Hustle Fund

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

Ever wondered what's behind the curtain of our global community of angel investors? Now's your chance to find out! We're hosting an 'Angel Squad Open House' on Tuesday, March 25th. Join?Brian Nichols for an inside look into the mission and impact that the Angel Squad community has had. There will also be a panel of community members (VCs and Operators) sharing their experiences, followed by a live Q&A from the audience. If you've been curious about angel investing, startups, or VC, come with your questions! Sign up here:?https://lnkd.in/ge5vyBXD

?? Startups and burning through cash — name a more iconic duo. You just raised your first round. There’s $$$ in the bank. Feels good, right? Until it’s… gone. Managing cash flow is a skill that many first-time founders don’t have. And that’s okay! But if you don’t figure it out quickly, you might run out of resources before you hit PMF. So where do founders tend to overspend? And how can investors help? ?? ???????????? – Hiring too fast, paying too much. ?? ?????????????????? – Burning $$$ before testing messaging. ?? ???????????????????????????? – Fancy offices & software add up fast. ?????? ???? ?????? ????? ? Understand what excellence looks like (and what deliverables are) before hiring ? Leverage equity instead of trying to match FAANG salaries ? Prioritize conversion and retention before building out an engineering team ? Negotiate software + avoid long leases ? Actually track cash flow weekly ?? ???????? ?????????????????? ?????? ?????????????????? ? Help founders build a financial model ? Encourage weekly cash flow reviews ? Have monthly check-ins about money (yes, talk about money!) Runway management isn’t glamorous, but it is the difference between thriving and dying. Founders, protect your cash. Investors, help them do it. What’s the biggest unexpected expense you have seen kill a startup’s runway? Drop your thoughts in the comments! Don’t let your runway go up in smoke. Full breakdown here:?https://lnkd.in/ekhhKrME

Alright Tulsa... it's your turn! Batter Up is coming to Tulsa on April 22nd as part of the ???????????? ???? ???????????? ????????! ? This is the first time Batter Up is coming to Tulsa, and we can't wait to see the innovation coming out of this startup community. This is a pitch event where founders will present their startup to a panel of investors, and receive real feedback from Hustle Fund's Angel Squad. Gonna be a great night of pizza, actionable takeaways, and valuable connections. Hosted by Cortado Ventures and Build in Tulsa. Spots are limited, so RSVP and submit your pitch deck here: https://lu.ma/BU-Tulsa

I'm seeing a lot of posts these days that read, “It’s a tough time to be a VC.” And they're not wrong. Many LPs are choosing to invest into mega funds rather than back emerging fund managers. Being a solo GP is hard even in the best times, and right now it's even more lonely and challenging. But you know what’s missing? Posts about what you can actually do to attract LPs in today’s world. Enough doom and gloom. Let’s bring back helpful, actionable content. Enter: Carson Monson. When I first met Carson, I knew immediately that he was a special kind of human. He's kind, generous, easy to talk to, and wicked smart. Carson has been investing in fund managers for nearly a decade. He’s backed micro funds. He’s backed brand-name spinouts. He’s seen what works and what doesn’t and how to spot a standout GP. And at Camp Hustle 2025, he’s gonna share his insights. His session, “Standing out as an emerging fund manager – an LP's perspective,” is for anyone who’s raising or thinking about raising a fund. He’ll cover: ? The patterns he’s seen in successful fund managers ? How to get the attention of LPs ? The clues LPs use to evaluate GPs We’re making sure there’s plenty of time for Q&A. So bring your questions. Join us to meet Carson and set yourself (and your fund) up for success. Get your ticket to Camp Hustle → camphustle.co See you there!

Austin founders, it was amazing connecting with you and getting the scoop on what you’re building at Batter Up Austin 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 of last night, eddie micklovic of nero, who walked away with their very own Dunky! Huge thanks to Arturo Pina for emceeing, to our panelists Dan Ellis, Nick Ivanecky, and Nirmal Utwani for facilitating this pitch competition, and to TiOluwa Olarewaju and Nick Ivanecky for their help running things. And a massive shoutout to our hosts at Oracle NetSuite, and our partners at Amplitude and Braze for making this event possible!

Singapore founders, it was amazing connecting with you and getting the scoop on what you’re building at Batter Up Singapore on Tuesday 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, Alexander Khor of Belli, who walked away with their very own Dunky! Huge thanks to Shanaz Rauff emceeing, to our panelists Eugene Tham, Jit Singh, and Vivek Raghavan for facilitating this pitch competition, and to Alain Peddle, Terri Xue Wang 王可嫣, Ansel Chew, and Qiyang Ke for their help running things. And a massive shoutout to our hosts at Aspire, and our partners at BLOCK71 Global for making this event possible!