Secrets to VC Fundraising: Must-Have Traits to Close Your First Funding Round With Zero Experience Shuo Chen, an investor, entrepreneur, and Stanford & Berkeley lecturer, demystifies how founders with no work experience can attract top investors like Sequoia and Y Combinator. Using real examples of her students, Shuo reveals that investors prioritize team passion, grit, and commitment over resumes. She underscores the importance of a captivating co-founder story, the ability to quickly learn and iterate, and maintaining a clean cap table. Shuo also highlights the value of relevant advisors and the strategic role of initial angel investors. Get actionable insights on building a compelling narrative to win over top investors even without an impressive resume. Get tactical and actionable entrepreneurship insights! Subscribe to DECODE newsletter: https://www.decode.build/join-community Follow our LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/decodesv Chapters 00:00 Introduction: Convincing Top Investors 00:34 Understanding Investor Expectations 01:25 The Importance of Grit and Passion 02:45 Proving Your Commitment 06:54 Learning Fast and Iterating Quickly 11:07 Cap Table Management, Aligning Incentives and Equity Splits 14:03 The Role of Advisors and Angel Investors 17:55 Conclusion: Framing Your Story

Startup Valuation 101: Insights and Tips for Pre-seed and Seed Startups In this informative session, we dive into the essential question of determining your startup's valuation. Covering various factors from product type and industry to specific revenue benchmarks, this video provides a comprehensive guide on how to value your tech-enabled startup, especially when fundraising in Silicon Valley. Learn about the importance of detailed circumstances, addressing total addressable market, and showcasing recurring revenue. Get insights into how initial traction and founder backgrounds can impact your valuation and understand the crucial balance between setting high valuations and managing investor expectations. A must-watch for early-stage entrepreneurs navigating the complex landscape of startup valuations. Get tactical and actionable entrepreneurship insights! Subscribe to DECODE newsletter: https://www.decode.build/join-community Follow our LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/decodesv Chapters: 00:00 Introduction: The $100 Million Question 00:34 The Art of Valuation: Storytelling and Potential 01:19 Key Factors: Team, Market, and Traction 01:27 Team and Track Record Deep Dive 04:29 Market Size for Valuation and Validation 05:54 Traction: More Than Just Revenue 08:30 Hype and FOMO: The Double-Edged Sword 10:26 Valuation Benchmarks for 2024 11:40 Conclusion: De-risking and High Valuations

Startup Valuation 101: Insights and Tips for Pre-seed and Seed Startups In this informative session, we dive into the essential question of determining your startup's valuation. Covering various factors from product type and industry to specific revenue benchmarks, this video provides a comprehensive guide on how to value your tech-enabled startup, especially when fundraising in Silicon Valley. Learn about the importance of detailed circumstances, addressing total addressable market, and showcasing recurring revenue. Get insights into how initial traction and founder backgrounds can impact your valuation and understand the crucial balance between setting high valuations and managing investor expectations. A must-watch for early-stage entrepreneurs navigating the complex landscape of startup valuations. Stay connected with us! DECODE : https://decode.build/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/decodesv Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to Startup Valuation 00:22 Factors Influencing Valuation 01:39 Valuation in Silicon Valley 02:06 Early Stage Valuation Benchmarks 03:35 Revenue and Customer Impact on Valuation 03:58 Importance of Recurring Revenue 04:55 Scaling and Higher Valuation 05:36 Impact of Founder Background 06:17 Market Trends and AI Influence 08:07 Final Thoughts on Valuation 09:25 Strategic Fundraising Tips

Speakers: Shuo Chen, General Partner at IOVC; Faculty at UC Berkeley Christopher Lien, Founder & CEO at Marin Software (NASDAQ: MRIN) DROdio, Co-Founder & CEO at Storytell.ai Moderator: Sam Angus, Partner at Fenwick and West In this comprehensive session, Shuo, Chris, and DROdio shares invaluable insights on 'The Art and Science of Fundraising,' focusing on practical tips for startups. The discussion offers five top tips for first-time fundraisers, emphasizing the importance of relationship-building with investors, understanding different funding stages, and personalizing outreach efforts. From leveraging warm introductions to navigating valuation and deal terms, this session is packed with advice from experienced founders and investors. Ideal for aspiring entrepreneurs and founders, the insights aim to prepare you for the challenges of securing your first funding round. Stay connected with us! DECODE : https://decode.build/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/decodesv Chapters: 00:00 Introduction to the Panel and Fundraising 01:19 Building Relationships Before Fundraising 02:47 Importance of Warm Intros 07:09 Setting Fundraising Milestones 10:36 Effective Fundraising Strategies 12:49 Navigating VC Relationships 23:32 Understanding Fundraising Terms and Valuations 32:53 Final Thoughts and Audience Q&A Speaker Bios: Shuo Chen is a General Partner at IOVC, where she invests in early stage startups in Silicon Valley with a focus on future of work and enterprise/SaaS. She also teaches entrepreneurship at UC Berkeley and Stanford. In her venture role, Shuo has invested in companies now acquired by Goldman Sachs, Ford, Caterpillar, Binance and Dialpad, as well as now unicorns including Boom, Checkr, Grubmarket, Instacart and Rescale. Outside of venture, Shuo is appointed by California Governor Gavin Newsom to serve as 1 of 14 voting members on California's Mental Health Commission, which includes overseeing ~$10 billion annually in state budget and advising the Governor or the Legislature on mental health policy. Chris is Marin’s founder and Chairman of the Board, and rejoined the Company as Chief Executive Officer in August 2016. From September 2015 to August 2016, Chris has served on boards of private companies as well as Marin Software. From May 2014 until September 2015, Chris served as executive chairman of Marin Software, and from the founding of the Company in 2006 to May 2014, he served as the Company’s Chief Executive Officer. Chris has been a member of the Board since 2006. Previously, Chris served as Chief Operating Officer of Adteractive, Inc., an online performance marketing company, from 2004 to 2005. In 2001, Chris co-founded and served as Chairman and Chief Financial Officer of Sugar Media, Inc., a broadband services platform, until its acquisition in 2003 by 2Wire, Inc., a leading supplier of DSL equipment and services, which was subsequently acquired by Pace plc in 2010. DROdio is the co-founder & CEO at Storytell.ai. He was the founding CEO of Armory, a devops startup that enabled digital transformation for Global 2,000 enterprises. Armory's customers included JPMorgan Chase, Autodesk and Snap and used Armory’s software delivery platform to execute their public & hybrid cloud strategic initiatives. Armory raised $83M from incredible investors including Y Combinator, Javelin, Crosslink, Insight and B Capital and was acquired by Harness in 2024. Before Armory, I was the CEO of Socialize, which was acquired in 2013. Previous to that, I was the CEO of AppMakr, PointAbout and RebateReps, all startups that were acquired over the past decade.

Speakers: Jin Wang, AVP, CTO's Network Analytics and Automation Group at AT&T Jeremy Werner, SVP & GM of Storage at Micron Technology Bill Allison, CTO at UC Berkeley Moderator: Amrutha Suresh, Head of GTM Tech at Asana In this captivating session, Bill Allison from UC Berkeley, Jin Wang from AT&T, and Jeremy Werner from Micron discuss the transformative power of AI and its application across various industries. With insights from academia and industry giants, the panel shares their unique perspectives on integrating AI, overcoming startup challenges, and future opportunities in tech. This session explores the importance of innovation, practical AI use cases, and strategic thinking in shaping tomorrow's technological landscape. Get ready for an engaging discussion filled with invaluable advice for entrepreneurs, tech enthusiasts, and industry professionals. Stay connected with us! DECODE : https://decode.build/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/decodesv Chapters: 00:00 Welcome and Introduction 00:32 Meet the Panelists 03:13 Audience Poll and Interaction 06:12 AI in the Workplace 14:33 Startup Experiences and Advice 23:07 Industry Outlook and Future Opportunities 29:58 Q&A and Closing Remarks Speaker Bios: William Allison, Chief Technology Officer at University of California, Berkeley, is not just shaping the university's cloud strategy but is also advising startups at Berkeley SkyDeck, helping the next wave of innovators get off the ground. Jin Wang, Assistant VP at AT&T, developed troubleshooting tools that saved the company over $240 million and is recognized as a leading expert in 4G/5G network technologies—insight you won't want to miss! Jeremy Werner, SVP & GM at Micron Technology, is at the forefront of AI/ML storage solutions, managing a multibillion-dollar SSD business and holding over 25 patents—he's redefining what’s possible in the tech landscape.

Speakers: Alan Louie, Startup Advisor at Stanford GSE & Harvard Innovation Lab; Founder of Imagine K12 Accelerator Tiffany Vora, Strategic Scientific Advisor and Business Expansion Lead at Astreas Serephina Ha, Mentor at MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund Program Moderator: Kathy Hua, Principal in Residence at Team Ignite Ventures; Co-President at UC Berkeley Haas VC Club In this engaging panel discussion, experts Serephina, Alan, and Tiffany share invaluable insights on managing the relationship between startup founders and advisors. The conversation delves into the optimal involvement of advisors, covering knowledge gaps, strategic insights, and leveraging social capital. Panelists emphasize the importance of reassessing advisor relevance at different stages, setting proper boundaries, and making advisory roles mutually beneficial. Real-life experiences highlight the critical role of tailored advisor engagement, making this session a must-watch for aspiring entrepreneurs and seasoned founders alike. Stay connected with us! DECODE : https://decode.build/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/decodesv Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Welcome 00:07 The Role of Advisors in Startups 01:06 Optimal Advisor Involvement 03:00 Identifying and Filling Knowledge Gaps 04:25 Qualities of a Game-Changing Advisor 05:52 Leveraging Social Capital 06:53 Building Effective Advisor Relationships 08:51 Non-Traditional Advisor Incentives 14:50 Personal Stories and Experiences 21:47 Evolving Role of Advisors 25:59 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Speaker Bios: Serephina Ha — Former beauty-tech founder turned VC investor who raised multiple funding rounds, led 12 successful R&D projects. She now also mentors startups at MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund Program. Alan Louie — He scaled startups like Google, Shutterfly, and Netscape before building the edtech accelerator, Imagine K12, that helped shape ClassDojo, and Remind. Tiffany Vora — Strategic Advisor and Business Expansion Lead at Astreas and a biotech expert. She is also a faculty at Singularity University and EY Tech University, as well as a Board Member and Vice President for Innovation Partnerships at Explore Mars Inc.

Speaker: Alex Dang, Co-Author of 'The Venture Mindset'; Senior Advisor at McKinsey Moderator: Jerel Lim, CEO at DECODE In this engaging session, Alex, a seasoned entrepreneur and former McKinsey partner, delves into his book 'The Venture Mindset.' Alex discusses the inspiration behind the book, co-authored with Stanford Professor Ilya Strebulaev, and shares valuable insights into why some companies innovate at scale while others fail. He introduces nine key principles derived from venture capitalists, emphasizes the significance of resilience to failure, and discusses the balance between taking calculated risks and doubling down on successful ventures. The session also explores the importance of conviction over consensus and provides practical advice for navigating due diligence with VCs. Don't miss the opportunity to dive into the mindset that drives successful startups and decision-making in high-risk environments. Stay connected with us! DECODE : https://decode.build/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/decodesv Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Opening Remarks 00:49 Introducing Alex and His Book 01:20 The Venture Mindset: Inspiration and Key Concepts 03:57 Home Runs and Strikeouts: The Venture Capital Model 07:05 Balancing Risks and Doubling Down 10:43 Risk Reduction Engineering 14:03 Consensus vs. Conviction 16:50 Audience Q&A Speaker Bio: Alex Dang is a senior technology executive with two decades of experience across Amazon, AWS AI, and as a Partner at McKinsey & Company in its Silicon Valley office. He has designed and launched innovative ventures in eCommerce, healthcare, and AI. As co-author of the bestseller THE VENTURE MINDSET, Alex brings expertise in helping organizations build and scale new ventures.

Speakers: Rama Sekhar, Partner at Menlo Ventures Itamar Novick, Founder & General Partner at Recursive Ventures Host: Mayank Mehta, CEO & Cofounder at BeHeard; Former GVP at Gartner Peer Platforms In this highly interactive session, a panel featuring experienced investors Rama and Itamar provides insightful feedback on validating startup ideas with little to no cost. Participants pitch their early-stage concepts, ranging from virtual reality training solutions to AI-powered misinformation detectors, seeking advice on growth, market focus, and validation techniques. The experts emphasize the importance of understanding total addressable market, customer willingness to pay, and operational margins while offering strategies for targeting the right customer segments and achieving momentum. This session is an invaluable resource for budding entrepreneurs looking to validate their startup ideas efficiently. Stay connected with us! DECODE : https://decode.build/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/decodesv Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Panel Overview 01:12 Pitch 1 - Virtual Reality Training for Hotels 05:56 Pitch 2 - Data Insights for Companies 08:55 Pitch 3 - Construction Cost Estimator 12:05 Pitch 4 - Relationship Wellness App 16:33 Pitch 5 - A Jupyter Notebook Alternative 19:00 Pitch 6 - Saas for Medications 22:22 Pitch 7 - AI-Powered Sales Training Tool for Robo Advisors 26:05 Pitch 8 - AI-Powered Misinformation Detector 30:00 Pitch 9 - SaaS for Better Visibility on Cybersecurity 33:10 Pitch 10 - Platform for Government Procurement Bidding Process 37:18 Pitch 11 - Non-Profit Building Responsible Gen AI Tools 40:07 Conclusion and Final Thoughts Speaker Bios: Itamar Novick — Founder and General Partner at Recursive Ventures is a top 100 global seed investor recognized by Business Insider. Itamar has backed over 50 successful startups, including Deel and HoneyBook. From taking Life360 from seed to IPO to founding Recursive Ventures, he's got the blueprint for startup success. Rama Sekhar — A Partner at Menlo Ventures with a 15-year track record at Norwest Venture Partners. Rama has funded and guided top companies like Algorithmia and Harness, building trusted relationships with founders as their first call—good news or bad. Mayank Mehta — Co-Founder & CEO, BeHeard Labs and former GVP at Gartner had sold his startups Pulse to Gartner, and Cooliris to Yahoo.