Discussion Topics

What Is a Blockchain Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Blockchain is a way of recording information that is hard to hack or steal. It is a ledger of transactions that…

Decentralization in Web3 Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Web3 brings a new level of decentralization to the internet. Web3 lets users build their own economic…

Web3 CFO Skills Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Web3 brings new challenges to the startup leadership. Here are some key skills a Web3 CFO should have: In addition to…

Web3 CEO Skills Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Web3 brings new challenges to the startup leadership. Here are some key skills a Web3 CEO should have: In addition to…

Web3 Business Models Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Web3 brings new business models. Here are some key business models to consider: Native assets — the value of the…

Go to Market Strategies in Web3 Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In the Web2 world go-to-market strategies focused on free products and services. In the Web3 world, go…

Reputation, Credentials, and Identity in Web3 Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Reputation, credentials and identity are new use cases brought about by Web3. Since…

Treasury Function in Web3 Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Web3 brings a new function the startup must manage:  the treasury. The treasury function exists in the…

Difference Between Web2 and Web3 Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are several differences between Web2 and Web3. Web2 centralizes the control of information kept…

Composability Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Web 3 brings software composability to a new level. Composability is the ability to select and combine components to…

Benefits of Web3 Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The next generation of the web, called Web3 seeks to decentralize the internet and give control back to the users….

Web3 Innovations Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Web 3 brings new innovations to the internet. Here are some key innovations: Web 3 uses blockchain technology which…

What Is Web3? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The current internet is controlled by a few players with concentrated power over the users. The next generation of the…

How To Write a DAO Constitution Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In setting up a DAO it’s important to write a constitution defining the governance and establishing…

Delegated Voting in DAOs Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. DAOs bring many benefits to online communities such as member control over the direction of the DAO. One of…

VC Usage of DAOs Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. DAOs bring many benefits to the startup fundraise. These include a community focused on supporting a common cause….

Fundraising With DAOs Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. DAOs bring a new level of community engagement to startup fundraising. The community within the DAO can support…

DAOs Bring a New MVP Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. DAOs or Distributed Autonomous Organizations are communities with a purpose using software platforms to…

DAO Use Cases Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. DAOs or Distributed Autonomous Organizations are communities with a purpose using software platforms to coordinate and…

The Challenge With DAOs Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. DAOs or Distributed Autonomous Organizations are communities with funding resources. A DAO is a network of…

Benefits of DAOs for Fundraising Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. DAOs or Distributed Autonomous Organizations can be used for startup fundraising.  Traditional…

Liabilities in Setting Up a DAO Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. DAOs or Distributed Autonomous Organizations bring people together to pursue a common goal. Here are…

How To Setup a DAO Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. DAOs or Distributed Autonomous Organizations bring people together to pursue a common goal. Here are the steps to…

Forming Capital With DAOs Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. DAOs or Distributed Autonomous Organizations align a group of people toward a common goal. Forming capital…

DAOs As the Next-Generation Crowdfunding Platform Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. DAO stands for Distributed Autonomous Organizations. DAOs hold the promise as the…

DAOs Are Like Gaming Communities Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. DAOs or Distributed Autonomous Organizations are like gaming communities. A gaming community forms…

Background of DAOs Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. DAOs or Distributed Autonomous Organizations define the rules for coordinating a group of people in pursuit of a…

What Are DAOs For? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. DAO stands for Distributed Autonomous Organizations. DAOs facilitate people’s coordination toward a common goal….

What Are DAOs? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. DAO stands for Distributed Autonomous Organizations. A DAO is a group of people who join together for a common purpose….

Capturing Their Attention Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In pitching an investor it’s important to gain the investors’ attention. The timespan for a pitch…

Preacher Prosecutor Politician Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In pitching your startup you can frame the pitch in several ways. Consider the preacher, the prosecutor…

Research Question Frameworks for Biotech Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Biotech startups must show the efficacy of their solution. Here are several research…

Mistakes in Synthesizing Answers Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In providing synthesized answers to the investor, here’s a list of key mistakes to avoid. The most…

Synthesizing the Components for a Fundraising Pitch Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In formulating a pitch for a fundraise, you must synthesize several sources of…

More Best Practices in Answering Questions Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Here are more best practices to consider in answering investor questions Take a moment…

Best Practices in Answering Questions Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Founders answer many questions during the fundraise process. Here are some best practices in…

Good vs Bad Answers to Questions Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In fundraising the investor will ask the startup many questions. The investor is often limited in…

How To Answer Questions Using Synthesis Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Synthesis can help in answering questions. Here are some key steps to answer questions: First,…

What Are Critical Thinking Skills? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Critical thinking understands the connection between multiple ideas and concepts. In building a…

What Is Critical Thinking? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Critical thinking is defined as the objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a…

How To Use Market Research With Investors Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Market research not only informs the founder about the industry and how to build a startup….

Segment the Market Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Market segmentation divides your target market into logical groups based on needs, location, or other factors. The…

Identify the Ideal Customer Profile Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In researching a market it’s important to identify the ideal customer profile. The ideal…

How To Size the Market Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Sizing the market is a key step in researching an industry. Follow these steps to size the market for your…

Analyze Industry Trends Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. When conducting market research for your startup, it’s crucial to differentiate between primary and secondary…

Identifying Competitors Through Market Research Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In researching a market segment for launching a startup, identifying competitors is a…

Questions To Use in Market Research Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In researching a market use these questions to find out more: Who are these people in the market?…

How To Perform Secondary Research Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Secondary research provides additional information about a market. Typically the information is free…

How To Research a Market Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Market research provides many benefits including identifying your target market and your ideal customer. Here…

Types of Market Research Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are several types of market research one can use in studying a market segment. Consider these types of…

Why Do Market Research Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Market research is a key step in preparing to launch a startup. Here’s a list of reasons why it’s important…

Closing the Raise Without a Lead Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are more startups than there are lead investors. Not every fundable startup will find…

Closing a Lead Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. A lead investor is important for raising funding. They negotiate the terms and valuation of the deal and bring…

Characteristics of a Lead Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startup founders are looking for lead investors.  Good lead investors exhibit these…

How To Find a Lead Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Most investors do not lead the fundraise round but rather follow-on. There’s a great deal of work and…

What Is the Value of a Lead Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The lead investor can be an important resource to a startup. Here’s a list of values lead…

Role of the Lead Investor After the Fundraise Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The lead investor has a role before, during and after the fundraise. Here are some key…

What Are Co-Lead Investors? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The lead investor typically takes up to half of the round in return for leading the diligence and setting…

Disadvantages to Being a Lead Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. While there are many advantages to being a lead investor there are also disadvantages. Here’s…

Advantages to Being a Lead Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. While the lead investor has many responsibilities there are also advantages. Here are some…

Attributes of a Lead Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The lead investor leads the process of negotiating the terms of a deal with a startup. Here are some key…

Responsibilities of a Lead Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The lead investor leads the diligence and negotiations with the startup. Here’s a list of…

What Is a Lead Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. A lead investor is an individual or a group that leads the startup funding round by performing the diligence…

Managing the Grant Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. After winning the grant, the work begins. The research must be carried out and the grant providers must be kept…

Best Practices for Writing a Grant Proposal Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The grant proposal will be read by many people of varying background and technical skill….

How To Write a Compelling Abstract Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In applying for a grant, it’s important to include a compelling abstract. Not everyone involved…

Mistakes in Applying for a Grant Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Grant applications are complex and come with many challenges. Here is a list of common mistakes in…

How To Write a Grant Proposal Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are many sources of grants beyond the government such as family offices and foundations. These…

How To Prepare a Grant Application Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The grant application process can take over three hundred hours to complete. Take these steps to…

Conditions for Using a Grant Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. SBIR grant funding comes with requirements for how to use it. SBIR funds for phase 1 are focused on…

Success Rates for Grant Funding Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Grant funding is challenging to obtain. Only a fraction of applications receive funding. Over the…

Where To Find Grants Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are many sources of grants for startups. The main funding source for government grants is the SBIR and STTR…

Lifecycle of Grant Funding Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso — your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The grant funding process goes through a well-defined lifecycle. Here’s the lifecycle process: Planning…

Pros and Cons of Grant Funding There are pros and cons to grant funding. Here is a list of pros: The funding does not need to be paid back. The funding is non-dilutive as no equity is given. Grants are easy to identify. Grants won can help in raising funding…

Checklist for Writing a Grant Application Before writing a grant application make sure you have these things ready to go: A clear statement of the status of the technology and how it works. A value proposition of the technology and how it can provide benefits. A clearly defined goal for…

How To Use Grant Funding After winning a grant, you’ll need to apply the grant funding to your project Consider these best practices on how to use grant funding: Build a rapport with your grant representative. The grant representative is your contact point with the granting organization. Find a way…

Applying for a Grant In applying for a grant consider these factors: Set aside time for writing the grant application. It takes over 300 hours to properly write an SBIR grant. Make sure you are giving it the time and attention it requires. Understand the grant review process. Each granting…

Should You Pursue a Grant? Grants provide seed money to startups. Consider these points in determining whether or not you should pursue a grant. Grant funds can only be used for the stated purpose in the grant proposal. If you need funds for operations, inventory, or administrative tasks, then you…

What Is a Grant? A grant is funding to a startup to further the business but does not take equity nor must be paid back. The government provides grants to startups to help commercialize the technology and foster economic growth. Federal grants are given to startups to promote specific technology…

Mistakes in Commercialization Commercialization of technology requires key skills in market research, product development, and customer engagement. Avoid these mistakes in commercialization: Focusing on researching the technology only. Set aside time for selling, marketing, and product development. Failing to maintain commitment. Tech commercialization requires several years of work to achieve….

How To Engage Academics Into Commercialization Universities often encourage academics to commercialize their technology to advance their research. Here are some key steps to engage academics into commercialization: Focus on the impact of the research rather than the revenue generated. Encourage the researcher to promote the technology into other groups….