Dr. D. Martin Alexander Gershon, MD, JD, MPH

Strategic partners are mission critical for any emerging startup Understanding that the last 20 years were an outlier and in financing and growth pathways, current CEO Founders are now tasked with driving core data and results early in the growth process Strategic partnerships are core to the success story as leading corporations and their corporate VC arms want verification that novel technologies are supported by action driven results oriented teams Leadership is paramount in the eyes of partners who demand that any financing be tied to tangible results @endeavorventurefunds

As a Venture Capital Investor its critical for me to assess the valuation of every company we are considering investing in. As a core part of this process is data, I urge every CEO Founder to develop the leadership skills that empower and build great teams who are focused on execution. The value of innovation is not the vision. Its the results that the innovation produce. Investors in the current macroeconomic environment want to see results. And this means that what you say your company can achieve with your innovation can be relied upon by investors and strategics. Commercial validation of your comes from the expertise you have in understanding how your technology can solve problems and in building effective teams who get results.

As a Venture Capital Investor and Advisor to dozens of companies in Techstars I always coach Founders to work of their mental preparedness for meetings with other investors and strategics by visualizing difficult scenarios and preparing authentic answers before the meetings. Aligning your interests and the interests of others is the key to successful fundraising. Listening. Staying focused. Often means pausing, quietly and observing. Evaluate the environment. What have you learned are the key areas of alignment between your interests and investors and strategics in the conversation. Stay focused on what you are learning and be resilient to adapt and pivot when needed to clarify the core points of alignment.

As a Senior Executive in Residence at Techstars I see hundreds of companies. Its vital that the CEO and Founders understand the power in networking with the right type of investors and strategic partners. Embedded in this mindset is a sense of awareness of the environment you're in and the people around you. Listen to what others say. Really hear what they are looking for. And make sure that your message is crystal clear to them. Having a clear goal coming into a meeting is fundamental. Being able to pivot, adapt and change course on the fly is a sign of leadership and its a core component of what we look for in our CEO Founders.

CEO Entrepreneur Founders are incredible. Filled with enthusiasm and optimism that their innovation will change the world by solved huge unsolved problems. Yet in this journey Risk is often not part of the equation. Risk can take many forms. And one important part of risk assessment is the candid ability for the team to execute and drive product or service into a market in a competitive and efficient manner. Sustainable growth and the ability to scale is dependent on the ability of a team to execute. CEO Entrepreneur Founders who have developed strong team building skills will stand out in this macro-economic environment of increased risk as important leaders who bring value to the company and investors.

It’s imperative that in deal making the message and value proposition is clear and unambiguous. Value identification by the counterparty is a core part of solidifying a successful deal close. Once it’s clear what you bring to the table it will be clear to the counterparty. Determining the value of that offering is then the next step which requires enrolling the other party in your vision.