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Iman Abuzeid

Co-founder & CEO, Incredible Health · 1 appearance on the record.

computed by AI from the episodes · how this works → · full disclaimer →

founderexecutivescientistoperator@imanabuzeid ↗LinkedIn ↗incrediblehealth.com ↗Wikipedia ↗

Dr. Iman Abuzeid co-founded Incredible Health in 2017, an AI-enabled career marketplace connecting hospitals with permanent healthcare workers. After an $80 million Series B round valued the company at $1.65 billion, she became one of the few Black female founders to lead a venture-backed tech unicorn.

14statements → 1claims → 1claims resolved → 4.14/5average certainty → 2.79/5average debate potential → ≈4.5/5argument clarity, estimated → 10said about them ↓

0 supported 1 partly supported 0 contradicted how the 1 claim stands · each chip opens the sources

1 assertion · 2 opinions · 9 insights · 2 disclosures · every statement was checked. The predictions and assertion are the 1 claim: statements the public record can support or contradict. 1 is resolved. Everything else (opinions, insights, what ifs, disclosures) can never be settled by the record, so it carries no assessment.

The record, in short

What the tape says about how Iman argues and how the claims held up. Everything they said, and everything said about them, is in the tabs below.

How they sound: speaking style how? →

267 words/min while actually speaking · 0.6 um and uh per 1k words

No argument clarity score for Iman Abuzeid: no usable question→answer exchanges on raw tape (a fair score needs 8+). We do not score a sample that small. Roundtable and news formats yield far fewer direct exchanges than interviews. Their coarse estimate from 32 exchanges on the produced feed is ≈4.5/5, shown at half point precision because the sample is small and produced tape scores higher.

Measured by listening to 4,806 words across 1 episode, but every recording we have of Iman Abuzeid is the aired feed, and an editor cleaned that audio before release. Some of the hesitation was cut before we ever heard it, so read these as floors: the true rates are at least this high. These are measurements of speaking style, not scores. How it's measured →

How the interview went all their pushback → series average →

Across 1 rated episode:

host pushback ▾ 2/10
pushed back at the host ▾ 3/10
setup questions received 75%

Everything Iman Abuzeid said on 20VC that made the record, most notable first. Filter by type, assessment or year in the ledger →

Disclosure
Abuzeid adopted a privileged white male alter ego to project confidence
“I pretty much adopted an alter ego, and this alter ego actually happens to be a white male who, you know, who is highly privileged as well, because I had observed how members of that demographic operate. Like, I see them walking into a room, and the amount of …”
Iman Abuzeid Mar 6, 2020 ▶ 19:02 20VC: Why Most Founders Do Not Structure Their Fundraise Correctly, The Pros Of Having An MBA As A Startup Founder & How To Manage The Psychology Of Being CEO and Overcome Self Doubt with Iman Abuzeid, Founder & CEO @ Incredible Health
Opinion
Diversity pipeline problems are an excuse; talent is evenly distributed
“When people say it's a pipeline problem, it sounds like a little, like an excuse to me. It's BS, honestly. If you look at the US or, you know, the world, talent is evenly distributed. Opportunities are not.”
Iman Abuzeid Mar 6, 2020 ▶ 25:18 20VC: Why Most Founders Do Not Structure Their Fundraise Correctly, The Pros Of Having An MBA As A Startup Founder & How To Manage The Psychology Of Being CEO and Overcome Self Doubt with Iman Abuzeid, Founder & CEO @ Incredible Health
Insight
Abuzeid: Homogeneous tech teams contain mediocrity by missing top talent across demographics
“I do truly believe that talent is evenly distributed, so what that means is that every single demographic, you're trying to hire the top five percent of white male men, or you're trying to hire the top five percent of Hispanic women, and so if you have a bunch…”
Iman Abuzeid Mar 6, 2020 ▶ 26:00 20VC: Why Most Founders Do Not Structure Their Fundraise Correctly, The Pros Of Having An MBA As A Startup Founder & How To Manage The Psychology Of Being CEO and Overcome Self Doubt with Iman Abuzeid, Founder & CEO @ Incredible Health
Insight
Abuzeid: Story and market vision drive VC deals, not traction
“I learned very quickly that traction isn't what gets deals done. What gets deals done is an amazing story with a huge vision, with a huge market that you're pursuing, and a very unique insight about how you're going to achieve it.”
Iman Abuzeid Mar 6, 2020 ▶ 7:57 20VC: Why Most Founders Do Not Structure Their Fundraise Correctly, The Pros Of Having An MBA As A Startup Founder & How To Manage The Psychology Of Being CEO and Overcome Self Doubt with Iman Abuzeid, Founder & CEO @ Incredible Health
Insight
Pitch tier-three investors first to practice before meeting tier-one VCs
“You need to meet the Tier three investors first, then the tier two, and end with the tier one. It's very much like job interviews where, like, you practice on companies that you don't care about as much, and so the companies you really want, you leave them tow…”
Iman Abuzeid Mar 6, 2020 ▶ 8:19 20VC: Why Most Founders Do Not Structure Their Fundraise Correctly, The Pros Of Having An MBA As A Startup Founder & How To Manage The Psychology Of Being CEO and Overcome Self Doubt with Iman Abuzeid, Founder & CEO @ Incredible Health
Insight
Every startup CEO should hire a professional therapist to manage anxiety
“Honestly, I have a therapist, and I generally encourage all CEOs to just get one. There's a lot of anxiety and stress in this job, so whatever external professional support you can get is probably going to be quite helpful.”
Iman Abuzeid Mar 6, 2020 ▶ 17:43 20VC: Why Most Founders Do Not Structure Their Fundraise Correctly, The Pros Of Having An MBA As A Startup Founder & How To Manage The Psychology Of Being CEO and Overcome Self Doubt with Iman Abuzeid, Founder & CEO @ Incredible Health
Insight
Abuzeid: Assertiveness and confidence, not substance alone, close investment checks
“Even if your content and your substance is fantastic, adding that confidence and assertiveness is extremely helpful as well. And that really is what ultimately Ends up getting checks, or sales, or people signing up for your team.”
Iman Abuzeid Mar 6, 2020 ▶ 19:43 20VC: Why Most Founders Do Not Structure Their Fundraise Correctly, The Pros Of Having An MBA As A Startup Founder & How To Manage The Psychology Of Being CEO and Overcome Self Doubt with Iman Abuzeid, Founder & CEO @ Incredible Health
Assertion Partly supported
Black female founders receive just 0.1% of VC funding
“I think black Female woman get zero, one percent of VC dollars, which is effectively zero.”
Iman Abuzeid Mar 6, 2020 ▶ 6:29 20VC: Why Most Founders Do Not Structure Their Fundraise Correctly, The Pros Of Having An MBA As A Startup Founder & How To Manage The Psychology Of Being CEO and Overcome Self Doubt with Iman Abuzeid, Founder & CEO @ Incredible Health
Insight
Turn imminent VC pitch rejections into free strategy consulting sessions
“Usually, you know, 10 minutes into the pitch that they're probably going to say no. You can just tell from their demeanor and how they're asking questions and stuff. But I'm like, you know, I just need to sit here for another 40 minutes, right? So I'm just goi…”
Iman Abuzeid Mar 6, 2020 ▶ 13:36 20VC: Why Most Founders Do Not Structure Their Fundraise Correctly, The Pros Of Having An MBA As A Startup Founder & How To Manage The Psychology Of Being CEO and Overcome Self Doubt with Iman Abuzeid, Founder & CEO @ Incredible Health
Insight
Abuzeid: MBA finance classes and credibility benefit startup founders
“Listen, outside of the VC community does give you some credibility. Like when you're selling to enterprise customers, for example. Two is that it's specifically the finance and accounting classes you take are incredibly helpful when you're building a business.”
Iman Abuzeid Mar 6, 2020 ▶ 14:46 20VC: Why Most Founders Do Not Structure Their Fundraise Correctly, The Pros Of Having An MBA As A Startup Founder & How To Manage The Psychology Of Being CEO and Overcome Self Doubt with Iman Abuzeid, Founder & CEO @ Incredible Health
Insight
Abuzeid: Unresolved startup hiring mistakes must be terminated within weeks
“Now, if after a certain period of time, and unfortunately in a startup, it cannot be very much time, because time is money here, and we got to move really fast. So within a matter of a few weeks, actually, if it's not resolved, then they likely need to leave t…”
Iman Abuzeid Mar 6, 2020 ▶ 28:44 20VC: Why Most Founders Do Not Structure Their Fundraise Correctly, The Pros Of Having An MBA As A Startup Founder & How To Manage The Psychology Of Being CEO and Overcome Self Doubt with Iman Abuzeid, Founder & CEO @ Incredible Health
Opinion
Abuzeid: Startup pivots should be celebrated, not ridiculed
“Pivots are extremely tough to go through psychologically. What it means is that, you know, we have to basically change the entire company and change what we're doing altogether, but they're very common, right, in Silicon Valley, and I guess they should be cele…”
Iman Abuzeid Mar 6, 2020 ▶ 4:43 20VC: Why Most Founders Do Not Structure Their Fundraise Correctly, The Pros Of Having An MBA As A Startup Founder & How To Manage The Psychology Of Being CEO and Overcome Self Doubt with Iman Abuzeid, Founder & CEO @ Incredible Health
Insight
Abuzeid: Managing personal psychology is a startup CEO's primary responsibility
“Ben Horowitz in his book, Hard Things About Hard Things, one of the first things he says is the number one job of the CEO is to manage your own psychology. And I've, now that I've been like in the trenches here, like it's so true.”
Iman Abuzeid Mar 6, 2020 ▶ 17:20 20VC: Why Most Founders Do Not Structure Their Fundraise Correctly, The Pros Of Having An MBA As A Startup Founder & How To Manage The Psychology Of Being CEO and Overcome Self Doubt with Iman Abuzeid, Founder & CEO @ Incredible Health
Disclosure
Top VCs add value by introducing founders to their LP executives
“Whether it's Obvious Ventures or Andreessen Horowitz, both have introduced me to hospital execs. Some of them are even their LPs, and that's been extremely helpful with helping us grow our business.”
Iman Abuzeid Mar 6, 2020 ▶ 9:55 20VC: Why Most Founders Do Not Structure Their Fundraise Correctly, The Pros Of Having An MBA As A Startup Founder & How To Manage The Psychology Of Being CEO and Overcome Self Doubt with Iman Abuzeid, Founder & CEO @ Incredible Health

The other half of the tape: Iman Abuzeid's own voice is left out of every number here. Other people bring the name up 8 times in 2 episodes on 20VC. 2 statements on the record name them. every mention, with the transcript →

Who brings them up most Jeff Jordan 8

Statements about Iman Abuzeid, by other people (2)

What-if
Jordan: Incredible Health could have gone from Series A to IPO
“Iman at Incredible had the just had this dream of, she called it A to IPO. She arguably could have never raised a B round and gone public. The business has that kind of momentum. And because she was quote unquote accidentally profitable, the bookings came in w…”
Jeff Jordan Jan 16, 2023 ▶ 20:37 a16z GP Jeff Jordan: The Ultimate Guide to Two-Sided Marketplaces | 20VC #966 · 20VC with Harry Stebbings
Disclosure
Jordan: Incredible Health Had More Cash Pre-Series B Than Post-Series A
“Incredible health went you know, we did the a, they went three years without raising while the business was going very well. And when Iman finally did raise earlier this year. She had more cash in the bank when she raised than she did when after we funded her.”
Jeff Jordan Jan 24, 2023 ▶ 13:16 The Ultimate Guide for Building a Two-Sided Marketplace | a16z's Jeff Jordan · 20VC with Harry Stebbings

Every mention by year

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0021422023episodesmentions per episode
2023 8 mentions in 2 episodes 4 per episode

Appearances (1)

EpisodeDateSpeaking time
20VC: Why Most Founders Do Not Structure Their Fundraise Correctly, The Pros Of Having An Mar 6, 2020 20m
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