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Mar 3, 2025 · 36m · the-pitch

#15 A Veteran Starts a Startup: Shift

Mike Slagh · 9m spoken Josh Muccio · 7m spoken Jillian Manus · 5m spoken Daniel Gulati · 3m spoken Phil Nadel · 2m spoken James Altucher · 1m spoken
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Navy veteran Mike Slagh pitches Shift, a workforce development platform that translates military service into civilian tech careers, securing initial commitments from all four venture investors. The episode explores the startup's unique technological moat, the investors' strategic deliberations, and the ultimate funding reality following post-pitch due diligence.

How this conversation actually went

Every chapter scored 0–10 on four independent dynamics. Hover any point for the reasoning behind the score. Josh holds 27.9% of the talking time here. How this is scored →

Josh as informed peer 3.3 Guest teaching 2.7 Guest disagreement 0.6 Josh pushing back 1.7
05100:0010:0020:0030:001:54–6:20 · Josh as informed peer 3/10 Mike Slagh Pitches Shift to the Investors Mike pitches the core concept of Shift, explaining how active-duty service members transition into tech roles. Phil presses to clarify whether these are paid internships, and Mike educates him on the military program that covers the service member's salary during their final months.6:23–8:53 · Josh as informed peer 1/10 Jillian Manus Makes an Immediate $100K Offer Jillian interrupts normal diligence to offer $100K on the spot based entirely on mission alignment and her passion for helping veterans. There is zero pushback or technical cross-examination.8:54–13:40 · Josh as informed peer 5/10 Analyzing Shift's Revenue Model and Translation Engine Phil and Daniel drill into the unit economics and the proprietary nature of Shift's military-to-civilian skill translation engine. Mike provides granular details on military source documentation and the placement fee structure.13:42–22:38 · Josh as informed peer 6/10 Panel Commits $500K Across All Four Investors The panel takes over the vision, with James and Daniel calculating total addressable market and reframing Shift as a massive data and email-asset play. All four investors enthusiastically commit capital to fill out the round.22:40–25:04 · Josh as informed peer 4/10 Investors Discuss Shift's Data Potential and Founder Execution In a post-pitch deliberation among the investors with the founder out of the room, the panel discusses whether Mike is aligned with the data strategy they mapped out for him and praises his execution potential.25:18–27:57 · Josh as informed peer 1/10 Mike Slagh's Emotional Reaction Outside the Pitch Room Josh interviews Mike immediately outside the pitch room. Mike shares the emotional weight of justifying the trip to his team and his immense relief at securing $500K in investor support.28:06–34:52 · Josh as informed peer 3/10 Due Diligence Outcomes and Post-Show Progress Josh follows up months later, asking direct questions about which deals closed, whether the investors ran away with the pitch, and whether Mike felt tokenized by veteran stereotypes. Mike provides balanced, nuanced answers.1:54–6:20 · Guest teaching 5/10 Mike Slagh Pitches Shift to the Investors Mike pitches the core concept of Shift, explaining how active-duty service members transition into tech roles. Phil presses to clarify whether these are paid internships, and Mike educates him on the military program that covers the service member's salary during their final months.6:23–8:53 · Guest teaching 1/10 Jillian Manus Makes an Immediate $100K Offer Jillian interrupts normal diligence to offer $100K on the spot based entirely on mission alignment and her passion for helping veterans. There is zero pushback or technical cross-examination.8:54–13:40 · Guest teaching 5/10 Analyzing Shift's Revenue Model and Translation Engine Phil and Daniel drill into the unit economics and the proprietary nature of Shift's military-to-civilian skill translation engine. Mike provides granular details on military source documentation and the placement fee structure.13:42–22:38 · Guest teaching 4/10 Panel Commits $500K Across All Four Investors The panel takes over the vision, with James and Daniel calculating total addressable market and reframing Shift as a massive data and email-asset play. All four investors enthusiastically commit capital to fill out the round.22:40–25:04 · Guest teaching 0/10 Investors Discuss Shift's Data Potential and Founder Execution In a post-pitch deliberation among the investors with the founder out of the room, the panel discusses whether Mike is aligned with the data strategy they mapped out for him and praises his execution potential.25:18–27:57 · Guest teaching 1/10 Mike Slagh's Emotional Reaction Outside the Pitch Room Josh interviews Mike immediately outside the pitch room. Mike shares the emotional weight of justifying the trip to his team and his immense relief at securing $500K in investor support.28:06–34:52 · Guest teaching 3/10 Due Diligence Outcomes and Post-Show Progress Josh follows up months later, asking direct questions about which deals closed, whether the investors ran away with the pitch, and whether Mike felt tokenized by veteran stereotypes. Mike provides balanced, nuanced answers.1:54–6:20 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Mike Slagh Pitches Shift to the Investors Mike pitches the core concept of Shift, explaining how active-duty service members transition into tech roles. Phil presses to clarify whether these are paid internships, and Mike educates him on the military program that covers the service member's salary during their final months.6:23–8:53 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Jillian Manus Makes an Immediate $100K Offer Jillian interrupts normal diligence to offer $100K on the spot based entirely on mission alignment and her passion for helping veterans. There is zero pushback or technical cross-examination.8:54–13:40 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Analyzing Shift's Revenue Model and Translation Engine Phil and Daniel drill into the unit economics and the proprietary nature of Shift's military-to-civilian skill translation engine. Mike provides granular details on military source documentation and the placement fee structure.13:42–22:38 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Panel Commits $500K Across All Four Investors The panel takes over the vision, with James and Daniel calculating total addressable market and reframing Shift as a massive data and email-asset play. All four investors enthusiastically commit capital to fill out the round.22:40–25:04 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Investors Discuss Shift's Data Potential and Founder Execution In a post-pitch deliberation among the investors with the founder out of the room, the panel discusses whether Mike is aligned with the data strategy they mapped out for him and praises his execution potential.25:18–27:57 · Guest disagreement 0/10 Mike Slagh's Emotional Reaction Outside the Pitch Room Josh interviews Mike immediately outside the pitch room. Mike shares the emotional weight of justifying the trip to his team and his immense relief at securing $500K in investor support.28:06–34:52 · Guest disagreement 1/10 Due Diligence Outcomes and Post-Show Progress Josh follows up months later, asking direct questions about which deals closed, whether the investors ran away with the pitch, and whether Mike felt tokenized by veteran stereotypes. Mike provides balanced, nuanced answers.1:54–6:20 · Josh pushing back 2/10 Mike Slagh Pitches Shift to the Investors Mike pitches the core concept of Shift, explaining how active-duty service members transition into tech roles. Phil presses to clarify whether these are paid internships, and Mike educates him on the military program that covers the service member's salary during their final months.6:23–8:53 · Josh pushing back 0/10 Jillian Manus Makes an Immediate $100K Offer Jillian interrupts normal diligence to offer $100K on the spot based entirely on mission alignment and her passion for helping veterans. There is zero pushback or technical cross-examination.8:54–13:40 · Josh pushing back 3/10 Analyzing Shift's Revenue Model and Translation Engine Phil and Daniel drill into the unit economics and the proprietary nature of Shift's military-to-civilian skill translation engine. Mike provides granular details on military source documentation and the placement fee structure.13:42–22:38 · Josh pushing back 2/10 Panel Commits $500K Across All Four Investors The panel takes over the vision, with James and Daniel calculating total addressable market and reframing Shift as a massive data and email-asset play. All four investors enthusiastically commit capital to fill out the round.22:40–25:04 · Josh pushing back 0/10 Investors Discuss Shift's Data Potential and Founder Execution In a post-pitch deliberation among the investors with the founder out of the room, the panel discusses whether Mike is aligned with the data strategy they mapped out for him and praises his execution potential.25:18–27:57 · Josh pushing back 1/10 Mike Slagh's Emotional Reaction Outside the Pitch Room Josh interviews Mike immediately outside the pitch room. Mike shares the emotional weight of justifying the trip to his team and his immense relief at securing $500K in investor support.28:06–34:52 · Josh pushing back 4/10 Due Diligence Outcomes and Post-Show Progress Josh follows up months later, asking direct questions about which deals closed, whether the investors ran away with the pitch, and whether Mike felt tokenized by veteran stereotypes. Mike provides balanced, nuanced answers.

speaking balance: gold is Josh, purple is the guest (3 minute bins)

0:00 · Josh 57.7% · guest 42.3%0:00 · Josh 57.7% · guest 42.3%3:00 · Josh 43.4% · guest 56.6%3:00 · Josh 43.4% · guest 56.6%6:00 · Josh 39.5% · guest 60.5%6:00 · Josh 39.5% · guest 60.5%9:00 · Josh 11.7% · guest 88.3%9:00 · Josh 11.7% · guest 88.3%12:00 · Josh 12% · guest 88%12:00 · Josh 12% · guest 88%15:00 · Josh 19.7% · guest 80.3%15:00 · Josh 19.7% · guest 80.3%18:00 · Josh 0% · guest 100%18:00 · Josh 0% · guest 100%21:00 · Josh 3.8% · guest 96.2%21:00 · Josh 3.8% · guest 96.2%24:00 · Josh 27.8% · guest 72.2%24:00 · Josh 27.8% · guest 72.2%27:00 · Josh 38.2% · guest 61.8%27:00 · Josh 38.2% · guest 61.8%30:00 · Josh 28.3% · guest 71.7%30:00 · Josh 28.3% · guest 71.7%33:00 · Josh 55.4% · guest 44.6%33:00 · Josh 55.4% · guest 44.6%36:00 · Josh 58.8% · guest 41.2%36:00 · Josh 58.8% · guest 41.2%
Sharpest disagreement ▶ 33:20 Mike addresses veteran stereotyping and tokenization

Mike reframes Josh's provocative question about being tokenized, clarifying that while recruiters often rely on axioms and stereotypes, the investors in the room were genuinely evaluating the opportunity.

 Hardest push from Josh ▶ 31:56 Josh challenges Mike on whether investors hijacked his pitch

Josh directly challenges Mike on whether the investors steamrolled the meeting and projected their own data-business thesis without properly listening to what Mike was actually building.

 Biggest teaching moment ▶ 5:08 Mike reveals the military-paid internship mechanism

Mike educates the investor panel on a little-known GI transition benefit, explaining that the military continues to pay service members' salaries during their internships at tech startups.

 Josh holds their own ▶ 19:57 Daniel and James demonstrate marketplace and email monetization math

Daniel Galati and James Altucher demonstrate sharp venture modeling, calculating how a massive veteran email list creates a hundred-million-dollar marketplace opportunity far beyond simple one-time search fees.
the scores for every segment, with the reasoning behind each
ChapterTopicJosh as informed peerGuest teachingGuest disagreementJosh pushing backWhy
Mike Slagh Pitches Shift to the Investors 3512 Mike pitches the core concept of Shift, explaining how active-duty service members transition into tech roles. Phil presses to clarify whether these are paid internships, and Mike educates him on the military program that covers the service member's salary during their final months.
Jillian Manus Makes an Immediate $100K Offer 1100 Jillian interrupts normal diligence to offer $100K on the spot based entirely on mission alignment and her passion for helping veterans. There is zero pushback or technical cross-examination.
Analyzing Shift's Revenue Model and Translation Engine 5513 Phil and Daniel drill into the unit economics and the proprietary nature of Shift's military-to-civilian skill translation engine. Mike provides granular details on military source documentation and the placement fee structure.
Panel Commits $500K Across All Four Investors 6412 The panel takes over the vision, with James and Daniel calculating total addressable market and reframing Shift as a massive data and email-asset play. All four investors enthusiastically commit capital to fill out the round.
Investors Discuss Shift's Data Potential and Founder Execution 4000 In a post-pitch deliberation among the investors with the founder out of the room, the panel discusses whether Mike is aligned with the data strategy they mapped out for him and praises his execution potential.
Mike Slagh's Emotional Reaction Outside the Pitch Room 1101 Josh interviews Mike immediately outside the pitch room. Mike shares the emotional weight of justifying the trip to his team and his immense relief at securing $500K in investor support.
Due Diligence Outcomes and Post-Show Progress 3314 Josh follows up months later, asking direct questions about which deals closed, whether the investors ran away with the pitch, and whether Mike felt tokenized by veteran stereotypes. Mike provides balanced, nuanced answers.

Statements from this episode (10)

Disclosure
Slagh: Shift Matches Transitioning Military Veterans With Tech Internships
“So what we do today is we facilitate internships largely at high growth technology companies. So we work with recruiting teams diversity and inclusion teams, people operations to find relevant fits based on people who, people's experiences in the military, and…”
Mike Slagh Mar 3, 2025 ▶ 4:52
Assertion Supported
Slagh: The Military Pays Salaries During Shift's Private Tech Internships
“So the military still pays their salary.”
Mike Slagh Mar 3, 2025 ▶ 5:38
Assertion Contradicted
Manus: 30% of Shelter Residents Are Veterans and Veteran Families
“30% of the people in shelters, the families, are vet families and vets themselves.”
Jillian Manus Mar 3, 2025 ▶ 6:52
Disclosure
Manus Commits $100,000 of Her Own Capital During Shift's Pitch
“And I'm gonna put a 100,000 of my money right now.”
Jillian Manus Mar 3, 2025 ▶ 7:45
Disclosure
Slagh: Shift Charges a $5,000 Upfront Fee Plus 20% of Salary
“5000 dollars per person. Per position. And then they pay us an additional 20% of the first year salary if a conversion takes place.”
Mike Slagh Mar 3, 2025 ▶ 9:14
Assertion Partly supported
Slagh: BoxGroup, Full Tilt, Tim Ferriss, and Howard Lindzon invested in Shift
“Box Group here in New York GELT VC with Jake. The Full Tilt Capital, the managing partner there is Anthony Pompliano, he's an army veteran. Tim Ferriss, Howard Lindzen, and a few other angels as well.”
Mike Slagh Mar 3, 2025 ▶ 17:11
Disclosure
Phil Nadel: All four investors view Shift as a data play
“We need to make sure that he's on the same page with the four of us, because we all see it as a data play, right?”
Phil Nadel Mar 3, 2025 ▶ 23:52
Assertion Supported
Slagh: Shift raised $500,000 from investors on The Pitch
“Yes. That's, that, that's what happened just now.”
Mike Slagh Mar 3, 2025 ▶ 26:18
Disclosure
Slagh: Shift added 30 to 40 syndicate investors via Phil Nadel
“So far, we've added between 30 and 40 additional smaller investors through his syndicate, so we're seeing checks of 2500 dollars or 5000 dollars or 10,000 dollars, and it's really, really interesting to me to see the types of people who are getting involved.”
Mike Slagh Mar 3, 2025 ▶ 29:22
Disclosure
Slagh: Structure VC Increased Their Shift Investment to $350,000 After Diligence
“So much so that, that they came up to 350,000 dollars.”
Mike Slagh Mar 3, 2025 ▶ 30:24
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