Robert Kayian

How can private markets access be unlocked by the self-directed IRA? Hear from Alto Founder & CEO Eric Satz on how they've built innovative technology and a platform to enable self-directed IRAs to access private markets investments on the latest Alt Goes Mainstream podcast. Listen to the full episode on Alt Goes Mainstream here: https://lnkd.in/eEVY_Wpj

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🚨 VC Fund Alert: Creative Capital Ventures Launched €18M to Back Bold Ideas in Tech, Media & Consumer Innovation 🚀 In a time when capital efficiency and strategic value-add matter more than ever, Creative Capital Ventures Group (CCV) stepped in with an ambitious new €18 million fund — and a vision to raise €50 million by Q1 2025. Backed by Saratoga Capital Partners, Anthill Ventures, and a network of institutional & private investors, this Lisbon- and London-based venture studio brought a bold new model to early-stage VC. 🔥 🎯 What’s the play? 18 initial investments + 11 follow-ons by the end of 2024 Sectors: Tech, Digital Media, Consumer Products High-growth focus on: sports tech, entertainment, immersive IP, and wellness 💡 Why it matters: As CCV’s John D. put it: “The fund provides critical capital and helps scale innovative startups. We aim to foster long-term success for ambitious entrepreneurs.” But this isn’t just another VC fund... 🎥 Immersive IP & Creative Capital: Rich Britton is doubling down on entertainment innovation: “This fund comes at the right time — immersive content and music rights are redefining how we consume and create.” 🔧 Execution-focused Acceleration: With Pivotal, CCV’s venture studio, the fund promised “hands-on tactical support from strategy to execution,” said Dominic Joseph. 🧠 CCV’s track record is real: 150 startups impacted 20 companies founded 6 successful exits 📈 With structured investment in early-stage tech and IP assets, this fund blends venture-like returns with enhanced downside protection — a playbook that speaks directly to today’s LP mindset. 💬 If you're an LP looking to diversify into high-upside, creative-led ventures, or a founder innovating at the crossroads of tech and culture — this is the fund to watch. 🎧🎮📱 #VentureCapital #TechStartups #ImmersiveMedia #IPInvesting #ConsumerInnovation #SportsTech #WellnessEconomy #CreativeEconomy #LPs #VCFunds #EarlyStageVC #Fundraising #StartupAcceleration #CreativeCapitalVentures #PivotalStudio

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Market uncertainty isn't a hurdle - it's an opportunity. $4 trillion in recently liquidated capital sitting on the sidelines. Here is what you can do to win... Limited partners are looking for places to invest their sidelined capital right now. Venture capital thrives in these market conditions. ⏭️ Investing in venture capital will skip the uncertainty, as early venture returns take 3 to 5 years 🌱 Emerging managers consistently generate the best returns in uncertain markets 💰 Early-stage VC is countercyclical—returns historically increase following market crises ⏱️ Moving quickly is essential - the closing process takes 2-3 months, so timing matters 🔄 Seasonal timing is crucial - avoid mid-summer and mid-winter for fund closing 🧠 Master the fear/greed paradigm by turning market challenges into opportunities ✅ Stay positive and energize your limited partners about the unique moment Are you prepared to seize the opportunity while others wait for "certainty" that never comes?

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🔥 I raised $40M in venture capital for my last startup. But getting a ~$2.5M SBA loan? Way harder. 💸 (Read that again.) 👀 With venture, you can go from term sheet to close in 30 days. Good luck getting an SBA loan funded on a business acquisition in under 3 months from start to finish. The SBA and the bank will do more diligence and paperwork on you and the business than all your VCs combined. 🔍📑 The closing process is night and day. Raising VC is like having TSA Precheck and skipping the 3-hour line ✈️. With a government-backed loan, you’re in that long line, piles of paperwork, rounds of diligence, and countless steps before you get the green light. 🛂 And yet… I’d still choose an SBA loan to buy a boring, profitable business over raising venture capital again. Why? Because with VC you’re dependent on investors and chasing runway, where 99% of startups never turn a profit 📉. With ETA, you step into a business that already throws off cash 💵 and you actually own your destiny 🔑. Owning a business that generates real profits beats relying on the next round of funding to survive. 🚀💪

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🚨 Entrepreneurs, beware! 🚨 Scammers are constantly evolving, and one of the tricks I see a lot is targeting small business owners and entrepreneurs with official-looking notices demanding fees for government registrations. A prime example is Federal Processing Registry, Inc., which has been flagged by the Better Business Bureau for misleading entrepreneurs into paying unnecessary fees. I received a "2025 Annual SAM Registration Renewal Form" from them (which I've redacted). Everything about the form was designed to hide the fact that this is a private company seeking to charge $599 for something that costs $0 to actually do directly with SAM.gov. This is SHAMEFUL. Scams like this prey on business owners who are trying to stay compliant with regulations but may not be familiar with the actual processes. They use urgent language, official-looking letters, and even government-sounding names to pressure entrepreneurs into paying. 👉 How to protect yourself: ✅ Always verify any business registration requirement with official government agencies. ✅ Be skeptical of unsolicited notices demanding immediate payment. ✅ Check for complaints on the BBB website or your state’s Attorney General’s office. ✅ When in doubt, ask a trusted advisor before paying anything! Entrepreneurship is already hard enough without scammers taking advantage of those building their dreams. Let’s look out for each other—share this to help fellow entrepreneurs stay informed! #Entrepreneurship #ScamAlert #SmallBusiness #FraudPrevention #StartupTips

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What’s in a name? Everything—if you want it to stick. On The Greatness Machine, author Eric Jorgenson dives into the underrated art of naming, especially when it comes to book titles. He shares that a great title isn’t just a label, it’s a hook that should be memorable, meaningful, and worth hours of thought and iteration. Eric also explores how to keep your title aligned with your brand while still standing on its own—hint: think recognizable, not redundant. Whether you're naming a book, a product, or even a podcast episode, his advice is clear: don’t rush it. Greatness deserves a great title. Tune in for more insights on creativity, branding, and building things that last.

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Average Founders obsess over effort. Great Founders obsess over narrative. Communication is vital to any business that wants to scale. If you don't learn storytelling or branding as a founder, You're doing yourself a disservice. If you're able to tell a proper story, you can: - Lead better - Bring more people into your vision - And ultimately generate more revenue Here are the 6 frameworks Fortune 500 companies use to win: 1. The Hero's Journey Framework → Position your customer as the hero → Your product is their guide → Used by Apple, Airbnb, Nike 2. The Problem-Agitation-Solution → Identify the pain point → Make them feel it deeply → Present your solution as inevitable → Mastered by HubSpot and Salesforce 3. The Before-After-Bridge → Show life before your solution → Paint the transformation after → Bridge the gap with your offer → Used by Microsoft and Adobe 4. The Data Story Framework → Lead with a shocking statistic → Build tension around the gap → Resolve with your solution → Perfected by McKinsey and IBM 5. The Founder Origin Story → Share your "why" authentically → Make it personal and relatable → Connect it to your mission → Used by Tesla, Patagonia, TOMS 6. The Future-Pacing Framework → Paint a vivid future vision → Show them what's possible → Make it feel within reach → Mastered by Amazon and Google The pattern? ❌ They don't just list features ❌ They don't bore with jargon ✅ They engineer emotion ✅ They create urgency ✅ They make it memorable Your narrative is your competitive advantage. It's what makes investors write checks. It's what makes customers choose you over competitors. It's what makes talent join your team. P.S. Which one is your favorite? 🔄 Like and follow Joseph Tannous for more insights.

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