47f7ec6d-471c-4e85-9fe5-b7138d049152_653x324.png" width="727" height="360.7166921898928" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/47f7ec6d-471c-4e85-9fe5-b7138d049152_653x324.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:324,&quot;width&quot;:653,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:727,&quot;bytes&quot;:246569,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://candidate.fyi&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jqqT!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47f7ec6d-471c-4e85-9fe5-b7138d049152_653x324.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jqqT!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47f7ec6d-471c-4e85-9fe5-b7138d049152_653x324.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jqqT!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47f7ec6d-471c-4e85-9fe5-b7138d049152_653x324.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!jqqT!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F47f7ec6d-471c-4e85-9fe5-b7138d049152_653x324.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/elykme/">Kyle</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cconnors45/">Chris </a>are brothers that bring a complementary skillset to the leadership table. Kyle is a former CTO/VP of Engineering at several venture backed companies, responsible for hiring 50+ people and scaling from $10m to $60m ARR. Chris is a top performing enterprise sales executive who closed the largest deal in Yext&#8217;s history.&nbsp;</p><p><a href="https://www.careerplug.com/blog/candidate-experience-statistics/">Today&#8217;s hiring process is broken</a>. Lack of transparency around application status, how best to prepare for an interview, a company&#8217;s culture, and where a candidate stands in the process makes the life of an applicant more stressful and convoluted than it needs to be. So much so that<a href="https://www.careerplug.com/blog/candidate-experience-statistics/"> nearly 50% of applicants decline a job offer to due to a poor experience</a>. Even worse, they end up sharing the bad experience publicly on review sites like <a href="https://www.glassdoor.com/index.htm">Glassdoor</a>, which the majority of applicants look at before applying. Beyond losing out on a quality candidate, this has serious implications for an <a href="https://www.careerplug.com/blog/employer-branding/">employer&#8217;s brand</a> and reputation as a place to work.</p><p>After leaving his role at Google a year ago and embarking on an exhaustive job search, Chris suffered from these pain points himself. Kyle, on the other hand, also experienced these inefficiencies but from the employer angle. He was so dissatisfied with the existing solutions that <a href="https://www.amazon.com/How-Get-Job-Beat-Competition-ebook/dp/B008D6I7KS/">he even wrote a book on the subject</a>! </p><p>It was clear to them that the entire recruiting, interviewing and hiring process was inadequate. Together, the pair knew there had to be a better way and decided to build a solution to revolutionize the experience for both candidates and employers.</p><div class="pullquote"><p><strong><a href="https://candidate.fyi">candidate.fyi</a></strong> is a candidate experience solution that integrates with applicant tracking systems (ATSs) like Greenhouse and Lever to help companies attract, win and retain talent. It allows hiring teams to engage with candidates more efficiently to reduce support, close faster, and increase acceptance rates.</p></div><p>Since launching their beta in February the product has taken off.  In particular, they have gone from $0 to $87k annual recurring revenue (ARR) with 14 paying customers and lots more in the pipeline &#128640;. The company is currently onboarding select customers from their waitlist <a href="https://www.candidate.fyi/get-in-touch">which you can join here</a>. You can also <a href="https://superangel.docsend.com/view/8t3iawvhi4m7yxxs">check out their product demo</a> or email me to get connected directly.</p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Describe your company in 5 words or less.</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kyle &amp; Chris: The missing candidate experience layer</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kyle &amp; Chris: As brothers, we&#8217;ve always been working on different ideas together. It wasn&#8217;t about &#8220;if&#8221; but about &#8220;when&#8221; we would start a company.</p><p>We knew we wanted to build a business that checked two boxes - 1. We had the possibility to make a meaningful impact on a large scale and 2. It was something we were both passionate about.&nbsp;</p><p>The interview process just hit us at the right time. Kyle was on the hiring side and constantly struggled with how manual the process of prepping candidates and providing them with an experience he&#8217;d want. Chris had just gone through interview rounds with several companies and felt defeated by how broken the process was. He felt like this process was setting him up for failure.&nbsp;</p><p>We both knew how impactful this (interviewing) time was relative to the focus it&#8217;s given is vastly underserved. A person will spend about 8,000 hours at the company they choose. A company places a large investment in the future of its business by hiring someone. Why isn&#8217;t this better?&nbsp;</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kyle &amp; Chris: Find a way to get your first 10 customers (do things that don&#8217;t scale) as early as possible, then listen closely to them. Figure out their pain points and what they&#8217;re really looking for (it&#8217;s not always what they say). Make them happy and have them become promoters of you/your company.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kyle: Spending time with family and going for runs!</p><p>Chris: We have a one-year-old, so when I&#8217;m not helping talent teams with their candidate experience, I&#8217;m changing diapers or teaching the little guy how to hit a golf ball. I also love getting outside and running, I think it&#8217;s the best outlet for a founder.&nbsp;</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kyle: I haven&#8217;t traveled a whole lot recently. A couple of years ago I took a trip to a friend's wedding to a fairly remote town in Turkey. As someone who has largely visited major metropolitan areas, it was fascinating to see this remote town operating independently and without any need for a city. Everyone had a job to do and it got done!</p><p>Chris: When we moved from Los Angeles back to NY we drove cross-country. This was an awesome trip. We got to see so many different places and had a blast trying new food, meeting new people, and looking at some of our country's greatest treasures.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kyle: In my work life, it&#8217;s probably Airtable. I love the no-code flexibility of being able to tailor/customize the tables to my liking. For my personal life, I love little fitness apps - I use this app 7 every morning. It&#8217;s a simple 7 minute workout that hits all different areas.&nbsp;</p><p>Chris: In my work life, it&#8217;s LinkedIn. I spend so much time on LinkedIn, connecting with thought leaders in the talent community. LinkedIn has created the ability to connect with virtually anyone worldwide, as long as they have a profile. I&#8217;ve cold messaged the CEO of LinkedIn, on LinkedIn and he responded. It&#8217;s pretty crazy when you think about it.&nbsp;Personal life, it&#8217;s probably Headway. I love reading, but when I buy books, I usually start them and then don&#8217;t find time to finish them. Headway breaks down every book into 10-minute summaries, allowing me to digest the material quickly.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kyle &amp; Chris: Resilience, persistence, and perseverance are crucial to being a successful founder. The highs and lows of founder life are very real, but if you can push through the lows then the highs outweigh everything else. Just keep driving forward day by day, and you&#8217;ll see success.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.candidate.fyi/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y7Ts!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60daa333-1fb8-484c-98f9-136046ad4f4d_1400x940.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y7Ts!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60daa333-1fb8-484c-98f9-136046ad4f4d_1400x940.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y7Ts!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60daa333-1fb8-484c-98f9-136046ad4f4d_1400x940.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y7Ts!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60daa333-1fb8-484c-98f9-136046ad4f4d_1400x940.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Y7Ts!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F60daa333-1fb8-484c-98f9-136046ad4f4d_1400x940.png" width="1400" height="940" 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Once accepted, syndicate members are invited to review deal memos whenever I have a new investment to share, and can choose to invest or pass based on their own discretion. Minimums generally start at $2,500 and priority allocations are given to SuperAngel.Fund LPs on a first-come, first-served basis.&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/CCoUXZzktgh6kBN49">Click here to request an invitation to the syndicate</a>.</p></li><li><p><a href="https://forms.gle/H9iVnQermYJMLpD89">Join SuperAngel.Fund</a>. Unlike the syndicate, the fund is my primary investment vehicle and provides diversified exposure to every company SuperAngel invests in, one of the most important attributes of a successful early stage portfolio. LPs also receive priority access to co-investments. <a href="https://forms.gle/H9iVnQermYJMLpD89">Click here to request more information on the fund</a>.</p></li></ol><div><hr></div><p><em><strong>SuperAngel.Fund</strong>&nbsp;is an early stage fund led by <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bzises/">Ben Zises</a> that invests in Consumer (CPG, eCommerce SaaS), PropTech &amp; Future of Work. You can learn more at <a href="http://superangel.fund/">SuperAngel.Fund</a>.</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" width="40" height="40" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:40,&quot;width&quot;:40,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" title="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><p></p><h4><strong>Why am I receiving this?</strong></h4><p>You are receiving this email because you are either a friend, co-investor, associate, or connection of Ben Zises and SuperAngel who at one point expressed interest in receiving updates and other correspondence from me. If you received this email in error, please accept my apologies and feel free to unsubscribe at the link below.</p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Ronny Sage, Founder & CEO of ShoppingGives 🫶]]></title><description><![CDATA[Issue #41 In our 41st edition we are featuring Ronny Sage, Founder & CEO of ShoppingGives, a Certified B Corp that empowers thousands of brands to launch, scale and optimize their charitable giving strategies.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-ronny-sage-founder</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-ronny-sage-founder</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 05 May 2023 12:45:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa0927a3f-5182-424f-aab0-0ef6b6452c7e_1086x740.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong><a href="https://superangel.substack.com/s/founder-fridays">Founder Friday</a></strong> is a content series from SuperAngel.Fund that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</em></p><p><strong>In our 41st edition we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronnysage/">Ronny Sage</a>, Founder &amp; CEO of <a href="https://shoppinggives.com/">ShoppingGives</a>, a <a href="https://www.bcorporation.net/en-us/">Certified B Corp</a> that empowers thousands of brands to launch, scale and optimize their social impact strategies.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.shoppinggives.com/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-lAN!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa0927a3f-5182-424f-aab0-0ef6b6452c7e_1086x740.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-lAN!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa0927a3f-5182-424f-aab0-0ef6b6452c7e_1086x740.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-lAN!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa0927a3f-5182-424f-aab0-0ef6b6452c7e_1086x740.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-lAN!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa0927a3f-5182-424f-aab0-0ef6b6452c7e_1086x740.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-lAN!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa0927a3f-5182-424f-aab0-0ef6b6452c7e_1086x740.png" width="1086" height="740" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/a0927a3f-5182-424f-aab0-0ef6b6452c7e_1086x740.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:740,&quot;width&quot;:1086,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:1683666,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.shoppinggives.com/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-lAN!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa0927a3f-5182-424f-aab0-0ef6b6452c7e_1086x740.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-lAN!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa0927a3f-5182-424f-aab0-0ef6b6452c7e_1086x740.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-lAN!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa0927a3f-5182-424f-aab0-0ef6b6452c7e_1086x740.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!-lAN!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa0927a3f-5182-424f-aab0-0ef6b6452c7e_1086x740.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Before starting <a href="https://shoppinggives.com/">ShoppingGives</a>, Founder &amp; CEO <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronnysage/">Ronny Sage</a> (middle above) worked at several digital marketing agencies that supported Fortune 500 brands in finding the most efficient and cost-effective ways to reach their target customers. The objective was always to motivate consumers to shop, increase their retention rate and loyalty.</p><p>With <a href="https://www.oberlo.com/statistics/us-digital-ad-spending">US digital advertising spend increasing dramatically over recent years (expected to reach $300 Billion in 2023</a>), Ronny believed there was a better way for businesses to spend this money while still accomplishing their goals of acquiring customers and driving more efficient performance metrics. He believed there was an opportunity to shift marketing dollars towards the impact space, and by doing so, businesses could build deeper more authentic relationships with customers. </p><p>However, given complex regulatory, compliance and financial management required for charitable donations, the task was easier said than done. </p><div class="pullquote"><p>ShoppingGives is the leading social impact commerce platform offering a turn-key solution for brands to accelerate their growth through integrated social impact.</p></div><p>Enter ShoppingGives which built <a href="https://www.shoppinggives.com/turn-key-cause-marketing-compliance">the leading end-to-end-donation management solution</a> to &#8220;<a href="https://www.shoppinggives.com/mission">connect cause with commerce</a>.&#8221; Nonprofits get the ability to collect donations without lifting a finger, businesses motivate giving, build loyalty, increase conversion rates and drive bottom-line growth, and consumers can shop at brands that share their values. The platform supports donations to more than 1.8 million 501c(3) causes - with 100% going to the nonprofit.</p><p>No wonder they count brands like Steve Madden, Kenneth Cole, OLAPLEX, SAKARA, Coach and thousands more as customers - <a href="https://drinkolipop.com/pages/real-love">including a newly released campaign with OLIPOP</a>! Want to learn more? <a href="https://www.shoppinggives.com/request-a-demo">Request a demo here</a> or email me back for an introduction to Ronny.</p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Describe your company in 5 words or less.</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ronny: Turnkey Social Impact &amp; Donations Platform.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ronny: Seeing how much wasted spend there was in marketing, I had very early thesis in 2012 that the future generations would be looking for values alignment with the companies they buy from. I asked myself how I could shift marketing budgets to do more good, align with customer values, and drive bottom-line. I also wanted to hang out more with my best friend&#8230; he is our Co-founder and COO. We call him &#8220;Phil The Guy&#8221; he is great.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ronny: 1. Build less, test more. 2. Find great leaders to be your &#8220;who&#8221;.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ronny: Wood work.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ronny: Guanacaste, Costa Rica, took family there for a month in January. Why? Because Chicago is miserable in January.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ronny: ChatGPT is my new intern. List building, finding domains for prospects, writing queries, basically first place I go before asking team for support.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ronny: 1. Vulnerable 2. Transparent 3. Scrappy 4. Resilient</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.shoppinggives.com/request-a-demo" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!93ZZ!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcc1341f0-86c7-413f-8736-bfbef3b1a76c_1146x1438.webp 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!93ZZ!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcc1341f0-86c7-413f-8736-bfbef3b1a76c_1146x1438.webp 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!93ZZ!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcc1341f0-86c7-413f-8736-bfbef3b1a76c_1146x1438.webp 1272w, 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data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1059fa78-646b-4df7-96b5-e21cab2b9942_2105x312.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:216,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:33863,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.shoppinggives.com/request-a-demo&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!l9iO!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1059fa78-646b-4df7-96b5-e21cab2b9942_2105x312.png 424w, 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Once accepted, syndicate members are invited to review deal memos whenever I have a new investment to share, and can choose to invest or pass based on their own discretion. Minimums generally start at $2,500 and priority allocations are given to SuperAngel.Fund LPs on a first-come, first-served basis.&nbsp;<a href="https://forms.gle/CCoUXZzktgh6kBN49">Click here to request an invitation to the syndicate</a>.</p></li><li><p><a href="https://forms.gle/H9iVnQermYJMLpD89">Join SuperAngel.Fund</a>. Unlike the syndicate, the fund is my primary investment vehicle and provides diversified exposure to every company SuperAngel invests in, one of the most important attributes of a successful early stage portfolio. 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You can learn more at <a href="http://superangel.fund/">SuperAngel.Fund</a>.</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, 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srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Kyle Bertin & Evan Stalter, Co-Founders of Two Boxes 📦 ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Issue #40 In our 40th edition we are featuring Kyle Bertin & Evan Stalter, Co-Founders of Two Boxes, a SaaS platform that enables brands to process online returns faster, minimizing waste and enabling merchants to resell more of their returned inventory.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-kyle-bertin-and-evan</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-kyle-bertin-and-evan</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 31 Mar 2023 12:40:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48e0efbf-334d-446a-b190-8a0da49c4d1d_6904x4603.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong>Founder Friday</strong> is a content series from SuperAngel.Fund that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</em></p><p><strong>In our 40th edition we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylebertin">Kyle Bertin</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanstalter/">Evan Stalter</a>, Co-Founders of <a href="https://www.twoboxes.com/">Two Boxes</a>, a SaaS platform that enables brands to process customer returns faster, minimizing waste, and enabling merchants to resell more of their returned inventory.</strong></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.twoboxes.com/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xYLt!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48e0efbf-334d-446a-b190-8a0da49c4d1d_6904x4603.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xYLt!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48e0efbf-334d-446a-b190-8a0da49c4d1d_6904x4603.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!xYLt!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F48e0efbf-334d-446a-b190-8a0da49c4d1d_6904x4603.jpeg 1272w, 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y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p>Co-founders <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kylebertin">Kyle Bertin</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanstalter/">Evan Stalter</a> previously worked together at <a href="https://www.outrider.ai/">Outrider</a>, a venture-backed supply-chain and logistics company before starting <a href="https://www.twoboxes.com/">Two Boxes</a>. Kyle began his career at Deloitte with stints at Flexport and DeepScale, the latter of which was acquired by Tesla. He received a BA from Northwestern and MBA from Berkeley&#8217;s Haas School of Business. Evan is a former Product Manager and Computer Engineer, with experience at BMW&#8217;s electric vehicle division. The pair are joined by other early team members with expertise in eCommerce, shipping, and fulfillment.</p><div class="pullquote"><p><em><strong><a href="https://www.twoboxes.com/">Two Boxes&#8217;s</a> mission is to build the world&#8217;s leading returns processing solutions to maximize the value of eCommerce returns and minimize the negative effects they impose on our planet.</strong> </em></p></div><p>According to the National Retail Federation, <a href="https://nrf.com/media-center/press-releases/2022-retail-returns-rate-remains-flat-816-billion">nearly 20% of all retail purchases are returned, representing more than $800 billion in merchandise each year</a>! Worst of all, most of it ends up in landfills leading to enormous waste and inefficiencies. While retailers strive to make returns as easy and cost-effective as possible for customers, they bear the brunt of lost time, money, and goods. For every $1 billion in sales, the average retailer incurs $165 million in returns, attacking profit margins and threatening many businesses. </p><p>Two Boxes software allows brands and their 3PL partners to process returns quicker and in a more streamlined process. It gives warehouse workers step-by-step instructions, leading them through the product inspection process and helping them determine if an item should be resold as new or offered at a discount. Workers can process one returned item per minute, down from an average of three minutes. Meanwhile, they collect enormous amounts of data which informs key product, quality and inventory decisions, improving back to stock times and eliminating other costs and emissions. </p><p>After spending the past year in deep research and development, <a href="https://www.twoboxes.com/blog">Two Boxes has finally exited stealth</a> and is proud to announce its recent funding round with <a href="https://www.bnnbloomberg.ca/venture-firms-see-212-billion-opportunity-in-online-returns-1.1902622">Bloomberg covering the news yesterday</a>. You can connect with their team to <a href="https://www.twoboxes.com/contact">learn more here</a>.</p><p><em>H/T @ <a href="https://vinyl.vc/">TJ and Travis at Vinyl Capital</a> for the intro</em></p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Describe your company in 5 words or less.</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kyle: We make returns an asset.</p><p>Evan: Returns for the better.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kyle: I&#8217;ve spent most of my career in supply chain and logistics and have always been attracted to the many complicated problems that you get to solve in the industry. After about the third time I was in a fulfillment center and realized how inefficient, unintelligent, and incredibly wasteful the state of return processing was, I felt that we had to try to fix it. Evan and I are both passionate about the problem and think it&#8217;s the opportunity of a lifetime for us to be a part of the solution.</p><p>Evan: In addition to always wanting to be a founder, I think we saw a significant opportunity to build new products to improve the efficiency and transparency of returns operations. I have always had an interest in building products that can really improve the work of and benefit end users who are often overlooked.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kyle:  First - fall in love with the problem. It will help you get through the ups and downs. Also, it really helps if it&#8217;s a real problem, because your customers will often be cheering you on. Second - a lot of life is like compound interest. Consistent effort is rewarded handsomely, but nothing happens overnight. There is a certain blend of impatience and patience that can be really helpful to achieve as you&#8217;re starting a company. You have to be impatient to improve, but patient enough to understand outsized outcomes are created over years, not quarters. Third - make peace with the fact that you cannot know everything and do everything. Be open to bringing in support, particularly from other founders or advisors who can bring an outside and experience perspective. </p><p>Evan: Find and make sure that your co-founder is someone you can really work with. I&#8217;ve spent more time talking to Kyle this year than anyone else. You&#8217;ll constantly be refining your pitch and understanding your problem better and better, but the one constant is your co-founder will always be there. You&#8217;ll get a lot of advice and hear lots of opinions during your journey. I&#8217;ve found it really helpful to occasionally step back and reflect on the value you&#8217;re placing on different opinions or advice, and when in doubt trust your intuition.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kyle: Skiing, hiking, playing music, and being with my wife and dog.</p><p>Evan: I really enjoy playing music, hiking with my wife and playing games with friends!</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kyle: Recently most of my travel has been to visit warehouses, so it&#8217;s not that exciting. I did go to Italy last summer and that was an incredible trip. The food, drink, and culture are just amazing. </p><p>Evan: My wife and I visited Japan in October 2022 shortly after the country reopened for tourism. We love going there for the rich culture, stunning nature and of course the food.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kyle: At work it&#8217;s probably just my Apple notes app. I write a lot down and document ideas / questions. It&#8217;s basic, but powerful. In my personal life, I would have to admit that it&#8217;s Peloton. I am learning that some of my best decisions are made after I&#8217;ve had a chance to sweat. </p><p>Evan: Currently, I&#8217;m in love with Framer. I think it&#8217;s the best no code tool for websites out there, sorry Webflow. In my personal life, I&#8217;ve been blown away by Shapr3D. Super easy 3D modeling on an iPad with an Apple Pencil &#129327;.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kyle: Perseverance. Even if you&#8217;re an incredible founder with a good idea, you will hear the word no a LOT more than yes (I hope that&#8217;s not just me!), especially when you&#8217;re starting out. There will be times where it feels like you&#8217;re the only one who believes in what you&#8217;re doing. Keep going. </p><p>Evan: Resourcefulness.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.twoboxes.com/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L7Y2!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F16e848c4-46ea-4ffe-a499-2fa08752879d_1504x942.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L7Y2!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F16e848c4-46ea-4ffe-a499-2fa08752879d_1504x942.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!L7Y2!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F16e848c4-46ea-4ffe-a499-2fa08752879d_1504x942.png 1272w, 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class="button primary" href="https://youtu.be/ksEIQpLa2fw"><span>Watch my pod interview</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Samir Shergill & Gautam Gupta, Co-Founders of Highbeam 🏦]]></title><description><![CDATA[Issue #39 In our 39th edition we are featuring Samir Shergill & Gautam Gupta, Co-Founders of Highbeam, a digitally-native, finance and banking platform for omnichannel brands.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-samir-shergill-and</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-samir-shergill-and</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[SuperAngel.Fund]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 24 Feb 2023 13:45:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Ff7e1c8ae-4620-47c6-849b-66463a8d9533_1390x781.webp" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong>Founder Friday</strong> is a content series from SuperAngel.Fund that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</em></p><p><em><strong>In our 39th edition we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sshergill/">Samir Shergill</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/thegautamgupta/">Gautam Gupta</a>, Co-Founders of <a href="https://www.highbeam.co/">Highbeam</a>, a digitally-native, finance and banking platform for omnichannel brands.</strong></em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.highbeam.co/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nWUA!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05ffa554-2720-46a7-9292-6d2576585342_1390x781.webp 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nWUA!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05ffa554-2720-46a7-9292-6d2576585342_1390x781.webp 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nWUA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05ffa554-2720-46a7-9292-6d2576585342_1390x781.webp 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nWUA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05ffa554-2720-46a7-9292-6d2576585342_1390x781.webp 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nWUA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05ffa554-2720-46a7-9292-6d2576585342_1390x781.webp" width="1390" height="781" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://substack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/05ffa554-2720-46a7-9292-6d2576585342_1390x781.webp&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:781,&quot;width&quot;:1390,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:357126,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/webp&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.highbeam.co/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nWUA!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05ffa554-2720-46a7-9292-6d2576585342_1390x781.webp 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nWUA!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05ffa554-2720-46a7-9292-6d2576585342_1390x781.webp 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nWUA!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05ffa554-2720-46a7-9292-6d2576585342_1390x781.webp 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!nWUA!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F05ffa554-2720-46a7-9292-6d2576585342_1390x781.webp 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><em>Co-founders <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sshergill/">Samir Shergill</a> (previously at Microsoft, McKinsey and AppNexus) and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/thegautamgupta/">Gautam Gupta</a> (previously at Shopify, Venmo and Alloy) spent years working in the eCommerce ecosystem. Together, they concluded that while online brands have been built to maximize revenue growth, the missing link to building a sustainable business was effective cash management and responsible credit utilization.</em></p><p><em>Given the rise of both independent and large online sellers, <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2023/01/28/e-commerce-retail-just-passed-1-trillion-for-the-first-time-ever/?sh=3351bdec36df">recently surpassing $1T+ of annual sales</a> across platforms like Shopify, Amazon, and Etsy, there has never been a more important time for brands to track and manage their key financial metrics.</em></p><p><em>Enter <a href="https://www.highbeam.co/">Highbeam</a>, which provides a full suite of financial services that support eCommerce and omnichannel banking needs. Customers can create unlimited bank accounts, <a href="https://www.highbeam.co/banking">including a new 4% high-yield savings account</a>, take advantage of free wire transfers, and get a debit card with 2% cash back on all purchases. Users also get access to a <a href="https://www.highbeam.co/insights">proprietary dashboard with real-time insights</a> on their brand&#8217;s financial health. Per the co-founder&#8217;s <a href="https://www.highbeam.co/blog/why-we-started-highbeam">introductory blog post</a>, &#8220;We started Highbeam to give brand founders and independent sellers the financial tools and support to succeed &#8212; to grow their business on their own terms &#8212; sustainably, profitably, and for the long-term.&#8221;</em></p><p><em>After announcing their <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/08/17/highbeam-7m-e-commerce-banking/">$7 million seed round last August</a>, and most recently a new <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2023/02/13/highbeam-secures-10m-loan-to-provide-credit-spend-monitoring-and-more-to-e-commerce-retailers/">$10m credit facility</a>, Highbeam is ready for scale. Learn more about Samir and Gautam below and <a href="https://www.highbeam.co/">check out their banking services here</a>!</em></p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Describe your company in 5 words or less.</strong></p><blockquote><p>Samir: Banking to make brands profitable.</p><p>Gautam: Banking simplified for brand owners.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Samir: I believe entrepreneurship is the biggest societal driver of change. Most entrepreneur's that start a brand or online business don't do it to manage cash flow - but once you have a product people want, it's quickly the top issue to manage. We wanted to build a company that was a true financial partner and helped these businesses succeed through technology instead of decades old processes, banks and services.</p><p>Gautam: During my time at Shopify and Alloy, I had the opportunity to work closely with consumer brands and witness firsthand the incredible dedication and passion that their founders bring to their work. Through conversations with the founders, we also became acutely aware of the financial challenges that these brands often face. It was this realization, combined with the knowledge that we had the skills to help them, that led us to create Highbeam.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Samir: Just keep moving! Inertia (for good and bad) is real...</p><p>Gautam: Figure out who you're passionate about building for and just talk to them about the problems they face.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Samir: Hang out with the kids and watch soccer when I can.</p><p>Gautam: Love to be active and work out!</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Samir: Tokyo is great - different social norms to observe (unlike most places) and amazing food.</p><p>Gautam: India &#8212; so much potential left unlocked, hard working youth, and great food.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Samir: Work - Superblocks is great to quickly explore data programmatically, Personal - Peloton app keeps me on track.</p><p>Gautam: Work: Linear &#8212; makes project management easy. Personal: Apple Notes &#8212; makes life easy.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Samir: Tenacity.</p><p>Gautam: Perseverance and grit.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.highbeam.co/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mp42!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1ee8835b-76ca-4f49-a9c5-e422fcc01443_2422x1549.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mp42!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1ee8835b-76ca-4f49-a9c5-e422fcc01443_2422x1549.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mp42!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1ee8835b-76ca-4f49-a9c5-e422fcc01443_2422x1549.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mp42!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1ee8835b-76ca-4f49-a9c5-e422fcc01443_2422x1549.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mp42!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1ee8835b-76ca-4f49-a9c5-e422fcc01443_2422x1549.png" width="727" height="464.8605769230769" 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data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/31127395-c7a4-4bfc-8ffe-9ee59eb7ac4b_137x24.svg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:255,&quot;width&quot;:1456,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:558,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.highbeam.co/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!cfP7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F31127395-c7a4-4bfc-8ffe-9ee59eb7ac4b_137x24.svg 424w, 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invests in Consumer (CPG, eCommerce SaaS), PropTech &amp; Future of Work. You can learn more at <a href="http://superangel.fund/">SuperAngel.Fund</a>.</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, 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src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" width="40" height="40" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:40,&quot;width&quot;:40,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><p class="button-wrapper" data-attrs="{&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https://youtu.be/ksEIQpLa2fw&quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;&#127897;&#65039; ICYMI Watch Ben's Pod Interview&quot;,&quot;action&quot;:null,&quot;class&quot;:null}" data-component-name="ButtonCreateButton"><a class="button primary" href="https://youtu.be/ksEIQpLa2fw"><span>&#127897;&#65039; ICYMI Watch Ben's Pod Interview</span></a></p>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Ben Tregoe & Austin Gardner-Smith, Co-Founders of Bainbridge 📊]]></title><description><![CDATA[Issue #38 In our 38th edition, we are featuring Ben Tregoe & Austin Gardner-Smith, Co-Founders of Bainbridge, a data, analytics, and financial modelling platform for eCommerce brands.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-ben-tregoe-and-austin</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-ben-tregoe-and-austin</guid><pubDate>Fri, 10 Feb 2023 13:46:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F08b59f28-23c8-4349-a892-2dcf23a4694b_730x410.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong>Founder Friday</strong> is a content series from SuperAngel.Fund that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</em></p><p><em><strong>In our 38th edition, we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamintregoe/">Ben Tregoe</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/austingardnersmith/">Austin Gardner-Smith</a>, Co-Founders of <a href="https://www.bainbridgegrowth.com/">Bainbridge</a>, a data, analytics, &amp; financial modelling platform for eCommerce brands.</strong></em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/19/bainbridge-growth-e-commerce-sales/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mNeV!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F08b59f28-23c8-4349-a892-2dcf23a4694b_730x410.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mNeV!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F08b59f28-23c8-4349-a892-2dcf23a4694b_730x410.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mNeV!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F08b59f28-23c8-4349-a892-2dcf23a4694b_730x410.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mNeV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F08b59f28-23c8-4349-a892-2dcf23a4694b_730x410.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mNeV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F08b59f28-23c8-4349-a892-2dcf23a4694b_730x410.jpeg" width="696" height="390.90410958904107" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/08b59f28-23c8-4349-a892-2dcf23a4694b_730x410.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:410,&quot;width&quot;:730,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:696,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;Bainbridge Growth Ben Tregoe and Austin Gardner-Smith&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/19/bainbridge-growth-e-commerce-sales/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="Bainbridge Growth Ben Tregoe and Austin Gardner-Smith" title="Bainbridge Growth Ben Tregoe and Austin Gardner-Smith" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mNeV!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F08b59f28-23c8-4349-a892-2dcf23a4694b_730x410.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mNeV!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F08b59f28-23c8-4349-a892-2dcf23a4694b_730x410.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mNeV!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F08b59f28-23c8-4349-a892-2dcf23a4694b_730x410.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mNeV!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F08b59f28-23c8-4349-a892-2dcf23a4694b_730x410.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><em><a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/johnkoetsier/2023/01/28/e-commerce-retail-just-passed-1-trillion-for-the-first-time-ever/?sh=3351bdec36df">With eCommerce sales surpassing $1 Trillion for the first time ever last year</a>, it is no surprise more merchants are trying to cash in. <a href="http://superangeldeck.com/">Based on my experience</a>, the most successful ones have a financially disciplined and fiscally responsible leader amongst its ranks. </em></p><p>Enter <em><a href="https://www.bainbridgegrowth.com/">Bainbridge</a>, whose mission is to support founders, heads of finance, and other decision makers with financial planning and forecasting solutions. It uses a proprietary, cloud-based, SmartModel&#8482;, and pulls in data from third party sources like Shopify, QuickBooks and Google Analytics, capturing accurate metrics to drive better business decisions.</em></p><p><em><a href="https://www.bainbridgegrowth.com/">Bainbridge</a> enables teams to understand the profitability at the customer, product, channel, and unit economics level, along with identifying customer acquisition costs (CaCs), lifetime values (LTV), and payback periods. Its software helps model outcomes, cohort analysis, repurchase predictions, scenario planning, goal setting, and benchmarking. </em></p><p><em>Co-Founders <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/benjamintregoe/">Ben Tregoe</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/austingardnersmith/">Austin Gardner-Smith</a> worked together at Nanigans, an adtech company <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/press-releases/2019-12-03/sprinklr-acquires-nanigans-social-advertising-business">acquired in 2019</a> that helped high-profile brands like Warby Parker, Peloton, Wayfair, Harry&#8217;s, Bombas, Casper and Glossier generate billions of dollars in sales with social advertising campaigns, data management, predictive analytics and reporting across channels like Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.</em></p><p><em>After spending the last year enhancing the product, onboarding first customers, and <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2022/09/19/bainbridge-growth-e-commerce-sales/">closing $4M in seed funding</a>, Bainbridge is now poised for growth. If you are interested in learning more, <a href="https://meetings.hubspot.com/ben1370/bainbridge-demo">book a demo here</a>!</em></p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Describe your company in five words or less.</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ben: Making eComm brands profitable.</p><p>Austin: Intelligent FP&amp;A for eCommerce.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ben: Retail is the biggest segment of global entrepreneurial effort and eComm is the fastest growing segment. eComm founders struggle with maximizing profitability and efficiently using capital. We realized that this was solvable through data, analytics, financial modeling and best practices. If we could bring these things together into software, we could have a massive impact on a huge number of people. And that is really exciting!</p><p>Austin: I'm the type of person that needs a "Superbowl" kind of target to get me out of bed in the morning, and I love the part of startups that's about creating something from scratch. Bainbridge is the perfect combination of three things I love and had come to know well over my previous roles: consumer brands, data &amp; technology, and finance. So the opportunity to work on something right in the bullseye of those three things, and get to work with Ben again, was a no brainer.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ben: Get as close to your customers as you can. Focus on listening and not selling. They will tell you where to focus. Then work like hell to deliver something they can't live without.</p><p>Austin: Two big things: 1. You often will end individual days feeling really good or really bad, but you've got to find a way to zoom out and look at the trend line. That's what really matters. 2. The single most important thing is to keep making forward process. One foot in front of the other. Just. Keep. Going.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ben: Ski.</p><p>Austin: I have 4 kids under 6 that occupy most of my "free" time, but when I'm not wrangling them you can find me trail running, on my road bike, or on a golf course.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ben: 'Recently' made me chuckle because I realized I have been much of anywhere recently. So I need to change that. Going further back, I would say Menorca. I could have spent a summer there exploring the island, beaches and food.</p><p>Austin: The elementary school in my neighborhood. My two oldest kids started school this year and it's been a trip to re-live first school experiences and listen to them explain super awesome things like "lunch" and "recess" to me for the first time :)</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ben: Excel! I started my career as an analyst in investment banking and then PE. Excel always fascinated me. I loved the tension of building a model of a company but seeing the flaws laid bare and trying to translate what's in your head to what can be real. We say at Bainbridge that models are just different visions of the future. And that can be super powerful when done well.</p><p>Austin: Google Sheets &amp; Excel. There is still no substitute for the power, flexibility and ubiquity of the spreadsheet.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ben: Perseverance. If you don't have the guts and attitude to keep positive and keep trying, you won't make it.</p><p>Austin: Resilience. You're going to take punches. A lot of them. Keeping your vision locked on the end goal and making forward progress (however small) every day is the most important thing.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.bainbridgegrowth.com/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LIOI!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3264c1ed-54b8-43a3-b6c6-66da1d65f432_1200x920.webp 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!LIOI!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fsubstack-post-media.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3264c1ed-54b8-43a3-b6c6-66da1d65f432_1200x920.webp 848w, 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https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Onzk!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1de6ac88-f36c-4582-a96d-adf431eeb212_391x139.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Onzk!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1de6ac88-f36c-4582-a96d-adf431eeb212_391x139.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!Onzk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1de6ac88-f36c-4582-a96d-adf431eeb212_391x139.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><div><hr></div><p><em><strong>SuperAngel.Fund</strong>&nbsp;is an early stage fund that invests in Consumer (CPG, eCommerce SaaS), PropTech &amp; Future of Work. You can learn more at <a href="http://superangel.fund/">SuperAngel.Fund</a>.</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" width="40" height="40" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:40,&quot;width&quot;:40,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Ammar Moiz, Founder & CEO of Mayple]]></title><description><![CDATA[Issue #37 In our 37th edition we are featuring Ammar Moiz, Founder & CEO of Mayple, an eCommerce enablement platform that helps brands sell cross-border to customers all around the world.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-ammar-moiz-founder</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-ammar-moiz-founder</guid><pubDate>Fri, 16 Dec 2022 13:40:20 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/h_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1279b190-4310-46b8-a85c-1096f756e580_1264x1024.jpeg" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong>Founder Friday</strong> is a content series from SuperAngel.Fund that highlights companies across our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</em></p><p><em><strong>In our 37th edition we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ammarmp/">Ammar Moiz</a>, Founder &amp; CEO of <a href="http://maypleglobal.com/">Mayple</a>, an eCommerce enablement platform that helps brands sell cross-border to customers all around the world.</strong></em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ammarmp/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mLY_!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1279b190-4310-46b8-a85c-1096f756e580_1264x1024.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mLY_!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1279b190-4310-46b8-a85c-1096f756e580_1264x1024.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mLY_!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1279b190-4310-46b8-a85c-1096f756e580_1264x1024.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mLY_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1279b190-4310-46b8-a85c-1096f756e580_1264x1024.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mLY_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1279b190-4310-46b8-a85c-1096f756e580_1264x1024.jpeg" width="332" height="268.9620253164557" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/1279b190-4310-46b8-a85c-1096f756e580_1264x1024.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:1024,&quot;width&quot;:1264,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:332,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:&quot;DTC Brands Have Proliferated In Domestic Markets. Now ...&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://www.linkedin.com/in/ammarmp/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="DTC Brands Have Proliferated In Domestic Markets. Now ..." title="DTC Brands Have Proliferated In Domestic Markets. Now ..." srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mLY_!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1279b190-4310-46b8-a85c-1096f756e580_1264x1024.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mLY_!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1279b190-4310-46b8-a85c-1096f756e580_1264x1024.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mLY_!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1279b190-4310-46b8-a85c-1096f756e580_1264x1024.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mLY_!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F1279b190-4310-46b8-a85c-1096f756e580_1264x1024.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><em><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ammarmp/">Ammar&#8217;s</a> experience with international trade spans generations. His father ran an import-export business based out of Dubai which has been a global shipping hub for decades due to its strategic location. Ammar also spent the early part of his career at 3G Capital, a global consumer-brand-focused investment firm.</em></p><p><em>In mid 2020, after being stuck in Dubai for 3 months due to the lockdown, Ammar started looking for his favorite personal care products, supplements, and other day-to-day needs. What he found surprised him - stores were filled with dated selections of legacy products owned by conglomerates like P&amp;G and Unilever. Not to mention, the local delivery and online options weren&#8217;t any better, and he couldn&#8217;t purchase any of the digitally native brands he preferred that matched his modern lifestyle. After dozens of conversations with founders, it became clear - while all of the U.S. brands had strong domestic distribution procedures, none had systems in place for efficient international sales. Reason being, there is tremendous network, logistics, supply chain and regulatory nightmares that came with it. </em></p><p><em>Enter <a href="http://maypleglobal.com/">Mayple</a>, which simplifies global trade and unlocks the full potential of global commerce. Mayple allows brands to market, sell, fulfill and ship products to customers around the world, seamlessly and cost effectively (with zero upfront investment). Through a Shopify integration, they enable fast and low-cost shipping, giving merchants access to international customers the same way they interact with domestic ones. <a href="http://maypleglobal.com/">Mayple</a> supports full-service logistics, digitizes the complexities, including: importing, warehousing, storage, customs, sea freight, pick, pack and fulfilment, last mile delivery and returns. </em></p><p><em>Global fulfillment has never been faster, more affordable, simpler, or more reliable, thanks to <a href="http://maypleglobal.com/">Mayple</a>!</em></p><p><em>H/T <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/aubrie-pagano-14371bb/">Aubrie Pagano</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/timmasek/">Tim Masek</a> for the intro</em></p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Describe your company in 5 words or less.</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ammar: Global Supply Chain for eCommerce.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ammar: As Direct-to-Consumer business have proliferated over the last decade, most have been focused domestically with very little global penetration/reach. Most logistic solutions and the advancement in the industry has been around domestic distribution and the scaling of services akin to Amazon Prime (2 day shipping). We wanted to build a solution that would enable a great shopping and post purchase experience for consumers around the world, so brands and DTC businesses could scale globally, seamlessly.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ammar: I am not sure I've earned the stature to be giving advice to other entrepreneurs, but I would probably say, ensuring that you're setup to be resilient both individually and surrounding yourself with people and a lifestyle that enables and encourages resiliency is crucial.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ammar: Read. I spend a lot of time reading global and financial news affairs. How seemingly small events in one part of the world affect the macro and political outlook always excites/interests me.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ammar: Belgrade, Serbia. Belgrade is an interesting city that has been fought over and suffered devastation from over 155 wars. Serbians are also multicultural having been influenced by Slavic, Western European and Ottoman cultures. What was most remarkable to me is the spirit of the people, who had an amazing positive disposition and outlook towards life, despite the history of violence they've suffered through.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ammar: I've been using Monday.com recently which is a great tool for both aspects of life. I've learned that simply keeping a checklist is a very underrated hack. I learned this from a book I read, many years ago, called The Checklist Manifesto.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Ammar: There are several but for me I've always focused on what I've naturally lacked - patience. I think patience is such a virtue to building a strong long-term business. Some of the best builders in the world have uncanny resilience but also patient approaches.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="http://maypleglobal.com/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hTBK!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa14e4076-478d-4efa-8069-b32353081648_1179x711.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!hTBK!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fa14e4076-478d-4efa-8069-b32353081648_1179x711.png 848w, 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src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QCW3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F83b2ad1b-eb2e-4bb8-9899-1068458f3783_500x137.png" width="272" height="74.528" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/83b2ad1b-eb2e-4bb8-9899-1068458f3783_500x137.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:137,&quot;width&quot;:500,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:272,&quot;bytes&quot;:33879,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QCW3!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F83b2ad1b-eb2e-4bb8-9899-1068458f3783_500x137.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QCW3!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F83b2ad1b-eb2e-4bb8-9899-1068458f3783_500x137.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QCW3!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F83b2ad1b-eb2e-4bb8-9899-1068458f3783_500x137.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!QCW3!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F83b2ad1b-eb2e-4bb8-9899-1068458f3783_500x137.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><div><hr></div><p><em><strong>SuperAngel.Fund</strong>&nbsp;is an early stage fund that invests in Consumer (CPG, eComm SaaS), PropTech &amp; Future of Work. You can learn more at <a href="http://superangel.fund/">SuperAngel.Fund</a>.</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img 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https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Cynthia Plotch & Jamie Norwood, Co-Founders of Stix 👩‍⚕️]]></title><description><![CDATA[Issue #35 In our 35th edition we are featuring Cynthia Plotch & Jamie Norwood, Co-Founders of Stix, the modern women&#8217;s health company with an education-first approach to commerce.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-cynthia-plotch-and</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-cynthia-plotch-and</guid><pubDate>Fri, 18 Nov 2022 13:41:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/h_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F630e801c-2a17-443a-ac06-a9945856663a_593x436.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong>Founder Friday</strong> is a content series from SuperAngel.Fund highlighting companies in our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</em></p><p><em><strong>In our 35th edition we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthiaplotch">Cynthia Plotch</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamienorwood/">Jamie Norwood</a>, Co-Founders of <a href="https://getstix.co/">Stix</a>, the modern women&#8217;s health company with an education-first approach to commerce.</strong></em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://getstix.co/pages/our-story" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IZAk!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F630e801c-2a17-443a-ac06-a9945856663a_593x436.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IZAk!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F630e801c-2a17-443a-ac06-a9945856663a_593x436.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IZAk!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F630e801c-2a17-443a-ac06-a9945856663a_593x436.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IZAk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F630e801c-2a17-443a-ac06-a9945856663a_593x436.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IZAk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F630e801c-2a17-443a-ac06-a9945856663a_593x436.png" width="457" height="336.00674536256327" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/630e801c-2a17-443a-ac06-a9945856663a_593x436.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:436,&quot;width&quot;:593,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:457,&quot;bytes&quot;:429181,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://getstix.co/pages/our-story&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IZAk!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F630e801c-2a17-443a-ac06-a9945856663a_593x436.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IZAk!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F630e801c-2a17-443a-ac06-a9945856663a_593x436.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IZAk!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F630e801c-2a17-443a-ac06-a9945856663a_593x436.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!IZAk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F630e801c-2a17-443a-ac06-a9945856663a_593x436.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" fetchpriority="high"></picture><div class="image-link-expand"><div class="pencraft pc-display-flex pc-gap-8 pc-reset"><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container restack-image"><svg role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><em>If you haven&#8217;t heard of it yet, you will soon&#8230;because <a href="https://getstix.co/">Stix</a> is on a mission to disrupt the $40B women&#8217;s health industry by providing women the health solutions they deserve. They are doing this <a href="https://getstix.co/collections/stix-all">via products</a>, an <a href="https://getstix.co/blogs/real-talk">education-first approach to commerce</a>, and <a href="https://app.geneva.com/invite/7eb37002-e4de-4c48-bd24-51818b98cd17">community</a> leading to a delightful purchasing experience, discretion, and an empowering brand built on comfort.</em></p><p><em>But who exactly is behind this vision to become the most trusted brand consumers</em> <em>turn to in their most vulnerable moments? That would be <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/cynthiaplotch">Cynthia Plotch</a> and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamienorwood/">Jamie Norwood</a>. The two met as entrepreneurial fellows at <a href="https://ventureforamerica.org/">Venture for America</a> and following that experience, they were part of the founding team at Hungry Harvest.</em></p><p><em>Through curated educational health resources, content and community, <a href="https://getstix.co/">Stix</a> builds deep relationships with their customers, providing women with the best possible care and guiding them to better patient outcomes. Since <a href="https://www.elitedaily.com/p/what-is-stix-this-pregnancy-test-founded-by-for-women-is-super-discreet-19206045">launching with a DTC pregnancy test</a>, they&#8217;ve <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2021/04/21/stix-expands-from-at-home-pregnancy-and-ovulation-tests-to-uti-products-with-3-5m-seed/">expanded their product offering to include 10 additional SKUs</a> that address a wide range of women&#8217;s health areas, including:&nbsp;Fertility &amp; Pregnancy, UTIs, Yeast Infections &amp; more. No surprise they&#8217;ve quickly established themselves as one of the most trusted brands in the category (&#128075; <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/gabbyshacknai/2020/07/31/meet-the-founders-who-want-to-take-the-stress-out-of-buying-pregnancy-and-ovulation-tests/?sh=5dcec7017e59">Forbes</a>, <a href="https://www.shape.com/lifestyle/mind-and-body/stix-home-pregnancy-tests">Shape</a>, <a href="https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/covid-19-fertility-birth-rate-baby-boom-pregnancy-1003104/">Rolling Stone</a>, <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/startups-offer-new-pregnancy-tests-with-privacy-and-calm-in-mind-11618390801">WSJ</a>, <a href="https://www.popsugar.com/fitness/stix-female-health-pregnancy-test-brand-founder-interview-48273780">POPSUGAR</a>, <a href="https://www.vogue.com/article/start-ups-furthering-at-home-healthcare">Vogue</a>). Jamie and Cynthia are ready to lead Stix into a new era of women&#8217;s health: one defined by education, comfort, and trust. </em></p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Describe your company in 5 words or less.</strong></p><blockquote><p>Jamie: Vaginal and reproductive health, delivered.</p><p>Cynthia: Vaginal &amp; reproductive health.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Jamie: To create better experiences for women and to de-stigmatize vaginal and reproductive health!</p><p>Cynthia: Making health management better for women.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Jamie: Ask for help as much as humanly possible, find a co-founder you truly trust, and just put one foot in front of the other.</p><p>Cynthia: Take care of yourself - founding a company is hard!</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Jamie: Yoga, exploring NYC, spending time with loved ones.</p><p>Cynthia: Spend time with family &amp; friends, run, swim, yoga, read, and occasionally, reality TV.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Jamie: Oaxaca, Mexico. The architecture, food, people, art... it's all amazing.</p><p>Cynthia: Northern Thailand checked every box - people, sights, food, culture, nature!</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Jamie: For personal life, I love having the NYT cooking app on my phone. It saves me a lot of time and keeps me inspired when grocery shopping and cooking.</p><p>Cynthia: I think I would lose my mind without Superhuman - it makes every email 10x easier. Sadly true for both personal &amp; work.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Jamie: Resilience for sure. You get knocked down so many times and just being able to keep going is more than half of the battle.</p><p>Cynthia: Resilience.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://getstix.co/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gaW_!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3dbf47f6-bccc-45b3-a08a-eb1e55d64eba_4500x3000.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!gaW_!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F3dbf47f6-bccc-45b3-a08a-eb1e55d64eba_4500x3000.jpeg 848w, 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9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://getstix.co/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TTLu!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c22faa3-2dac-4983-9c6c-72aae0aee076_1200x628.jpeg 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TTLu!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c22faa3-2dac-4983-9c6c-72aae0aee076_1200x628.jpeg 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TTLu!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c22faa3-2dac-4983-9c6c-72aae0aee076_1200x628.jpeg 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TTLu!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c22faa3-2dac-4983-9c6c-72aae0aee076_1200x628.jpeg 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TTLu!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c22faa3-2dac-4983-9c6c-72aae0aee076_1200x628.jpeg" width="308" height="161.18666666666667" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/2c22faa3-2dac-4983-9c6c-72aae0aee076_1200x628.jpeg&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:628,&quot;width&quot;:1200,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:308,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://getstix.co/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!TTLu!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F2c22faa3-2dac-4983-9c6c-72aae0aee076_1200x628.jpeg 424w, 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You can learn more at <a href="http://superangel.fund/">SuperAngel.Fund</a>.</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" width="40" height="40" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:40,&quot;width&quot;:40,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div>]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Founder Friday: Kait Stephens & Zack Morrison, Co-Founders of Brij 📲]]></title><description><![CDATA[Issue #34 In our 34th edition we are featuring Kait Stephens and Zack Morrison, Co-Founders of Brij, a software platform that helps brands create QR code-activated digital experiences.]]></description><link>https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-kait-stephens-and</link><guid isPermaLink="false">https://www.superangel.blog/p/founder-friday-kait-stephens-and</guid><pubDate>Fri, 11 Nov 2022 13:40:53 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/h_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcae216ba-b777-4ab1-ae76-94777025a2b9_646x399.png" length="0" type="image/jpeg"/><content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><em><strong>Founder Friday</strong> is a content series from SuperAngel.Fund highlighting companies in our portfolio and the inspiring founders behind them.</em></p><p><em><strong>In our 34th edition we are featuring <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kait-margraf-stephens/">Kait Stephens</a> &amp; <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/zack-morrison-38a3382b/">Zack Morrison</a>, Co-Founders of <a href="https://brij.it/">Brij</a>, a software platform that helps brands create QR code-activated digital experiences.</strong></em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2 is-viewable-img" target="_blank" href="https://brij.it/about" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mAZD!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcae216ba-b777-4ab1-ae76-94777025a2b9_646x399.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mAZD!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcae216ba-b777-4ab1-ae76-94777025a2b9_646x399.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mAZD!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcae216ba-b777-4ab1-ae76-94777025a2b9_646x399.png 1272w, 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data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/cae216ba-b777-4ab1-ae76-94777025a2b9_646x399.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:399,&quot;width&quot;:646,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:514,&quot;bytes&quot;:429646,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:&quot;image/png&quot;,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://brij.it/about&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:false,&quot;topImage&quot;:true,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!mAZD!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2Fcae216ba-b777-4ab1-ae76-94777025a2b9_646x399.png 424w, 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role="img" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 20 20" fill="none" stroke-width="1.5" stroke="var(--color-fg-primary)" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg"><g><title></title><path d="M2.53001 7.81595C3.49179 4.73911 6.43281 2.5 9.91173 2.5C13.1684 2.5 15.9537 4.46214 17.0852 7.23684L17.6179 8.67647M17.6179 8.67647L18.5002 4.26471M17.6179 8.67647L13.6473 6.91176M17.4995 12.1841C16.5378 15.2609 13.5967 17.5 10.1178 17.5C6.86118 17.5 4.07589 15.5379 2.94432 12.7632L2.41165 11.3235M2.41165 11.3235L1.5293 15.7353M2.41165 11.3235L6.38224 13.0882"></path></g></svg></button><button tabindex="0" type="button" class="pencraft pc-reset pencraft icon-container view-image"><svg xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" width="20" height="20" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round" class="lucide lucide-maximize2 lucide-maximize-2"><polyline points="15 3 21 3 21 9"></polyline><polyline points="9 21 3 21 3 15"></polyline><line x1="21" x2="14" y1="3" y2="10"></line><line x1="3" x2="10" y1="21" y2="14"></line></svg></button></div></div></div></a></figure></div><p><em>One incredibly interesting and unpredictable side effect of the Pandemic has been the reemergence and exploding popularity of the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QR_code">QR-code</a>. A technology that was first invented nearly 30 years ago, it has taken on a new life and massive utility in today&#8217;s contactless world.</em></p><p><em>Enter <a href="https://brij.it/">Brij</a>! A software platform that powers one-touch registration &amp; reorder to connect brands to their customers with the simple scan of a QR code. <a href="https://brij.it/use-cases">By scanning a Brij QR code on a product or its packaging</a>, consumers can instantly access personalized discounts, product manuals, ingredient lists, care instructions, subscription settings, video tutorials, warranty information, customer service &amp; more. Brands, on the other hand, get access to first party data such as customer name, email, and location. Brij works with companies of any size and across any industry, including Consumer Electronics, Apparel &amp; Outwear, Appliances, CPG, Luggage &amp; Accessories, &amp; Beauty. </em></p><p><em>Co-Founders <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kait-margraf-stephens/">Kait Stephens</a> (CEO) and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/zack-morrison-38a3382b/">Zack Morrison</a> (CTO) have more in common than just their shared leadership position at Brij&#8230;they are both Harvard Business School grads. The two are a complementary pair, with Kait&#8217;s background in retail, commerce and finance, and Zack&#8217;s in product design, engineering and manufacturing. To learn more about Brij and how the platform works, <a href="https://brij.it/schedule-demo">request a demo here</a>!</em></p><div><hr></div><p><strong>Describe your company in 5 words or less.</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kait: Platform for QR Code experiences.</p><p>Zack: Magical QR Code Product Experiences.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What was your primary motivation for starting your business?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kait: I've always been obsessed with the concept of omni-channel, yet find it absurd that this giant problem still exists where brands are disintermediated from their customers when selling through 3rd party retailers. Then, when the pandemic drove an entirely new consumer behavior around QR code adoption, I saw a pretty compelling opportunity to leverage this new consumer behavior for brands to solve this massive problem.</p><p>Zack: My motivation was to improve how people engage with their products through technology.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What piece of advice would you give an entrepreneur starting a business today?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kait: Love the problem you're solving and industry that you're in because it makes it so much more fun and easier to weather the challenges that you'll face.</p><p>Zack: There will be many ups &amp; downs, so it's important to stay positive.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you love to do in your free time?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kait: I'm a new mom so I love spending my free time with my 5-month old daughter, Harper. We love exposing her to all kinds of activities like hiking, traveling, going to the beach, and spending time with friends and family.</p><p>Zack: I love to play soccer, watch sports, and travel.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is the most interesting place you&#8217;ve visited recently and why?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kait: Jackson Hole, Wyoming - beyond being a beautiful place to visit (in the summer or the winter) and teaming with wildlife (grizzly sightings!), I learned that Wyoming is known as the &#8220;Equality State&#8221; and was the first state in the country to allow women the right to vote, serve on juries, and hold public office.</p><p>Zack: I visited Shanghai while in business school and was amazed at how technologically advanced the city was.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What is your favorite app or tool in your work life and in your personal life?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kait: Personal life - Nanit, our baby monitor that connects to an app on your phone. It tracks my baby's sleep and allows me to easily sneak a peak at her when I'm at the office! Work life - Slack! As a flexible / remote company, it provides such a great collaboration platform where we can organize different conversations and provide transparency across the org on what is going on, so that people always feel well-informed.</p><p>Zack: Figma, because it is an incredibly powerful design and collaboration tool that is also easy to use.</p></blockquote><p><strong>What do you believe is the most important skill or attribute of a successful founder?</strong></p><blockquote><p>Kait: Grit! You are going to face so much rejection so you need to have the grit to keep going and optimism to see around the corner of failures and roadblocks.</p><p>Zack: Creativity.</p></blockquote><div><hr></div><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://brij.it/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!r-Ga!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0d2ed28f-7117-442c-bc92-74fecddae8c2_352x352.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!r-Ga!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F0d2ed28f-7117-442c-bc92-74fecddae8c2_352x352.png 848w, 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target="_blank" href="https://brij.it/" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F2pk!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392faa88-2dea-44c0-b7ce-3ab7d9c5845c_371x191.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F2pk!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392faa88-2dea-44c0-b7ce-3ab7d9c5845c_371x191.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F2pk!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392faa88-2dea-44c0-b7ce-3ab7d9c5845c_371x191.png 1272w, 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data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/392faa88-2dea-44c0-b7ce-3ab7d9c5845c_371x191.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:191,&quot;width&quot;:371,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:&quot;https://brij.it/&quot;,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F2pk!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392faa88-2dea-44c0-b7ce-3ab7d9c5845c_371x191.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F2pk!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392faa88-2dea-44c0-b7ce-3ab7d9c5845c_371x191.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F2pk!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392faa88-2dea-44c0-b7ce-3ab7d9c5845c_371x191.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!F2pk!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F392faa88-2dea-44c0-b7ce-3ab7d9c5845c_371x191.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div><div><hr></div><p><em><strong>SuperAngel.Fund</strong>&nbsp;is an early stage fund that invests in Consumer, PropTech &amp; Future of Work. You can learn more at <a href="http://superangel.fund/">SuperAngel.Fund</a>.</em></p><div class="captioned-image-container"><figure><a class="image-link image2" target="_blank" href="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" data-component-name="Image2ToDOM"><div class="image2-inset"><picture><source type="image/webp" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_webp,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw"><img src="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png" width="40" height="40" data-attrs="{&quot;src&quot;:&quot;https://bucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com/public/images/720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png&quot;,&quot;srcNoWatermark&quot;:null,&quot;fullscreen&quot;:null,&quot;imageSize&quot;:null,&quot;height&quot;:40,&quot;width&quot;:40,&quot;resizeWidth&quot;:null,&quot;bytes&quot;:null,&quot;alt&quot;:null,&quot;title&quot;:null,&quot;type&quot;:null,&quot;href&quot;:null,&quot;belowTheFold&quot;:true,&quot;topImage&quot;:false,&quot;internalRedirect&quot;:null,&quot;isProcessing&quot;:false,&quot;align&quot;:null,&quot;offset&quot;:false}" class="sizing-normal" alt="" srcset="https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_424,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 424w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_848,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 848w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1272,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1272w, https://substackcdn.com/image/fetch/$s_!KDz7!,w_1456,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:good,fl_progressive:steep/https%3A%2F%2Fbucketeer-e05bbc84-baa3-437e-9518-adb32be77984.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fpublic%2Fimages%2F720c6c0e-d293-45f5-b825-3bdbaba24bb3_40x40.png 1456w" sizes="100vw" loading="lazy"></picture><div></div></div></a></figure></div>]]></content:encoded></item></channel></rss>