Hustle Fund Partner Shiyan Koh pulls back the curtain on the realities of startup fundraising and validation. Learn why you may not need VC funding to get started, how to validate your startup idea by getting early customers, and why resilience is key for startup success. Koh also discusses pattern recognition in early-stage investing, the importance of focus and communication, and key learnings from her time at NerdWallet. Don’t miss her advice for rejected founders and thoughts on the untold truth of the VC system.

#venturecapital #startups #funding #validation

00:00 Becoming a VC by Accident
01:45 Founder Hustle in Fundraising
03:55 Decision-Making in Early Stage Investing
06:59 Investment Decision Checklist
08:31 Overvalued Startup Metrics
10:18 Investing in an Electric Motorcycle Company
16:23 Investing in Winning Startups
20:53 Investing in Over 500 Portfolio Companies
24:35 The Southeast Asian Startup Ecosystem
27:27 Cultural Differences in Southeast Asian Startups
28:47 Dealing with Rejections from Investors
32:41 Untold Truths about the Venture Capital System
35:08 Recommended Books and Podcasts
37:23 Advice to Younger Self: Take More Risks