Jai Malik @Jai__Malik Twitter profile

Last Seen Profiles

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

Working at a startup Working as a VC

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@Jai__Malik

3 years

Jobs & internships at startups today be like

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

The state of startups/VC today: Pre-Seed founder Series B founder

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

VC fund: "We invest in technologies propelling the future of humankind" Also, VC fund: *leads a $50m Seed round for a selfie app*

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

Quickly learning that I have more AI in my name than startups have in their products

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

Early hires at startups are the real MVPs.

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

Lord, grant me the confidence of a 20 yr old male YC founder raising an uncapped convertible note

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

There is only one NFT I’m interested in right now, and that is Nuclear Fusion Technology

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

Pre-Seed founder Pre-IPO founder

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

By December 2014, Theranos had raised $400m+ in VC funding & was worth $9 billion. The secret to their success? Elizabeth Holmes, AKA the next Steve Jobs. Elizabeth exclusively wore black turtlenecks since she was 8. Lesson: If you're raising money from VCs, wear a turtleneck.

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

How to raise a $20M Seed round in 2022: Step 1 - change your website domain from “.com” to “.ai”

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

All startups are hard, but hard tech startups are really fucking hard

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

AI startup pitch decks vs the actual AI

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

How to be a contrarian VC in 2021: *Replace Superhuman with Yahoo Mail *Phone calls only *Make sure founders know you're not helpful at all *Complain about how safe SF is *Get rid of Substack & start a physical newspaper *Invest only in hard tech 😉 Any other ideas?

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

Lord, please grant me the confidence of a startup pivoting from NFTs to defense tech

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

Something I learnt in 2021: underestimate a startup founder without prior industry experience at your own peril. In reality, fresh eyes are often necessary to rethink problems that haven’t been solved.

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

I wish more founders sold startup merch / swag so I can rep how excited I am about what they're building.

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

9 months

Unspoken rule in manufacturing: the shittier the website, the higher the quality of product

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

For every sexy software startup in the US today, there's a "boring", recession-proof, profitable manufacturing business quietly printing cash. Can't wait to see these two worlds collide over the next decade. Let's make manufacturing sexy again

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

Increasingly convinced that the purest form of venture capital at the early stage is "belief capital" Having the audacity to be a first believer in a founder and/or the acumen to challenge founders' beliefs is priceless. Everything else is commoditized.

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

Crazy to think that @elonmusk leading PayPal, Tesla, SpaceX, Neuralink, and now (potentially) Twitter won't be his ultimate legacy. History will show that his largest impact is inspiring thousands of people to start companies, dream big, & work together to solve huge problems

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

Some news: incredibly excited to announce that we’ve raised our second fund of $15M @CountdownVC to continue investing in founders rebuilding the American industrial base at the earliest stages. 🚀🇺🇸

Countdown Capital raises $15 million to back next industrial revolution

Countdown Capital raised $15 million for its second fund to back companies looking to "rebuild the American industrial base"

techcrunch.com

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

1/ 19 years ago, I started a company in my Harvard dorm. What ensued was one of the craziest rides in startup history. Multiple VC funding rounds, dropping out of school, buying WhatsApp, & more. Today, the company is worth $500B+. Here are my top insights from this journey 🧵

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

Angel investments are basically vibe cheques

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

How to break into VC (2021): Step 1 - Raise a $500M seed fund

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

5 months

This is not how I expected news to get out, but yes: I am shutting down Countdown. We've delivered strong performance, but I believe the future of this space favors larger firms than mine. I don't know what the future holds for me yet, but I look forward to sharing once ready.

TechCrunch

@TechCrunch

5 months

Early-stage hard tech firm Countdown Capital shutting down

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

Going to tell my kids that this was Tiger Global

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

The most successful founders I've met are usually not just builders; they're breakers. Breakers of traditions, rules, and/or legacy practices. Both building & breaking are often necessary for real industry change.

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

1/ 10 years ago, I received an automated LinkedIn DM that changed my life. Two 19 y/o male founders were raising for the first time & sent me a message asking for funding. I ended up investing $25k; today, my investment is worth $25m. You’ll never believe the story. A long 🧵:

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

My favorite part about VC is investing in founders who will build companies that I myself would want to work for

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

One of the most common & costliest mistakes startups can make: hiring the “right” people (credentials) instead of the most talented people (capability) early on

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

Update on the state of VC today

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

“It’s a PDF, not a DocSend!” (Overjoyed Venture Capitalists, 2021)

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

Me, dressing up as "Stealth Startup seeking Seed funding" on Halloween

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

Lord, please grant me the confidence and capital of Tiger Global

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

9 months

The European mind cannot comprehend this

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

If startup founders had a dollar for every piece of bad / ignorant advice they get, they'd be filthy rich

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 months

Thank you to everyone who reached out over the past couple of months. A few life updates: 1. I’ve officially wound down Countdown's operations and delivered a highly profitable outcome for our LPs. Most—if not all—of our investors are pleased with our returns. 2. I’m in the

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

In-person team building beats remote team building, and it's not even close

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

Large firms like Tiger Global aren’t going to destroy VC, but they will raise the bar for smaller firms. Imo successful firms in the 2020s will meet founders super early (pre-startup), experiment with incubation models, & prove their worth as a thought partner

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

Startup idea: Airbnb but for booking places to stay at other people's homes

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

The unsung heroes in startup world are the early employees at hard tech startups ⁠— in aerospace, health/bio, energy, manufacturing, construction, and logistics. Building things that matter takes incredible patience, discipline, and precision; much to be admired.

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

You can be pre-product, pre-revenue, & pre-team. But you can't be "pre-insight". It's never too early to talk to potential customers to understand how they think.

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

10 months

Most people in VC / tech do not grasp how stacked the deck is against startups in industries like space, defense, & manufacturing. Building a successful company in these areas is not for the faint of heart. But it is glorious.

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

10 months

Lord, please grant me the confidence of a startup raising a $25M Seed round in 2023

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

Pre-Seed, Seed, Series A, SPAC

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

Say it ain't so

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

I've met more VCs interested in national security & defense in the past 2 weeks than the last 4 years Turns out defeating China is a large, growing market

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

*Signaling 101 for tech Twitter* Resume: 2 month internships at SpaceX and Uber, and met a product manager at Tesla Twitter bio: "Led product & growth teams at Stripe, SpaceX, Tesla and Uber"

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

My advice to early stage founders right now is pretty simple: raise a Seed round, not a “Weed Round” (valuation too high to comprehend)

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

Willing a company into existence is one of the greatest acts of freedom & rebellion a person can undertake.

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

As hard as it is to raise money as a founder today, it’s likely even harder to start a new VC firm. Have spoken to 30+ new fund managers since Q3, and their message is clear: 1) VC is harder than it looks 2) Only a few firms reliably succeed 3) The bar for new funds is sky high

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

Biggest change I've noticed in hard tech this fall: a record number of founders interested in semiconductors & rare earth metals. "Silicon" Valley finally returning back to its roots

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

Due to inflation, $20m Series A funds are now $200m Seed funds

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

5 years

Legend @RafaelNadal #USOpen

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

“Don’t worry, we’ll make sure to keep costs low” - My Lawyer

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

ChatGPT startups can be built to last 5+ months, while industrial companies can be built to last 50+ years I know what I'm investing in.

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

Long hard tech in LA. The courage to build the next generation of American industry (rockets, factories, drones, nuclear energy) is infectious here. Hard not to see why, with companies like @SpaceX , @anduriltech , @VardaSpace , and @HadrianSpace leading the way.

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

All this talk about "disruption" in VC, but the game has always been the same: *Find & invest in founders early *Support them with patient capital *Be honest, transparent, & a true thought partner Bonus points if you ask founders how to be helpful and/or post memes on Twitter.

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

Hard tech startups are high intensity startups. More teammates, more hours, more capital, and more turmoil to reach product-market fit. Many people are unprepared for this.

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

3 years

It’s all fun and games until your ownership gets diluted

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

10 months

Completely automating a manufacturing process is usually a trap in hard tech. In reality, great technology makes it easier for more ordinary people to participate in production — not less

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

The best milestone for a pre-seed round is to develop insight, network, and/or a strategy for monopolization that no one else has. Revenue, profitability, financial models, etc can be helpful in some cases, but distractions in others. Creating an unfair advantage is the goal.

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

Hard tech takes Miami, part 1. Miami Tech Week is better than ever 🔥

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

Our mission is simple: invest in the next generation of American industrials to realize the next century of American greatness. If you’re thinking about building in space, defense, manufacturing, energy, or heavy industry, let’s talk. Now, back to work!

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

Hard tech takes Miami, part 2. Awesome panel with @zebulgar , @daynagrayson , @makosloff , @adwane , and @AJ_Piplica inspiring everyone to build companies that solve our nation’s most important problems. The future is bright & here in Miami 🚀

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

We are at a crucial time in history. Rebuilding our industrial base has never been more geopolitically important & commercially ready. Countdown is ready to lead the charge into a bold future: hardware and software-powered rockets, factories, power plants, mining, and much more.

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

We’re fortunate to be very early investors in companies like @HadrianSpace , @OdysAviation , & others still in stealth. And, thanks to the support of our LPs, we're just getting started. Many of our LPs have founded or led massive teams at companies like @SpaceX , @PayPal , & @Uber .

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@wolfejosh Massive congrats to you & the team ( @peterjhebert , @bznotes , @breeves08 , @Farshchi , @graceisford , @DannyCrichton ). Startup world is very lucky to have such a smart group of investors who work tirelessly to bring new tech to life

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@JoshuaSteinman @CountdownVC @GalvanickCo You are too kind - long way to go before I earn that high praise, but the real recognition goes to you & the team. The work you all put in, even at the earliest of stages, made my decision easy :)

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@bznotes @CountdownVC Thank you so much for spending time with us Bilal. You & the entire @Lux_Capital team are a true inspiration :)

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 months

@Mihir_Shah_8 Working with you and your family (and being entrusted to manage your capital) was one of the most rewarding experiences. Thank you for the undying support for me and our companies, and I'm looking forward to what the future holds for both of us.

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

@IanRountree Right back at you and @andrewkirima ! Countdown II + Cantos III = Hard Tech Wins 🚀

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@FilArons Lmao too kind - I’m lucky to learn from the best founders of our generation

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@dseijo @aphysicist is the right person to chat with

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@bznotes Unfortunately for them, returns in defense tech don’t grow on trees ;)

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@dunkhippo33 @Kayodeodeleye My fund 1 was $3m, so I totally understand the sentiment for smaller funds. That doesn’t change the fact that many new fund managers are coming to market with funds $30-50M+, which entails different economics

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@EdFoste96342711 @NewWrldOptimist You don't need an industrial era to be a valuable industrial company For the foreseeable future, certain industrial companies will continue to be extremely valuable.

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

@zebulgar @CountdownVC Thank you brother - continue to be inspired by your work @VardaSpace and everything you do for hard tech founders :)

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@dunkhippo33 @Kayodeodeleye Depends on how small the firm is. But if nano sized, then agree with sentiment above

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@zebulgar LFG 🚀

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

@JoshuaSteinman @johnkonrad @MaritimeAmerica @typesfast +1 on everything Josh mentioned

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@fotsch1 Lmao, and balloons are just the tip of the iceberg cc @JoshuaSteinman

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@jamoses92 We know the answer ;)

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

@0xbrekolazh Better to be based now than never

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

@hunterwalk @CountdownVC Thank YOU for being along for the ride. Excited for the years ahead! 🚀

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@zebulgar Boom 🚀🚀🚀 Congrats dude!

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

@KTmBoyle @CountdownVC 🇺🇸 🚀 Let's do this!

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

@brettcalhounn @NickPinkston @CountdownVC Far too kind - thanks Brett :)

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@zebulgar One year closer to a first birthday in space 🚀 Happy birthday man!

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

@zebulgar @VardaSpace @NASAAmes @NASA 🔥🔥🔥 Huge. Big congrats

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@Kayodeodeleye Agreed on management fees

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

@lacostejonathan Hahaha

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@IanPanchevre If they're asking for revenue at an idea stage, they're in the wrong business

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

@momahmood_ @CountdownVC We’re working on this problem. More to come later this year, courtesy of @KatJenningsVC

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@MaxWithNanos Many such cases

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@omarneversleeps And, at times, not venture scalable to begin with

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

@llcrabbie Could not agree more, we wrote about it a bit here. Really excited about the focus new hard tech companies have on building for + keeping tech in the US

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

2 years

@fikocian Staging hires is incredibly important - having a large team early on (esp light on engineering) isn’t ideal

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Jai Malik

@Jai__Malik

1 year

@Chris45215 Yes, but selling software as a service is often difficult in mfg. Software startups in mfg should find a business and/or operating model that differs from a typical enterprise software company

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