Dax Dasilva’s Post

I rarely share podcast episodes here. But this one is a MUST listen to both INVESTORS and founders operating in bricks&mortar hospitality & retail technology. So many true, real, no BS points Dax Harry Stebbings. 👏🏼 Be bold enough to operate with a sales strategy and approach that many VCs won’t understand or approve but that works wonders in that space and builds this amazing, sticky, powerful model that most platforms in the space can’t crack or are afraid to (because it doesn’t tick some boxes you read/hear about from the tech/VC experts) 🚀 A growth trajectory that changes and originally is not on the typical VC path but then, once the “cockroach”, groundwork is done you’re in an exciting and unique position to scale with a product market fit that’s hard to beat - PMF and growth not achieved due to endless millions raised but a real PMF that makes thing sticky, powering your product-led growth 👊🏼 Stay super close to your customers. No matter how big you become, but especially in the first 5-10 years literally speak to them DAILY. Not many manage to make it work for hospitality or retail SMEs, it’s one of the hardest group to find PMF with. But once you nail it - you’re like a constantly growing massive mountain 🏔️ - sky is limit & no one can’t move you no matter what. Don’t build businesses to please an investor’s thesis/POV which you’re currently talking to or following on LinkedIn. Build a business together with your ICP customers and bring them the most value you possibly can. The rest will follow. Even the ticked boxes that you read so much about.

❓ I've posted lately about the exciting increase of early stage investment. However, the continued IPO drought had me wondering if the market recovery was stalling. 🗣 The B2G podcast with Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley highlighted the critical role of the board in Instacart's successful IPO. They emphasized that the board needed to face reality and accept that earlier valuations were no longer valid. This focus on achieving public status, even with lower valuations, challenges the narrative that only large companies can IPO in this climate. They argue that it just takes a board with the courage to go public with these lower marks and make it work. 💰 It's also worth noting that many companies are not in a place where they need or want to go public right now. Plenty of capital remains available in private markets, giving companies the runway they need. Additionally, public company regulations might incentivize some of the best startups to stay private for now. 💭 So is it that we can expect a continued tough market for months to come, or is that startups simply are not prioritizing going public? Would love to hear everyone's thoughts and predictions in the comments. #IPOdrought #publicvsprivate #startupinvestments #earlystagegrowth #techstartups #earlystagestartups

Ready to level up your pitch game? I've curated 11 of the best pitch videos for you. From Y Combinator and Techstars startups. To winners of Techcrunch Disrupt and Web Summit. Let’s dive in: DoorDash - https://lnkd.in/dkiAZrDt Zenefits - https://lnkd.in/dM8d6uBf Bizimply - https://lnkd.in/dKwCDbfz GitLab - https://lnkd.in/dv_Hip9H Embark Trucks - https://lnkd.in/dVvCJS2D Twoodo - https://lnkd.in/dsH9CtMp Unbird - https://lnkd.in/dpR_kTWQ Goodybag - https://lnkd.in/dNxQwnPG ShipHawk - https://lnkd.in/dQFmmkzb Balance - https://lnkd.in/d2uCGCxm Revolut - https://lnkd.in/d7KbzB9w My 4 key takeaways watching these videos: 𝟭. 𝗥𝗲𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 ↳ None of the video pitches you'll watch have been improvised. All of them have been practiced a ton. 𝟮. 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗼 ↳ Make sure the basics are clear before market size, business models, competitors and so on. 𝟯. 𝗦𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 ↳ Good, clear traction attracts investors. It says a lot about your execution and market feedback. 𝟰. 𝗕𝗲 𝘀𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁 ↳ Any time you get into unnecessary details you distract your audience from the main storyline. Pitching is a strong persuasion tool. Use it to your advantage. P.S. Which video resonates with you the most? Share with me below. 👇

Starting a venture is About Love and Passion ❤️ Starting a startup with a co-founder you truly connect with is a lot like falling in love. It’s about finding that rare alignment of energy, vision, and purpose that fuels the long hours and the big dreams. And that’s exactly how it felt meeting Mario Parteli And in every love story, there is one guy in charge of making it happen. In our case my brother in arm Josef Bovet 🫶 We started out as acquaintances—Mario was on his own journey at Abiby, trying to solve big problems for B2B brands, and I was advising him here and there. Over a few months, we spent countless hours chatting over coffee, brainstorming ideas, and digging into his vision. Slowly, those coffee meetings turned into regular sessions, first one day a week, then two…then three. I was drawn to the potential in what he was building and captivated by his drive and dedication. One day, we sat down for what turned into a four-hour session, sketching out a plan, writing our story, and designing what would become the heart of our venture. That’s when I knew: I was fully in love—with the mission, the vision, and with building this side-by-side with Mario. Since that day, things have taken off like a rocket. It has become more than just a business idea; it’s a shared purpose that we live and breathe every day. We’re building something we believe will change the future of industry, and we’re pouring our passion into every step. Volta Software is live and we’re thrilled to share our journey and this vision with all of you, and we can’t wait to see where this road will take us. To those who have supported us so far—thank you for being part of this. And Mario, thank you for being such a incredible personn, the world deserves more of your kind ❤️ Let’s go ! #startup #Volta #foundersjourney #B2Bcommerce #

Couldn’t resist myself to share this headlines from The CapTable! It is very important that the business is given enough time to innovate, perform and build value for investors/shareholders. If the company is making run on a treadmill for user growth and then for profitability, it may miss out to build a good product for customers. Building a profitable business has many essential elements in it. Time is one of those essentials! It is definitely a patience test of founders, team members and shareholders to build value in long term. Not sure if all three of them are aware about this bitter truth of startup life!

Start your New Week with Focus on These Todos! #startups #todolist #mondaymotivation

Back in college, my friends Sandeep, Rajeev, and I shared more than just a startup dream. We shared a vision having a drum kit in our office. We were startup founders by day, music lovers by night. For us, that drum kit symbolized creativity, passion, and a bit of freedom amidst the chaos of building a business. We started a T-shirt design company, full of ambition and big plans. But the market didn’t cooperate. Our startup failed. Yet, something from that time stayed with me the dream of the drum kit. Now, as I lead a new venture, Goldenflitch, I’ve finally made some part of that dream a reality. There’s a drum kit in my office, and every time I play, it reminds me of how far I’ve come and how much further there is to go. Huge thanks to Rajeev Gain, who first introduced me to drumming, and Sandeep Pradhan, who shared that love for music with me. Sometimes, the dreams we chase aren’t just about success. They’re about holding onto the things that make us feel alive even when the business doesn’t make it. Do you have a dream that you’ve carried with you over the years? #collegedays #IIT #dreams #stories

Rise and Grind! Start your week strong with our ultimate Monday to-do list for startup founders. From team check-ins to strategic planning, let's tackle those goals head-on and set the tone for a productive week! #mondaymotivation #startuplife #Productivity #entrepreneurmindset #formertrump #messy #shopify

#MilestoneMoment #StartupJourney #ScrappySuccess Hey everyone! 🎉 So, guess what? We just raked in our **first revenue** today, and here's the kicker—it came from one of our competitors! 😂 I just had to share because it’s kind of a fun twist in our startup adventure. Even though we don’t have a huge user base compared to the other guys, we’re already jumping into monetization. We flipped that switch today! 💡 Now, let’s be real. There are some pain points that can make this journey a bit tricky: Limited User Base: With fewer users, it's tough to generate significant revenue, and this can lead to feelings of frustration. Competition: Seeing revenue from a competitor can feel disheartening, raising questions about how to differentiate ourselves. Scalability: Turning on monetization is a gamble—we're hoping to see how our initial approach holds up and if it resonates with users. But let’s focus on solutions! Here’s how we can tackle these hurdles: 🚀 **Focus on Commu... How Did We Earn Our First Dollar Today from a Competitor? Answers: https://lnkd.in/g5hKvFkd

How do you know you've found product-market fit for your startup? I sat down for lunch with one of our customers... Our customers often become friends along the way, and as someone who is also bootstrapping my own startup, I love sitting down and learning about their journey, their successes, and their challenges. This particular customer had just started to gain momentum and succeed... you could say he found his product-market fit. But what exactly is product-market fit? I've heard so many definitions, from a million dollars in sales to a consistent monthly growth of 15-20% in the number of active users, to various ratios between customer acquisition cost and customer lifetime value. I decided to ask him, "Tell me, how did you know when you reached product-market fit?" How does it feel? He answered without hesitation: "Sagi, If someone grabs you by the nose right now and pulls as hard as they can... would you feel it?" "Of course." That's how it feels when you reach product-market fit. You don't need metrics to tell you. When it happens, you just know. What is your definition of product-market fit?