Hustle Fund

NYC founders, it was amazing connecting with you and getting the scoop on what you’re building at Batter Up NYC last night! Thank you for making it such an incredible evening! We can’t wait to catch up with you all again soon. Congratulations to the winner, Jaclyn Pascocello of Fabrik, who walked away with their very own Dunky! Huge thanks to Tiffani R. for emceeing, to our panelists Alex Flynn, Lei Bely-Cheng 成蕾, and Christopher Lee for facilitating this pitch competition, and to Baaqir Y., Mark Gavagan, and Maxwell Harris for their help running things. And a massive shoutout to our hosts at General Assembly, and our partners at Zendesk for Startups for making this event possible!

Designing your product, delighting users and growing your team -- that’s what turns your vision into reality. But running a business? That’s a whole different story. Sorting through bank statements, categorizing expenses and generating reports isn’t exactly why most founders signed up. And let’s be honest -- traditional accounting software makes it even harder. That’s why I’m excited about what the team at Digits has built. They’ve created the world’s first Autonomous Digital Ledger, an AI-powered platform that automates your entire financial workflow. The best part? They’re pulling back the curtain to share how they did it and what it means for founders like you. Whether you’re navigating startup finances or investing in early-stage companies, this is one conversation you don’t want to miss. RSVP now to join, and even if you can’t make it, you’ll get access to the recording. Here's the link >> https://lu.ma/21nh3int

Had a blast with friends at Hustle Fund’s Batter Up NYC last night! Huge thanks to the team for putting on such a high-energy event. Big congrats to all the founders who pitched—great ideas, great execution, and a ton of hustle on display. Be sure to check out Fabrik and Knowledge. Excited to see where you all go from here! Already looking forward to the next one. Matthew D. Stargel Alex Thompson Eftihia Georgallis #startups #venturecapital #BatterUpNYC #hustlefund

As you may know, Hustle Fund looks at five key pillars when deciding whether to invest: ? Team ? Problem ? Solution ? Market ? Traction Today, let’s dig into market — specifically, Total Addressable Market (TAM) and Serviceable Addressable Market (SAM). Why does this matter? Because VCs are hunting for unicorns. ?? They need to believe your startup can return 50x, 100x, or more. And to do that, you need a big fat market to sell to. ??????: ?????? ?????????? ?????????????????? TAM (Total Addressable Market) is your biggest possible market — the “if everyone and their grandma used our product, this is how big we could be” number. For a ride-sharing app, the TAM would be the total dollar amount spent on transportation globally — we’re talking billions of dollars. ?? VCs want to see TAMs in the tens of billions or more — because they’re not here for small wins. They want home runs. ??????: ?????????????? ???? ????????(??????????) SAM (Serviceable Addressable Market) is the chunk of TAM you can realistically reach right now. Same ride-sharing app: If you’re launching in Canada, your SAM might be urban commuters in Toronto. ?? Smart startups start with a solid SAM, prove their model, then scale into bigger markets. ?????? ???? ?????????? ?????? & ?????? ???? ?????????????????? Keep it simple: 1. Start with your TAM: “The global ride-sharing market is projected to reach $220B by 2025.” 2. Narrow it down to your SAM: “We’re starting in Canada’s urban areas, a $5B market.” 3. Show your growth strategy: “As we expand to the U.S., our SAM grows to $50B.” And pretty pretty please — be ready to back up your numbers. Investors will ask. ???????????? ????????? ????????. ??????????????. TAM and SAM aren’t just buzzwords—they’re key to proving your startup has massive potential. Show investors you’re aiming for huge markets, but with a realistic go-to-market strategy. Now go build that unicorn ???? What’s your startup’s TAM & SAM? Drop your numbers below! ?? Craving more tips like this? Join our newsletter for the good stuff and to read the full article! → https://lnkd.in/eTc6CKem

If you know us, you know we love a good investment framework. And Sandy Naidu? He’s got one that’s easy to remember AND super useful: ?????? ?? ????. Sandy is a solo GP at Marathon Fund, an Angel Squad super-member, and a venture fellow at Hustle Fund. Oh, and he’s also run a marathon in all 50 states and all 7 continents (yes, even Antarctica ??). So, when we sat down to chat with Sandy, we had to ask: ?????? ???? ?????? ???????????? ?????????? ???????????????? ???? ???????????? ????? Here’s Sandy’s ???? ??????????????????: ? ???????? – Not just pedigree. He looks for founders who’ve built or scaled a business before (even if they failed!). ? ???????????? ???????????? – Does this company have a $??????+ ?????????????????????? ?????????????????????? ???????????? (??????)? Not just TAM—SAM. ? ???????????????????? – What’s the unique value prop? How does this product solve a problem in a way no one else does? ? ???????????????? – Pre-revenue startups? Not usually. Sandy wants to see GTM strategy, sales process, and a roadmap to $100M ARR. ? ?????????? – He typically invests in startups with ???????????????????? ?????????? $?????? for big upside opportunities. Sandy’s journey to venture is just as interesting — he bootstrapped and exited a startup, worked in corporate VC, helped scale a company from ???? ???? ?????? ?????????????????? ???? ?? ????????????, and then saw that startup get acquired for $??.???? ???? ??????????????. After 50+ angel investments, he’s now running his own fund. ?? Which of the 5Ts do you think is the hardest to get right? Drop your thoughts in the comments! Sandy’s got a ton more insights where this came from. Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/gTcryJjF

We’re rolling out some banger events in the next few weeks. Wanna sharpen your pitch? Batter Up is for you. Looking for founder friends? That’s literally what Founder Friends is for. Are you an investor looking to grow your investor community with genuinely wonderful humans? Camp Hustle is your oasis. Here's what's coming up: ? Batter Up NYC, March 25 ? Batter Up Tulsa, April 22 ? Batter Up Singapore, April 24 ? Batter Up Boston, April 24 ? Founder friends San Francisco, featuring me + legend Humphrey Yang, April 28 ? Camp Hustle, May 12-14 Hope to see some of you there! Save your spot: https://lnkd.in/dWff-uKu

Camp Hustle vibes are unreal — and we’ve got the receipts. Investors joined for the education and dealflow opportunities, stayed for the inspiring and tactical insights, and left with intros, new BFFs, and a whole lotta energy. Here’s what some of them had to say: ?? “Having the Camp Hustle equivalent of a hangover today… man, what a great time. 10/10 will be back next year!” – Michael Young ?? “After being surrounded by so many great people and awesome investors, I always leave Camp Hustle feeling incredibly energized and excited about the future!” – Todd Johnson ?? “Once a year, the most helpful and hopeful place in Silicon Valley is Camp Hustle.” – Matthew Stotts Wanna join us? Grab your ticket: https://www.camphustle.co/

???????? ????????: ???????????? ???? ?????? – ???????????????? ?????????????? ????????! ?? Hey friends! If you’ve been meaning to snag a spot for our ???????????? ???? ??????, this is your chance! We’re officially ?????????????? ?????? ???????????????? ?????????????? ??????????????, March 25 — so if you wanna be in the room with awesome founders and investors, ???????? ??????: lu.ma/BU-NYC We’ve got an incredible lineup of panelists, including Alex Flynn from Deck Doctors, Lei Bely-Cheng 成蕾, and Christopher Lee — all experienced experts with hugely valuable insights to share... whether you're pitching, listening, or learning. Huge thanks to our amazing sponsors for making this happen: ? General Assembly ? Zendesk for Startups See you in NYC! ?

?? Check out the latest episode of #UncappedNotes! ?? Why does Hustle Fund spend so much time hosting events when most VCs just focus on deals? In this episode, Eric Bahn and Janel Spilker reveal how in-person gatherings have become one of Hustle Fund’s biggest competitive advantages—from strengthening investor relationships to driving better deal flow and building deep loyalty with founders. They also share how any startup—not just VCs—can use community-building to stand out in a crowded market. If you’ve ever wondered how events can fuel real growth, this is an episode you won’t want to miss. ?? Watch the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gbSWPX24 ??

?? Let’s talk about a mistake we see founders make all the time: spending way too much time building out the product before pitching a VC. This is especially true for software companies. Most investors know that building a software product has been seriously de-risked. Tools like Webflow, AWS, and Replit make it easier than ever to spin up a SaaS platform. So early-stage VCs don't need proof that you have the tech skills unless you're building something super intensive, like robotics or deeptech or biotech. For SaaS startups, when it comes to your product, here’s what pre-seed investors actually want to see: ?? ???????? ?????? (?????? ?????? ?????? ?????????? ???? ???????? ??????) – Show us your duct-taped, instant-noodle prototype. What critical insight made you prioritize these features first? ?? ???????? ?????????? ?????????????? – Not everyone. Just one or two very specific personas. Who are they? What’s keeping them up at night? Why will they pay for your solution? ?? ???????? ????????-???????? ???????????? – How does this MVP launch you toward world domination (or at least a $100M+ business)? What’s the big picture? TL;DR: Investors don’t need a polished product. They need to see that you know how to build a business. So stop obsessing over features, and start telling a story that shows you understand your market, your users, and your path to growth. Agree? Disagree? Let’s debate in the comments ?? Want more insights like this? Read the full article and sign up for our newsletter to get startup wisdom straight to your inbox every week: https://lnkd.in/ee4Bu5jy