Stop Networking! Build Trust and Community to Fund Your Startup | David Homan
Are you an introverted founder struggling to raise capital? Do you find most networking events to be a waste of time and purely transactional? Super connector, author, and composer David Homan reveals the systematic, high-integrity approach to connection that actually opens doors to investors, partners, and key advisors.
In this powerful episode, David dismantles the myth that extroverts are the best connectors. He explains why your ability to listen deeply and build relationships at the speed of trust is your most valuable asset, turning the loneliness of the founder journey into a strength. You'll learn the crucial difference between building a transactional network and a supportive community.
Key Lessons You Will Learn:
• The Introvert's Advantage: Why deep listening and high-quality, intimate connections beat "spray and pray" networking every time.
• The Non-Ask Strategy: How to talk to investors before you need money to build momentum and let them experience FOMO.
• Reputation Capital: The true cost of a bad introduction and why you must "honor the chain of connections" to protect your most valuable currency.
• The Impact Ask: A systematic way to frame your requests to potential partners or investors so they immediately recognize how they can help.
• Community Security: The high cost of opportunism and the strict rules required to filter out toxic, low-integrity contacts from your inner circle.
Resources & Links
Find the full transcript and blog post here:
https://ftb.bz/125B
Watch the video:
https://ftb.bz/125V
Connect with David Homan: https://orchestratedconnecting.com/
Struggling to Raise Capital?
If you are a founder who needs checks now and hasn't built that network yet, don't worry. Learn the proven, systematic steps for warming up cold connections and securing investment directly:
Cold Outreach Workshop for Founders:
https://FounderQuest.com/cold-outreach
#DavidHoman #FeelTheBoot #Founder #Startup #VentureCapital #RaisingCapital #Entrepreneurship #SuperConnector #RelationshipBuilding #Introvert #SEO
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Stop Networking! Build Trust and Community to Fund Your Startup | David Homan
Are you an introverted founder struggling to raise capital? Do you find most networking events to be a waste of time and purely transactional? Super connector, author, and composer David Homan reveals the systematic, high-integrity approach to connection that actually opens doors to investors, partners, and key advisors.
In this powerful episode, David dismantles the myth that extroverts are the best connectors. He explains why your ability to listen deeply and build relationships at the speed of trust is your most valuable asset, turning the loneliness of the founder journey into a strength. You'll learn the crucial difference between building a transactional network and a supportive community.
Key Lessons You Will Learn:
• The Introvert's Advantage: Why deep listening and high-quality, intimate connections beat "spray and pray" networking every time.
• The Non-Ask Strategy: How to talk to investors before you need money to build momentum and let them experience FOMO.
• Reputation Capital: The true cost of a bad introduction and why you must "honor the chain of connections" to protect your most valuable currency.
• The Impact Ask: A systematic way to frame your requests to potential partners or investors so they immediately recognize how they can help.
• Community Security: The high cost of opportunism and the strict rules required to filter out toxic, low-integrity contacts from your inner circle.
Resources & Links
Find the full transcript and blog post here:
https://ftb.bz/125B
Watch the video:
https://ftb.bz/125V
Connect with David Homan: https://orchestratedconnecting.com/
Struggling to Raise Capital?
If you are a founder who needs checks now and hasn't built that network yet, don't worry. Learn the proven, systematic steps for warming up cold connections and securing investment directly:
Cold Outreach Workshop for Founders:
https://FounderQuest.com/cold-outreach
#DavidHoman #FeelTheBoot #Founder #Startup #VentureCapital #RaisingCapital #Entrepreneurship #SuperConnector #RelationshipBuilding #Introvert #SEO
107. Startup Failure Analysis Key Lessons from Abby Sugar
Feel the Boot
58 minutes 24 seconds
1 year ago
107. Startup Failure Analysis Key Lessons from Abby Sugar
Startup Failure Analysis Key Lessons from Abby Sugar
In this episode of Feel the Boot, host Lance Cottrell delves into the startup journey of Abby Sugar, the impressive founder of PlayOut Apparel, a gender-equal apparel brand. Despite the brand's promising concept and innovative approach, it ultimately failed. Abby bravely shares her experiences and the unique challenges she faced, providing valuable insights for early-stage founders. Topics covered include founder mental health, team dynamics, investor relations, and the impact of external market factors. This in-depth conversation offers actionable lessons for anyone navigating the complex world of startups.
Abby Sugar’s Bio:
Having worked as a writer, editor, and independent personal trainer, Abby Sugar is a lifelong learner and taught herself about fashion, business and startups after studying English Literature in college. Abby is a graduate of Barnard College, Columbia University, and studied abroad at Hertford College, Oxford University.
To Abby, learning is everything, and her life motto is f*cking figure it out – so she set out to build the brand that she and her cofounders wish existed when they were younger. As an outgoing, unapologetically queer startup founder, she strives to be a leading voice in and for the LGBTQ+ community. Abby founded Play Out Apparel in 2018 with her cofounder, Grey Leifer. As Play Out's CEO, Abby:
- Graduated from the Founder Institute as a Select Portfolio Company
- Raised $750K in pre-seed from mission-aligned investors and secured loan opportunities
- Won $20K from the National Business Inclusion Consortium’s pitch competition and $10K from Alibaba and HelloAlice (chosen as 1 of 50 winners from 12,000 applicants!), as well as winning other pitch competitions
- Shared her story in the New York Times and Forbes
After an incredible journey, Abby closed Play Out Apparel in 2024 to pursue other opportunities as a startup founder, consultant, and investor.
Abby was named to the Forbes Next 1000 List in 2021, she speaks on podcasts, international panels, and gives frequent interviews about startups, fashion, diversity and inclusion, and topics important to LGBTQ+ individuals.
Be sure to SUBSCRIBE to Multitudinous Musings, Abby's monthly Substack Newsletter, where she shares general educational articles about startups and investing, longform journalism, and poetry/literature that she reads - it's also known as Sugar's Recommended Reading. https://abbysugar.substack.com
LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/abbysugar/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/a.n.other.sugar
Blog https://ftb.bz/107B
YouTube https://ftb.bz/107V
Subscribe to BootPrints https://ftb.bz/join
Feel the Boot
Stop Networking! Build Trust and Community to Fund Your Startup | David Homan
Are you an introverted founder struggling to raise capital? Do you find most networking events to be a waste of time and purely transactional? Super connector, author, and composer David Homan reveals the systematic, high-integrity approach to connection that actually opens doors to investors, partners, and key advisors.
In this powerful episode, David dismantles the myth that extroverts are the best connectors. He explains why your ability to listen deeply and build relationships at the speed of trust is your most valuable asset, turning the loneliness of the founder journey into a strength. You'll learn the crucial difference between building a transactional network and a supportive community.
Key Lessons You Will Learn:
• The Introvert's Advantage: Why deep listening and high-quality, intimate connections beat "spray and pray" networking every time.
• The Non-Ask Strategy: How to talk to investors before you need money to build momentum and let them experience FOMO.
• Reputation Capital: The true cost of a bad introduction and why you must "honor the chain of connections" to protect your most valuable currency.
• The Impact Ask: A systematic way to frame your requests to potential partners or investors so they immediately recognize how they can help.
• Community Security: The high cost of opportunism and the strict rules required to filter out toxic, low-integrity contacts from your inner circle.
Resources & Links
Find the full transcript and blog post here:
https://ftb.bz/125B
Watch the video:
https://ftb.bz/125V
Connect with David Homan: https://orchestratedconnecting.com/
Struggling to Raise Capital?
If you are a founder who needs checks now and hasn't built that network yet, don't worry. Learn the proven, systematic steps for warming up cold connections and securing investment directly:
Cold Outreach Workshop for Founders:
https://FounderQuest.com/cold-outreach
#DavidHoman #FeelTheBoot #Founder #Startup #VentureCapital #RaisingCapital #Entrepreneurship #SuperConnector #RelationshipBuilding #Introvert #SEO
