Jonathan quit his job in early 2023 with no idea and no co-founder. Tim agreed to join only if he raised $3M. He lined up 75 investor meetings a month in advance. SVB crashed on day four and 40% of his meetings canceled. He closed the round anyway, then won 20 deals in a row, one of them a seven-figure deal with FIS. Baselayer just raised a $20M Series A.

In this episode, Jonathan breaks down the 20-minute reply rule he holds every employee to, why he asks buyers if they have ever wanted to be a founder and then introduces them to VCs, and what a 100-hour week actually looks like when your calendar shows 40 to 60 hours of meetings.

Why You Should Listen

Why replying in two minutes lets you get away with saying almost nothing.
How introducing 40 buyers to VCs turned into 40 customers.
Why he pitched 15 banks at once so nobody had to go first.
How to reach out to everyone you have ever met without it feeling cold.

Keywords startup podcast, startup podcast for founders, product market fit, finding pmf, Baselayer, Jonathan Awad, business identity verification, KYB, fraud consortium, fintech sales, enterprise sales, top of funnel, customer support, founder-led sales, seed fundraising, SVB collapse

Chapters

00:00:00 Intro
00:03:46 20 Deals in a Row
00:06:39 The 20-Minute SLA
00:11:15 Banker, Founder, First-Time CEO
00:16:07 Quitting With No Idea
00:26:26 SVB Crashed in Week One
00:33:08 What a 100-Hour Week Looks Like
00:44:56 Introducing Buyers to VCs
00:53:21 Getting 15 Banks to Go First
00:59:29 Swag Selling and Post-It Notes

Send me a message to let me know what you think!

He introduced his buyers to VCs instead of pitching them—then closed 20 deals in a row and a $20M Series A | Jonathan Awad, Co-Founder & CEO of Baselayer

A Product Market Fit Show | Startup Podcast for Founders

He introduced his buyers to VCs instead of pitching them—then closed 20 deals in a row and a $20M Series A | Jonathan Awad, Co-Founder & CEO of Baselayer