Episodios

  • Ep 74 - Mastering XaaS Pricing: An Expert Perspective, with Ingrid Bonde Åkerlind

    Ep 74 - Mastering XaaS Pricing: An Expert Perspective, with Ingrid Bonde Åkerlind
    May 25 2025
    In this episode, Ingrid Bonde Åkerlind joins Shubha Chakravarthy to unravel the complexities of pricing for early-stage startups, especially in the world of SaaS and “XaaS” business models.

    Tune in to hear Ingrid's reflections on her unexpected journey into pricing, starting from scratch in a C2C marketplace to making investment decisions with a venture capital firm. Ingrid shares powerful insights about price inertia, customer psychology, and how anchoring and framing play critical roles in both B2B and B2C contexts.

    Don't miss her practical and actionable insights on:
    • Why pricing is often the orphan function in early-stage startups—and why it shouldn't be.
    • The psychological biases that impact pricing—across both B2C and B2B markets.
    • Why SaaS and XaaS pricing models are harder than they look.
    • Key differences in pricing strategy for early-stage versus mature startups.
    • How to use customer interviews for pricing research—even without hard data.
    • Why pricing isn't just about the number, but about picking the right value metric.
    • Best practices for testing different pricing models with early customers.
    • Practical tips for reviewing and iterating on your pricing regularly.

    and much more!
    Más Menos
    58 m
  • Ep 73 - Winning Grants, Landing VCs and Building in Deep Tech, with Elise Strobach

    Ep 73 - Winning Grants, Landing VCs and Building in Deep Tech, with Elise Strobach
    May 11 2025
    In this episode, Elise Strobach, co-founder and CEO of AeroShield, joins Shubha Chakravarthy to share her journey from lab discovery to clean tech startup founder. Drawing on her experience as a mechanical engineering PhD at MIT, Elise discusses how a breakthrough in transparent silica aerogels evolved into a venture-backed company tackling one of the world’s biggest energy inefficiencies—heat loss through windows.

    Tune in to listen to Elise's thoughtful and actionable takes on:
    1. How the path to commercialization happens in the real world
    2. The big, unsuspected factor that can make your breakthrough marketable
    3. Key pivot points that drive commercialization impact in the research phase, and how to capitalize on them
    4. How to do customer interviews the right way
    5. The surprising secret to making your innovation attractive in the commercial market
    6. What big adverse events can teach you, and how to turn them to your advantage
    7. A killer strategy to optimize your grant outcomes
    8. How to use grant applications to also build customer traction
    9. How to build your execution roadmap when dealing with uncertain funding outcomes
    10. A secret to overcome imposter syndrome
    and much more!
    Más Menos
    1 h y 8 m
  • Ep 72 - Crafting a Winning Go-to-Market Strategy: A Step by Step Guide, With Maja Voje

    Ep 72 - Crafting a Winning Go-to-Market Strategy: A Step by Step Guide, With Maja Voje
    Apr 27 2025
    In this episode, Maja Voje, go-to-market strategist, author, and growth expert, joins Shubha Chakravarthy to unpack the real essence of go-to-market (GTM) strategy—far beyond the buzzword.

    Drawing from her extensive experience advising startups and corporates alike, Maja reveals her tested GTM framework, rooted in experimentation, structured thinking, and real market insights. She breaks down the six mission-critical elements of GTM: understanding the market and competition, defining your early customer profile (ECP), building value-aligned products, crafting sharp positioning and messaging, pricing based on perceived value and evidence, and finally, setting up scalable growth and sales channels.

    Check out her information-packed, tested and foolproof views on:
    • How to define and validate your go-to-market strategy early on
    • Why “launch” is not the same as go-to-market, and why that matters
    • How to pick your beachhead market and early customer profile (ECP)
    • How to think about your product in a way that improves the odds of product market fit
    • What product-market fit actually looks like in the real world
    • Why pricing isn’t just about numbers and what to focus on in setting price
    • How to position your product to stand out (without overthinking it)
    • How to choose and sequence your growth channels
    • The top 3 actions for founders rethinking their GTM strategy
    and much more!
    Más Menos
    1 h y 2 m
  • Ep 71 - Act, Learn, Build: Entrepreneurship, The Babson Way, with Heidi Neck, Ph.D

    Ep 71 - Act, Learn, Build: Entrepreneurship, The Babson Way, with Heidi Neck, Ph.D
    Apr 13 2025
    What if the way we think about building a business is fundamentally flawed? In this epsiode, Heidi Neck, a leading voice in entrepreneurship education, shares actionable insights from her extensive research and experience, emphasizing that "organizations are not entrepreneurial, people are".

    Whether you're navigating a high-growth startup or seeking to instill innovation within an established company, you'll gain practical tools. Learn to apply the Entrepreneurial Thought & Action (ET&A) methodology, master the art of "affordable loss," and understand why a "quilting" approach can be more effective than following a rigid "puzzle". This conversation is a masterclass in cultivating an entrepreneurial mindset, led by an educator who is shaping the future of the field.










    Tune in to listen to Heidi's views on:
    1. Why business plans don't work, and how to do better
    2. The real inner game of entrepreneurship, and how to cultivate it.
    3. The make-or-break differences most founders overlook.
    4. The powerful ET&A method
    5. Finding your sweet spot in the face of uncertainty.
    6. How to launch and grow, even without funding.
    7. The "affordable loss" concept: A risk-reducing mindset shift for smarter decisions.
    8. Why negative feedback is your secret weapon.
    9. The counterintuitive habit that fuels rapid progress.
    10. Embracing the "direction over plan" philosophy for greater agility.
    11. Using puzzles and quilts to build your entrepreneurial superpowers
    12. The 3 investor questions you MUST answer to unlock capital.

    and much more!
    Más Menos
    1 h y 2 m
  • Ep 70 - Surviving & Thriving in Biotech: Playing The Long Game, with Dr. Maria L. Maccecchini

    Ep 70 - Surviving & Thriving in Biotech: Playing The Long Game, with Dr. Maria L. Maccecchini
    Mar 30 2025
    In this captivating episode, we sit down with Maria L. Maccecchini, a force of nature in the world of biotech, to explore her inspiring journey from a Ph.D. scientist to a successful entrepreneur. Maria shares her passion for developing innovative treatments for neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimer's and Parkinson's, and the realities of navigating the complex terrain of funding, clinical trials, and FDA approvals.


    Check out her fascinating journey across two continents founding a successful startup, her journey to wealth, and her subsequent decision to plunge back into the world of entrepreneurship. Check out her fascinating insights on:
    1. How innovation works in pharma and why it matters to life sciences entrepreneurs
    2. How success and wealth play out in life sciences and what it means to founders
    3. The unexpected lessons from repeat entrepreneurship in life sciences
    4. Why VC funding is challenging to raise in life sciences startups
    5. How unexpected shocks from bad actors in the system can derail your startup, and how to tackle them
    6. The nuts of bolts of getting FDA approval, and the factors that make it challenging
    7. Why life sciences entrepreneurs decide to IPO
    8. The challenges of being a public life sciences company CEO, and tips on handling the job
    9. Personal lessons from a lifetime of curiosity and play that anyone can follow.
    and much more!
    Más Menos
    51 m
  • Ep 69 - Commercializing Deep Tech_ From Scientist to Startup CEO, With Dr. Tanya Ramond

    Ep 69 - Commercializing Deep Tech_ From Scientist to Startup CEO, With Dr. Tanya Ramond
    Mar 16 2025
    In this episode of Invisible Ink, we talk with deep tech expert Dr. Tanya Ramond, an expert in taking deep tech startups to market. check out Tanya's insightful and actionable insights on:
    1. Why commercializing deep tech is challenging
    2. The one mindset shift technical founders must make to succeed
    3. How to leverage the biggest element of your technical education to drive your startup's success
    4. A simple approach to mastering new skills
    5. How to overcome the lone wolf mentality and activate progress
    6. The secret to finding the best market for your innovation
    7. How to bridge the gap from lab to market
    8. Insider tips to successfully cross the "Valley of Death"
    9. How to design successful pilots for funding and traction
    10. The trick to engaging with the right industry accelerators
    11. How to build the right team for your deep tech startup
    12. How to demonstrate traction to investors with your deep tech startup
    and much more!
    Más Menos
    59 m
  • Ep 68 - Pitch Perfect: Using Fluid Thinking for Dynamic Decks, With Patricia Liu

    Ep 68 - Pitch Perfect: Using Fluid Thinking for Dynamic Decks, With Patricia Liu
    Mar 2 2025
    In this episode, Patricia Liu, an MIT-educated computer scientist turned angel investor and Stanford lecturer, shares her diverse career journey—from consulting at Accenture to working in Michelin-starred kitchens and now teaching pitch decks to startup founders.

    Patricia shared her takes on the common threads across her careers, the core elements that stay constat regatdless of what endeavor you're engaged in. Check out her thoughtful and unique views on:
    1. How to set up your pitch so investors pay attention from the first slide
    2. The one thing that makes your pitch unforgettable to investors
    3. What the best pitches have in common, even when they describe complex technologies
    4. The one underrated activity that can make or break your funding chances
    5. How to build trust and keep investors hooked with this simple hack
    6. How to really demonstrate a big and credible competitive edge
    7. The one thing that can kill your pitch—and how to avoid it
    8. Simple tools that can turn complex ideas into instant investor buy-in
    9. The simple activity anyone can do to expose the weak spots you never noticed
    10. How to make your deck stand out in a sea of forgettable pitches
    and much more!
    Más Menos
    53 m
  • Ep 67 - Are SAFEs Really Safe? A Primer on Startup Funding and Valuation, With Eva Doss

    Ep 67 - Are SAFEs Really Safe? A Primer on Startup Funding and Valuation, With Eva Doss
    Feb 16 2025
    In this episode of Invisible Ink, Eva Doss, president and CEO of The LaunchPlace, discusses her work in venture development, managing a portfolio of 27 startups, and supporting early-stage companies through every part of their startup journey.

    Listen to Eva's experiences as she shares her journey in building The LaunchPlace, including her insights on:
    1. Why your cap table is the linchpin in your fundraising story
    2. How to stay on top of your cap table as an early stage founder
    3. How to use cap tables strategically to manage financing, ownership, and regulatory compliance.
    4. How startup valuation approaches differ by type of investor
    5. How to support your valuation estimate when you don't yet have a track record
    6. Why a high valuation isn't always a good thing
    7. The lowdown on SAFEs - what are they, really?
    8. Cap table implications of SAFEs and convertible notes
    9. The practical tradeoffs of raising ona a SAFE
    10. The soft factors that impact your fundraising vehicle
    11. Practical insights on how to build positive investor relationships
    and much more!
    Más Menos
    1 h y 6 m
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_T1_webcro805_stickypopup