Ep14: Closing a $3.5 Million Series A Funding: How Unit One Pivoted Their Product Strategy Amidst The Pandemic

In this episode, Juan Garcia Mansilla, the founder of Unit One, shares his journey from being a product designer in Argentina to successfully closing a $3.5 million Series A round. Juan's story showcases the resilience and adaptability required to navigate the challenges of entrepreneurship and successfully pivot a business. He shares the process of designing, building, funding, branding, and launching a product. Tune in to hear about the pivot that Juan and his team made along the way. HERE ARE SOME KEY POINTS IN THIS EPISODE  06:11-  Unique ski and snowboard helmet. 10:57 -  Communicating with stakeholders. 15:03 - Designing and launching FARO. 16:50 - Revenue growth and product market fit. 21:21 - VC introduction at the worst moment. 25:15 - Focusing on product market fit. 28:24 - Traumatic due diligence process. 32:31 - Starting on the right side. 37:16 - Getting in front of investors. 39:49 - Too many rounds hurt cap table. 44:07 -  Morale and dilution in fundraising. ABOUT JUAN GARCIA MANSILLA  Juan Garcia Mansilla is the founder of Unit One, a company that designs and builds safety accessories for urban mobility, with a focus on cycling. He started his career as a product designer in Argentina and partnered with his boss to build their own product and company. After a pivot from the snow industry to urban mobility, Juan and his team successfully launched a new product called FARO, which received great reception and sold out quickly. They recently closed a $3.5 million Series A round with investors including Slingshot Ventures and PANUK. Juan's journey showcases his resilience, adaptability, and ability to build strong relationships with investors. LINKS MENTIONED:  You can learn more about Unit One's products here at unit1gear.com Hosted by Jason Kirby - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/  Thunder website - https://web.thunder.vc