Making The Grade
Less than 1 in 100 Startups manage to achieve funding beyond Series D or an exit. Investors typically expect 8 out of 10 of the businesses they invest in to fail. It’s time to make building a business less depressing and scale more wisely. Tune into Making The Grade to hear first-hand experiences of venture-backed software companies in their journeys from Seed to Series B funding. Every week, we’ll be joined by Founders, Investors and senior Go-To-Market Leaders to explore the factors driving the decline in graduation rates, misaligned go-to-market operations and ineffective sales and marketing strategies. All while making you leave ever...
Scaling Lean in a $500B Market: Ed Bartlett on going from zero to one & transitioning out of the CEO seat
In the start-up ecosystem, there are a few truths that never change - scaling is harder than it looks, over-hiring can kill momentum, and knowing when to hand over the CEO reins might be the hardest call of all.
In this episode,Ed Barltett, Founder & CEO of Hicomply, unpacks how to successfully scale with a lean team and build a GTM engine that actually produces an intent-led pipeline.
Ed breaks down why stage-fit leadership beats vanity headcount and how to plan a smooth CEO transition when the time is right.
If you’re a fou...
Running Your Own Race: Tom Lavery on going from bootstrapped to venture-backed
What does it take to build a category-defining SaaS company when your biggest competitors have raised 40x more funding than you?
In this episode, Tom Lavery, Founder & CEO of Jiminny, joins us to share how he bootstrapped for years before raising, why staying in control beats chasing hype, and how to layer AI into GTM without over-engineering your stack.
Expect pragmatic tactics for capital-efficient growth, candid lessons from fundraising in a downturn, and a no-BS view on what’s truly changed in sales.
Episode Chapters:
03:34 - Jiminny’s origin story
05:53 - Comp...
Bootstrapping Agorapulse to over $20M ARR with Emeric Ernoult
Start-up headlines are often dominated by fundraising announcements and the latest valuation.
But the Venture Capital route isn’t the only option or the best to take.
In this episode, we’re joined by Emeric Ernoult, Co-Founder & CEO of Agorapulse, one of Europe’s most successful bootstrapped SaaS Founders.
Emeric is a serial entrepreneur and has seen Agorapulse through several pivots and international expansion, all while bootstrapping.
This often painful journey has come with its fair share of lessons - some of which Emeric shares with us in today’s conversation.
This is...
The 5 Silent Killers of Go-To-Market with Keji Mustapha
Every founder thinks they’re focused on growth. But too often, hidden mistakes in their go-to-market (GTM) strategy quietly erode their chances of success.
In this Making The Grade episode, we’re joined by Keji Mustapha, CMO at Partech, to unpack the 5 Silent Killers of Go-To-Market.
From undefined ICPs and premature scaling, to misaligned leadership and ignoring the voice of the customer, Keji shares practical advice founders can use today to avoid costly mistakes and scale more wisely.
If you’re a founder, operator, or investor looking to understand why so many companies fail to...
Capital-Efficient Growth in 2025: James Bagan’s Playbook for GTM Success
Too many startups hire ahead of demand, invest in the wrong leaders, or scale sales without a clear ICP - all mistakes that can cost millions and kill momentum.
Today’s Making The Grade guest knows exactly how to avoid those pitfalls.
We’re joined by James Bagan, Investor at Frog Capital, Chair and GTM advisor for investors.
James has been on both sides of the scaling journey. He’s built world-class sales functions, turned around broken go-to-market engines, and led multiple exits.
In this episode, James joins Tom to unpack what it...
When it’s time to step down: Robert Newry’s transition from CEO to Chief Explorer at Arctic Shores
Too many founders stay in the CEO seat for too long. Often to the detriment of their company, their teams and themselves.
It’s not about giving up. It’s about knowing when you are no longer the best person to lead the business into its next chapter.
One example of a founder who knew the time was right and made that leap with clarity and intention is today’s Making The Grade guest, Robert Newry.
After 11 years as CEO of Arctic Shores, Robert chose to step aside and take on a brand new role...
Not a Unicorn? Not a problem. Eyal Malinger & Oren Peleg on building a VC alternative
While VC news often dominates the headlines, more often than not, the VC route isn’t the best fit for a business.
So, what do you do if venture capital isn’t the right path for your start-up?
In today’s Making The Grade episode, we’re unpacking the evolving world of start-up funding and why VC might not be the best fit for every founder or business.
To help us do that, we’re joined by Eyal Malinger and Oren Peleg, the co-founders of Resurge Growth Partners - a new kind of investment f...
Building for a Smart Exit - Scaling Lessons from Serial Entrepreneur Justin Fitzpatrick
What does it really take to graduate from seed to exit in today’s start-up climate?
In our first episode of our Making the Grade Podcast, we’re joined by serial founder and currently CEO of ESG Book, Justin Fitzpatrick, to unpack the real story behind startup growth.
From the messy pivots, M&A strategies, co-founder dynamics, and what it really looks like when you fall off the VC track, Justin shares his first-hand experience of growing and exiting multiple businesses, and leaves us with plenty of practical advice to help you scale more wisely.
...
Making The Grade Season Trailer
Investors typically expect 8 out of 10 of the businesses they invest in to fail.
Less than 1 in 100 start-ups manage to achieve funding beyond Series D or an exit.
These humbling stats often leave founders less than optimistic. 😩
So, how can building a successful business feel less like an uphill battle?
And how can you scale a business with actual options to exit in 2025, and beyond?
💥 To help us get answers to all of the above questions, and more, we’re excited to share the upcoming launch of our brand new podcast...
