Best Startup Espresso Podcasts (2025)

1
#21 From University Project to Startup Success: The Espresso Journey 47:10

10h ago47:10

47:10

Send us a text Join David McManus as he sits down with Scott, co-founder of Espresso, to explore the fascinating journey from a university project to a thriving startup. Discover how Scott and his team navigated the challenges of entrepreneurship, from prototyping and fundraising to scaling production amidst global disruptions. This episode is pack…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – Key Elements of a Seed Pitch Deck 1:58

3d ago1:58

1:58

Key Elements of a Seed Pitch Deck Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The goal of the pitch is to bring the investor up to speed on the deal in a short amount of time. Here are some key elements to consider when crafting your seed pitch deck: The core information an in…

1
Investor Connect 841: From Scientist to Venture Capitalist: A Journey of Innovation with Alicia Castillo 21:04

3d ago21:04

21:04

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall Martin speaks with Alicia Castillo Holly, the founder and general partner of Wealthing VC Club. Alicia shares her intriguing journey from being a scientist concerned about the limited impact of her lab research to becoming an entrepreneur and eventually a venture capitalist. She discusses the inspiration be…

1
S11 Bonus: Goutham (Gou) Rao, Neubird 29:48

4d ago29:48

29:48

Goutham Rao grew up in Brooklyn, a nerd all his life. Back in the day, his Dad bought him a Commodore 64, from which he started to learn to write code in BASIC. Eventually, he attended the University of Pennsylvania to get his Masters in Computer Science. Outside of tech, he is married with 2 kids. He likes to travel, and likes to run. He used to c…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – How To Make a Persuasive Pitch 2:11

4d ago2:11

2:11

How To Make a Persuasive Pitch Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The goal of the pitch is to persuade investors to support your startup. Here are some key techniques to make a more persuasive pitch: Identify what the audience seeks to do and play to that reward. Inve…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – Personalizing Investor Email Outreach 2:15

5d ago2:15

2:15

Personalizing Investor Email Outreach Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Email outreach is a key component of fundraising. It’s an efficient way to reach out to investors to notify them of your fundraiser as well as provide updates on your progress. In reaching out to…

1
S11 E13: Matt Hamann, Rownd 23:20

6d ago23:20

23:20

Matt Hamann knew he was going to be in tech way back in his younger days. His Dad worked for IBM, so there were always fun things to talk about and play with. He got his first family computer when he was 4 years old, and started programming BASIC when he was 8. Eventually, they got dialup through AOL - and he took off building websites with PHP & M…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – Sharing Your Pitchdeck 2:07

6d ago2:07

2:07

Sharing Your Pitchdeck Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The pitch deck is the initial document investors want to see. It’s important to have your pitch deck ready to go when engaging investors. In sharing your pitch deck, consider the following: You don’t have to se…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – Signs an Investor Is Not Interested in Your Pitch 2:05

7d ago2:05

2:05

Signs an Investor Is Not Interested in Your Pitch Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In pitching for funding, look for signs of interest from the investor. Here’s a list of signs indicating the investor is not interested: The investor doesn’t ask probing questions but…

1
Why Your Coffee Shop Line Backs Up (And What to Do About It) – 08/06/2025 13:22

10d ago13:22

13:22

JOIN THE VALOR COFFEE COMMUNITY – Courses, Exclusive Videos, PDFs, Spreadsheets and more:⁠ ⁠https://community.valor.coffee?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep153 Thanks for listening, following/subscribing, giving us a good review, and sharing with your friends on social media. It goes a long way! Ethan and Ross answer the age old café question: Why…

1
Investor Connect 840: Investing in Deep Tech and Human Capital with Vishal Arora 22:08

10d ago22:08

22:08

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall T. Martin chats with Vishal Arora, a tech executive and managing partner at VDO capital. Vishal explains how VDO invests in early-stage deep tech startups with a unique approach that leverages a network of over 70 channel partners including incubators, accelerators, and universities to source deals. He high…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – Common Mistakes in Fundraising 2:03

10d ago2:03

2:03

Common Mistakes in Fundraising Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Successful fundraising comes from preparation, focus, and experience. Here are some common mistakes founders make in fundraising: Not having a business plan. This should include what product or service …

1
S11 Bonus: Greg Shove, Section 20:29

11d ago20:29

20:29

Greg Shove was born in Canada, raised in Britain, and eventually moved to the United States. Through all of these places he lived, he learned to believe in equal access for people, never to quit, and to work hard and win - all of this, respectively. When he moved to California, he was told to visit the local grocery store to meet more tech people t…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – Key Elements of a Successful Fundraise 2:10

11d ago2:10

2:10

Key Elements of a Successful Fundraise Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Fundraising takes time, effort, and attention. The startup founder faces many demands from the business, including hiring employees, building products, and signing customers. Here are the key el…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – Key Duties of the CFO 2:03

12d ago2:03

2:03

Key Duties of the CFO Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The CFO plays a key role in the early stages of the startup. Here are the key duties of the CFO: The CFO develops and maintains the financial model for the business. This often comes out in the form of a financi…

1
S11 E12: Ravi Madabhushi, ScaleKit 25:19

13d ago25:19

25:19

Ravi Madabhushi finds that all of the stops along his professional journey were accidental. He grew up in a tiny village in the south of India - so small, it would take you 10 minutes to sprint across it, end to end. His goals back then were common - get a job, get married, etc. - but after he moved to Bangalore post school, he got acquainted with …

1
Startup Funding Espresso – Feedback From VCs 2:02

13d ago2:02

2:02

Feedback From VCs Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors hear many pitches and often give feedback to the startup. Some investors avoid giving feedback for the following reasons: Argumentative-- the founder argues their way out of the feedback. Instead of accept…

1
# 20 SubJourney: Bridging Design and Technology 44:45

13d ago44:45

44:45

Send us a text In this episode, Tom and David explore the journey of creating SubJourney, a groundbreaking user journey mapping tool. Tom shares his experiences from his early days at Deloitte Digital, where he learned the intricacies of large-scale project delivery, to founding SubJourney. The conversation delves into the challenges of early influ…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – Negotiating Valuation With an Investor 2:14

14d ago2:14

2:14

Negotiating Valuation With an Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The valuation is a negotiation, not a formula. Startup founders negotiating valuation should consider the following points: Know the current market rate for valuations for your stage and type of…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – Founder Experience and Traction 2:01

17d ago2:01

2:01

Founder Experience and Traction Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, there are two key drivers to how much a startup can ask for funding. The first is traction. The greater the traction, the more the startup can ask in a fundraise. Traction includes …

1
Investor Connect 839: Navigating Volatility - A Conversation with Stephen Diggle of Vulpes Investment Management 32:08

17d ago32:08

32:08

In this episode of Investor Connect, Paul Martin sits down with Stephen Diggle, founder of Vulpes Investment Management. From his country house in Umbria, Italy, Stephen recounts his journey from running one of Asia's largest hedge funds during the 2008 financial crisis to managing a family office-backed investment firm. He explains why they decide…

1
S11 Bonus: Trevor Stuart, Split & Harness 27:13

18d ago27:13

27:13

Trevor Stuart was born in Florida, but raised in Seattle. He was the son of a tech CFO and an Episcopalian minister - so he learned life at many different angles. He graduated from Boston College, and went into investment banking at Morgan Stanley. Beyond that, he worked at RelateIQ prior to being acquired by Salesforce, which then led him to start…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – Customize the Pitch for the Investor Type 2:04

18d ago2:04

2:04

Customize the Pitch for the Investor Type Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are many types of investors. Founders should customize the pitch for the investor type. Here are some key investor types to consider: The analytical investor -- this type of investor lo…

1
What Our Mentor Taught Us About Coffee Shops - Roy Keely – 07/30/2025 1:06:44

19d ago1:06:44

1:06:44

JOIN THE VALOR COFFEE COMMUNITY – Courses, Exclusive Videos, PDFs, Spreadsheets and more:⁠ ⁠https://community.valor.coffee?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep152 Thanks for listening, following/subscribing, giving us a good review, and sharing with your friends on social media. It goes a long way! We had the pleasure of welcoming our longtime friend…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – Build a Relationship With the Investor 1:52

19d ago1:52

1:52

Build a Relationship With the Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, it’s important to build a relationship with the investor. Upfront, the investor wants to learn about the business and how it works. Ultimately, the investor wants to know who…

1
S11 E11: Dave Berner, Kinde 19:08

20d ago19:08

19:08

Dave Berner grew up in London, and got into coding through music. He used to be the lead singer in metal and hardcore bands. His bands couldn't afford a webmaster, so he learned how to code in order to launch his band's website, along with setting up friend's custom MySpace profiles. Beyond that, he partook in many startups and side projects, lovin…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – Make Sure the Convertible Note Has a Conversion Point 1:59

20d ago1:59

1:59

Make Sure the Convertible Note Has a Conversion Point Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Convertible notes are useful tools for fundraising. They are easy to set up and often don’t require much legal work. The best part is they don’t require a valuation to be set. Ins…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – Talk to Investors As if They Were Already Partners 1:55

21d ago1:55

1:55

Talk to Investors As if They Were Already Partners Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. First-time founders often spend their pitch time selling their product. This fails as it doesn’t focus on the other elements of the business the investor needs to know, such as the t…

1
Investor Connect 838: Empowering Africa's Entrepreneurs with Abdul Golden of Shujaa Capital 20:23

24d ago20:23

20:23

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall Martin speaks with Abdul Golden, an investor, operator, and mentor with a rich background in deep tech and entrepreneurship. Abdul shares the founding story of Shujaa Capital, his venture capital firm focused on democratizing tech investing for diverse and underrepresented founders, especially in undercapit…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – Key Steps to FDA Approval for a Therapeutic Drug 2:08

24d ago2:08

2:08

Key Steps to FDA Approval for a Therapeutic Drug Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. FDA approval is a lengthy and involved process with therapeutic drugs that startups must go through. Here’s a list of the key steps to achieve FDA approval: After basic research, the f…

1
Ultimate Coffee Brewing Methods Tier List (Pour Over, AeroPress, Espresso & More!) – 07/23/2025 57:24

25d ago57:24

57:24

JOIN THE VALOR COFFEE COMMUNITY – Courses, Exclusive Videos, PDFs, Spreadsheets and more:⁠ ⁠https://community.valor.coffee?utm_source=spotify&utm_campaign=ep151 Thanks for listening, following/subscribing, giving us a good review, and sharing with your friends on social media. It goes a long way! Which brew method reigns supreme? In this episode, w…

1
S11 Bonus: Tiffany Johnson, NMI 22:12

25d ago22:12

22:12

Tiffany Johnson is originally from Texas, but grew up in California. At a young age, she was a bit of an adrenaline junkie, partaking in skydiving, snowboarding, wakeboarding and gymnastics. In school, she fell in love with Econ, Mgmt, and Statistics - and eventually, fell into the payment industry by accident. Outside of tech, she has been married…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – Preparing for a Crowdfunding Raise 2:05

25d ago2:05

2:05

Preparing for a Crowdfunding Raise Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Crowdfunding is a viable method for raising funding for a startup. Here are some key considerations before pursuing a crowdfunding campaign: Platform choice. Look for the appropriate platform for yo…

1
The Gene Simmons of Data Protection – Navigating the Future of Data Management 20:46

26d ago20:46

20:46

The Gene Simmons of Data Protection: Protegrity's KISS Method Today, we are releasing another episode from our series, entitled The Gene Simmons of Data Protection - the KISS Method, brought to you by none other than Protegrity. Protegrity is AI-powered data security for data consumption, offering fine grain data protection solutions, so you can en…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – Key Metrics by Stage 2:05

26d ago2:05

2:05

Key Metrics by Stage Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors use metrics to understand the performance of the startup. Here’s a list of key metrics by stage: Pre-seed. User engagement with the prototype. Since there’s no revenue-generating product, look at how of…

1
S11 E10: Brennan Pothetes, Infinity Constellation 21:23

27d ago21:23

21:23

Brennan Pothetes grew up in Louisiana, but went to High School in Portland, Oregon - two very different places. He started his career in internal audit, before he eventually helped launch Simple, the first bank on the iPhone. He has built a lot of companies since, and continues to do so. Outside of business and tech, he likes food and enjoys whippi…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – How To Make Your Pitch Deck Look Professional 2:06

27d ago2:06

2:06

How To Make Your Pitch Deck Look Professional Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There’s a big difference between an average pitch deck and a great one. The great pitch deck sends the signal that you are an above-average startup. It shows class and status over other c…

1
Startup Funding Espresso –The Key Component to Investor Updates 2:05

28d ago2:05

2:05

The Key Component to Investor Updates Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Updates to investors throughout the fundraise campaign are a must. Investors want to know you are making progress. It’s important to send weekly or monthly updates about progress on sales, team, …

1
Investor Connect 837: Anshuman Sinha of Startup Steroid and TiE SoCal Angels 17:03

1M ago17:03

17:03

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall T. Martin welcomes Anshuman Sinha, a veteran entrepreneur, angel investor, and fundraising strategist who’s making waves in the Southern California startup scene. As co-founder of Startup Steroid and a leader at TiE SoCal Angels, Anshuman shares how these organizations are reshaping early-stage investing th…

1
Startup Funding Espresso – How To Get Your Investor To Help With Sales 2:04

1M ago2:04

2:04

How To Get Your Investor To Help With Sales Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors can help their funded startup in many ways. In addition to making introductions to other investors, they can also help with sales. Here are some key steps on how to get your inves…

1
S11 Bonus: Ben Lerner, Espresso AI 29:28

1M ago29:28

29:28

Ben Lerner was a fan of tech growing up, along side being into math and science. Right out of school, he joined a startup called Data Nitro, which attempted to integrate python into excel. Ever since then, he has been jamming in the tech and startup world. Outside of tech, he married to a computational biologist. He enjoys padel, which is kind of l…

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Startup Espresso Podcasts

Podcasts Worth a Listen

Quick Reference Guide