She Raised $4M to Fix What LinkedIn Broke | Caroline Dell, CEO of Goodword

Описание: In this episode of Inside the Round, host Helena Fogarty sits down with Caroline Dell, CEO and Co-founder of Goodword, to break down the real realities of raising their $4 Million Seed Round led by Human Ventures. Caroline shares her journey from working in consulting at Bain and as a strategic operator at Chief to the pivotal moment she realized she was ready to be a CEO.

This conversation goes beyond pitch decks and valuations to explore:

Why relationships truly are everything.
How a conversation with Chief's CEO changed her career trajectory.
The critical difference between being an early employee and the ultimate decision-making CEO.
The challenge of "pattern matching" and convincing investors their product was not just another personal CRM "graveyard".
The strategic use of warm introductions and why "Pipeline Cures All" in fundraising.
The intentional strategy for finding and vetting her co-founder.
Why Goodword is a VC-backable business due to the massive market opportunity, drawing comparisons to LinkedIn.
The core advice for early-stage founders: don't skip the fundraising prep.

A must-watch for founders navigating the complexities of seed-stage fundraising and transitioning into the CEO role.

Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
00:58 - Goodword's Introduction
01:39 - Caroline Dell's Career Background
04:20 - The Decision to Become a CEO and Leadership Mindset.
08:32 - The Genesis of Goodword
14:05 - Finding a Co-Founder
18:15 - The Difference Between Being an Employee and a Founder/CEO
23:38 - Knowing the Right Time to Found the Company
25:56 - Determining Goodword's VC-Backability and Market Opportunity
30:31 - The Role of AI in Strengthening Human Relationships and the Loneliness Epidemic.
34:50 - The Fundraising Strategy
47:00 - The Biggest Fundraising Challenges
54:35 - What Convinced Investors to Commit Early
58:15 - Post-Funding Activities: Product Launch, Hiring, and Early Validation.
1:02:14 - Key Advice for Early-Stage Founders Raising Capital.
*04:09* | The Moment She Knew She Wanted to be a CEO
*08:12* | Why Goodword Was Started (Relationships are Everything)
*13:41* | Finding a Co-founder and "Co-founder Dating"
*17:51* | The Difference Between Being an Early Employee and a CEO
*25:31* | Why Goodword Is VC-Backable
*38:52* | Fundraising Strategy: Prioritizing Warm Introductions
*46:36* | The Biggest Challenges During the Fundraise (Pattern Matching)
*1:01:56* | Key Fundraising Advice for Early-Stage Founders