Build Mode

There is no such thing as the perfect pitch. But you can get close by implementing a few research-backed methods to your delivery, deck, and message.

In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Dr. Eike Gerhardt, who has aPhD in pitching and spent nearly a decade studying the science of startup pitching before starting Autopoiesis Sciences. And he’s joined by Demetri Maxim, co-founder and CEO of Nephrogen, who came in second at TechCrunch Startup Battlefield 2025.

Together, they break down Demetri’s actual Startup Battlefield pitch to unpack what worked, what could be improved, and what research tells us about how investors respond to founders. Eike explains why credibility signals matter, how technical founders can simplify without oversimplifying, and why Q&A should be treated as a second pitch. Demetri shares how he learned to explain complex biotech to generalist investors, how redesigning his deck changed his confidence onstage, and what he would do differently today.

They also explore how body language and authenticity affect a pitch, how investor questions can reveal bias, and how founders can use AI to prepare for difficult Q&A.

They get into:

What Demetri got right and in his Startup Battlefield pitch

How to explain complicated technology without oversimplifying it

The credibility signals investors look for in a pitch

Why some technical language can actually make founders more credible

How to decide what belongs in your pitch versus the Q&A

Why technical details can sometimes make your startup sound riskier

How body language and authenticity influence investors

Why Q&A should be treated as a second pitch

What research reveals about bias in investor questions

How to use AI to rehearse difficult investor Q&A

Why there is no single “perfect” startup pitch

The biggest pitching mistakes technical founders make

Here are the studies mentioned in the episode:

Kanze, D., Huang, L., Conley, M. A., & Higgins, E. T. (2018). “We Ask Men to Win and Women Not to Lose: Closing the Gender Gap in Startup Funding.” Academy of Management Journal https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2016.1215

Figge, P., Graf-Vlachy, L., König, A., Demann, F., & Diessner, M. (2025). “Shades of Grey or Black and White? How Entrepreneurs’ Use of Cognitively Complex Language Affects Investor Funding.” Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice https://doi.org/10.1177/10422587251347042

Clarke, J. S., Cornelissen, J. P., & Healey, M. P. (2019). “Actions Speak Louder than Words: How Figurative Language and Gesturing in Entrepreneurial Pitches Influences Investment Judgments.” Academy of Management Journal https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2016.1008

Jiang, L., Yin, D., & Liu, D. (2019). “Can Joy Buy You Money? The Impact of the Strength, Duration, and Phases of an Entrepreneur’s Peak Displayed Joy on Funding Performance.” Academy of Management Journal. https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2017.1423

Chen, X.-P., Yao, X., & Kotha, S. (2009). “Entrepreneur Passion and Preparedness in Business Plan Presentations: A Persuasion Analysis of Venture Capitalists’ Funding Decisions.” Academy of Management Journal https://doi.org/10.5465/amj.2009.36462018

Zhu, L. Y., Young, M. J., & Bauman, C. W. (2024). “Linking Anxiety to Passion: Emotion Regulation and Entrepreneurs’ Pitch Performance.” Journal of Business Venturing https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2024.106421Allison, T. H., Davis, B. C., Webb, J. W., & Short, J. C. (2017). “Persuasion in Crowdfunding: An Elaboration Likelihood Model of Crowdfunding Performance.” Journal of Business Venturing https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusvent.2017.09.002Clark, C. (2008). “The Impact of Entrepreneurs’ Oral ‘Pitch’ Presentation Skills on Business Angels’ Initial Screening Investment Decisions.” Venture Capital https://doi.org/10.1080/13691060802151945

Subscribe to Build Mode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen. And watch the full videos on YouTube. New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday.

Hosted by Isabelle Johannesen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.

Eventbrite has survived nearly every kind of challenge a startup can face: launching into a financial crisis, raising venture capital after 27 rejections, going public, watching its core business disappear during COVID, and eventually leaving the public markets after nearly two decades of building.

In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Julia Hartz, co-founder and former CEO of Eventbrite, to unpack the decisions that helped the company weather those highs and lows. When Eventbrite went public in 2018, Julia became just the 21st woman founder-CEO to lead her company through an IPO and the second-youngest woman to do so (milestones she remembers as both an achievement and a stark reminder of how few women had reached that point).

But getting to the IPO, and navigating what came afterward, was anything but straightforward. Julia explains what it was like to take over as CEO from her husband and co-founder Kevin Hartz, why she initially questioned whether she was ready for the job, and how leading through the pandemic forced her to find her own leadership style. She also looks back on Eventbrite’s unusual fundraising journey, from bootstrapping the company for its first two-and-a-half years to the success during the 2008 financial crisis that ultimately landed them Sequoia as a lead investor.

Julia reflects on the realities of running a public company, balancing investor expectations against the needs of customers, the mistakes that took years to repair, and the painful decision to take Eventbrite private following its acquisition by Bending Spoons. Through it all, she shares what nearly 20 years of building Eventbrite taught her about resilience, leadership, reinvention, and making hard decisions when there is no obvious playbook.

They get into:

How Julia Hartz and Kevin Hartz built Eventbrite from a bootstrapped startup into a global ticketing platform

Why 27 venture firms rejected Eventbrite during the 2008 financial crisis

How strong execution helped Eventbrite turn those rejections into a Sequoia-backed round

What it was like for Julia to take over as CEO from her husband and co-founder

Why becoming CEO felt “terrifying” and how Julia eventually found her own leadership style

How Eventbrite responded when COVID caused the company to process more refunds than revenue

The crisis-management exercise that helped Julia’s team rethink the business from scratch

What Julia learned as one of the youngest women and few woman founder-CEOs to take a company public

Why the realities of running a public company can differ from founders’ expectations

How CEOs should balance investor pressure with what is best for their customers

Why Eventbrite ultimately decided to leave the public markets

The mistakes Julia made while scaling Eventbrite and why talking directly to customers remains one of her most important lessons

What 20 years of building taught Julia about resilience, leadership, reinvention, and knowing when to let go

Subscribe to Build Mode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen. And watch the full videos on YouTube. New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday.

Chapters:

00:00 – Julia Hartz on Leading Eventbrite Through the Hardest Moments01:27 – From MTV and Jackass to Founding Eventbrite03:27 – How Julia and Kevin Hartz Started Eventbrite08:49 – Why Live Events Survived Every Technology Shift11:03 – Taking Over as CEO From Her Husband13:38 – Leading Eventbrite Through the COVID Crisis17:19 – Eventbrite’s Fundraising Journey17:57 – 27 VC Rejections During the 2008 Financial Crisis22:16 – How to Re-Pitch an Investor After They Say No24:42 – Building a Company With Your Spouse26:58 – Taking Eventbrite Public27:11 – Making History as a Woman Founder-CEO31:17 – What No One Tells You About Running a Public Company32:40 – From a $1.67B IPO to Going Private36:08 – Why Eventbrite Left the Public Markets38:48 – Customers vs. Shareholders: Who Should a CEO Listen To?41:11 – How Founders Should Think About Competition45:07 – Julia Hartz’s Biggest Marketplace and Leadership Mistakes49:30 – The Leadership Lesson Julia Learned in Her Final Months as CEO53:13 – What Comes After 20 Years of Building Eventbrite

Hosted by Isabelle Johannesen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.

Investors want founders who understand the financial reality of their business. Messy data, misunderstood metrics, or waiting until you’re nearly out of cash to start fundraising can cost founders leverage, valuation, and even a term sheet.

In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Sasha Orloff, founder and CEO of Puzzle and Startup Battlefield alum, to talk about what he’s learned from building companies that have raised more than $1 billion collectively.

Sasha breaks down what investors look for during fundraising, which financial metrics founders should know by heart, and why VCs don’t expect your startup to be perfect—they expect you to understand its reality. He also shares how he nearly lost a term sheet because his data room wasn’t ready, how fundraising diligence changes as a startup grows, and why getting your financial house in order can help founders raise with more confidence and leverage.

They get into:

What raising more than $1 billion across multiple companies taught Sasha about fundraising

Why investors value founders who have a strong grasp of their company’s financial reality

The financial metrics founders should know before pitching VCs

How investor expectations change from pre-seed and seed through Series A, B, and beyond

Why revenue growth and the quality of that revenue are critical fundraising metrics

How runway, margins, sales efficiency, and profitability factor into investor decisions

Why waiting until you’re running out of cash can hurt your fundraising leverage

How Sasha nearly lost a term sheet because his data room wasn’t ready

Why financial organization and compliance can influence investor confidence and startup valuations

What founders should have prepared for the due diligence process

Why VCs don’t expect perfection—and why being honest about what isn’t working can make for a stronger pitch

How Sasha’s own fundraising and finance frustrations ultimately led him to build Puzzle

How AI could change the way startups manage accounting and understand their financial health

Subscribe to Build Mode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen. And watch the full videos on YouTube. New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday.

Chapters:

00:00 – Why VCs Want Founders Who Understand Reality

01:26 – Sasha Orloff’s Journey to Building Puzzle

05:05 – Why Puzzle Started With Startup Founders

08:38 – What Founders Should Know Before Fundraising

11:08 – What Investors Look for During Due Diligence

14:37 – Understanding the Financial Health of Your Startup

17:52 – The Financial Mistakes Founders Make

20:19 – When Startups Need Accountants and Finance Teams

24:04 – How Sasha Almost Lost a Term Sheet

26:10 – The Financial Metrics Founders Should Know Cold

28:20 – Lessons From Raising $1B+ Across Multiple Companies

31:45 – Why Financial Readiness Matters to Investors

33:49 – How AI Is Changing Startup Accounting

37:17 – Inside Puzzle’s Series A With General Catalyst

38:52 – Launching Puzzle at Startup Battlefield

40:38 – Sasha’s Advice for Early-Stage Founders

Hosted by Isabelle Johannesen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.

Immigrant founders have built some of the world’s most valuable companies, but many still face barriers that make it harder to get a startup off the ground. Visa restrictions, limited access to friends-and-family capital, shallow networks, and a venture industry built around pattern matching can keep promising founders from getting funded before they have a chance to prove themselves.

In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Manan Mehta, co-founder and managing partner of Unshackled Ventures, to talk about why he believes immigrant founders represent one of venture capital’s biggest overlooked opportunities. Manan breaks down how Unshackled built an investment model designed to help founders navigate immigration barriers, why traditional VC pattern matching causes investors to miss potential outliers, and how his team evaluates founders at day zero—often before they have a product, customers, or traction. He also explains why the structural gaps that make some founders harder to fund may be exactly where investors should be looking for outsized returns.

They get into:

The four structural barriers immigrant founders face when starting companies in the U.S.

How Unshackled Ventures helps founders navigate visas while building their startups

Why VC’s reliance on pattern matching can cause investors to miss outlier founders

How Manan evaluates founders before they have a product, customers, or traction

The IQ, AQ, EQ, and SQ framework Unshackled uses to evaluate founder potential

Why resilience, lived experience, and a founder’s relationship to the problem can matter more than a polished pitch

Why structural gaps can create some of the biggest opportunities for investors

How founders without traditional networks can find alternative paths to early capital

Why founders should understand their personal “why” instead of trying to fit the traditional VC mold

Subscribe to Build Mode on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you like to listen. And watch the full videos on YouTube. New episodes of Build Mode drop every Thursday.

Chapters:

00:00 – Why VCs Miss Outlier Founders

01:45 – Why Manan Mehta Founded Unshackled Ventures

04:15 – The Problem With VC Pattern Matching

06:15 – The Friends-and-Family Gap for Immigrant Founders

08:18 – How Unshackled Helps Founders Navigate Visas

10:40 – Building a Startup in Today’s Immigration Environment

12:19 – Solving One of Unshackled’s Hardest Immigration Cases

14:39 – What the U.S. Stands to Lose16:59 – Raising Unshackled’s First Venture Funds

19:40 – Can You Start a Company on an H-1B Visa?

22:13 – How to Evaluate a Founder at Day Zero

28:30 – Measuring IQ, AQ, EQ, and SQ

30:26 – How Fear Drives VC Pattern Matching

33:01 – Why Structural Gaps Create Outlier Opportunities

35:14 – Finding Startup Capital Outside Traditional VC

38:09 – Why Founders Need to Understand Their “Why”

Hosted by Isabelle Johannesen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.

Setting up a sound legal foundation could be what saves a startup down the line. A missing founder vesting agreement, an unclear IP agreement, or a messy cap table can derail fundraising, spark co-founder disputes, or even kill an otherwise promising company before it has a chance to scale.

In this episode of Build Mode, host Isabelle Johannesen sits down with Kristina Subbotinai, founder and CEO of Lesxy and former startup attorney at Cooley, to break down the legal fundamentals every founder needs to get right. Kristina shares the four non-negotiable legal decisions every startup should make from day one, what investors actually look for during due diligence, how founders should think about negotiating control versus valuation, and why leverage is the key to getting better fundraising terms. She also shares real stories from the front lines of startup law, from co-founder breakups and investor negotiations to a founder who tried using ChatGPT to draft a merger agreement.

They get into:

The four legal mistakes that can make a startup unfundable

How founder vesting, IP assignment, Delaware incorporation, and 83(b) elections protect your company

What VCs actually look for during due diligence and how to avoid common red flags

How founders should negotiate valuation, board control, and investor rights

Why leverage comes from building a great business—not signing better term sheets

The wildest legal horror stories Kristina has seen, including a startup acquisition gone completely off the rails

Subscribe to Build Mode on⁠ Apple Podcasts⁠, ⁠Spotify⁠, or⁠ wherever you like to listen⁠. And watch the full videos on⁠ YouTube⁠. New episodes of ⁠Build Mode⁠ drop every Thursday.

Chapters:00:00 – Intro: The Legal Mistakes That Kill Startups01:37 – Why Kristina built Lexsy03:58 – The Legal Foundations Every Startup Needs08:22 – How to Find the Right Startup Lawyer10:21 – The Four Non-Negotiable Legal Decisions17:33 – What Investors Look for During Due Diligence20:04 – SAFE Notes vs. Priced Rounds22:18 – Negotiating Valuation Without Losing Control25:25 – Board Seats, Investor Rights, and Hidden Term Sheet Traps30:51 – Should Founders Use AI for Legal Advice?31:04 – How Founders Build Leverage in Fundraising35:48 – The Terms That Can Destroy Founder Wealth37:01 – The Craziest Startup Legal Story Kristina Has Ever Seen

Hosted by Isabelle Johannessen. Produced and edited by Maggie Nye. Audience development led by Morgan Little. Special thanks to the Foundry and Cheddar video teams.