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What Makes a Founder Fundable: Inside the VC Playbook with Brett Calhoun

What Makes a Founder Fundable: Inside the VC Playbook with Brett Calhoun

Venture capital in the heartland is evolving, creating unique opportunities for tech entrepreneurs. In this episode of SaaS That App: Building B2B Web Applications, Brett Calhoun, co-founder and general partner at Redbud VC, joins Aaron Marchbanks and Justin Edwards to share insights about investing in early-stage tech companies, building sustainable startup ecosystems in the Midwest, and identifying promising founders beyond traditional tech hubs. This podcast is brought to you by Delta Systems, your one-stop shop for front-end, back-end, and full-stack software development. At Delta, Justin and Aaron share the same philosophy when it comes to clients: they treat people like colleagues, not just customers. Maybe that’s why Delta typically spends years working with the same companies: how many software engineering firms can you say that about? So, if you’ve got a SaaS project in mind but have no idea where to start, come and get a free scope and estimate from Delta Systems on their website. Got a burning idea for an episode, or a SaaS question you absolutely must know the answer to? Leave us a voice memo at SaasThatApp

SaaS That App - Building Tech-Enabled Businesses · Delta Systems

August 12, 202527m 19s

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Show Notes

Venture capital in the heartland is evolving, creating unique opportunities for tech entrepreneurs. In this episode of SaaS That App: Building B2B Web Applications, Brett Calhoun, co-founder and general partner at Redbud VC, joins Aaron Marchbanks and Justin Edwards to share insights about investing in early-stage tech companies, building sustainable startup ecosystems in the Midwest, and identifying promising founders beyond traditional tech hubs.

What You’ll Learn:

  • Why founders should focus on building conviction before seeking investment
  • How to leverage emerging AI capabilities to unlock opportunities in traditionally low-tech industries
  • Why distribution channels and customer acquisition strategies matter more than cutting-edge technology
  • How to demonstrate long-term vision when pitching to investors
  • The advantages of building tech companies in the Midwest

Brett Calhoun is the co-founder and general partner at Redbud VC, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage technology companies across the United States with particular emphasis on the heartland region. As an innovator in venture capital and SaaS, Brett brings vast experience from both sides of the startup ecosystem as a founder with companies like Stealth and CapGains, and as an investor identifying and nurturing high-potential tech ventures. His unique approach combines hands-on operational experience with strategic investment expertise, particularly in vertical software solutions and B2B applications.

This podcast is brought to you by Delta Systems, your one-stop shop for front-end, back-end, and full-stack software development. At Delta, Justin and Aaron share the same philosophy when it comes to clients: they treat people like colleagues, not just customers. Maybe that’s why Delta typically spends years working with the same companies: how many software engineering firms can you say that about? So, if you’ve got a big SaaS project in mind but have no idea where to start, come and get a free scope and estimate from Delta Systems on their website.

Got a burning idea for an episode, or a SaaS question you absolutely must know the answer to? Leave us a voice memo at SaasThatApp


Highlights:

  • [00:00] Introduction
  • [01:02] Founder to VC
  • [03:14] What Redbud VC Looks For in Founders
  • [05:22] The Venture Capital Gap in the Midwest
  • [09:52] Missouri Startup Weekend
  • [18:26] How Being a Founder Makes You a Better VC
  • [21:06] Unsexy Sectors, Big Potential
  • [25:33] Fintech Still Wins
  • [29:20] Fundraising Advice for First-Time Founders
  • [33:12] What Great Founders Know


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