Joel Holland

On this week's episode of Lobster Talks, we had the privilege of speaking with Daniel Driscoll, former military officer and co-founder of Elodin (YC W24). Elodin is building the "Unreal Engine for aerospace," a flight software development platform that promises to accelerate innovation and make space exploration more accessible. Key takeaways from our conversation with Dan: -From battlefield to launchpad: Dan's unique journey from serving in Iraq to leading a cutting-edge space tech startup. -The "Unreal Engine" analogy: How Elodin is changing the game for aerospace software development. -Disrupting the status quo: Why agile software practices are essential for the future of space. -Advice for founders: Dan's insights on identifying and solving problems in established industries. This episode is a must-listen! Check out the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/eHp_WWGc #aerospace #softwaredevelopment #startups #innovation #spaceexploration #podcast #lobstertalks

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The valuations of AI startups are..... 1) About right 2) "Frothy" 3) Insane The round is double the initial target set by Musk’s team. Investors had been talking about raising $3 billion at an $18 billion valuation, including the new cash, The Wall Street Journal reported last month. Musk’s team raised the target in light of strong demand, according to people familiar with the matter. The money will be used to take “xAI’s first products to market, build advanced infrastructure and accelerate research and development of future technologies,” Investors in the round include brand-name Silicon Valley firms such as Sequoia Capital and Andreessen Horowitz as well as Valor Equity Partners, Vy Capital, Fidelity Management & Research, and Saudi Prince al-Waleed bin Talal and Kingdom Holding, #artificialintelligence #fundraising #venturecapital

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I sat down with Rebecca Lynn, Co-Founder of Canvas Ventures, an early-stage VC fund with almost $900 Million AUM. She's a 25-year fintech veteran and 5x Forbes Midas list honoree. In this Fintech Leaders episode, we discuss: - Data-driven marketing and go-to-market strategies - How startups should think about preparing for M&A opportunities   - What great entrepreneurs have in common - The areas of fintech where AI is making an actual difference   - Challenges of building a VC fund from scratch … and a lot more!

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I really enjoyed recording this episode of The Digital Industrial Podcast with Ty Findley. We talked about common misconceptions for deep tech, the "Why Now" for the category, and differences between investor diligence for deep tech and traditional tech. https://lnkd.in/eKtwjauu

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I recently faced one of the biggest challenges in my entrepreneurial career. My most recent venture, WingMates, didn't work out (I won't get into that in this post), from which we pivoted from our original idea, which didn't work out either. I had to make a tough decision: Shut down and return the rest of our pre-seed round to our investors (we still had half of it in the bank) or pivot one more time to a different industry. We built great tech at WingMates, so why don't we use it to create value elsewhere? First, I spoke to my team, and they were still up for the challenge. Then, I talked to each investor individually. Twenty-one out of 24 investors said they invested in the team, not in the idea. Most of them preferred the new project over WingMates. I could have given up. I could have taken some time off, which I didn't do after Papa, and reflected on my failures before jumping into a new project. However, something was keeping me up at night and giving me heartburn throughout the day. I was going to lose half of my investor's money. I understand most startups fail, but these were not my first failures. This time, it felt different. After co-founding Papa, many people, including most of our current investors, started looking up to me. These people trusted me with their money because of our success (and luck) with Papa. Therefore, I decided not to let them down. And I won't let them down. So, what's this third project? After recruiting and hiring hundreds of team members at Papa, I realized how important it is to align talent with the company's mission and values. For that reason, we started building MissionHires, a recruiting platform to help companies hire passionate talent who aligns with their mission and values. We're repurposing all the technology we built for WingMates to help companies source and pre-screen candidates with artificial intelligence. We'll also help passionate professionals discover their ideal employers—a company whose mission and values align with theirs. If you’re a company or recruiter in need of sourcing or screening passionate talent, we have a waitlist for our beta. If you're none of those, give us a hand and share with your network ��� Join the waitlist to get notified when we launch and to receive a unique promo code to post your first job search for FREE! Lastly, please let me know your thoughts in the comments.

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Alternative Resources for founders, geared for startups with generous free tiers: 1) Papermark - Docsend alternative. 2) Tally - Typeform alternative. 3) Cal.com, Inc. - Calendly alternative. 4) Supabase - Firebase Alternative. 5) Sender.net - Mailchimp Alternative. What else are people using and loving in the founders stack?

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A post from Rob at Balderton Capital pointed me at this piece from TechCrunch, and it perfectly aligns with what I've seen in the market: When things (aka: building businesses) are getting harder, founders seem to be more aware of how to structure ownership within their team. I've recently seen a few transactions where mostly experienced founders insist on longer vesting schedules for them and their team (👋🏻 Mario from Enpal revealing this week the whole company runs on 7y vesting schedules). Avoiding dead capital on the cap table is one of the key priorities we try to make founders aware of when raising rounds - be cautious with part-time, non-operative 'co-initiators', professors, accelerators or angels that don't add much value beyond the very initial stages, or co-founders that decide to move on. Enforcing strong (read: long) vesting mechanisms including cliffs (no need to stick to the 1y cliff market standard either) can be a simple mechanism to align interests for the long-term.

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Having a Cars and Capital event tomorrow in Southern California with Oren Klaff. If you want to join message me. https://lnkd.in/gDQ4D39u Oren Klaff Bridger Pennington #InvestorEvent #FamilyOffice #InvestmentOpportunity #CarlsbadEvent #PrivateEquity #WealthManagement #InvestmentConference #CapitalRaising #NetworkingEvent #IndustryLeaders #FinancialGrowth #InvestorsMeetup #WealthBuilding #BusinessGrowth #InvestmentForum

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How to value a seed stage company? Who knows...(Well, Jack McQuire does but I had to fill in for him at the last minute for last week's Valuation Masterclass.) Here's a slide I prepared highlighting some of the recent seed rounds we have led and supported. Two surefire valuation methods: comparables (i.e. numerous rational references to companies similar to you) and the market (i.e. pitch as many investors as you can and see where they land). I have seen valuations double simply as a result of well-managed competitive processes. Governance, Terms, and War Stories sessions coming up. Register here: https://lnkd.in/ghJJpdR4

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In the latest episode of my podcast 🎙Redefining Energy - Tech Kevin Antcliff, head of product at Xwing and former NASA - National Aeronautics and Space Administration expert, shared his transition from NASA to the autonomous aviation industry. Antcliff, who has a lifelong passion for aerospace, delved into his experience with urban air mobility and autonomy at NASA, setting the stage for his belief in unmanned flight's future. Apple: https://lnkd.in/gUXhiwQD Spotify: https://lnkd.in/gCrmjWJj Transcript: https://lnkd.in/deFr9KPD During the conversation, Ancliffe and I tackled key challenges facing the aviation sector today, including pilot shortages, high operational costs, and regulatory hurdles. We discussed the potential of electric aircraft to significantly reduce certification and maintenance costs, thereby improving operational efficiencies. A significant portion of our discussion centered on the role of regional air mobility (RAM) in using existing airport infrastructure to boost connectivity. We reflected on the surge in airport constructions post-World War II and how recent regulatory shifts have revitalized small plane manufacturing, shaping new market entrants. The discussion concluded by emphasizing the shift towards autonomy and electrification in aviation, which promises enhanced safety, cost-efficiency, and the strategic use of RAM to improve regional travel connectivity. This conversation not only highlighted the evolving landscape of aviation but also reinforced the importance of innovative approaches in overcoming industry limitations. 🚀 Connect with us to dive deeper into the future of aviation and share your thoughts on how these technologies are shaping the industry. As always, like, subscribe and share. #aviation #electrification #autonomy #technology #innovation #business

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🧬 This week's Austin Bio + Health Roundup highlights significant data trends, my stance on covering funding announcements, new partnerships, and action across the Texas Bio Triangle. 🧬 💰 Funding: The Way I Plan to Cover Funding Announcements You may have seen reports of a local Bio & Health startup’s funding round through an SEC report filing. While some outlets have covered this, my position is not to. I prefer to support our builders directly rather than trolling the filings for scoops. There is plenty of real investigative journalism that our city would be well served by if that is where they focused. Remember I am not a journalist and I am not the media. When the company is ready to announce their round officially, I’ll gladly shout it to the rooftops. 📊 Data Peter Walker at Carta reports that in 2017, Biopharma and Medical Devices captured just under 10% of all VC dollars. By 2023, this figure rose to 17.7%, and in Q1 2024, it reached 24%. The overarching tailwinds favor our sector and region with trends towards Bio & Health and the physical & digital intersection. Energy and hardware, two other sector blossoming in Central Texas, also saw similar share gains. 🤝 M&A and Partnerships Sensi.AI, a 24/7 senior care intelligence agent, is partnering with Caring Senior Service to deploy SensiAI’s platform in Caring’s 50 locations across the US. This partnership allows seniors a better opportunity to age gracefully in their homes. 🚩 Texas Bio Triangle BioMedSA is hosting an event called Women in Bioscience, Thursday June 20th. It’s designed to connect and empower women in the bioscience industry across Central Texas, and features Randi Brosterman Hutchens discussing "Building your Personal Board." Find the link to the event in the comments. Houston-based Lokum, a staffing solution to connect clinicians and clinical staff to health care facilities, has raised a $700K pre-seed round. Congrats Ayoade (Joy) Ademuyewo on the raise. What’s Next? #AustinNext #LifeSciences #Healthcare #Biotechnology

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Exciting news! We just sent out the inaugural newsletter for Future Frontier Capital, our pre-seed venture fund backing frontier tech startups. As I hit "send," I realized how launching FFC parallels the path of the founders we support. Starting FFC has required the same passion, perseverance, and self-belief that drive entrepreneurs. Just like a startup, getting a VC fund off the ground demands relentless hustle—building the brand, perfecting the pitch, and networking tirelessly. There are constant challenges that test your resolve and endless hours of unglamorous work behind the scenes. And perhaps most daunting - the self-doubt, wondering if you're crazy for attempting something so bold. Pushing through that negative self-talk requires unshakable faith in your mission. Raising this VC fund reminds me of starting our IP strategy and patent analytics firm two decades ago. It’s a powerful reminder of the perseverance, creativity, and resilience needed to turn an ambitious idea into reality. This experience makes us more empathetic partners, ready to support the founders we back. Our work is just beginning, and this inaugural newsletter underscores our commitment to supporting frontier tech startups every step of the way. #startups #VentureCapital #EmergingManagers #Entrepreneurship #InnovationMindSet

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Short-term rental platforms have evolved from casual home-sharing to investor-driven businesses, prompting necessary regulations. But we're missing a crucial middle ground: a platform for affordable, trusted stays that lets homeowners & renters share on their terms, for anything but a profit. As LA-born founders, we're reimagining home-sharing. Our journey began in 2020 when we met with Ethan Cole PhD who taught us how to test and validate early hypotheses about home-sharing. Since then, we've helped hosts and guests save nearly $1M and we are just getting started. With our increasingly mobile lifestyles, there's untapped potential in empty homes/rooms. We're excited to share our story on the Founders In LA podcast!

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If you are a woman founder and have feedback on the early-stage and angel fundraising process - read below and provide your insights and feedback as we build FBomb Angels.

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🌍🌳 New Episode Alert! Dive into Nature-Based Solutions with World Tree🌳🌍 In this episode of Investor Connect, host Hall T. Martin sits down with Doug Willmore, CEO, and Cathy Key, President & Chief Business Development Officer of WorldTree. Listen here: https://ow.ly/QOqe50SbVGx Join the conversation to explore: 🌲 The journey from a small startup to managing 300 tree farms across multiple countries. 💡 Cathy’s intriguing shift from anthropology to tech, redefining WorldTree's business model. 💸 Doug’s update on their current fundraising efforts and ambitious goals ahead. 📊 Insights into WorldTree’s revenue streams, valuation approach, and strategies for attracting the right investors. 🌐 Hall's innovative approaches at Ten Capital for connecting with potential investors. Discover how WorldTree is tackling global challenges with nature-based solutions, focusing on people, planet, and prosperity. 🌎✨ 🔗 Learn more about WorldTree and their sustainable initiatives: https://ow.ly/WZyW50SbVGy Don't miss this treasure trove of insights for anyone navigating the startup funding landscape! 🎧 #InvestorConnect #WorldTree #NatureBasedSolutions #SustainableBusiness #StartupFunding #EcoFriendly #GreenBusiness #Podcast

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Attending NYC Tech Week was a blast! I met a ton of founders, from scrappy early-stage entrepreneurs still finding their way to seasoned veterans. I’m always impressed with the drive, passion and incredible risk they all take to solve the problems of the world. These are people who stubbornly keep at it until they turn their ideas into reality. It is a treacherous path, and far too few make it to the other end. It takes a mix of authenticity, purpose, adaptability, empathy, resilience, and a relentless drive for innovation and continuous learning to reach success. You have to stay on your toes and be ready for anything. It's a constant balancing act: Are you moving too fast or too slow? Is your growth too horizontal or too vertical? Should you slow down to boost quality or should you move fast and break things? Does this feature not work because we built it wrong, or because the users don’t know how to use it, or because they simple don’t find it valuable? The details matter, knowing when to pivot and when to stick it through matters. Did you know back in 1937, the very first prototype of the grocery cart almost failed because women thought that the push carts looked too much like baby carriages and men thought that pushing their groceries in a cart made them look weak. How did the owner of the supermarket chain solve this problem? He hired male and female models to push the carts around the store and pretend they are shopping. This tactic showed customers how convenient and practical the carts were. The invention spread everywhere and revolutionized the shopping experience, allowing customers to buy more items in a single trip and making the process much more efficient and enjoyable. If the owner had given up after his customers outright rejected his first prototype and did not cleverly hire ringers to make it psychologically safe for them to look at the usefulness of the shopping cart itself, he would have never tasted the sweetness of his success. This is what founders do. This why they are so critical to the fabric of our society. #TechEvents #StartupLife #KeepLearning #Innovation #EntrepreneurLife #Founders

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🔥 Thrilled to see Hydrolix crushing it with a $35M Series B! 🔥 Data is the new oil, but too much gets discarded due to prohibitive storage costs. Hydrolix cracks this with its streaming #datalake platform that leverages object storage, decoupled compute, indexing, & compression. As Marty Kagan puts it: 'We’re cheaper than cold storage and faster than hot storage' Hydrolix’s streaming data lake platform is a game-changer for #AI, #observability, & #security workloads. 💥 Real-time query performance at terabyte scale 💰75%+ savings on log mgmt & 4x more data retained  ☁️ Stateless & containerized for seamless scaling with Amazon Web Services (AWS) S3, Google Cloud GCS, Microsoft Azure Blob 💡 Had the early conviction (first investor) that data is key to unlocking AI & enterprise workloads. It's proving right. Huge thanks to Marty Kagan Hasan Alayli for letting me early on their journey to build an impessive company 🙏 Super pumped to have awesome Aaron Perman at S3 Ventures leading this round along with other strong existing investors - Nava Ventures (Manish Patel) Wing Venture Capital (Peter Wagner) Oregon Venture Fund (Matt Compton Scott Grout) and others 💪 Onwards! 🚀🚀🚀 #cloud #data #ai #ml #llm #largelanguagemodels #analytics #security #loganalytics #datalake #datawarehouse https://lnkd.in/g5i6afP5

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Early traction or success for founders can be a double-edged sword because it can lead to overconfidence. When we launched Scaped, a marketplace connecting construction professionals with suppliers, we did $5K in revenue over the first few weeks. That early traction went straight to our head, and the mistakes began to take place. 1. Assuming the pace would continue 2. Foolish spending 3. Building anything our first customer wanted 4. Ignoring advisors because "don't worry, we got this" When founders experience something like $5K in revenue in the first week, they might assume that their product-market fit is solid and that continued success is guaranteed. This overconfidence can result in several potential pitfalls: 1. Neglecting Market Research: Founders might skip further market research, believing they already understand their customers perfectly. This can prevent them from identifying evolving needs or preferences. 2. Ignoring Feedback: Early success can make founders less receptive to customer feedback, leading them to miss critical insights that could improve their product or service. 3. Scaling Too Quickly: Overconfident founders might rush to scale their operations, investing heavily in marketing, hiring, or production before their business model is truly validated. This can lead to unsustainable expenses and operational inefficiencies. 4. Complacency: Believing that initial success will naturally continue, founders might become complacent and not put in the necessary effort to innovate, adapt, or address underlying issues. 5. Misjudging Market Demand: Initial revenue spikes can be misleading if they are driven by one-time factors (e.g., a large order from a single customer, a successful marketing campaign). Founders might overestimate the true demand and fail to plan for a sustainable revenue stream. 6. Poor Financial Management: Early revenue can lead to a false sense of financial security, causing founders to manage their finances poorly, overspend, or fail to plan for leaner times. 7. Underestimating Competition: Overconfidence might make founders dismissive of competitors, leading to a lack of strategic planning and differentiation in the market. Ultimately, early success should be viewed as a positive sign but not a guarantee of future performance. Founders need to remain vigilant, continuously gather feedback, adapt their strategies, and ensure they are prepared for potential challenges ahead. Avoid these mistakes by building collectively xVentures

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