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People are the centerpiece of any great startup and EQ and leadership skills are at the forefront of great ventures.
Tell us about yourself?
Jason is a serial entrepreneur, investor, and community builder helping startups “Venture Forward,” the title of his book and the mission behind his ventures. Jason is an active investor through Boston Harbor Angels and the EQx Fund, with a thesis that you should always bet on the jockey and the people behind the business.
He founded Prepare 4 VC in 2016 with the mission of helping bridge the gap between startups and investors, which has expanded into the Prepare 4 VC Global Startup Oasis, which helps hundreds of entrepreneurs globally through community events and resources, a virtual accelerator, and interactive programs. Jason also leads events for Startup Grind Boston and he is an active speaker and mentor across various startup programs
If you could give one piece of advice to other investors, what would it be?
Founders are at the center of every investment, the right team can make or break a startup.
If you could give one piece of advice to startup founders looking to get funding from you, what would you say?
Always be looking for feedback and opportunities from day 1 to filter through and incorporate in our businesses.
What do you look for in the founding team of the startups you invest in?
A team that complements each other really well, has strong EQ skills across leadership, self efficacy and communication style and is the team we would hire if this was our idea we were creating.
Is there a trait you have noticed predicts success in your investments?
Businesses that are solving real problems with passionate teams and capable experts behind them. They are constantly analyzing if this is the best overall product for their market and the best market for their product, adjusting, pivoting or expanding if needed.
How has COVID impacted your investment strategy and existing investments?
Virtual meetings have broadened geographic restrictions and created global investing ecosystems. Additionally, certain technologies have accelerated by solving problems faced during a pandemic while other industries have slowed down as new problems persist. It is important to take the long view while still analyzing the potential success of these ventures in the short term.
What do you see as the emerging areas of technology that you are looking to invest in?
We view innovation in several categories: new emerging tech (ex. Web3, Ai, etc.), technology applied to underserved sectors (ex. many industries, services, etc. still not digitized or modernized), and business model innovation (ex. applying marketplace, subscription models etc. to industries where this does not exist).
How do you source new investment opportunities?
Community driven approach to meet and engage with as many startups, communities and partners as possible to get to know startups throughout their journey.
How do people get involved/buy into your vision?
Start with joining our free startup oasis community at http://community.prepare4vc.com and connect with our team through http://prepare4vc.com.
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