Last week at TechCrunch Disrupt (recaps coming soon), I spent less time than usual in the green room where staff and speakers work behind the scenes, and spent hours walking around Moscone Center.<\/p>\n
More than 10,000 people passed through the conference hall over three days: I moderated three investor panels and a Q&A, but I must have spoken with at least 30 early-stage founders.<\/p>\n
No one I met said they were looking for \u201cthought leadership\u201d or scorching hot takes: Almost everyone wanted actionable advice that would help them fundraise, build and scale.<\/p>\n
Full TechCrunch+ articles are only available to members. Six out of the seven VCs I surveyed this month<\/a> included their contact details, so getting in touch with a tech investor is the easy part. The hard part is crafting a story about your startup that\u2019s so convincing, they\u2019ll recognize the value in your idea and wire you some cash.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s who I spoke to:<\/p>\n Fun fact: Today is my fourth<\/strong> anniversary at TechCrunch! If this were a startup, I\u2019d be fully vested by now.<\/p>\n Thanks very much for reading TC+,<\/p>\n Walter Thompson Image Credits:<\/strong> M. Reinertson\/The Photo Group for TechCrunch \/ Flickr<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Several factors combined to dampen investor interest in early-stage startups over the last year and change, leading more founders to explore funding alternatives.<\/p>\n Dominic-Madori Davis spoke to Hussein Yahfoufi (product lead at Arta Finance) and Healthie founder Erica Jain last week at Disrupt to get their advice for connecting with angels and conserving cash.<\/p>\n \u201cBootstrapping isn\u2019t necessarily an all-or-nothing [endeavor],\u201d said Jain. \u201cIt\u2019s about thinking through the long term and being in control about how you think about the capital journey of your business.\u201d<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> wabeno (opens in a new window)<\/span><\/a> \/ Getty Images<\/p>\n<\/div>\n I\u2019m reluctant to use terms like \u201cparadigm-shifting\u201d to describe generative AI, but it\u2019s hardly a stretch to observe that this emerging technology is quickly changing how we interact with data.<\/p>\n Even so, there are major differences between AI-first and AI-enabled companies, write Morgan Cheatham and Steve Kraus at Bessemer Venture Partners.<\/p>\n \u201cAI-first companies require deep AI research acumen, investors willing to take a long view, materially more capital, and potentially less conventional business models than AI-enabled peers.\u201d<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Haje Kamps (opens in a new window)<\/span><\/a> \/ TechCrunch (opens in a new window)<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n How much equity do founders tend to keep after their startup goes public?<\/p>\n According to Blossom Street Ventures managing partner and founder Sammy Abdullah, their average post-IPO ownership stake is 20% and the median is 15%.<\/p>\n \u201cGreat founders know that equity is extremely valuable \u2014 it\u2019s the single most valuable asset in a business, in fact,\u201d writes Haje Jan Kamps.<\/p>\n \u201cPut simply, founders who allow themselves to be diluted too much by early-stage investors aren\u2019t great founders.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIn this session, Ghaffary outlined the important components of startup defensibility, the key strategic advantage buckets, and what startups can do to stay competitive as they build and scale,\u201d she writes.<\/p>\n Image Credits:<\/strong> Bryce Durbin\/TechCrunch<\/p>\n<\/div>\n Dear Sophie,<\/strong><\/p>\n Since our new hire wasn\u2019t selected in the H-1B lottery, we are in the process of getting a cap-exempt H-1B visa. Our new hire is currently living abroad.<\/strong><\/p>\n How will the H-1B visa process be affected if the U.S. government shuts down?<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2014 Exceptional Employer<\/strong><\/p>\n
Use discount code TCPLUSROUNDUP<\/strong><\/a> to save 20% off a one- or two-year subscription.<\/i><\/p>\n\n
Editorial Manager, TechCrunch+
@yourprotagonist<\/a><\/p>\nBootstrapping is cool once again<\/h2>\n
Six imperatives for building AI-first companies<\/h2>\n
![\"Bricks](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/GettyImages-830608332.jpg\")
<\/p>\nInvestors taking 30% of a startup in a round are being short-sighted<\/h2>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/20230924-IMG_6026.jpg\")
<\/p>\nCreating strategic defensibility as an early-stage startup<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/53204393660_7e9d0c9a0d_k.jpg\")
In the first column of a four-part series, Startup Battlefield editor and director of community Neesha Tambe hosted a master class on strategic defensibility with Mike Ghaffary, general partner at Canvas Ventures.<\/p>\nAsk Sophie: How would a government shutdown affect the H-1B visa process?<\/h2>\n
![\"lone](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/dear-sophie-immigration-maze-3.jpg\")
<\/p>\nGet the TechCrunch+ Roundup newsletter in your inbox!<\/h2>\n
![\"sign](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/sign-up-for-newsletters.png\")
To receive the TechCrunch+ Roundup as an email each Tuesday and Friday, scroll down to find the \u201csign up for newsletters\u201d section on this page, select \u201cTechCrunch+ Roundup,\u201d enter your email, and click \u201csubscribe.\u201d<\/p>\nClick here to subscribe<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n
Pitch Deck Teardown: Point.me\u2019s $10M Series A deck<\/h2>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/techcrunch.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Point-Me-pitch-deck-teardown-slide-COVER.jpg\")
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