Ep #84: Why Most Founders Get Their Angel Round Wrong. With Vadim Gordin.

Vadim Gordin has looked at more early cap tables than most of us have had coffees. He built a data set most founders never see: hundreds of first-person fundraising accounts, cross-referenced against years running accelerators at NYU. His numbers say the friends and family round is not a formality. It is where the mistakes that surface at Series A actually start.We walk through what a healthy angel funnel looks like stage by stage, why the shape of your earliest round predicts problems two years out, and what a messy F&F cap table costs you later. The goal is not just closing the round, it is closing it in a way that does not quietly sabotage you down the line. For anyone staring down their first raise, this is the funnel math nobody hands you.Visit Healing Healthtech - Vadim's Substack.Episode outline:Why the F&F round gets treated as an afterthought, and why that is a mistakeInside the data: what a healthy angel funnel looks like stage by stageThe Mighty Middle thesis, and why $50M to $150M exits change the fundraising mathCap table mistakes that do not hurt until Series AReducing human suffering as an investment filterWhat to build before you are ready to raise from anyoneListen: Apple || Spotify || YouTubeVadim Gordin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/vadimgordin/Vadim ran a venture studio inside NYU Tandon that turned under $500K in deployed capital into hundreds of millions in enterprise value, working with teams like Ataraxis, Vital Audio, and CaroRhythm. He now runs Mighty Middle Ventures, a fund and studio backing healthtech founders building toward the $50M to $150M exits traditional VC ignores.Andy Walsh2× exited founder and host of Startups Decoded (750,000 downloads + Top 2% globally).https://www.linkedin.com/in/anwalsh/Access All Areas.Listen: Apple || Spotify || YouTubeSubscribe: SubstackConnect: LinkedInWeb: startupsdecoded.com Socials: TikTok || Instagram || XMusic Credit.“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia) https://phondupe.bandcamp.com/album/air-conditioning-vol-2Disclaimer.The views and opinions shared on Startups Decoded are for informational purposes only and do not constitute investment or legal advice. Always consult a qualified professional before making any financial or legal decisions.