Women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ founders still get boxed out of capital, but Katie Dunn has built her angel investing thesis to do the opposite, and she’s doing it with actual reps (29 investments) and serious financial scar tissue (25+ years in banking with $10B financed).Subscribe nowIn this episode, Katie breaks down what early-stage angels really look for when they say they’re “betting on the founder”, why most cold outreach fails (hint: nobody reads the investor’s thesis), and how underrepresented founders can cut through the noise with clarity, credibility, and a simple story that lands.We also get into the underrated part: investor relationships. Katie explains why your first investors should be your easiest next-round capital, why founders go dark when things get hard (and how that backfires), and how angels often deliver more value than VCs because they actually have time, context, and intent to help.If you’re raising pre-seed/seed, building community, or trying to stop fundraising from eating your soul, this one’s a practical reset.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Angel Investing04:18 Katie’s Journey in Finance06:55 The Importance of Diversity in Funding10:04 The Role of Immigrants in Startups12:43 Building Community and Networks15:30 The Value of Collaboration18:23 The Role of Angels vs. VCs21:07 The Importance of Communication23:45 Finding the Right Investors26:45 Using Technology to Connect29:32 Assessing Founders and Their Pitches32:20 The Art of the Pitch Deck35:01 Final Thoughts and ResourcesKatie DunnAn experienced angel investor, board director, and startup advisor investing in underrepresented U.S. founders at the pre-seed and seed stages, primarily in CPG and technology. Through Masthead Strategies, she’s helped founders raise over $30M by combining investor psychology, storytelling, and AI-powered tools.Her portfolio includes Outcast Brands (Blood Monkey Gin, Two Shores Rum), Another Tomorrow, Juliet Wine, WTHN, Forecastr, and Goodword. Katie also serves on the boards of Outcast Brands and the Enthuse Foundation, and advises Fierce Foundry, a femtech venture studio.Who Should ListenFounders preparing to raise pre-seed or seed capitalUnderrepresented founders seeking tactical fundraising adviceAngels or new investors looking to sharpen their evaluation processAnyone who wants to understand how trust, clarity, and communication drive funding decisionsMusic Credit“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)Access All Areas.Listen: Apple || Spotify || YouTubeSubscribe: SubstackCommunity & Events: Founders CircleConnect: LinkedInSocials: TikTok || Instagram || XWeb: startupsdecoded.comStartups Decoded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
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Women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ founders still get boxed out of capital, but Katie Dunn has built her angel investing thesis to do the opposite, and she’s doing it with actual reps (29 investments) and serious financial scar tissue (25+ years in banking with $10B financed).Subscribe nowIn this episode, Katie breaks down what early-stage angels really look for when they say they’re “betting on the founder”, why most cold outreach fails (hint: nobody reads the investor’s thesis), and how underrepresented founders can cut through the noise with clarity, credibility, and a simple story that lands.We also get into the underrated part: investor relationships. Katie explains why your first investors should be your easiest next-round capital, why founders go dark when things get hard (and how that backfires), and how angels often deliver more value than VCs because they actually have time, context, and intent to help.If you’re raising pre-seed/seed, building community, or trying to stop fundraising from eating your soul, this one’s a practical reset.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Angel Investing04:18 Katie’s Journey in Finance06:55 The Importance of Diversity in Funding10:04 The Role of Immigrants in Startups12:43 Building Community and Networks15:30 The Value of Collaboration18:23 The Role of Angels vs. VCs21:07 The Importance of Communication23:45 Finding the Right Investors26:45 Using Technology to Connect29:32 Assessing Founders and Their Pitches32:20 The Art of the Pitch Deck35:01 Final Thoughts and ResourcesKatie DunnAn experienced angel investor, board director, and startup advisor investing in underrepresented U.S. founders at the pre-seed and seed stages, primarily in CPG and technology. Through Masthead Strategies, she’s helped founders raise over $30M by combining investor psychology, storytelling, and AI-powered tools.Her portfolio includes Outcast Brands (Blood Monkey Gin, Two Shores Rum), Another Tomorrow, Juliet Wine, WTHN, Forecastr, and Goodword. Katie also serves on the boards of Outcast Brands and the Enthuse Foundation, and advises Fierce Foundry, a femtech venture studio.Who Should ListenFounders preparing to raise pre-seed or seed capitalUnderrepresented founders seeking tactical fundraising adviceAngels or new investors looking to sharpen their evaluation processAnyone who wants to understand how trust, clarity, and communication drive funding decisionsMusic Credit“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)Access All Areas.Listen: Apple || Spotify || YouTubeSubscribe: SubstackCommunity & Events: Founders CircleConnect: LinkedInSocials: TikTok || Instagram || XWeb: startupsdecoded.comStartups Decoded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
S2E14: When AI Chases Invoices Better Than You Do – Mihir Deo, Founder - Invoice Butler.
Startups Decoded
43 minutes
2 weeks ago
S2E14: When AI Chases Invoices Better Than You Do – Mihir Deo, Founder - Invoice Butler.
As AI moves from clever tool to “virtual teammate,” nowhere is the shift more real than in finance.In this episode of Startups Decoded, Invoice Butler founder & CEO Mihir Deo joins Andy Walsh to explore what happens when AI agents start doing the unglamorous work humans have always done—chasing invoices, managing cash flow, and acting like your accounts team.We unpack how Invoice Butler is quietly replacing manual accounts receivable workflows with an AI-powered, human-backed agent, what that means for trust, brand, and relationships, and why the future of finance teams is smaller, sharper, and heavily automated, not human-free.Subscribe nowChapters00:00 Introduction to AI and Trust06:48 The Impact of AI on Business Dynamics10:58 The Birth of Invoice Butler16:51 How Invoice Butler Works22:54 The Future of Automation and Human Touch37:44 Target Customers and Vision for Invoice ButlerMihir Deo:Founder & CEO of Invoice Butler. With a background in software and product development, Mihir is focused on building AI tools that solve real problems, blending automation with human-first design.Invoice Butler:Invoice Butler blends AI efficiency with human oversight to deliver automated financial processes businesses can actually trust — reducing admin, improving cash flow, and giving founders more time to focus on growth.Music Credit: “Neptuno” - Phondupe (Album: Onykia)Access All Areas.Listen: Apple || Spotify || YouTubeSubscribe: SubstackCommunity & Events: Founders CircleConnect: LinkedInSocials: TikTok || Instagram || XWeb: startupsdecoded.comStartups Decoded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber on Substack.
Startups Decoded
Women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ founders still get boxed out of capital, but Katie Dunn has built her angel investing thesis to do the opposite, and she’s doing it with actual reps (29 investments) and serious financial scar tissue (25+ years in banking with $10B financed).Subscribe nowIn this episode, Katie breaks down what early-stage angels really look for when they say they’re “betting on the founder”, why most cold outreach fails (hint: nobody reads the investor’s thesis), and how underrepresented founders can cut through the noise with clarity, credibility, and a simple story that lands.We also get into the underrated part: investor relationships. Katie explains why your first investors should be your easiest next-round capital, why founders go dark when things get hard (and how that backfires), and how angels often deliver more value than VCs because they actually have time, context, and intent to help.If you’re raising pre-seed/seed, building community, or trying to stop fundraising from eating your soul, this one’s a practical reset.Chapters00:00 Introduction to Angel Investing04:18 Katie’s Journey in Finance06:55 The Importance of Diversity in Funding10:04 The Role of Immigrants in Startups12:43 Building Community and Networks15:30 The Value of Collaboration18:23 The Role of Angels vs. VCs21:07 The Importance of Communication23:45 Finding the Right Investors26:45 Using Technology to Connect29:32 Assessing Founders and Their Pitches32:20 The Art of the Pitch Deck35:01 Final Thoughts and ResourcesKatie DunnAn experienced angel investor, board director, and startup advisor investing in underrepresented U.S. founders at the pre-seed and seed stages, primarily in CPG and technology. Through Masthead Strategies, she’s helped founders raise over $30M by combining investor psychology, storytelling, and AI-powered tools.Her portfolio includes Outcast Brands (Blood Monkey Gin, Two Shores Rum), Another Tomorrow, Juliet Wine, WTHN, Forecastr, and Goodword. Katie also serves on the boards of Outcast Brands and the Enthuse Foundation, and advises Fierce Foundry, a femtech venture studio.Who Should ListenFounders preparing to raise pre-seed or seed capitalUnderrepresented founders seeking tactical fundraising adviceAngels or new investors looking to sharpen their evaluation processAnyone who wants to understand how trust, clarity, and communication drive funding decisionsMusic Credit“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)Access All Areas.Listen: Apple || Spotify || YouTubeSubscribe: SubstackCommunity & Events: Founders CircleConnect: LinkedInSocials: TikTok || Instagram || XWeb: startupsdecoded.comStartups Decoded is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.
