State of early-stage VC, finding PMF, Caroline Ellison testifies & more with Zach Coelius | E1826

This Week in Startups is brought to you by… Fount. Do you want access to the performance protocols that pro athletes and special ops use? With Fount, an elite military operator supercharges your focus, sleep, recovery, and longevity, all powered by your unique data. Want a true edge in work and life? Go to fount.bio/TWIST for $500 off. Coda. A new doc that brings words, tables and teams together. All your valuable data, plans, objectives, and strategies in one place. Go to https://coda.io/twist to get a $1,000 credit! Miro. Working remotely doesn’t mean you need to feel disconnected from your team. Miro is an online whiteboard that brings teams together - anytime, anywhere. Go to https://miro.com/startups to sign up for a FREE account with unlimited team members. * Today’s show: Zach Coelius joins Jason to discuss the phases of early-stage startups (2:01), break down the state of VC (13:17), answer live questions from the audience (22:36), and much more! * Time stamps: (0:00) Zach Coelius joins Jason (2:01) The three phases of early-stage startups (10:00) Fount - Get $500 off an executive health coach at https://fount.bio/twist  (11:31) Advantages that Builder/Founder startups possess (13:17) The state of VC: The LP and GP relationship, post-ZIRP, and startup soft landings (21:10) Coda - Get a $1,000 startup credit at https://coda.io/twist  (22:36) Question: How do you describe PMF in the simplest terms possible (29:20) Question: How hard is it for first-time founders to raise pre-seed? (39:46) Miro - Sign up for a free account at https://miro.com/startups (41:11) Question: I will be in the Bay Area for two weeks… any advice on how to efficiently meet VCs to pitch my startup? (45:56) Question: What are attributes of companies that are getting funded today? More stable and breakeven? Different industries? What is working today? (54:49) Breaking news: Caroline Ellison, CEO of Alameda Research testifies for first time today in SBF’s trial (1:01:49) Cruise robotaxi fleet deployed in San Francisco * Follow Zach: https://twitter.com/zachcoelius * Read LAUNCH Fund 4 Deal Memo: https://www.launch.co/four Apply for Funding: https://www.launch.co/apply Buy ANGEL: https://www.angelthebook.com Great recent interviews: Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland, PrayingForExits, Jenny Lefcourt Check out Jason’s suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow Jason: Twitter: https://twitter.com/jason Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Follow TWiST: Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.founder.university/podcast