Threshold

about the podcast

The Startup Solution with Heidi Roizen

The Startup Solution tackles the make-or-break situations that entrepreneurs face, offering clear advice on how to survive and thrive in an early-stage company. Who’s it for? Founders, startup execs, and investors who want to learn from real-world situations, unpacked by Heidi Roizen, a “recovering" entrepreneur and current VC who has seen it all through 40 years and 40 boards.

OUR HOST

Heidi Roizen

Heidi Roizen has spent 40 years in the tech startup world, the first dozen years as an entrepreneur herself, and since then, 25 years as a venture capitalist. She’s served on over 40 boards, from seed stage to public companies. She also co-leads the Threshold Venture Fellows program at Stanford University and is a partner at Threshold Ventures.

Episodes

Sep 27, 2023

SEASON 1

EPISODE 10

The Case of the Company that Wasn't

For the final episode of the first season of The Startup Solution, Heidi tackles what is, perhaps, the single most difficult thing an entrepreneur may ever have to do: wind down a company when it clearly just isn’t working.

Sep 20, 2023

SEASON 1

EPISODE 9

The Case of the Boardzilla Board Member

Felicia’s boardroom has become a battlefield due to the disruptive and even destructive behavior of one of her board members — but he is also one of her largest investors. Heidi lays out a variety of options for addressing this, including the nuclear one: how to unseat a board member who's causing problems.

Sep 13, 2023

SEASON 1

EPISODE 8

The Case of the Exposed Compensation File

Carl, a startup CEO, accidentally left a list of every employee's pay and equity in the printer. Soon enough, it was circulating on the company Slack. Heidi helps him understand that the most troubling thing exposed wasn't the payroll. It was the company's lack of a proper compensation philosophy.

Sep 6, 2023

SEASON 1

EPISODE 7

The Case of the Deadweight Co-Founder

In the process of closing her startup’s first round of outside capital, CEO Claire hit a snag. One of her co-founders had already left the company, and his massive share position for only a year of work concerned the new investor. Heidi explains how to allocate founder shares fairly, and what can be done if you may have already done it differently.

Aug 30, 2023

SEASON 1

EPISODE 6

The Case of the Millionaire Mirage

Nate has a first-world problem: As VP of engineering at a startup, he thought he'd become a millionaire when the company had its big exit — but he was crushed when he got only 5% of what he expected. Heidi helps Nate understand what likely went sideways, and what to consider the next time around.

Aug 23, 2023

SEASON 1

EPISODE 5

The Case of the Soggy Software

Heidi changes gears from recounting other entrepreneurs' challenges to share a story of her own from when she was the CEO of a software startup. Learn how a mishap with the office sprinkler system led to a reckoning about her company's culture.

Aug 16, 2023

SEASON 1

EPISODE 4

The Case of the Strategic Sucker Punch

Trent hits a crisis when his strategic investor lets their term sheet expire, and his $50 million round falls apart. Strategic investors are a huge part of the startup ecosystem but differ from regular VCs. Learn about the pros and cons of strategic investors, and how to craft a good deal for both sides.

Aug 9, 2023

SEASON 1

EPISODE 3

The Case of the In-law Investors

JJ, a Threshold Venture Fellow at Stanford, has in-laws who want to pull money from their retirement fund to participate in a “friends and family” allocation in JJ's seed round. Heidi sets JJ straight about the ins and outs of seed investing — and suggests at least one way to reward his in-laws for their support without putting them at risk.

Aug 2, 2023

SEASON 1

EPISODE 2

The Case of the Downer Round

Founders often think of valuation as the grade at the top of the paper, which is why few things take an emotional toll like the prospect of a down round. When Ann's company is faced with just such a thing, Heidi explains that terms end up mattering more than valuation — and that a down round needn't be a downer.

Jul 26, 2023

SEASON 1

EPISODE 1

The Case of the Boardroom Blow-up

When Priya informed her board that the company missed its quarterly sales target, she was met with a barrage of attacks. The real error wasn’t the business shortfall — it was how she managed the situation. Learn how to avoid her mistakes.

Jul 10, 2023

SEASON 1

EPISODE 0

The Startup Solution - Trailer

Threshold’s new podcast, The Startup Solution, hosted by Partner, Heidi Roizen, is coming soon! Each week, founders, startup execs and investors can hear about rarely discussed challenges that occur at startups. With each episode, Heidi will share advice and a clear review of lessons learned.