The Entrepreneur’s Cut

Most founders think they're not getting investment because their pitch deck isn't good enough. Sam Marchant says that's almost never the reason. As a VC partner who's backed north of 100 companies, he's pretty clear on what actually kills a raise before it starts.In this episode we cover:Why VC is purely growth capital and why judging your business by whether you can raise it is a mistake most founders makeThe bar Sam's fund 21 Ventures actually sets before writing a cheque. all four of their last investments came in at over £1 million ARR with exited founding teamsWhy 90% of founders reaching out for investment have a skill gap problem, not a funding problem, and why giving them money doesn't fix itHow Sam decides whether to back a founder in the first 30 minutes of a call and why the rejection is almost always about the person, not the productThe one thing that can never be outsourced, no matter how early or how big the business isSam Marchant is a partner at 21 Ventures, a venture capital fund. He's also co-founder of Scaling MENA, a media company covering the startup ecosystem in the region. He previously co-founded and exited a CPG business and has been investing at angel and fund level ever since.Follow The Entrepreneur's Cut wherever you listen.

Will Pringle dropped out of university after 8 weeks, took a £1,000 pay cut to break into recruitment. Now he's a group MD with 20+ staff and the best reputation in his market.In this episode we cover:Why Will turned down the recruitment firm that rejected him years earlier when they called him asking for businessHow four of his top consultants walked out in one go, taking over £1 million in fees with them, and how the replacement team is now performing 25% higher than they ever didThe moment the imposter syndrome hits hardest. Spoiler: it's not when things are going badlyGoing from 84 kilos with abs to 116 kilos at his peak, and what that actually looked like in practiceHis advice on when to spend the money on the car, the holiday, the nice thing. and why buying the thing below what you really want costs you more in the long runWill Pringle is the group managing director of Big Blue Search, a specialist recruitment agency in the commercial interiors and fit-out space. He's also co-host of the Getting Shit Done podcast. He's been in recruitment for 10 years, eight of them at Big Blue.Follow The Entrepreneur's Cut wherever you listen.Connect with Will: linkedin.com/in/will-pringle-74ab76112