Most founders believe startup success is about growth, traction, and eventually… an exit. But here’s the reality: thinking about the exit too early can quietly destroy the value you’re trying to build. In this clip from The Raise & Exit Podcast, Nitin Kumar, serial entrepreneur, former M&A leader, and operator across SaaS, AI, and enterprise tech shares hard-earned lessons from 30 years of building, scaling, and exiting companies. ...

🎙️ Episode 25 is live! This time we sit down with Dan Sperring, founder and CEO of Align ICP, to explore how companies can scale revenue predictably by focusing on the right customers. If you’re building or scaling a SaaS or tech company, this episode is packed with actionable insights on aligning your go-to-market strategy with your ideal customer profile (ICP) and avoiding common pitfalls that compromise growth. What we cover: Why ICP matters more than ever – Most companies waste energy acq...

🎙️ Episode 24 is live! This week, we sit down with Steven Valentor of Polynomial VC to unpack what it takes for startups to raise money, defend valuations, and position themselves for successful exits. If you’re building or backing a tech venture, this episode is packed with actionable insights on strategy, finance, and growth. What do we cover? Raising capital is harder than it looks. Steven shares why even a creative, differentiated thesis doesn’t guarantee success and how to communicate va...

🎙️ Episode 23 is live! This week, we sit down with Jalak Jobanputra, founder and managing partner of Future Perfect Ventures, to unpack how she identifies opportunities in emerging technologies and backs companies shaping the next internet. If you’re building or investing in crypto, AI, IoT, or other deep tech, this episode is packed with actionable insights on spotting potential, navigating uncertainty, and timing your exits. What do we cover? Investing in nascent sectors: Early-stage crypto...

🎙️ Episode 22 is live! This time, we sit down with Bob Gillespie, a three-time founder, accelerator veteran, and “cap table expert,” to unpack the critical but often overlooked mechanics of equity, ownership, and investment structures. If you’re building or backing an early-stage company, this episode is packed with actionable insights to help you avoid costly mistakes, structure your cap table properly, and prepare for funding or exits. What do we cover? Cap tables aren’t just paperwork. Bob...

🎙️ Episode 21 is live! This time we sit down with Anthony Ronga, startup founder, advisor, and pitch deck strategist, to talk about what really happens behind the curtain when preparing for a successful raise — and why your vendor ecosystem is your secret fundraising weapon. Anthony shares how to shift from selling your product to selling an investment opportunity, what most founders get wrong in their first 20 pitch decks, and how to craft a story that gets investors to the table in just 90...

🎙️ Episode 20 is live! This time we sit down with Paige Wiese, founder of Tree Ring Digital, to unpack how digital assets are reshaping M&A and what business owners need to know to protect—and maximize—their value. If you’re preparing your business for an exit, this episode is packed with actionable insights on the critical—but often overlooked—role of digital profiles, social presence, and technical assets in modern deal-making. What do we cover? 1. Digital hygiene is deal hygiene. Ow...

🎙️ Episode 9 is live! This time we sit down with Anay Shah, co-founder of Stepchange, to talk about building venture-scale climate and energy solutions. If you’re raising capital in climate tech — or considering whether venture funding is the right fit at all — this episode is a must-listen. What do we cover? 1. Impact + scalability go hand in hand. A solution isn’t enough if it can’t scale commercially. And a scalable business without measurable impact won’t cut it either. Founders need b...

🎙️ New episode of Raise & Exit is live! This time we sit down with John James, host of the Champagne Strategy podcast and long-time growth strategist, to talk about what founders often get wrong when it comes to brand, growth, and go-to-market strategy. John has spent 20+ years across agencies, startups, and Silicon Valley advising founders on cutting through myths and building companies that actually scale. What do we cover? 1. Brand ≠ branding. A brand is human memory real estate — be...

🎙️ Episode 12 is live! This time we sit down with Saydeah Howard, Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Cherryrock Capital, to talk about how founders should think about leadership, hiring, and scaling from Series A onward. If you’re preparing to raise or building out your first leadership team, this episode is full of practical insights you can apply right away. What do we cover? 1. Hiring mistakes made early can become culture and execution issues later — leadership structure needs to be ...

🎙️ Special Edition Podcast: How to Play the Valuation Game This week’s Raise & Exit episode is different — it’s a live recording of Edgar Baum’s talk at the Silicon Y’all Conference, where nearly 100 SaaS and tech CEOs, VCs, and PE leaders gathered to unpack one question: 👉 What really drives your company’s valuation — and how can you influence it? In this special session, Edgar walks through how founders can: ⚡ See beyond “industry average” multiples — and why they’re often meaningles...

🎙️ Episode 14 is live! This time we sit down with Kurt Winter and Kevin Salquist, co-founders of Big 7 Ventures, to talk about why essential industrial businesses remain the backbone of the economy — and how continuity-focused investing differs from traditional private equity. If you’re a founder or owner thinking about succession, this episode offers a clear-eyed perspective on what really drives value in small and mid-market businesses. What do we cover? 1. Resiliency reveals strength — b...

🎙️ Episode 15 is live! This time we sit down with Steve Little, CEO & Managing Director at Zero Limits Ventures, to talk about why every founder should start with the end in mind — and how to design a company that commands premium valuations. If you’re building with an exit in sight — whether that’s acquisition, IPO, or succession — this episode is packed with insights on how to maximize enterprise value from day one. What do we cover? 1. Buyers value different things — brand, IP, or c...

🎙️ Episode 16 is live! This time we sit down with Neal Cobb, co-founder of EquityX, to talk about how founders of legacy businesses can think differently about exits — honoring employees, protecting culture, and creating value that lasts beyond the transaction. If you’re a founder or owner planning for succession, this episode is full of hard-earned lessons on how to prepare for one of the most important transitions of your career. What do we cover? 1. Exits are about more than profit. Man...

🎙️ Episode 10 is live! This time we sit down with Kristina Montague — Managing Partner at The JumpFund and Board Chair of the Angel Capital Association — to talk about what early-stage founders need to know before raising their first checks. If you’re thinking about approaching angels or early-stage investors, this episode is full of practical, no-nonsense advice. What do we cover? 1. Social media following is not enough. Investors want proof that people are paying for your product, not ju...

🎙️ Episode 13 is live! This time we sit down with Brandon Duensing, CEO of Acquire Online, to talk about scaling remote-first businesses, breaking through plateaus, and why buy-and-hold models are an overlooked path to long-term value. If you’re building a business that has grown past the early hustle and now faces the challenge of scaling, this episode is packed with lessons on how to structure for growth. What do we cover? 1. Founders should be clear on their business goals — VC-style hy...

🎙️ Episode 18 is live! This time we sit down with Matt McDonnell, Managing Partner & co-founder of Stellifi VC and host of the Navigating Complexity podcast, to talk about what founders often overlook when raising capital and chasing product-market fit. Matt brings a rare dual perspective as both a real estate investor and a venture capitalist — and his advice cuts through a lot of the noise founders hear about what “success” should look like. What do we cover? 1. Success sits at the i...

🎙️ Episode 11 is live! This time we sit down with Nuno Gonçalves Pedro, founder of Chameleon Venture Capital, to talk about what separates good founders from great ones — and what VCs should really be doing to support them. If you’re raising at seed or Series A, this episode is packed with lessons on how to scale yourself as a founder while scaling your company. What do we cover? 1. Know your gaps. Every founder has superpowers — but also blind spots. The best know what they bring and what...

🎙️ Episode 8 is live! This time we sit down with Sean Nasiri — Silicon Valley native, entrepreneur, and family office investor — to explore what makes founders stand out when raising capital. If you’re pitching investors or trying to understand how family offices think differently than VCs, this one’s for you. What do we cover? 1. Storytelling is everything. Founders who can’t tell a clear, compelling story rarely get far. Storytelling is not just for fundraising — it’s how you win custome...

🎙️ Episode 7 is live! This time we sit down with Kurt Buseck of Rex Capital to unpack what really drives success — and exits — in deep tech. If you’re building or backing a deep tech venture, this episode is packed with hard-won insights on what makes companies fundable and exit-ready. What do we cover? 1. Execution and IP drive valuation. Innovation isn’t enough. Investors look for working products, a clear path to commercialization, and strong patent or trade secret protection that creat...