Founder-First VC: Equity, Access & Real Signals

General Partner Christina Quinn (SSC Venture Partners) sits down with Adam W. Barney to move beyond the panel talk and into practice: which signals actually earn a second meeting, how to translate messy early traction into credible proof, and concrete ways funds and founders can widen the on-ramp for underrepresented builders...without performative theater.

In this episode:

• Signals VCs trust: customer pull, learning velocity, and the right kind of focus
• Noise to ignore: vanity metrics, bloated roadmaps, and “partnerships” that aren’t
• Equity → operations: process changes that expand access (deal flow, diligence, support)
• Deck clarity: the 6-slide path that respects everyone’s energy and still lands the point
• EnergyOS move: one weekly habit to protect momentum while fundraising

3 takeaways you can use today

1. Clarity > volume. Lead with one sharp problem, one real customer proof, one next milestone.
2. Access needs a system. Make inclusion a process, not a press release—change sourcing and the first-meeting gate.
3. Protect your energy. Schedule your recharge/review loop before you ship; it’s how you keep signal high for the long game.

Guest

• Christina Quinn, General Partner - SSC Venture Partners

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christinamquinn/

• Firm: https://sscventurepartners.com/

• Email: christina@sscventurepartners.com

Host

Adam W. Barney - Transition Leadership Coach & host of Is Anything Real?, the Reality-First Leadership show for builders who optimize for proof over theater.

👉 Book a 20-min Foundation Call: https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/foundation-call-20min

Support the show (48-hour push)

• Follow on Apple/Spotify and turn on Auto-download
• Drop a 5★ review with “Lead with Humanity” in your note, language that helps others find it this week

Chapters

00:00 Why founder-first still wins

02:11 Real signals vs. theater

07:08 Equity into operations

12:45 Turning early traction into proof

18:10 Deck clarity and decision hygiene

23:40 EnergyOS habit for momentum

26:55 Next steps for founders

What if leadership stopped rewarding loudness and started rewarding truth?

In this exclusive drop, Sharon Hurley Hall (journalist, author, anti-racism educator, and Co-Founder of The Introvert Sisters) joins Adam W. Barney to unpack impact without exhaustion: introverts as powerful leaders, boundaries that protect your best work, why “resilience” gets misused, and how to build communities that care while you still care for yourself.

You’ll leave with a humane playbook and one EnergyOS move you can run today.

Links

• Sharon: https://sharonhh.com/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sharonhh/
• The Introvert Sisters (podcast): https://theintrovertsisters.com/
• Grab a copy of her book, "I'm Tired of Racism": https://www.amazon.com/Im-Tired-Racism-Stories-Existing/dp/9769546917
• Email: hello@sharonhurleyhall.com
• Check out Hiyer: https://www.hiyer.pro/

Work with Adam

👉 20-min Exploration Call: https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20min

“Say something true.” In this episode, Aaron Wolpoff (Owner and Fractional CMO, Double Zebra) and I unpack authentic growth: the one-truth positioning pass, when rev-share/partner models beat hourly retainers, and how to set boundaries so generosity doesn’t become unpaid consulting. We also cover making paid media feel human again - and the EnergyOS move that creates momentum today.

Highlights

• One-truth positioning (cut the bloat, earn attention)
• Rev-share done right: incentives, pitfalls, guardrails
• From “free advice” to formalized value
• Paid media with a pulse: people at the center
• EnergyOS: progress from what’s within reach - ship daily

Guest links

• Website: https://doublezebra.com/

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marketingaaron/

• Email: aaron@doublezebra.com

Work with Adam

👉 20-min Exploration Call: https://calendly.com/adamwbarney/explorationplugin-20min