Ep. 228 How I Raised It With John Zeratsky Of Venture Fund Character

Ep. 228 How I Raised It With John Zeratsky Of Venture Fund Character

Author: Foundersuite.com - software for raising capital March 18, 2022 Duration: 28:03
Produced by Foundersuite (www.foundersuite.com), "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders and investors who have raised capital. This episode is with John Zeratsky of Character, a Milwaukee based venture fund with an investment strategy focused on Product Design (www.character.vc). In this episode, John shares his 5-day design sprint process, what he's looking to invest in, tips for qualifying and pitching LPs, and more. Character has raised $30 million for its inaugural fund. Previously, John and his co-founder Jake Knapp worked at Google Ventures, where they used their product design skills to help companies like Slack, Blue Bottle, and Flatiron Health through hundreds of 5-day design sprints. They are joined by a third partner, Eli Blee-Goldman. How I Raised It is produced by Foundersuite, makers of software to raise capital and manage investor relations. Foundersuite's customers have raised over $3 Billion since 2016. Create a free account at www.foundersuite.com.

Behind every funded startup is a story, often untold, of how the money actually came together. How I Raised It pulls back the curtain on that exact process. Each episode is a direct conversation with a founder who has successfully navigated the capital raise, digging into the granular details that most post-mortems gloss over. You’ll hear about the specific strategies that worked, the unexpected hurdles, and the moments that nearly derailed the entire effort. This isn't about generic advice; it's a replay of real negotiations, investor rejections turned into commitments, and the personal resilience required to close a round. Produced by Foundersuite.com, a company that builds software used by startups to raise capital, the podcast benefits from an insider's view of the fundraising landscape. The discussions are grounded in the messy reality of building a business with other people's money, offering a tangible sense of what to expect when you're in the thick of it. For any entrepreneur on the journey from idea to funded venture, this podcast serves as a valuable companion, full of hard-won insights and practical takeaways from those who have just been through the fire. Tune in to hear how pressure shapes a pitch, how relationships translate into checks, and how founders just like you managed to get it done.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

How I Raised It - The podcast where we interview startup founders who raised capital.
Podcast Episodes
Ep. 308 How I Raised It with Andrew Ackerman [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 42:15
Produced by Foundersuite (for startups: www.foundersuite.com) and Fundingstack (for VCs: www.fundingstack.com), "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders and investors who have raised capital. This e…
Ep. 306 How I Raised It with Nik Talreja of Sydecar.io [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 34:42
Produced by Foundersuite (for startups: www.foundersuite.com) and Fundingstack (for VCs: www.fundingstack.com), "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders and investors who have raised capital. This e…
Ep. 305 How I Raised It with Nisha Dua of BBG Ventures [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:50
Produced by Foundersuite (for startups: www.foundersuite.com) and Fundingstack (for VCs: www.fundingstack.com), "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders and investors who have raised capital. This e…
Ep. 304 How I Raised It with Yoav Oz of Rep AI [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 36:12
Produced by Foundersuite (for startups: www.foundersuite.com) and Fundingstack (for VCs: www.fundingstack.com), "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders and investors who have raised capital. This e…
Ep. 303 How I Raised It with Renata Quintini of Renegade Partners VC [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:46
Produced by Foundersuite (for startups: www.foundersuite.com) and Fundingstack (for VCs: www.fundingstack.com), "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders and investors who have raised capital. This e…
Ep. 302 How I Raised It with Laura Epstein of Pulse Charter Connect [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:01
Produced by Foundersuite (for startups: www.foundersuite.com) and Fundingstack (for VCs: www.fundingstack.com), "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders and investors who have raised capital. This e…
Ep. 301 How I Raised It with Marlon Nichols of MaC Venture Capital [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:18
Produced by Foundersuite (for startups: www.foundersuite.com) and Fundingstack (for VCs: www.fundingstack.com), "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders and investors who have raised capital. This e…
Ep. 300 How I Raised It with Stacy Havener of Havener Capital [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 48:48
Produced by Foundersuite (for startups: www.foundersuite.com) and Fundingstack (for VCs: www.fundingstack.com), "How I Raised It" goes behind the scenes with startup founders and investors who have raised capital. This e…