Bionic Capital

Thank you to The Garage at Northwestern University and Brylan Donaldson for the opportunity to share my journey with the Founder's Club!? If my story helps even one founder push forward, that’s a win. Check out the recap here

Every time I take on a new challenge, I’m reminded of this: The core fundamentals of business don’t change. No matter the industry, success comes down to mastering a few key things: ? Prioritization – Knowing what actually moves the needle vs. what’s just noise. ? Execution – Ideas are worthless without disciplined follow-through. ? Revenue Optimization – Identifying where the real value is created (not all features, experiences, or services are equal). ? Customer Acquisition & Retention – Understanding who you serve and how to keep them coming back. ? Capital Allocation & Budgeting – Investing resources (money, time, people) in the right places for long-term sustainability. That’s what makes it exciting. Right now, I’m applying everything I’ve learned about growth, operations, and execution in a new context. And that means leveling up in areas I haven’t mastered yet—like how long-term sequencing changes execution, how experiences drive revenue, and how pre-sales can shape demand. Every new challenge isn’t about starting from scratch—it’s about applying what you know while upgrading how you think. What’s a time when you took on something new and realized the playbook still worked, just with a few key tweaks? ??

Most startups don’t fail because they have a bad idea. They fail because they have bad execution. Here’s the wild part: I’ve seen early-stage teams raising millions who still don’t have a system to track: ? What’s a priority vs. what’s just noise. ? Which features will actually drive growth vs. "cool to have." ? How they’re using limited runway to maximize impact. You can’t scale chaos. Features get built without being stack-ranked or validated. Teams sprint without knowing if what they’re working on even moves the needle. And suddenly—6 months of runway is gone. Execution isn’t sexy, but it’s the difference between: ? A startup that scales. ? A startup that burns out before PMF. The best teams I’ve worked with treat prioritization like a survival skill. What’s the your favorite project management system or prioritization framework for startups? ??

A great founder can sell anything. But the best founders don’t have to. They are their customers. Founder-problem fit is the most underrated growth lever in early-stage startups. It’s not about being a great salesperson—it’s about building what you deeply understand before you even have to sell it. Think about the best founders you know. They don’t waste months guessing at customer pain points. They feel them. They’ve lived them. - Melanie Perkins (Canva) built a design tool because she was a frustrated designer. - Brian Chesky (Airbnb) knew the pain of affording rent, so he rented out an air mattress. Ben Francis MBE (Gymshark) didn’t need customer interviews—he was his customer. When you are your target market, you instinctively: ? Know how to position your product from day one. ? Speak your customers' language without needing a brand strategist. ? Identify friction points before users even tell you. The hardest startups to scale? Ones where founders are too far removed from the problem. Founder-market fit is great. Founder-problem fit is better. ?? Who's the best founder-problem fit you know? Drop your thoughts below!

The tabletop RPG world is booming—$30 billion strong—and innovators like David T. Scott, founder of Evil Genius Games, are leading the charge to modernize it. Dave’s approach? Blend classic TTRPG with cinematic universes like Rambo and Pacific Rim, creating immersive storylines that bring fans from all walks of life into the RPG fold. It’s not just storytelling—it’s storytelling leveled up. What sets Evil Genius Games apart? Their Gamefinder app, Dispatch, connects players locally, making it easier than ever to jump into games and build lasting communities. Plus, partnerships with over 100 hobby retailers drive their reach into new audiences, expanding their player base by getting more people to actually play the game. Dave’s vision for Evil Genius Games is fueled by his unique founder-market fit—a passionate lifelong player and experienced founder. And his leadership style? He’s as hands-on as they come, but also calls himself the 'janitor'—clearing paths for his team so they can make magic happen. Excited about where TTRPGs are heading? We are. Drop your thoughts below or tag a fellow gaming enthusiast! ?? Full story in the comments!

The lifecycle of parenting essentials is short-lived. For JoyLet founders Alli Cavasino and Natalie Poston, this created a race against time to secure capital and get products into parents’ hands. Their solution? A “rent-the-runway” model for baby gear, allowing parents to rent items for the time they need them. In this episode of HighStakes, they share their journey from an MBA class idea to a successful exit. Big thanks to Alli and Natalie for joining me! Link to EP 19 in the comments.

As seen in Payload, we’re solving space insurance ?? ??? Did you know that about 97% of the ~10,500 active satellites orbiting Earth are uninsured? That’s billions of dollars in technology without a safety net. This lack of insurance not only poses risks but also hampers innovation, with high costs and manual underwriting deterring funding for new ideas. We’re expanding our Ubik operating system—which manages complex space programs for satellite and spacecraft manufacturing—by integrating an AI-powered underwriting tool to automate and simplify underwriting for space insurance policies. Why does this matter? ? Lowers Costs: Automating underwriting reduces time and labor, making insurance more affordable. ? Fuels Innovation: More companies can secure funding with insurance backing their projects. ? Stabilizes the Market: Builds a mutually beneficial environment for both insurers and space companies. We’re planning to launch this in 2025 to bridge the “giant valley of death” between supply and demand in the space insurance market. Interested companies, collaborators, and builders can sign up on our website today to be first in line to get early access! Thank you to Douglas Gorman for covering our big announcement. And thank you to our many friends, partners, and treasured customers for joining us on this journey — you know who you are! The future of space exploration is about to get a whole lot brighter. Ad astra. #Space #SpaceInsurance #SpaceTech #InsurTech #Charter #CharterDares

?? We’re excited to launch our Unified Account Opening and Loan Origination Platform! ?? By integrating Consumer and SMB account opening and lending into a single solution, we’re transforming financial services for banks and credit unions. ?? What’s in it for banks and credit unions??? - Minimize Deposit Drift: Keep funds within your institution with an integrated experience. - Seamless Application Experience: Enjoy a frictionless way to open accounts and apply for loans, increasing efficiency and satisfaction! - Operational Efficiency Gains: Accelerate account opening and processing times by up to 50%. - Enhanced Risk Management: Benefit from a comprehensive view of customer activities for better assessments. Join us in transforming customer or member experiences in the financial industry! ?? Read the full press release here: www.amount.com/press ?? Learn more from Adam Hughes in our blog: https://lnkd.in/g8UheBCU #BankingInnovation #ConsumerDAO #UnifiedPlatform #consumerandsmblending

If you have 30 seconds, please vote for demi to help us compete for $100K in grant funding at the TechRise Chicago Finale next month! ??? You can vote once per day here (we're in Block D!): https://lnkd.in/gD95DBhM We so appreciate your support! ????? cc: Andrew Lee Kristina Choo

We had an incredible conversation with Eric Rubin from Red Swan Ventures during our recent Bionic Colabs community chat: "Founders & Funders: Decoding the VC Playbook." Danny Goodman from P33 Chicago led the chat as we dived deep into the widening gap between founders and investors, touching on critical insights for building conviction, understanding venture economics, and forging lasting founder-investor partnerships. Some key takeaways: ?? Raising capital has become more of a status symbol, but what founders really need are fast decisions, clarity, and access. ?? As VCs become more financially focused, founders need to do their own research to ensure alignment. ?? Founders should be proactive about understanding the venture process—especially the fund’s dynamics and the power law that governs VC returns. If you missed the chat, check out the summary and recording - link in comments. Let me know your thoughts or questions in the comments! #startup #venturecapital #founders #investors #entrepreneurship