エピソード

  • Preserve the Cap Table: A $230k Non‑Dilutive Playbook

    Preserve the Cap Table: A $230k Non‑Dilutive Playbook
    2026/04/06
    Start with a 90–120 second founder case study: a seed‑stage company that leveraged a $150k innovation grant plus $80k in customer pre‑orders to fund a prototype, land two pilot customers, and extend runway by 12 months. Host Glen Gould — pragmatic, numbers‑focused and laser on trade‑offs — uses that vignette to unpack a repeatable, jurisdiction‑aware playbook for non‑dilutive capital: grants, R&D tax credits, customer‑funding, receivable/PO financing, and milestone corporate partnerships. Guests include the featured founder, a CFO who sequences tax incentives and receivable finance, and a grants reviewer/procurement lead who explains evaluation criteria from both sides of the table. The episode gives founders a quick‑wins checklist for teams with <6 months runway, a prioritization rubric, and clear notes on what advice is US‑specific versus broadly applicable. Listeners leave with concrete next steps, links to downloadable application templates and jurisdiction primers, and a sharper sense of when to choose non‑dilutive tools versus taking equity.
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    10 分
  • Tranches & Trust: Designing Milestone‑Linked Rounds That Accelerate Growth

    Tranches & Trust: Designing Milestone‑Linked Rounds That Accelerate Growth
    2026/04/13
    Milestone‑linked (tranche) financings can align investor incentives, reduce valuation guesswork, and buy founders disciplined runway—but poorly defined triggers create disputes, perverse incentives, or excessive dilution. In this 35‑minute interview episode host Glen Gould sits down with a founder who negotiated a three‑stage tranche to reach product‑market fit, a VC who structures KPI‑linked closings, and a startup securities counsel who writes the clauses. We unpack how to choose measurable, abuse‑resistant KPIs; model cap‑table outcomes across pass/fail scenarios; and build dispute‑resolution and measurement windows that preserve momentum. Listeners get practical negotiation scripts, a one‑page KPI checklist, and a downloadable sample tranche clause plus cap‑table template. The episode balances tactical examples with legal guardrails so founders and investors can design staged rounds that fund growth without creating avoidable governance friction.
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    10 分
  • Strategic Capital, Strategic Risk: Raising From Corporate Venture Arms Without Losing Control

    Strategic Capital, Strategic Risk: Raising From Corporate Venture Arms Without Losing Control
    2026/04/20
    Corporate venture capital can unlock distribution, pilots, and procurement deals, but strategic dollars come with hidden obligations. In this 35‑minute interview host Glen Gould talks with a founder who took CVC money and scaled via corporate channels, a corporate venture partner who explains what drives CVC term priorities, and an independent startup attorney who flags legal minefields. We unpack practical negotiation points—IP carveouts, pilot-to-purchase timelines, exclusivity and non‑compete clauses, data sharing, follow‑on economics, and board observer rights—framed by numeric scenarios that show signaling and dilution tradeoffs. Listeners leave with a decision rubric to evaluate strategic offers, three negotiation scripts to use with CVC leads, and a one‑page checklist to share with counsel. The episode balances tactical how‑to with governance guardrails and closes with concrete takeaways and a subscribe CTA so listeners can download the toolkit and templates.
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    10 分
  • Collateral Unlocked: Financing with Unconventional Assets

    Collateral Unlocked: Financing with Unconventional Assets
    2026/04/27
    Many founders believe only traditional collateral—real estate or personal guarantees—opens the door to capital. In this episode Glen Gould interviews an asset-based lending expert and a founder who financed growth using unconventional collateral: recurring revenue, purchase orders, accounts receivable, IP licenses, and inventory. We break down how lenders underwrite these assets, which documentation matters, pricing expectations, and negotiation tactics that preserve equity. Listeners will get a practical playbook to evaluate which assets a business can monetize, step-by-step preparation for asset-based term sheets, and red flags that suggest a deal will create hidden costs. This episode delivers actionable checklists, sample covenant language, and scripts founders can use when pitching asset-based lenders or alternative funders. Ideal for founders seeking non‑dilutive capital or flexible credit while keeping control of their company.
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    9 分
  • Revenue Without Surrender: A Practical Guide to Revenue‑Based Financing

    Revenue Without Surrender: A Practical Guide to Revenue‑Based Financing
    2026/05/04
    Many founders fear dilution or the constraints of bank loans—but revenue‑based financing (RBF) sits between equity and debt as a flexible alternative that ties repayment to revenue performance. In this episode Glen Gould interviews an experienced RBF fund partner (and former founder) to unpack when RBF makes sense, how terms are priced, and how founders can model, negotiate, and operationalize an RBF facility without jeopardizing cash flow. Expect concrete math, term‑sheet walk‑throughs, a real founder case study, and practical checklists: which revenue metrics lenders focus on, covenant mechanics, caps versus multipliers, and exit interactions with future equity rounds. The conversation concludes with actionable playbooks for founders weighing RBF versus venture, bank loans, or invoice financing, plus scripts and diligence lists to help you approach RBF conversations confidently. This episode gives founders an operational toolkit to evaluate RBF within a 12–24 month growth plan.
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    9 分
  • Roll-Up Roadmap: Financing Growth Through Strategic Acquisitions

    Roll-Up Roadmap: Financing Growth Through Strategic Acquisitions
    2026/05/11
    Scaling by acquisition can accelerate growth faster than organic channels—but only when the financing strategy, deal structure, and integration plan align. In this episode Glen Gould interviews a serial acquirer and an M&A lender who together built a profitable roll‑up in a fragmented service vertical. They walk through the practical playbook: when to use seller notes versus SBA 7(a) acquisition loans, how to layer bank lines and equipment financing, where private equity fits, and how earnouts and milestone tranches preserve cash and control. Listeners will get concrete diligence checklists, cap‑table and cash‑flow modeling tips, negotiation scripts for seller financing, and guardrails to avoid common integration and leverage traps. This episode is a hands‑on guide for founders, buyers, and finance leaders planning to grow via acquisitions without sacrificing runway or optionality.
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    8 分
  • Banks vs. Fintech: Choosing the Right Funding Partner for Your Small Business

    Banks vs. Fintech: Choosing the Right Funding Partner for Your Small Business
    2026/05/18
    Many founders face a critical early choice: pursue a traditional bank relationship or tap a fintech lender. This episode puts both sides at the table — an experienced commercial lender from a mid‑market bank and a director of small business capital at a leading fintech — to compare underwriting expectations, timelines, documentation, cost of capital, covenant tradeoffs, and relationship value. Glen Gould guides a practical conversation that surfaces real borrower stories, step‑by‑step checklists for preparing applications, and negotiation scripts you can use whether you need a first business loan with no revenue, an equipment line, or rapid working capital. Listeners will leave with a clear decision framework to match their business profile to the best funding partner, plus concrete next steps to shorten approval time and protect ownership.
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    10 分
  • Payroll to Scale: Funding Strategies for Staffing & Temp Agencies

    Payroll to Scale: Funding Strategies for Staffing & Temp Agencies
    2026/05/25
    Staffing and temporary workforce businesses face a funding problem unlike most product companies: payroll comes due before clients pay. In this episode Glen Gould interviews a founder who scaled a regional staffing firm and a lender that specializes in payroll and receivables financing. Together they walk through the real-world funding journey: diagnosing cash conversion gaps, choosing between invoice factoring, payroll finance, lines of credit, and PEO arrangements, negotiating pricing and covenants, and structuring blended solutions that preserve margins and control. Listeners get actionable checklists for documentation, a decision rubric to select the right product by growth stage and margin profile, negotiation scripts for lenders and factoring firms, and the guest’s top three recommendations to close the working-capital gap fast. This episode is tactical, sector-specific, and designed to help founders turn people-cost risk into predictable runway.
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    10 分