S2EP3: Next Time I'll Leave the Room with Dr. Somi Javaid

After two decades in practice, keeping her company profitable through COVID, and building a patient base that spanned 35 states, Dr. Somi Javaid still walked into investor meetings where people looked around the room asking where her boss was.In this episode of The Capital Flex, I sit down with Dr. Somi Javaid, board-certified OB-GYN, surgeon, and founder of HerMD, who raised nearly $30 million to build evidence-based care in menopause, sexual health, and gynecology, all well before the market believed women’s health was venture-backable.She landed her first term sheet in five weeks. She also sat through pitch meetings where investors told her menopause didn’t need treatment and low libido wasn’t real.Somi didn’t cry in the room. She waited for the sushi and sake bar after.We talk about what happens when founders mistake access for alignment, and how quickly leverage can disappear in venture-backed rooms. Somi shares the story of an investor who blocked a competing term sheet to force a lower valuation, the “troublemaker” reputation she earned for refusing to play the good girl, and why she walked away from a $65 million term sheet in her first round. More than anything, this is a conversation about holding onto your conviction when the room keeps trying to make you second-guess it.Key Takeaways:Why being called “difficult” is often the cost of protecting your leverageWhy titles in one room don’t always translate to respect in the nextWhat happens when an investor decides the very problem you’re solving for doesn’t existHow founders quietly give away power the moment they assume the room knows better than they doWhy Somi walked away from a $65 million term sheet in her first roundThe hidden tradeoff that comes with taking capital too earlyMy Reflection & Challenge:Somi let herself get small in rooms that had no business making her feel that way  because she had been trained to defer. That is not a character flaw. It is what the system is designed to do. Naming it is the first move. Deciding it won't happen again is the second.This Week's Challenge:Where in your business are you deferring to a title instead of your own expertise — not because they've earned it, but because the room made you feel like they had?And the next time someone disrespects you and follows it with a business-as-usual email the next day, what are you going to do with that?Links and Resources:https://www.drsomi.com/https://www.instagram.com/somijavaidmd/https://www.instagram.com/hermdhealth/https://www.linkedin.com/in/somi-javaidhttps://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLAdtK-yQpKoFH0c-43qwTLPf3-Io4FfjSThis episode is brought to you by Phoenix Fund Services To learn more about Phoenix Fund Services and connect with them, visit: https://www.phx-fs.com/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/phoenix-fund-services/If you enjoyed this conversation, follow The Capital Flex, leave a rating, and share this episode with a founder who needs it.And if you’re looking for a more candid space to talk fundraising, power, and building inside systems not designed for you, stay close. The conversation continues.Production and Administration work completed by Smart Podcast Solutions and Elevate Business Solutions.