<p>Arjun built a $100M startup by helping other founders incorporate and start their own. Along the way he went through Y Combinator and built an audience of over 80,000 people on X and LinkedIn.</p><p><br></p><p>📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → <a href="https://deck-database.carrd.co/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">deck-database.carrd.co</a></p><p><br></p><p>Follow Arjun’s journey:</p><p>🐦 X → <a href="https://x.com/ArjunMahadevan" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">x.com/ArjunMahadevan</a> </p><p>💼 LinkedIn → <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahadevanarjun" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">linkedin.com/in/mahadevanarjun</a> </p><p>🚀 Startup → <a href="https://www.doola.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">doola.com</a></p><p><br></p><p>Follow us: </p><p>🔔 Subscribe →<a href="https://youtube.com/@foundingjourney?sub_confirmation=1" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">youtube.com/@callmehouck?sub_confirmation=1</a> </p><p>📝 Newsletter → <a href="https://join.foundingjourney.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">join.foundingjourney.com</a> </p><p>📈 Founder Membership → <a href="https://upgrade.foundingjourney.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">upgrade.foundingjourney.com</a> </p><p>💼 LinkedIn → <a href="https://linkedin.com/in/michael-houck" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">linkedin.com/in/michael-houck</a></p><p><br></p><p>In this conversation we discuss:</p><p><br></p><p>Founder Mode</p><ul><li>(00:00) — Intro</li><li>(04:09) — Fundraising skills applications to life</li><li>(05:07) — Creating a founder brand</li><li>(06:35) — How Arjun is thinking about AI</li><li>(12:07) — Advice to a first-time founder</li><li>(24:31) — What Arjun took from working at Dropbox</li><li>(26:35) — Dealing with failure as a 1st-time founder</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Fundraising</p><ul><li>(01:13) — How to raise $1M in 2 minutes</li><li>(14:45) — Going through OnDeck &amp; Y Combinator</li><li>(17:59) — doola’s value prop</li><li>(21:03) — doola’s pivot during YC batch</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Startup Strategy &amp; Operations</p><ul><li>(08:01) — Why doola niched down to E-commerce</li><li>(10:21) — Why data isn’t as actionable as we think</li><li>(30:25) — Importance of asymmetric upside</li><li>(44:08) — How to know when to build vs. partner with external vendors</li><li>(46:36) — Incorporation</li><li>(50:38) — Importance of bookkeeping</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Growth</p><ul><li>(32:38) — The content funnel</li><li>(35:25) — Creating content for systems</li><li>(37:45) — Content platforms to be excited about</li><li>(41:09) — Why any problem can be solved by talking to customers</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Rapid Fire</p><ul><li>(53:23) — Who is one investor you’d recommend?</li><li>(53:44) — One thing you’d change about startups?</li><li>(54:29) — Advice for first-time founders?</li><li>(55:33) — Something you believe that most disagree with?</li></ul>

Founding Journey

Michael Houck

How Arjun Mahadevan Raised $1 Million In 2 Minutes

APR 2, 202558 MIN
Founding Journey

How Arjun Mahadevan Raised $1 Million In 2 Minutes

APR 2, 202558 MIN

Description

<p>Arjun built a $100M startup by helping other founders incorporate and start their own. Along the way he went through Y Combinator and built an audience of over 80,000 people on X and LinkedIn.</p><p><br></p><p>📚 1,800 Pitch Decks (Free) → <a href="https://deck-database.carrd.co/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">deck-database.carrd.co</a></p><p><br></p><p>Follow Arjun’s journey:</p><p>🐦 X → <a href="https://x.com/ArjunMahadevan" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">x.com/ArjunMahadevan</a> </p><p>💼 LinkedIn → <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mahadevanarjun" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">linkedin.com/in/mahadevanarjun</a> </p><p>🚀 Startup → <a href="https://www.doola.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">doola.com</a></p><p><br></p><p>Follow us: </p><p>🔔 Subscribe →<a href="https://youtube.com/@foundingjourney?sub_confirmation=1" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">youtube.com/@callmehouck?sub_confirmation=1</a> </p><p>📝 Newsletter → <a href="https://join.foundingjourney.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">join.foundingjourney.com</a> </p><p>📈 Founder Membership → <a href="https://upgrade.foundingjourney.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">upgrade.foundingjourney.com</a> </p><p>💼 LinkedIn → <a href="https://linkedin.com/in/michael-houck" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">linkedin.com/in/michael-houck</a></p><p><br></p><p>In this conversation we discuss:</p><p><br></p><p>Founder Mode</p><ul><li>(00:00) — Intro</li><li>(04:09) — Fundraising skills applications to life</li><li>(05:07) — Creating a founder brand</li><li>(06:35) — How Arjun is thinking about AI</li><li>(12:07) — Advice to a first-time founder</li><li>(24:31) — What Arjun took from working at Dropbox</li><li>(26:35) — Dealing with failure as a 1st-time founder</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Fundraising</p><ul><li>(01:13) — How to raise $1M in 2 minutes</li><li>(14:45) — Going through OnDeck &amp; Y Combinator</li><li>(17:59) — doola’s value prop</li><li>(21:03) — doola’s pivot during YC batch</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Startup Strategy &amp; Operations</p><ul><li>(08:01) — Why doola niched down to E-commerce</li><li>(10:21) — Why data isn’t as actionable as we think</li><li>(30:25) — Importance of asymmetric upside</li><li>(44:08) — How to know when to build vs. partner with external vendors</li><li>(46:36) — Incorporation</li><li>(50:38) — Importance of bookkeeping</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Growth</p><ul><li>(32:38) — The content funnel</li><li>(35:25) — Creating content for systems</li><li>(37:45) — Content platforms to be excited about</li><li>(41:09) — Why any problem can be solved by talking to customers</li></ul><p><br></p><p>Rapid Fire</p><ul><li>(53:23) — Who is one investor you’d recommend?</li><li>(53:44) — One thing you’d change about startups?</li><li>(54:29) — Advice for first-time founders?</li><li>(55:33) — Something you believe that most disagree with?</li></ul>