Startups Decoded

Mike Ma doesn’t invest in decks. He invests in people.
As Managing Partner and Head Coach at Sidecut Ventures, Mike works with what he calls “coachable superheroes”, early-stage, mission-driven founders tackling real problems in economic mobility, healthcare, climate, and education.
In this conversation, we unpack what it actually means to be coachable as a founder, why most advice fails in practice, and how real progress happens when coaching, capital, and execution collide. Mike shares lessons from the trenches — blending Fortune 500 experience with venture-backed CXO roles, and explains why the best founders don’t just seek answers, they build judgement.
We also explore Sidecut’s hands-on approach to venture building, the parallels between adaptive sports coaching and startup leadership, and why helping founders unlock potential often means meeting them exactly where they are, not where the pitch says they should be.
This episode is for founders who want fewer platitudes, better questions, and support that actually shows up.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Impact Investing
02:42 The Thesis of Sidecut Ventures
04:59 Understanding Impact and Returns
07:49 The Case for Climate Investments
10:41 The Duality of Capitalism
13:06 The Role of Ethics in Business
15:47 The Importance of Mission-Driven Founders
18:33 Evaluating Founders Beyond the Surface
23:54 The Foxhole: Partnering with Founders
27:19 The Impact of Investment Models
32:01 The Reality of Foundership
36:50 Understanding the Founder’s Journey
39:43 Evaluating Impact and Market Risks
Mike Ma
Managing Partner and Head Coach at Sidecut Ventures, where he invests in and coaches early-stage, mission-driven founders working on some of society’s hardest problems.
He brings a rare blend of Fortune 500 experience (Bank of America, Vanguard) and venture-backed CXO leadership(including Betterment and Own Up), rolling up his sleeves across product, strategy, and fundraising. Mike believes the best venture outcomes are built through proximity, trust, and real coaching, not performative advice.
Sidecut Ventures:
Pitch: https://www.sidecut.vc/pitch-us
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelwma/
Presented by Morrison Foerster - mofo.com
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Music Credit
“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)

Startups Decoded - Presented by Morrison Foerster - mofo.com.
Luke Tobin has built seven businesses across hospitality, e-commerce, and agencies. Three exits. One of them: an eight-figure agency sale that started with £100, no funding, and a healthy dose of imposter syndrome.
Today, Luke sits at the messy intersection of founders, capital, and exits, backing businesses, fixing broken agency models, and coaching operators to turn self-doubt into fuel instead of friction.
In this episode, we get brutally practical on what actually drives profitable growth, why most agencies never become exit-ready, how to price for margin (not ego), and why thinking like a buyer early changes everything. This is an operator conversation, not “founder vibes”. If you want a business that works without you sweating through every Monday, press play.
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Entrepreneurship and Exits
10:31 The Journey of Building and Selling Businesses
19:14 Structuring for Success: Frameworks and Control
22:02 Uncovering Unique Value in Startups
23:27 Prioritizing Impactful Outcomes
25:39 Balancing Human Intelligence and AI
27:25 Effective Automation Strategies
29:06 Navigating Growth Stages in Business
31:56 The Importance of Agility in Startups
34:09 Cultural Dynamics in Team Growth
37:32 Hiring Smart: The Founder’s Dilemma
39:31 Investment Insights and Founder Evaluation
Luke Tobin
Luke Tobin is a founder, investor, and operator with three exits and seven businesses built across hospitality, e-commerce, and agencies. He scaled his most recent agency from £100 to an eight-figure exit in five years with no external funding.
Today, he’s the founder of Unusual Group, owner of Tobin Capital, partner at A-Frame Venture Studio, and author of The Success Method newsletter read by 100,000+ founders weekly. Luke advises founders on pricing, operations, hiring, and exits with a relentless focus on building businesses that actually work.
Who Should Listen
Agency owners who want better margins (and a real exit path)
Founders dealing with imposter syndrome while scaling
Operators building without funding and without delusion
Investors who care about operator-led growth
Anyone who wants the real playbook behind profitable businesses
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Web: startupsdecoded.com
Music Credit
“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)

Niluka Kavanagh left Big 4 consulting with a simple question: Can I work for myself, and can I do it from anywhere?
That question turned into an experiment, then a business, then ImagineThat, a global club for first-time founders who are trying to build something without losing themselves in the process.
We talk about the unsexy realities people don’t plan for: uncertainty, isolation, confidence dips, and the weird moment where you realise “being your own boss” can still mean being owned by customers. Niluka shares the framework she uses with founders to go from “I’ve got skills” to “I’ve got a business,” why you should design your life before you design your model, and why your personal brand is the only asset that survives pivots.
This is a conversation for anyone in corporate with a pull toward independence, and anyone early-stage who wants fewer vibes and more clarity.
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Chapters
00:00 The Journey of Transitioning from Corporate to Entrepreneurship
03:08 Finding Purpose and Vision in Business
05:53 Understanding the Risks and Rewards of Entrepreneurship
08:44 Building a Support Network for Founders
11:35 The Importance of Market Validation
14:25 Creating a Founder Brand and Authentic Storytelling
22:27 Building Your Founder Brand
25:41 The Importance of Values in Branding
29:47 The Power of Storytelling in Personal Branding
34:07 Recognizing Your Achievements as a Founder
38:31 The Role of Community in Entrepreneurship
43:20 Creating a Supportive Environment for Founders
Niluka Kavanagh
A founder, executive coach, keynote speaker, and creator focused on the future of work.
She is the Founder of ImagineThat, the global club for new founders, and the creator of The Modern CEO, a leadership program helping companies evolve into next-generation workplaces.
Previously, she worked as a consultant at KPMG with clients like Mastercard, Tesco, and London Stock Exchange, co-founded KPMG FutureThinkers, and led communications for KPMG SheCan.
Niluka has spoken at leading universities, including Oxford, Trinity College Dublin, and Edinburgh University, and her work has been featured in The World Financial Review and Cambridge University Press.
Who Should Listen
New founders transitioning out of corporate roles
Executives leading younger or hybrid teams
Operators building modern leadership cultures
Anyone curious about how careers, ambition, and identity are reshaping entrepreneurship
Music Credit
“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)
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Women, BIPOC, and LGBTQIA+ founders still get boxed out of capital, but Katie Dunn has built her angel investing thesis to do the opposite, and she’s doing it with actual reps (29 investments) and serious financial scar tissue (25+ years in banking with $10B financed).
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In this episode, Katie breaks down what early-stage angels really look for when they say they’re “betting on the founder”, why most cold outreach fails (hint: nobody reads the investor’s thesis), and how underrepresented founders can cut through the noise with clarity, credibility, and a simple story that lands.
We also get into the underrated part: investor relationships. Katie explains why your first investors should be your easiest next-round capital, why founders go dark when things get hard (and how that backfires), and how angels often deliver more value than VCs because they actually have time, context, and intent to help.
If you’re raising pre-seed/seed, building community, or trying to stop fundraising from eating your soul, this one’s a practical reset.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Angel Investing
04:18 Katie’s Journey in Finance
06:55 The Importance of Diversity in Funding
10:04 The Role of Immigrants in Startups
12:43 Building Community and Networks
15:30 The Value of Collaboration
18:23 The Role of Angels vs. VCs
21:07 The Importance of Communication
23:45 Finding the Right Investors
26:45 Using Technology to Connect
29:32 Assessing Founders and Their Pitches
32:20 The Art of the Pitch Deck
35:01 Final Thoughts and Resources
Katie Dunn
An experienced angel investor, board director, and startup advisor investing in underrepresented U.S. founders at the pre-seed and seed stages, primarily in CPG and technology. Through Masthead Strategies, she’s helped founders raise over $30M by combining investor psychology, storytelling, and AI-powered tools.
Her portfolio includes Outcast Brands (Blood Monkey Gin, Two Shores Rum), Another Tomorrow, Juliet Wine, WTHN, Forecastr, and Goodword. Katie also serves on the boards of Outcast Brands and the Enthuse Foundation, and advises Fierce Foundry, a femtech venture studio.
Who Should Listen
Founders preparing to raise pre-seed or seed capital
Underrepresented founders seeking tactical fundraising advice
Angels or new investors looking to sharpen their evaluation process
Anyone who wants to understand how trust, clarity, and communication drive funding decisions
Music Credit
“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)
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Web: startupsdecoded.com
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Startup investing used to be gated, exclusive networks, complex diligence, and full-time fund managers. But what if anyone could build a startup portfolio the same way they’d shop online?
In this episode, Cheryl Kellond, serial founder and CEO of Play Money, shares how her platform is democratizing early-stage investing by pairing curated deals from new fund managers with an experience that feels more like shopping than finance.
We dive into her journey from launching Bia Sport and Apostrophe (acquired by Centivo) to building Play Money, the new “fantasy league” for startup investing.
Expect a candid lesson on why making startup capital more inclusive can reshape who gets funded and who gets to build wealth.
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Chapters
00:00 Introduction to Play Money and Its Mission
04:37 The Challenges of Accessing Capital
11:21 The Evolution of Early Stage Investing
16:59 Understanding the Angel Investment Landscape
22:30 The Role of Education in Angel Investing
28:20 The Founder Experience on Play Money
33:49 Building Trust and Validation in Startups
39:27 The Future Vision for Play Money
Cheryl Kellond
Founder & CEO of Play Money, is a concept-to-launch expert who has driven $750M+ in revenue from healthtech, SaaS, hardware, and media products. She previously founded Apostrophe (Techstars ’17, acquired by Centivo) and Bia Sport (Lemnos ’12), and has launched major products at Adobe, Yahoo, and E*TRADE. Voted Denver’s Most Admired CEO and a 40 Over 40 honoree, she’s passionate about disrupting legacy industries and building founder-friendly ecosystems.
Who Should Listen
Aspiring angel investors who want a smarter, accessible entry point
Founders curious about new funding pathways
Emerging fund managers building their first LP base
Anyone interested in wealth-building through startups without “full-time VC” complexity
Music Credit
“Neptuno” – Phondupe (Album: Onykia)
Access All Areas.
Listen: Apple || Spotify || YouTube
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Community & Events: Founders Circle
Connect: LinkedIn
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Web: startupsdecoded.com