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Beckord: 70% of successfully funded founders win through scrappiness over pedigree

Nathan Beckord · The early-stage fundraising playbook—here's how to raise your first few rounds. | Nathan Beckord,... · PMF Show · Jan 23, 2025 · at 6:02

Nathan Beckord, founder of Foundersuite and podcast host, discusses the breakdown between pedigree and hustle in successful early-stage fundraising with host Pablo Srugo.

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“I'd say, making up numbers here, but probably 30% of the successfully funded folks had just such an awesome background and track record. Like, they had worked, you know, as number five at a Scaling growth company before, and now they're going off and doing their own. So in those cases, it was all about who the founders were, and that's why investors were backing them. But the other 70% were, you know, people who had come up with scrappy things.”

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