<description>&lt;p&gt;In this episode of &lt;em&gt;The Backchannel&lt;/em&gt;, we're dropping a quick but essential take on balancing &lt;strong&gt;brilliance&lt;/strong&gt; and &lt;strong&gt;likability &lt;/strong&gt;and how both play into the fundraising game. We revisit a core concept from a past episode: &lt;strong&gt;time given – time to interest&lt;/strong&gt;. If your brilliance gets investors hooked fast, you don’t need as much relationship-building. But if it takes longer to spark that interest, likability becomes your best tool for buying more time. We also talk about how being difficult, even if you’re brilliant, can close doors.&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

In this episode of The Backchannel, we're dropping a quick but essential take on balancing brilliance and likability and how both play into the fundraising game. We revisit a core concept from a past episode: time given – time to interest. If your brilliance gets investors hooked fast, you don’t need as much relationship-building. But if it takes longer to spark that interest, likability becomes your best tool for buying more time. We also talk about how being difficult, even if you’re brilliant, can close doors.

TBC100: Likability vs. Brilliance

<description>&lt;p&gt;In this episode, Curtis Northcutt, MIT PhD and founder of CleanLab, shares his compelling journey from rural Kentucky to raising $25 million from Menlo Ventures and Bain Capital. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;Curtis reflects on the challenges of growing up with limited opportunities, the loneliness of dreaming big in a small town, and how those experiences ignited his drive to build something meaningful. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;He also dives into the complexities of raising capital during a downturn, balancing investor relationships, and making tough decisions about dilution. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;With a mix of personal stories, sharp insights, and practical advice, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to build a startup from scratch and scale it with purpose.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;br /&gt;--&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt; &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;p&gt;If you're looking for more fundraising content, grab our weekly newsletter packed full of strategies and insights around how to raise money: &lt;a href="https://dashboard.simplecast.com/accounts/c13f32e7-dbfe-489f-8c1b-9da1f632aec2/shows/37a9ca33-2896-414e-a790-43a2620f0b43/episodes/70b9f899-5909-4a34-b1c0-a1233bb573f9/For%20a%20topic%20that%20seems%20to%20be%20%22cliche%22,%20it%20sure%20is%20important.%20%20What%20if%20we%20were%20to%20tell%20you%20that%20getting%20support%20around%20your%20fundraise%20is%20one%20of%20the%20best%20ways%20to%20guarantee%20success?%20%20As%20founders,%20you%20are%20automatically%20biased%20toward%20your%20own%20product.%20%20%20That%20means%20you%20are%20also%20biased%20toward%20your%20pitch,%20deck,%20and%20any%20other%20materials%20you%20might%20share%20with%20an%20investor.%20%20In%20this%20episode,%20Jason%20dives%20into%203%20areas%20of%20fundraising%20you%20should%20be%20getting%20support%20around,%20and%20why%20it%27s%20so%20important.%20%20See%20you%20guys%20next%20week%20on%20The%20Backchannel!%20%20--%20%20If%20you%27re%20looking%20for%20more%20fundraising%20content,%20grab%20our%20weekly%20newsletter%20packed%20full%20of%20strategies%20and%20insights%20around%20how%20to%20raise%20money:%20fundedpod.com/newsletter" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"&gt;fundedpod.com/newsletter&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you're looking to learn how Adamant is helping founders prepare for their fundraise, head here: &lt;a href="https://www.admnt.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer"&gt;admnt.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
</description>

In this episode, Curtis Northcutt, MIT PhD and founder of CleanLab, shares his compelling journey from rural Kentucky to raising $25 million from Menlo Ventures and Bain Capital. 
 
Curtis reflects on the challenges of growing up with limited opportunities, the loneliness of dreaming big in a small town, and how those experiences ignited his drive to build something meaningful. 
 
He also dives into the complexities of raising capital during a downturn, balancing investor relationships, and making tough decisions about dilution. 
 
With a mix of personal stories, sharp insights, and practical advice, this episode offers a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to build a startup from scratch and scale it with purpose.
 --
 
If you're looking for more fundraising content, grab our weekly newsletter packed full of strategies and insights around how to raise money: <a href="https://dashboard.simplecast.com/accounts/c13f32e7-dbfe-489f-8c1b-9da1f632aec2/shows/37a9ca33-2896-414e-a790-43a2620f0b43/episodes/70b9f899-5909-4a34-b1c0-a1233bb573f9/For%20a%20topic%20that%20seems%20to%20be%20%22cliche%22,%20it%20sure%20is%20important.%20%20What%20if%20we%20were%20to%20tell%20you%20that%20getting%20support%20around%20your%20fundraise%20is%20one%20of%20the%20best%20ways%20to%20guarantee%20success?%20%20As%20founders,%20you%20are%20automatically%20biased%20toward%20your%20own%20product.%20%20%20That%20means%20you%20are%20also%20biased%20toward%20your%20pitch,%20deck,%20and%20any%20other%20materials%20you%20might%20share%20with%20an%20investor.%20%20In%20this%20episode,%20Jason%20dives%20into%203%20areas%20of%20fundraising%20you%20should%20be%20getting%20support%20around,%20and%20why%20it%27s%20so%20important.%20%20See%20you%20guys%20next%20week%20on%20The%20Backchannel!%20%20--%20%20If%20you%27re%20looking%20for%20more%20fundraising%20content,%20grab%20our%20weekly%20newsletter%20packed%20full%20of%20strategies%20and%20insights%20around%20how%20to%20raise%20money:%20fundedpod.com/newsletter" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">fundedpod.com/newsletter</a> If you're looking to learn how Adamant is helping founders prepare for their fundraise, head here: <a href="https://www.admnt.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">admnt.com</a>

How Curtis Northcutt Closed a $25M Series A for Cleanlab (Curtis Northcutt / Cleanlab - Ep 51)

<description>In this episode of The Backchannel, we're diving into the role anxiety plays in fundraising, especially when it comes to warm introductions with investors. If you’ve ever hesitated to reach out to old contacts or second-guessed your follow-ups, this one's for you.
</description>

In this episode of The Backchannel, we're diving into the role anxiety plays in fundraising, especially when it comes to warm introductions with investors. If you’ve ever hesitated to reach out to old contacts or second-guessed your follow-ups, this one's for you.


TBC99: How Anxiety Ruins Warm Intros

<description>In this episode of The Backchannel, we’re talking about how VCs need to raise money too, not just startups.
</description>

In this episode of The Backchannel, we’re talking about how VCs need to raise money too, not just startups.


TBC98: GPs Have Trouble Raising Too

<description>In this episode, we dive into the concept of awareness for founders, focusing on how to effectively create it.
</description>

In this episode, we dive into the concept of awareness for founders, focusing on how to effectively create it.


TBC97: How to Build Awareness as a Founder the Right Way

The tech media loves a splashy funding announcement - millions of dollars injected into a hot startup primed to become a unicorn. But what about the work behind those headlines? Host Jason Yeh, a former VC and venture-backed startup founder, talks with entrepreneurs about how they raised the capital to launch world-changing startups. Their conversations uncover incredible stories including cautionary tales, inspirational memories, and even some insightful tips. Keep up with us on social @fundedpod to learn more.

Funded | How They Raised Millions

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