Startup Success: A Podcast for Founders & Investors

Hosted by Burkland

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Episodes

151

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Aug 2026

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About the show

On Startup Success, we discuss what’s working right now for scaling founders and investors... You’ll hear interviews with founders and investors who have compelling stories to share, new trends, and conversations from thought leaders and experts who have walked the walk. Each episode will dig into a crucial area of startup success: finance, entrepreneurship, fundraising, hiring, marketing, sales, and operations to help your startup or portfolio company scale.

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60 recent

August 11, 202630 min

Why Investors Say No to Your Pitch Deck (And How to Fix It)

Our 150th episode is a big one. Kate sits down with Carl Fudge, Founder and CEO of Presentation Mode, who's helped startups raise over $1 billion in venture capital. Carl reveals why most pitch decks fall flat, the "why now" argument nearly every founder overlooks, and why logic alone isn’t enough to win investors over. Tune in to hear lessons from years spent helping founders get to “yes.” Full show notes, transcript, and companion article: https://burklandassociates.com/podcasts/why-investors-say-no-to-your-pitch-deck-and-how-to-fix-it Chapters 00:00 – Introduction to Carl Fudge & Presentation Mode 01:10 – Carl's Background: Psychology, McKinsey, IDEO & Catching the Startup Bug 02:58 – What Presentation Mode Actually Does 05:50 – How They Help Founders Craft Compelling Pitches 07:50 – Why They Bring in a Trained Actor 11:35 – The Must-Have Components of Every Pitch Deck 13:44 – The "Why Now" Argument Most Founders Overlook 15:30 – Logic vs. Feeling: The Psychology of Investor Decisions 17:09 – The Mac vs. PC Lesson on Selling Features vs. Selling Feeling 19:19 – Less Is More: How Much Detail Should Be on a Slide 20:50 – Shifting the Power Dynamic With Investors 22:50 – Fundraising Advice for AI-Native Startups vs. Non-AI Startups 26:10 – Storytelling: More Than a Fundraising Tool ----Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn! 🔗 Learn more about Presentation Mode: https://www.presentationmode.co/

July 28, 202629 min

How Do Healthtech Founders Win Over Investors?

Winning over investors as a healthtech founder requires fortitude, relentless pitching, and the ability to tell a hard "no" from a "not right now." In this episode, Kate sits down with Melissa Hanna, co-founder and CEO of Mahmee, a healthcare platform transforming how families experience pregnancy and postpartum care. Melissa pitched 500 to 1,000 investors before landing backers like Mark Cuban, Serena Williams, and Steve Case, plus a Series A led by Goldman Sachs. Melissa walks us through how Mahmee built the technology and workforce infrastructure that now has 70 million lives under contract. She also opens up about the fundraising grind and shares her perspective on AI's role in healthcare. Tune in to hear: Strategies for fundraising in this challenging market How founders outside the AI space can still leverage AI An insider's perspective on where AI should and shouldn't be used in healthcare Why core values are key, even at early-stage startups Melissa’s advice to fellow founders: accept the struggle, and commit to a problem worth solving. Don't miss this conversation with a founder proving healthcare can be both high-tech and deeply human. ---- Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, on LinkedIn 🔗 Learn more about Mahmee at: https://www.mahmee.com/ This episode is produced by: Brenda Hernández Jaimes: Podcast Producer & Talent Coordinator, Ellas Media Angela R. Chong : Audio Editor & Post-Production Producer, Amplify Podcasts ==== Chapters ==== 00:17 – Fundraising for a HealthTech Startup in the AI Era 02:33 – What Is Mahmee? The Platform Closing Gaps in Maternal Care 04:39 – The Inspiration Behind Mahmee: A Mother's Influence 06:09 – Taking the Leap: Building the Founding Team 07:11 – The US Maternal Health Paradox: Spending the Most, Getting the Worst 08:54 – Creating a Healthcare Platform That Adapts to Each Family's Journey 10:00 – Stumbling Into New Opportunities 11:18 – Where Mahmee Is Today: 70 Million Lives Under Contract 16:19 – Where AI Should and Shouldn't Be Used in Healthcare 18:38 – The Fundraising Journey: Pitching Hundreds of Investors 22:20 – Core Values Aren’t Just for Big Companies 25:35 – Parting Advice for Founders: Accept the Struggle 27:33 – Where to Find Mahmee

July 14, 202621 min

Q2 2026 Snapshot: The Startup Ecosystem

In this episode of Startup Success, we sit down with Steve Lord, COO and Chief Knowledge Officer at Burkland, for our quarterly update. Steve joins us to break down what's happening in the funding landscape, what founders should have on their radar, and where things are headed next. Steve unpacks a busy Q2 marked by geopolitical volatility, shifting interest rate expectations, and a VC market that may finally be turning a corner. He explains how the stock market impacts VC cycles, and why founders shouldn't panic over a single bad day in the markets. He also makes the case for why trillion-dollar IPOs — starting with SpaceX, and potentially OpenAI and Anthropic — could unlock more value than all VC-backed IPOs this century combined, recycling enormous liquidity back into the startup ecosystem. We discuss: Why using an AI-generated pitch deck will hurt your chances with VCs The good news: 2026 is on track to be a record year in first financings for startups The state of interest rates, inflation, and why a Fed cut won't affect your startup in the short term AI startups are still dominating VC funding — here's where the opportunities are for everyone else If you're trying to make sense of where the funding market stands right now, this episode is the shortcut. Steve lays out the macro forces in plain terms, and tells you what it means for your next raise. ====Chapters==== [00:18] Q2 Recap: Geopolitical Volatility and Market Crosscurrents [02:15] Listener Question: Does the Stock Market Impact VC Cycles? [05:50] The IPO Market is Back — and It Will Give VCs More Liquidity [06:16] What the Power Law of VC Means for Founders Right Now [07:50] Upswing in VC Funding Activity [07:00] AI Funding Still Dominates [09:30] Could Be a Record Year for First Financings for Startups [10:16] The State of Smaller VC Firms and Where Opportunity Still Exists [12:51] What’s Up with the Economy, Inflation, and Interest Rates? [16:50] Advice for Founders Heading Into Q3 [18:54] Why AI-Generated Pitch Decks Are Working Against Founders ---- Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn ! Learn more about Burkland at: https://burklandassociates.com/ This episode is produced by: Brenda Hernández Jaimes: Podcast Producer & Talent Coordinator, Ellas Media Angela R. Chong : Audio Editor & Post-Production Producer, Amplify Podcasts

June 30, 202620 min

Selling a Startup, Buying It Back, and Changing How Founders Raise: A Founder's Story

In this episode of Startup Success, we sit down with Jaclyn Johnson, founder of Create & Cultivate and co-founder of the angel investing platform Cherub, for a conversation about scaling a business, navigating an exit, and the future of early-stage investing. Jaclyn shares how she built Create & Cultivate into a multi-million-dollar, bootstrapped company, why she made the difficult decision to sell, and what prompted her to buy back the company a few years later. She offers an honest look at the tradeoffs of private equity and the factors that can make or break a deal. Between the exit and the buyback, her work as an angel investor and mentor to early-stage founders led her to co-found Cherub, a platform that connects founders with angel investors they'd never reach otherwise.We discuss: The realities of selling to private equity — and what founders often overlook What founders need in place before they start raising capital How the fundraising landscape for early-stage founders is changing If you're building your first company, preparing to raise capital, or thinking about an exit, this episode offers hard-earned lessons from a founder who has been on both sides of the table. ----Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn ! 🔗 Learn more about Create and Cultivate at https://www.createcultivate.com/ Learn more about Cherub at https://www.investwithcherub.com/ This episode is produced by: Brenda Hernández Jaimes: Podcast Producer & Talent Coordinator, Ellas Media Angela R. Chong : Audio Editor & Post-Production Producer, Amplify Podcasts

June 16, 202623 min

Lessons From the Front Lines of Building an AI Startup

Ahmed Rashad started his career on an oil rig, taught himself to code, and went on to build and sell a company. After stops at Oracle, MIT, McKinsey, Amazon, and Scale AI, he founded Perle to solve a problem he kept running into: the AI data gap. Perle builds specialized training data for AI models in fields like medicine and linguistics — the niche areas where general AI struggles.Despite the anxiety around AI, Ahmed believes the upside far outweighs today’s disruption. Faster development doesn't shrink markets; it expands what's possible. In his view, AI isn't replacing human potential. It's amplifying it. Tune in to hear: Why the right VC partner matters more than the biggest check The 4 things founders should never delegate How to keep investors engaged and informed What Arabic’s 22+ dialects reveal about the depth of the AI data gap With experience at some of the world’s leading companies and now as the founder of an exciting AI startup, Ahmed has valuable insights on today’s startup ecosystem. Don’t miss this episode for practical, hard-earned advice from a founder who has been in the thick of it since day one. ====Chapters==== 00:18 – Meet Ahmed Rashad, Founder & CEO of Perle 01:15 – From Oil Rig to Software: Ahmed's Unlikely Origin Story 02:34 – What Perle Does and the Problem It's Solving 03:35 – Why This Problem Was Personal 04:35 – Use Cases: Healthcare, STEM, and Linguistics 05:02 – The Arabic Language Challenge: 22 Dialects and Counting 07:22 – How the Rapidly Changing AI Landscape Is Impacting Perle 09:16 – Fundraising Advice: The Four Things Founders Should Never Delegate 10:40 – Why the Right VC Beats the Highest Valuation 11:30 – What to Look for in an Investor Relationship 12:09 – How to Communicate Effectively with Your Investors 13:40 – The Reality of the Founder Journey: It's Never a Straight Line 16:36 –Why Ahmed is So Optimistic About AI 18:27 – What Concerns Ahmed About AI 19:47 – The AI Slop Problem 20:53 – Final Advice for Founders: Take Care of Yourself 22:42– Where to Find Ahmed and Learn More About Perle ----Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn ! Learn more about Perle: https://www.perle.ai/ This episode is produced by: Brenda Hernández Jaimes: Podcast Producer & Talent Coordinator, Ellas Media Angela R. Chong : Audio Editor & Post-Production Producer, Amplify Podcasts

June 2, 202630 min

Beyond the AI Bubble: What Founders Need to Know Now

Jonathan Aberman has seen the startup world from nearly every angle: VC lawyer, investor, business school dean, and innovation policy advisor. Now he's a founder himself, building Hupside, an AI company focused on measuring "original intelligence." That 360-degree perspective of the startup ecosystem makes his take on the current AI moment especially valuable. The market is noisy. Capital is concentrating. Investors are excited, skeptical, and cautious at the same time. AI tools are making it easier than ever to build, but harder than ever to stand out. We discuss: What the AI bubble means for founders raising capital today Why many founders confuse fundraising with validation "Signal collapse" and why creativity is the next major startup advantage Why Jonathan built Hupside to measure human originality in an AI world If you're building with AI, raising capital, or trying to stand out in a crowded market, this episode is worth your full attention. ---Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn ! Learn more about Hupside: https://www.hupside.com This episode is produced by: Brenda Hernández Jaimes: Podcast Producer & Talent Coordinator, Ellas Media Angela R. Chong : Audio Editor & Post-Production Producer, Amplify Podcasts

May 19, 202623 min

What Investors Look for in the AI Era

What does it actually take to be investment-ready in today's market? In this episode, Kate sits down with Jim Ferry, Partner at Volition Capital, a growth equity firm known for backing high-growth, founder-owned, capital-efficient businesses. Jim reveals what he looks for in a founding team, the most common mistakes he sees in pitch decks, and how the bar for raising capital has changed in the age of AI. He also explains how his firm is building AI fluency internally — and why the "defensible moat" question is now front and center in their investment decisions. We also cover: What Volition learned about successful founders after analyzing 100+ founder attributes across its portfolio How to build a durable company when engineering is no longer a barrier to entry The right way to present your TAM to build credibility with investors How investors are using AI to source and evaluate deals No matter where you are in your fundraising journey, Jim's perspective offers a valuable window into how top investors are thinking right now. ----Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn ! Learn more about Volition Capital: https://www.volitioncapital.com/ This episode is produced by: Brenda Hernández Jaimes: Podcast Producer & Talent Coordinator, Ellas Media Angela R. Chong : Audio Editor & Post-Production Producer, Amplify Podcasts

May 5, 202623 min

When It’s Time for Founders to Step Down as CEO

In this episode of Startup Success, host Kate sits down with Tony Jamous, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Oyster, and Hadi Moussa, the company’s newly appointed CEO, for a refreshingly honest conversation on scaling a global company— and knowing when it’s time to bring in new leadership. Tony shares the personal journey behind one of the hardest decisions any founder can make: stepping aside as CEO, and why putting the mission ahead of ego sets great founders apart. And Hadi explains how he’s approached the transition to ensure a successful handoff. We discuss: The moment Tony knew it was time to hand over the CEO role How to manage leadership transitions with intention and transparency Communicating the change in a way that builds trust and signals strength Why global hiring is a competitive advantage in the age of AI Whether you're navigating growth, thinking about leadership evolution, or rethinking how to build a distributed team, this episode offers a thoughtful look at what it really takes to scale—with the right people, in the right roles, at the right time. ----Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn ! Learn more about Oyster at https://www.oysterhr.com This episode is produced by Brenda Hernández Jaimes of Ellas Media Post-Production by Angela R. Chong of Amplify Podcasts

April 21, 202628 min

Why Founders Need “Scalers” on Their Early Teams

Casey Woo, CEO & Founder of Operators Guild and GP & Founder of FOG Ventures, joins us on Startup Success to discuss how scaling a startup has changed and why founders need “horizontal generalists,” or scalers, on their early teams. After helping scale several high-profile startups, Casey built Operators Guild, a global community for the operators who thrive in early-stage chaos, and later FOG Ventures, its venture capital arm. He’s seen firsthand why this new breed of operator is essential in today’s AI-driven world.Casey breaks down how these operators fuel hypergrowth and why early-stage founders should prioritize hiring them. He explains this mindset isn’t learned—it’s in your DNA. Curious, impatient, and energized by ambiguity, scalers are wired differently. We discuss: How AI is reshaping how startups hire and scale, and why adaptable, strategic thinkers matter more than ever. The new operational model that is essential to high-growth startups. How to spot a scaler on a resume and what signals to look for in the interview process. How the office of the CFO and COO has changed and what that means for today's startups. This episode blends insight and practicality—a must-listen for founders building teams in an increasingly complex landscape. ----Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn ! Learn more about Fog Ventures at: https://www.fog.ventures/ Learn more about Operators Guild at: https://www.operators-guild.com/

April 7, 202618 min

Q1 2026 Snapshot: The Startup Ecosystem

What does the startup landscape look like right now—and what to expect in Q2? In this episode of Startup Success, Steve Lord, Chief Knowledge Officer and COO at Burkland, returns for his quarterly breakdown of the venture capital ecosystem. Together, we unpack what shaped Q1 2026 and why fundraising remains an uphill battle for many founders since it is highly concentrated, with most capital flowing to AI companies from a small group of top VC firms. Steve explores the latest macro forces—oil prices, AI hype, and interest rates—impacting the market and weighs in on whether the economy's resilience will hold. We tackle the big questions: What was fundraising like in Q1 and what is the outlook for Q2? What’s on the horizon for interest rates? Will AI deals continue to dominate investment activity? How can founders prepare for what’s next? As usual, Steve combines optimism with practical advice: stay focused on what matters, manage runway, know your numbers, and be ready to fundraise at any moment. A grounded reminder that execution still wins, even in uncertain times. ----Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn !