When should you raise money for your business? Or do you need to raise money at all?
Sam and Ollie give aspiring founders a reality check on startup fundraising: traction, investor expectations, and when raising makes sense.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
02:00 Should you raise?
09:20 Traction signals
12:20 TigerSpike raise
21:00 Bootstrapping
27:00 Dilution
Key Insights
• Fundraising ≠ validation
• Traction wins investor trust
• Raise only for step-change growth
• Understand dilution early
About DQventures:
DQventures is a global venture builder run by six exited founders who have invested in 100+ companies. They help experienced professionals validate, build, and scale sustainable businesses
Finding your first few customers is the start, but to acquire the next hundred, you need a repeatable engine.In this episode, Sam and Ollie break down real go‑to‑market strategy, including ICP evolution, channel testing, messaging, funnels, and the metrics that matter.
Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
01:00 – Early vs ideal customers
03:50 – TigerSpike GTM evolution
08:30 – LinkedIn as a growth engine
14:15 – The ‘everyone is my customer’ trap
16:00 – Funnels (Awareness → Consideration → Action)
20:25 – B2B vs B2C funnel examples
23:00 – Founder-led sales
30:00 – Metrics that matterKey Insights:
About DQventuresDQventures is a global venture builder run by six exited founders who have invested in 100+ companies. They help experienced professionals validate, build, and scale sustainable businesses.
Every founder dreams of the moment they finally ‘go all in’ — but most get the timing wrong. Ollie and Sam unpack what an evidence-based all‑in moment looks like, why older founders face unique pressures, and the signals that show your business is ready for full‑time focus.
Chapters
00:00 – Introduction
00:26 – Ollie’s first all-in moment
02:00 – Sam’s early missteps
04:10 – When traction *actually* begins
06:20 – Why founders misread timing
08:05 – The first paying customer
10:00 – The all‑in challenge for older founders
11:30 – The 10‑year rule (founder–problem fit)
13:10 – Economics, runway & risk
16:55 – Personal readiness & partner support
18:30 – Founder psychology
Key Insights
About DQventures
DQventures is a global venture builder run by six exited founders who have invested in 100+ companies. They help experienced professionals validate, build, and scale sustainable businesses
A Minimum Viable Product (MVP) is not enough — you need a Minimum Viable Business (MVB) that proves real customers and repeatable sales.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:25 MVB defined
04:40 Launch early
06:00 Validation
11:00 Pricing
13:00 Unit economics
21:00 Scaling
Key Insights
About DQventures
DQventures is a global venture builder run by six exited founders who have invested in 100+ companies. They help experienced professionals validate, build, and scale sustainable businesses.
Every great startup begins with a painful, frequent problem. Learn how to identify and validate it.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:20 Problem-first
03:20 Expertise advantage
05:00 Painkiller problems vs Medicine problems
09:30 CLVR Benefits
13:00 Mom Test
31:00 DealerDocs
Key Insights
About DQventures
DQventures is a global venture builder run by six exited founders who have invested in 100+ companies. They help experienced professionals validate, build, and scale sustainable businesses.
Why older founders win: experience, networks, and industry insight. Hosts and General Partners at DQventures, Ollie Palmer and Sam Middlehurst break down why 40–55 year olds make some of the most successful founders.
Chapters
00:00 Intro
00:20 Why older founders win
01:00 TigerSpike story
07:20 Why DQ exists
10:15 Validate → Build → Scale1
9:00 Warm network
23:00 MVB
Key Insights
About DQventures:
DQventures is a global venture builder run by six exited founders who have invested in 100+ companies. They help experienced professionals validate, build, and scale sustainable businesses